Chocolate, hot crossed buns, pub gardens, picnics, wine tastings and new openings – April has it all!
After a tough few months the sun is both literally and metaphorically starting to break through the clouds, and there’s plenty to be excited about eating and drinkin this month, so read on…
News
Breaking Bread returns in April! Booking are now open for the partially covered pub garden The Pipe & Lovers from 15th April, which will also be serving a new menu from The Pony& Trap and Pasta Loco teams, plus Sunday roasts.
The final Bertha’s Pizza collaboration will be with Psychopomp and be involve whisky on a pizza, intriguing stuff! They’ll be announcing the toppings soon, but even the shortlisted options sound worth a try to me, and every order raises funds for FareShare South West, so everyone’s a winner!
Speaking of which, Psychopomp have released some new gin tasting kits including three miniatures of different gins and paired tonics for £18.
Bar 44 have relaunched their Mercado 44 online shop, and now offer nationwide delivery aross England, Scotland and Wales. I have my eye on their classic tapas box, Asador steak box or pretty much any of their cocktails.
Not only are Harbour House reopening their waterside terrace from mid April, but on Fridays and Saturdays you’ll also be able to visit the Bristol Oyster Co. stall at the front of the restaurant, with South West fizz to pair with your osyters.
Following on from some brilliant charitable initiatives across Bristol’s food & drink scene (including Bristol Food Union, Coexist Community Kitchen, Square Food Foundation and 91 Ways), throughout 2021 The Assemblies group will be supporting three Bristol charities. The Canteen will support Bristol Drugs Project, No.1 Harbourside will support Feeding Bristol and The Old Market Assembly will support Bristol Mind.
Al Fresco
As I write this, the plan is for outdoor hospitality to return from 12th April, so finges crossed!
I’ve been updating the latest restaurant & pub announcements in this highlight, and there is also this mega list of reopenings on Visit Bristol. I’ll keep sharing opening details on my Twitter and Instagram so make sure you’re following! You’ll find more ideas for places to book in my guides to the city’s best pub gardens or harbourside restaurants.
If you want to stick to parks or gardens for the moment, many businesses are offering picnic packs, such as Box-E and All About the Cooks.
I’m also excited to see that the Old City and Cotham Hill are being temporarily pedestrianised to allow businesses to have some outdoor seating. Roll on summer!
Easter
If you’re looking for some last minute Easter goodies, here are some quick ideas!
- Skyboat Cafe are doing a special Easter afternoon tea which can be ordered online and collected on Sat 3rd April.
- You’ve got until 1st April to order an Easter weekend pasta kit from La Sorella, including four courses and available for delivery or collection on Good Friday.
- Zara’s Chocolates have some last minute Easter chocolates which you can order to collect before they close for the long weekend, you might also have time to get a quick order in for postal brownie deliveries from Bakery Number Eight or Ahh Toots.
- It’s too late for deliveries but you can still pop into Mrs Potts Chocolate House, Papadeli, ANNA Cake Couture, Truffled of Totterdown and Bar Chocolat for special Easter treats (plus vegan options at FLIP, East Village and Earth Cake).
- Bristol’s brilliant bakeries will be doing hot crossed buns too (including some special chocolate & blood orange ones at Bakers & Co and Easter biscuits from The Park Bakery) – I enjoyed this rundown of top hot crossed buns from Figs in the City.
- Order in an Easter Sunday lunch from West Street Kitchen, or an award-winning roast from The Bank Tavern.
Events
All quite boozy this month, but hopefully I’ll have more to mention as more places reopen throughtout spring.
- Wed 14th – Online Gin Tasting Club, £30
- Thu 15th – Argentina virtual wine tasting, £22
- Thu 15th – Virtual wine tasting with Francois Lurton Wines, £55
- Tue 20th – Wset Level 1 Online , £140
- Wed 28th – Avery’s April Zoom wine tasting, £60
- Thu 29th – Wines of Sicily tasting, £22
- Thu 29th – Virtual wine tasting with Holden Manz, £65
New places
Some newly opened places include New Cut Coffee on the harbourside by Wapping Wharf, and the delicious-looking Bronx Burger Co. in Clifton.
Burra is a slick looking antipdean style coffe shop which has just opened in Redland, and Big Nath’s BBQ is a now delivering top notch BBQ across the city, available via the BARBI app, Foodstuff, Uber Eats and Deliveroo.
LOKI POKÉ is now doing deliveries across the city, bringing its own Bristolian twist to Hawaiian poké and hot bowls, such as slow cooked hoisin pulled pork with pickled ginger, and vegan hoisin
butternut squash with nori smashed avo and toasted almonds.
And coming soon are…
- Pizza Bianchi will open in the building that housed Rocotillos on Clifton Triangle later this spring or summer, you can see their progress with transforming the space here.
- Dog Town is a new hot dog project from Squeezed and The Beer Neccesities, due to open in May.
- The Penny on Whiteladies Road is being redeveloped into a ‘high end tap room and restaurant’ called The Whitmore Tap.
- Bank, a coffee shop & cocktail bar in the former Banco Lounge in Totterdown.
That’s it for this month, hopefully I’ll have even more exciting things to talk about in May once indoor dining & drinking is supposed to return. I’ll also be updating my other food & drink guides to make sure they’re as accurate as possible.
In the mean time, see what I’m eating over on Instagram, come say hi on Twitter or keep up with more food news by following A Life Less Organised on Facebook. Ta!
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