The Ultimate Cheap Eats Guide to Bristol

We can’t begin to express how deep our love for the people at Tuk Tuck is. It’s almost as deep as their warming bowls of Thai red curry. As a wriggle regular we might be accused of favouritism but you only have to see the constant stream of punters coming in and out to see how popular it is here. Located on St Stephens St this little restaurant is filled with Asian Street food options ranging from bibimbaps and sushi to banh mi and dumplings. Each dish arrives beautifully presented and is cooked with love – honestly it’s that good. Try the home made chilli sauce with your bibimbaps or go a little leftfield and sample their kimchi fries. The food here is a real bargain and this also a BYO restaurant, making it extremely budget-friendly. Also keep your eager eyes peeled for wriggle offers.

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The original falafel pioneers on Cotham Hill have served delicious, meat-free fast-food from the very beginning. This is a herbivore’s holy grail of comfort food: fresh falafels in wraps stuffed with fresh salads, halloumi and drizzled in tahini, mango and chilli sauce. With a new extensive menu of tasty Israeli and Mediterranean delights (their vegan shawarma are little pockets of heaven), they’ve stayed loyal to their fans by keeping their prices low and the quality high. Enjoy these cheap treats whilst unwinding in their their cave-like kasbah, an enchanting oasis which promises an entertaining evening of mezze madness.

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Want to know how much Bristolians love Matina? Look at the queue. At almost any point of the day, you'll see a huge line of people patiently waiting for their turn to order one of their pillowy, spicy, Kurdish wraps. Based at the corner of St Nick's market, everything's cooked in front of you as you're ordering - from the charcoaled meats and veg to the kurdish naan bread. It's simple food, beautifully done and we guarantee you'll thank us for the tip.

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The Kitchen have two aims: to serve great tasting food and to give opportunities for young people to volunteer, train and gain employment. You can expect beautifully presented food made fresh and daily, with hearty brunches and healthy lunches served for under a fiver. Chargrilled chicken flatbreads and grilled halloumi pittas are a popular lunch choice, with vegan dishes and sharing mezzes also available served at the modest price of £6.

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Yume Kitchen is an original Wriggle gem and the front-runner in Bristol’s Japanese eateries. The city’s first Japanese owned and run restaurant continue to warm customers with first-rate, authentic and affordable Japanese food. The menu is fresh, simple and far from intimidating, offering a helping hand for beginners in Japanese cuisine (disclaimer - there isn’t just sushi on the menu). Classic Katsu dishes, hearty rice bowls, bento boxes and sushi pieces are all individually rich in flavour and kept at a keen price. You can leave full, satisfied and enriched in Japanese culture, a special dining experience without splashing out.

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We’ve always loved Gopal’s and was really pleased for them when they successfully crowdfunded enough dosh to open a place in Wapping Wharf. Their vegetarian and vegan indian food is always delicious, especially those garam masala roasted sweet potatoes! The grab-n-go buddha box makes a tasty, filling meal and is perfect for al fresco dining by the harbourside.

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The food here is almost as grand as the building itself, the interior resembles something out of a James Bond film and the food will leave you positively shaken (with joy) not stirred. The large round tables are great for big celebrations, but they also have those dark corners for a more intimate experience. With a 2 -3 course lunch menu that can only be described as a steal, you can eat like a emperor with the wallet of a pauper .

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Five Grains brings a healthy and rustic Middle Eastern style to city-centre folk - with their specialty being the Manoushé, a Lebanese flatbread, which is filled with with a variety of options, including minced lamb, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes and olives. Those looking for lunch pudding (it's a thing!) you can have yours stuffed with chocolate spread, fruit, nuts and honey. These are served with fresh juices and smoothies which are created in front of you - either an entirely fruit and vegetable type affair, or for a sweet toothed morning enhancer, try one of their energy boosters. We go gaga for the green one.

