Hands down - the smallest shop on the street is in fact The BIG Sandwich…read more Now I like sandwiches. I like them big. So when I saw this place I had to step up and see what they had in stock. It turns out it is neither the shop nor the sandwiches that are particularly big but rather the selection. Sandwiches, baguettes, toasties and wraps are the main sellers all with their own specialities like the 'brie and cranberry whole wheat baguette' or the 'cheese and tomato toastie'. Prices are pretty good with most sandwiches being between £3 and £4 to go. If you've got time to stick around they offer a pretty good breakfast, again letting you off with less than a fiver (coffee included). Said coffee is gourmet standard and prepared accordingly. I was expecting to walk away with a monster of a sarnie but wasn't too disappointed with my monster of a smile.

Oh, I have to absolutely recommend the cheese and marmite bread. You can taste the flavours without…read moreany of them overpowering another. Shame they only do it certain days as I can only get there on Mondays now! I'm devastated! It's glorious! I was in a rush today but will certainly be back to try more again soon!

Joe's is an old school bakery that sells great breads, pastries and donuts…read more Nowadays you'll find bakeries that look more like restaurants or like a swiss log cabin, but not Joe's! Joe's Bakery is as 90's as you could ever wish for; bread stacked in the window, donuts on glass fronted shelves and a fly zapper stuck to the wall. But, as old school as it is, everything they sell is fantastic! I popped in yesterday for the first time in months and grabbed a cheeky donut and was greeted with a welcoming "alright love" by one of the staff. There's no sitting down and having a coffee and natter here, but you'll have a good chin wag while you order and walk away with some of the best baked good in Bristol. I'm a BIG fan!

Are you mad about sarnies? If so, you must go to this place. A small, understated little shop at…read morethe top of Gloucester Road, it's easy to miss. But Mad About Sarnies sells a range of authentic sandwiches that put the packaged supermarket variety to shame. All of the produce is locally sourced and snacks and sandwiches are made on the premises. Mad About Sarnies also sell jacket potatoes, panninis, baguettes and wraps. The shop is vegetarian friendly too, and stocks a range of meat free produce. Try the falafel, rocket, tomato and cajun mayonnaise (£2.20) sandwich for a transcendental experience.

This is a great little shop and when I say little, I mean it. It's about the entire size of an…read moreelephant. True elephants are pretty big but for a shop, that's pretty small. They've used the space well and knock out some incredible sarnies. Beef and horseradish sauce is a classic and my favourite but these guys push the boat much further out. All the ingredients are local and fresh where possible and there are plenty of veggie options too. For a baguette shaped upgrade you can pay a little more and some of the choices can even come toasted! Mad About Sarnies is quite a long haul out of town but a very worthwhile pit stop.

The Gourmet Sandwich Club is the most exciting thing to happen to Bristol lunch times since, well,…read moreever! Bristol has some great bread fillers, but they are all quite samey; coronation chicken, ham salad, chicken mayo, BLT. You know the drill! But the Gourmet Sandwich Club is much different. It is interesting, unique and feels special - it's very Bristol. The concept is simple; it's invite only (via facebook), happens only on Fridays and they create incredible sandwiches. And I mean incredible! Every week they have 3 or 4 options to choose from. You pay by pay-pal and then pick them up from The Canteen on Stokes Croft, with a one hour window between 1-2. Now that's some serious underground Sandwich dealing! I was lucky enough to be invited to their debut last week, and I was really excited about it. In fact, I had to slow myself down as I pretty much ran down Gloucester Road. I got to The Canteen and waited for a minute for mine to brought out to me. A girl came to meet me and handed me a brown cardboard box with my name artfully written on it, a glass bottle of some red juice and a little cup cake. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to eat it in the Canteen, but I wasn't walking anywhere. I wanted it immediately! So I sat down, opened it up and tucked in. I chose the 'Steak on a bed of feta and beetroot with wild rocket and a homemade honey and mustard dressing, all compacted in to a toasted Sesame seed baguette' and oh my goodness, it was amazing! The steak was perfectly cooked and the feta and beetroot worked so well with the meat. I don't exactly know what the red juice was, but I'm guessing it was a homemade raspberry and mint juice - because it had raspberries and mint leaves in it - *Sherlock! It was really refreshing and I really wanted more. I would definitely have bought another bottle if I could. Fridays have always been my favourite day of the week; The Gourmet Sandwich Club just made them a whole lot better!

