The Big Chill Bar

The Big Chill is a great day/​night out. I loved the one in London so much so I went to this one and although its smaller its still a great atmosphere. Good music is important to me. And when I went in it was Funky deep house and a cool feeling design which made my experience exciting. it has to be one of my favs in Bristol. The truly varied and eclectic range of people there which is always nice if you are true underground music lover. As I am!

The Big Chill is one of the most upbeat and happening late night spots in town.
I’ve been going on and off for years, and it always delivers. They always have awesome DJ’s playing anything from soul, funk and hip-​hip to electro swing and house music. What I also love about it, is that the people that go to Big Chill are as different as the music. You can be dancing with hipsters, hen-do’s, people who’ve come straight after work or just a few people having a chilled drink outside. But I’ve never seen any attitude here.
The décor is bright, loud, quirky and really welcoming. If feels cool the minute you walk in.
I love the outside terrace area in the summer. There’s always a good atmosphere up there with different groups getting to know each other over a sneaky fag and a 10 minute cool down.
All in all, The Big Chill is one of the best late night bars in central Bristol.

Favorite bar in the UK.
I love the nooks and corners this place has, the grittiness without being stinky, the diversity of the people, the groove’tastic house spun music, the lights, the vibe, it does not get much better than this at 2am on a Saturday! Expect the space to be tight, but just relax and take it all in!

Celebrating its one year anniversary The Big Chill Bar is the place to be seen for late night drinking and dancing and I, for one, am very pleased we have it here in Bristol.
The venue décor is artistically creative, bright and cheery. There are comfortable seating and chill out areas along with a large roof top terrace which is great in the summer months. It can get a little busy on a Friday and Saturday night, although this just adds to its fantastic atmosphere.
Music wise they have every taste catered for so you will never be disappointed. The legendary DJ Derek is a regular booking. It’s open till late and is free to get in.
Even though this bar is centrally located it attracts a great crowd, happy party people and not the drunken late night revelers that you generally tend to find in this area of the city. Perhaps this is down to the friendly laid back staff and overall ambience.
There is a great room upstairs that is also available for private hire and can accommodate around 50 people comfortably.
The only downside with this venue is that the main entrance is located by the main dance floor, so you have to walk through the maddening crowd to get in and out of the venue. Having said this, at least you’re thrown into the party atmosphere the minute you step through the doors!

Bristol is fortunate enough to have the best bits of the summer festivals all year round. We’ve got Pieminister pies, the Thali Café and Thatcher’s Cider on tap. And now we’ve got a bar version of the Big Chill festival. The Big Chill bar in Bristol is one of the more recent additions to the scene being less than a year old. The deco is, as you would expect, very laid back and very modern, an unmistakable mix of black and orange, which can seem a little bit dark even in the lighter summer months. Unsurprisingly, it is very similar to the London Big Chill bar, but that’s no bad thing. Music wise, you can expect to hear a similar playlist to what you would at the festival. The cream of the crop DJs and chill out acts. This is a great place to come with a group of mates and if you let them know in advance you can pre order platters of food to keep you going.

The first time I came here they gave me some Mr Scruff tea to take with me so I was impressed, it seemed cosy. However coming back here on an evening I was less impressed, I was with a group of people sitting at a table rather than a comfy chair which I had been looking forward to. Also everyone seemed to be talking louder than everyone else and so straining to hear group conversations, I didn’t feel very chilled. The prices however were rather more chilling! It doesn’t make for a cheap night out and I think it thinks its cooler than it actually is, nevertheless, I had a fun evening here.
I would certainly come back here during the day, and in the evening if it was to see a specific DJ play but I’d probably choose to go to The Boneyard Bar for that chilled atmosphere of an evening rather than The Big Chill Bar.

This bar is a great addition to Bristol and really is a very cool place. They have a great DJ booth from which fantastic Northern Soul can usually be heard (well, on all the nights I have been in there). The walls are covered with classic vinyl covers, but it’s nice to know they actually play the contents of those vinyl covers; it’s not just for display.
I wish I could remember what it was called, but they have amazing tequila… that I completely blame for all of my actions that night, except the dance moves, they were all mine.
It has the strangest interior, with big wooden benches and walls, comfy high backed chairs and sofas and graffiti art on the walls, its worth as visit just to check out the style of the place.
They do cups of tea in the day for 75p and coffee for £1, which is fantastic, and they have all the papers laid out for you. I could of been stuck in their for much longer today if it wasn’t for work, stupid work.
They claim to have food from all over the world and a great selection of nibbles, things like olives, vine leaves and lamb meatballs (not all on the same plate). I will be trying the food on my next visit but definitely get here on a Friday night! Great music.
Bars like this are always welcome in Bristol!

