Welcome to 2021, where I hope you’re all managing to stay safe and content at home with plenty of good food to keep you occupied.
Despite a rough few months, Bristol’s businesses have risen to the challenge once again and have plenty of Valentine’s Day deliveries, meal kits, online events and new openings to get you excited over the coming weeks.
Have your Filofax at the ready, here’s what you could be eating this February…
News
Bristol now has 16 restaurants in Michelin Guide, including a new Green Star Award for The Ethicurean, which is given to restaurants that show a special dedication to sustainability.
Casamia, Bulrush and Paco Tapas retained their Michelin Stars, while Wilks and The Pony & Trap were out due to closing last year (see below for details of the new Pony & Trap coming soon to Bristol). Newbies to the guide include Michelin Plates (given for high quality food) for Gambas, Bokman and Klosterhaus.
Bertha’s Pizza are doing some exciting pizza collaborations over the coming weeks, and raising money for a great cause in the process. So far they’ve teamed up with Box-E and Wilson’s for some incredible specials, and I can’t wait to see who is next. The special pizzas are available fro 5pm Thu-Sat, collection only, and £5 from all orders over £25 will go to funding provision boxes from Fareshare SW for families in the city.
If you want to do something feel-good this month, you could donate to the 91 Ways Covid Relief Fund which helps fund their meal provision around the city, or other brilliant local organisations doing a lot to combat food inequality are Fareshare Southwest, The Trussell Trust, Square Food Foundation and Bristol Food Union. Caring in Bristol also do a lot of work around the city and are always in need of volunteers, drivers and donations (you can donate online or use one of the TAP for Bristol points around the city).
Events
Book in something fun this month!
- Wed 3rd – Wines of Italy wine tasting course, £65 for five sessions
- Thu 11th – Discover Portugal wine tasting with Vina Loca, £20
- Fri 12th – Drinking with Distillers: Trevethan & Psychopomp, £15
- Fri 19th – Drinking with Distillers: Papillon & Psychopomp, £15
- Wed 24th – New Zealand Virtual Wine Tasting with Avery’s, £60 including 4 bottles of wine
- Thu 25th – All About Shiraz wine tasting with Vina Loca, £21
- Fri 26th – Drinking with Distillers: Chew Valley & Psychopomp, £15
Valentine’s Day
Whether you’re celebrating with a partner, friends or treating yourself, here are my picks for 14th Feb…
- The Spotless Leopard are doing a special Valentine’s Day vegan sweet treats delivery for £18, including lemon bars, sticky toffee custard jars and mini scones. Order by 7th Feb.
- Get a four-course menu delivered from the award-winning Bank Tavern, featuring sous-vide duck breast or mushroom & stilton pithivier, madeleine and butter pudding and the option to add some fizz too!
- In addition to their regular selection of cocktail sets, Espensen Spirit are doing a Box of Love which gives you a choice of four different cocktail sets to send to someone special (or treat yourself!)
- Bar 44 are doing a tapas favourites Valentine’s Day menu alongside some other brilliant treats in their Mercado 44 online shop.
- Heartfelt Vintage are doing afternoon tea deliveries in Bristol and Bath, with the option to add a flower bouquet to your order.
- Psychopomp are doing a Valentines Day online event with Zara’s Chocolates, where they’ll be pairing cocktails with chocolates, what could be better?
- The Mint Room have a proper Valentine’s Day feast for £35pp, including duck samosa chaat, golden beetroot galouti and roasted lamb rump with a range of accompaniments
- Bomboloni are doing a Valentines carpet picnic for 2 including antipasti and sweet treats.
- Bravas are running a special Valentine’s menu from 12th-14th Feb. Bookings & orders are only being raked over email at reservations@bravas.co.uk with subject line ‘valentines’ and the date you’d like to book.
- Adelina Yard have created a Valentine’s Day meal box for the 14th, all you’ll need to do is heat up the dishes, which include citrus cured salmon, crispy pork belly and a rhubarb and almond tart.