What a great idea. You sign up via Facebook, and place your order in advance for Friday lunchtime,…read moreand then pop down to the front of the canteen to collect your homemade delights at a set time on the Friday. I opted for the bombay lamb steak with a mint yogurt and honey slaw in a toasted roll. It came with a Cherry and Pomegranate juice, and chocolate cookie with fresh raspberries. I cannot over emphasise the freshness of the ingredients enough, and everything is homemade. The juice was light and refreshing, and you almost felt the goodness going into your body. The sandwich deliciously tasty and super yummy, and the cookie, well the perfect dessert - with the raspberries adding that little extra something. Highly recommended for £7.50 and a fantastic gourmet lunch.

This is a fairly recent establishment on St Michael's Hill and so far is doing really well,…read moreespecially amongst hungry students. When I get peckish around lunchtime, and if I happen to be in the library (very rare moments, these) then I always head to QED Bistro for a snack. It is a pretty basic but is how a bistro should be. No fancy menus of pretencious shortcomings, but a clean, friendly place serving fresh sandwiches/baguettes/wraps for a fraction of the price you would be somewhere else. Added bonus is the jug of fresh water brought to your table once you've sat down - therefore you can avoid embarrassment in asking for tap water the minute the waiter/waitress comes to your table.

Possibly best cafe in Bristol?! Delicious fresh sandwiches on fantastic bread, reasonable prices,…read morelovely home-made cakes. Very friendly service. Definitely try a smoothie!

The Olive Shed Shop on Gloucester road is popular with many a local student/hippy/healthy eater…read more The olives here are of an outstanding quality, despite the fact that they have been imported. Currently the shop's deli is plugging their Christmas goodies; hampers, nibbles and such, and despite the price, are definitely worth the investment. If you want ready made food, you can eat in or takeaway a great selection of olive themed dishes, which are a real delight for the taste buds.

I absolutely love The Olive Shed Shop - and I'm not the only one! With acclaim from such names as…read moreClifton Life and Raymond Blanc, it seems that the whole of Bristol wants a taste of the Olive Shed. With so many varieties to choose from, it's a blessing that the friendly staff offer free samples to help you make up your mind. My favourite has to be the queen olives stuffed with garlic. They don't make you popular, but they taste devine!

This sweet little cafe-cum-bakery at the top of Park Street is sometimes lost among the better…read moreknown names like Cafe Nero, Pret a Manger and Starbucks. But even though it looks quite humble from the outside, it's worth a visit if you're looking for a simple tea or coffee and a massive sweet treat. With a cup of tea for around £1, this no frills cafe is a welcome change to the ridiculously huge selection its chained counterparts offer. And the staff are happy, helpful and look like they like their jobs, which is a welcome change from most Bristol coffee houses!

Boulangerie is the knight and shining armour for all penny-pinching library-bound Bristol…read moreUniversity students. Just round the corner from the main university precinct, it is the most affordable place to grab a snack when the conflict between hunger and concentration proves too much to bear. At lunchtime there's invariably a fairly long queue outside Boulangerie. It's tucked away in between the louder and more lurid chains such as a Nero or Greggs but far better value than any of them. Boulangerie doesn't need to shout, anyone who's been knows how great it is. In fairness, most of the sandwiches taste pretty similar (there about four varieties of chicken and to me they all just taste like chicken salad despite whatever pretensions to Thai or Mexican flavours). It doesn't really matter though when the ingredients are fresh and the prices are this low.

