News / Harbourside
New cafe Rod & Ruby’s opens in the Harbourside
A taste of Italian hospitality has come to the Harbourside with the opening of Rod & Ruby’s.
Behind a striking glass counter balanced on twisted pieces of a fallen tree trunk, Italian chatter from owner Emily Vigni and director Lorenzo Palchetti drifted across this new cafe on Sunday morning.
On the drinks menu, options include the usual flat whites and green tea as well as more unusual coffees such as espresso Toscano made in a moka pot, and affogato featuring espresso poured over two scoops of Italian ice cream.
is needed now More than ever

Rod & Ruby’s has a striking glass counter balanced on twisted pieces of a fallen tree trunk
The wind and rain on the first day of opening wasn’t quite ice cream weather, however, with new customers thankful for the warmth inside.
If they were lucky enough, they were able to sit on two comfy seats in the far window overlooked by a painting on canvas of Ching Shih, a famous Chinese pirate from the nineteenth century.

Stylish seating inside Rod & Ruby’s
Rod & Ruby’s is located on Cathedral Walk just off Anchor Road in a building that was most recently used as the marketing unit for the Harbourside development but has laid empty ever since.
Food options here currently include a few pastries and muffins on the counter, and the likes of Caprese salad and paninis from the fridge, with a lunch meal deal at £4.99 comprising of a sandwich or salad, a snack, and a hot or cold drink.
For the future profitability of the business, office workers at Hargreaves Lansdown opposite and Parmenion next door will have to walk past it on their way to Tesco, Costa and Friska – the trio of most popular lunch choices in this corner of Bristol – and hopefully be tempted in to this new independent cafe with charming Italian hospitality in their midst.
Rod & Ruby’s, 2 College Square, Bristol, BS1 5DB
Read more: Harbourside named as one of UK’s best places to live