Phew, what a few months ey? It’s been a tumultuous time to say the least, but it’s been amazing to watch how many of Bristol’s food & drink businesses have risen to the challenge with their own delivery services, meal packs, online events and gift vouchers systems.
Here are some of my picks for how you can still enjoy the best of the city’s food scene while staying safe – let me know if you have any others you think I should I add in.
Handy websites
Here are a few great places to start if you’re looking for the latest updates on who is delivering, doing collection etc. As ever it’s worth checking individual business websites or social media for the most current info:
- Best of Bristol – search for takeaways, produce, booze and more from their extensive list. They also have a bunch of lovely city guides and online event listings.
- Visit Bristol – this site has the latest updates on everything from museums to restaurants, as well as plenty of useful food blogs.
- Bristol Food Union – a brilliant initiative to support the city’s food producers, restaurant, retailers, distributors and more. You can shop for supplies and meals from Bristol independents or donate to the Bristol Food Fund.
- How to support Bristol business safely during COVID-19 – a blog from Natalie Brereton listing which restaurants, bars, cafes and shops are open for collection or delivery.
- Bristol Alcohol Delivery Services – a handy list of boozy options from Kaya at Love for Bristol.
Food deliveries
If there’s one thing that kept me sane during the last lockdown, it was tasty food. Many local restaurants have switched to some form of system for delivering their menu, ready meals or make-it-at-home kits. There’s a quick guide to some of the Best Bristol Indies on Uber Eats, but where possible try to order direct so that more of the money ends up with the business rather than one of the delivery providers.
- The Bristol Pantry – load up on treats including dumplings from Eatchu, doughnuts from Pippin doughnuts, coffee from Blind Owl and fresh pastries from The Forest Bakery, plus tons of other goodies to stock your fridge and cupboards.
- Good Sixty – a bunch of Bristol indies are on this site, including Papadeli, East Bristol Bakery, Reg the Veg and lots more, so you can shop for them all in one handy place.
- All About the Cooks – order meals from local home cooks, ranging from South American cakes and Cuban meals to Egyptian feasts, Vietnamese dishes, Swedish biscuits and Italian comfort food.
- Bristol Curfew Club – another initiative from Wriggle, rounding up deals from bars & restaurants across the city.
- Mercado 44 – if you like the tapas dishes from Bar 44, you can now buy them to cook at home, plus a wide range of other quality Spanish produce, from steaks to wine, and even jamon butter! Mevalco also do an impressive selection of Spanish ingredients and hampers.
- And some local delis who you can shop with online – Southville Deli, Papadeli, Sotiris (Greek pastries & ingredients), Source Food Hall, El Colmado (Spanish meats, cheeses and ingredients).
- Postable brownies, cookies and sweet treats are also available from Ahh Toots, Mrs Potts Chocolate House, Biscuitini and Bakery Number Eight with nationwide delivery.
Meal Kits
Several restaurants are doing at-home meals which you can reheat and finish at home, including…
- Steak kits, wine boxes, cocktails and BBQ kits from Hyde at Home/The Ox
- Pasta dishes from Pasta Loco/La Sorella (who are also doing gift bags and wine boxes)
- Three courses of French delights from little french
- Veggie sharing menus from Root
- Tapas feasts from Gambas or Bravas, which you can pair with wine
- A Chef’s Menu box from Paco Tapas
- Indian feast menus alongside regular dishes from The Mint Room at Home
- Fish & sauce parcels, paella kits and more from Fishers
- Finish at Home meals from Poco
- Tapas combo boxes from The Secret Cafe
- Four course menus from Caper & Cure with optional drinks
- Homely dishes from the teams at Pasta Loco and The Pony & Trap via the Breaking Bread at Home range. Every meal purchased goes towards funding food vulnerability in the city.
- Palestian Habibi boxes from Jafra (meat and vegan options available)
- Heat at Home menus from West Street Kitchen
- Steak experience kits from Pasture
- Plus cake and baking kits from Pearly King Cakes, Sticky Fingers Bakehouse, Little Kitchen and FIKA.
Booze
Top up your shelves in these trying times (you can also get a wide variety of other drinks in many of these online shops, I’ve just categorised them by which one they’re best for)
- Beer – Beer Necessities, Brewers Droop, Bottles & Books, Coffee + Beer, Better Food Co
- Wine – Grape and Grind, Avery’s Wine Merchants, Corks, Xisto Wines, KASK
- Gin – Psychopomp, Espensen Spirit, Bristol Dry Gin, Bristol Distilling Co.
