Bokman, 3 Nine Tree Hill, Cotham, Bristol BS1 3SB. All dishes £8.50-£24, desserts £6.50-£8, wines from £27
Over the years, I’ve come to love a pre-order. It wasn’t always the way. For a long time, I considered the whole point of restaurants to be spontaneity. At home you usually know, hours before, what you will be eating. It’s a matter of practicality; of ingredients bought and preparation begun. But you can push into a restaurant without any idea what you’ll be having for dinner. Then you get given a list. You choose. They bring. It’s a miracle. But eventually I got swept up in the calm thrills of ordering in advance. There is still a list. You still get to choose. But the delicious anticipation, the thought that there is a nice, bespoke thing in your future, is extended.
