Watershed Cafe/Bar in Bristol, City of

One of my favourite places in Bristol.

Firstly, the bar back proceeded to treat everyone at the bar like a child and ask people to queue at the bar instead of in a line, which is a fair request; however my friends and I were all being served, and the people behind were looking at the menu. I kind of respect it, but the bar back of all people can’t be dishing out comments like this. Maybe if she was a bartender with mad skills I’d rate it and shut up. Secondly, I ordered a two drifters and coke, which is a really solid overproof rum from a great independent brand. The price came to £6.50, which I find to be very reasonable given the quality of the product and the time we’re living in. I told the bartender that I find the price very reasonable and that I was happy with the price. She proceeded to ROLL HER EYES at me and my friends l, probably thinking that I was being sarcastic. Thirdly and finally, My friends both ordered a margarita, both of which tasted awful. We believe it to be the sour mix that you used. I can’t understate the importance of using citrus for your sour drinks. Super weird for a bar as nice as yours to be using such a poor quality product.

Lovely people, lovely coffee and a gorgeous view!!

I had soup ehich was not good. Very bland. I paid £5.75 for the soup and I was not happy I ate half of it. I had a apple juice to drink . I would not order soup again. The cafe was busy as it was Saturday night. The loos which are unisex were not very clean paper all, over thd floor. They need to be checked more often during the evenings. as a lot of people use them .

Cinema is 10/10 there, cheaper tickets, great range of films (art house ones too) and the popcorn is insanely good. A favourite

Love it, it's a fab venue with inclusive bathroom policy.

A good food experience. It was 7.5/10. Pork belly on a bead of mashed butter beans. Tasty and cheap. Would go again as it was well cooked and defo worth it at that price. Generous portion of meat!

Burger tastes nothing like a burger so it’s a 1 star sorry

Good cinema, nice restaurant. Unfortunately when we arrived (after booking 2 tickets online) they only had two single seats, staff were reluctant to attempt to move anyone...

Primo contatto con la cultura inglese. Primo pranzo dei tre giorni di permanenza a bristol. Abbiamo preso praticamente la zuppa del giorno per scaldarci un pò e giusto qualche stuzzichino. In ogni caso tutto moltoi buono. Siamo partiti bene!!

We enjoyed visiting the relaxed screening of Hard Truths today at the Watershed Cinema however even though at the beginning of the screening it was made clear that you could walk around the cinema and make noise during the film( RELAXED SCREENiNG) a woman in front of us turned around and shushed us for quietly talking! I felt she shouldn’t have been at the relaxed screening as it is deliberately different to embrace diversity. This woman made us feel we shouldn’t be there. Perhaps it needs to be spelt out more clearly to people like her??

The actual cinema is fantastic and i love visiting however i rarely experience good customer service in the cafe. Everytime i order a coffee one specific barista, middle aged brunette man, is so rude and condescending, what good is latte art if your baristas can’t even show be kind to customers? Wont be returning to the cafe.

Always a great time catching a film here. Love that you can take drinks from the bar in with you, best cinema ever!

Great place to hang out in a beautiful location.

Nice place, but food was really second rate, fries were greasy shells and inedible. I took them back to the kitchen. They were 'Meh' about my complaint. Not impressed at all, quality has taken a nose dive.

Lo que tuvimos fue agradable, pero como yo como como una dieta sin gluten las opciones eran muy limitadas, el único plato principal para mí era Kedgeree, así que tuve algunos platos adicionales en su lugar. Por esta razón dudo que volvamos. Sería bueno que ofrecieran pan sin gluten con la sopa, las hamburguesas seguramente podrían hacerse adecuadas para dietas sin gluten, una hamburguesa puede hacerse sin pan y los bollos sin gluten están ampliamente disponibles. También puedes hacer muy buen pescado con papas fritas sin gluten, no es ciencia de cohetes y muchos otros lugares lo hacen. Para mí es desconsiderado y un poco perezoso no atender las necesidades dietéticas y dejar a la gente con tan poca opción.

Watershed gves me emotional stimulaton in the screening rooms, and in its general social and cultural spaces. Watershed is a lovely provider.

