DRINKING OUT GUIDE

ADAM & EVE

7 Hope Chapel Hill, Hotwells, BS8 4ND. Tel: 0117 929 1508 • Fabulous old-fashioned pub, complete with wooden floors and tables and perfect for idling away the afternoon. Chef-quality homecooked food on offer alongside a fine range of draught ales, lagers and ciders with wine and spirit selections a cut above. Cosy, non-pretentious atmosphere, within 10 mins’ walk of the centre. Small courtyard to rear • Check chalkboards for weekly-changing menus.

ALBERT INN

1 West St, Bedminster, BS3 3NN • Drop for in disco, karaoke and live acts in this good-time Bedminster boozer, drinking draughts such as Courage Best, Fosters, Stella, Bulmers, Blackthorn and Guinness. Pool table for the hustlers • Elvis Presley looks down from above the bar here (and a rather impressive gargoyle dog keeps watch from over the door).

ALBION PUBLIC HOUSE AND DINING ROOMS

Boyces Ave, Clifton, BS8 4AA. Tel: 0117 973 3522, web: www.thealbionclifton.co.uk • “A rustic, rural boozer bringing the Shires to BS8” was how our man described this Clifton Village class act where the grub has received recognition from the chubby tyre fellow. Expect to find ales such as Gem, Butcombe and Wye Valley HPA, lagers are Beck’s and Stella 4 with Cheddar Valley and Stowford Press bringing cider options. Blue. Admirably diverse wine and whisky choices with tens of each, but it was the mulled cider (three pints of the stuff) which delighted our fellow and will offer great consolation when the cold weather and dark nights return. Whatever you’re drinking, the snug bar – all exposed brickwork, open fire and comfy leather seating – offers a stylish setting, with the pretty courtyard boasting parasols, tables, heaters, fairy lights and hanging baskets to make your smoke even more sublime. The pièce de résistance, however, of any Albion visit must be what our man described as the “tarte tatin worthy of topping any things-to-do-in-Bristol-before-you-die list” • The great and the good gather gregariously for royal weddings, cider festivals, street parties, quizzes and carol singing.

ALMA TAVERN

18-20 Alma Vale Rd, Clifton, BS8 2HY. Tel: 0117 973 5171 • The only pub in Bristol with its own theatre, the entertainment here ranges from productions running throughout the year upstairs plus cable and terrestrial sport on TV, with Monday quizzes for the cleverly inclined. The grub is worthy of its own standing ovation, with fish & chips representative of some marvellous mains. DOW has been told drink offerings are to be rejigged soon after we go to press; currently six real ales have Doom Bar and Otter as permanent with San Miguel, Kronenbourg and Olde English among other draughts. Westons Organic and Bulmers pear and apple among the bottles. Nine reds, as many whites and two rosés. Student discount • Smokers get cover; heaters to arrive for the winter.

THE ANCHOR

323 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8PE. Tel: 0117 924 1769 • Upbeat sports pub in the heart of UWE stude land where ales, ciders and lagers on tap are backed by plenty in the fridge (so drinkers can adopt their own squad rotation system). Pub grub takes in lasagne, all-day breakfasts, bangers & mash, chilli, burgers and more. Mon and Thur are student nights, Sun is quiz • Two outside drinking areas.

ANNEXE

Nevil Rd, Bishopston, BS7 9EQ. Tel: 0117 949 3931, web: www.the-annexe.co.uk • A cricket lover’s paradise, attached to the Sportsman (see below), with around eight top-notch real ales bringing Doom Bar, Tribute, Courage Best and Wye Valley HPA as permanent fixtures. Expect to find ciders and lagers like Thatchers and Blackthorn plus Fosters and Red Stripe lagers. Full menu served Tue-Sat 11am-7pm incorporating wings, wedges and specials, with pizza menu served 5.30-11pm. See chalkboard for Sunday offerings. Has three screens of its own plus an outside biggie in the courtyard it shares with the Sportsman. Popular with visiting fans before – and after – matches at the nearby County Ground: the place to be on ODI day • Housed in a converted skittle alley.

APPLE TREE

27 Philip St, Bedminster, BS3 4EA. Tel: 0117 963 3184 • Natch on draught and in bottles and cans confirms this dinky, unashamedly traditional backstreet boozer’s impeccable cider house credentials. A complete lack of ostentation means you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s not open (especially when the door’s closed in winter), but venture in to find Cheddar Valley, Blackthorn, Thatchers Gold and Bulmers ciders, with lager lovers getting Kronie and Fosters on tap and draught Caffrey’s and Old Speckled Hen in bottles for the beer brethren. Possibly Bristol’s cheapest pub food – spag bol or turkey curry for £2! Covered smoking area • Sells eggs – chicken, duck and goose – from Dundry.

AVON PACKET

185-187 Coronation Rd, Southville, BS3 1RF. Tel: 0117 987 2431 • There’s far more on offer here than at first meets the eye. Once past the front bar with side drinking area, stroll through the back games room and across the footbridge (over what was once a bear pit) to a sizable beer garden wherein you’ll find ducks – real ducks! – splashing merrily. The mood is as friendly as these much-loved birds, the locals getting their enjoyment via dominoes, cribbage, snooker and bar billiards, pool and Sky Sports. A while back the pub organised a trip to see a Test in the Windies. Drinks-wise, expect Courage Best and Bass ales, lagers, Guinness and cider. Food takes in classics like cottage pie, chilli, beef stroganoff, goulash and beef or chicken curry. Fascinating toy car and key ring collection to pore over indoors, with covered and heated smoking area out back • Pool for the humans, pond for the ducks, the pit for the bears long gone.

REOPENING BAG O’NAILS

141 St Georges Rd, Hotwells, BS1 5UW • The name comes from ‘bacchanalia’ – meaning drunken feast – and there may be wild celebrations on the horizon if this place reopens some time after DOW goes to press. Details are sketchy but there’s evidence of activity at the CAMRA pub of the year 2000, legendary for its wide drinking options, formerly feted by ale aficionados from as far afield as California, Texas, Germany and China • It’s to be hoped the gas lighting and floor portholes are part of this pub’s new incarnation.

THE BANK TAVERN

8 John St, BS1 2HR. Tel: 0117 930 4691, web: www.thebanktavern.com • A pub has stood here for around 225 years. Compact, friendly and a wonderful alternative to the many big-name chains nearby. William Morris patterns, a picture of the Queen and its own range of pickled eggs enhance the distinctive ante. Beware the fake khazi door! Popular with the pre-club crowd on DJ-enhanced Fri and Sat evenings, live music Thur. Four real ales on offer plus eight cider choices. Decent selection of lagers too. Small wine selection. Umbrellas provide cover for smokers • Look out for August’s beer fest and summer fete – lots of ale and cider and a closed road!

BARLEY MOW

39 Barton Rd, St Philips, BS2 0LF Tel: 0117 930 4709 • The Dings was once an area of tightly packed terraces but slum clearance in the 1930s saw most of its inhabitants moved elsewhere and today only 117 households remain. This history is crucial to appreciating the Barley Mow, the locale’s last remaining pub. Its origins may explain its survival; it was purpose-built as a boozer (so the cellar’s beneath the bar), with the first licensee back in 1828. The remaining residents are clearly doing a good job, with The Dings crowned ‘community of the year’ in December 2010. Toast their success with one of the four real ales (three Bristol Beer factory brews plus guest) always on or go for cider, wine or lager instead. Food takes in sausage & mash, lasagne, burgers, faggots nachos and more. Smokers get some coverage in the courtyard. Check Facebook page for regular festivities • The name Barley Mow came about via an administrative error.

THE BEAR

261 Hotwell Rd, BS8 4FF. Tel: 0117 987 7796 • A real mix of clientele in this popular venue, from students and locals to visiting musicians. Beers: Courage Best, Bombardier and Doom Bar plus Coors, Carling and Thatchers Gold. Good pub grub served lunchtimes, including pasta, fish, steaks etc with Sunday lunches “booming” at time of going to press. Covered and heated suntrap smoking area • Renowned bebop jazz club with international acts every Fri evening, live music occasionally Sat and Sun.

BEAUFORT

21 York Rd, Montpelier, BS6 5QB. Tel: 0117 955 5216 • A warm welcome awaits when you step through the doors of this cosy family-run pub. Twin-barred, mid-terrace and packed with character and characters who, alongside the jukebox stuffed with blues, reggae and Irish standards, provide the entertainment while you enjoy a pint of Butcombe, Blackthorn, Beck’s, Stella Artois, Kronenbourg or Fosters. Large selection of rums and spirits, one each of red and white. Enjoy your ciggie in the pub’s heated driveway • Be prepared to sing along with the locals.

BEAUFORT ARMS

23 High St, Clifton, BS8 2YF. Tel 07582 655558 • Landlady Debbie, here 13 years, converted the Beaufort Tap into the Beaufort Arms cider house and ensures this backstreet boozer’s charm remains unspoiled. Real ale options are Butcombe, London Pride and Doom Bar. with Thatchers, Thatchers Gold and Taunton Traditional among cider draughts and Stella, Kronie and Fosters also on tap. Food served Tue-Fri 12noon-2pm and Sun 1-3pm – expect the likes of bangers & mash, liver & onions and fish & chips. The Downs League’s oldest and youngest football teams meet here among some admirably colourful regulars. You’re as likely to find yourself drinking next to the gent who got even with the badger which got to his chickens as with fellows young and old only two degrees of separation from Charlton Heston and Marlon Brando. Darts, pool and board games bring bona fide boozer bonhomie. Big screen, pool table and a piano to play (if you can) • Jukebox boasts hits from the 60s onwards.

REOPENING BEEHIVE

114 Wellington Hill West, Henleaze, BS9 4QY. Landline not in place at time of going to press • As we go to press DOW has been informed of the Beehive’s imminent reopening. Details beyond that are sketchy so make a beeline to this suburban boozer to find out more – and tell ’em DOW sent ya • What has been claimed to be Bristol’s biggest beer garden has survived the closure intact.

THE BELL

16-18 Hillgrove St, off Jamaica St, Stokes Croft, BS2 8JT. Tel: 0117 909 6612, web: www.bell.butcombe.com/ • “Seriously funky,” wrote our man of a classic wood-floored public house with a diverse clientele and DJs playing regularly 9.30pm-12midnight weekdays (1am weekends). The secluded garden creates an oasis in the centre of town. Well known for its well-priced Sunday lunch (£5.95), with a choice of slow-roast pork, chicken or beef, goats’ cheese and beetroot tartlet, spinach and cream cheese lasagne or fish pie, the weekday menu includes baguettes, wraps, burgers, homemade vegetarian burgers and nachos. Drinks include Butcombe Bitter, Butcombe Gold, Mendip Spring and Bristol Sunrise, Veltins, San Miguel, Ashton Press, Ashton Still, Guinness and Fosters, plus Butcombe cold filtered Blond • Tiled beer garden with heaters, covers and lighting boasts Jamiroquai-vid chic. “A hidden gem within a hidden gem,” according to our man.

THE BERKELEY

Berkeley Centre, Queen’s Rd, BS8 1QE. Tel: 0117 927 9550 • Big, busy Wetherspoons pub, one of the first of the ‘super-pubs’ to hit Bristol. Great location and plentiful space have made this a consistently popular choice, especially for students. Drop-down TV screens show all major sporting events, but quiet areas of the pub still remain. Expect to find ales such as Greene King’s Ruddles and Abbot within a wide drinks range also offering Budvar, Corona, Staropramen, Tyskie, Desperado, Strongbow, Becks and much more. Ensure your Monday isn’t blue by copping for sub-two-quid Guinness and Carlsberg and attractive beer-and-burger offer. New 10-strong cocktail menu has arrived as has Sky vodka and Hendricks gin • Look out for the domed glass ‘globe area’, one of Venueland’s most attractive architectural features.

BISHOPS

Cheltenham Rd, BS6 5QP. Tel: 0117 944 5169 • Due to its location in studentsville, it’s rammed with bright, noisy young things. Drinks: four real ales – currently Greene King IPA, Abbot, Speckled Hen and Ruddles - and a wide selection of wines by the glass or bottle. Fosters and Carlsberg recently joined on tap by San Miguel and Estrella Damm. Summer menu brings blackened tuna steak salad for £4.99, which will also get you a sandwich, chips and drink as part of a lunchtime meal deal. Varied burger menu plus stalwarts like lasagne and ham, egg & chips. Screens show sport year-round, but there’s also a female-friendly mood prevailing. Regular DJs (plus DJ Derek on special occasions). Plans for a garden come summer • Champagne for under £20! Go on!

