Nestled perfectly in the warm belly of Hamilton House, The Canteen emerged in 2009 out of the creative inspiration and collective efforts of a bunch of Stokes Croft and Bristol brilliants.

From day one we wanted to offer outstanding free live music, affordable homecooked food made with heaps of love and ingredients sourced as locally as we could manage and moreover we wanted to make a place for all to come, a hub, a hotspot, for it to take on it's own direction and to meet and serve the community that drives it forward.

So we serve delicious food from 12-3pm and 5-10pm EVERY day! We could describe it as international fayre with a Bristolian twist - our kitchen team are local grown with roots in carribbean, french, irish stock and love bringing those influences into the daily changing menu. This stuff is fresh AND you get a complimentary soup with every meal, just because...it's nice :)

Our music programme is more vibrant than ever - and still as free as day one - you can expect gentler tones from Sunday - Wednesday spanning folk, jazz and acapella ensembles, then we ramp you up Thursday - Saturday and each evening from 10pm the tables are re-arranged for the unavoidable rip-roaring dancing times.

It's generally about celebration, bring it down to the Canteen, and share it out.

We love to have you by.

Live Music Mon-Thur 9.30-11.30pm
Fri & Sat Bands & DJs from 9.30-1am
Sun Live Music from 4-6pm
Free Entry – But please give generously to the Music Bucket!

The Canteen opened its doors in August 2009 to serve and provide for the people of Hamilton House, Stokes Croft, Bristol and beyond. At first a café, a bar, a restaurant and a music venue, the Canteen has become a melting pot, a meeting place and a place for people. Born out of the same ethos as Coexist CIC but formed as a separate company, the Canteen has driven the creative resurgence of Stokes Croft and been a centre piece to the Hamilton House story.

In the beginning we thought, ‘what kind of place would we like to go to?’ We imagined yummy food and drink from local suppliers, a relaxed space for affordable good times and top live music for free every night of the week – and so the Canteen was born.

We pride ourselves in being accessible and affordable, open to everyone and a showcase for creativity in all its forms. Our primary purpose is not profit but providing for people and we uphold a triple bottom line approach to doing business.

We’re lucky enough to have been awarded the Sustainable Restaurant Associations highest rating of three stars for our commitment to local and ethical suppliers and for our care of people and planet.

We value all members of our staff equally and 5% of our monthly net profit goes towards their wellbeing.

We value our community and donate anything over 10% annual net profit into an investment fund to support local causes because we want to have a credible impact on the community we’re a part of.

We value inclusivity, accessibility and healthy eating by keeping our prices affordable and always having a vegan and/or vegetarian option on the menu.

When the Canteen was being created a huge sign that read ‘EVERYBODY’ was placed over the front windows during the build. We wanted to welcome everybody who shared our vision then – and we welcome everyone who shares our vision now.