Ew! unisex toilets - women just don't really pee on the toilet seats and on the floor. Might deter me from going again. Also today the cinema was so stuffy and hot for the movie Soundtrack to a Coup D'etat it was hard not to fall asleep and I left early before the first film ended.

Great view's over the water front and a nice coffee and a nice selection of cakes. Took a look at their menu so will be going back next week to try the food.

Nice venue but the worst Mac n Cheese I’ve ever had. No cheese, just under cooked pasta and crunchy bits.

Comida de muy mala calidad por el precio y el servicio era terriblemente desagradable y no servicial. Es una pena, ya que este café solía ser fantástico, pero parece haber bajado cuesta abajo. La hamburguesa era pequeña con poco más de patatas fritas cocidas sin ensalada ni adornos. Los nachos eran grasientos y tenían que pagar extra por guacamole o jalepenos ambos llegaron a 25 libras. . .

Absolutely incredible that they have a cinema and a bar in the same place while also being next to a river? Honestly loved visiting this place, grabbed a drink and then went to see La Chimera which ended up being one of my favourite movies. At the bar I tried a cocktail and then a cider, they said the cider is locally brewed and it was amazing (although my friend did not like it one bit, which just shows that we all have different taste for everything and that‘s okay), I have never had anything like it – the cider had such an interesting blend of fruits in it, truly unique. It was so lovely to grab a drink here and sit above the water before my movie, wished that more cinemas were like that. Will be coming back!

Booked a ticket to see the film about Trump's life for a showing yesterday. I qualify for a small discount of 50p for lower £....Ludicrously small discount but fine. Of course its a pleasant 'happening' venue beside the river etc so can charge more. The film was an interesting condensed biopic with a very good understated accurate rendering of Trump by the actor 'Sebastian Stan' who wore spot-on wigs to get that unique sun ripened straw effect & other styles over the years of his life. From what I have read of Trump and seen on news etc, the film played down his vileness. All acting excellent eg Trump's ruthless mentor lawyer early on who seemed to give 'the orange one' some rules to live by eg 'Never admit defeat', 'Always Win' by any method etc. Someone sitting behind me kicked my chair a few times - not a child but an adult...When the film was over I saw her leave and asked her about it! She brushed it off and laughed - I smiled too....Entitled very middle class ie Watershed type. When I visited the 'convenience' a poncey overdressed short male told me hurriedly a few times which cubicle was free as he went into one himself! I was so surprised that I did not realise what he meant ie it only the 2nd 'gender fluid' or 'gender free' loos I have visited so far so I was taken aback at a busybody male, (who had seen the film sitting with the seat-kicker!) directing my visit! Very new shiny room and clean but I did felt a little uncomfortable having a few males nearby in the room as I washed my hands after. I guess I will get used to it... All need to be catered for etc but the reason for these new loos is to not offend 'trans' who are, no doubt, less than 1% of the population and then 99% are male ( ie trans female) Whose needs are being ignored and whose catered to? Have read about women or even a child being assaulted in mixed gender toilets...(not likely in Watershed but less busy places..) Looked in the pleasant cafe with views of the river and saw possibly home baked 'red velvet' sponge slices for £5 - other cakes £5 or £4 etc I could afford but decided not to pay so much ie £10 for cake and hot drink. Not unusual for cafes nowadays. Saw my bank app shows ticket cost £9 and some pence....which seems more than I was shown originally when booking but I seldom visit so ok .In the past saw a few independent films there eg 'The Story of the Weeping Camel' set in Mongolia which my then young daughter and I loved - like going back in time ie mainly pre industrial culture full of charm and love for nature, calm, peaceful, wise, hardworking people caring for each other, the land, the camels.

Acabábamos de llegar a Bristol y necesitábamos un café. La cafetería se encuentra en el primer piso y tiene buenas vistas sobre el puerto. Es una bonita habitación grande con un montón de asientos y dos blancos planos cuestan £ 6. 60 .

Had a sopaipilla and pebre chileno The sopaipilla was tasty but a bit chewy instead of crispy. The pebro was extremely tasty but was hard to put on the Salsa as it had large peices of tomato inside. Would've been better if the tomato was more finely chopped so I could eat the 2 parts of the starter together. Interior is really nice and atmospheric. Quick service, but bartender was pretty grumpy. Would try again in the future with a different meal.

