It’s easy to get caught up with the latest openings and new exciting places (and there is plenty to be excited about at the moment), but I thought it was time to give some appreciation to the places that have kept me fed and watered with consistently brilliant fare since I moved to Bristol twelve (bloody hell) years ago.
Let me know your favourite places on Twitter or Facebook, and I’ll add them in later!
Continue reading Oldies but goodies: Bristol institutionsNot only is Bristol packed to the gills with amazing restaurants, bars and cafes, but there are also plenty of opportunities to learn from the experts or have a go at making something yourself!
Whether you want to learn how to make sushi or tell a Merlot from a Malbec, here are plenty of tasty experiences across the city…
Winter is most definitely here, and in the run up to Christmas there is a shed ton of food & drink events to get into the festive spirit.
Get a cuppa on the go and have your calendar at the ready, here are all the tasty things you could do in November…
Finally plucked up the courage to ask the object of your affection out for a drink? Or want to spoil your significant other?
Here are a few suggestions for your next date night, whether it’s a casual coffee, a slap-up dinner or a relaxed bite to eat – all a bit special, not too noisy and with a nice atmosphere to allow you to have the perfect time with your beau. Happy smooching!
The upside to the end of summer fun times is that now we get into the season of fireplaces, thick socks and darker beers – plus tenuous excuses to eat German food and listen to oompah music – what’s not to love?
Have your calendar at the ready, here’s what you can look forward to in October…
It’s the month of bunnies, eggs, chocolate and beer festivals, what a time to be alive.
I’ll crack straight on with the good stuff, but needless to say, it’s another exciting month ahead.
If you can’t be bothered to read the full list of events, check out the Events Calendar.
No sooner has the snow thawed out and we’re already into the chaos of spring!
There are plenty of festivals, dinners, workshops and new openings to keep you busy this month – so have your diary at the ready, because it’s going to be a busy one…
Bristol is a great city for so many reasons, but one of the big ones for me is that it’s such a lovely place to go for a scenic amble of a weekend afternoon. There are lots of routes I like to take through the city, but my favourite by far is around the harbour.
The richest part of Bristol’s history starts here – some of the oldest and most beautiful buildings in the city can be found by the water and there is always something exciting going on no matter what the hour or time of year. So the next time you’re stuck for something to do of a weekend, I suggest you gather some friends and go on a cider or ale quest around the water’s edge. I’ve even put together a suggested route, because I’m nice like that.
Continue reading Pub Crawl Bristol #1: The HarbourThe cold snap may be in full force, but spring is round the corner, apparently.
In the mean time, we have plenty of tasty events, festivals and new places to keep us busy, hurrah!
So put on the kettle and get cosy with your hot water bottle, here’s the low down on where you should be munching this month…
What’s that I hear you say – nothing happens in January? Well it turns out there’s plenty to tempt you out of the house this month, whether it’s mega discounts, new places or exciting dinner events. Put it this way, I’ve already reneged on my booze-free plans for the month.
You can see a quick guide to the month’s events in the Events Calendar, and I also recommend having a read of my 2018 Highlights post at some point, mainly because it took bloody ages. Ta!
It’s time for my annual digest of the foodie comings and goings in Bristol, peppered with some favourites from a few fine folk (tell me yours over on Twitter and I’ll share them at the bottom of the post).
You can read the highlights from past years if you’re feeling nostalgic or if you want to see how 2018 compares with 2016 or 2014.
Pour yourself a glass of red or put the kettle on, this is a bit of a bumper read…
One of the best things about the weather getting colder is huddling in cosy corners in your thickest jumper, sipping a warm cider and snacking on festive treats.
It can sometimes be a mission to find the sort of comfort drink you’re after though, so on the suggestion of a friend I’ve put together a rudimentary list of places that will fulfill all of your winter boozing needs.
I’m in full festive cheer mode now – I’ve had my first mince pie and mulled beverage of the year, bedecked my halls with holly and ironed my sequinned reindeer jumper (only joking, I don’t even own an iron, grown up that I am).
Before you hibernate for Christmas week and drink your body weight in port, here are a few events which might tempt you out from your cosy nests. They’re proper good, I promise.
Check the Events Calendar if you’re in a rush.
