By The Food Team
The Croft Magazine // The food editors campaign for their favourite eats and lunch spots close to the university.
When it comes to lunch there are three main criteria: deliciousness per bite, student friendly cost and ease. Suit yourself as a packed-lunch-warrior or a lunch-out-nomad, Bristol has a plethora of quick eateries and supermarket meal deals alike to be enjoyed. The Croft’s food editorial team have brought together their favourite picks for lunch spots near uni. Decide for yourself who you agree with!
Daniel's pick - Cedars Express
Cedars Express graces us at the foot of the Wills Memorial Library with *those* Chicken Shawarma wraps. The hot, fatty, spiced slices of shawarma, the sour and crunchy pickles, the creamy umami garlic sauce...need I go on? All seranaded by salad-y delights, wrapped in a warm Lebanese flatbread. These humble wraps have not only reached the zenith of textural and flavourful contrast, but in sum, the epitome lunchtime efficiency. Cedars Express is definitely the more indulgent lunchtime excursion, but in providing the perfect bite for only £5.50 (with a drink) why should you settle for less? Having lay in the shadow of the Wills Memorial building, sometimes it's these sleeping giants that rise above the rest in times of need.
Deliciousness - 8.5/10
Cost - 6.5/10
Ease - 9/10
Phoebe's pick - Eat a Pitta
There are a few Eat a Pitta’s dotted around the city, but the most popular by far sits across the road from Wills Memorial Building. A queue of hungry students waiting to get their fix of falafel stretches far up the road during term and when you give it a try, you’ll know why. Choose from a range of salads including Moroccan carrot, roasted cauliflower cous cous and tabbouleh, or get them all and feel like a vision of health after the Jason Donervan’s you picked up after Gravity last night. It would seem you can’t be a Bristol uni student and not like hummus which is great because they give you a huge dollop of the creamiest hummus you’ll ever have. Their portions are very generous, service is fast, and the food is delicious, plus they are 99% plastic free and 100% of the energy they use comes from renewable resources so you really are doing the most for your body and the planet!
Deliciousness - 8/10
Cost - 6/10
Ease - 9/10
Lou's pick - packed lunch:
Popping to a café for lunch seems effortless and oh so ‘adult’, but the pennies do rack up on a student budget – why not try a packed lunch now and again. But, what to make and where to eat it? Personally, roasted veg is the ultimate cheap and easy staple. Mix it with herby couscous or whack it in a soft tortilla wrap, add yoghurt and sriracha if you’re feeling jazzy! A few veg contenders: onions, peppers, squash, cauliflower, aubergine – but really you can use anything you’ve got. Roast at 180˙C for 30-45 minutes tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper. Sometimes finding a quiet spot to tuck into your lunch box can be daunting, but not to worry, there’s plenty of places in and around uni to do just that! My top picks are Royal Fort Garden and the SU living room. Feeling hungover? Now is the perfect time to whack a few veggies in the oven and your future self will definitely thank you.
Deliciousness - 8/10
Cost - 2/10
Ease - 6/10
Maddy's pick - Parsons
Forget the course group chats or library shelves, the best support system you could ever ask for at uni sits proudly on St Michaels Hill – a bakery called Parsons. It assists each and every Bristol student through their degree with their award winning pasties, sausage rolls and sandwiches. Or, if you need that special kick to eradicate any lingering hangover before your 9am, they also offer freshly ground coffee. In such a convenient location behind uni, Parsons provides the perfect lunch spot to break up the monotony of the library and lecture halls. Be prepared to see other friendly faces with the same idea in the queue, sadly the bakery is not quite Bristol’s best kept secret…our love affair with Parsons is loud and proud. And why shouldn’t it be? Where else offers two pasties for a fiver, two sausage rolls (vegan or pork) for two squids or any sandwich, cake and drink for £3.75? I’ll see you there and we can hide from our deadlines together.
Deliciousness – 8/10
Cost – 8/10
Ease – 9/10
Featured Image: Phoebe Altman
What will you try first?
