Living on your own for the first time on a limited student budget, especially when you’re in a new city, can be a daunting experience. As exciting as being a fresher is, for the first time in your life your health is completely in your own hands. Having to make sure you not only get to class on time and hit your essay deadlines, but also keep yourself well fed without spending too much on food or eating too much junk food, is more difficult than it seems – especially if half the time you’re recovering from a messy night out or putting off that essay you should be writing with a not-at-all deserved Netflix binge.
But being a student doesn’t mean you have to live off of a diet of boring beans on toast or microwaveable meals. There are plenty of trendy student-friendly restaurants across Bristol with delicious daily deals which could save you and your new uni mates from a depressing night in scraping peanut butter from the bottom of the jar in an attempt to not die of hunger.
Though it’s not at all reasonable to expect to eat out all the time as a student, it’s also not reasonable to expect you to skip restaurants altogether. Check out our list of some of our favourite and affordable restaurants in Bristol when you’re tired of raiding the cupboards for something make yourself.
One of Bristol’s most unique venues, Racks is the perfect place to dine whether you’re after a surprisingly affordable breakfast, lunch or dinner, or one of the best Sunday roasts in Bristol. Racks also has some fantastic daily deals if you’re trying to squeeze the most out of your money.
2 for 1 Burgers on Burger Monday, buy one pizza and get another for a penny on Penny Pizza Tuesday, Pie One Get One Free from 5pm on Wednesday (do I really need to explain this one?), and steak and chips for a tenner on Steak Thursday.
One of our favourite restaurants and microbreweries in Bristol famous for its must-try mango beer and monthly speciality brews, the award-winning pizzas here are perfection, with a stunning selection no matter what you’re in the mood for – scotch bonnet carnitas pizza anyone? With its unique interior and chilled out, cool atmosphere, this is one of Bristol’s best venues to bring your new uni friends.
Every Monday from 5pm to 10pm, Zerodegrees’ Beat The Clock offer lets you purchase any pizza, pasta or salad for a price matching the hour you ordered – so if you order at 5pm your dinner is just £5. From 4pm to 7pm every weekday, you can also pick up a pint of one of their incredible core beers for just £3.
With a name like Fed Up & Drunk, we understand that drinking with mates is a huge part of your uni experience – potentially the reason you decided to go there in the first place. At this modern British restaurant with an international twist situated at the top of Park Street in a Georgian townhouse, you can enjoy delicious 2-for-1 cocktails every Thursday to Saturday from 5.30pm to get you all merry for what are bound to be some super weekends you won’t soon forget (well, depending on how much you drink that is).
You can also eat off this award-winning restaurant’s lunchtime menu for just a fiver with their express lunch offer, featuring a selection of delicious sandwiches, burgers, salads and so much more. Adjoining a laid-back private members club for creatives, the restaurant is open to all. The venue also hosts workshops, poetry nights, live music events and food tastings.
This youthful and trendy burger joint situated within a moored boat on Bristol’s historic harbourside is one of the coolest places to hang out if you’re a student new to the city. Not only is the location brilliant, close to tons of shops, parks, bars and clubs, but the burgers here are unbeatable and will make you never want to eat in a fast food chain again.
If this alone doesn’t tempt you to come and check out one of the best places in the city to hang out with a group of uni mates, their lunch deal, which is available for students all throughout the day no matter whether it’s lunchtime or not (although when you’re waking up at 12pm daily, lunchtime is breakfast anyway), gets you a classic burger (or Portobello mushroom burger) and fries for only a fiver.
If you fancy something a little different for your night out and have a little extra pocket money to gamble away, trying to win back your student loans (no seriously don’t do this), Rainbow Casino, situated in Bristol’s stylish Millennium Square, is the closest Bristol gets to the bright lights and excitement of Vegas, without the expensive plane ticket.
This all said, your experience here needn’t be expensive as the restaurant is an affordable place to enjoy a great meal out with your mates. Every Thursday for just £6.95, you can enjoy a curry served with chota naan, basmati rice and mango chutney in the casino’s light and airy restaurant, boasting panoramic views across the city’s skyline. Every day from 2pm to 10pm, you can also enjoy a pint or a glass of wine for just £2.
Pizzarova offers a casual alternative to a restaurant environment and service along with some of the best pizza we’ve ever tasted, starting at just £6. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or an evening spent with your new friends enjoying a relaxing beer, a pizza with all the toppings, and great music, this pizza joint is the place for you.
Every Tuesday, you can also enjoy a pizza and beer (or cider) for just £10, with as many toppings as you can manage. Every Friday on Twitter they also offer their followers a chance to win a free pizza with their #FreePizzaFriday promotion. Just RT their post and you’ll be in with a chance of kicking off your weekend the right way.
In the heart of Bristol’s vibrant downtown office district, you’ll find The Prince Street Social. This trendy, modern, and welcoming restaurant and bar is the ideal place to relax with a brunch, lunch or dinner and a choice of beverages from their wonderful wine, beer, and cocktail menu.
Every Saturday from 10am to 4pm, The Prince Street Social serves up their famous Bottomless Brunch, and every Sunday from 12pm to 6pm their Bottomless Roast. If you’ve spent too much on a student night at the beginning of the week and have been starving yourself until the weekend, living off of a diet of cereal and too many packets of crisps, this bottomless roast might just save your life (or keep you going until next Sunday).
For more great restaurants in Bristol, be sure to check out our website or pick up a free copy of our Bristol Food & Drink Guide.