REOPENING BLACKBOY INN

171 Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2RY. No landline in place at time of going to press • As we go to press the workmen are doing their stuff here. DOW was informed in mid June of a reopening scheduled for the end of the month, with operations being taken in a gastropub direction. By the time you read this, then, the cut-above cuisine could already be coming out of the kitchen • Blackboy Hill is named after this inn, which was probably named after Charles II (who was of a dark complexion), rather than having any direct links with Bristol’s slave trade.

BRIDGE INN

Passage St, BS2 0JF. Tel: 0117 929 0942, web: www.bathales.com • “The Bridge clearly isn’t the biggest pub in Bristol, but penny-for-penny and cubic foot-for-cubic foot it just might be the best,” wrote our man. Drop in to this dinky for Bath Ales’ Gem, Spa and guests Dark Star American pale ale and Downton’s Apple Blossom at time of going to press. Fosters, Sagres and Kronenbourg plus Bath Ales’ Bounders cider, Blackthorn and Guinness also on tap. Two red, two whites and a rosé accompanied by extra-small mini bottles of Oliver and Greg’s cava, with other bottles bringing Tyskie, Jacques, Erdinger, Duvel and more. The sweet-toothed will love Tequila Rose coming in two varieties, cocoa cream and strawberry. Homely, hearty and honest food coming in big portions brings ham, egg & chips, bangers & mash and tortilla wraps with vegetarian spag bol a representative special. Throw in the play-your-own vinyl service and it’s clear why our chap rates this the pound-for-pound champion. Benches with brollies outside for relaxed rollie enjoyment • Their record collection’s got everything from Led Zeppelin to the Wombles!

BRISTOL CIDER HOUSE

8-9 Surrey St, St Pauls, BS2 8PS. Tel: 0117 942 8196, web: www.bristolciderhouse.co.uk • Once the Surrey Wine Vaults, the change of name a couple of years ago has seen it embrace the fermented juice of the apple to its very core. Around 20 varieties across draught and bottle are on offer at what our man described as a, “Cosy, dinky atmospheric gem (where) French Cacao Lacté posters create Parisian drinking den debauchery and decadence.” This welcoming spot also serves rustic food – filled baps and tasty pork pies – in keeping with the rural sups. Cider tastings inform and entertain clubs, corporate gatherings and groups of mates alike. Ale, lager and wine for those not sold on cider • Its proximity to Cabot Circus makes it the ideal place for those seeking to avoid traipsing round the shops of a Saturday – drop in to catch the weekly cider festival featuring live bands and a scrummy hog roast.

BRISTOL FLYER

96 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, BS7 8BN. Tel: 0117 944 1658 • Sprawling, smart biggie with numerous distinct areas. If you need to meet with a business acquaintance, fancy some romantic seclusion or are just after gathering the gang for a good time, you’ll find the space and a mood that’s spot-on. Fat seating adds a bit of luxury to sport-watching, reading or the playing of board games. The biggest change – literally – here since last year’s guide has been canine-related, with former resident Alaskan malamute Teg and owner moving on to be replaced by new boss bringing a Cairn Terrier and a Jack Russell/ Chihuahua cross (the mind boggles). The well-stocked bar’s plentiful draughts include Doom Bar plus guest alongside Aspall’s, Gaymers, Addlestones, Bulmers and rotating Westons ciders and swish lagers like Kirin, Peroni, Staropramen and Beck’s. Fruli and Franziskaner are also on tap. Bottles include the ace Innis & Gunn plus Duvel, Pisquena and Modelo. Food offers up delights like pork belly and honey-glazed apples, rib-eye steak sandwiches and falafel flatbread • Big heated garden out back has plenty of cover for smokers and non-smokers alike.

BRISTOL RAM

32 Park St, BS1 5JA. Tel: 0117 926 8654 • Four real ales from Young’s and Wells are always on as are offerings like Erdinger, Grolsch Blonde, Red Stripe, Heineken, Staropramen and Amstel, with Stowford Press and Addlestones for cider fans. Wine lovers get seven whites, seven reds, two rosés and some sparklers. Full cocktail list. Sky Sports HD & ESPN HD shown on Pioneer TVs; covers for smokers • Live acoustic music every Thur, Fri and Sat, some Suns.

BUNCH OF GRAPES

8 Denmark St. Tel: 07967 016860 • Six real ales at any time include permanents Caledonian, Doom Bar and Tribute plus three guests, with other tap choices bringing Fosters, Kronenbourg, Scrumpy Jack, Symonds and Guinness. Bottles include Budweiser, Becks, Sol and Newcastle Brown. Music Fri and Sat, classic pub food served every day except Sun 12noon-3pm and 6-8pm. Look out for September beer festival • In a historic street in a Grade II-listed building, it’s been a pub since the 1800s and has always been known as the Bunch of Grapes!

BUSH TAVERN

Wells Rd, Totterdown, BS4 2BA. Tel: 0117 909 1259 • Hilltop biggie showing the sport where big-hearted regulars are good sports themselves. Dr Barnado’s is the pub’s charity of the year, with a 10K run and half marathon completed in an excellent cause. Thirsts can be quenched with draught Pedigree, Stella, Carlsberg, Fosters, Dry Blackthorn or Thatchers Gold, with Natch in cans and the less-spotted Stone’s Ginger Joe in bottles. Locally sourced homemade food includes all-day breakfasts and two-for-£10 Sunday lunches while a Monster Munch hat-trick brings big packs in beef, pickled onion and flamin’ hot flavours (and you can hit the pool tables to establish who gets the next lot in). A half-covered patio deck running along the building’s north side provides a stunning view over Bristol • The Bush Hotel originally stood on the opposite side of the road – this relatively new building stands where some shops were demolished for a road which was never built.

CADBURY HOUSE

Richmond Rd, Montpelier, BS6 5EW. Tel: 0117 924 7874 • A vital part of the local community and home to a good mix of students, locals and virtual tenants. Always a good place for a hassle-free pint, even on crowded weekends. Gem, Doom Bar and Tribute (or thereabouts) are on draught, currently joined by San Miguel, Red Stripe, Grolsch and Fosters plus Addlestones, Thatchers Gold and Guinness. Seven rums include Wray & Nephew and Sailor Jerry, with Bombay Sapphire another top-notch spirit. Thatchers Katy and Pear, Budvar, Sol and Peroni among the bottles, Old Rosie in a box on the bar, six wines soon to increase and seven coffees if you had a few too many the night before. Large covered area (heating to arrive come winter) and extensive garden laid to lawn. Irregular live music and DJs • Legendary drinking institution in Bristol’s bohemian quarter.

CAMBRIDGE ARMS

Coldharbour Rd, Redland, BS6 7JS. Tel: 0117 973 9786 • “Sharp-as-a-tack barmaid Nina spots empty glasses like a kestrel spots a vole with a broken leg,” wrote our man recently of a pub where the high standards of the Fuller’s Brewery apply to food, drink, décor and staff. The food uptake has increased three-fold but you’re just as welcome to be here for the beer, with ESB, London Pride and Discovery as well as Butcombe on draught. The organic Honey Dew is easily as refreshing as anything from the lager range which offers up Carling, Stella and Kronie. Aspalls cider is on draught (and Rekorderig has just appeared) while in the fridges you’ll spot some luvverly Fuller’s bottles including London Porter, 1845 and Golden Pride. Four can be taken away for a tenner – go on, do it! The sizeable back garden is wonderfully secluded and boasts a hog roast machine which took care of appetites at a recent birthday shindig. The food sometimes incorporates the booze (e.g. beer-battered fish & chips). Nine whites, nine reds. Quiz with innovative safe-cracking element Sundays. Shelter for the smokers • A charity suncare lotion dispenser means you can linger long on the lawn without looking like a lobster.

CAT AND WHEEL

207 Cheltenham Rd, BS6 5QX. Tel: 0117 942 7862 • You’re never more than six feet from a rat, allegedly, but there are three of the blighters on draught at this big, busy two-bar pub with pool tables. (Sounds like the eponymous feline is sleeping on the job.) Black Rat and its cloudy and perry cousins are joined by Thatchers Gold and Blackthorn on tap. Four real ales on at any time currently comprise Bass, Doom Bar, Tribute and guest, with Heineken, Kronie and Fosters your lager options. All live sport shown on a total of eight TV screens (including alfresco viewing) with the smokers getting heating and cover. Fri and Sat live music, Sun karaoke. Open Mon-Thur 2pm-12midnight, Fri-Sat 12noon-1am, Sun 12noon-12midnight • Thursday quiz going 16 years.

CHANNINGS HOTEL

Pembroke Rd, Clifton, BS8 3BB. Tel: 0117 973 3970 • Our man was told one of the regulars has been coming here for 40 years (he recalls seven landlords’ reigns), confirming this as a place to which, once discovered, you return. A venerable Clifton institution, its beer garden is a beauty, its interior impressive and its atmosphere ever so slightly aspirational. The wooden panelling and luxurious sofas create a stylish mood for a glass of wine but you’re as welcome nursing a pint when watching the sport. Comedy, speed-dating and salsa bring entertainment almost on a par with the people-watching when the local jet set are socializing in the sun. The cool crowd keep cool with the likes of Stella, Beck’s Vier, San Miguel, Staropramen and Strongbow, with draught ales London Pride and Butcombe. Six whites, three rosés and four reds while bottles include Kopparberg, Bulmers and Aspalls among others. Those with wheels get alcohol-free Beck’s Blue and Feel Good options. Fresh pub food includes fish & chips, bangers & mash and lamb tagine • Originally given as a gift to a royal lady-in-waiting to keep her quiet about one of Queen Victoria’s affairs, apparently.

THE CLIFTON

16 Regent St, Clifton, BS8 4HG. Tel: 0117 974 1967 • Lager lover’s lounge where seven of the most refreshing brews include Paulaner, Peroni, Staropramen and Amstel. Eclectic, charming and welcoming, this spot’s broad appeal means you can bring the nippers here during the day and return with your great uncle of an evening and everyone’s happy. Permanents Doom Bar and Tribute welcome visiting guests while Hogan’s Cider (alas, nothing to do with Hulk – wouldn’t that be good?) is similarly on draught. Good whisky selection, money-saving ‘Grab my Grapes’ offer on Wednesday. Some of the city’s most varied entertainment comes via Tuesday’s Clifton Factor quiz and Sunday’s ‘u-Choons’ evening when punters can DJ with their iPod for free drinks. All this plus top food conjured up amid an open kitchen’s theatre within the pub’s laidback atmosphere and quirky décor. Dogs are allowed in providing the staff can have a cuddle – it’s that kind of place • Monday’s ‘Certificate 18’ cocktail and cinema night starts the week sublimely.

CLYDE ARMS

129 Hampton Rd, Redland, BS6 6JE. Tel: 0117 923 7936 • This Clyde is bonny! Everything you expect from a friendly old-fashioned boozer is present and correct, from lovely stained-glass windows, two dartboards, a jukebox, pool, pork scratchings and a wood-burner plus umbrellas keeping the smokers comfy in winter. Expect at least three draught real ales beside Blackthorn, Stowford Press, Thatchers Original and Budweiser, with bottles offering Newcastle Brown, Becks, Holsten and more. Three reds, three whites, ginger ale and Kettle Chips also here. Monday is darts night, Wednesday sees the pool regulars warm up ahead of Thursday’s competition while Sun night sees the poker school in town. Three big drop-down screens show Sky • A glorious Chas-and-Dave-advert-style local. Gertcha!

COACH AND HORSES

Highland Sq, Clifton, BS8 2YB. Tel: 0117 974 5176 • Our chap dropped in on a busy opening night to find a right old shindig underway. This characterful former coaching inn overlooks a square, and on a balmy summer’s evening the feel’s not a million miles from drinking alfresco on the terrace of a bar beside an Italian piazza. Five real ales at any time plus lager and cider take care of thirsts while dishes like sweet chilli pork belly, pork in stilton sauce, ploughman’s and lasagne take care of hungers. Open mic Mon, fortnightly Wed quiz • A lovely view across the rooftops.

COLSTON YARD

Colston St, BS1 5BD. Tel: 0117 376 3232 • Reopened on the site of the old Smiles Brewery in December 2007, this Butcombe beaut serves rural ambience in a city bar. Tradition is acknowledged here; they’ll be (temporarily) taking your left shoe from you if you order a Kwak as deposit for the highly unusual glass in which it’s served. Four real ales include a permanent Butcombe with other draughts including Vedett, San Miguel and Ashton Press, but it’s the 45+ (count ’em) bottled beers which truly offer something different. Choose (if you can) from American craft beers, German wheat beers and Trappist and Australian brews. Non-drinkers get Bitburger Drive or Beks Blue plus Orchard Pig pear juice. Traditional food menu offers bangers & mash, fish & chips and more. Music on the first Tuesday monthly. Cobbles with heating and cover for the smokers • Any takers for Samiclaus – billed as the strongest beer in the world (14°)? It’s brewed on one day per year – 6 Dec – St Nicolas’s Day.

