Welcome to manic May! Festival season is well upon us, with Foodies Festival, the Gin Festival and Vegfest  all happening this month, as well as numerous beer festivals, pop-ups and street parties, phew!

Put on your stretchiest trousers and have your Berocca to hand – summer is here and it’s looking full on already….

Dining events

I’ve decided to kick off with a particularly hefty one – The newly refurbed White Lion in Clifton Village is hosting Brewdog’s Dinner on 18th May, where you’ll get 5 courses of fine pub fare (scotch egg, mussels, roasted pork, sticky toffee pudding), each matched with a complimentary Brewdog beer. Tickets are £55 and available from Foozie.

The next in the Nutmeg Nights series is looking mighty tasty too – the latest event will be a tasting menu of four courses inspired by the New Delhi region, each paired with one of Moor Beer’s top notch beverages. Tickets are £25 (plus £15 for the beer pairings) and there are still a few left!

If you’re looking for a Sunday roast with a twist, Bangkok Joe’s in Redcliffe are doing a traditional vs Thai roast event on Sunday 21st – choose from a regular roast, a Massaman brisket (!) or mix it up…

The Michelin-starred Pony & Trap are continuing their run of guest chefs with Great British Menu’s Dominic Chapman creating a six course tasting menu with Josh Eggleton on 23rd May, and on the theme of top chefs, 18th May sees the Great Bristol Menu event – where some of Bristol’s finest will create a special menu to raise money for St Monica Trust.

Festivals

As I mentioned, we already have a bundle of festivals going on this month, and they’re not limited to music and glitter.

Foodies Festival will be taking over The Downs from 12-14th, featuring live cooking demonstrations and workshops, food stalls, an artisan market and live music. If you’re looking for famous faces, Pony & Trap/Great British Menu famohead Josh Eggleton will be there, as will Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown. Take a look at the festival website for more details & ticket info.

The Gin Festival is being hosted at The Station from 11-13th, just a stone’s throw from Broadmead, which is handy for a stumble to your bus home afterwards. If you miss out on tickets to that, or if beer is more your thing, the Brandon Hill Beer Festival is taking place the same weekend, with 4 great pubs getting involved in the festivities – expect live music, good food and loooots of beer & cider.

Taking place at the end of National Vegetarian Week (15-21st May) Vegfest is returning to the harbourside for two days of music, markets, talks and cookery demos.

Finally, you can spend the late May bank holiday weekend partying like a Bavarian at Bristol Bierfest in Millenium Square, which will include music, German food, massive steins of beer and the obligatory lederhosen (they even have a link to where you can buy them on their website).

Pop-ups & supper clubs

Catch ’em before they go – some of these are one-offs….

• 13th – Aron’s Deli dinner: 3 courses of Hungarian food, £25 pp
• 13th – Dine With i at The Quadrant: 3 course meal with canapes & a cocktail, £30.
• 14th – Bristol Pudding Club: Something savoury followed by 4 puddings, £16.50
• 16th – Moor Meats Heat: a night of beer, chicken wings and chilli, £10.
• 16th – Italian dining & cinema at Avery’s Wine Cellars, £60.
• 23rd – Taste of Mauritius: 3 course meal to raise money for 91 Ways, £25.

Courses & tastings

Impress your mates with a new food skill, or some boozy trivia:

• 10th – Dictator rum & cigars at Weber & Tring’s, £25
• 13th – Food & wine matching course at Bordeaux Quay, £35
• 17th – Gin & vodka tasting at Bristol Spirit, £15
• 17th – Scotch Exploration: Whisky tasting by the Dram Team
• 18th – Cooking with vegetables at Square Food Foundation, £39
• 20th – Sourdough pizza making class at Pizza Worshop, £20
• 23rd – Cupcake masterclass at Little Kitchen, £45
• 26th – Cookery demonstration & 3 course Italian meal at Spike Island, £25
• 27th – Summer gin launch at Psychopomp
• 27th – The Great Bristol Food Tour with Cycle the City, £40

Newbies

Make sure you drop in and say hello to these new places:

• Bomboloni – Italian kitchen coming soon to Gloucester Rd.
• CARGO 2 – finally opening at the end of May, with a launch event on Fri 26th!
• Murray’s Cafe & Deli – a friendly family deli on Park Row.
• Clockwork Rose – steampunk cocktail bar opening soon in the centre.
• Bristol Beer Factory tap room on North St
• Fateema – serving Lebanese/Mediterranean in the city centre from early May.
• Finzels Reach Market – a new food market launching on Friday 5th.

And if you haven’t paid them a visit yet, the lovely lot at Taste of Napoli in Broadmead are doing an AperiSunday event on Sunday 7th – for £10 you’ll get a beer, wine or Aperol Spritz plus a selection of pizza & snacks.

