Surely the best hidden gem Bristol has to offer…read more Its not often Sam N and I find ourselves in the very centre of Bristol. Historically the haven of neon bars, scantly dressed girls and hot headed lager louts. However, to be fair, the centre has changed somewhat in recent years, and while those places still exist, there are a lot more reasons to visit the centre than to avoid it these days. Smoke and Mirrors lies on Denmark street, a seemingly uninteresting road just beside the hippodrome and the main cluster bars, chicken shops and kebab houses. Its, almost clandestine, location suits it perfectly and it just wouldn't have quite the same amount of charm if it was anywhere else. It labels itself as a theatre pub and I guess thats as a fair description as any. I fell in love with it as soon as I entered. It just feels like a hidden gem immediately, even before you are struck by all the quirkiness that lies within. Quirkiness aside, the place itself is a rather old fashion, small, but quint pub. The whole place is an oxymoron in as much as the very fact that it doesn't try to be 'cool' makes it one of the coolest places I know. Despite its small size there has been live music several times we've been there. Its a very non offensive variety of live music, the kind you can get involved with, enjoy as a backdrop or ignore completely. I feel like there are few places left like this, where you can drink to the backdrop of live music rather than it being so in your face. Last time we were there we had an absolute blast shouting endless requests at the guitarist, who indulged every one of them. He was so good we grabbed a card off him. The bar itself serves all manner of fairly mainstream drinks, it would perhaps be more fitting for it to serve one or two local drinks from the many of the firmly established local breweries bristol has to offer. There is a happy hour on cocktails, my recollection of such times is understandably hazy. They also have a rather tasty array of bar snacks. The scotch eggs and sausage rolls are really rather lovely and basically mean that you never have to leave :) Not surprisingly its a Saturday evening is when its at its peak, and can get rather busy, however it does so without ever feeling too busy, perhaps this is down to the magicians that roam through the crowd blowing everyones minds with various card tricks. Its great fun and never feels over the top. It just adds to the mood, and one of the many compounding factors that make it such a special place in my eyes. There is a small room the back which they use for intimate shows, the dates of which they mix up a bit. It appears that generally Monday it is an open mic comedy night where as Fri and Sat usually hold performances from the house magicians. However they are frequented by special guests so I guess its worth keeping an eye on the events calender. All in all, smoke and mirrors is a great place to go and by far my favorite place in central Bristol.

Theatre aside, the kitchen and bar is excellent. Top quality small plates and interesting local…read morebeers.

I've been coming to the old vic for many years so not only is it a great venue but for me it holds…read moremany great memories and is where my love of theatre began. The shows you get to see at the old vic are a far cry from the tacky unoriginal touring shows you get at the Hippodrome. Showcasing its own in house productions you find a lot more edgy and original theatre, so it's a must for all theatre lovers. On this occasion I took my one and half year old son to his first ever theatre production, Magic Elves. The show was in the small theatre downstairs and was perfect for small children and adults alike! He was engaged and mesmerised from the off and I hope this starts a similar love of theatre...

I just love independent community theatre companies like this!…read more They've been running since 1996, and they have one major production each year as well as smaller events. They're really friendly and welcoming to anybody who fancies finding out more about it and joining. Their next and upcoming production will be 'Bad Girls' the musical, booked into the theatre at Filton College in October. In fact it's not too late to get involved in this production if you like the idea of it! Tickets are reasonably priced.

Small theatre with cramped seats - no lobby area so intervals are a crush. Poor toilets and badly…read moretrained staff. I will not be going there again!

The Redgrave is a charming little venue tucked away in deepest, poshest Clifton. Affiliated to…read moreClifton College, its main output is productions of classic plays (Shakespeare features heavily) put on by their drama school, which, if you're as deeply untalented as me, is quite depressing as the standard is so good. They also fill out their programme with equally good productions from local amateur dramatics groups, and even find the time to put on the odd national comedian. A very small theatre, it's usually busy and generates a good atmosphere, while the prices are pretty low (a tenner or less) for the standard on offer. Unless you're a real theatre buff who expects the best, this is a good place to catch cut price productions.