I have been a big lover of The Big Chill in London’s Brick Lane for many years and had always felt like Bristol was lacking such venues, where drinking, eating and DJ sets sit so easily together and the crowd is vibrant and laid-​back all at once. So when a friend mentioned a branch had opened here in the spot where one of my favourite clubs, Native, used to be, I was ecstatic. We went along early evening and enjoyed some of their great food. Portions aren’t huge and it isn’t cheap so you will need to order a few if you are hungry. They do a range of posh tapas staples from delicious halloumi skewers and calamari to bigger dishes like platters consisting of several dishes and nachos.
The setting is great with long tables and cool low-​hung 60s style lampshades, cool hectic wallpaper and records all over the walls. I love the bar, with a huge chalkboard advertising cocktails and chatty staff, happy to mix you your favourite drink or if you phone early enough to book you a table. I loved it so much we came back here for drinks on my 30^th when the DJs were playing awesome reggae and ska late into the night and everybody was dancing like mad. It’s the kind of place where you don’t fear accidentally bumping into someone, because everybody is friendly and not there to cause trouble.

I went to this place the other day for my mate’s birthday and I must admit that I fell in love with it. At first it was just a place to go that was near to his work where we could all cram round a table and chat without some obnoxious blaring music. After a few pints from the lovely talkative ladies behind the bar, though, the question of food came up. We first thought it was ridiculously cheap, but then worked out that it was offering an array of market place food from around the world in small portions, much akin to tapas. So, I went for the steak sandwich (divine) and the grilled haloumi on skewers (excellent). This filled me up nicely and enabled me to carry on drinking for another few pints. Top marks — my only criticism would be the amount of garlic they put in, which quite literally kept my girlfriend away from me the whole night. Boo. It sure did taste good, though!

While on a rather lonely wonder I used the Big Chill Bar for refuse from the cold, I ended up staying for a couple of hours. If your new to the city keep your eyes peeled for places like this that are just off the main highstreets or roads, that is where you can often find hidden gems, this place, for example, is a short hop from Baldwin street.
A great place to come during the day as there is a nice relaxed atmosphere and comfy chairs to while away a few hours (as I found out!). There is a a bench and a garden to smoke in (weather permiting!) and the drinks, although not at bargain price, are resonable, you’d be looking at around £2.80 for a pint.
I’d recommend coming in a group, especially if your after somewhere to share a daytime chat.
Also a little sub note, with a name like the Big Chill my mind pictures a big blue sign… but that is not the case! I know, shocked as you may be, do not be so influensed like me, instead seek out it’s yellow lettering up above the main windows!

Just after I graduated from University I was offered a lovely shiny job in London. I was so excited I could barely hide it, as the song goes. But I soon discovered that Kings Cross wasn’t as bright and beautiful as I imagined the Capital to be. Luckily for me, I worked right around the corner from the Big Chill House. Two years on, a move to Bristol and several changes of jobs later, I could once again not contain my elation at the opening of the Big Chill Bar in Small Street.
Everything about this place is laid-​back, from the comfy sofas to the chilled out tunes coming out of the stereo. I tend to go during the day for an after-​work cocktail or cheeky lunchtime pint rather than when there’s a club night on to avoid the overly trendy crowd. It’s soon become one of my favourite drinking spots in the city centre and is the perfect place to strike up conversations with strangers or relax with your mates.

Run by the same guys that do the Big Chill Festival, it takes a similar approach to the festival, which is pretty much just laid back staff and easy going music. Not somewhere to go if you’re looking to rave the night away but a good place get a few drinks with some friends.
It would be an excellent place to get those drinks if it was just a bit cheaper, with far too much costing more than three quid. It’s not extortionate though. They do a specialist sideline in tea, which I quite enjoy — look out for the mint and chilli flavour and give it a try if you’re feeling adventurous. As the name suggest, this is place to sit back and chill out.

I didn’t go here before, but The Big Chill Bar seems to be way better than what was here previously. Although somewhat like a children’s crèche in décor, this place is a great social space to hang out on a weekday evening.
Really good to visit in a group, this place has bench seats and a garden to smoke in if that’s what you’re into. The cheapest pint is the right side of three pounds and the staff are chatty and friendly.

This rather unsubtle club, which specialises in hip hop, isn’t much cop unless you’re looking to go out and throw shapes for the entire night. Basically, the main room is a rather simple proposition, with a dance floor and a bar, which you can stand around and shout at your friends. Or there’s a couple of sofas which you can sit on… and shout at your friends.
The only respite is provided by a small garden, though this quickly gets rammed with smokers. Maybe I’m getting old but the lack of a second room means Native is nothing to shout about.