Features / Food
The best things we ate in Bristol in 2023
Bristol’s food scene continues to grow and change at an expeditious rate. In the year that the Bristol24/7 took over Wapping Wharf for a food festival and Jason’s Donervan celebrated 25 years, the Bristol24/7 team have shared their dishes that defined the last 12 months.
Meg Houghton-Gilmour, Head of Audience
“Gosh, what a question. I’ve weighed up the many merits of various dishes, including the noodles at Authetic Hot Pot and Hand-Pulled Noodles, the carrot soup I had a few weeks ago at Wilsons and the negroni blanco at COR. Yes I know that last one is a drink, but it’s the best drink in Bristol, so I’m going to flaunt the rules. But in the end there can only be one winner, and this year it is the guinea fowl served with a creamy cognac sauce and frites at Little French. I loved it so much I made it my screensaver.”
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What a magnificent sight – photo: Meg Houghton-Gilmour
Emily Brown, Administration VP
“Thanks to Meg for showing me this place! Nice Spice on Denmark Street is the perfect lunch to fill a hole. Crispy pork, seasoned bok choy and rice – dangerously delicious.”
Paying a visit to Nice Spice should be top of your New Year’s resolutions – photo: Emily Brown
Betty Woolerton, Reporter
“On my visit to the new Real Habesha on Gloucester Road I discovered the joys of Ethiopian food, which was served to me on a giant pancake – or injera – and shared. Each morsel of stew was delicious and perfectly complemented the other. The food was made even more delicious by brilliant service and reasonable prices.”
Injera is something of a cross between a crumpet and a pancake and easily as moreish as both put together – photo: Betty Woolerton
Mia Vines Booth, Reporter
“The crab linguine at Pazzo, a dreamy pile of luxurious crab meat and tarragon on fresh pasta.”
Milan Perera, Business Writer
“Hoppers at the Coconut Tree on Gloucester Road. Hoppers are wafer thin pancakes with a crusty base. The plain hopper could be augmented with an egg on the bottom. Usually comes with relish or coarse chilli paste. Great bit of street food there.”
One of the many tasty Sri Lankan dishes on offer at the Coconut Tree – photo: Milan Perera
Martin Booth, Editor
“A full English at the Boston Tea Party in Cheswick Villege. I was midway through a 44-mile walk around Bristol’s boundary and desperately needed refuelling. BTP literally saved my bacon.”
Ellie Pipe, Deputy Editor
“It has to be the pain au raisins from the Orchard Bakery in St George. They’re everything I want in a pastry: buttery, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and crammed full of raisins. They’ve kept me going on many a sleep-deprived morning.”
The pastry equivalent of a blue sky sunny day – photo: Ellie Pipe
Miles Arnold, Communications Manager
“The fried chicken from The Granary – sweet, saucy and so crispy that you’d be forgiven for going to your nearest chicken shop and asking the colonel what on Earth he’s been playing at – clearly we’ve been doing chicken wrong all this time.”
Ursula Billington, Climate & Sustainability Editor
“The veggie bowl at Tomo No Ramen is something else – thick slabs of tofu, tangy black garlic, juicy umami mushrooms, crispy shallots and their special chilli sauce all wrapped up in a rich, velvety broth. Though all the dishes there are dangerously moreish.”
Tomo No Ramen serves the best ramen in Bristol – photo: Meg Houghton-Gilmour
Sarski Anderson, Culture Editor
“My favourite meal(s) of the year have definitely been the sharing plates eaten at Root, in a cosy upstairs corner of Wapping Wharf. It’s the place where veggies finally get to take centre stage. While it feels unfair to single out a particular dish because they’re all – always – so wonderful, I always make time and space for the pizzetta.”
At Root, vegetables are elevated to a higher plain – photo: Meg Houghton-Gilmour
Issy Packer, Music Editor
“The best thing I ate this year would have to be the Alici (anchovy infused butter pasta) from Magari in Wapping Wharf.”
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Main photo: Mia Vines Booth
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