As we ease ourselves from a fairly mild autumn into the festive and frosty vibes of winter, it’s important to have some things to look forward to as the nights draw in!
Read on for lists of special dining events, boozy festivals, and whether you’re ready for it or not, Christmas shenanigans.
News
A year on from the fire in their Park Street bakery and cafe, Pinkmans have now set up a fundraiser to allow them to open a cafe on Stokes Croft – there are lots of tasty rewards up for grabs including boxes of their sourdoughnuts, masterclasses, vouchers, hampers and dinners. A good stocking filler for the foodie in your life perhaps?
Congratulations to the team at Namak in St Werburghs for being named the best restaurant in Bristol by the British Restaurant Awards 2024 – I’m a big fan of their food and the team are lovely too, so if you’ve not been in yet, make a reservation!
Festivals and celebrations
Depending on your tipple of choice, there are two big events this month – first up is Spirit of the South West, hosted across two sessions at Spirited in Southville on Saturday 9th Nov, and featuring tastings, cocktails and more from amazing distilleries who are joining from across the South West.
CAMRA Bristol Beer & Cider Festival is taking place at City Hall from 14th – 17th November, with over 70 real ales and 30 craft ciders and perries. There are six sessions from Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon Friday and Saturday afternoon sessions are sold out, but there’s still availability for other times. Tickets are £15 (which includes £5 of drinks tokens).
It’s the 1st of November, which means Bristol Christmas Market is now open, so you can get your fill of German sausages, mulled wine and Yorkshire pudding wraps until 23rd December. As much as I want to loathe it, I always have a laugh at the market, and the Jaegarbarn is back, as are the little snow domes and gondolas you can rent out, and 35 stalls of gifts, crafts, sweet treats and random tat. Enjoy!
You can see more Christmas events, markets and gift events here.
Dinnners and pop-ups
Treat yourself to a special night out this month…
- World of Ink Nouveau dinner and Inkie art exhibition at Harvey Nichols (Fri 8th, £45)
- TNT Tacos pop-up at 808 Cafe & Bar (every Fri from Fri 8th)
- Steak and red wine dinner at The Kensington Arms (Fri 8th, £75)
- Italian supper club at Better Food in St Werburghs (Fri 8th, £52)
- Dinner in the dark at The Lost & Found (Thu 14th, Tue 26th, £44.95)
- Taste on Ground at Harvey Nichols (Wed 20th, £20 / £55)
- Masterchef’s Adam Ball FRANKIE’S gluten-free fried chicken and waffles pop-up at Kitchen by KASK (Thu 21st – Sat 23rd)
- Celebrating West Country Game Night at Royal Oak Clifton (Thu 21st, £45)
- Ikiko Ramen at The Scrandit (Thu 21st – Sun 24th)
- Malaysian Supperclub by Masterchef’s Woei Lee at Starlings (Fri 22nd, £60)
- The Mazi Project’s Winter Feast (Wed 27th, £35 – £65)
- Mei Mei’s Street Cart pop-up at The Scrandit (Thu 28th, Sat 30th)
- Sunday Feast ar Robin Hood x AP Chef (Sun 1st Dec, £44)
Tours, tastings and workshops
Learn or try something new in November!