That’s it for this month – see the list below for a run down of events by date, otherwise here are some other popular blogs to keep you busy until next time:

• Bristol’s Best Pizza Joints
• The Vegetarian Guide to Bath & Bristol
• Bristol’s Classiest Cocktail Bars
• Bristol’s Best Pub Gardens
• Where to drink gin in Bristol

Dates for the diary

• Thu 4th – Indian tasting menu and Moor Beer at Nutmeg 
• Thu 4th  – Bristol Spirit May the Fourth Be With You event
• Fri 5th – Plumed Serpent pop-up at Aron’s
• Fri 5th – Cotswold gin tasting at The Pump House
• Fri 5th – Finzels Reach Market launch
• Fri 5th – Roulsties pop-up at Moor Beer
• Fri 5th – Chinese cookery class at Little Kitchen
• Fri 5th – Friday morning market at Zion
• Fri 5th – Bristol Beer Factory taproom launch
• Sat 6th – The Sushi Bus comes to town!
• Sat 6th – Steak Night at Totterdown Canteen
• Sat 6th – SoCal brunch at Steam
• Sat 6th – Wine tasting at Clifton Cellars
• Sat 6th – Indian supper club from Geeta Aheer
• Sun 7th – BS5 Market in St George
• Sun 7th – SoCal brunch at Steam
• Sun 7th – AperiSunday at A Taste of Napoli
• Sun 7th – Yoga Brunch Club with Ceres at The Forge
• Tue 9th – Space Jam supper club at Small Bar
• Wed 10th – Rum and cigars tasting at Weber & Tring’s
• Wed 10th – An evening with the Rothschilds wine tasting at Avery’s
• Wed 10th – Paris Beer Week tap takeover at Small Bar
• Thu 11- Sat 13th – Gin Festival at The Station
• Thu 11th – Pop-up pizza night at Mark’s Bread
• Thu 11th – Verdant Brewing tap takeover at Brewdog
• Thu 11th – Introduction to Spain & Portugal wines at Clifton Wine School
• Thu 11th – Sun 14th – Brandon Hill Beer Festival (see individual pub sites for more info)
• Fri 12- Sun 14th – Foodies Festival
• Fri 12th – Edinburgh Gin tasting at Pump House
• Fri 12th – Good Chemistry tap takeover at Tobacco Factory
• Fri 12th – BEATS street food party at Tobacco Factory
• Sat 13th – SoCal brunch at Steam
• Sat 13th – Aron’s Deli dinner
• Sat 13th – Dine With i supper club at The Quadrant
• Sat 13th – Sparkling wine & champagne tasting at Bordeaux Quay
• Sat 13th – Food & wine matching course at Bordeaux Quay
• Sat 13th – Durty Gurties: Pop-up cèilidh
• Sun 14th – SoCal brunch at Steam
• Sun 14th – Bread course at Mark’s Bread
• Sun 14th – Yoga brunch at Hamilton House
• Sun 14th – Bristol Pudding Club at Bristol Spirit
• Tue 16th – Moor Meats Heat
• Tue 16th – Italian dining & cinema at Avery’s
• Wed 17th – Bristol spirit gin & vodka tasting
• Wed 17th – Tasting menu at The Knowle
• Wed 17th – Whisky tasting by The Dram Team
• Wed 17th – Eat Your Words at Birch
• Wed 17th – Deliciously Vegan dinner at No.1 Harbourside
• Thu 18th – Great Bristol Menu
• Thu 18th – Brewdog’s Dinner at The White Lion
• Thu 18th – Gin & tonic tasting at Bordeaux Quay
• Thu 18th – Britpop in a Chip Shop at Soul Fish
• Fri 19th – Introduction to Cider at Bristol Cider Shop
• Fri 19th – Gin tasting at The Pump House
• Fri 19- Sat 20th – Sam Bowser pop-up at Aron’s
• Sat 20th – Sourdough pizza making class at Pizza Workshop
• Sat 20th – Harbourside Market Summer Launch Party
• Sat 20th – Hip Hop Terrace Brunch Party at Motion
• Sat 20th – Cheese & wine tasting at Bordeaux Quay
• Sat 20th – South West England Aeropress Championship
• Sat 20th – SoCal bottomless brunch at Steam
• Sat 20th -Sun 21st – Vegfest
• Sun 21st – Beese’s Sunday Roast boat trip
• Sun 21st –  Bangkok Joe’s traditional or Thai Sunday roast
• Tue 23rd – Cupcake masterclass at Little Kitchen
• Tue 23rd – Tales of Mauritius: Brinda’s Sumptuous Supper
• Tue 23rd – Dominic Chapman guest chef evening at The Pony & Trap
• Wed 24th – The Macallan whisky tasting at Weber & Tring’s
• Wed 24th – 5 course Italian tasting menu at Gloucester Road Ale House
• Thu 25- Mon 29th – Bristol Bierfest
• Thu 25th – Tapas cookery class at Square Food Foundation
• Thu 25th – Cask vs Keg takeover at The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer
• Thu 25th – Explore Italy & German wines at Clifton Wine School
• Thu 25th – Cheese & wine tasting at Bordeaux Quay
• Thu 25th – Martin Millers Gin Club at Milk Thistle
• Fri 26th – Introduction to Cider at Bristol Cider Shop
• Fri 26th – Whisky tasting at The Cross Hands in Fishponds
• Fri 26th – BEATS Eats Steam – street food party
• Fri 26th – CARGO 2 opening partyCARGO 2 opening party
• Fri 26th – Cookery demonstration & Italian meal at Spike Island
• Fri 26th-Sun 28th – Flipside Cocktail Carnival
• Fri 26- Sat 27th – Sam Bowser pop-up at Aron’s
• Sat 27th – SoCal bottomless brunch at Steam
• Sat 27-Sun 28th – Wellington Beer Festival
• Sat 27th – The Great Bristol Food Tour
• Sat 27th – Summer gin launch at Psychopomp
• Sun 28th – Cider & music festival at Whitehall Rugby Club