- Pizzarova are doing a Valentine’s bundle including two sourdough pizzas with dips, salted caramel brownie and a bottle of wine.
- Gopal’s Curry Shack are doing a four-course vegan menu including poppadoms, beetroot pakora, curry and double chocolate & chilli brownies, all for £45 between two.
- Woky Ko are doing a one-off tantanmen ramen kit for two for Valentine’s Day! Choose from the chashu pork belly or spicy shiitake and daikon cake.
- Enjoy a special three-course Valentine’s menu from The Ox, with a vegan choice also available and the option to add cocktails and wine to your order.
- Grano Kitchen are doing a range of Italian comfort foods for their Valentine’s menu, including seven layer lasagne or Gran Padano tortellini. The deadline for delivery orders is 10th Feb.
- The Cauldron are doing a limited run of ‘finish at home’ Valentine’s meals including roasted poussin, sirloin or shallot & chicory.
- Kate’s Kitchen are doing a ‘Love Yourself and Others Too’ menu for 13th & 14th Feb for £24 per person, including a 10% donation to The Marmalade Trust.
- Bianchi’s are doing a Valentine’s Dinner for two including beetroot carpaccio, rotolo of ricotta & spinach, confit duck leg or artichoke agrodolce, followed by doughnuts with chocolate sauce & Chantilly cream for £100.
- Caper & Cure’s February cook-at-home box is £60 between two with the option to add oysters, scallops and wine. Deadline for orders is Tue 9th Feb.
- Zara’s Chocolates have a great range of romantic chocolate gifts sets on their website, including a truffle gift set, a hot chocolate hamper and a chocolate making kit if you want to get creative!
- Queen & Whippet are doing a three course menu for one or two people (£30/£60), with the option to add on a box of chocolates and/or flowers. Order by 7th Feb.
- Sonny Stores have a four-course Valentine’s Menu for £90 between two, with choices including rabbit pasta and panna cotta.
- Truffled of Totterdown are doing three courses plus pink gin truffles for £40pp, meat or veggie option available. Collection or local delivery.
- Fishers in Clifton are doing a three-course seafood menu with Cornish king scallops, losbter therminor, matched wines and a gin and tonic to start for £110 between two.
- Mrs Potts Chocolate House has a range of Valentine’s specials such as craquelin puffs filled with chocolate custard, chantilly cream and a fresh raspberry, raspberry white hot chocolate and heart-shaped cookies. They’ll all be available in store or via Deliveroo up to and including 14th Feb.
- Mugshot are doing a 650g chateaubriand to share (cooked to your preference), two homemade butters, two homemade sauces, two portions of triple cooked chips and a garnish of rocket and parmesan. You’ll also get two two raspberry cheesecakes and a bottle of wine. The menu costs £100 and can be ordered for delivery or collection.
- Burger Theory and their veggie sister restaurant are both doing Valentine’s Day specials, with Burger Theory doing a poutine-loaded ‘I’m with Poutine’ burger with loaded fries, a dessert and optional fizz, and Om Burger doing their ‘Carbonara’ or ‘Cease-Fire’ burgers with loaded fries, dessert and optional fizz.
- FiSH are doing a seafood menu for Valentine’s Day including ½ dozen Helford Rock oysters served with shallot vinegar and a Provençal style stew of Cornish turbot, monkfish & mussels. The meal costs £70 for two to share, email info@fishbristol.co.uk to order.
- There’s plenty of choice for Valentine’s Day gifts and deliveries from the businesses in Wapping Wharf, read a round up of the options here.
- KASK are doing a Valentine’s Day Care Package with a bottle of cake, cheese and two slices of cake for £33.
- The Clockwork Rose are doing a ‘Locked Down in Love’ cocktail kit featuring some fizz, chocolates and house cocktail mixes.
