VISIT BRISTOL
Bristol has been a go-to destination for foodies for some time now, and it still maintains its reputation for good quality food and drink. Here are our top 10 places to try in the city
An insider look at the foodie hotspot
Bokman
Tiny doesn’t cut it – Bokman is miniscule, but as you approach it, just off Stokes Croft, it’s plain to see that this Korean restaurant is very popular. Queues-out-the-door popular. Arrive early and grab a seat. It’s a short menu, and both the fried kimchi rice and beef brisket ramen arrive in blisteringly hot ceramic bowls and continue to cook at the table. Korean beer or plum sodas and soft-serve ice cream complete this extraordinary newcomer to the city’s restaurant scene. Lucky Bristol. @bokmanbristol CE CD
Paco
Step inside this Michelin-starred tapas bar and you might think you’re somewhere incredibly cool and swish in Andalucía. This place just doesn’t feel like Bristol, it feels like the real deal. As for the food itself, the menu is stylish with an outstanding selection of tapas, including, of course, knock-out Spanish hams carved to order.
Paco calls itself a family-run tapas restaurant where Peter Sanchez and his brigade of chefs are cooking at the top of their game. This place is special, and one of Bristol’s finest. @pacotapas SO
Little French
Tucked away from the city centre, Little French in residential Westbury Park is exactly the sort of family-run restaurant Bristol needed. Chef and owner Freddy Bird is a fine cook. Clams cooked with butter and black pepper, served with good bread to mop up the juices, were an example of great ingredients cooked with thoughtfulness and flair. The rabbit braised with brandy and served with a Dijon and tarragon sauce, complete with chips and green beans, made my heart soar. Unpretentious cooking packed full of flavour. The prune and armagnac tart with custard is an oldie and most certainly a goldie. @littlefrench_bristol KF CD
Kask
Sit at the concrete, peachy coloured, curvy bar and marvel at this long-standing, now revamped public bar in Bedminster, South Bristol. Behind the bar, mounted on the wall, are taps that dispense wine – and not just any wine. Kask serves remarkable wines, and the ones on tap switch frequently to give you the opportunity to drink a diverse and splendid selection, all by the glass. They’re all available to take home by the bottle, too, and priced sensibly. Cheese, charcuterie, good bread – you know the drill. It’s a trailblazer for Bristol. @kaskwine CD
Behind the bar, mounted on the wall, are taps that dispense wine
Bianchis
This place is cool. Again, it’s another Bristol restaurant opening in a space that comes with an enormous restaurant legacy – big boots and all that. Cousins Dominic Borel and Ben and Joe Harvey stick closely to their roots, and the menu here is all-out Italian. The head chef is ex-river Café, and it shows. The menu is classic trattoria with pasta made on the premises and fantastic aperitif and antipasti. The wine list swerves any sense of pretension and sparks plenty of interest. An elegant, romantic space located in the hip Montpelier area of Bristol. @bianchisbristol SO
Marmo
Filling the boots of much-loved Bar Buvette is a tall order. Opening in the same space, Marmo have succeeded in this gorgeous building (high ceilings, large windows) giving Bristol a wine list that is exemplary in execution and a wine nerd’s delight. The short, modestly priced and largely Italianinfluenced menu drives you to order many of the little dishes, switching things around, always with wines to match. @marmo.restaurant CD
Masa + Mezcal
Often called a cantina, this large urban restaurant space in the heart of Stokes Croft oozes a relaxed, sociable vibe. Whether from a booth or window seat, it’s certainly a fine spot to sit and watch the city come to life of an evening. The menu is split between botanas (snacks), masa (taco), crudo (raw) and asado (from the grill). Bold punchy cooking is accompanied by some fine margaritas. The grapefruit version was pure class but both the passion fruit and tamarind ones demand a return visit. @masa_and_mezcal CD
Claire Thomson is a chef and food writer. She has written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, Countryfile, and olive magazine. @5oclockapron
Hart’s Bakery
Hart’s Bakery opened the doors to this disused railway arch in the city’s main train station in Temple Meads nearly seven years ago. Bristol hasn’t looked back since. Daily sourdough bread is one thing, but sausage rolls, pasties and a dailychanging lunch offering – such as miso & ginger beef with daikon radish, peanuts & spring onion all scooped into a sesame bun, baked on the premises – is another thing altogether. Train journeys to and from Bristol are unthinkable without a quick detour to this station bakery. @hartsbakery CE
Wiper and True
Open throughout the weekend, I don’t think there is a quirkier, more inviting spot than this brewery’s unique tap room. Wrap up warm and brave the elements in the outdoor seating space or sit at the trestle tables among the brewing tanks. A welcoming and original destination that’s very Bristol. @wiperandtrue
Flour & Ash
This bare bones pizzeria offers a small, intimate space for communal dining, complete with picnic benches running down the centre. Choose from about eight options of wood-fired pizza and a short but enigmatic drinks list. There’s also a dailychanging menu of homemade ice creams and sorbets. What’s not to like? @flourandash KF