Eat & drink in Bristol
Restaurants, pubs, cafés, bakeries, Sunday roasts and date-night picks.
Bristol Food & Drink: November
After an unexpected fallow month on the blog (blame the lurgy), this is a bit of a bumper edition, with even more events and new openings than usual! I also just updated my Foodie Gift Guide, if you’ve started thinking about Christmas presents… Read on to see what delicious…
Where to eat in November
Our monthly Where To Eat series is a curated line-up of the best food events, new openings and old favourites in Bristol each month. The idea is for those who don’t have time to scour through everything we publish, this is a one-stop shop for where’s hot and what’s worthy of…
Red Tiger, St George’s Road: ‘Chefs performing minor miracles’
IIt’s rare to go to a spot so new and for it to be bang on from the get-go. I suppose Red Tiger had their St Nick’s stall, and they’d run pop-ups, but this is a particularly strong start regardless. Such is my confidence in it that I’ll be adding it straight to the Sauce map —…
October Digest: Bristol food and drink news
Press releases are both a joy and a curse in this job. My inbox is full of them — some brilliantly written and truly useful, some completely unrelated and bizarre — genuine examples include ‘Bristol named snoring hotspot’, ‘Bath ranks in top four UK mouldiest cities’ and even…
Bank, Totterdown: ‘A most ambitious breakfast menu’
Breakfast is a contentious issue on which everyone has an opinion. Full English, cereal, croissant or just a black coffee? Beans or no beans? Black pudding? How toasted should the toast be? It gets even more complicated when you start throwing oysters into the mix — but I have…
A Bone to Pick: Take my tenner, or stop calling yourself a neighbourhood restaurant
I feel like I’ve been waiting years for PXandTarts to write this Bone to Pick, but it was worth the wait. The card-only debate is not a new one, but I don’t think anyone has yet been so eloquent about all the reasons that restaurants should continue to accept cash. What do you…
You could host your Christmas party at Bristol’s largest stadium, as Ashton Gate opens its doors for the festive season
There is much to celebrate at Ashton Gate Stadium – from Bristol City’s championship wins thus far to cheap-and-cheerful £1 kids tickets on Family Days, and now, Christmas. Yes, it’s that time of year already, and Ashton Gate is a great location in Bristol to host a Christmas…
Feather, Whiteladies Road: ‘Could build up a cult following, if only they can sort the bloody coating’
Another epic from PXandTarts. I was hopeful for Feather, but it seems there’s a way to go yet. The quest for properly good fried chicken continues. A noble quest, and someone’s got to do it. Support our hard, hard work by becoming a paying Saucer. Thanks! Meg X The Bristol Sauce…
Uncle Lee Kitchen, Bond Street: ‘Returning really won’t be an issue’
We’ve got a double-review week on our hands lads. Normally on a Monday I’d publish a Bone To Pick, a Secret Service or some news, but I have a dearth of willing columnists. Send me an email if you’ve got an opinion that should be published! Meanwhile, you’re getting a bonus…
An Obituary: Bertha’s Pizza
Another hospitality sucker punch to the gut — Bertha’s Pizza has closed its bright yellow doors. Wapping Wharf is in trouble. The lingering threat of the shipping containers being axed and the restaurants having to move into more permanent homes probably isn’t helping. But…
Where to eat in October
The Where To Eat series rounds up some of the best food events and new openings we’ve seen happening across Bristol over the next few weeks. It’s a curated list of suggestions — often one off events that you might not want to miss. This month, we’ve got one of Bristol’s best…
Corsham House, Wiltshire: ‘Salvation lies with cheese custard’
Corsham House has been reviewed twice in the national press already. Such is the draw of the Beckford Group, they seem to be able to achieve the near impossible feat of getting journalists out of London. That’s one of the primary reasons I started The Bristol Sauce. I grew tired…
September Digest: Bristol food and drink news
I’ve decided to make this month’s news free for everyone to read — mainly because I usually reserve most of the new openings for paying Saucers, but this month there are a great deal more closures. Sad news indeed. But next week I will be publishing our usual ‘Where to eat in…
Kush, Clifton Village: ‘You’d have to be a couple of grains of rice short of a biryani to bet against Aktar Islam conquering the country’
Good afternoon Saucers! This review from PXandTarts is slightly longer than I usually allow, but well worth the extra word count. Also, in editing this I learnt that a rollout should be all one word when a noun, but separated as a verb ‘to roll out’, which is the kind of stuff…
A Bone to Pick: Does Bristol really care about independents?
