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Top 10 Affordable Things To Do In Bristol in 2026
Quick summary
- You can start the day at Costa or Pret in Cabot Circus, sit down to a proper breakfast plate at Soho Coffee, or grab a freshly squeezed juice at Joe & The Juice.
- For quality and affordable shopping, you can browse trend-led rails and the summer sales at Bershka and Pull&Bear, stock up on basics at H&M and UNIQLO, or pick up trendy jewellery at Lovisa at Cabot Circus.
- For tasty food that doesn’t break the bank, you can tuck into peri-peri at Nando's, try Korean street food at Bunsik, grab a burrito at Tortilla, or a stone-baked pizza at PizzaExpress.
- For games and films on a budget, you can play arcade games for half price after 8 PM at King Pins, or take the kids to ODEON Luxe for a £1 in selected films (conditions apply).
- For a free day out, you can wander Bristol’s harbourside, step inside M Shed and the Red Lodge Museum, catch a contemporary art show at Arnolfini, or relax in Castle Park.
This guide pulls ten affordable things to do across Bristol for friends, families and anyone keeping an eye on what they're spending.
Start the day with a quick breakfast at Cabot Circus
A good day out runs on a decent breakfast, and our shopping centre has no shortage of places that won't cost a fortune:
Costa
Location: Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BX.
Costa does exactly what you need first thing: a decent coffee and a pastry before the day gets going.
You'll find the usual run of coffees, hot chocolates and a counter of cakes and toasties, all at reasonable prices.
Pret a Manger
Location: Cabot Circus, Upper Ground floor, BS1 3BD.
Pret offers another place for your morning coffee and breakfast, with its vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.
Breakfast baguettes, porridge, eggs and organic coffee are all on the go, with free WiFi and plenty of seating if you want to stay in.
Soho Coffee Co
Location: Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BX.
Soho Coffee cooks its hot classics to order in the mornings for a proper sit-down breakfast.
Later in the day it switches to quick lunches you can grab and take away.
Joe & The Juice
Location: Cabot Circus, Upper Ground, Glass Walk, BS1 3BX.
If you lean towards a healthier start, Joe & The Juice has you covered with its gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free options.
Its menu runs on freshly squeezed juices, perfectly pulled espressos and thin-crust sandwiches on hearty rye bread.
Côte
Location: Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BX.
Côte is the move when you'd happily lose half an hour over a relaxed, French-style breakfast.
The place gives off a proper brasserie feel (think eggs benedict or a Parisian croissant with your coffee) and can be a calm start to your day.
Marks & Spencer
Location: Unit 1, Cabot Circus, BS1 3BD.
M&S offers a big in-store Coffee Shop, seating around 200, that makes an easy spot for a low-key breakfast.
You can grab a coffee and something from the bakery, or raid the Foodhall downstairs and build your own.
Refresh your wardrobe without overspending and opting for affordable quality
Cabot Circus is full of high-street names, and a fair few of them are worth checking out when you’re looking for quality and style without breaking the bank:
Bershka
Location: Cabot Circus, Ground floor, Concorde St, BS1 3BF.
Bershka leans bold and trend-led, which can be ideal for shoppers chasing the newest look.
The store offers a wide range of menswear, womenswear, and accessories with clashing colours and standout styles made to turn heads on the street.
Pull&Bear
Location: Cabot Circus, Ground floor, BS1 3BX.
Pull&Bear is a great option when it comes to relaxed casualwear for men and women.
New drops land often and the basics wear well, which earns it a place in most everyday wardrobes.
H&M
Location: Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BX.
H&M covers womenswear, menswear, kids and accessories, with homeware now added through H&M HOME; housing all the latest trends in one place.
Self-checkout, Click and Collect, and garment recycling are all in store, and members can pick up rewards each time they shop.
UNIQLO
Location: Cabot Circus, Ground floor, BS1 3BX.
UNIQLO is where you go for well-made basics that outlast a season, including light down jackets and everyday tees.
The store also offers tailoring, repairs and on-demand T-shirt printing, and has run Aardman collaborations in the past.
New Look
Location: Cabot Circus, Upper Ground floor, BS1 3BA.
New Look keeps the prices sensible across women's, men's and kids' fashion.
Its trend-led dresses, denim, shoes and accessories are a key callout in their offering.
Lovisa
Location: Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BX.
Lovisa handles the jewellery and accessories side of your shopping experience in Cabot Circus.
The designs borrow from the runway and street style, so there's always a new way to finish off an outfit.
➡️ It's all within a short walk inside the centre, so you can work through several shops without setting foot outside.
Choose from Cabot Circus’ good food
When hunger hits between shops, Cabot Circus offers a solid line-up of affordable places:
Nando's
Location: Cabot Circus, Upper Ground floor, BS1 3BX.
Nando's is the easy pick for peri-peri chicken set to your own heat, anywhere from mild to the point of regret.
Sides, sauces and bottomless soft drinks fill out the order, and there's a heated terrace for eating outside.
Tortilla
Location: Cabot Circus, Ground floor, Concorde St, BS1 3BF.
Tortilla does fast, California-style Mexican, with burritos, tacos and quesadillas put together fresh in front of you.
It's quick, filling and light on the wallet, which makes it a reliable post-shop refuel.
