Your privacy

We use cookies to help make our site work properly and to analyze how our site is used. You can view our cookies policy, manage your cookie preferences, or consent and dismiss this banner by clicking agree:

Win Subscribe

Top Markets in Bristol

Browse the best markets in Bristol!

A vendor with a striped apron smiles while serving a customer at an outdoor market stall. The table is laden with fresh produce, including cucumbers, apples, carrots, and leafy greens. The customer, wearing glasses and a dark sweater, examines a vegetable.
Image: @bristol.gov.uk

There’s no way to get to know a city quite like wandering around its markets. Whether regular or seasonal, Bristol boasts all kinds of markets sprinkled across the cityscape, so take your pick and sample the food, drinks, crafts and local atmosphere.

St Nicholas’ Market

A busy outdoor market with people browsing various items on long tables. A man and a woman in the foreground are closely examining something in the man's hand. The tables are cluttered with antiques, collectibles, and miscellaneous goods. The street is crowded with shoppers.
Image: @bristol.gov.uk

The Corn Exchange, Corn Street, Bristol, BS1 1JQ

This regular, vibrant market in the heart of the city hosts the largest collection of independent retailers in Bristol. Established in 1743, it’s the oldest and best loved market in Bristol, famed for its range of delicious food and independent sellers.

Known as St Nick’s by it’ locals, it was voted Britain’s Best Large indoor market in 2016 at the National Markets Association (NABMA) Awards and compromises three main sections as well as taking in streets and buildings nearby. From vintage stalls to a barbers to even fossils, there’s a heap of unique stalls to explore. Click here to read more about whats sold at St Nicks.

The food section serves up everything from pie, mash and gravy, to jerk chicken and steaming lasagnas. Watch out for the queues at lunchtime, but with so many choices (not to mention sweet shops and pastry stalls for afters in the covered market) it’s simply unmissable. There’s a fine blend of permanent vendors and pop-up street food vendors available to sample so there’s always something new to try with each visit. 

Tobacco Factory Market

A bustling street market with people walking, shopping, and sitting at picnic tables. Various stalls with striped red and white canopies line both sides of the street, selling goods. The scene takes place between brick buildings under an overcast sky.
Image: @tobaccofactory.com

Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Road, Southville, Bristol, BS3 1TF

The brainchild of ex-Bristol Mayor George Ferguson, the Tobacco Factory is best known for its theatre and as a hub for creative training. With a rich history of being one of the last survivors from the vast Imperial Tobacco Site. Ferguson saved it from demolitions, letting it become the creative, vibrant, multi-purpose hub it is today packed with a Cafe Bar, Makers Market, Meeting Spaces, Creative Organisation Offices, apartments and even a performing arts school.

Every Sunday the corner of North Street bristles with 40 food and craft stalls, selling local produce and wares. The emphasis is on fair trade, ethical, organic products, and it’s a great way to interact with the local community. Plus, if you’re there on the third Sunday of every month you’ll find an extended market spilling into Raleigh Road, as well as a vintage and retro market aptly called Retroville.

You can read more about the market here.

The Harbourside Market

A bustling outdoor market next to a waterfront. Numerous people are gathered around various food stalls under black tents, sitting at communal tables, and walking along the wooden boardwalk. Nearby buildings and trees are visible under a sunny blue sky.
Image: @buoyevents.co.uk

1 Canon’s Road, Bristol, BS1 5TX

Combining Bristol’s best street eats with some of the finest views in the city, the Harbourside Market is a bustling Aladdin’s cave of tempting foods and creative trinkets. Though the market it currently closed, the food section of the market remain’s open and there are heaps of gourmet goodness to feast on. From pizza to burgers to BBQ, Kebabs, sarnies and salads it’s a comfort food haven for foods fanatics.

As the weather gets warmer the market bar is open selling local beers, ciders and spirits. There’s plenty of seating for you to enjoy your meal (or meals if you can’t decide) including some deck chairs over the summer months. Its ethos on sustainability and building a platform for its traders means Harbourside isn’t just a market but a tight knit community with the aim of selling quality food at decent prices.

Harbour Festival

A performer in a black and white checkered bodysuit is balancing several large hula hoops on her arms on an outdoor stage. A large, attentive crowd is watching in the background, surrounded by trees and colorful bunting on a sunny day.
Image: @Facebook via @bristolharbourfestival

To throw in a curveball, don’t miss this annual festival that takes control of the city for an entire weekend with an eclectic mix of live music, fairground rides and market stalls! The festival is always a huge hit amongst locals and visitors alike: whilst Queen Square fills with the sweet smells of food stalls, much of the harbour front is given over to pop-up stages. It’s hard to resist the food on offer, so head down with an empty stomach and make the most of this one-off delight.

It’s completely free to enter, and only happens once a year, so be sure to stop by if you’re in the city.