We’re properly into autumn now, and I for one can’t wait to hit up some cosy pubs and get merry at an Oktoberfest party or two. There are also lots of exciting new openings this month celebrating everything from the harvest to Day of the Dead , so make sure to add them to your list.

Let me know what you get up to over on the Threads or Instagram!

Festivals & Celebrations

See out the end of the season at Beeses with the Beer and Cider Festival on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th – entry is free and there will be live music all day, as well as a great selection of beers and ciders. If you’re looking for something a bit more wholesome that weekend, there’s an Orchard Harvest Day at Winterbourne Medieval Barn on Sunday 6th.

There are several Oktoberfest parties and festivals taking place across the city, including South West Oktoberfest at The Prospect Building on Sat 12th (formerly Propyard), a Bavarian style celebration at The Full Moon & Attic Bar (12th Oct), unlimited beer at Bakesmiths (5th Oct) and a big Oktoberfest party at Zero Degrees microbrewery bar (12th Oct). There’s also Bath Oktoberfest from 18th-19th.

The Gin to my Tonic Festival at St Georges on Saturday 12th (I have to say that I wasn’t too impressed with this last year, but they may have made some improvements since then) and over in Knowle there’s the Recatch Beer Festival on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th.

If cocktails are more your thing, there’s the Clifton Cocktail Crawl from 9th-13th October, with bars, cafes and restaurants all taking part.

For more cocktail fun, Espensen Spirit are hosting a special Halloween Sip & Paint at Dough Heads in Whitehall on 27th & 29th Oct, where you can paint a ghostly castle while sipping on Halloween-themed cocktails and mocktails. There are a bunch of other sip & paint events taking place throughout the month too.

And looking ahead to November, The Robin Hood on St Michael’s Hill are hosting the Bristol Independent Crisp Tasting Championships on Sat 2nd Nov – where you can sample flavours and vote for your favourites.

November also sees the launch of Good Chemistry Brewing’s ALL WELCOME beer, brewed to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of She Drinks Beer. Head along to The Good Measure in Redland on Tuesday 5th November to celebrate and be the first to taste this new brew.

Dinner events

Treat yourself to a memorable meal this month…

• Tomo No Ramen pop-up at Lucky Strike (Wed 2nd)
• Beaujolais Wine & ‘Coq Au Vin’ Night at Le Vignoble (Wed 2nd, £30)
• Porcetta Saturday at Cave (Sat 5th)
• Stewart Wines Tasting Menu at Old Market Assembly (Wed 9th, £45)
• Autumn Winter Fashion Dinner at Harvey Nichols (Thu 10th, £45)
• Ramen Nakama at The Scrandit (10th-13th, 17th-20th)
• Wilson’s x #CookForPalestine fundraising lunch (Sun 13th, £100)
• Barang x Kensington Arms (Tue 15th – Wed 16th)
• Italian Wine & Pizza Night at Le Vignoble (Wed 16th, £30)

• Murder Mystery Dinner at Old Down Estate (Fri 18th, £55)
• Dinner in the Dark at The Lost & Found (Tue 22nd, £45)
• Friends & Fire: Kasae Fraser at BANK (Wed 23rd, £70)
• The Aperitivo! Co. Tasting Menu at Old Market Assembly (Wed 23rd, £45)
• Kring Kringz at The Scrandit (Thu 24th – Sun 27th)
• Fish and chips on Avon Valley Railway (Sat 26th, £49)
• Fire Feast: A Taste of Texas in Upton Cheyney (Sat 26th)
• 91 Ways Diwali Thali Supper Club (Thu 7th Nov, £35)

Tours, tastings & classes

Learn something new and impress your pals, whether you opt for a cookery class or teaching yourself all about wine!

• Women’s+ Whisky Night with Ardray (Wed 2nd, £25)
• Pinot Pinot Pinot Pinot tasting at KASK (Wed 2nd, £35)
• Whisky Lover’s Masterclass at Circumstance (Thu 3rd, £30)
• Wine and Cheese Tasting Tour in Cheddar Valley (Fri 4th, £125)
• Gin Lover’s Masterclass at Psychopomp (Sat 5th, £30)
• Georgian Wine Tasting with Native Vine (Sat 5th, £28)
• Wapping Wharf street food tour (Sat 5th, £30)
• Mexican street food class at Little Kitchen (Wed 9th, £75)
• Passione Vino at Cave (Thu 10th)
• Wine and Jazz at Averys Wine Cellars (Thu 10th, £45)
• Wine and Blues at Averys Wine Cellars (Fri 11th, £45)
• Foraging walk and cookery class at The Pony Chew Valley (Fri 11th, £110)
• Hotspots & Hidden Treasures food tour (Sat 12th, £60)
• Sudanese cookery class at The Mazi Project (Sat 12th, £45)
• Truffles & Pralines Workshop at Zara’s Chocolates (Sat 12th, £55)
• Wine tasting at Old Down Estate (Sat 12th, £45)