COMMERCIAL ROOMS

Corn St, BS1 1HT. Tel: 0117 927 9681 • Wetherspoons biggie, in what was once an exclusive coffee house where merchants used to discuss stocks and shares. Ten draught beers at any time include permanent fixtures Butcombe Gold, Otter, Ruddles and Abbot joined by four draught ciders in the shape of Thatchers Gold, Stowford Press, Blackthorn and Strongbow. Kronie, Stella, Carlsberg, Tuborg, Fosters, Carling and Guinness also on tap, with bottles including Tyskie, Efes, Budvar and Moretti. Vodka range and modest cocktail menu keep the variety coming. Food offers all the time. Look out for June cider fest with around a dozen drops to down • The compass informing the above-mentioned merchants of boats making dock is still here.

COOPERS ARMS

12-13 Ashton Rd, Ashton, BS3 2EA. Tel: 0117 902 0359 • Small, local Victorian hostelry with Tribute, Butcombe and Courage Best on tap plus Blackthorn for ciderheads. A proper local drinking hole with comfortable seating, great stained glass and heavy curtains: a real locals’ pub with no frills, and all the better for it. A nice beer garden out back and its lack of steps makes it popular with wheelchair users • Dogs on leads welcome in rear.

THE CORNUBIA

142 Temple St, Redcliffe, BS1 6AB. Tel: 0117 925 4415 • Always serves seven ales, all of which are guests. Tucked away between the old brewery site and offices, where its ambience and atmosphere attract a loyal following, particularly from Bristol CAMRA. Also expect to find seven ciders like Cheddar Valley, Thatchers Gold and Lilleys Apples & Pears, with Katy among the bottles and Grolsch among the lagers. The pub has one bar and two rooms with long shelves to rest your drink, and serves a range of pub grub at the bar at lunchtimes, with pork pies available throughout the day. The first-floor area is also available to hire. Outside decking with heating and cover • Once the executive suite/brewery tap for Courage Bristol Brewery.

THE CORONATION

18 Dean Lane, Southville, BS3 1DD. Tel: 0117 940 9044 • The king is dead, long live the king, or something like that. Last year’s guide described the Coronation as “one of a dying breed” where numerous certificates on the wall confirmed its real ale credentials. New management has since arrived, offering Doom Bar and Courage Best on draught alongside Fosters, Kronenbourg, Heineken, Thatchers Gold and Bulmers. Katy and Bulmers offerings are also in bottles. Closure for a month brought a new look; think dark wood rather than sticky carpets. Prices have dropped, which is nice • Excellent jukebox; live music may be a future attraction.

CORONATION TAP

8 Sion Place, Clifton, BS8 4AX. Tel: 0117 973 9617, web: www.thecoronationtap.com • Not just a local legend – the world-famous Corrie Tap is the only cider house in Clifton and the oldest in Bristol. Its Facebook fan base continues to grow, with over 1,400 ‘likes’ at time of going to press (it’s also on Myspace). Home of the infamous Exhibition cider (sold in half-pints only) amid a 20-strong cider range including Thatchers and Cheddar Valley (with new offerings constantly trailed), plus real ales for those who shun the apple. The music offerings (always on Sun and Tue, sometime on Mon and Thur) are amazing here, with the virtuoso Moscow Drug Club one of numerous local acts rocking the crowd. Indeed, the pub has made the top six of the UK music pub of the year competition for the last three years running • Look out for Corriefest on 12-14 Aug with lots of bands and cider.

COTHAM PORTER STORES

15 Cotham Rd South, BS6 5TZ • Gorgeous little mid-terrace pub famed citywide as one of Bristol’s finest traditional cider houses, with plentiful draughts including Thatchers Traditional, Gold, Heritage and Dry, Broadoak, Cheddar Valley and Bristol Port Cider. Bottles include Katy oak-matured and her younger rosé sister, Magners, Bulmers and Bulmers Pear. Ale offerings are more modest but you will find the lesser-spotted Brakspear’s Oxford Gold among others. Busy but cosy, with a real community feel, it’s a pub where cricket is loved almost as much as the juice of the apple – check the framed bat and Cotham Porter Stores Cricket Club honours board. Courtyard offers cover for smokers, jukebox offers tunes for music lovers. Open daily from 12noon with rolls and pork pies always available. ’Fraid there’s little to suggest the pub mural was painted by one John Winston Lennon when The Beatles played Bristol • A plaque and a photograph here pay respect to much-missed cricketers.

COTTAGE INN

Baltic Wharf, Cumberland Rd. Tel: 0117 921 5256 • Fabulous dockside location with excellent views across the river. A full menu includes dishes like lasagne, chilli (veggie version too), scampi, bangers & mash, hunter’s chicken, gammon and lighter options like jacket potatoes with fish pie an occasional special. It’s a beautiful spot for a Sunday lunch, whether eaten indoors beside the fire when it’s cold or enjoyed outside. Four real ales at any time likely to include the likes of Butcombe and Butcombe Gold. Ashton Press fizzy and still is on draught, with Brothers and Bulmers in the fridge. Lagers take in Beck’s Vier, Stella and Veltins, while there’s an extensive wine selection available by the bottle or glass. Beck’s Blue and Frobishers for the drivers. A real summer hotspot. Umbrella and awning on the patio • Ferry to the city centre goes from just outside.

THE CROFT

117-119 Stokes Croft, BS1 3RW. Tel: 0117 987 4144, web: www.the-croft.com • Open from 7pm onwards for a drink whether or not you’re catching the numerous bands playing here. One of the city’s leading live venues, drop in for Spa and Doom Bar on draught, with Zatec, Grolsch, Carling and Red Stripe plus Stowford Press, the pretty rare Lilleys Bee Sting pear cider and the rarer-still Lilleys Stargazer. Bottles include offerings like Brothers and Westons Organic plus Budvar and Gem. DOW’s researcher has dropped in here since last year’s guide (leaving notepad at home) to catch Mr B Gentleman Rhymer. The chaphop guv’nor is indeed allowed to spark up his briar, but he won’t cop for any cover or heating outside • Multi-gig venue, with two separate gigs staged at the same time. Sweet!

THE CROSS HANDS

1 Staple Hill Rd, Fishponds, BS16 5AA. Tel: 0117 965 4684 • “Like its sister pub Horfield’s Royal Oak, the Cross Hands represents all that is good in the modern boozer,” said our man after his visit here. “High-ceilinged throughout, its various areas provide plenty for everyone… fat leather sofas are made for unwinding, groups can chow down on the long tables while what is arguably Venueland’s most stylish function room has already staged 18th and 60th birthdays plus two post-funeral gatherings, with film nights, comedy, quizzes and speed dating to come.” An impressive drinks list offers 16 rums, six real ales (Gem, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Doom Bar and Otter are ever-presents), Becks, Staropramen, Peroni and Stella plus Old Rosie, Stowford Press, Thatchers Gold and Addlestones. Ten wines are split equally between red and white, with food as at its cross-town sibling and similar consideration given to alfresco facilities • Originally a coaching station, a pub has been on the site for over 200 years.

DOWNEND TAVERN

125 Downend Rd, Fishponds, BS16 5BE. Tel: 0117 956 1277 • Old-fashioned, single-bar, street-corner boozer where Wickwar Brewery beers have arrived since last year’s guide, with BOB and Cotswold Way going down a treat amid three ales always on. Other sups include Fosters, Grolsch Blonde and Blackthorn; two more ciders are due to arrive, one of which will be Natch. Already here are curry nights on Wed and Thur bringing a pint and meal for £6. Small patio area for alfresco drinking, skittle alley for skittling • Get here early if you’re after sitting down for Friday’s live music (especially if rock’n’roll pianist John Clare is playing).

DRAWBRIDGE

14-15 St Augustine’s Parade, BS1 4UT. Tel: 0117 929 8391 • Positioned perfectly beside the Hippodrome for a pre- or post-theatre pint. Real ales Doom Bar and Gem accompany Fosters, Heineken, Amstel and Strongbow on draught, with bottles taking in tipples like Corona, Budweiser, Stella, Jacques, Woodpecker and Bulmers. Food served daily until 9pm: Tue, Wed and Thur evenings being grill, burger and curry nights respectively • Easily found (and big) central meeting place.

DUKE OF YORK

2 Jubilee Rd, St Werburghs, BS2 9RS. Tel: 0117 941 3677 • This, the CAMRA Bristol and district pub of the year 2008, is easily as grand as that elderly fella in the song. Four ales change all the time – expect 16 a month, roughly, with a Zerodegrees pale ale having somehow strayed from downtown to take up residence here. Eleven ciders include organic and bottled varieties; this was the nation’s first pub to get Lilleys Bee Sting on draught (Apples & Pears is also here). A magnificent seven draught lagers comprise Amstel, Fosters, San Miguel, Budweiser, Staropramen, Kronie and Heineken. Bottles bring Franziskaner and Czech Budvar among others, with cocktails rustled up Sundays from 2pm. Great games room upstairs has pool, darts, skittle and fussball, while the beer garden has a retractable sail. Open evenings only (Mon-Thur from 5pm, Fri from 4pm, Sat-Sun from 3pm.) Bar snacks served, Wed quiz • Check out the fantastic external mural and the new larger-than-life hula girl.

ELDON HOUSE

6 Lower Clifton Hill, BS8 1BT. Tel: 0117 922 1271, web: www.theeldonhouse.com • Charming boozer endearingly off the beaten track. Dishes like ham, egg & chips, sausage & mash and burgers plus a top Sunday roast accompany some fine drinks. Real ales are Gem, Spa, Sunrise plus two guests (the likes of Festivity and Barnstormer come winter) plus Darkside, Bounders, Freedom organic lager, Kronenbourg and Fosters. Bottles offer up Budvar, Westons Organic and Pear, Aspalls Suffolk, Erdinger and Leffe. Good back bar spirit range plus selection of wines from around the world includes refreshing, summery 9% light, sparkling wine • If you’ve not yet dropped in, go along and discover!

FAMOUS ROYAL NAVAL VOLUNTEER

King St, BS1 4EF. Tel: 0117 929 1763 • In an age when good customer service is rare, hats off to manager David Lee whose aim here is to always exceed expectation. Dating back to 1673, its interior, modelled on a ship’s captain’s cabin, features comfy seats and sofas, a library and a back bar available for private hire. The ever-popular Volly serves regulars like Moor Merlin’s Magic, Cotleigh Golden Sea Hawk and Landlord joined by three fortnightly-changing guests. Elsewhere on tap you’ll find Carling, Fosters, Budvar and Heinken beside Kingston Press, Thatchers and Aspalls. Alcohol-free Cobra for the designated drivers. Beer festival scheduled for Bristol’s harbour shindig; also expect an increase in the amount of live music on offer (currently just on the last Friday monthly). Light meals served at lunchtimes with a quick turnaround getting you office-bound in good time • John Elbridge, the man who founded the BRI, once lived here.

THE FARM

Hopetoun Rd, St Werburghs, BS2 9YL. Tel: 0117 944 2384, web: www.thefarmpub.weebly.com • Funky, laidback but lively community pub much beloved for generations. Fri and Sat see music and DJs; regular cinema nights with popcorn have gained popularity since their introduction. Weekly guest ales join regulars Gem and Doom Bar on draught with lagers including Red Stripe and Beck’s Vier. Agwa coca leaf liqueur from Bolivia and Green Island spiced rum bring decidedly exotic touches. Food offers up British classics (bangers & mash, St Werburgers) alongside overseas dishes like pitta platters, with the Sunday roasts coming with a get-here-early warning. Exterior painted by graffiti artists Xenz, Busk and Sark. Smokers get converted pigsties and large heated canopy in/under which to spark up • Outdoor live music, on a stage, in the summer for charity.

FORESTERS ARMS

94 Ashley Down Rd, Ashley Down, BS7 9JR. Tel: 0117 924 3852 • Immensely attractive redbrick local popular with the city’s Scottish and Irish community, showing all Celtic games, and a pre- and post-match fave with Gasheads. No food but Butcombe, Blackthorn, Stella and San Miguel across the bottles and draughts. Pool table • Henrik Larsson is their king of kings.

FORESTERS ARMS

99 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, BS7 8AT. Tel: 0117 940 1848 • Not to be confused with the identically named pub further up and off Gloucester Rd (so if you’ve been texted by a mate, don’t make the same mistake your author did). You’ll be glad you found this place; the two pool tables are only 50p a game and the Taunton Traditional and Blackthorn Sweet are only £2.10 all day Sun-Thur. Other draughts include Doom Bar, Bass, Kronenbourg, San Miguel, John Smiths and Guinness, with bottles bringing Newcie Brown, Crabbies and Bulmers among others. Projector and 50-inch plasma TV or make yourself at home and bring along your CDs for playing. Rolls served • Pub dog Scrumpy – a Jack Russell/Manchester Terrier cross – was formerly at the Cotham Porter Stores. Resembles a fox, apparently.

