Bristol and Bath
Bristol Dating: Meet Singles in Bristol
Meet singles across Bristol and Bath, and plan a first date by the harbour. Choose a section and say hello.
Bristol singles, on both sides of the river
Dating in Bristol and Bath brings a grown-up crowd: two in five of our members here are women, and 35 to 44 is the most common age.
Members here give Bristol itself or Bedminster, just south of the river, as home. Three in five are in Casual Encounters, but Bristol has a strong grown-up streak as well: a quarter have joined Mature Encounters, close to twice that section’s share across the UK, and about one in seven is in Single Encounters.
Six Bristol first dates worth saying yes to
The harbour
Walk the Floating Harbour from the Arnolfini to Wapping Wharf, past M Shed, the city’s harbourside museum, to food and drink in old shipping containers.
Clifton
Cross the Suspension Bridge on foot, then find a drink in Clifton Village. The view down the Avon Gorge does half the talking.
Ashton Court
A deer park, woodland and wide views of the city, on the estate that hosts the Balloon Fiesta each August.
Gloucester Road
A long run of independent shops, cafés and pubs north of the centre, made for a coffee that stretches into lunch.
St Nicholas Market
Street food stalls in and around the old Corn Exchange on Corn Street, in the heart of the Old City.
North Street
Bedminster’s bars and cafés, for an easy first date south of the river.
And Bath is about a quarter of an hour away by train, for the Royal Crescent and a walk by the Avon.
Bristol’s sweet spot is 35 to 44
Two in five of our Bristol and Bath members are aged 35 to 44, compared with about three in ten across the site. The remainder divides evenly either side, with three in ten under 35 and three in ten 45 or over, and one member in five is 55 or older. So if you’re dating in Bristol in your 40s or 50s, you’ll find people at your stage.
Ages of our members in Bristol and Bath, all four sections together, today.
Over 40? Joining Mature Encounters alongside Casual or Single puts more people your age in front of you.
Comfortable shoes, short hops
Bristol is a city of hills, so wear something you can climb Park Street or Christmas Steps in. There’s no tram: buses, including the metrobus routes, cover most of the city, and the Severn Beach line runs from Temple Meads through Montpelier and Clifton Down. Harbour ferries link stops along the waterfront, and the harbour, the Old City and Clifton are all walkable from each other if you don’t mind a climb.
If one of you is coming in from Bath, Cardiff or further, check the time of the last train from Temple Meads before you meet.
Cardiff, Newport and Gloucester are closer than you think
Single in Cardiff or Newport? Bristol is our nearest city page to South Wales, a short hop across the Severn. Direct trains run from both into Temple Meads, and the Severn bridge tolls were scrapped at the end of 2018.
In Gloucester, direct trains reach Bristol Parkway and Temple Meads, so a Bristol date is simple to plan. A wider search distance brings Bristol into your matches, and our singles near me guide explains the rest.
Choose the Bristol date you’re after
If it’s fun without the strings, Casual Encounters is where most of our Bristol members are. For a relationship, try Single Encounters; for dating after 40, Mature Encounters is unusually strong here. And if you’re an older woman who likes younger men, or a younger man who likes older women, Milf Encounters is our newest section.
Further afield, Plymouth covers Devon, Southampton looks after Hampshire, and Oxford has a page of its own. Our locations page has every city we cover.
Bristol dating, sorted
Where should I suggest for a first date in Bristol?
The Floating Harbour is an easy yes: walk from the Arnolfini past M Shed to Wapping Wharf and find somewhere to eat on the way. For a view, cross the Clifton Suspension Bridge on foot and finish with a drink in Clifton Village.
Is Bristol good for dating over 40?
Yes. A quarter of our Bristol and Bath members are in Mature Encounters, the section for over 40s, and three in ten members here are 45 or older.
Can I meet someone from Cardiff?
You can. Widen your distance to cross the Severn and Bristol comes within reach, with direct trains from Cardiff Central taking under an hour.
More dating across southern England
Your Bristol first date starts here
Pick a section, make your profile and send your first message today.