• A book tour of French food with cheese and wine at Max Minerva’s (Tue 15th, £17.50)
• Korean cookery class at Cooking It (Tue 15th, £75)
• Charcuterie, Cheese and Wine Evening at The Scrandit (Tue 15th, £45)
• English Whisky Tasting with Stef Holt (Wed 16th, £25)
• Middle Eastern cookery class at The Pony Chew Valley (Wed 16th, £110)
• Cheese & Wine Tasting at Averys Wine Cellars (Thu 17th, £35)
• Halloween Biscuit Decorating Master Class (Thu 17th + Thu 24th, £35)
• Spanish Tapas cookery class at The Pony Chew Valley (Thu 17th, £110)
• Curry Club cookery class at Little Kitchen (Fri 18th, £85)
• 6 O’clock Gin tasting at Hotel du Vin (Fri 18th, £50)
• Oysters and Fizz at Cave (Sat 19th)
• Wapping Wharf street food tour (Sat 19th, £30)
• Turkish cookery class at Coexist Commuity Kitchen (Sat 19th, £45)
• Mastering Sauces cookery class at The Pony Chew Valley (Sat 19th, £110)
• Tapas Social cookery class at Little Kitchen (Sat 19th, £75)

• Vietnamese cookery class at Cooking It (Tue 22nd, £75)
• Chocolate and Wine Matching at The Scrandit (Tue 22nd, £45)
• Live Distilling and Cocktail Tasting with Silver Circle (Wed 23rd, £30)
• Cheese & wine pairing with North Street Cheese at Bomba Tapas (£30)
• Cheese & Beer Pairing at Wiper and True (Thu 24th, £20)
• Spice Up Your Wine masterclass at Harvey Nichols (Thu 24th, £35)
• Speciality Coffee Brewing Masterclass (Sat 26th, £50)
• Georgian Wine Tasting with Native Vine (Sat 5th, £28)
• Wapping Wharf street food tour (Sat 26th, £30)
• Hotspots & Hidden Treasures food tour (Sat 26th, £60)
• Thai Street Food cookery class at Little Kitchen (Sat 26th, £85)
• Truffles & Pralines Workshop at Zara’s Chocolates (Sat 26th, £55)
• Dim Sum cookery class at Cooking It (Tue 29th, £75)
• Day of the Dead Mexican Spirits Tasting (Wed 30th, £25)
• Kurdish cookery class at The Mazi Project (Thu 31st, £45)
• Spooky Sips cocktail masterclass at Harvey Nichols (Thu-Sat in October, £35)

New places to visit

Recently opened are Dongae, a neighbourhood Korean restaurant in Redland, Bombil on Bedminster Parade, Other in Bedminster, Toasted on Clifton Triangle, and Rosa’s Thai & Tonkotsu on Baldwin Street.

Some new food stalls have also opened in St Nicholas Market in a new section called FoodSource in the covered market. Stallholders are Red Tiger (Malaysian dishes), Ceylon & Beyond (Sri Lankan street food) and Bristol Calabash (tropical juices, snacks and sweet treats).

Coming soon are a second restaurant from Taste of Napoli on Park Street, Carmen Street Wine on Stokes Croft and Tipsy Tapioca.

Thank you to the people who have bought me a coffee to say cheers for the blog, or signed up as a subscriber – every guide takes a good while to put together so it’s lush to be able to get myself a treat at the end of each one courtesy of someone’s generosity!

That’s it for this month, let me know what you’re planning on booking over on Threads, see what I’m eating on Instagram or see the latest local food news by following A Life Less Organised on Facebook. Next month I’ll be rounding up some big festive events and markets, but I’ll also be sharing Christmas menus and booking info over on Instagram if that’s what you’re after!

If you like this, you’ll also like:

• Country Pubs Near Bristol
• Bristol’s best date locations
• The best brunches in Bristol
• Food & Drink Offers (set menus, bottomless brunch and more)

I’ve also got a few travel guides in case they’re handy, including Fowey, York, Malaga and Nice.