Ooof. This is a particularly bony bone to pick, but one that raises valid questions and is written by a chef from a very popular independent restaurant in Bristol — though they have requested anonymity, so I can’t tell you much more. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!…
The White Elephant, Kingswood: ‘An Easyjet mini-break to Bangkok’
We’ve had a handful of new paying Saucers join the ranks following the piece I published on Monday, meaning we’re now on 199 paying subscribers. Could you be our 200th? If you like our work, please consider it. Meanwhile, enjoy this review of an English caff in Kingswood serving…
What does the future hold for food journalism?
This week The Bristol Sauce turns two and we’re excited that it can now walk by itself and form basic sentences. But in all seriousness, these milestones are an opportunity to reflect and to plan. In our two trips around the sun, we’ve published 170 articles and had 26 people…
The Miles Arms, Avonmouth: ‘The promise of classic Polish dishes drew me in the direction of Avonmouth’s crumbling Victorian facades’
This is Tristan’s first review for the Sauce and boy is he coming in hot. I had no idea that The Miles Arms serves Polish food, much less Polish food that’s worth a trip to Avonmouth. What a find! I hope you enjoy Tristan’s debut as much as I did. If you might not have come…
A Bone To Pick: Your AI poster tastes bitter
Someone said to me recently that I should put more of The Bristol Sauce’s content behind a paywall, but I am reluctant to do so. I want everyone to be able to access useful and entertaining writing on Bristol’s restaurant scene. The more people choosing to pay, the more viable…
Lagman, Cathedral Walk: ‘Resplendent with masterful spice and seasoning, dripping in umami and gloriously chewy’
It’s been a whole four days since I announced The Bristol Sauce app* to the world, and feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive. One user even described it as ‘magic’, which made us very happy. Become a paying Saucer today to support our work and gain access to the app,…
Bristol Food & Drink: September
As ease ourselves out of a sweaty summer, I’m sure most of you are looking forward to cosy season, although I’m hoping we have a few more beer garden evenings left! Read on to see what delicious things you could be doing this month… If you find this or any of the other guides…
Bristol’s 79 best restaurants, mapped
Hello Saucers, Remember the Google map I put together earlier this year with The Bristol Sauce’s recommended restaurants? We’ve turned it into a proper site — a real, interactive map of Bristol where you can browse pins, filter by price and cuisine, see a quick summary of each…
Briar, Bruton: ‘A more beautiful, precise, pristine plate of food would unlikely be found even if we traversed the globe’
On Monday I’m launching a new tool just for paying Saucers. It’s an advancement on our Google map that I’ve been working on since January. I’m hoping it will be a useful tool for helping our paying subscribers filter and find great independent restaurants in Bristol while on the…
August Digest: Bristol food and drink news
I write to you today from the foyer of a fancy hotel in Edinburgh, where I am pretending to be waiting for someone while I type this up. The Edinburgh Fringe is glorious, but not conducive to getting much work done. So, here I am, illegally loitering and stealing wifi. The news…
Bristol's best beer gardens for a sun-soaked summer
Discover the best beer gardens in Bristol for a perfect summer experience. Unwind at these top outdoor venues with scenic views, great food and refreshing drinks. Make the most of the sunny days in Bristol's lively pub scene.
A guide to the best brunch in Bristol
A local's ultimate guide. Perfect spots for weekend gatherings, stylish treats, indulgent breakfasts and mid-morning cures.
Bristol's top shelf: a guide to the city's finest cocktail bars
Discover Bristol's vibrant cocktail scene as we explore hidden gems, unique concoctions and atmospheric lounges that elevate the city's nightlife to new heights.
Bristol's vegan delights: exploring the city's best plant-based eateries
Discover Bristol's best vegan restaurants and cafés, from mouth-watering plant-based burgers to delicious brunch spots. Uncover the city's thriving vegan food scene in our comprehensive guide.
The best burger in Bristol: a tasty tour of the city's top patties
Discover Bristol's best burgers, including National Burger Awards finalists Fattso and Squeezed, plus local favourites Asado, Milk Bun, and more. Satisfy your cravings with our ultimate guide.
Street food in Bristol: the ultimate guide
Handy info on a variety of food markets, their locations and opening hours, as well as an up-to-date look at some of the best food stalls.