Welcome to the month of lurrve, or bottomless booze, or brunch. Whatever you decide, February is something to everyone this year.

There’s tons to get through so I’ll keep the waffling to a minimum, but it’s safe to say that this month is looking fairly stupendous. See you on the other side…

Exciting Events

Awards aplenty! Casamia was recently awarded No.2 in Harden’s Best UK Restaurants, with The Pony & Trap scooping 2nd place in the Top 50 Gastro Pubs list.

Bristol also made it into the Top Places to Visit lists for the New York Times and The Irish Times, National Geographic’s Cool List 2018 AND The Telegraph’s 2017 food highlights, as well as receiving many compliments from top critic Jay Rayner (swoon).

The Bristol Good Food Awards winners will also be announced at the awards ceremony on 25th February, you can see the shortlist for each category here.

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend (2nd-4th Feb), Wriggle are doing another food trail, this time it’s Eating Bedminster! There are a variety of deals and discounts available at bars and restaurants, from tapas to thali to beer tasters.

For the boozehounds among you, there are plenty of unlimited booze events coming up this month, as now seems to be the fashion. There are bottomless pizza and prosecco evenings at Dough Ballers in Ashton Gate Stadium every Friday, and another bottomless pizza & prosecco party at Pizzarova on 15th Feb.

You can also get bottomless burgers & booze at Burger Theory every month, bottomless booze with roasts at Steam and Prince St Social every Sunday (they also do brunches which include bottomless booze every Sat), and all those are in addition to the monthly bottomless brunches at Brace & Browns, Harbour & Browns and The Clifton Sausage. Drink responsibly kids!

Celebrate Chinese New Year with the big free celebrations at Wai Yee Hong in Eastville on 17 Feb, which will include a lion dance, kung fu performances and a festive market. There are also Chinese New Year celebrations going on at Woky Fest in Wapping Wharf on 16 Feb, featuring special Asian dishes from the surrounding restaurants, a lion dance troupe and music.

And here are a few dinners to get excited about:

• Bristol Cider Shop vs Squeezed – cider tasting with burger, fries & dips from the brilliant Squeezed on 17th Feb, £20 (absolute steal if you ask me).
• Fish & shellfish tasting evening at The Pony & Trap – six courses of the finest seafood from the South West on 22nd Feb. Menu £60, Champagne flight £35.
• Sabor Colombiano – A multi-sensory Colombian dinner at Spike Island Cafe on 24th Feb. 4 courses for £33.
• Taste Along to Sleepy Hollow at Arnos Vale – a screening of the gothic film on 24th Feb, accompanied by matched dishes, £15.
• As a sneaky March preview, Bristols’ critics will be cooking for chefs & public on 4th March in a fundraiser event for Action for Hunger – I’ve bought my ticket and I’d suggest you do too! Also, Root start their Kitchen Takeovers series with Salon Brixton on 8th March. Other guest chefs will include Kirk Haworth from Plates and Jan Ostle from Wilson’s.

Valentine’s Day

Make sure you spoil that special someone – here are a few suggestions…

• Prosecco & sparkling wine tasting at The Kensington Arms on 14th Feb, £35.
• Bristol Pudding Society Valentine’s special at Bristol Spirit on 18th Feb, £18.
• Valentine’s Surf ‘n’ Turf tasting banquet at Old Market Assembly, £45pp.
• 4 course Valentine’s seasonal supper club at West Street Kitchen on 14th Feb, £30pp
• Five course Valentine’s tasting menu at Wellbourne for just £45 per head, including shoulder of lamb and Jerusalem artichoke with Westcombe ricotta.
• Valentine’s at The Library on 14th & 15th Feb – £30pp including 4 courses and tutored wine accompaniment.
• Vegan Valentine at Cafe Ronak, including 4 courses, aphrodisiac cocktails (!) and a glass of fizz on arrival, £25pp.

• 3 course meal for 2 with a bottle of wine or Prosecco at Dough Ballers for £50.
• £30 per couple deal at Desi, which includes a bottle of wine, a trio of snacks, curry, rice and chapati each, plus dessert.
• 7 course tasting menu at The Knowle incl. venison carpaccio & lamb fillet, £35pp.
• The Athenian are offering 20% off your bill after 6pm on Valentine’s Day. Valid for groups of 2 or more, on bills of £15 or more.
• 7 course taster at The Malago, including pork tenderloin & chocolate truffles, £45pp.
• Valentine’s menu at No.1 Harbourside – 3 courses for £22.50 or 2 courses for £18.50, including several vegan and veggie options.
• 3 courses for £22.50 at Sholay in Cargo 2, including samosa chaat, lamb kebabs, dhai baingan and chocolate mousse.

