Katie & Kim's Kitchen

I haven’t lived in Bristol for very long. This annoys me because I hear about all these long-lost lovers of Bristol food that I have missed out on. Katie and Kim’s horsebox was one of these things. I’d heard mention of them in relation to the Street Food Awards (they took the title in 2013), but had never had the opportunity to try out their famous grub.

That was until last week, when I visited their newly opened (and permanent) café on Picton Street in Montpelier. Finally I had the chance to sample the goods!

And oh, how good they were…

Thali Café Montpelier

My family love Indian food. We cook it, we order it in and we frequently get together to eat at our favourite restaurants. My sister loves it so much she held her 6^th birthday party at our much-loved local curry-house. So bearing that in mind, I could think of no better choice of restaurant for their most recent visit than long-standing Bristol institution, Thali Café.

Thali Café has been serving happy customers with Tiffin take-aways and glorious Thalis for fifteen years. They can now be found in four venues across the city demonstrating the enduring Bristolian love for all things Thali. On this occasion however, the original restaurant in Montpelier was the venue of choice.

Bill's Bill's Bill's The Triangle, Bristol

I’m not usually a big fan of a chain restaurant. I think a lot of it has to do with the huge mix of dishes on the menu...if I see the words ‘Cajun’ next to spaghetti carbonara I get a bit edgy. So with that in mind, I was a little wary when I first visited Bill’s new restaurant on the Triangle.

It was my first experience of a Bill’s, as I’m reasonably northern and most of their restaurants are in the south, including fifteen just in London. The Bristol branch opened last year and hearing good things, including the buzzwords “good value”, I thought it best to try it out myself.

And it can’t have been bad...because I've been back four times since.

The Bristolian

It’s a new year, and a very good time to be in Bristol that’s for sure. With lots of new potential eateries on the horizon I thought I would start 2014 instead with a very local haunt for me, and one many Bristolians are familiar with, not least because that’s its name.

I’m reliably informed that The Bristolian in Montpelier has been around for some time. However it was rebranded and reopened a little over a year ago and, judging by the hordes crammed inside during my visit, it seems to be pretty darn popular. The whole place has a very welcoming vibe – upon entering you’re greeted by a counter bursting under home-made salads, quiches and cakes and some very friendly staff. The tables are nestled amongst pot plants with hundreds of cushions inviting you to relax and plenty of chatty folk enjoying their weekend.