Italian Bristol

A real gem. This city centre cocktail bar is set over four floors, hidden behind a deceptively nondescript door on Colston Avenue. The bartenders are among the best in Bristol and mix a mean martini, along with two delicious takes on the classic cocktail’s predecessor, the Martinez, made with bitters and sweet Martini Rosso. If neither of those concoctions tickles your taste buds, you can always ask them to come up with a brand new cocktail on the spot.

Quay Head House
Colston Avenue
BS1 1EB

Tel: 0117 929 4429
www.milkthistlebristol.com

The Rummer has a special, if surprising, place in the history of Bristol’s Italian community. Back in 1957, it was here that the Berni brothers opened the first restaurant in what would become a nationwide chain of steakhouses. These days, the historic hotel, restaurant and cocktail bar is a far more upmarket affair. You’ll find nods to the venue’s surprising Italian heritage on the cocktail menu, including a mindblowing espresso martini and the Apothecary, made wih Punt e Mes and Fernet-Branca.

All Saints Lane
BS1 1JH

Tel: 0117 929 4243
therummer.net

Carmelo and Teresa Licata’s shop on Picton Street has been part of Montpellier life since the early 1960s. Now the centre of a retail, wholesale and catering supply empire, the small, crowded store remains Bristol’s most authentic Italian emporium. Their product range is huge, but it’s their selection of Italian wines, spirits and aperitifs that most impresses. Sourced from top Italian vineyards, distilleries and exporters, it’s little surprise that the Licatas supply most of the city’s Italian restaurants. If you’re looking for the perfect Italian tipple, pay them a visit.

36 Picton St
BS6 5QA

Tel: 0117 924 7725
www.licata.co.uk

Tucked away in the renovated Victorian splendour of the Clifton Arcade on Boyces Avenue, Pomegranate is a thriving boutique inspired by Italian style. There are some British and Scandinavian brands, but the main focus is on womenswear made from high-quality Italian silk and linen, sourced from top Italian suppliers. Their stock, whether casual or smart, is always inspired by the laid-back breeziness of Italian style. There are no designer brands, but lots of great clothes that, in their words, ‘look and feel fantastic’.

Unit 14
The Clifton Arcade
Boyces Avenue
BS8 4AA

Tel: 0117 329 1868
www.pomegranateclothing.co.uk

A two-floor furniture warehouse on an industrial estate in Bedminster probably wouldn’t be the first place you’d look for cutting-edge Italian design, but Park Furnishers’ Wilway Street showroom is full of surprises. For starters, they boast a superb range of Natuzzi Editions, limited-edition leather sofas and armchairs from one of Italy’s best-loved contemporary furniture brands. Even more impressive is their selection of products from Calligaris, purveryors of modern Italian chic since 1923, including a range of furniture and accessories commissioned from new Italian designers.

Wilway St
BS3 4AZ

Tel: 0800 072 0878
www.parkfurnishers.co.uk

Those versed in the Bristol art scene should be well aware of Abigail McDougall. The Jamaica Street Studios-based artist moved to Bristol in 2005, after a youth spent living in Oxford, Dorset and Italy. Her recent works have largely been inspired by Bristol and London, but much of her output pays tribute to her time in Italy and you can see the vibrant colours of the Italian countryside in her impressionistic watercolours. She still uses the finest Italian paper on which to display her bold brush strokes, too.

www.abigailmcdougall.com

There are few more iconic symbols of Italian city life than the scooter. Initially designed as a comfortable, inexpensive way to get around town, it was Italian manufacturers who turned it into a work of art – the Vespa, introduced by Piaggio in 1946, is a design classic and hugely evocative of postwar Italian lifestyle. The enthusiasts at Whiteladies Scooters agree, as their showroom is stocked entirely with Italian models, including the similarly desirable Aprilia and Gilera ranges.

49c Whiteladies Rd
BS8 2LS

Tel: 0117 373 2589
www.whiteladiesscooters.co.uk

Taking a stroll up Brandon Hill to the Cabot Tower has long been a popular pastime for Bristolians on warm, sunny days. The tower was erected in honour of Bristol’s favourite adopted Italian, global navigator John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), who discovered parts of north America on behalf of Henry VII. It’s a fantastic example of the unique Bristol Byzantine style, a nineteenth-century architectural trend inspired by Venetian and north Italian gothic architecture. Further examples dotted around the city centre and harbourside include the Arnolfini, Colston Hall (the original foyer and frontage in particular) and the grandiose Wait & James Granary on Welsh Back.

Cabot Tower
Brandon Hill Park
Park St
BS1 5RR

www.bristol.gov.uk

Since launching in 2012, the Italian Cultural Centre has presented regular talks and activities across a range of cultural pursuits, such as cookery classes, seminars on Italian literature and talks on history. The regular Italian Cineforum screenings are a great place to see classic and contemporary Italian films from award-winning directors. See the website for details of forthcoming dates.

www.italianculturalcentre.org.uk/la-ricerca

Dancer and performance artist Rebecca Marta D’Andrea was born and raised in Bussana Vecchia in Liguria near the French border, a former abandoned village turned artists’ commune. A Bristol resident since 2009, she’s spent plenty of time away from the city performing, often with cutting-edge contemporary dance ensembles in Italy, but regularly returns. She runs Inside Out Dance classes at the Dance Studio within The Island on Nelson Street, teaching professionals and interested newcomers the secrets of twenty-first century performance art.

Dance Space
The Island
Nelson St
BS1 2LE

rebeccamartadandrea.wordpress.com