Student eating tends to fall into two camps: cheap and quick, or a proper night out that quietly wrecks the budget for the rest of the month. A good sit-down meal that doesn’t cost a fortune is harder to find, especially one where a whole group of friends can actually eat what they like.
Rock Salt on Cotham Hill sits comfortably in that gap. It’s a short journey from Redland and the University area, the menu is built around sharing, and there are a few easy ways to keep the bill sensible. Here’s how students can make the most of it.
Share Plates Make Splitting Easy
Rock Salt’s Indian and Chinese menu works well for groups because it’s designed to be shared. Instead of everyone ordering one expensive main, a table can pick a spread of starters, mains, rice or noodles, and sides, then split the lot. You get to try far more of the menu than you would ordering individually, and the cost divides neatly between everyone.
A simple approach for a group of three or four: order a couple of starters to open, then a mix of mains with rice and bread to go round. If there’s a mix of tastes at the table, one curry and one stir-fry style dish usually covers it.
Make the Weekday Set Lunch Work Around Lectures
If your timetable leaves a gap in the middle of the day, the weekday set lunch is the most budget-friendly way in. It brings together a starter, a main course and a side, giving you a complete meal for less than ordering the same dishes individually from the evening menu. It’s a good option for a catch-up between lectures, or for a group project meeting that works better over food than in a library.
We cover what’s included and what you can expect to spend in our set lunch menu and average spend guide. Current pricing is always on the menu.
Eating Well With Mixed Diets
Most friend groups include at least one vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free eater, and that’s usually where choosing a restaurant gets difficult. Indian and Chinese cooking already leans on vegetables, lentils, rice and spices, so the menu adapts easily without anyone getting a token side dish. Our guide to vegan Indian food in Bristol covers the plant-based side of the menu in more detail.
Celebrating as a Group
Birthdays, end-of-term meals and society dinners all work best when the whole group sits together. For larger tables of six or more, it’s worth arranging a set menu in advance, which keeps the ordering simple and makes the cost easier to agree beforehand. Our page on private dining and group bookings explains how this works.
Getting There
Rock Salt is on Cotham Hill, within reach of Redland and the University area on foot, and well served by bus from the city centre and Temple Meads. Our guide to getting to Rock Salt covers bus routes and parking if you’re coming from further out.
If you’re making an evening of it, our guide to a night out on Cotham Hill suggests places to go before or after dinner.
A Few Simple Tips for Keeping the Bill Sensible
- Choose lunch over dinner if your timetable allows, since the set lunch gives the best value
- Share starters, as portions work well split across a table
- Order in rounds rather than all at once, so the table doesn’t end up with more than it can finish
- Ask the team to suggest dishes that suit your budget, with no need to feel awkward about it
The Bottom Line
Eating out as a student doesn’t have to mean choosing between quality and cost. Sharing dishes, using the weekday set lunch and booking a group set menu for bigger occasions all make Rock Salt an easy, sociable option near the University.
Book a table for your next group meal, or view the menu to plan what to order.