- Frankie Loves Ava are doing a Valentine’s Afternoon Tea for £30, featuring finger sandwiches, scones, cake, chocolate dipped strawberries and gin truffles.
- Papadeli have a dedicated Valentine’s Day section on their GoodSixty store, including reheatable meals, boxes of chocolates and some romantic gift sets.
- Better Food also have some three-course menus set up on their GoodSixty store, with options including a steak menu for two or a vegan menu for two.
- Start your Valentine’s Day by joining a wholesome online session with Yoga Brunch Club, catered by brilliant Tsukemono.
You could also send some sweet treats in the post to someone special, with postable Valentine’s Day treat options available from Ahh Toots, Bakery Number Eight, Bodkin Bakes and Yummy Scrummy Catering.
I’ll be adding more special Valentine’s Day menus here as they get announced, so keep checking back here and on my Twitter or Instagram to see what else is available!
You can get more ideas in my Bristol Food & Drink Gift Guide or Bristol Lockdown Essentials, otherwise one of the meal kits below would also be a brilliant option to make Valentine’s Day special at home.
Meal kits
Many restaurants doing meal kits for you to experience their menus at home, including:
- Breaking Bread has launched an at home range to be collected every Friday, including dishes from the teams at Pasta Loco and The Pony & Trap. Every meal purchased goes towards funding food vulnerability in the city.
- Tapas feasts from Gambas or Bravas (the latter are now also selling wine boxes!)
- Three courses of French clasics from little french
- Tacos, burritos, snacks and mezcal tasting kits Cargo Cantina
- Veggie sharing menus for two from Root at Home
- Steak kits with cocktails and wine boxes from Hyde at Home
- Indian feast menus from The Mint Room at Home
- Pasta kits and wine boxes from Pasta Loco/La Sorella
- Marinated fish parcels, paella kits and more from Fishers
- Four course menus from Caper & Cure with optional wine and cocktails
- Steak experiences from Pasture
- Finish at Home meals from Poco
- Weekly Heat at Home menus from West Street Kitchen
- Chef’s Menu boxes from Paco Tapas
- Vegan set menus from Casa Verde
- Palestian Habibi boxes from Jafra (meat and vegan options available)
- Tapas combo boxes from The Secret Cafe
- Italian Night In boxes from Balasco’s Taste of Italy
- Cornish fish stew kits from The Pump House
- Award-winning roast dinners to reheat at home from The Bank Tavern
If you’re feeling extra creative or don’t mind getting a bit messy, you can also get DIY kits such as a ‘make your own pizza’ from Pizzarova or Wilde Kitchen, various cake kits from Pearly King Cakes, Sticky Fingers Bakehouse and FIKA.
You can also choose froma variety of recipe kits from Little Kitchen, pasta kits from Little Hollows, vegan chocolate making kits from Zara’s Chocolates or The Chocolate Tart.
New openings
It’s been great to see how business have adapted during lockdown, with Marmo doing fried chicken which sold out instantly, Bambalan teaming up with Flour & Ash for an exciting pizza residency, and Bianchi’s changing from a restaurant into an Italian deli.
Some proper newbies though include vegan soul food from LDS Kitchen, who are based at Chatterton’s Cafe in Redcliffe, and Bottega Pizza who are doing deliveries across South Bristol.
Wayland’s Yard is a new cafe taking over the spot formerly occupied by Brew on Whiteladies Road, and Nadu is a new restaurant on Stokes Croft from the team behind the brilliant Nutmeg, featuring a mix of Sri Lankan and Tamil dishes.
Coming soon are the new Pony and Trap on North Street and nearby Yafo which will have an almost fully vegan and gluten free menu. Flourish, a new food hall between Bristol and Bath, will open later in Spring.
That’s it for this month, tell me what you end up ordering over on Twitter, or keep up with the latest food news by following A Life Less Organised on Facebook, You can also see what I’m eating over on Instagram.
Other guides you might enjoy:
A Life Less Organised 