Bakery£SouthvilleMon-Sat 08:00-18:00; Sun 09:00-16:00Walk-in onlySlow-fermented real bread baked in small batches
Mark's Bread bakes slow-fermented loaves at the Tobacco Factory on Raleigh Road, the real-bread anchor of Bristol's North Street food strip.
Tip: It now bakes from the Tobacco Factory building itself; pair a loaf with the Sunday market downstairs.
Worth the queue: A South Bristol sourdough loaf, still warm mid-morning
Bakery££RedfieldMon-Sat 08:00-16:00; Sun 10:00-16:00Walk-in onlyOrganic-certified sourdough and pastries
The Bristol Loaf rises organic sourdough at Church Road in Redfield, the certified-organic bread bakery whose loaves stock cafes across Bristol.
Tip: Sister sites in Bedminster and at the Beacon carry the same bake; go early for the weekend pastry run.
Worth the queue: The organic sourdough that stocks half the city's cafes
Bakery£Gloucester RoadMon-Fri 07:00-19:00; Sat 07:00-17:00Walk-in onlyTraditional English, French and German loaves plus sourdough
Joe's Bakery has baked on Gloucester Road for generations, a Bristol shop tracing its site's history over 150 years from tin loaves to sourdough.
Tip: The smaller shop at 45 Gloucester Road covers the bottom of the hill; the carrot cake sells through by afternoon.
Worth the queue: The 50-year-recipe carrot cake, baked on site since the 1980s
Bakery££Whiteladies RoadMon-Fri 07:00-17:00; Sat-Sun 08:00-17:00Walk-in onlyAward-winning cakes, breakfast rolls and toasties
Bakesmiths fills a double-height Whiteladies Road room with cakes, breakfast rolls and coffee, the bakery-cafe flagship of Bristol's Bakehouse team.
Tip: Their sister Bakehouse in St Philips bakes the sourdough; mornings here are calmer than the brunch-hour crush.
Worth the queue: A slab of the award-winning cake with a flat white
Bakery££St PhilipsMon-Fri 07:30-16:00; Sat-Sun 08:00-16:00Walk-in only48-hour sourdough, sticky buns and open-plan baking
Bakehouse bakes its 48-hour sourdough in an open-plan room inside Cakesmiths' St Philips works, Bristol's bread counter with the mixer in view.
Tip: It shares the site with wholesale cake maker Cakesmiths, so the sticky buns here are the freshest in the city.
Worth the queue: The 48-hour sourdough named best loaf in Britain in 2022
Bakery££Old CityWed-Fri 08:00-17:00; Sat 10:00-17:00Walk-in onlyBespoke cakes, patisserie and postal brownies
Ahh Toots decorates Bristol's most painterly cakes by the Christmas Steps, a small counter of patisserie, brownies and made-to-order showpieces.
Tip: Order celebration cakes weeks ahead; slices are walk-in and the counter changes weekly.
Worth the queue: Whatever showpiece cake slice is in the counter that week