I thought over the next few weeks and months I would visit the best food “hot spots” in Bristol and pick out my favourite places and then both sample the food and document them visually, (the tough tasks I have to go through as a blogger, I hope you all appreciate the sacrifices I am making).
Bristol is quite a small city and very walkable, and officially now we have one of the best food scenes according to the national press, but didn’t I say it first? There are in my opinion pockets of great food “hot spots” dotted around the city, which you can pretty much rock up and spend a few hours enjoying your Saturday afternoon both sampling the great food on offer and soaking up the atmosphere.
Wapping Wharf
What a transformation! Only a few years ago, Wapping Wharf was just a walk through for people commuting to Bristol on foot from Bedminster and Southville. Fast forward to present day and it has become its own neighbourhood, with everything from new homes and cafes to restaurants and shops, and all this so close to our amazing harbourside.
Cargo is the real attraction for me. That is what brought me to this new urban man made neighbourhood. If you know Shoreditch in London you can skip this part! Cargo is a collection of independent retailers and foodies, who have set up shop in converted shipping containers. What is even more exciting, is Cargo 2 is on the horizon and opening up in Spring 2017! It will have at least another dozen at least new eateries opening. wappingwharf.co.uk
Chicken Shed
If you love chicken then this is the place for you. The owners of Yurt Lush in temple Meads bring us another great food outlet. Situated upstairs in Cargo, you will find the largest of the food outlets. If you are out for an early morning stroll pop in for brunch with some amazing options all based around eggs and sourdough bread. We popped in for lunch and luckily our timing was good and so we managed to grab a table (remember these are shipping containers so space is limited).
You order at the bar and depending on your previous nights activity you can have beer or coffee. We decided to go for a few starters and side dishes and have our own “chicken tapas” lunch. Plus we knew that we were going to try more yummy food in other places so didn’t want to peak to early, something which is a constant battle. A real plus for this place is that they have more seating outside than inside, so bring on the summer! If you are visiting with friends it might be worth you trying the chicken dinner for four, which looks like a real feast! chickenshed@eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk
Better Foods
Just a short walk up Wapping Wharf, you will come across an amazing shop/cafe selling a great range of organic and locally sourced products. We have one local to us on Whiteladies Road which we love but for me this is the best one yet, with everything from scotch eggs and pasta to fruit.
Walking around will make you hungry but thats ok, they also have a cafe tempting you with some amazing cakes (especially the chocolate and beetroot cupcake) and outstanding sausage rolls. The added bonus is that they use “clipper”tea bags so basically its a win win situation. Grab a basket and fill up or just sit back chill with a cuppa, what better way to spend your afternoon? http://www.betterfood.com
Little Victories
There are two amazing coffee houses and I can hear you asking how did I choose the above mentioned? Easy, we couldn’t get a seat in http://www.mokokocoffee.com which is a shame as they have an amazing range of cakes. The only challenge (apart from finding a seat, as it’s that popular) is choosing what cake to have. Check it out, you will not regret it.
So one down, we decided to try Little Victories and managed to sneak into a corner. It is light and airy if a little tight, but I do love both the menu board and the blue crockery that they use. The option of cake is limited but we still made short work of our choice. A constant stream of people walking by so if you can grab a window seat you will be in for a treat.
Pigsty
I know its hard to pick a favourite child! Or what type of eggs do you prefer? Well if I had to pick a favourite of mine in Wapping Wharf it would be Pigsty. Why I hear you ask? Well, our first visit started on a real high. We opened the sliding door and looked around and couldn’t see a table so decided to try somewhere else. As we were leaving, the owner (I worked this out as he cared so much) chased after us and there was a table for 2 in the corner out of sight. If you have read my previous blogs you know service is high on my agenda.
The venue is cool and funky, which means I stand out a bit -ha! The menu is small but appealing and if you are feeling hungry go for the “pig board”. My only regret is that we didn’t and the very clever table next to us did. Talk about food envy! I am still not quite over it yet. This place ticks every box for me and you will not regret a visit here. http://www.pigstyuk.com
Summary
Wapping Wharf is a vibrant collection of amazing mouth watering restaurants coupled with a few nice coffee houses and even a pub, what more could you want? If you are from Bristol and you haven’t been, why not?? If you are visiting Bristol please head down, you will not regret it and share your experiences.
Bristol food blogger 