Pop-ups

Some special menus for you to tuck into at pubs & bars around Bristol…

• Tsukemono are serving their Japanese wares at The Robin Hood for all of Feb (until 2nd March), including Japanese braised pork belly, Seitan mabo-don and kim-cheese toasties.
• Fried chicken masters Wing’s Diner are now based at Small Bar indefinitely, so I suggest you get down there stat for a tasty rice bowl, chicken burger or spicy wings.
• The Plumed Serpent‘s top notch tacos can now be found at the Volunteer Tavern near Cabot Circus – it’s a great pub so now it’s doubly worth a visit!
• Mission Pizza will be based at Bristol Spirit in Whitehall from 2nd-17th February – their vegan pizzas are seriously good, just take a look at the pic below!

Courses & Workshops

Wow your mates with some homemade treats, or your new-found knowledge!

• 8th – Explore Wines of Australia & New Zealand, £30.
• 9th – Bristol Gin tasting at The Rummer, £20 for 5 gins.
• 15th – Meat-free cookery at Little Kitchen, £45.
• 16th – Introduction to Cider at Bristol Cider Shop, £20, inc. 10 tasters of ciders.
• 17th – Microbrewery tour and beer tasting at Croft Ales, £12.
• 22nd – New Bristol Brewery tasting eve, £20.
• 22nd – Pulses cookery class at Square Food Foundation, £39.
• 22nd – El Dorado rum tasting at Hyde & Co, £25.
• 22nd – Curry Legend workshop at The Spicery, £45.
• 27th – Truffles & Pralines workshop at Zara’s Chocolates, £50.
• 28th – Chocolate & wine tasting at Avery’s Wine Merchants, £30.

Newbies

Some new places to add to your list for a visit…

• Per Kor – Persian & Korean dishes on Gloucester Road.
• Happy Bird – Fried chicken with big ambitions on Whiteladies Road.
• Pasta Ripiena – Tortellini joint from the gang behind Pasta Loco, coming soon to St Stephens Street.
• Urban Kohinoor – sister restaurant to the award-winning Urban Tandoor, now open on Whiteladies Road.
• Burger Bear – damn fine burgers on Gloucester Road.
• Zero Green – a zero waste shop in Bedminster.
• Sandwich Sandwich – a new branch for the lunchtime kings on Queens Road.
• Koocha – a vegan restaurant & tea bar on Zetland Road in Redland.

That’s it for this month, you can see what I’m munching over on Instagram, or say hello on Twitter or Facebook. If you want more stuff to read, how about…

1. Oldies but Goodies: 11 Bristol Institutions
2. Bristol’s Best Date Locations
3. Where to get your Sugar Fix in Bristol

Dates for the Diary
(or check the Events Calendar)