Sí, a mi familia le encanta ir a almorzar al Watershed Café Bar. Una ubicación tan fabulosa en la orilla del puerto con asientos dentro y fuera y mecenazgo artístico y de moda. ¡Elegimos papas fritas esta vez más azotes de té! ¡Todo magníficamente hecho! Los baños son muy buenos; prístino, limpio! Muy recomendable!

Gallic service for a place that is supposed to be welcoming

Popped in for light bites after seeing a film and before going on to a gig. Swift service and reasonably priced good food. Sticky tables were slightly off-putting.

We dropped into the Watershed for lunchtime snacks. The fully loaded nachos are huge. Plenty for a light meal for 2. The beef chill had chunks of beef with the right amount of spice. Good selection of locals ciders. There's plenty of seats for large and small groups. However, the popular balcony with lovely views of the docks fills rapidly.

I remember spending time here when I had music rehearsals in Bristol. Enjoyable! I do still think back to this from time to time, yes. Its safe yet modern ambience was bliss for me. I could relax there, quietly do some work, without anybody hassling me. I briefly felt like a regular human being again, anonymous, a professional among other professionals or whatever, just people going about their own business and nobody had any problems with me doing the same, just quietly doing my thing. And yes, the food was great, too. I spent quite a few hours here on several days, waiting for my later, much quieter and much cheaper train back in the evening. One time, when I arrived back to where I came from, I instantly got hassled again when I was walking back to my home with my saxophone in my case. I was waiting for the pedestrian light to go green. I hadn't been there for a year yet, and all sorts of people - strangers - had been hassling me from the get-go in spite of nobody knowing me. I had intended to give a housewarming party for my new neighbours. I quickly let go of that idea. So yes, I really noticed GOOD places to hang out.

Very welcoming, cosy and wholesome place screening a great selection of films & documentaries. The restaurant/cafe has a lovely variety of snacks and hearty seasonal meals, 10/10 recommend.

I am rating the Watershed Cafe/Bar rather than the cinema. I’ve been here a lot of times now, at one point having my evening coffee every day in a span of two weeks. For a cafe, the atmosphere is undisputed, simply the best. It can feel a bit hot in the summer so you either want to get the table by the window or get one of the balcony tables. There’s live DJ on Friday evening and currently they’re showing the olympics with a massive screen every day. The staff is really nice as well. Plenty of seating types to choose from, you have bar tables, standard 4-seater round tables but also big and long wooden tables. I’ve seen people doing board game nights with the long tables. There’s WiFi. They’re not the strongest but they’re sufficient for most use cases. Only downside is that the WiFi is not WPA2 so not secured enough by today’s standard. The cafe closes quite late so its ideal to do work here, and there’s some tables at the far end that’s quieter. Coffee is okay-ish. Not the most consistent with most days tasting a bit burnt, some days a bit watery. But some lucky days, they tasted perfect. Latte is £3.50 to have in.

New to Bristol, but man, I really love how much the audiences in this cinema laugh. It feels really alive.

Also was Here again in 2003! For my course works And again In 2004... Met a very special person back in October 2005! And changed my life in more ways than one. Hopefully 🤞🏾 you got my Art 🎭 🎭 off to Hollywood we go!! Enough is enough 🎵🎶🎵🎶 love the dog ❤️ I'll have vodka and Dessert next time I come down as it's my birthday 🎂 in a few months and I'll be bringing my 7.5 ex lovers. Brown 🟤🤎❤️‍🔥

I do like this place (the cafe here). And last time we ate well. This time a bit disappointing. The fritas bravas were not very good at all. Vegan burger was ok, but a bit disappointing. Cheese nachos were reportedly good.

Las multitudes soleadas del domingo zumbaron a lo largo de las costas en el puerto de Bristol. Me comí mis salmones en un banco y luego busqué un buen café. ¡La Cuenca fue todo! El café nicaragüense estaba en oferta, así que no tenía ninguna duda. Esta fuente centroamericana ha sido mi favorita durante más de dos décadas. . . Encontré un asiento en una pequeña terraza y vi los transbordadores que transportaban gente feliz por el puerto. ¿Por qué no es así todos los días?

