Ok, now for a little history lesson (sorry I wouldn't do this unless it was very interesting). The…read moreClifton Arcade, a beautiful Victorian version of a shopping mall, was buried under 60 tonnes of debris (including a caravan) until just 20 years ago. The story goes, when a builder was working around the site twenty years ago and started drilling into a wall, his drill went all the way through, meaning it was hollow inside; he made the hole big enough to look through and saw this beautiful old Victorian parade of shops, untouched for decades. Now I don't know how much of that the complete truth, but pretty cool is nonetheless. As far as shops go, they are suitably useless but fit in with this special building. They are lovely little independent businesses. There is an amazing little Mexican shop that only sells, well, Mexican things. Like wrestlers masks. Nacho Libre!!! There are art shops & a really cool vintage clothes shop (woman only, dam!). The biggest shame is that the brilliant little record store that used to be at the far end has now closed. Dam, now this arcade really is only suitable for woman, mothers and grannies who can literally get lost in their for hours. Some peace for the rest of us.

This is kind of symptomatic of everything that's good and bad about Clifton Village. You enter by…read morethe Promrose Cafe and stroll through this beautiful arcade, though I have to say, I'm struggling to think of a time that I've ever bought anything here. Pretty much everything in here - bar the music store - is high end, which means, especially in this day and age, that it's all a little rich for my blood. Always worth a quick stroll when you're in the area, but you may want to encase your wallet in concrete before you enter.

Good shopping centre and not too many empty stores. We last went on a very rainy day but it didn't…read moretake away from the shopping experience. I love that they have little food places staggered around like Ben's Cookies (which is always an essential when shopping for the family!) Easy to get to and access. Worth the visit.

Wow! I could do some serious damage at this place! Cabot Circus is a beautifully constructed…read more"outdoor" shopping centre with every store you can imagine! We were staying across the street at the Future Inn and on the evening we arrived, we strolled over to take a quick peek at the adventures I would be exploring the next day. Much to my surprise, pleasure and happiness, there was a Pret right there as soon as we walked in! Breakfast at the hotel was on the pricey side so we knew where we'd be coming in the morning and we certainly needed to get fueled up for a day of shopping! CC has lots of high end, brand name stores and with even more shops beyond the boundaries of CC, this made for a lovely day of retail therapy. My poor husband... oh well, at least they had an Apple store for him. ;)

If Photoshop were to personify itself as a traditional British gentleman then this is probably the…read moresort of place he'd run. Everything about this place has that sort of modern yet classical chic design look to it. If you know what I'm on about you'll probably love it down here. From kitchen wares to cookery books to candle holders this place has everything the modern housewife (or husband) could wish for, all with a sort of bold and colourful twist to it. They also have a wonderfully easy to use website with all their kit on display so maybe the best thing to is check that out, as opposed to imagining a bold, colourful, modern and chic Photoshop man.

A bright and modern gift shop perfect for the yummy mummy friends in your life. They had a wide…read moreselection of Orla Kiely and Cath Kidson items which should help you gauge the style here. Think pink and pretty with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and cherries on top. Over two floors, if you are buying for children check out downstairs for some interesting kids toys and games. However be warned - I did have to leave after 10 minutes because I was beaten into submission by the incredible tweeness of the music. Any more and I would have started swearing and smashing things just to get the status quo of the universe back into kilter.

Great little surprise, a beautiful old Victorian shopping arcade tucked away in Clifton Village,…read moreBristol. Hidden down Boyces Avenue, this treasure originally opened in 1878 but later fell into disuse. It has been restored now and is home to a wide range of small shops selling all sorts of stuff from antiques, furniture, jewelry, designer clotes, art, music and books. A really good mix to tempt our various interests. Apparently, the building has been used as a film location, notably in the BBC drama Little Sir Nicholas, De Amitri's video Nothing Much Happens Here and on more than one occasion by the BBC for Casualty.

Such cute clothes and everyone who works here is so nice! My husband and I have purchased quite a…read morefew items here and we've really enjoyed the experience every time!

Welcome to the Clifton fashion boutique Maze…read more I visited here during the January sales hoping to find a bargain, more specifically I had tried a dress on in the French Connection in town which I really liked but needed a size 8. My heart did a little jump when I found that they did indeed have a size 8! But it fell right down to my feet when I saw they had it priced more more than double the FC sale price! I asked the shop assistant if perhaps it hadn't been marked down again yet but she informed me in a kind of 'how-many-more-times-do-I-have-to-go-through-this' kind of way that although they stocked FC lines, they do not have to mirror their prices. I was quite disappointed! Generally speaking, the ladies things are very nice but very expensive. But then, that's Clifton; in the changing room I overheard someone trying a dress on for her upcoming trip down the red carpet at the BRITS or BAFTAS or something like that! I think the men's section might be a bit better though.

I adore this shop - I wish that my house could look like this with all fine furnishings and…read moredelicate glasses and jewellery strewn about with glamourous abandon. I would have to have genetic modification to stop my clumsiness though and, as the lady looking after the shop pointed out, I probably wouldn't want to do the dusting! A two-storey treasure trove of vintage items but displayed with finesse. I came looking for some champagne saucers and the lady was very helpful in showing me some (the wrong decade for me, but they were beautiful Edwardian cut glass). The prices are astonishingly reasonable verging on cheap so if you like quality items in your home and kitchen then I highly recommend coming here and finding bits and bobs.