THE FULL MOON AND ATTIC BAR

Stokes Croft, BS1 3PR. Tel: 0117 924 5007, web: www.fullmoonbristol.co.uk • Never one to rest on its laurels, this pioneering boozer/live music venue/backpackers hostel is planning some outside construction which will bring shelter for the smokers. In the meantime, four real ales from a range of local breweries nestle up beside Westons and Ashton Press ciders and Kronenbourg, Heineken and Fosters lagers. Seasonally changing menus use high-quality organic and free-range ingredients: steak, chicken breast, lamb shank, bangers & mash (with vegetarian option), vegetarian lasagne, fish of the day. New for 2011 is the express ‘Backpacker’ deal (open to resident and non-resident alike), bringing two courses for £6.50 Mon-Sat • Boss man JJ reckons he gave the legendary Don Watts DJ lessons recently.

GEORGE

228 Wells Rd, Knowle, BS4 2AX. Tel: 0117 949 3314 • Community boozer attracting numerous regulars for its fine selection of draughts and bottles, covering Courage Best, Bombardier, Bulmers, Kronenbourg and Sagres among others. Heaters and brollies for those sparking up in front. Function room, poker Tue and Thur, live music staged. Open Mon-Thur 2-11pm, Fri-Sun 12noon-11pm • Shane Warne used to drink in here. Shane Warne, fer crying out loud.

GLOUCESTER ARMS

635 Gloucester Rd, BS7 0BJ. Tel: 0117 951 4925 • DOW has been told more significant food offerings are shortly to be offered at the Gloucester Arms, with the opening of a restaurant area and the arrival of a bona fide chef. Much-loved by its regulars, the Gloucester Arms holds a warm welcome for all, with pool, sport on TV and a spot of music on a Sunday afternoon among its attractions. Drop in for Doom Bar, Stella, Carling, Fosters and Blackthorn on draught with Natch in bottles. Garden front and back • Formerly the Duke of York.

GOLDEN GUINEA

19 Guinea St, BS1 6SX. Tel: 0117 987 2034 • Seriously off the beaten track: drop in here for a good selection of draughts and bottles. Entertainment comes via DJs and live music. On two levels with three terraces • A famous ne’er-do-well was alleged to have drunk here.

GOLDEN LION

244 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, BS7 8NZ. Tel: 0117 924 6449 • Twenty-three engaging paintings by eminent local painter, poet and all-round good guy Messias recently adorned the walls at this funky Gloucester Road fave for six weeks. Your writer was mightily impressed by what he saw (and was similarly blown away by Messias and mate Nuno’s Bristol Lisboa Gallery in the Portuguese capital). This pub is quite the multi-tasker too, combining the aforementioned changing artwork with excellent music offerings six nights weekly. It also serves booze; three real ales plus Stowford Press, Thatchers Traditional, Westons Old Rosie and Aspalls plus lagers on draught. Thatchers pear is among the bottles as are Westons Organic and Magners. The Golden Lion’s services don’t extend to food provision but the bringing-in of grub from elsewhere is allowed • None-more-wicked mural covers the exterior.

GOLDEN LION

641 Fishponds Rd, Fishponds, BS16 3BA. Tel: 0117 958 6446 • Characterful neighbourhood boozer on the busy Fishponds Road. Very much cider-oriented: expect options like Thatchers Gold, Natch, Blackthorn, Taunton Traditional and Black Rat on draught, with Brothers’ pear and strawberry, Katy, Magners and Jacques in the fridge. Lovely big (660ml) bottles of Kingston Press refresh the biggest thirsts. Draught lagers offer Stella, Fosters and Beck’s Vier, with Bass and Newcastle Brown among narrower beer options. Dartboard and fussball • Music on Fri from 9pm and Sun from 6pm.

GRAIN BARGE

Hotwell Rd, Hotwells, BS8 4RU. Tel: 0117 929 9347, web: www.grainbarge.co.uk • A former Top Banana when it comes to Bristol bars, where Bristol Beer Factory’s Sunrise, Acer, No 7 and Stout are backed up by guest beer and quality in the lager and cider departments. Lilleys Apples & Pears is on draught as are Grolsch and Beck’s, with bottles bringing Westons Organic, Sol, Peroni and more. A trio of both red and white for wine lovers. Food includes nights featuring steak and pie & pint offers. Live music Fri. Smoke out on the covered gangway or top deck while admiring the ss Great Britain. Open Tue-Sun, available for private hire • Look out for beer and music fest on June’s last weekend.

THE GREENBANK

57 Bellevue Rd, Easton, BS5 6DP. Tel 0117 902 9583. web: www.thegreenbank.co.uk • The Greenbank continues to stage some of the best music offerings of any Venueland boozer. World-renowned saxophonist Andy Sheppard has played here three times recently. Drinks-wise, we’re talking drops like London Pride, Butcombe, Gem and brews from Bristol Beer Factory, lagers like Stella and Red Stripe and draught ciders such as Aspalls and Thatchers, with Bristol Cider Works’ flavours and the pub’s own Greenbank cider and perry (made in the Forest of Dean) bringing more options. The food promised to arrive in past guides may yet do so by autumn. The courtyard here isn’t heated but there’s cover for the smokers and it’s quite a warm spot at one of Bristol’s most accessible pubs, with train station, cycle path and M32 minutes away • One of very few (two?) Venueland pubs with their own table tennis table; ‘King of Ping’ tournament staged.

GREEN MAN

21 Alfred Pl, Kingsdown, BS2 8HD. Tel: 0117 930 4824, web: www.dawkins-taverns.co.uk • The name reflects the pub’s MO of serving only organic and natural drinks where possible. Expect six real ales (Dawkins’s Green Barrel Organic Best Bitter a permanent fixture). The liquid grub is just as tempting, with ‘Stewsday’ on Tuesdays bringing a hearty bowlful, and the organic, traditional English pub fare also offering up sausage and mash, cheese platters and pasties plus fish & chips on Fridays. Pub cats George and Mr Bingley are a couple of fine fellows • Organic beer festival set for September 2011 promises a quarter-century of different brews.

THE GREYHOUND

32 Princess Victoria St, Clifton, BS8 4BZ • Mid-terrace marvel where the welcome’s as warm as a friendly lick on the face from Mick the Miller and dog owners can bring their pets. Drop in for three ales at any time including the likes of Otter as well as Thatchers Gold, Fosters, San Miguel and Kronie. Five whites and five reds make posh company for tasty pork pies and Scotch eggs. Entertainment includes sport on TV, Thur open mic, Fri live music, with a pool table for the hustlers. The back room can be hired while the back garden brings heating and cover for those sparking up • Apparently, Elizabeth Taylor and Sean Connery have popped in for a pint in the past.

THE GRYPHON

41 Colston St, BS1 5AP. Web: www.gryphonbristol.co.uk • Lots of name changes over the last year or so: the latest incarnation of what was once one of Bristol’s stalwart gay hangouts currently boasts it’s the city’s “newest real ale and heavy metal pub” so expect “proper beers” like Barnstormer, Silver Stallion and the like.

HARE ON THE HILL

41 Thomas St North, off Dove St, Kingsdown, BS2 8LX. Tel: 0117 908 1982 • Bath Ales beauty listed in numerous pub guides where three-five ales are always on. It was a cover star of 2006’s Pubs & Inns of England & Wales (wherein it’s one of only four Bristol boozers), appeared in Sawday’s Special Places and was CAMRA’s 1998 pub of the year. Draughts include Gem, Barnstormer, Spa, Dark Side and Bounders joined by non-Bath Ales offerings Freedom and Fosters. Six Bath Ales bottles plus Westons Organic, Peroni, Erdinger and Duvel. Gift packs and mini casks make ideal Father’s Day presents. Food comprises toasties and irresistible chips • Modern backstreet boozer.

THE HATCHET INN

27 Frogmore St, BS1 5NA. Tel: 0117 929 4118, web: www.thehatchet.co.uk • Lays claim to being the oldest pub in Bristol, established at the beginning of the 1600s, and now enjoyed by an eclectic clientele. A rambling old building with two bars, games room with pool tables and a separate function room, complete with bar, used for club nights and available for private hire. Hugely busy when there’s a decent gig at the nearby Academy or Colston Hall. Butcombe and Theakstons on tap beside Fosters, Kronenbourg, Heineken, Scrumpy Jack, Thatchers Gold and Bulmers. Bottles include Desperado, Sol, Tiger, Peroni, Old Peculier and Green Goblin. DJ sets till 3am sometimes on bank holidays. Open until 2am at weekends. Fully enclosed garden with heating and cover for tab homage. Food includes nachos, burgers, steaks and sandwiches plus Sunday roasts • Apparently, the door was originally covered in human skin. Ugh!

HEN AND CHICKEN

210 North St, Bedminster, BS3 1JF. Tel: 0117 966 3143, web: www.thecomedybox.co.uk • Café/bar-type feel downstairs with comedy club upstairs. Six ale pumps are in place (around half may be in use in summer) and likely to offer two lots of Doom Bar plus rotating guests, with other draughts including Amstel, Kronie, Leffe Blonde, Addlestones and Suffolk cider. A dozen reds and whites are available by the glass plus two rosés, five sparklers and 12 cocktails. Bottles bring Kopparberg, Crabbies and Weston’s Organic. Traditional pub, grill and pizza offerings a cut above with the pizza bases made on site with organic flour and the pub also making its own burgers, pies and batter for fish and chips. Exterior facilities include a heated awning • Upstairs room has many uses, including entertaining end-of-course performances by French language group Alliance Française.

HIGHBURY VAULTS

St Michaels Hill, BS2 8DE. Tel: 0117 973 3203 • Renowned and highly regarded pub, popular with conversationalists due to the lack of music, with a snug bar for those who want to get away from it all. Seven or eight ales on draught (three of which are Young’s) plus the scrummy banana bread beer and chocolate stout in bottles. Drop in often enough and you might find banana bread on draught again – it’s come and gone since last year’s guide. Ciders include Addlestones and Thatchers Gold, with Kronenbourg and Fosters the lager choices and Bitburger Drive an alcohol-free option. Terrific-value food now includes free-range pork pies, pasties and Scotch eggs. Large rear patio doubles the capacity and is incredibly popular all year round, thanks to numerous heaters. Once the site of a gallows, prisoners were kept here overnight before execution, and legend has it that this was where they ate their last meal • 28 Aug sees the eleventh annual Party on the Hill.

HILLGROVE PORTER STORES

53 Hillgrove St North, Kingsdown, BS2 8LT. Tel: 0117 924 9818 • Cosy, candlelit community pub in the heart of Kingsdown. This is an unpretentious, old-fashioned bar of the highest order, serving 10 real ales, including Dawkins Bob Wall, Brassknocker Blonde and Green Barrel organic plus seven guests and three draught ciders. Draught lagers are Samuel Smith’s Pure Brewed and Alpine. You’ll find an excellent single malt, spirit and wine range plus ciders, beers and soft drinks in bottles. Food is served daily (except Tue) until late, DJs spin every Tue and Wed, there’s a quiz every Sun and live music alternate Thurs. Beer garden with cover for smokers. Open Mon-Fri from 4pm, Sat-Sun from 2pm. Sunday roasts start at 5pm – ideal for later risers • CAMRA Pub of the Year for Bristol and District 2007, look out for beer fest, music and street party weekend of 23 July.

THE HOLE IN THE WALL

2 The Grove, Queen Sq, BS1 4QZ. Tel. 0117 926 5967 • Historic dockside building providing a beautiful, informal pub and eatery. Draught ales are Butcombe, 6X and guest along with Guinness, Strongbow, Aspall and Addlestones cider. Quite a few wines on offer with wine (and whisky) nights staged. Plenty of traditional, seasonal food choices from wraps upwards. Outside seating (and smoking) on the grass • The name refers to the small window pubs had for customers to keep an eye out for advancing press gangs. The Hole in the Wall has an entire ‘spy house’ on the dock side of the pub, still visible today.

THE HOPHOUSE

Kings Rd, Clifton, BS8 4AB. Tel: 0117 923 7390 • Massive refurbishment in autumn 2007 removed the handsome platform clock, stunning floral displays and pretty much everything else of the Hophouse’s history to create a stylish and contemporary bar and dining room. Expect to find beers along the lines of 6X, Henrys IPA and Wadworth, with Thatchers Gold and Stowford Press among the ciders. Lagers offer impressive variety, with Kronie, Amstel, Fosters, Tiger, Budvar and Peroni among your choices, plus there’s a 30-strong wine list. Jugs of Pimms for the summer plus iced coffee (with takeaway coffee also available) • The cobbles, still here, can be smoked on, with umbrellas offering cover.