PizzaExpress
Location: Cabot Circus, Upper Ground floor, BS1 3BQ.
For stone-baked pizza and fresh pasta, PizzaExpress does the job pretty well, and there are veggie, vegan and gluten-free options throughout.
Student and Blue Light discounts can also knock the price of a sit-down meal down further.
Thaï Express Kitchen
Location: Cabot Circus, Level 3, BS1 3BX.
Thaï Express Kitchen turns out quick Thai street food, from Pad Thai and Thairacha wings to fragrant curries.
Halal, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes sit alongside a kids' menu, so there’s something for the whole family.
Bunsik
Location: Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BX.
Bunsik offers some of the Korean street food classics, such as crispy corn dogs, chewy tteokbokki, kimbap and a proper plate of fried chicken.
The place has a vibrant energy, friendly service, and it is slowly becoming the go-to spot for comfort food and social bites in Bristol.
➡️ These are all a minute or two apart, so the group can scatter for what they fancy and regroup without any fuss.
Catch a film for less at ODEON Luxe Bristol
Location: Cabot Circus, Glass House Lane, Broadmead, BS1 3BX.
ODEON Luxe is Cabot Circus’ cinema with seats that recline, personal tray tables and tickets from as low as £7.95 when you book online, with member prices going for as low as £6.
There are eight screens in total, including an IMAX and an immersive iSense screen.
The real win is for families: kids' tickets cost just £1 every Saturday and Sunday (terms and conditions apply: for kids' movies), and every day through the school holidays.
Worth knowing on that £1 deal, though, it only covers selected films, spaces are limited and go fast, and you'll usually need to book ahead through the ODEON app or website.
In terms of the cinema’s overall film selection, this changes constantly across the year, from big blockbuster openings to family favourites, so there's almost always something fresh on, such as:
- Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.
- The Devil Wears Prada 2.
- Michael.
➡️ Cabot Circus runs a parking deal for cinema-goers too, so look up the current offer on our website before you plan the trip.
Play for less after dark at King Pins
Location: Cabot Circus, Upper Ground, BS1 3BX.
King Pins combines bowling, ice-free curling, tech darts, karaoke, pool and a big arcade under one roof.
The deal here is you get 50% off your second game, Monday through to Thursday, which turns a quick session into a genuinely affordable day out.
Mondays bring buy one get one free on pizza, and every weekday between 5 PM and 7 PM, you can pair a pizza with a pint for £10.
Walk-ins are fine, though booking ahead can pay off when it's busy.
Step inside M Shed
Location: Princes Wharf, Wapping Rd, Bristol BS1 4RN.
M Shed is a free museum that tells Bristol's whole story, with hands-on displays inside and giant working boats and cranes out on the harbour.
The displays split into Bristol People and Bristol Places, covering the people and the everyday graft that shaped the city.
The working exhibits outside stay on view even when the museum itself is shut.
It can be an easy way to spend an hour or two, and it lands well with families and history enthusiasts alike.
Walk the harbourside
Location: Start at Brunel's SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Rd, BS1 6TY.
The harbourside is one of Bristol's best free days out, and a self-guided walking trail makes it easy to do properly.
The route loops past colourful waterfront buildings, moored boats and old dockside cranes, starting and finishing at Brunel's SS Great Britain.
You can download the trail to your phone or print it at home, then take it at whatever pace suits you and your group.
Discover 400 years of history at the Red Lodge Museum
Location: Park Row, Bristol BS1 5LJ.
The Red Lodge Museum is a free step into Tudor Bristol, built around the last complete Elizabethan room left in the city.
The house has worn a few hats over 400 years, from grand family home to Victorian reform school for girls, and you get a feel for all of it as you move through.
Outside, a knot garden laid out in traditional Elizabethan style gives you somewhere quiet to pause.
See contemporary art at Arnolfini
Location: 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA.
Arnolfini is one of Bristol's leading contemporary art spaces, and it's free to walk into.
The programme moves through exhibitions, film, dance and workshops, so there's usually something different on each time you go.
You also don’t need to book for their exhibitions, as they run for a few months at a time, including:
- Out of Many.
- Polly Braden: Against The Tide.
- FVU New Takes.
The setting is part of the appeal too, as it’s a converted warehouse right on the water.
Relax in Castle Park
Location: Castle Park, Bristol.
Castle Park is the centre's big free green space, which can serve as a nice stop between the shops and the harbourside.
Inside the park, you can find the ruined towers of two medieval churches, the dug-out remains of Bristol Castle, and quiet memorial gardens.
You can bring a picnic and spread out on the grass when the weather is looking sunny, or just use it as a shortcut that happens to have a castle in it.
Make the most of an affordable day out at Cabot Circus
Cabot Circus in Bristol is more than just a place for shopping: we designed it to be the complete shopping and leisure destination.
Breakfast spots, high-street shops, cheap eats, bowling and a cinema are all here under one roof, with a good chunk of the city's best free attractions only a short walk beyond the doors.
Come with mates or bring the family; either way, there's a full day in it without the big spend.
Head to our website to plan your visit and see the options for getting here, whether that's the train, the bus, a bike or the car.
And if you do drive, our smart parking solution is set up to keep the queues short and get you into the centre quickly.
