Columnists / stapleton road
Eating out on Stapleton Road
When I started my degree at UWE ten years ago, I heard whispers of a place in Bristol notorious for violence and crime. As a young woman in a new city, I made a mental note to give Stapleton Road a wide berth.
I failed miserably; I now live there. It’s hard to discern whether Stapleton Road’s reputation has improved or whether I have become more worldly. Either way, I find myself marvelling daily at how lively and diverse it is.
Multiple continents are represented amid a wealth of countries and cuisines; from the curry goat and ackee and saltfish of Nadine’s Caribbean Cafe to the Ethiopian curries of Real Habesha.
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For visitors and locals alike, a trip to Jeevan’s to stock up on samosas is a must. And the naan hatch hidden away at the back of Dunya supermarket which does three hot, freshly baked naans for £1.
After a night out, I have been known to visit one of the many fried chicken shops – you try resisting when you have to walk past five to get home. Piri Piri Corner is my current favourite but shout out to Dando’s for boldly embodying Aldi’s naming conventions.
Then there is the Easton post office, who have circumnavigated licensing rules by installing a hatch in the door, from which you can order everything from Tic Tacs to tequila without actually stepping foot in the shop. Stapleton Road’s general disregard for opening hours has got me out of many a tight spot when I’ve left it too late to do my shopping.
The only thing I wouldn’t recommend is travelling to Stapleton Road by car. There seems to be a bit of an international waters approach: rules around parking, overtaking and even sometimes traffic lights don’t seem to apply.
I worry about writing about Stapleton Road because I don’t want to do the classic white person thing of telling everyone to go to this unique and ‘undiscovered’ corner of Bristol which has been enjoyed by the people that live there for a long time.
But does that mean I can’t celebrate where I live? I don’t know. But I do know that if I could go back, I’d tell the 18-year-old me that what she’s heard about Stapleton Road is largely a load of rubbish, and all she will be doing by avoiding it is missing out on years of great food.
Meg Houghton-Gilmour is Bristol24/7’s Head of Audience. Subscribe here to her weekly food and drink newsletter.
Main photo: Lowie Trevena
Read next:
- New cafe opens within former gin distillery
- 9 historic photos of Stapleton Road
- Fears for future of pub and its much-loved garden
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