HOPE AND ANCHOR

38 Jacob’s Wells Rd, BS8 1DR. Tel: 0117 929 2987 • Permanently popular due not least to the astonishing multi-levelled terrace garden out back, with plenty of quirky fixtures and fittings. Home to an admirably eclectic drinks range: six draught ales, four draught lagers, one draught cider plus plenty more in bottles. Four reds, four whites and a rosé for the undecideds. The grub has long enjoyed an extensive and loyal following. Smoke in the attractive pagoda • No machines, pool tables or jukebox, just a warm and relaxing atmosphere.

HORTS

49 Broad St, BS1 2EP. Tel: 0117 925 2520 • A deceptively large pub that seems to go on forever, with lots of nooks and crannies for intimate chats and a quiet meal. One of the city’s biggest beer ranges sees nine on draught, including Young’s Bitter and London Gold, Wells Bombardier and Waggle Dance plus guests with bottled ales including Young’s Chocolate and Banana Bread. Draught ciders are Blackthorn, Thatchers Gold, Addlestones and Thatchers Heritage with the uber rare Kirin Ichiban one of five draught lagers alongside Heineken, Kronie and Fosters varieties. Non-ale bottles bring everything from Becks, Peroni, Sol and Budweiser to Bulmers pear and original, Crabbies and Rekorderlig. A dozen reds and whites split 50/50 with cocktails due to arrive. Pub grub served all day includes burgers, bangers & mash and fish & chips. Smoking area with awning and heaters. Exemplary Sky Sports offerings include 3D action! • Named after Arthur Hort, an 18th-century bon viveur, writer and artist.

THE IMP

2 Alpha Rd, Southville, BS3 1DH. Tel: 0117 953 5188 • Originally known as the Southville, this is a well-kept neighbourhood pub with decent pub grub – dishes like scampi, burgers etc with specials and everything served daily (apart from Sun) 12noon-2pm and 5-7.30pm. If you’re lucky, you’ll win your dinner by way of Sunday’s meat raffle. Beers include Courage Best, Summer Lightning, 6X and the lesser-spotted Toby, with further draught choices coming by way of Stowford Press, Blackthorn, Stella, Carling, Guinness and Fosters. Quiz Mon and Thur, music last Sat monthly. Covered smoking area with heating • A much-loved locals’ backstreet boozer - as featured in Venue’s bygone series.

THE INN ON THE GREEN

2 Filton Rd, Horfield, BS7 0PA. Tel: 0117 952 1391 • Big, cheerful pub with a fearsome reputation for real ales. There are up to 15 available at any one time, with regulars Bass, Butcombe and Moles Tap beside guests and up to six ciders and perries bringing choices like Cheddar Valley, Stowford Press, Addlestones, Old Rosie and Bounders. Staropramen is among the lager offerings here. A whopping 85 real ales and 20 ciders were savoured at May’s festival and look out for a repeat at the same time in 2012. The kitchen, presided over by Owen Tunstall, serves a well-executed menu influenced by global cuisine while maintaining British classics. Quiz on Sun. Decent-sized beer garden with heated umbrella for the smokers • Former CAMRA Bristol & District Pub of the Year.

JERSEY LILY

193 Whiteladies Rd. Tel: 0117 973 9037 • Enduringly popular historic boozer just down from the Downs. DOW dropped in in person to be told named drink details are being decided as we go to press, so drop in your good self and see what’s on offer (April just gone saw a Caledonian beer festival) to accompany mains like chilli, lasagne and ham, egg & chips • Clean, crisp, contemporary yet traditional pub named after Lillie Langtry.

KELLAWAY

138-140 Kellaway Ave, Horfield, BS6 7YQ. Tel: 0117 909 3765 • Serving five beers at any time, you’ll find some rarer sups here. Doom Bar and Tribute are fairly omnipresent across Venueland but Number 7 is quite rare and Betty Stogs very rare indeed with the fifth ale alternating between Spitfire and Landlord. Four draught lagers include Peroni and San Miguel with Dry Blackthorn and Thatchers Gold also on draught. Bottles include Magners, Bulmers Crisp, Newcie Brown, Cobra, Sol and Bitburger Drive with 17 wines evincing the upped food ante since new management arrived around Christmas time. Strong fish options are accompanied by beef and ale pie as well as supreme of chicken. The pub even has its own chickens – doubtless supreme themselves – called Huey, Dewey, Louie and Fluff, who sock up the sun in the large, south-facing beer garden and whose eggs feature in the food. Cosy fires in the snug and lounge will warm come winter, smokers get cover year-round • Slide and climbing frame for the nippers.

THE KENSINGTON ARMS

35-37 Stanley Rd, Redland. BS6 6NP. Tel: 0117 944 6444, web: www.thekensingtonarms.co.uk • “A real contender for those end-of-year awards” is what Venue’s Food and Drink editor called the Kenny, “the best example of a gastropub yet to open in Bristol.” Great food, sensibly priced, plus four real ales – currently Moorland, Greene King IPA and two guests. Other options across draughts and bottles include Stowford Press, Budvar, Carling, Becks Vier, Staropramen, Peroni, Kopparberg and Corona. Tons of atmosphere within, decking on the suntrap patio has heaters and cover for the smokers. Featured in Venue’s ‘Backstreet Boozer’ series • Look out for street party on the weekend before August bank holiday.

KING WILLIAM

20 King St, BS1 4ES. Tel: 0117 926 8672 • Friendly, homely, unpretentious pub spread over seemingly innumerable rooms over several floors, with a romantic feel courtesy of the fitted booths. Samuel Smith’s beers, lager and ciders plus a fantastic, eclectic selection of drinks (cheery beer etc) you’ll probably never have seen before. The ground-floor bar serves up great pub fodder which, like the drinks menu, includes a smattering of organic, fairtrade, Soil Association-approved and vegan options. At time of going to press, ale and lager started at £2.03 and £2.32 a pint respectively. Never mind King William, arise Sir William of Bargainshire! Friendly, homely and decidedly unpretentious • After-hours séances have sought the spirits of bygone whores, slaves and children.

KINGS ARMS

168 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, BS8 2XZ. Tel 0117 973 5922 • Elegant, enchanting, esoteric multi-faceted marvel sprawling over three levels and numerous areas linked by the main bar. This building’s present incarnation as the Kings Arms draws on earlier origins: intervening reinventions as Bohemia, Babushka, Stark and the Black Bear didn’t quite work but the feel now is of a space at home with its vibe and surroundings. Chandeliers and high ceilings confirm its class while entertaining Twitter updates keep smiles on faces and feet on the ground. (There might be a bit of jumping-around being done, however, by those playing table tennis.) Facebook page similarly entertaining – and informative: this place did over 400 meals one March weekend! Draughts include Amstel, Stella, Heineken, Sagres and Beck’s Vier with real ales Otter and Wickwar BOB. Draught ciders are Thatchers Gold and Addlestones, with Bulmers in bottles. Affordably-priced wines in 10 white, seven red and three rosé varieties go wonderfully with whatever you’re having from the weekly-changing brunch, lunch and evening menus. A dozen cocktails for when you’re feeling decadent, DJs last Fri monthly for when you feel like dancing • Great atmosphere, great drinks.

KING’S HEAD

60 Victoria St, BS1 6DE. Tel: 0117 927 7860 • Wonderful pub with a long history, dating back to the mid-17th century, with ornate decoration behind the bar and old photographs of Bristol covering the walls. Doom Bar, 6X, Butcombe Gold and Wickwar BOB on tap, plus Thatchers Gold and Stowford Press ciders, Stella 4, Fosters and Guinness. Food – curries, toasties, burgers, Yorkshire puds – served Mon-Fri 12noon-2pm. Small amount of seating out front on warmer days. Monthly quizzes • Interior, modelled on a tramcar, was featured in ‘House of Elliott’.

KINGSDOWN VAULTS

31 Kingsdown Parade, BS6 5UE. Tel: 0117 924 9134 • A spot where people can relax away from home (or get cracking on the laptop with the free wi-fi). Drop in for Summer Lightning and Doom Bar on draught beside Staropramen, Becks Leffe, Thatchers Gold and Guinness, 15 wines by the glass and traditional/contemporary British cooking. Monday quiz night in the safe hands of Dr Russ and Wikipedia Dave, who sounds like he might know a thing or two. Thursday is open mic, Saturday brings music of the ilk of Irish or gypsy swing with intentions for increased offerings. Friendly staff, numerous board games, a cosy fire awaiting marshmallows in winter and a book exchange scheme add to this boozer’s undoubted charm • Landscaped courtyard garden (with cover for smokers) brings alfresco chilling.

THE LANSDOWN

Clifton Rd, Clifton Village, BS8 1AF. Tel: 0117 973 4949 • The movable marquee and heaters at this friendly little pub on Clifton Village’s edge offer some of Venueland’s best smoking facilities and the ales on offer are in keeping. Sourced from within a 30-mile radius, expect to find five on tap, with Cheddar Ales’ multi-award-winning Potholer representative. Numerous lagers include Red Stripe, Staropramen and Amstel with Thatchers Gold, Stowford Press and Addlestones also on draught. Bottles include Peroni and Corona with four reds and four whites by the glass and more by the bottle. The extensive outdoor seating here easily triples the pub’s size, with decking on several levels creating a variety of alfresco sunning opportunities. A recent first stab at an alfresco beer festival saw seven breweries taking plots in the garden and selling direct from the barrel. Wednesday and Saturday barbecues have encouraged the chef to make some speciality burgers, the pork, apple, sage and caramelised onion sounding like an absolute beauty • Still a pub – not a bar – with a fine garden and even better local clientele.

LAZY DOG

112 Ashley Down Rd, Ashley Down, BS7 9JR. Tel: 0117 924 4809, web: www.thelazydogbristol.com • “‘Ales and cocktails’ is the all-encompassing philosophy behind the Lazy Dog, sister pub to The Pipe and Slippers and the Windmill,” wrote our man when dropping in. Admirably extensive drink options bring four real ales – Bristol Beer Factory Sunrise and No7 as well as Bath Ales’ Barnstormer and Dark Side. Lagers come in Red Stripe, Freedom Organic, Bitburger and two kinds of Carlsberg forms with a brace of wheat beers from the world’s oldest brewery adding to the variety. Four draught ciders include Dog Dancer, rarely seen round these parts. Bottles keep the diversity coming, with eight beers including two Timmermans offerings and Brooklyn, as well as five ciders wherein you’ll spot Black Dragon and Orchard Gold among others. Drivers get the classy German Clausthaler, cocktail lovers get a score of options (plus a ‘cut and shut’ combining two ciders – sounds good). They’re made by experts, not extroverts, our man being told, “All the staff – who make the place – are trained in cocktails, but they don’t show off!” • The menu depicts Fag Ash Lil, who sold the Evening Post locally for 57 years while the pub sign features a lazy dog – a log used in sawmilling.

LITTLE GROSVENOR

3 Coronation Rd, Southville, BS3 1AA. Tel: 0117 904 4433 • Doubtless you’ve cycled or driven past this dinky Victorian boozer beside Bedminster Bridge roundabout many a time. Park and stroll in and you’ll find a central bar serving Bass, Blackthorn, Bulmers, Taunton Traditional, Fosters, Kronenbourg and more to regulars in its U-shaped drinking area. You’ll also spot local landmarks among the array of photos. Heating and covers for those smoking • The word ‘Little’ was added to the name a few years back.

LLANDOGER TROW

1-4 King St. BS1 4ER. Tel: 0870 990 6424 • One of Bristol’s oldest and architecturally distinctive pubs, and the granddaddy of the vibrant King Street district. Built in 1664 on marshland, it was in here that Daniel Defoe met Alexander Selkirk, who inspired ‘Robinson Crusoe’. The pub also provided the inspiration for the Admiral Benbow in Stephenson's ‘Treasure Island’. It retains its dignified charm with distinct drinking areas and restaurant. Outside seating on the historic cobbles, perfect for smoking or schmoozing with the Old Duke’s lot. Drop in for draughts such as Tribute, Pedigree, Doom Bar, Stella and Strongbow • Achieved national fame in 2007 when it featured in a ghost hunt on Living’s ‘Most Haunted’ show.

LONDON INN

7 Cannon St, Bedminster, BS3 1BH • It’s a London Inn thing! As attractive a façade as you’ll see adorning any pub in Venueland. Within, this 18th-century corner beauty has a single, long drinking area and serves Doom Bar, Courage Best, Fosters, Stella, Blackthorn and Thatchers Gold. Drop in for ales for under £2.50 plus pool and darts with karaoke and disco on weekends. Smoke out back under cover. All in all, a capital place! • Name comes from the days when coaches departed for the Big Smoke from outside. Nowadays your best bet’s a train from Bedminster to Temple Meads and onwards.

