There are only 2 branches of Royal Bank of Scotland in Bristol and this one is easiest to get to if…read moreyou are in the centre. Located on busy Baldwin Street, it has a cash point outdoors and 4 teller windows inside. It's a full-service bank: there are staff to help you with setting up accounts, queries and other banking issues. Very helpful and friendly staff.

Gasp! 5 Stars for a bank?! Nope I shouldn't be locked up as some of you may be inclined to suggest,…read morethis Barclays has charm in spades. I've rarely had to wait very long (extremely rare for a Barclays), the interior is pleasant, there is a free filtered water dispenser and the staff are extremely polite and friendly. In fact, after my 21st birthday I was looking to put some savings away and whilst I don't want to get their staff into trouble, the advisor who served me suggested that the money could perform better elsewhere! Astonishing honesty, that really took me by surprise at a time of recession when everyone wants to blame 'the evil money grabbing bankers' for the worldwide financial crisis!

(This is a view about branch service and by no means my commentary on large banks in…read moregeneral....that would be quite another review!) This has been my bank since I was 8! I have (somewhat surprisingly) never had a bad experience in this bank. I am totally clueless about most things financial and the staff in here have always been helpful, informative and in no way patronising. Its clean and warm with all machines (apart from a coin counter) you could wish for. They supply mineral water and sporadically they have supplied coffee too. I rarely find it too busy and I have the patience of a small child so that's a feat in itself. Today my one year old went exploring and the staff moved deftly around him, smiling and went about their business. Just what a busy mum needed.

I was super impressed by this branch of Barclays. I needed to see a personal adviser as my scrawly…read moresignature didn't match the neat tidy signature I had when I first moved to the UK 9 years ago. I didn't have long to wait, the adviser was really helpful. She helpfully made the changes I needed, advised me to get rid of the Additions account somebody had nudged me into in a weak moment a few years ago, so I wasn't paying an unnecessary amount to Barclays for no reason each month. I know!! BANKERS ETHICS SHOCKER!! I hope the poor girl isn't tracked down and sacrificed to the gods of greed. I was in and out of there in no time and left with a smile of my face, a rarity in encounters with bankers!

I'm not well up on the ethics of the big banks but in terms of straightforward fees etc and…read morecustomer service, I've always found Barclays to be head and shoulders above the rest. This branch is a good example of a decent Barclays branch. There is usually a nice girl who at the customer service counter who greets you and tries to solve your problems. Sometimes this is merely pointing you in the direction of counter services up the stairs, to the nearby cash point or deposit drop or to the newly added and amazingly helpful self service station where you can print out your statements, amend or cancel standing orders and transfer money. There's also one of those phone points where you can call up customers services for your Barclaycard or get an insurance quote from Barclays. And of course there are half a dozen personal banker desks to help you with more complex queries. Judging by the signs outside at the moment though, they are soon to move to a new 'flagship' store elsewhere in Broadmead.

This company has since been taken over by Britannaia, however they were a great branch, with…read morefriendly staff, who take the time to personally connect with their customers, even offering a drink if your particularly worn down. They are very knowledgable about interest rates, and are also very quick to answer any questions you might have in regards to opening an account with them.

Welcome to the future. I went to pay some cheques in yesterday and after initially finding that the…read morecity centre HSBC is now a NatWest, managed to track down this new branch which sits in Cabot Circus. As it's just been built, this is presumbly the way all banking is going. No desks, no queues and no cashiers. Just rows of self-service machines which claim to perform all manner of exciting administrative tasks, leaving the staff free to roam the branch, helping/hassling the patrons (it was all a bit like using a self-service till in a supermarket). Having overcome my initital fear that the hi-tech equipment would laugh in the face of my anachronistic cheques like something from 'The Hitchhiker's Guide', I'm pleased to say I was in and out within five minutes (at the height of lunch time) and without anyone trying to upsell me some pointless insurance or another. All well and good, though the pensioner next to me seemed to be faring rather worse...

This branch of HSBC is worth noting - mainly because of it's extended opening hours. If you work…read morenine to five, then you'll know how frustrating it is when you have to use up your entire lunch hour in order to deposit a single cheque. The queues are massive because nobody wants to give up their Saturday morning lie-in to get to the bank before it shuts at midday. All these woes are a thing of the past with this new Cabot Circus branch, as not only is it open weekday evenings, but also at weekends - even on Sundays! It's crazy to think that a bank would be willing to change it's policy to improve customer satisfaction, but that appears to be what they've done. Good on 'em.

Best bank in the world - well for a high street bank anyway…read more It seems as though its always empty, there are always cash points available (the bank has 5 - two inside and 3 outside). The facilities are great, it's spacious and there's always a member of staff to help you. Honestly great

This is a slightly smaller NatWest branch on Gloucester road, up towards the rising sun and Books…read morefor Amnesty. There are a few till points, which can get busy, if there's a rush, but generally you will get served pretty much instantly, and the sales advisers are helpful and friendly as you would expect. The interior of the bank isn't the most spectacular, it's pretty grey, grey and grey all round. There are two or three free use cash points outside, which is useful to know, as a lot of places on Gloucester Rd, Stokes Croft area can charge nearly £2 to take out money!

Medium sized bank with cash points outside and inside. Full service bank with staff to help with…read moreyour accounts as well as multiple teller windows. The staff are helpful and friendly. Accessable via bus and car, situated on a busy road.