Having experienced a bit of a MeatWave™ a few years ago with an influx of burger restaurants, I’ve rounded up some of the better offerings out there. I hasten to add that most of these places also offer some excellent veggie options, and I’ll point out the best options as I go, but do check their menus for specific vegetarian/dairy free/GF options.
Grab a pen, it’s about to get tasty…
We all love a sweet treat to perk up our day, reward ourselves or just because we can’t resist the temptation of a tasty-looking brownie on a cafe counter (I am the ultimate impulse cake purchaser – stop putting them so close to the till!)
Bristol has no shortage of places that will happily send you into a euphoric sugar daze – here are my recommendations, helpfully split out by craving type; you’re welcome.
Weekends are special for all sorts of reasons, and not just the fact that you’re out of the office for a blissful 48 hours.
The two greatest reasons must be the fact that you have the opportunity for a lie-in and also that you get to take as long as you want over your breakfast, without having to try and eat your toast whilst simultaneously putting on your coat and shoving your packed lunch in your bag. Here are a few of my favourite places for a leisurely brunch…
Continue reading The 12 Best Brunches in BristolWelcome to August, well known to Bristolians as BALLOON MONTH, or that oddly calm few weeks when the students aren’t here and half the city is on holiday, so you can actually get a seat at Pasta Loco, or served within 20mins at Hy Brasil (I jest about the latter of course, that is always impossible).
As exciting as this month is, you could also argue that it’s mere preamble for September, when we have Whisky Underground, Bristol Beer Week AND Bristol Craft Beer Festival. I’m also keenly awaiting more news from the Bristol Cocktail Week team for autumn.
Until then, here’s what you can look forward to in August…
(you can skip to the Events Calendar if easier)
Have you all melted yet? For those of you able to leave the house once it reaches 25 degrees (damn my feeble celtic ancestry), there’s a shedload of fun stuff going on this month.
From gin buses to beer festivals and carnivals – it’s all going on. The struggle will be deciding what to choose!
Tell me what you got up to over on Twitter, or check out the Events Calendar if you can’t be bothered to scroll through my epic list of lovingly honed food prose.
Mega short intro this month as there’s so much to tell you about!
The sun is here, then it isn’t, Grillstock is here, and then it isn’t…what a time to be alive. In any case, here are all the fun food events coming up this month (or check the Events Calendar if you don’t have time to read the full list)
So I’ve looked at my calendar, and it doesn’t look like I’ll be home much over the next 4 months, because alllll of the fun events are coming to town this summer.
It’s looking particularly exciting this month, with a variety of bank holiday frolics and quirky events going on right up until the end of May.
Strap in, here’s where you’ll be eating and drinking this month…
(If you’re short on time, check the Events Calendar)
There’s lots to get through this month, and to think we’re not even in the summer months yet! There are still all the festivals to look forward to (Vegfest in May, and Food Connections & Grillstock in June to name just three), but let’s focus on April for now.
Without further ado, here’s what you could (and should) be eating this month…
(if you haven’t got time to read this monster guide, check out the Events Calendar instead)
Is it still winter? Or spring? Who knows, whatever season it is, there are plenty of tasty events to look forward to over the coming weeks.
I’ve split them into the bigger foodie events & festivals, dinners, courses, pop-ups and new launches, but feel free to just skip to the Events Calendar if you want a general overview.
Here’s what to look forward to in March…
Welcome to the month of lurrve, or bottomless booze, or brunch. Whatever you decide, February is something to everyone this year.
There’s tons to get through so I’ll keep the waffling to a minimum, but it’s safe to say that this month is looking fairly stupendous. See you on the other side…
And just like that, we’re into 2018!
2017 was a bumper year for food in Bristol (as you can see in my 2017 Highlights post) and now it’s time to look forward to a whole new year of munching.
Whether you’re on or off the booze this month, this is what January has in store…
The new year is nigh! We’ve been through another busy few months, where Bristol has firmly cemented itself as a food destination to rival even London.
There have been many gushing reviews from esteemed critics, awards and new places. There have also been the inevitable closures – but more on that later.
I’ve tried to round up some of the key Bristol food & drink moments of 2017, as well as asking some locals for their munching highlights of the year. Strap in, here are the best bits of what we ate in the year 2017…
A Life Less Organised 