• Thu 1st –  Box-E meal at Harvey Nichols 
• Thu 1st – The Farmdrop Food Busk
• Thu 1st – Bordeaux wine tasting
• Fri 2nd – Botttomless pizza & prosecco at Dough Ballers
• Fri 2nd – Bristol Gin tasting at The Rummer
• Fri 2nd – Introduction to the World of Beer 
• Fri 2nd-Sun 4th – Eating Bedminster discount food trail
• Sat 3rd – Clandesdiner supper club
• Sat 3rd – Partizan Brewing takeover at Wiper & True
• Sat 3rd – Bottomless brunch at The Clifton Sausage
• Sat 3rd – Distillers’ Table: Tea at Psychopomp
• Sat 3rd – Bottomless Prosecco and Mimosa brunch at Steam
• Sat 3rd – PineappAle Festival
• Sat 3rd – Microbrewery Tour & beer tasting at Croft Ales
• Sat 3rd – Bristol Gin tasting at The Rummer
• Sun 4th – Bottomless booze & roast at Steam
• Sun 4th – Mini Celebration Cake Masterclass at Little Kitchen
• Sun 4th – Bottomless burgers & booze at Burger Theory
• Wed 7th –  Wine tasting evening with Hugh Johnson & Mimi Avery
• Wed 7th – Meet the Brewer: Thornbridge Brewery at The Flyer
• Thu 8th – Wines of Australia & New Zealand wine tasting
• Thu 8th – Tsiknopempti Night at Opa
• Thu 8th – Bread Matters masterclass at Square Food Foundation
• Thu 8th – New Bristol Brewery tasting evening
• Thu 8th – Pop-up pizza night at Mark’s Bread
• Fri 9th – Bottomless pizza & prosecco at Dough Ballers
• Fri 9th – Introduction to Cider at Bristol Cider Shop
• Fri 9th – Bristol Gin tasting at The Rummer
• Sat 10th – South West Vegan Festival
• Sat 10th – Bottomless Prosecco and Mimosa brunch at Steam
• Sat 10th – Magical Macarons cookery class at Little Kitchen
• Sat 10th – Bristol Gin tasting at The Rummer
• Sat 10th – Bottomless booze and roast at Steam
• Sat 10th – Steak night at Totterdown Canteen
• Sat 10th – Bristol food tour carnivore tour
• Tue 13th – Wild Beer Loves Pancake Day
• Tue 13th – Valentine’s Wine Tasting at The Square
• Tue 13th – Meet Marco Pierre White at Doubletree by Hilton, Cadbury House
• Wed 14th – 4 course seasonal Valentine’s supper club at West Street Kitchen
• Wed 14th – 3 course Valentine’s meal at Dough Ballers
• Wed 14th – Prosecco & Italian sparkling wine tasting at The Kensington Arms
• Wed 14th – Burgers & Beats at Burger Theory
• Wed 14th – Vegan Valentine at Cafe Ronak
• Wed 14th & Thu 15th – Valentine’s wine tasting at The Library
• Wed 14th- Thu 15th – Valentine’s Surf ‘n’ Turf Banquet at Old Market Assembly
• Thu 15th – Meat-Free Cookery at Little Kitchen
• Thu 15th – The Story of Scotch at Riverstation
• Thu 15th – Bottomless pizza party at Pizzarova
• Thu 15th – Vegan taster evening at The Botanist
• Thu 15th – Lambic and geuze tasting at Bristol Brewery School
• Thu 15th – Curry legends workshop: Gujurati at The Spicery
• Fri 16th – Woky Fest Chinese New Year celebrations
• Fri 16th – Introduction to Cider at Bristol Cider Shop
• Fri 16th – Bottomless pizza & prosecco at Dough Ballers
• Sat 17th – Bristol Brewery Tour
• Sat 17th – Chinese New Year celebrations at Wai Yee Hong
• Sat 17th – Bottomless prosecco & mimosa brunch at Steam
• Sat 17th – Microbrewery tour and beer tasting at Croft Ales
• Sun 18th – Bristol Hoppers beer tour
• Sun 18th – Bristol Pudding Society Valentine’s Special
• Sun 18th – Bottomless booze and roast at Steam
• Wed 21st – Tasting Eve with Josh Eggleton at The Kensington Arms
• Thu 22nd – New Bristol Brewery tasting eve
• Thu 22nd – El Dorado rum tasting at Hyde & Co
• Thu 22nd – Wild Beer tasting & food pairing at Brewhouse Kitchen
• Thu 22nd – Explore Chile and Argentina wine tasting
• Thu 22nd – East London Liquor Co Gin Club at Milk Thistle
• Thu 22nd – Pulses cookery class at Square Food Foundation
• Thu 22nd – Curry Legend workshop at The Spicery
• Thu 22nd – Seafood tasting eve at The Pony & Trap
• Fri 23rd – Afternoon Tea Demo & Dine at Little Kitchen
• Fri 23rd – Tea Mixology Workshop at Bluebird Tea Co.
• Fri 23rd – Tapas Night at Kings Weston House
• Fri 23rd – Introduction to Cider at Bristol Cider Shop
• Fri 23rd – Whisky Bristol at The Rummer
• Fri 23rd – Sephardic meze dinner at Aron’s Deli
• Fri 23rd – Bottomless pizza & prosecco at Dough Ballers
• Fri23rd-Sat 24th – Bristol Prosecco & Fizz Festival
• Sat 24th – Brunch at Aron’s Deli
• Sat 24th – One Day Introduction to Wine course
• Sat 24th – Bottomless prosecco & mimosa brunch at Steam
• Sat 24th – Taste Along to Sleepy Hollow at Arnos Vale
• Sat 24th – Bosh supper club: Goan curry night
• Sat 24th – Wiper & True brewery tour
• Sat 24th – Multi-sensory Colombian dinner at Spike Island Cafe
• Sun 25th – Bottomless booze & roast at Steam
• Sun 25th – Yoga Brunch Club x Dela
• Sun 25th – Sunday Roast at Bishopston Supper Club
• Mon 26th – Chinese dumpling workshop at City of Bristol College
• Tue 27th – Truffles & Pralines chocolate workshop at Zara’s Chocolates
• Tue 27 Feb-1 March – Craft brewing comprehensive course at Bristol Brewery School
• Wed 28th – Chocolate & Wine tasting at Avery’s
• Wed 28th – Introduction to Wine class
• Sun 4th – Too Many Critics at Bambalan