I'm a passionate Bristolian. I love everything about Bristol and every inch of this beautiful city…read more However, every time I go through Broadmead I can't help but ask: what happened? What went wrong? I know that the high street has been in decline for a while now, and that it's not only Bristol that has empty shopping centers, but that doesn't make it any easier watch. When I was a kid I used to love going into town and going to the galleries to by someone a birthday present, or go to choose my own. But now broadmead and the galleries are a non-event. There's not really anything there apart from boots and a few discount shops. Saying that, every christmas the German markets come to town and liven the place up with mulled wine, bratwurst and some much needed christmas cheer. It's a really nice place to go on your lunch break or to start a night off. Without it, this would be a 2 star review!

This is Bristol's main shopping precinct, complete with a mall, two cinemas and various department…read morestores. It's always felt a bit tired and run down, with too much concrete and boarded up windows. They've taken a step towards dealing with a recent refurbishment - cleaning the brick work and stuff like that. It's still a bit crap to be honest, especially next the brand spanking new Cabot Circus next door. There's everything you'd expect from a big city's main shopping area. They've got a Marks and Spencer and several McDonald's - it's pretty much a clone of what you'd find in somewhere like Southampton or Wolverhampton. Everyone says Bristol can do a bit better - I suppose that's what Cabot Circus is all about. It's got a quite a Bristolian feel to it, which makes it feel a bit less soulless. Staff are a bit more likely to meet your eye than London and there's quite a friendly atmosphere. Anoyances include charity muggers and men standing around with microphones decrying your sins, but nothing too bad. Broadmead isn't flash, or even very smart but has everything you'd want when you go into town.

I loved my visit to Oh La La - so did my husband! French sisters - very hands on - help you find…read morethe perfect fitting bra. A shopping experience not to be missed if you need/want a really well fitted bra and some fun along the way.

If, like me, you are a buxom wench who finds underwear shopping a demoralising experience, then be…read moreprepared to splash the cash and head to Oh La La. I first went here with a friend who was looking for some saucy but tasteful bridal underwear for her wedding night and I loved it. The staff are mad, French and tactile to say the least. I have never had my boobs sized by being weighed by hand in a shop before and the lady helping us was happy to lift up her skirt and show us how the lovely French knickers she was modelling were good for big bums. But they are incredibly helpful and honest and know how to fit a bra properly unlike most of the women in high street stores. The makes they stock are usually the harder to get hold of brands that you need to order via catalogue and thus are pricier but they are generally really nice. They also do great sports bras for the larger chested lady. Definitely worth a visit or you or your fella feel you are in line for a treat, but be prepared for the rather unorthodox sales technique!

Walking through the doors of shop is like literally taking a step back in time. Everything from the…read morefurniture to the shop assistants look as though they've come from the swinging sixties. This is a little slice of retro happiness on the Christmas Steps. They stock everything from home ware to jewellery making it a vintage girl's paradise. Not only is Shop one of the best shops that Bristol has to offer, but they also hold gig and film nights where they'll serve you hot buttered pop corn and cups of tea. Keep an eye on the website for an event that takes your fancy and then try it out for yourself.

A lot of shops have come and gone on Christmas Steps, but this little vintage shop has kept its…read morechirpy little doors open. Focusing on modern vintage ('70s to '90s with a few nods to '50s and '60s) the first room has carefully displayed homeware and little nick-nacks. Owners Jayne and Brett are always there with a 'hello' - they always look so damn happy! - and the lounge music will usher you in smoothly to the back room. Here you will find some good retro clothes, particularly nice are the accessories and brooches available. TOP TIP: Pick up a 'shop-fir-mation' from the bowl at the back, a pick-me-up fortune cookie message in SHOP's unique style.

This branch of Tesco Express is right in the city centre in Broadmead, and in my opinion there is…read moreone major drawback to the shop's location - there is a lack of easy nearby parking. Because of this fact, buying a weeks worth of food is not a great option as you would have to lug your bags quite a long way to reach the car! Unless of course you catch the bus in which case just cross over the road and there's a stop right there... I tend to use this shop mainly either if I'm in town and want a refreshment whilst shopping, or if I'm going to the Odeon cinema to buy sweets and popcorn in advance because it is so much cheaper! The shop seems pretty well stocked most of the time, but the one thing I would say is that the checkouts are really slow and you might find yourself stood in a queue for ages which is annoying if you only want a drink!

As much as I try to avoid this Tesco's (because everything is most definitely overpriced) I always…read morefind myself popping in in case of a bargain. To be fair, there are some okish discounts if you time it right, but otherwise do expect to pay a couple of quid extra for booze and others. I also admit I have used this Tesco's as an escape from the rain many a times, and spent a good half hour reading the vast display of magazines (what? It saves me buying them!). The shop is actually pretty large. Most non-regulars won't realise there's another part to the shop to the left of the checkouts which have the tin cans, dog food and spices. Worth a visit for everyday items, but avoid like the plague if you have a big shop coming up - you will be ripped off.