Now I have moved more into central Bristol, I have a choice of 2 smaller independent cinemas and go here on a regular basis They have a mixture of mainstream films and also bespoke films and they have a good mixture Films can be booked in advance for no extra charge through the website - varying pricing structure, offers before a certain time, students, Under 24, seniors etc It is important to note that there are no reserved seats so if you wish to sit with friends then on busy shows make sure that you arrive in good time 3 Screens café available Best to go by bus and not to worry about parking as most buses go via central Bristol and is not far from the shops

Well, I'm starting with the loos (5 stars) because they are a pointer to the character of this wonderful place. Firstly Unisex, secondly welcomes homeless users, and thirdly (obviously) very clean. Another obvious - the place is wheelchair friendly. The food is tasty and hearty with decent portions - and more that just the usual pub selection. The prices are completely fair too

We had an excellent evening: ace film, really good beer and all four of us were delighted with our meals.

Love this place. Great food and atmosphere. Been coming here for over 40 years..I had the sweet pototo soup for lunch, tasted delicious

The café is a great spot for a cheeky pint or cocktail

Great place for a day of training!

I saw a boy who works at the cinema here today being extremely rude to a local street musician - I've been coming to the watershed for years but I've got to say I found this extremely off-putting

Guy on yesterday - not sure if he was a manager or not, stripey t-shirt - was really rude

Always love this place. Great food. Lovely service and atmosphere!

Good place for a quiet drink before the cinemas empty out!

Nacho Mondays - two choices of vegan nacho bowls - very tasty and okay value. Also beautiful deco inside and a lovely view of the river outside. Friendly staff also. Came back for soup of the day which was lovely and they don't charge for alt milks which is always great to see - thank you!

Stopped for coffee and Nachos. Sharing basket reasonable value; excellent place to meet and spend some time. Loos have been upgraded and much better

Everything is good about this place. The warm and friendly ambience, the excellent view, range of clients and splendid view. And the food is excellent and good value.

Probably the most middle class place I’ve ever been to.

Unfortunately today I was subjected to a bad attitude from one of the employees at the cafe , who treated me and my friend with disrespect and was not welcoming at all. When I asked his colleagues to give me his name to write a review on the site, they refused Therefore, I expect that this place does not welcome people of different ethnicities and that they support his racist behavior.

I love you Watershed, but pleeease do a rain check on the chef - food Sunday evening was shocking 😳

Fish stew was very good. My son had chicken goujons and chips. Good food but he only got 3 goujons. Disappointed with portion size.

It is a lovely place to visit for food and drinks overlooking the river.

My visit was connected to my work as an Arts Coordinator and occurred before the cafe bar was open. Hence, only 4 stars. I was warmly greeted by all the staff I encountered and shown the room I would be occupying in the coming weeks. Really looking forward to working here and using the Watersheds facilities.

Rip off ,worst place in Bristol 15 £ for little burger.

Well priced cinema with a nice bar/restaurant attached. Good selection of films.

What can you say except it is a brilliant cinema.Stress free.

An independent cinema with a smaller range of movies and less seats compared to mainstream theatres. More expensive but worth supporting, particularly to access arthouse and international movies that are not available elsewhere in the city.

Best cinema in Bristol - best cinema ever really!!

Favourite cinema in Bristol. Always have great movies on, new and old. Engaging atmosphere. Incredible bar!

Staff were lovely, coffee was good, cafe has vegan options, bar has good alcohol free choices. The cinema seats are comfy and it's a lot more affordable than the bigger mainstream cinemas, plus they're showing more interesting stuff!

Always love it here. Great atmosphere. Loads of natural lighting. The food is very delicious

Fantastic cinema as well as a great cafe/bar!

We watched a film and had a drink in the bar. Great atmosphere in bar and the experience with the film was memorable

Great place to see movies and meet up. Great new loos too,

First time visiting and already the place on Mt favourite spots in Bristol. Great place to work, cafe and chat. Nice views for the river. Delicious menu wirh reasonable prices and a lot of place to work. The amazing thing is they have cinemas indoor where they screening old clsssic movies after recoluring them. It is a must fo on my list and the prices are affordable. Also, they were hosting Palestine film festival for the 12th year and were screen movies about Palestine 🇵🇸 and conflict.