I was super excited to check out this place for a spot of lunch, as it's a place I've heard many…read moregood things. I was there during the week on lunchtime with friends, it's got this really lovely laid back cosy style, and was super friendly. I like the fact they have a massive blackboard wall, with lots of menu choices, from tapas to light bites, and have specials too. We headed to the back of the building which almost feels conservatory like. The whole menu looked mouthwatering, I opted for the Home Smoked Trout with cream cheese, scrambled egg and radish salad. All of the flavours really complemented each other, and the scrammed egg was the lightest and fluffiest I've ever tasted. It was an ample portion, and really set me up for the rest of the day. The other thing I should mention is price, you get high quality for a great price. My brunch was priced at £6.90. The perfect price for a lunch deal in my opinion. I shall most certainly be back, and would highly recommend this place.

Poco is the best Tapas Bar around! Excellent food with the best atmosphere created by the staff,…read morethe music, the layout and the people who end up eating there. I think most of their meat is supplied from Pipers Farm, where the animals are treated incredibly well, they are mostly grass-fed and the meat tastes incredible. As someone who doesn't buy a lot of meat anymore, and I hardly eat meat when I eat out because I can't be sure of where the meat has come from, this is a massive plus! Thank you to all the staff for creating a unique experience!

St Werburghs Farm Café, adjacent to the inner-city St Werburghs Farm is a much loved meeting place…read morefor locals and visitors alike. Serving quality organic food and great coffee, it is often difficult to find a table in this surprisingly large café. (From the outside it looks like a small hobbit-built dwelling, but inside, the deceptively diminutive exterior, gives way to a spacious interior, with plenty of hobbit sized tables and seating.) It's possible to take food and drink outside to on of the picnic benches situated in the mini-adventure playground to the front of the building. There's quite a buzz to the place, especially in the mornings, with clusters of friends all indulging in animated discussions, although it's not uncommon to see people taking root for breakfast armed with the days copy of the Guardian. There's a very definite creative flavour to much of the chatter that goes on here, even the staff are all artists, musicians and writers. It's definitely one of Bristol's best child friendly bohemian spaces.

As an American that just landed from a dreadful early morning RyanAir flight...the Farm was an…read moreamazing surprise. My relative took me here for coffee and a breakfast sandwich; my first meal in England ! It was absolutely fantastic. Ambiance: 5 stars - very funky, unique - looks like its out of a fairy tale Service: 5 stars - very friendly staff Food: 5 stars - great coffee and the biggest bacon/egg sandwich I've ever seen...big and tasty ! Highly recommended NOTE: it may be hard to find for visitors to Bristol, but be patient and ask around. Better yet, google map it before you go, because you will not be disappointed.

Boston Tea Party on Whiteladies is a buzzing little cafe that has as much atmosphere as it does…read moregluten free cakes: a lot! I rarely go out for tea or coffee, its just not something I do. But I thoroughly regret my lack of caffeinated enthusiasm when I go to places such as Boston Tea Party. I had a bit of time to kill earlier so dropped in for a brew. I luckily managed to find a table as it was really busy. Looking around and sussing the place out, it was full of students with text books and macbooks, creative types with moustaches and macbooks and young mums with cake, but without macbooks! Everybody looked as comfortable as if they were in their own living rooms and the sound of everyone chatting really made you feel the atmosphere as soon as you walked in. It was great! The venue is split into 2 levels and the decor is light blue with lots of wood paneling, which works really well. I can imagine it feels just as comfortable in summer and winter. I had a Organic Dragonwell Green Tea which was amazing. I sometimes find green tea to be a little earthy, but this was really light and a little bit citrusy. I definitely recommend it. I'll be coming back to Boston Tea Party very soon!

Boston Tea Party is a central focal point for Park Street, so this offering on Whiteladies Road had…read morea lot to live up to. The best feature of the other one is the garden - which this branch lacks. But they've tried to make up for it with indoor ambience. It's clearly a more modern affair than it's counterpart down the road, with wooden flooring and a large, spacious counter area to order your drinks and food at. There's 3 levels of seating - the ground floor which has a few tall tables and stools, a lower floor which has some comfy sofas and is generally the most pleasant and peaceful area, and a mezzanine level which has more sofas and some standard tables. As a coffee shop it does a fine job, ticks all the right boxes and has a nice atmosphere, but in comparison to it's Bristol father shop, it's got a long way to go.