Snappa are a rock band. Snappa do rock covers. That's what they are, that's what they do. These…read morelocal lads just cover classic and modern rock tunes, from Hendrix to the Stereophonics and plenty in between (including Johnny Cash - pretty damn fine). The reason I'm mentioning 'em is that they're just fantastic. I've seen plenty of covers bands in my short life and hopefully will see plenty more, but will they have the exuberance, talent and sense of humour that Snappa seem to exude at every performance? Snappa rocked the crowds silly mine & my hubbie's summer wedding. It was down in Somerset in middle of nowhere - they're willing to travel in their van and get booked up for weddings and parties all summer long, so if you want them book them now. For a two hour live set split with a DJ/disco hour in between they charge £500 (payable on the night). A lot of dosh, but most bands I looked at were atleast twice the price. And how they were worth it - my dad was up on the dancefloor for hours, as was one of our 2 year old guests and all my friends - they're just cracking entertainment for all ages.

Away from the city centre in run-of-the-mill Southville, the Tobacco Factory Theatre is unlikely to…read morebe found out straight away by a visitor to the city. The building, in red brick, is understated, and this isn't a fancy place like the Hippodrome or the Old Vic. It's theatre in the round, with seating on all sides of the stage. Apparently the theatre started life the result of ripping out the Imperial Tobacco offices that were here and they've managed to keep a clean, sparse feel that actors and directors love. I won't venture too many opinions on what sort of performances this makes for. I will say, though, that when I went to see Richard III, things felt very intense. They put on a range of performances here, a highlight being the dedicated Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory theatre company. Don't let the culture on offer scare you off. With tickets often less than a tenner, there doesn't have to a big to-do about going out here though. It's got a fairly relaxed and informal feel to it too. The Tobacco Factory is a smart addition to Bristol's arts scene.

Named after the original use of the building, (I have actually met people drinking in here that…read moreused to work for the cigarette company), The Tobacco Factory has got that kind of industrial kudos thing going on. The steel front doors are as easy to access as the vault doors at Fort Knox, but everything gets a whole lot easier once you've grappled your way in. The lay out is simple in this cavernous space, and the bar, with its dedicated food severing area, practically stretches the full length of the room. Amply staffed to cope with the numbers that often descend on the place, the team work well together, and so there's never too long to wait at the bar. I like to call in to make use of the free wi-fi and to plug in whenever I'm in South Bristol. I always order myself some tapas, usually manchego (which comes with a selection of delicious bread) along with some olives - the servings are incredibly generous, and so this is more than enough for one person. Up Fest will take place at the Tobacco Factory on 5 and 6 June, and promises to be a blast. with live music, dj's and 250 artists exhibiting their work. Tobacco Factory has a huge beer garden with a covered section for smokers if the weather turns nasty.

The leading centre for contemporary circus and physical theatre in Europe, right here in our city…read more In the restored church swings a permanent flying trapeze rig and a sprung dance floor. Very weird setting with stained glass windows and font still in situ! Still, its pretty incredible. As an organisation they run exciting (and never before seen) training courses in performance and circus from a two year diploma, teacher training, evening courses to workshops and team-building exercises. Some of the skills covered include clowning, corde lisse, acrobatics, juggling and unicycling. As a venue, Circomedia also hosts theatre and circus performances and train up exceptional performers who have gone on to Cirque du Soleil and local 'Invisible circus' fame. And if you think all that's not enough, they've just started pilates classes that I might try too. Roll up, roll up!

A somewhat hidden gem (so hidden that it's pretending to be, well OK, once was, a church) in…read morecentral Bristol, St Pauls to be precise, Circomedia is a performing arts centre with a difference. Running classes aimed at all abilities and ages, you can walk away from the centre with a recognised qualification or just dabble in a bit of what you fancy. The less flexible among us should look out for their regular shows as they can be truly spectacular.