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For those who are busy and lack the time (or the skills) to cook, Sweet Mart has absolutely got your back. Join the queue at the deli counter and take your pick from curries, dals, samosas and chaat boxes. You can easily pick up a few days worth of food, with sides for £10 or less and stock up on ingredients for a batch cooking weekend.

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Where can you find a filling, freshly prepped and hot lunch and the best view in central Bristol? That would be Bambalan! Recent winners of Best Mediterranean at the Bristol Good Food Awards, they have taken the humble flatbread to new heights with marinated lamb, grilled chicken, crunchy, salad, zingy yogurt toppings and all finished off with a sexy sauce. You can enjoy this masterful creation whilst casting your eye over the city centre and to the Mendips on a clear day if you can get a better lunch with a better view in Bristol, we want to hear about it.

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If you're looking for delicious, funky Modern Asian dining then call off the search, because we've got the answer. Dangun is the place for you. The brainchild of the team behind the ridiculously popular Tuk Tuck (one of Team Wriggle's absolute favourite places to get lunch, no less), Dangun offers up exciting, vibrant Korean, Thai and Pan-Asian inspired fusion food in the beautiful setting of St Nicholas Street.

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Close enough for a quick-smart working lunch but a million miles from Broadmead's uneasy rows of identikit Pret-a-who-now's, Star-yucks and soul-sapping supermarket chains, the independent arcade's newest foodie resident - Rollin' Vietnamese - has been filling tummies and putting smiles on faces since late 2017. Expect delectably fresh Pho, Banh Mi and Goi Cuon bowls - all made to the same authentic street-food recipes that owner Kevin Ha enjoyed since childhood in Vietnam.

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The G Bros (Geoff and Gareth) started their professional pizza-making lives when they served up delicious sourdough pizza, baked with handpicked, locally sourced ingredients, from a fitted wood-burning oven in the back of a former Fire Brigade truck. Now with their own place in Easton, you are able to pop in and enjoy the finest, freshest pizzas for an oh so reasonable price. Eat in or takeaway and marvel at the crispy base, loaded toppings and overall excellence of these pies!

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Al Bacio offers everything you could possibly want from an Italian restaurant. From classics such as homemade carbonara, arancini and lasagne della Casa to a decadent steak salad, as well as tantalising selection of desserts (proper profiteroles, anyone?) this is food for feasting on, food for savouring, and food for indulging in. If you're feeling extra-luxurious, why not round off your meal with a glass or two of homemade grappa – a traditional Italian spirit, whose recipe Al Bacio have spent years perfecting. They've now got an astonishing range – we can't get enough of the traditional lemon and rosemary variant, but if you're feeling fruity the raspberry is pretty special too. To top it all off, you can even brush up on your GCSE Italian when you pop to the bathroom, where language lessons are pumped out through the speakers; grazie mille!

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White's Botanicals unique, guilt-free treats, such as their pumpkin and cashew butter toasties and buckwheat pancakes, offer a new take on health food without sacrificing the taste. A great spot to bask in the sun with chilled vibes to match, prepare to nourish your body in the good stuff. Choose between salads, tarts, platters. cakes and smoothies and induulge in the plant focused surroundings whilst people watching out of the huge windows.

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Possibly the best outside seating in the centre can be found at Mud Dock cafe, overlooking the river. With a menu change thats including ice cream sandwiches, fresh salds, mexcian bean burgers and the same great coffees and beers they've always had, you would do well to come and eat here. It's affordable, imimate, bright and wallet friendly, so what are you waiting for?!

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With recipes forged from the hunger of the Great Leap Forward (1958-1960) and Socialist China, passed down through generations, Dr Weng and Mrs Li are revolutionising the Szechuan scene of the south-west with fresh, local ingredients and a true passion for feeding people. Their mantra ​passed down from his grandmother, remains “never forget those still in hunger”; don’t forget to check them out. A Wriggle favourite.

Read more about Chilli Daddy (St Nick's Market)