- Whisky – Independent Spirit of Bath, The Dram Team
- Cocktails – Hyde at Home, Brozen Bar
- Cider – Two Belly, Bristol Cider Shop, The Orchard Inn
Online events
If you’re in need of some entertainment which doesn’t involve jigsaw puzzles or counting down until you can have your next snack, here are some of my recommendations for regular events that you can join from the comfort of your sofa…
- KASK virtual wine tastings (they also do DIY wine tasting kits)
- Psychopomp online gin cocktail masterclasses
- Avery’s virtual wine tastings
- Clifton Wine School virtual wine tastings
- Vina Loca online wine tastings
- Independent Spirit whisky tastings
- Virtual Yoga Brunch Club (Bristol & London)
- Weekend Wine Matching with Fiona Beckett
- Online beer tastings with Wild Beer Co.
- Not online but it doesn’t fit anywhere else – Bristol Film Festival are doing film night kits, including a film, wine, snacks and a quiz!
Recipes & video guides
A bunch of Bristol greats have created videos and recipes for their most popular dishes and cocktails for you to recreate at home. Here are a few of my favourites:
- Bar 44 – video guides on how to make a range of Spanish tapas dishes including croquetas, patatas bravas, pork belly and more.
- Oowee Diner – recipes & video walkthroughs for some favourites including The Big Cheese and Marmite Fries.
- Nutmeg – some great videos on how to cook dishes such as chana masala.
- Psychopomp – head to their Isolation Cocktail Club on Facebook or Instagram for tips on how to make classic cocktails using basic home ingredients. They’re also doing tickets for virtual cocktail classes.
- Avery’s Wine Merchants – wine tips and trivia, including info on wine matching and varieties.
- Mevalco – Spanish cooking recipes and ideas. You can find more on their website.
- Milk Thistle – follow their social media for weekly cocktail tips and recipes, with more from their sibling Hyde & Co.
Home deliveries
My usual list of restaurants and bars to visit has instead switched over to a list of places to order home delivery from, whether it’s a tasty feast or a pre-mixed cocktail.
As I mentioned, you can find a good list of local places delivering food to your door on Bristol Food Union and Best of Bristol.
I’m trying to limit myself to one food delivery and one booze delivery per week, which is so hard when my list keeps growing all the time!
Here are the best deliveries I had in lockdown #1 in case you’re wondering where to start (and there are plenty more recommendations from my followers below).
- Bokman – tasty Korean dishes, available Thu-Sat, postcodes BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5 and BS6.
- Bertha’s Pizza – perfect sourdough pizza – make sure you order a garlic dip and some Maltesers gelato for after!
- Coconut Chilli – fine quality curries and Indian snacks.
- Millinut – baked and fried doughnuts with a mouthwatering range of fillings or toppings.
- Fat Rice – Malaysian comfort food, including beef rendang, char siu and kunyit chicken.
- La Campagnuola – traditional Italian dishes and very good pizzas.
- For Mice and Men – indulgent cheese toasties, delivered Wed-Fri across Bristol.
- Lona – massive mezze platters and grilled meats (I’d also recommend Beirut Mezze too)
- Chomp – seriously good burgers, delivered Wed-Sun across Bristol.
- Niang’s Thai – really good Thai food, delivered across Bristol and Cheltenham.
- Tsukemono – Japanese dishes including katsu curry and their own kimchi fried rice scotch egg. Deliveries throughout the week across Bristol.
- Hyde at Home – choose from a wide selection of pre-mixed classic cocktails, beers, wines and more from some of the city’s best bars.
Top of my ordering hit list for lockdown #2 are Malaysian dishes from 5 Foot Way, one of the special dinners from Coexist Community Kitchen, afternoon tea from Yummy Scrummy Catering, and a roast dinner from Bishopston Supper Club and The Cauldron. Or you could go extra fancy and get the Chef’s Menu box from Michelin-starred Paco Tapas, or some super snazzy plates from Jamaica Street Stores or tapas from Bravas.
Tell me what you’ve been ordering, cooking or taking part in recently, I’d love to get some new ideas!
You can chat to me on Twitter, see what else I’m eating/drinking on Instagram, or see more food updates by following A Life Less Organised on Facebook.
Here are a few favourites already sent in to me by some Bristol legends:
A Life Less Organised 
Awesome post!
Chris and Jos Kitchen on St Michaels Hill also doing takeaways. Delicious!