There’s also a children’s play area, onsite parking, and dogs are welcome
Riverside Garden Centre is located in Southville, Bristol (Image: Riverside Garden Centre)
The sunshine seems to be sticking around and the weather warming up as we head into May. And the clear skies, paired with some Bank Holiday weekends, may for many be inspiration enough to spend more time tending to their gardens.
Or an excuse to venture to a local garden centre for some browsing, plant purchasing – and even some refreshment in an onsite cafe.
While the first locations you may think of when you think of garden centres locally may be the bigger and more marketed names a drive down a motorway or country road, there’s one right here in Bristol that boasts views of the Clifton Suspension Bridge of all places.
Riverside Garden Centre in Southville is said to be Bristol’s largest independent garden centre, established in 1987. Run as a social enterprise and engaging with the wider Bristol community, it regularly finds itself working on a number of projects and with an array of local charities.
One of the main reasons it’s seen by some as a must-visit garden centre, is the fact that it boasts panoramic views of the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge, as well as the city docks and the Bristol skyline. Even its architecture, notably its ‘Shade House’, has won awards, and the venue is easily accessed from local roads and offers ample parking for both cars and bikes.
The venue is dog friendly too, and often exhibits work from local artists and those from further afield.
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Onsite, you’ll also find a Vegetarian Cafe, which offers a range of organic, homemade food and drinks. It’s described as having ‘a bright and airy interior’, an outside sun terrace and even a children’s play area. The Riverside Cafe has, in the past, even been featured in the Daily Telegraph’s list of Top 25 garden centre cafes in the country.
When it comes to its produce, the cafe also likes to keep it local, sourcing produce from as close to home as possible. Its coffee is roasted just a couple of miles away, in fact.
Meanwhile, the menu includes breakfast and lunch for both grown ups and children, as well as light bites and homemade cakes. It’s open Monday to Saturday (9.3am-5pm) and between 10.30am and 4pm on Sundays.
In addition to its cafe amenities and vast selection of plants and flowers, Riverside is also known for other services like local home delivery and even tool sharpening services. The latter enables you to bring your tools in and give them a new lease of life.
Riverside Garden Centre boasts a 4.6 star rating on Google, with previous visitors commending it for its well-stocked plant selection, friendly staff, delicious cafe offerings, and the fact it houses a play area for little ones.
One said: “Compact but very well stocked garden centre sporting a lovely vegetarian cafe, with plenty of options for everyone to enjoy. We had a cheese and onion pasty and a vegan sausage roll which were both lovely. Wide variety of teas.
The Riverside Garden Centre in Bristol(Image: jon Kent/Bristol Live)
“Staff were very happy to help us and give recommendations on repotting and what plants and soil we should choose, even though we were complete novices! Overall very good garden centre, to which we will be returning soon.”
A second wrote: “My first visit, with a local who recommended it. A classy garden centre and we were impressed with the cafe.
“They stated “reduced menu today” but there was a choice of 3 soups, each with a hearty chunk of granary bread. I had a well filled, crunchy baguette and my friend a vegetarian quiche she said was delicious and filling.
“Some people were eating lovely looking cakes but we were too full to indulge! Oh, the plants were lovely too!”
And a third added: “Amazingly large collection of plants, offering a huge variety for every gardener. It’s easy to spend ages browsing all the beautiful options.
“Plus, it’s super convenient with lots of parking space and a lovely cafe to relax in after you’ve made your selections. Highly recommend a visit!”
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