LOUISIANA

Bathurst Parade, Wapping Rd, BS1 6UA. Tel: 0117 926 5978 • Hosting live music for over 100 years (with landlord Mr Schillace here a mere 24), the Louisiana continues to attract rock royalty. White Stripes, Coldplay, the Strokes and Amy Winehouse are among top acts too numerous to count who’ve gigged in the intimate confines of the upstairs room. Very popular with students (especially at weekends) as well as locals. Downstairs, the environment is hassle-free and welcoming. Ales: London Pride on tap, Gaymers, Blackthorn and Thatchers Gold ciders with Becks and Red Stripe lager options. The attractive exterior’s listed status means smoking covers can’t be attached, but the balcony brings some protection and there are alfresco seats for chilling. Food is daily lunchtime paninis and Sunday carvery. One of the venues for May’s Dot to Dot festival • “If I lived in Bristol I would form a band just to be able to play the Louisiana,” said Ana Matronik.

THE LUCKWELL HOTEL

Luckwell Rd, Bedminster, BS3 3HB. Tel: 0117 953 7362 • A huge and dominating edifice housing a pub of which to be proud: a light, bright, airy and welcoming hostelry full of friendly people with a palpable community feel. Sports fans are well catered for, with Sky TV and a huge pull-down screen for major events. Decent pint of Bass and Courage Best plus Fosters, Stella, Blackthorn and Stowford Press. Covered and heated smoking area • Darts team.

NEW MADAME GENEVA’S

69-71 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, BS7 8AS. Tel: 07546 082009, Facebook page • Set on two levels with suntrap beer garden, Madame Geneva's is located in the busy area of Gloucester Road. Boasting a fine selection of beers it serves food throughout the day and runs drink offers till 6pm. Open mic night, quiz night, acoustic bands during the week and club nights at the weekend • Formerly known as the Royal Hotel, the Gloucester and the Hobgoblin.

THE MALL

The Mall, Clifton, BS8 4JG. Tel: 0117 974 5318 • There’s been a refurb here since last year and the freshly cooked food has also been smartened up and is heading in a gastropub direction. New management arrived a few months ago, bringing nibbly things like white bait, squid and chorizo and ‘more jazzy’ versions of mains like bangers and mash, lamb shank and shepherd’s pie. Cut-above drink choices befit this place’s upmarket address. There are around 15 different beers, lagers and ciders on tap at any one time, including Staropramen, Erdinger, Peroni and Carling, along with Doom Bar, Tribute, Thornbridge Brewery’s Ashford and regularly changing guest ales plus Guinness. The cider selection includes Aspalls, Addlestones and Hogan’s. For something different, try the Franziskaner – a wheat beer judged among the world’s best at 2006’s Munich Beer Festival. Seven whites, seven reds and a spirit range taking in everything you can think of and plenty you probably can’t. Partly covered and heated smoking area. Grub ranges from snacks and sharing platters to full meals. Open mic Wed, quiz on Thur, bands occasionally on Sat • Look out for jazz and wine evenings. Niiiiiice.

THE MARDYKE

Hotwell Rd, BS8 4UB. Tel: 0117 907 7499 • With the recession (still) doing no favours to anyone, the bargains to be had at this friendly and unpretentious staple may make it your boozer of choice. With Courage Best at £2.02, Doom Bar at £2.30 and even Guinness under three quid you’ll have brass left with which to make selections from the quality jukebox. Thatchers and Fosters also on draught • Open until 12midnight all week; Fri-Sat until 12.30am.

MASONIC

110 North St, Southville, BS3 1HF. Tel: 0117 902 0132 • Proper local boozer with a social club vibe, which thankfully does not require you to roll up your trouser leg and put on a silly apron before going in. Untouched by the gentrification of other parts of North Street, and hurrah for that. Bass and Courage Best (the best sellers), Blackthorn and Thatchers on draught, with Bulmers also among the bottles. Skittles, crib and darts, as in all the best proper local boozers • Small paved (and covered) seating area out front for smoking.

MASON’S ARMS

124 Park Rd, Stapleton, BS16 1DT. Tel: 0117 939 3919 • “Guest Auria and I enjoy a flavoursome stilton ploughman’s and some filling cheesy chips… in an extraordinary rear garden rivalling Babylon’s hanging version,” wrote our man of this super suburban spot. There’s absolutely nothing to suggest on arrival that such colour and greenery await out back. Indeed, one drayman delivered here for decades without discovering its delights. The regulars are rightly proud of it, checking our chap had been outside lest he make the same mistake. Expect up to six draught ales plus lagers like Stella, Kronenbourg and Fosters and ciders such as Stowford Press, Thatchers Heritage and the very rare Stroudys. Our chap returned to see an extraordinarily impressive firework display on Bonfire Night. A couple of gallons of mulled cider had been warmed up, using Black Rat cider, ginger, whisky and demerera sugar. Regular Jen was sharing hers with anyone showing the slightest interest in her glass’s contents – it’s that kind of place • The titchiest of snugs, quirky model motorbikes, friendly faces and an amazing garden.

MERCHANT’S ARMS

Merchants Rd, Hotwells, BS8 4PZ. Tel: 0117 904 0037 • “A pub as they used to be,” wrote our man when visiting since last year’s guide, down to the simple accompaniment to the serious business of drinking and conversing. Bar snacks in the shape of Split Tin Bakery pies, filled rolls and pork pies go gorgeously with the pub’s Bath Ales brews – permanents Gem, Barnstormer and Spa and guest Festivity at the time of our chap’s visit. Regulars travelling from Kingswood, Nailsea and Portishead confirm the pub’s overall quality while a trip to an English National Baroque gig evinces the clientele’s cerebral credentials • “Conversation is king and the pint glass prince in a boozer where a judge sits next to a scaffolder and they find common ground,” wrote our man.

MINERS ARMS

Mina Rd, St Werburghs. Tel: 0117 907 9874 • Particularly popular with the local climbing club, with many original features and warmed by an open fire come winter. Three permanent beers – Tribute, Doom Bar and Butcombe Gold joined by three changing guests. Other draughts are Staropramen, San Miguel, Stella, Fosters. Stowford Press and Old Rosie. Three whites, as many reds and two blushes, plus a large whisky and bourbon selection. Open no-mic nights on Tuesdays and the first Saturday of the month’s Let’s Be Nice nights, with DJs playing nice tunes from 10pm, continue the eclectic entertainment. The pub’s three rooms include a quiet, comfy sofa lounge and a games room with the room upstairs available for free hire for parties. Heating and cover in the smokers’ yard • Nearly 30 crisps and snack varieties sold – a local record?

THE MOUSE

Waters Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, BS9 4AA. Tel: 0117 940 5554 • The beer garden (complete with TV) here has bagged a plaque and £500 from Scottish & Newcastle since last year’s guide, with the voucher sorting out a natty refurbishment. A monthly-changing Caledonian Brewery guest at this suburban beauty with its friendly, country cottage pub feel accompanies Courage Best, Theakstons and Deuchars IPA. Kronie and Amstel are among the lagers with ciders Strongbow and Blackthorn. Nine wines plus bottles like Budvar, Corona and Tiger. Sport is shown via Sky and ESPN and a local football team often drops in for post-match refuelling – sausage and chips being popular – of an early Saturday evening. Something fierier this way comes in October with the last-man-standing chilli taste-off. Participants can cool down in the aforementioned beer garden. Covers and heaters for the smokers – and the smoking of mouth. Wed & Sat poker, Thur quiz and monthly music • Have you seen the view? It’s a beauty!

MOTHER’S RUIN

7-9 St Nicholas St BS1 1UE. Tel: 07546 082009. Facebook page • Mother’s Ruin is a party bar in the centre of Bristol offering a friendly, safe atmosphere and doormen who'll hug you a hello as you arrive. Expect the unexpected - featuring live music or DJs every night, the stranger the better! Every day until 8pm (and all night Wednesday) you’ll find £2 drink offers • Three floors of madness!

NOVA SCOTIA

Nova Scotia Place, Hotwells, BS1 6XJ. Tel: 0117 929 7994 • Dockside drinking den, providing a cosy bar or great alfresco seating if you prefer. Sups include Bass, Courage Best plus two guest ales, Thatchers Traditional, Thatchers Gold, Blackthorn, Kronie and Fosters. The specials change throughout the week, complementing the traditional (and not quite so traditional) English pub grub, such as chicken breast served with stilton and bacon, hot and cold doorstop sarnies, curries and Sunday roasts. Traditional interior with original maritime memorabilia – look out for the maps and ships’ charts featuring Bristol and Portsmouth harbours used as wallpaper • Folk club Mon eve.

OLD CASTLE GREEN

46 Gloucester Lane, Old Market, BS2 0DU. Ffi: 0117 330 9140, web: www.oldcastlegreen.com • Busy little pub in the city’s gay village, open until 4am at weekends, with regular entertainment/theme nights. Now the home to monthly men-only night Come to Daddy (every second Saturday) • Occasional barbecues on Sunday afternoons during the summer.

THE OLD DUKE

King St, BS1 4ER. Tel: 0117 927 7137, web: www.theoldduke.com • Popular and highly esteemed traditional jazz and blues pub, which hosts nine concerts weekly. There’s free admission, so dig deep when they pass the hat around and expect large numbers whatever day you choose to visit. Real ales include Courage Best, Otter, Doom Bar and Gem, with Thatchers Traditional, Cheddar Valley and Old Rosie also on draught plus Kronie and Fosters. Frank’s Ginger Beer is in bottles. Massive courtyard out front where kids are welcome. You can easily spend a day reading the jazz ephemera which paper the walls throughout. An institution • Annual August jazz festival, Severn Jazzmen still going strong after 44 years. 

OLD ENGLAND

Bath Buildings, Montpelier, BS6 5PT • Think Center Parcs is a new concept? Back, back, back in the day the area around the Old E offered something similar with people coming from far and wide to swim, stroll, drink, eat and relax. Cricket fans used to come here to get the close-of-play updates when Gloucestershire were playing away (mobile phones having not been invented.) Drop in in 2011 for draughts including IPA, 6X, Red Stripe, Kronenbourg, Amstel, Stowford Press and Guinness with bottles bringing Budvar, Peroni, Corona, Tiger and Leffe among others. Spirits like Morgan’s Spiced, Tequila and sambuca hit the spot sublimely while those looking to live large can pass the Courvoisier. TV sports plus games room with two pool tables, table footie and darts. Heated smoking shelter. Tasty rolls are always available with summer bringing barbecues (listen out for live music throughout the year too.) Ongoing improvements make an excellent place even better - drop in regularly to find out • Probably the country’s only pub with its own cricket nets, replacing ones in which WG Grace practised. WG Grace, fer crying out loud.

OLD FISH MARKET

Baldwin St, BS1 1QZ. Tel: 0117 921 1515 • From the beautiful hanging baskets to the bold fixtures and fittings (look out for the fireplace and stunning dockside mural) to the fine booze range and on to the fact that this place’s name is not disingenuous – it used to be a fish market – it’s hard to not find something to hold dear about this big ole beaut. Five real ales always on include several Fuller’s faves like London Pride, Discovery and ESB alongside a Butcombe bevvy and the sublime Fuller’s organic Honey Dew. Other draughts include Stella, Carling, Grolsch, Guinness, Aspalls and Symonds Reserve, with some eclectic bottles offering Fuller’s 1845, London Porter, Golden Pride and Vintage Ale before now. Its standing among the ale-lovers and its hefty dimensions see CAMRA use it to sell tickets for their beer festivals. A score of wines split half red, half white. Westernised Thai fusion and pub grub accompany the drinks. Big-screen sport (and high-definition) shown in a passionate but well-behaved atmosphere • A tunnel, part of the original market, still runs beneath the pub and on to the river.

OLD FOX

301 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8PE. Tel: 07950 203675 • Single-bar Gloucester Road stalwart which in years gone by had a Harley Davidson as part of its décor. Drop in today for a pint of Butcombe, Blackthorn, Stella, Carling, Bulmers or Natch while listening to something from the varied jukebox, enjoying a game of arrows or hustling at the pool table where it’s 50p a game. Bands on Saturday • This part of Gloucester Road used to be called Russell’s Fields.

OLD MAIL HOUSE

56 High St, Staple Hill, BS16 5HW. Tel: 0117 956 6654 • Popular local. Draughts include Butcombe, Sagres, Kronenbourg and Courage Best. Music on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday plus Sky Sports. Heated and covered smoking area • Much charity work done by regulars in recent years.

OLD MARKET TAVERN

29 Old Market St, BS2 0HB. Ffi: 0117 922 6123, web: www.omtbristol.co.uk • The good-value lunch menu, friendly atmosphere, sun trap garden and cracking Sunday roast make the OMT popular with a mixed crowd of office workers, local business people and gay men and women who fancy a change from the endless campery other venues offer • The only gay pub in Bristol that serves real ale.

