In operation for more than 40 years, this veteran of Bristol’s fine dining scene has existed in many incarnations. Piles of books and old records cover every surface of the bonhomie interior, which includes a blackboard with specials, a small wooden bar and lush plants. Since Connie Coombs took over in 2013, her diner has been lauded in local and national press for its relaxed atmosphere and modern Mediterranean small plates. Inspired by the robust, flavorsome cooking of Spain, North Africa, Italy and France, Coombs turns top-quality ingredients in cleverly presented dishes. Fans recommend their perfectly pan-fried hake on a bed of seasonal vegetables and of the vegetable fritters beneath a sweet tomato sauce, whose crisp golden crusts break through to a squidge of molten feta and courgette. If you’re planning to visit Bell’s, give yourself time to spend a long, relaxed evening over plenty of red wine.
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This award-winning tea room and patisserie in the heart of Clifton, Bristol, specializes in wedding cake design. But it also is the perfect spot to drop in for an elegant afternoon of tea and cake. Fans recommend the rainbow macarons, giant meringues, raspberry and vanilla cake, praline éclair and banoffee tart.
Tamarind Galliford opened her art-focused cake and biscuit shop in 2014 at St. Nicholas’ Market. Baking in the heart of Bristol, Tamarind hand-makes almost every imaginable kind of cake, including vegan and gluten-free masterpieces. Pictured above is her Gin & Tonic Cake with dehydrated fennel and rhubarb. Cut it up into large slices of boozy sweetness. Ahh Toots’ stall in St Nick’s Market also offers breakfasts and lunches every day for both meat eaters and vegans/vegetarians. Consider pairing a Bloody Mary with your bacon butty.
When Eat a Pitta took over a former soup and salad stall in St Nicholas market’s glass arcade, lines of hungry customers quickly formed for their perfectly cooked falafels. Fueled by demand, new locations have opened in the heart of the Broadmead shopping area and on Gloucester Road. The falafels, handcrafted using a third-generation family recipe, are best eaten piping hot in wholemeal pitta breads that overflow with chopped salads, homemade pickles and sauces. If you’re avoiding carbs, opt for a colorful salad box stuffed to the brim with fresh veggies, couscous and homemade tahini or chilli jam. It’s enough to feed two.
When arriving at Bristol Temple Meads station, those “in the know” will stop by the railway’s Victorian arches to visit Hart’s Bakery. There are few finer ways to welcome a friend to the city than with the flakey, buttery layers of a Hart’s pastry, one of Bristol’s best sausage rolls or, because sometimes simple is best, superlative sourdough toast with raspberry jam. Lunch specials are tweeted on weekdays. Choices range from a roast garlic and potato soup or red pepper and borlotti bean chilli, both served with hunks of incredibly crisp-crusted sourdough. Or perhaps there will be a rye bun filled with soft smoked salmon and chive-infused cream cheese, paired brilliantly with the earthy, mineral sweetness of a beetroot and fennel salad. If you aren’t in a rush for take-away, take a seat and watch the bakers at work while enjoying a coffee.
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Cousins Ben Harvey and Dominic Borel (Bianchis) finally put their 12-year-old dream into play when they opened Pasta Loco in early 2016. Their relaxed Italian neighborhood pasta bar in Cotham Hill has quickly become the Padella of the Bristol scene. Shaped like a wedge, the dining room, which seats 40, is illuminated by floor-to-ceiling windows and its grey-brown walls are studded with black-and-white photographs of the owners’ family and children. The pasta is the star of the seasonal menu and main courses are made up exclusively of four or five types of homemade pasta and sauces, which are freshly made in the kitchen that day. There are also delicate starters and delicious puddings, featuring an array of cured meats, fish and artisan cheeses.
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Argentines don't really eat breakfast. But when they do, it's all about a simple cortado (espresso coffee mixed with a small amount of warm milk) and a buttery medialuna warm from the oven. The best spot for these half-moon, croissant-like pastries? Lucio's, a classic, no-frills café on a busy corner of Palermo. These medialunas became so famous the restaurant added a second side door just for those who wanted to pick up the medialunas to-go. The café makes multiple fresh batches of the glazed and gooey half-moons daily.
Your bubbe certainly didn't cook like this. With dishes like sous vide gefilte fish with gelled carrots in a horseradish reduction and bone-in pastrami cooked for days, Mishiguene, which means crazy in Yiddish, puts a modern take on traditional Jewish and Israeli recipes. Every Friday night, the restaurant breaks out in cheer with a live klezmer band to celebrate Shabbat.
There's only so much steak you can eat in Buenos Aires until you get a major seafood craving, and when that hunger pain strikes, a ceviche at La Mar is your answer. Gastón Acurio's restaurant empire makes its way to Buenos Aires with a true Peruvian cevichería that uses only local Argentine fish and seafood. Chef Anthony Vasquez and his crew traveled across the country in search of the best product available, and came back with creative flavors and textures from the sea. The outdoor patio is ideal for drinking pisco and eating ceviche by the spoonful.
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The new kid on the block restaurant was a hit since the day it opened. A young crew of chefs converted an old mechanic shop into one of BA's best new underground spots. Almost every dish is cooked in the custom-made wood-fired oven that stands at the heart of the restaurant, with a menu that changes regularly depending on what's fresh at market. Think Mediterranean-inspired twists on familiar Argentine ingredients. Go with a group, take over the communal table, and order everything on the small plates menu, making sure to order dessert, especially Pastry Chef Augusto Mayer's infamous dulce de leche flan with whipped cream.