- Sat 2nd – Wapping Wharf Gourmet Food Tour (£65)
- Sat 2nd – Good Chemistry Brewing tap takeover as part of Bristol Independent Crisp Tasting Championships at The Robin Hood
- Wed 6th – Cheese & wine tasting at Le Vignoble (£30)
- Wed 6th – KASK 101: Sauvignons – Blanc + Cabernet tasting (£35)
- Wed 6th – Women’s+ Whisky Night at Spirited (£25)
- Wed 6th – Cheese & Wine Tasting at Averys (£35)
- Thu 7th – Scotch egg masterclass at Little Kitchen (£65)
- Thu 7th – Whisky Lover’s Masterclass (£30)
- Thu 7th – The Best Wines You’ve Never Tasted at The Clifton Sausage (£45)
- Thu 7th – Bristol cask launch of All Welcome at The Drapers Arms
- Fri 8th – Foraging walk with Martin Bailey at The Pony Chew Valley (£110)
- Fri 8th – Gin Lover’s Masterclass (£30)
- Sat 9th – Specialist Coffee Brewing Masterclass (£50)
- Sat 9th – Christmas chocolate moulding at Zara’s Chocolates (£55)
- Tue 12th – South Africa wine tasting at Cave (£35)
- Tue 12th – Mexican street food cookery class at Cooking It (£70)
- Tue 12th – Wine tasting at The Baffled King (£25)
- Wed 13th – Pour Decisions wine tasting at KASK (£5)
- Wed 13th – Introduction to bread making at The Pony Chew Valley (£130)
- Sat 16th – Averys Celebration of Wine (£35)
- Sat 16th – Korean Kitchen at Little Kitchen (£78)
- Sat 16th – Wapping Wharf Street Food Tour (£30)
- Sat 16th – Saturday Introduction to Wine with Lunch at The Kensington Arms (£110)
- Sun 17th – Carmen Street Wine opening
- Sun 17th – Sushi with Joe Fowler at The Pony Chew Valley (£95)
- Mon 18th – Autumn wine tasting at Cotto (£25)
- Tue 19th – Introduction to Malaysian cookery class at Cooking It (£70)
- Wed 20th – World Whisky Tasting at Corks of Cotham (£25)
- Wed 20th – Autumn wines tasting at KASK (£35)
- Wed 20th – Sip and Select: Wine Tasting Event at Veeno
- Wed 20th – Bristol Beer Factory meet the brewer and tap takeover at Seven Stars
- Thu 21st – Beaujolais Nouveau day at Cave
- Thu 21st – The Ultimate Rum Experience at Industry Bar & Kitchen (£30)
- Thu 21st – Whole day mushroom foraging class (£180)
- Fri 22nd – Feeling Peachy beer launch at Basement Beer
- Sat 23rd – Christmas chocolate moulding at Zara’s Chocolates (£55)
- Sat 23rd – Spirited x Averys Whisky and sherry tasting (£35)
- Sat 23rd – Macaron Masterclass at Little Kitchen (£75)
- Sat 23rd – North Street Food Tour (£65)
- Tue 26th – Introduction to Indonesian cookery class at Cooking It (£70)
- Tue 26th – Cheese and wine matching evening at The Scrandit (£45)
- Wed 27th – Make your own sauerkraut at Bristol Folk House (£18)
- Wed 27th – Grand Christmas Wine Tasting at Le Vignoble (£15)
- Wed 27th – Christmas Hits Wine Tasting at Corks of Cotham (£35)
- Wed 27th – Pour Decisions wine tasting at KASK (£5)
- Thu 28th – Organic wine tasting at Better Food Wapping Wharf (£27)
- Sat 30th – Wapping Wharf Gourmet Food Tour (£65)
- Sat 30th – Cooking fish and seafood at The Pony Chew Valley (£95)
New openings
There’s a ton of new places to list this month, I guess everyone wanted to get open in time for the pre-Christmas rush!
Recently opened are Lupe on North Street (in what was formerly The Old Bookshop, they also have Eatchu in the kitchen!) and Pinkmans have also justed opened an outpost in the cafe at Bristol Cathedral – it’s a really lovely spot with a quiet little garden (plus you can also see Gaia for free at the cathedral until 9 November).
Pappu Dosa have opened their second restaurant over in Easton (now I don’t have to shlep to Patchway on the bus, wooohoo!).
Other newbies now open include Jinzu sushi on Glocuester Road, Commune Cafe near Castle Park, Sixes social cricket bar on the harbourside, Honi Poke in Cabot Circus, and Kokoro Sushi on Queens Road.
Not really a new opening but it was rarely open before – Arbor Ales will now open their brewery taproom in Easton on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons.
Opening soon are Carmen Street Wine just off Stokes Croft on Sunday 17th, a fourth cafe from FED in Westbury-on-Trym, a second shop from The Bristol Cheesemonger on Gloucester Road,
A little further down the line is a new branch of Veburger on Whiteladies Road, Gigi’s Pizza on Old Market (from the gang behind Grano Kitchen), Boona Boona roastery and cafe in Bedminster, and a second location for Uncle Wah Dim Sum on Gloucester Road.
If you found this or any of the other guides useful, you can shout me a coffee to say cheers if you like – it’s always appreciated!
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.
If you like this, you’ll also like:
- The Bristol Foodie Gift Guide (get some Christmas present ideas!)
- Food & Drink Offers (set menus, bottomless brunch and more)
- Country Pubs Near Bristol
- The Best Brunches in Bristol
A Life Less Organised 