• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Bristol
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

Bristol BS1 4QA

skoona said
Contemporary Arts
Another fantastic venue where I am ashamed to say I have only visited the cafe! The Arnolfini is in a fantastic spot in the city, right by the harbourside, and you can sit and enjoy a beverage sitting by the water. Once you are over the cobbles and inside the venue, take a right into the cafe and there is a lovely big area to relax in, with a handy section with plenty of room to park up your buggies and have a cuppa with your other mum friends. There are changing facilities close by, which are clean and roomy. Get your snack on!

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Bristol
• Category: Restaurants

Bristol BS8 1LW
0117 973 9734

skoona said
Shisha-tastic
Our visit to Sands was another surprise birthday/Valentine meal organised by my husband. We were rather late getting there due to an inexperienced taxi driver, but were still ushered into the restaurant’s folds with open arms. Unfortunately we were then playing catch up since we were meant to be on the first sitting for the night, and our replacements were already waiting at the bar. Of course it was a set menu due to the special day so that helped speed things along, and we were soon wolfing down our yummy Lebanese mezza starters. The meaty main course was ok, but not great, and the pudding super sweet as expected, but my husband forced it down on my behalf ;-) We didn’t see any belly dancing, but you could go for a smoke of the apple shisha.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Bristol
• Category: Restaurants

Bristol BS8 4JA
0117 973 1192

skoona said
Bangers
My husband took me here for a surprise birthday meal a couple of years ago, and I was thoroughly impressed (with him and the restaurant!). It was Valentine’s night, which in restaurant terms means set menus all round (pain in the bum day for a birthday I’m telling you, but on the bright side you always get cards), but there was still plenty of yummy sounding choices available. I had the sausages, and so did my husband ;-) Kidding aside, the snags were delicious, lots of local varieties and fresh British ingredients served up with mash/champ and veggies. Don’t worry if you’re not a fan of the snorker, they do lots of other good unpretentious grub such as steamed mussels and lamb. Oh and apparently over 100,000 sausages are consumed every year there. That's a lotta weiners.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Bristol
• Category: Events and Entertainment

Bristol BS1 4UZ
0870 607 7500

skoona said
Musicals galore
I do love a good musical, and The Bristol Hippodrome gets loads of great ones playing here. Recent popular choices have included Mamma Mia, Footloose and Cabaret. They get some top notch ballets performed here too. It’s not the most modern decor inside, but that’s what I like about it; it‘s a proper old skool theatre. Rumour has it if you buy a seat in the top circle on a quiet night there’s a good chance you’ll get a free upgrade downstairs, but I’ve yet to be lucky enough to experience this myself.

The venue is hosts other musical gigs and comedians galore, and it’s well worth checking out their programme of entertainment.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Bristol
• Category: Food and Drink

Bristol BS34 5DG
0117 959 2357

skoona said
Cookies!
What’s not to love about Millie’s Cookies? They make deliciously tasty sugar-filled pick-me-ups which is exactly what you need to keep you going round the second level in The Mall. I’m a huge chocolate fan, but have to say that their oatmeal and raisin cookie is the best, and certainly beats ones I’ve had elsewhere. I do like to make these at home too, but am yet to master the lovely soft texture that Millie’s deliver. They have sneaky deals where you simply cannot resist buying a bag full, even though you only need one as it’s just such good value, plus if you visit their website you can get extra vouchers.

Nom!

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Bristol
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

Bristol BS34 5DG
0117 950 2922

skoona said
Mmmmmm, coffee...
Well although I’m not a big fan of franchised coffee shops on the whole, I do have a soft spot for those tasty frappachinos...*drools*. It all stems from a craving during pregnancy, and those mint choc chip ones really hit the spot. Anyhoo, this place is a handy stopping point in the mall to grab a quick cuppa without getting bogged down with the whole queuing ages/waiting for a table/being crammed in to a small space with a mass of other shoppers thing that other cafes in the shopping centre have going on.

Plus I once got a free caramel frappachino when the guy serving was learning to make them – bonus!

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Bristol
• Category: Arts and Culture

Bristol BS8 1LN
0117 922 3571

skoona said
Lovely cafe!
Well I’d like to say the Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery is a treasured find, but I’ve never actually been round the displays myself. However I can tell you the cafe is a handy meeting spot for mums and babies. They serve the usual teas and coffees, plus scrummy cakes, which is, of course, essential for this type of gathering. During peak times it can get a little tricky to wheel your buggy down to the sofas at the far end of the cafe, so be aware if you have a pram with a wide wheelbase. Unfortunately both times I have needed to use the baby changing facilities (which are located in the disabled toilets nearby), the pull down changer was out of action. They did have a table in the toilets though which was much bigger and therefore much easier to use for changing little ones on anyway.

Recommended.

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Bristol
• Category: Restaurants

Bristol BS6 6PE

skoona said
Student favourite!
I’ve eaten lunch at Morish a couple of times, and can’t say that either time was particularly inspiring. Nice gentle jazz music provides the ambience, but time your visit well or you’ll be inundated with raucous students repairing their hangovers with an all day breakfast. The food is overpriced for what you get, but they do seem to regularly have offers on for example 2 courses for £10 etc. The waiting staff seem friendly, although sometimes when the restaurant does get busy it appears a little understaffed, so you may have to wait a little longer for your grub. Oh and you can get a cheaper full English up on Whiteladies Road!

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Bristol
• Category: Sightseeing and Attractions

Bristol BS8 3NW
0117 973 8951

skoona said
A must-visit zoo!
Bristol Zoo Gardens makes a fabulous day out for all ages. There are over 400 different species of animals to check out, including my personal favourites, lions, red pandas and slow loris (super cute!). The zoo is really well laid out, the enclosures look spacious and the animals seem relaxed, unlike other zoos I’ve been to. Feeding times are listed so you can include this on your walk around, plus there are extra activities for children such as the Zoolympics, and learning about environmental impacts on animals. Tickets are £12.50 for adults and £7.50 for children aged 3-14 which is a little pricey if you’re on a budget, but if you plan to visit a few times, then it’s definitely worth investing in an annual pass. Lunch can be purchased at the Pelican cafe, but there’s plenty of places to stop and have a picnic, so don’t forget to take some sarnies with you.

Highly recommended for a visit!

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Bristol
• Category: Sightseeing and Attractions

Bristol BS1 5DB
0117 915 5000

skoona said
Fun day out for all ages
Explore @ Bristol is a great place to while away a few hours with the little ones. It’s rather like the Science Museum in London, but not quite as fun, and not free (in fact it’s quite expensive in my opinion). It’s actually highly educational, cleverly hidden under the guise of play - there’s loads of buttons to press, things to poke and stuff to build; in fact you’ll probably have more fun than the kids ;-) There’s parking nearby, just off Anchor Road, or you could take the train, and make the day even more exciting for the children. Have a great day out!