In the year that St Nicholas Market (aka St Nicks Market) was established, George II was King of Great Britain, Thomas Jefferson – the third US president – was born, and Benjamin Franklin discovered that weather moves from west to east. Yeah, it’s pretty old, but its longevity is what makes it so beloved by Bristolians and those beyond. Having been trading since 1743, it was even crowned Britain’s Best Large Indoor Market in 2016.
Inside you’ll find a maze of over 60 independent and quirky retailers. Just some of the stalls you’ll find include theHot Sauce Emporium, for all things spicy; Beware of the Leopards, one of the best and oldest secondhand bookshops in Bristol; and the Jamaican music record store, Payback Records. You’ll also find unique clothes, hats, jewellery, bongs, fossils, sweets, art, board games, organic ingredients and all sorts of oddities.
And we’ve not even begun to talk about the food stalls! We’ve talked about everything you need to eat at St Nicks Market before, but just some of our quick favourites are Eatchu, Eat A Pitta and Matina. But you could visit every day of the week and never get bored!
So why are we waxing lyrical about St Nicholas Market?
Well, it’s just been named one of the UK’s favourite markets. Capital On Tap has been looking at the top markets from around the country and has ranked on a range of factors. Such as the number of days open; monthly searches; and average Google ratings – for the aesthetic touch, they also looked at which markets were most popular on Instagram and TikTok.
Bristol’s St Nicholas Market came in fifth place, finishing just behind Camden Market and Portobello Market in London, Bury Market in Manchester, and The Covered Market in Oxford. St Nicks racked up an average monthly Google searches of 8,100, while its Google rating was 4.5 (with 7,282 ratings in total). An area that may have slightly let it down, however, is that it is only open six days a week – Monday to Saturday.
Despite being situated in a stunning Georgian arcade, St Nicholas Market couldn’t crack the top three most-loved markets on social media. But we don’t need a list to tell us it’s beautiful, it’s obvious from looking! If you’re thinking of heading to St Nicholas Market this festive period – which only seems right, sharing a name with Father Christmas and all – make sure to check the Christmas-themed outdoor markets selling unique handmade crafts from December 14 to Christmas Eve.
You’ll find St Nicholas Market at The Corn Exchange, Corn St, Bristol BS1 1JQ
The most popular markets in the UK
- Camden Market, London
- Portobello Market, London
- Bury Market, Manchester
- The Covered Market, Oxford
- St Nicholas Market, Bristol
- Norwich Market, Norwich
- Bullring Markets, Birmingham
- Kirkgate Market, Leeds
- Billingsgate Fish Market, London
- Brighton Open Market, Brighton