‘ello there Facon fans! Today’s blog will be all about the awesome Bristol eateries I’ve visited over the last couple of weekends and I’ll show you some of the veggie food I bought in my new favourite shop the Bristol Sweet Mart!
First up is Afendi on Cheltenham Road. They serve authentic Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine, and while the menu is not 100% vegetarian they have a plethora of meat-free treats on offer. As I was with a group we ordered a selection of mezzes to sample; I can particularly recommend their foulmedamas (broad beans cooked in lemon juice and olive oil) and their fatayir spinache (pastries with spinach, onion, lemon and sumac). I really want to go back and sample their desserts. Rose-water and pistachio custard? Get in my face. They also do food to take-away, they were nice enough to package up some of our left-overs for us, and although they don’t serve alcohol you are welcome to bring your own booze. The staff were also super friendly, so I would highly recommend them!
Next up is The Greenbank, in Easton. Like Afendi it doesn’t have a wholly vegetarian menu but has plenty to offer, including vegan pizza dishes. I had the mushroom pizza, which was very nice. The pub also has a great ambience and serves a mean G&T.
Also in Easton is Matter WholeFoods. This is a volunteer run shop which sells organic fruit and veg and a range of healthy, vegan wholefoods. I was actually there for a private party so I didn’t get to sample what they had on offer (although I did get some yummy vegan birthday cake) but I look forward to heading back for some fresh grub in the near future!
Finally we have Easton’s Bristol Sweet Mart which as I mentioned earlier may well be my new favourite food shop. It has the most incredible selection of fruit and veg, spices and herbs, vegetarian and vegan products including sweets, and foods from dozens of different cuisines. It was very reasonably priced, especially for a health food shop. Below are some of the things I bought…
I tried the althaea tea earlier today and it was very lovely, sweet and delicate. I’ve not tried the damask rose yet, but as I’m a sucker for anything rose-flavoured I’m sure I’ll love it. Not certain what I’ll do with the lavender flowers yet, but I know I’ve got a lavender shortbread recipe somewhere that might be due an airing!
The yoghurt Sesame Snaps were a present for my other half (I’m not keen myself, but they’re great for his lunchbox). The mini-marshmallows are by Freedom Mallows, one of my favourite vegan treats and amazing in a hot chocolate. I’ve not tried the Biona sweets yet, but I love their jelly dinosaurs, which I review here so I’m sure they’ll be great.
This was a bit of a nostalgic purchase for me. When I was growing up a vegetarian family friend would always cook me these for dinner if I went over to her house. Plus they just work great in any pasta recipe! Bristol Sweet Mart is the place to be 😀
That’s all from me for now, but I’ll be back soon with a some Scandinavian-inspired veggie recipes (a trip to Ikea just before Eurovision does that to a girl).
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