Good disabled access to services needed. Except parking. Couldn't find anything close by but nothing to do with the venue.

We had lunch pre screening. The food was excellent and, fortunately for us, included a large array of fully vegan dishes. The chunky chips were a highlight. Worthy mention for the crunchy patty of the black bean burger 🍔 😋 Although the cafe is equipped with beans from local roasters Wogan Coffee, sadly the expresso, at least on this day, was underwhelming.

First time and I loved it! Great film and having the director introduce it was just brilliant! Lovely meal afterwards. Can't wait to go again!

You can never go wrong with a film and drink evening at the Watershed. I've been a customer for 20+ years

Friendly inclusive place with some great vegan-friendly options. The pasta primavera was delicious!

Always a warm welcome from great staff at Watershed café/bar, nice selection of tasty food, including vegan, with a well curated cinema and creative culture programme make this a top Bristol institution. Worth signing up to their studio newsletter to hear about activities beyond cinema.

Great arts hub and cinema. The country needs more like it.

Good coffee & cake overlooking the water.

Watershed does good food, coffee and drinks - visit included cinema and was highly enjoyable

Watching a film in this place is a joy

Very beautiful space for the event to celebrate the winning writers and book cover designer for Bristol Short Story Prize 2023

Nice ambiance, delicious food and friendly staff... love this place in Bristol

Fantastic venue and fantastic movies. Very family friendly environment!

I had quite a nice pizza and a drink the other evening and was not too busy, which made it quite relaxing

My favourite place to be in Bristol. Nothing that I would change it’s just perfect

An excellent venue. A great place to meet for food, coffee, a few jars of ale or to watch a decent film. Blockbuster movies, subtitled films, and occasions older films such as Alien 1, Terminator. You can take your beer in with you to watch the movie. They also do specialised showings for people with disabilities or sensory issues. Where they leave half the seats empty, have the lights on dim and use subtitles. Cannot fault it.

Lovely cafe, restaurant, bar, cinema, event space overlooking the water. One of the original cultural venues that reinvented Bristol’s harbourside and still at the vanguard of change. Always something interesting going on, always something tasty to eat, always interesting people to watch!

What a lovely local cinema ! So friendly and tidy, it’s a cosy cinema with a really great atmosphere! Especially films you wouldn’t get to watch in Chain Cinemas ! Here I was able to watch Aftersun and Past Lives which were fantastic! Yet to try the cafe but for sure shall be checking it out

The staff at watershed are phenomenal. They couldn’t have done more to make us feel more comfortable, attended to and anxiety free. A group of friends, one of which was in a wheelchair, and I came in yesterday and the tall young man with brown curly hair was the ideal person for representing watershed. Thank you guys so much.

Great place to go to for lunch.

Lovely little repertory cinema on the harbourside with bar outfront and café inside. Well worth supporting as It is struggling to survive.

Super cool place - very inclusive and offering good concessions of all types

Always a fun mix of new, old and independent films. Nice cafe/bar with food.

A great place to meet up with friends to watch a film and have a meal. Had a yummy quiche with green salad. Generous portions.

Great location good cinema and good food

Great films great food. Always love going to the watershed.

Quiet place to have a heart to heart meeting with a friend or a get-to-know-you date. Good service, friendly staff and atmosphere. Brilliant cinema with opportunities to see films that otherwise you wouldn't see. I absolutely love being in this place !

Great place will deffo go again

One of the best cinemas in Bristol! Perfectly priced tickets and lovely screens with comfortable chairs. Also definitely recommend having a drink in their cafe too!

Really nice and vibrant atmosphere, quite loud. Really really sorry to see so many homeless people in the area, I wish the council could protect them better.

This place is amazing. Beautiful view to the riverside, friendly and helpful staff, lots of space. I had the tortilla plate and it was soo huge that I couldn't it it, but they let me take it home. I love mexican food and it was one of the bests I ever had.

Visited to attend a conference, nice building with friendly staff and excellent presentation equipment and the coffee was stunning 🙂

Great atmosphere, good menu and fairly priced . Not a destination if you are looking for a quiet meaningful dining experience . Good fun , will be returning soon.