As is tradition, and without further ado, here are my 10 food highlights from 2024 of the best new (for me) places I tried in Bristol:

• Pasture, Redcliffe – this acclaimed steak restaurant was so good that we went twice. The first time we shared a fantastic chateaubriand, and the second time a Sunday Roast. On both occasions the quality and the cooking of the steaks was impeccable, paired with excellent side dishes. A blackboard lists all the daily steak weights available which gradually get crossed off, so go early for the best choice!
• Pazzo, Whiteladies Road – the Bianchis group know what they’re doing. The pasta dishes are all excellent on their own, or each has an optional addition such as the infamous pork belly placed on top of the carbonara – I definitely had order envy for this one!

Pasture

Pazzo

• Little Bagel Co, Queens Road – these New York style bagels are freshly baked on the premises daily, and are jam packed with lots of delicious fillings to choose from.
• Izakaya, College Green and Clifton – I love being introduced to places I didn’t know about! Definitely an underrated gem, serving an extensive range of fantastic Japanese tapas and sushi at reasonable prices.
• Feast On, Clifton Downs –July brought us the inaugural outing of this food festival which showcased so many amazing Bristol restaurant pop-ups along with food talks and demos. We sampled a delicious pork belly bun from Caper and Cure and enjoyed some delicious pasta from Magari, as well as supporting some old favourites too.

Caper and Cure, Feast On

• Sonny Stores, Southville – we visited their pop-up in Quakers Friars while they were having their usual home refurbished. So while I can’t tell you about their Southville location, I can tell you that their food is excellent. Every dish is creative, thoughtful and well executed.
• Bagelry Box, Wapping Wharf – another bagel recommendation but what can I say, I love a bagel. This is a great addition to Wapping Wharf – not easily done! I went for the classic salmon and cream cheese which was delightful.

Bagelry Box

• Bokman, Stokes Croft – finally nabbed a table at this tiny Korean restaurant and it didn’t disappoint, with plenty of exciting and unique dishes that were full of flavour. I’m looking forward to trying out their new restaurant Dongnae in Redland.
• Kensington Arms, Redland – a fantastic Sunday Roast, which I’ve experienced both in the regular restaurant space and in one of their upstairs private dining rooms as part of my 30^th birthday celebrations (no additional booking charge – would really recommend for a special occasion). It’s a great neighbourhood spot for a drink too.

Bokman

I’ve also got to mention two further South West food highlights in conjunction with my 30^th birthday celebrations. I shared a wonderful afternoon tea at Ahh Toots on the Christmas Steps, which had a really creative, flavourful menu, and I was really impressed with their vegan offerings. Lastly, I visited At The Chapel in Bruton, Somerset which has been on my wishlist for a really long time. The food was of a very high standard and in such a beautiful setting too, a really special place.

Another great year for food in Bristol, and here’s to another one for 2025!

Alexa

P.S If you enjoyed reading this, why not take a look back at my 2023 Bristol Food Highlights and 2022 Bristol Food Highlights.

Header photo: At The Chapel, Bruton, Somerset