THE OLD TAVERN

Blackberry Hill, Stapleton, Bristol, BS16 1DB. Tel: 0117 965 0491 • Admirably diverse offerings here include drinking provision for the dogs, choccy in the fridge, Sky for the sports fans and free lollipops for the nippers. Drop in for Doom Bar, Stella, Natch, Blackthorn, Guinness and more across draughts and cans. Food is savouries like pies and sausage rolls. Quiz on Thur, live bands Fri, karaoke Sat and Tue for the X Factor wannabes • Lovely big garden complete with pagoda, slider, projector and bouncy castle.

THE ORCHARD

12 Hanover Pl, Spike Island, BS1 6XT. Tel: 0117 926 2678 • Cider central one-bar pub, 100m from a fascinating dry dock, offering at least 20 varieties, with Cheddar Valley, Natch, Black Rat, Janet’s, Kingston Black and Thatchers among your options. The blackboard even tags up forthcoming attractions, so bring your diary when dropping in or use your mobile’s planner. A refurbishment since last year’s guide has installed a stillage holding six-eight real ales at any time including London Pride and Otter. Lagers are Beck’s, San Miguel and Red Stripe. Five wines. Open Mon-Fri 12noon-11pm, Sat-Sun 11am-11pm. Your author once bagged bacon & eggs in one of the Orchard’s fine Sunday afternoon meat raffles. Quiz Tue, live folk Sun night • Former CAMRA National Cider Pub of the Year. ’Nuff said.

THE OSTRICH

Lower Guinea St, BS1 6TJ. Tel: 0117 927 3774 • Characterful, unspoiled dockside pub serving up draughts such as Tribute, Wychwood, Kronenbourg, Peroni, Fosters, Blackthorn and Scrumpy Jack, with bottles bringing Crabbies and Addlestones among others. Extensive wine list offers 13 white, seven red and three rosé. Food covers everything from jackets and sarnies to mains like steaks and grills plus Sunday roasts. Expect the crowds from the booze cruises to descend at any moment but don’t leave without seeing the garden, caves or skeleton! • Seating outside for 500 overlooking the water, 20 ales for August bank holiday fest.

THE PALACE

1 West St, Old Market, BS2 0DF. • Traditional gay pub with a raft of theme nights throughout the week, including cabaret and the obligatory karaoke. Bristol’s former Gin Palace has been lovingly transformed by owners Gareth and John into the city’s most opulent and campest gay bar • Lots and lots and lots of drag.

THE PINEAPPLE

37 St George's Rd, BS1 5UU. Web: www.facebook.com/pineapplepub • Traditional gay pub in what’s known on the gay scene as the West End. Each night has a different theme, with karaoke, quizzes and DJs in the mix, plus traditional cabaret from some of the scene’s biggest stars • Feeder bar for new club OMG.

PIPE AND SLIPPERS

118 Cheltenham Rd, BS6 5RW. Tel: 0117 942 7711, web: www.thepipeandslippers.com • Credit to the people at the Pipe who maintain the solidity of a dear old boozer while offering a serious drinks selection that gives many high-end bars a run for their money. Take, for instance, the Weihenstephan beer coming out of a brewery which claims to be the world’s oldest. Since it was founded in a mind-bogglingly early 1040, they might have a point. Then there’s the bespoke cocktail list wherein the Pipe Dream is the in-house version of a Killer Zombie. Bristol Beer Factory’s No 7 and Sunrise are on draught, as are Bitburger, Red Stripe and Carlsberg Export, alongside Dog Dancer, Orchard Pig, Addlestones and Thatchers Gold. Five ciders in the fridge bring a Westons brace beside Orchard Gold, Black Dragon and Savannah Dry, with lagers and ales increasing your options. Four reds and four whites do the same. The name, then, is slightly misleading; while Pipe and Slippers may suggest dotage, this place remains in Venueland’s avant garde. Cover in front for smokers • Sister pubs the Windmill and the Lazy Dog across the city.

PORT OF CALL

3 York St, BS8 2YE. Tel: 0117 973 3600 • Slightly off the Whiteladies Road beaten track, this place has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. One room boasts lobster pots and fishing nets (husband-and-wife team Roger and Carol Skuse always wanted a pub by the sea). Food sees a specials board full of homemade goodies and often celebrates national cuisines from around the world. A beer drinker's paradise with around five ales always on – expect to find the likes of Doom Bar, Otter and Wickwar BOB beside lagers and ciders which maintain the couple’s high standards. Open Mon-Wed from 5.30pm, Thur-Fri lunch and evenings and all day Sat, with a cracking Sunday roast (closed Sun from 4pm). “Don’t write anything good about the place,” the man in the Lundy Island sweatshirt told our chap. “It’s busy enough as it is…" • There’s been a pub on the site since 1788, trivia fans.

PORTCULLIS

3 Wellington Terrace, Clifton, BS8 4LE. Tel: 0117 908 5536 • Three Dawkins resident beers and six guests on at any time plus Sam Smith’s Alpine lager, some choice cider by way of Broadoak and nine wines. Simple, homecooked food to return, long-awaited garden now open (with umbrellas and heating due to have arrived by the time you read this). Next cider festival along in August. This mid-terrace marvel delights Bristol’s drinkers • Runner-up CAMRA Bristol pub of the year 2010.

POST OFFICE TAVERN

Westbury Hill, Westbury-on-Trym, BS9 3AG. Tel: 0117 940 1233, web: www.post-office-tavern.co.uk • The POT at WOT (to its many friends) is a bright, lively, air-conditioned pub, serving six real ales at any time. Expect to find Courage Best, Doom Bar, Otter and Bass among your options. Other tap choices include Stowford Export, Fosters, Heineken and Amstel, with six bottled ciders and almost 10 wines ensuring there’s a marvellous delivery from the Post Office to you. Decent food choices include pizzas. Occasional quiz and poker nights; heated and covered decking area • A red phone box (sans phone, sadly) stands in the bar.

PRINCE OF WALES

5 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8AA. Tel: 0117 924 5552, web: www.powbristol.co.uk • “Randomness comes via the pub’s architecture, formed as it is from two cottages and a former clock shop,” wrote our man of a boozer where you’re guaranteed a top time. Five ales always on – Butcombe, Butcombe Gold, Gem, Deuchars and guest alongside Broadoak, Apples & Pears and Addlestones and that sublime Sagres amid five lagers on tap. Westons is among the bottled ciders and you’ll also find Hollows – allegedly the thoroughbred of the recently expanded alcoholic ginger beer sector – in the fridge. The food has long been renowned, with all meat free range and from the noted Tom Murray butchers. The covered, heated garden offers some of Venueland’s best smoking facilities, with long benches making for a communal, open spirit. Stages quirky monthly quizzes and held a barn dance on New Year’s Eve just gone • Hosted many a Venue post-work drink back in the day.

PRINCE OF WALES

Stoke Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, BS9 3SP. Tel: 0117 962 3715, web: www.princeofwales-butcombe.com • Posh-end-of-town boozer popular with local sporting teams watching the action, especially the oval ball variety, on three indoor screens. Seven real ales offer three Butcombe brews plus Bass, London Pride and Spa. Cut-above Veltins lines up with Kronie and Fosters lager-wise, with Ashton Press also on draught. You’ll find the relatively rare Savannah cider among the bottles. Four whites, five reds and two rosés. Drivers get Kaliber, diners get a menu offering jackets, baguettes, salads, homemade fishcakes and more • They’ve been told their purpose-built, heated smoking area, with outdoor TV, is Bristol’s best.

PUMP HOUSE

Merchants Rd, Hotwells, BS8 4PZ. Tel 0117 927 2229 • Handsome dockside boozer with lovely brickwork and beams located in a former pump house. Doom Bar, Theakstons and Butcombe line up beside Sagres, Kronie and Amstel on draught, with distinctly impressive cider options including Ashton Press, Thatchers Cox’s and Old Rascal across draughts and bottles. Bottles also bring Red Stripe, Leffe, Vedett and Becks while the wine options are an immense 120-strong. The modern English cuisine is award-winning while the pub’s setting is similarly worthy of recognition. It’s perfect for alfresco dining and drinking and a wonderful spot to visit when the Harbour Festival is on • Bath chap is a permanent menu fixture, all that changes is how it’s done.

QUINTON

2 Park Pl, Clifton, BS8 1JW. Tel: 0117 909 3857 • “The living is leisurely, sometimes lively but rarely large at the Quinton House, a little L-shaped lovely,” wrote our lad. “A handsome exterior features embossed stone and hanging baskets with the use of a formerly closed door opening up the space within.” He was also shown the immaculate cellar here by landlord Patrick Gomm. Spotless lines ensure perfect pints of London Pride, Doom Bar, Tribute and guest, with Amstel, Peroni and Heineken bringing crisp lager refreshment and draught ciders coming in Stowford Press and Thatchers forms • Venue’s current Top Banana when it comes to Bristol boozers. ’Nuff said.

THE RETREAT

16 West St, Old Market, BS2 0DF. Ffi: www.retreatbristol.com • Tastefully renovated gay pub, split over two floors, and handily situated opposite the city’s biggest gay club, Flamingos. There’s something different going on every night, including a Tuesday night quiz and Wednesday night student offers • Now licensed until 2am at weekends.

NEW RICHMOND

33-37 Gordon Rd, Clifton, BS8 1AW. Tel: 0117 923 7542 • You’d have to be Interpol to keep up with this building’s numerous identities but after being the Richmond Spring, Clifton Sports Bar, Two Magpies and Clifton Cow in recent years, its new incarnation feels spot-on. “Paintings, parquet flooring and wooden panelling give the Richmond a classy air,” said our man, visiting shortly after its opening to find a classy and cosy act immediately up to speed. Diverse draught and bottle offerings include the likes of Amstel, Moretti, Hobgoblin, Caledonian 80, Cumberland Ale, Symonds, Budvar, Zywiec, Sagres and Bulmers Pear. Nine reds and as many whites accompany traditional British dining which our man struggled to recall being beaten in a pub. Excellent entertainment and offers include steak, chips and glass of wine for £10 on Mon, quiz on Tue, pie and pint for £7 Wed, ‘Richmond rates’ 15% discount 4-7pm and a fantastic Richmond loyalty card scheme. The garden’s a gem for summer, the fires roar in winter and our chap even found a friendly local willing to be whupped at pool • Whatever you’re after in a pub, park yourself at the Richmond.

RISING SUN

Alfred Rd, Windmill Hill, BS3 4LE • Hidden away on Windmill Hill’s backstreets you’ll find one of the city’s best smoking areas. Purpose-built, with logs crackling in an outside fireplace and cover from grapevines, it’s probably the pub’s best feature. Doom Bar, Blackthorn, 1664 Cold Premiere, Guinness, Fosters, Natch and John Smith’s Smooth on draught, with bottles offering Gem, Newcastle Brown, Budweiser and Bulmers, and Natch in cans. Pool table. Open Mon-Thur 2.30-11pm, Fri-Sun all day. A real locals’ pub with an adjoining play area for the nippers and rolls sold on weekends • Stunning exterior mural as impressive a piece of art as anywhere in Venueland.

ROBIN HOOD

56 St Michael’s Hill, BS2 8BX. Tel 0117 929 4433 • “A clean, cosy pub delivering exactly what the modern, discerning drinker expects of their watering hole,” wrote our man. Five ales always on have Moor Revival as a permanent fixture; there’s a traditional presence among the cider offerings, with Erdinger Weiss, Brooklyn, Punk IPA and 5am Saint significantly more nonconformist. The wine list comprises four reds, four whites and a rosé. “Spotless floorboards and furniture ensure you can linger long without fear of messing smart work togs,” continued our chap. Attractive function room upstairs, two small but perfectly formed outside areas fore and rear. Pub grub includes homemade burgers, ham, egg & chips, pies and sausage & mash as well as varyingly spicy chicken wings, the fiercest of which being “triple threat challenge”. Our fellow concluded, “Anyone seeking to wet the baby’s head or make a good impression is onto a winner here. It might bear an outlaw’s name but it’s just the place to bring the in-laws." • Named after the adjoining alleyway, a haunt of robbers long ago.

ROBIN HOOD’S RETREAT

197 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, BS7 8BG. Tel: 0117 924 8639 • With up to eight regularly changing real ales on draught here, it’s not surprising Robin Hood had such merry men. Heineken Export, Amstel and Red Stripe are also on draught while Addlestones Cloudy is among a cider brace and bottles bring the likes of Tiger, Becks, Peroni, San Miguel and Sol. Eight reds and as many whites accompany food conjured up by recently arrived head chef Todd Francis, whose CV includes time at Moorish. A spirit selection enough to make the least comely damsel look like Maid Marion includes choice rums like Extra Old Appletons and Mount Gay. Excellent garden out back brings heating and cover for smokers • Bagged Top Banana recognition a few years back.

