The best brunch in Bristol

Last updated on January 12, 2024

Going for brunch is up there with my favourite things and in Bristol we’re spoiled for choice. There’s even a cafe inspired by the king of brunch, Melbourne, and it’s as good as the ones you find there. From cosy little farm-style kitchens to more polished affairs, there’s plenty of styles on offer, and I’ve been steadily trying all of them since we arrived.

This is my round-up of the best brunches in Bristol. As a vegetarian, I’ve focused on the veggie side of things, but all these places serve meat too if that’s what you’re after.

Also see our other Bristol guides below…

Map of the best brunch in Bristol

The best brunch in Bristol

Bristol Loaf

The Bristol Loaf first won Bristol’s heart for its baked goods (definitely some of the best cakes and bread in the city). And now they do an incredible brunch at their other cafes in Bedminster and the Bristol Beacon.

It’s a creative menu with unusual yet delicious dishes including: a Fungarium mushroom tartine with smoked chipotle and garlic, roast tropea onion and fava bean hummus; and cavatelli pasta coolea with asparagus, broad beans, peas, chilli and preserved lemon emulsion.

The Bedminster Loaf is notoriously difficult to get a table at, but we’ve never had an issue getting one at the Bristol Beacon.

The Garden of Easton

The Garden of Easton is where the old, much-loved Cafe Maitreya used to be. It was a hard act to follow, but with a mass of plants and a great menu, they’ve nailed it.

It’s no surprise considering it’s run by the same team behind The Bristolian, one of Bristol’s most long established favourites (and also on this list).

The first thing you’ll notice is the plant-covered building, teeming with a foliage – and that theme continues inside with even more abundant plant life. It’s hard not to enjoy such a verdant setting and the whole place has a friendly, chilled-out vibe, just like its sister in Montpelier.

The food is the more or less the same as The Bristolian – classic and hearty breakfast offerings, including egg dishes and a full English, including veggie and vegan options. The cakes are also pretty epic.

Caper and Cure

Caper and Cure is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in Bristol, and on Saturdays they do an amazing brunch menu. The locally sourced menu includes simple, carefully crafted dishes, such as borlotti beans on toast and, my favourite, an A* huevos rancheros.

The light-filled cafe, looking out onto Stokes Croft, is one of my favourite places to hang out in the city. I also recommend visiting at night when they serve a high-end seasonal menu, which creates the experience of a fancy restaurant, but in a cosy and casual setting. And they also do amazing roasts on a Sunday.

Fed

Fed was an instant hit from the moment it arrived in Bristol and is now one of the kings of Bristol cafes. They have an abundance of cakes and pastries on the counter, but also serve a short menu from the kitchen, including toasties and granola.

The menu is slightly different in each cafe, but they can be trusted to serve thoughtful, inventive and unfailingly tasty dishes. I’m a big fan of the overnight oats.

It can be an effort to get a seat in any of their little cafes, but when you do, it’s always worth it.

Burra

Burra is another local success story that quickly rose to the top after opening on Whiteladies Road in 2021. By 2022, they’d opened a second location on Gloucester Road in Horfield.

The bright, antipodean-style cafes serve simple, classic brunch dishes such as eggs florentine and avo on toast, plus a few rolls, including the popular breakfast roll with fried egg, sausage, smoked bacon, rocket, jalapeño mayo.

When I heard it was opening, I had high hopes it’d be as good and inventive as Ceres (our old favourite Aussie-style cafe that has now closed), and while it doesn’t live up to that, it is a solid option for brunch in Bristol.

Brace and Browns

Getting a booking at Brace and Browns for brunch isn’t easy; it often gets booked up weeks in advance, which is of course testament to its popularity, which mostly hinges on its amazing bottomless brunch. For £32.50, you get two hours to enjoy as much food and fizz as you like. There’s even a build-your-own bloody mary bar.

The choices for vegetarians are plentiful, so you definitely won’t feel short changed. This is a must for special occasions. 

The Crafty Egg

There’s nearly always a queue outside The Crafty Egg on the weekends. And while my favourite is across the road at Caper and Cure, the Crafty Egg is still a good option.

As the name suggests, there’s a focus on eggs, including baked eggs and eggy bread. But they also do a full English, pancakes and more. There’s a second cafe in Fishponds.

Albatross Cafe

If you’re looking for a light breakfast, Albatross Cafe in Southville is a charming option. When I first saw it, it reminded me of the places I used to frequent in Berlin, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that it’s inspired by the city’s cafe culture.

Filled with plants and colourful ceramics on sale, the cafe serves a small seasonal menu, including homemade baked beans on sourdough and a selection of delicious crumpets. It transforms into a popular bar at night.

The Bristolian

Another Bristol institution, The Bristolian is a cosy, hippyish cafe in Stokes Croft with colourful interiors and a sweet location on the corner of Picton Street, complete with a covered patio that’s ideal on warm days.

The menu has classics, like a full English, but also some more unexpected offerings, including – my favourite – pan con tomate with a fried egg on top. I’d say it’s more about the atmosphere than the food, although I will travel there specifically for that dish.

Este Kitchen

A popular Easton option is Este Kitchen, a cute little cafe with a Latin American twist. The Latin American influence can be seen in dishes like acai bowls, arepas, pan con tomate and homemade chorizo. But there are also brunch favourites, including french toast and avocados with eggs.

When I went, they were also serving excellent buckwheat pancakes, which is something I’ve struggled to find elsewhere in Bristol.

The Artist Residence

The most stylish hotel in Bristol also has a fabulous restaurant and bar that’s open to the public. The star of the show here is the art-filled space, which is the site of a former boot factory that’s been reclaimed in the Artist Residence’s signature, eccentric style.

It’s a perfect place for a treat meal and they serve breakfast every day until 11:30 (11:45 at the weekends).

The menu is more or less what you’d expect: a full, somewhat elevated English breakfast, including a veggie and vegan option, plus avo on toast, sweetcorn fritters and more. I’m yet to try the banana bread french toast, but it sounds delicious!

Boston Tea Party

Boston Tea Party is a Bristol institution that started on Park Street and now has cafes across the city and south west. To be honest, the food isn’t quite as good as some of the other places on this list, but it’s a perfect option if you’re eating with kids.

All of the cafes have a laidback atmosphere and a brilliant kids menu, including a reasonably priced pick-and-mix breakfast and kiddie pancakes.

The selection for adults is good, with some stand out highlights, including – my favourite – the sweet corn hash, which comes topped with avocado, halloumi and a sweet chilli sauce.

Spicer and Cole

If you follow me on instagram, you’ll see I often chat about the cakes in Spicer and Cole, which are among my favourite in Bristol, and they also do a great breakfast menu, including a full veggie breakfast. Plus you could always opt for a cake brunch. The muffins are my favourite in Bristol.

There are a few different branches of Spicer and Cole in Bristol – in Clifton, Gloucester Road and on Queen’s Square. Note that the one on Gloucester Road doesn’t do a full cooked breakfast menu anymore (only granola and sandwiches).

Let me know if there any others that I need to try!

Vegetarian-friendly travel guides

If you liked this post, you might be interested in some of my other vegetarian guides. Here’s one for the best vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Portland, Oregon; and another for a vegetarian road trip around Slovenia.