Gingerbread hot chocolates to eggnog laden lattes: Best eight places in Bristol for a hot drink this Winter

Whether you fancy a traditional hot chocolate or one infiltrated by festive flavour, or perhaps you like the idea of a coffee with a Christmas-based twist, whatever it is, these Bristol cafes will deliver.

From gingerbread hot chocolates to eggnog laden lattes, get yourself out and about in the city to try a sip of some of the festive fun. To make it easier for you, we’ve rounded up some of the best drinks on offer.

Foliage Cafe

Not only is their standard coffee and hot chocolate absolutely divine and a real treat on a cold winter day, Foliage Cafe in Clifton has a little board up on their counter with changing seasonal winter warmers.

These bring in the quintessential flavours of the festive season to really make your hot drink a Christmas special. Plus, you can add a little festive sweet treat to the side at Foliage.

Well known for their incredible bakery counter, full of many delights you might not have come across before, it’s no surprise that they’ve wowed us this Christmas. Pair your winter warmer with their mince pie and almond butter croissant - we promise you won’t be disappointed.

Tincan Coffee

With shops on both North Street and Gloucester Road that are perfect settings for cosying yourself up, away from the winter elements, Tincan Coffee is a brilliant option if you want a hot drink with a festive twist.

This year, their food counter is filling up with festive goods, but they’ve also brought out their Christmas Guest Blend with Clifton Coffee. With tasting notes of rum, raisin, nutmeg and shortbread, it’s sure to put you in the Christmas mood.

Bird and Blend Tea Co.

More of a tea drinker than a coffee sipper? Bird and Blend Tea Co on Park Street is the perfect destination for you to head to if you still want to get some festive flavours trickling down your throat.

The new for 2021 Christmas range boasts wonderfully nostalgic seasonal flavours such as gingerbread chai, Christmas cake and snowball. They also have some brand new Christmas blends this year including Christmas cranberry pie and peppermint hot cocoa. That’s a lot of different festive teas to make your way through this December!

Costa Coffee

It might not be an independent, but we probably couldn’t do a winter warmer round up without including some of the Instragram favourite hot drinks doing the rounds from some of the chains.

This year, they’ve really thought about what quintessential British things make us think of Christmas in a cup and people are going wild for their Quality Street toffee penny latte with dairy milk swirls and the purple one latte.

So, if diving into a selection box or tub of Quality Street is what your Christmas is made of, you might want to give the popular coffee shop’s latte a go this winter.

Mrs Potts Chocolate House

You can’t go wrong with an indulgent hot chocolate on a cold day in the lead up to Christmas, and you definitely can’t go wrong when it’s been specially designed to bring all the festive nostalgia flooding back.

Mrs Potts Chocolate House have Christmas joy in a cup to offer you all with their gingerbread roasted white hot chocolate, complete with cream, sprinkles, white chocolate buttons and served with a gingerbread star. With the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, it really is the definition of a winter warmer.

The Bristol Loaf

The Bristol Loaf has teamed up with popular Bristol distillery The Circumstance Distillery this year to create the perfect winter warming hot drink.

For December, you can find their house-made chai latte, steeped with added Circumstance Distillery rye whiskey.

It’s sure to warm your cockles and make you merry on a dreary December day. You won’t be short of homemade Christmas accompaniments to have as a side alongside your comfort drink either!

Starbucks

Again, not a Bristol independent, but the city has been going mad for Starbucks’ new eggnog latte.

It seems that, even if people don’t particularly rate the flavour, it’s worth a try just for the nostalgic vibe and for getting excited for the merry season. Featuring their signature espresso and rich steamed eggnog, the winter warmer is delicately topped with a seasonal sprinkling of nutmeg.

East Village Cafe

A staple for so many people on a weekend, particularly those who like to frequent the pretty Boyce’s Avenue, vegan and vegetarian cafe East Village Cafe has the perfect hot drink for winter.

If hot chocolate gets you more excited than coffee, you must try their toasted marshmallow hot chocolate. It’s laced with toasted vegan marshmallow fluff on top of creamy s’mores hot chocolate and finished off with chocolate curls - we know, all the indulgence!

Plus, their new festive compostable cups will get you in the festive spirit too. If you want something a little bit more of a caffeine kick, try their pumpkin spice latte or eggnog flat white.