I Haven’t Heard Jazz Like This Before | Bristol
My third time in Bristol sees me exploring the unique parts of the city. I explored the SS Great Britain, the first cast iron ship to cross the Atlantic. I then had a hearty lunch at Wapping Wharf. I followed that by a visit to a brewery that had a festival with punk rock music. I then settled down for a meal at a Chinese restaurant serving authentic Chinese cuisine.
Date: 09 Sep 2023
Location: Bristol
08:30 - 11:00: But first … coffee
I wake up after a reasonable nights sleep at The Bristol Wing. It was centrally located which meant noise from traffic all night. But it’s location also meant it was convenient to get places from there.
After freshening up, I searched Google for a specialty coffee shop. I spotted one called Greytone Coffee that had a 4.9 rating with 50 reviews. Their instagram post suggested that they only opened about a month ago. I was intrigued and so I decided to head there.
Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2010-2023. RedSquirrel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
I decided to walk there as it was a good opportunity to get some exercise and sunshine. The walk there was quite nice, I particularly liked The Bearpit (right) which was a communal space integrated into a busy roundabout. The walk in total took about 20 minutes.
The coffee shop opened at 09:00 but I got there at 8:58. There was a ‘closed’ sign on the door. I signalled a thumbs up to the barista asking if I can come in. The barista gestures the ‘two minutes’ hand signal back to me.
As the clock struck 09:00 the doors were opened and I was welcomed in. It was a beautiful layout with tables arranged along the walls. The walls by the street had wide and high windows. They had tables that could accommodate two people.
I was there for the filter coffee revered by many in the reviews. They also had a nice selection of drinks like flat white and mocha. I went for an Ethiopian filter coffee (about £5) in the end.
The Barista seemed to have a perfect system for servicing many customers at once for filter coffee. Coffee beans were pre-portioned in individual vials which were ground on demand. They had capacity to handle up to three filter orders at once.
The coffee was served in a carafe with a little cup by the side. The coffee itself was delicious and fruity. I could feel the attention to detail that went into make the coffee taste as good as it did.
Well presented and brewed coffee with a perfectly sized cup to drink from
11:00-13:00: A trailblazer from the 1800’s
After checking out, I decided to leave my backpack in complementary storage offered by the hostel. I then proceeded to head to Broad Quay.
I had a loose plan for the morning. I planned to either ride the ferris wheel by the aquarium or take a ferry somewhere.
On my way to the aquarium, I spotted a few people boarding a ferry. I was curious, so I asked if I could purchase a round ticket. They said yes, so I joined the queue to take a round trip on the ferry.
The ferry’s skipper was a stern man. As soon as we set off, he mentioned that we weren’t allowed to stand up or lean over the edge. Later he cautioned a kid who’d been quite reckless by saying, ‘boy not on my boat.’
The ride (£4 one way) was super pleasant and enjoyable. You could see some beautiful sights along the way like the colourful houses in the picture.
Sights from my ferry ride
When we got to the SS Great Britain (bottom left), nobody got off. This seemed to surprise the skipper as it usually is a popular stop. ‘That’s a first’ he quipped and set off towards our final destination.
I exited the ferry at the last stop to do a bit of exploring. I realised I wasn’t too far from the SS Great Britain. So I decided to visit the ship (entry £22).
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The SS Brunel is the first iron ship to cross the Atlantic. It was built using cast iron instead of wood. It was the first cast iron ship to use a screw propeller.
Brunel (1806-1859), the designer of the ship, was a British civil and mechanical engineer. He has been described as ‘one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history.’
I got to explore was the hull of the ship first. It was interesting to see how well it was preserved. The ship was initially abandoned in a decrepit condition. In the 1960’s a German conservation group restored it to its current state.
The inside of the ship was painstakingly recreated to showcase the ships history. I explored the first class cabin that had a luxurious dining area. There were also many models representing what life may’ve been like.
Pictures from the SS Great Britain
13:00-15:00: Craving a hotdog
After finishing the visit at the ship, I headed towards the city centre on an e-scooter. On the way back, I was mesmerised by a beautiful food court at Wapping Wharf and I decided to have lunch there.
I had around 20 options to choose from. I was split between shop that served freshly made pasta and hotdog shop.
I chose the hotdog (£8) by Dog Town in the end. It was well balanced with the ratio of bread to sausage to fillings. The hot sauce topping also gave it a nice kick!
Hot dog for lunch
15:00-17:00: Freshly brewed cold coffee
After enjoying my delicious meal, I was craving for a cold decaf latte. Lucky for me, the first cafe I came across (Ka:Fei) were serving freshly brewed iced latte. It was a kiosk made of a shipping container under a canopy of trees. I then sat down under the canopy of trees and sipped on my iced latte
17:00-18:00: Looping Jazz by the river
I headed back to Broad Quay and walked towards Floating Harbour. As I walked by the bank, I came across a unique way of playing jazz
There were two people, one had a saxophone and another was holding a ukulele playing a rhythm riff. The one holding the ukelele then clicked a button with his feet and the melody was on loop.
He put the ukulele away and picked up a trumpet. The two of them took turns jazzing their way through the melody with beautiful music much to the delight of the people passing by.
The looping jazz duo
18:00-19:30: An authentic chinese meal
I was craving some noodles, and so I searched for some chinese food on Google Maps. I came across one that said it’s ‘the most authentic Chinese food [they’ve] eaten in Bristol.’ And so I decided to have dinner there.
It looked like the dining in part had only recently been added in. I was greeted by a friendly cashier/waitress who showed me to my table. I then proceeded to order a coconut milk and pork noodles.
The comment was not wrong, the food did taste very authentic. The noodles tasted homemade and fresh. The pork was perfectly cooked and doused in a soy sauce base that was well balanced.
Dinner at Tasty To Go
19:30-20:00: Time to say goodbye
My train was scheduled for 19:57 and I like to be on the platform no later than 10 minutes before the train departs. The train was on time but the platform was changed last minute. I settled into my seat and as soon as the clock struck 19:57, the train left the station.
Overall I really enjoyed the trip. My highlight was most definitely the SS Great Britain. It’s not everyday when you get to see a piece of history with your very own eyes.
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