ROPE WALK

5 Nelson Parade, BS3 4JA. Tel: 0117 329 4249 • Mid-terrace marvel housed in a lovely old Georgian building where unpretentious décor and a warm welcome await. Draughts include Young’s, Fosters, Stella, Blackthorn, Taunton Traditional (for £2.10) and Guinness (always £2.80). Natch in cans, Newcastle Bown and WKD in bottles. Disco some Fridays, pub grub includes all-day breakfasts. Crackling fires, function room plus covered smoking area in the beer garden • Friendly locals’ boozer.

ROSE OF DENMARK

6 Dowry Pl, BS8 4QL. Tel: 0117 940 5866 • Community pub and former Venue Top Banana award winner with a genuine family-orientated feel. The inviting ambience and big-hearted bonhomie are enhanced by lovely open fires and chunky handmade tables while three real ales at any time might include tipples like Bass and Butcombe and guests like Doom Bar or Tribute. Stella, Carlsberg, Thatchers Gold and Blackthorn also on draught. The restaurant serves quality food at sensible prices. Sunday lunch sees a roister of a roast and a fine nut version for the less carnivorous. Open mic on Wed, quiz Thur, live music Sun 4-7pm. Smokers get brollies in the garden • Bigged up by the Observer as one of eight south of England establishments offering great food at tasty prices.

NEW ROYAL OAK

385 Gloucester Rd, Horfield, BS7 8TN. Tel: 0117 989 2522, Web: www.theroyaloakbristol.co.uk • From tiny acorns! Expect a “modern mood at a friendly neighbourhood boozer”, according to our chap, who dropped in shortly after its opening last summer. Formerly the John Cabot (but the Royal Oak before that), a 12-week refurb installed chandeliers, inviting leather sofas and punk-evoking Union Jack cushions, with a multi-functional rear garden making excellent use of a sizable space. As the name may suggest, Britishness is given its due here, with scones and tea when Wimbledon was on, a lively atmosphere when the One Day International cricket’s being staged nearby and a repeat of 2010’s pork and cider festival lined up for 22-23 July. Around 30 pork shoulders were roasted and enjoyed last year, with 10 ciders plus ales and bands adding up to a feast fit for a king. Whenever you’re dropping in you’ll find Gem, Butcombe Gold, Doom Bar and Timothy Taylor on draught beside Addlestones, Thatchers Heritage, Thatchers Gold and Stowford Press. San Miguel should have joined the lager line-up by the time you read this, alongside Peroni, Amstel and Staropramen. Bottles include Corona, Budvar, Sagres, Estrella Damm, Gaymers Original and Pear and Westons Organic. A dozen plonks break down into six red, five white and a rosé. An after-school club on Fridays often brings a barbecue as an excellent example of how contemporary pubs can cater for all • Rightly mentioned in 2010’s Top Bananas.

THE ROYAL OAK

50 The Mall, Clifton, BS8 4JG. Tel: 0117 973 8846 • A regular fixture in CAMRA’s Beer Guide and also listed in the Good Pub Guide, this friendly, 19th-century, one-bar pub is an exemplar of a dying breed. All punters and their dogs are welcome, with the pub having two golden retrievers – aged 13 – of its own. Four real ales – currently Courage Best, Doom Bar, Butcombe and guest – plus Black Rat flat and fizzy and Thatchers ciders also on draught and bottles including Thatchers Cox’s, Katy and her rosé sister. Stella 4, Amstel and Fosters for lager lovers. Grub served daily 12noon-2.30pm, Sunday roast with veggie option • Just as well satnav is a modern creation: this pub’s name changed from St Vincent’s Rocks Inn after the war, with The Mall formerly known as Portland Place.

THE RUMMER HOTEL

All Saints Lane. Tel: 0117 929 0111, web: www.therummer.co.uk • This uber-sophisticated spot has gone from strength to strength since reopening mid-noughties. Stroll leisurely in to discover 160 rums, 30 reds, 30 whites and 40 cocktails as well as a total spirit range that’s 400-strong. Bottled beers include offerings from Innis & Gunn and Cheddar Ales with rare-booze-spotters getting out their notepads for the likes of Nigerian Guinness, Vietnam’s Hue beer, black lager, Gwatkins cider, Spain’s Alhambra 1925 Reserve and Coopers Ale (pale and sparkling). May saw it stage the launch of Raven’s Roost vintage cider. Chesterfield sofas surround the huge fireplace, creating a smooth atmosphere maintained by a door policy ensuring no idiots can spoil it for the rest. Fine food served from breakfast through brunch and lunch and on to dinner, with the best and freshest ingredients used and a wagyu beef night around four times a year. A quality act • There’s been an inn on this site since 1241.

SCOTCHMAN AND HIS PACK

20 St Michael’s Hill, BS2 8DX. Tel: 0117 373 0138 • Two real ales, numerous ciders, traditional pub food. Drink alfresco on the veranda/roof terrace • Tue Irish music, Wed quiz, Thur curry night.

SEAMUS O’DONNELLS

St Nicholas Market, BS1 1UE. Tel: 0117 925 1283. Web: www.seamusodonnellsbristol.co.uk • A taste of Temple Bar in the heart of St Nicks. In this 250-year-old building, you’ll find great Guinness along with Caffrey’s, Carling, Heineken, Fosters and Stella and ciders including Thatchers Gold, Katy and pear among others. Around 20 Irish whiskies, half a dozen wines. Pub games include giant Jenga with more entertainment by way of one or two live acts monthly. Bar snacks sold and you’re allowed to bring in food from outside, although whether that extends to the incomparable Dara Ó Briain swanning in with his 56 packets of Tayto cheese and onion – Google it, you’ll be glad you did – remains to be seen • Try the 70% poteen – as made in the hills – if you dare.

SEVEN STARS

1 Thomas Lane, BS1 6JG. Tel: 0117 927 2845, web: www.7stars.co.uk • There’s a veritable CAMRA coronation here with a Bristol & District pub of the year runner-up slot in 2009 followed by outright victories in 2010 and 2011. Eight ever-changing real ales from people like Thornbridge, Yeovil and Cotswold Spring are always on, while mini beer festivals featuring around 20 sups are run on the first Mon-Thur of each month. Blackthorn Dry and Stowford Press plus perry are joined by three bag-in-box ciders. Half-a-dozen wines are split equally between red, white and rosé, with happy hours bringing discounts daily from 2.30-6.30pm. Oozing with history and character (take the time to study the plaque and iron-bound pavement outside, listed building status prevents any smoking shelter). There’s music too, with four acts showcased on Sat and Sun 3-6pm. Neither the Luftwaffe nor the vagaries of city centre planning were able to stop this hidden gem from serving, which it’s been doing since the late 1600s. Pickled eggs have long been sold by the jarful; more substantial eating can be brought in • President Obama in the White House? It kind of started here…

THE SHAKESPEARE

Henry St, Totterdown, BS3 4UD. Tel: 0117 907 8818, web: www.theshakey.co.uk • The timing of DOW’s publication has never been kind to the stagers of the Totterdown Music Festival. You’ve just missed the fourth – and biggest – with the street here closed and the Shakey once again in the thick of the action. Make a note for June 2012 somewhere or, better still, drop in here regularly to keep abreast of developments. You’ll cop for Tue jam sessions, Wed quizzes, Thur and Fri DJs, Sat live music and Sun carvery then poker. This traditional boozer serves five rotating ales (expect the likes of Deuchars, Doom Bar and Betty Stogs), as well as Stella 4, San Miguel, Thatchers Gold, Stowford Press and Guinness (plus its extra cold bro). Wine range only five-strong but they’re proud of its quality. Open fires with comfy couches indoors, heated and covered smoking area outdoors • Cash prizes for the music quiz winners.

THE SHAKESPEARE

Lower Redland Rd, BS6 6SS. Tel: 0117 973 3909 • Traditional pub popular with all ages here for the beer, with the four always on including Banks. Other options across taps and bottles include Bulmers, Addlestones, Budweiser, Peroni and Beck’s, with the wine total just arriving in double figures. Cosy feel brought by two bars and a bijou garden out back. Pub food – lasagne, fish & chips, ham, egg & chips – plus roasts on Sun. Open 12noon-11pm, Sun until 10.30pm. Smoking area has parasol and lamp facilities • Win a drinks voucher in the Monday quiz. Live music Tue.

THE SHAKESPEARE TAVERN

Prince St, BS1 4QD. Tel: 0117 929 7695 • Our man dropped in here the day before 2010’s Ryder Cup and found golf cap-wearing Americans who’d sought out this quintessential English pub when visiting the eponymous author’s sceptred isle. Golf fans and he were both mightily impressed by what they found, but an already high ante will be upped when the refurb’s completed at this dockside delight. Bristol’s oldest continually licensed pub (since 1777) will reopen in mid-July after four weeks of development bring new facilities enhancing the “civilised air befitting the beautiful surroundings… and… grandness” noted by our man. Expect the like of Greene King IPA, Abbot and Old Speckled Hen to be joined on draught by premium lagers and ciders including Thatchers Gold. Prior to closure over a dozen wines were accompanying the dining, with a new menu also coming up. Look out too for improved smokers’ facilities • Quintessentially English Grade II-listed beauty oozing with history.

SHIP INN

7-9 Lower Park Row, BS1 5BJ. Tel: 0117 929 4390 • Spread across numerous nooks and crannies over several floors. Drinks-wise, expect to find four ales at any time changing weekly (Deuchars being representative). Bulmers, Scrumpy Jack, Symonds and Fosters also on draught. Heated and covered smoking facilities • Pizzas and pub food six nights a week.

SOMERSET HOUSE

11 Princess Victoria St, Clifton, BS8 4BX. Tel: 0117 973 6831 • Eye-catching woodwork, reclaimed slate and a characterful platform clock make this a handsome boozer in which to enjoy a drop of London Pride, Theakstons or Courage Best. Other draughts take in Kronenbourg, Fosters, Heineken and Amstel along with Scrumpy Jack and Blackthorn. Open mic on Tue, live music on Fri and joanna-tinkling on Sun 4-7pm. Indeed, landlord Gary tells a lovely story about a pavement piano session and an official visitor – get yourself a pint and ask for recall. Robust, wholesome food made fresh in-house and served Mon-Fri 11am-2pm and Sat-Sun 10am-3pm includes sandwiches, ploughman’s, curries, ham, egg & chips, faggots and breakfasts. Front awning keeps the smokers dry • Half-time grub during Six Nations matches – make a date for 2012.

THE SPORTSMAN

Seymour Ave, Bishopston, BS7 9EQ. Tel: 0117 942 7525 • The name kind of says it all: big Victorian pub that’s a mecca for sports fans, with a dozen pool tables, five plasma screens showing as many different sports channels at a time plus an outdoor screen where 150 can assemble. And a jukebox. More of an apple than an ale haunt, with five ciders – currently Blackthorn, Addlestones, Thatchers Gold (and Dry) and guest Black Rat – outnumbering the sole beer, Doom Bar, although whisky worshippers should note they will find 30 here. Amstel, Fosters and Red Stripe among the lagers. Kitchen details as per Annexe (see above). Free pool Mon 6-11pm. Covers and heaters in the courtyard • Within a mightily hit six of the County Ground.

SPOTTED COW PUB & GARDEN

139 North St, Southville, BS3 1EZ. Tel: 0117 963 4433, web: www.thespottedcowbristol.com • Opened to immediate success at Easter 2008. Our chap dropped in shortly after, predicted greatness and was not surprised to see a bronze Top Banana come its way that Christmas. The brainchild of Bristol music scene stalwarts Dave Smeaton and James Savage, the classy outside – check the gold-leafed Bath stone – is complemented by some stylish drinking provision, with an extensive whisky and rum range featuring in a small cocktail line-up (they can make what you’re after if it’s not listed) and around eight or nine reds and whites on the wine list (with a 30% discount if taking away). Gem, Spa and Butcombe joined on draught by Kronie, Beck’s Vier and Red Stripe, with Thatchers Gold and Addlestones weighing in for the ciders. Quality food changes daily but now ingredients include plants grown in the garden here. Tue quiz, Wed open mic, Fri and Sun (afternoon) DJs. Heaters and covers for those sparking up • Garden big enough to keep several Friesian herds; eight-hour-roasted suckling pigs available for the most stunning Sunday lunches.

SPRING GARDEN TAVERN

188 Hotwell Rd, Hotwells, BS8 4RP. Tel 07886 799630 • Formerly La Demi Lune, now a pub where the legendary Don Letts considers the vibe to be “underground”, the great man performing here before now. Originally the Spring Gardens, this boozer is housed in a building dating back 500 years and takes its name from the spring used to supply seagoing ships with drinking water back in the day. There’s more than that on offer in 2011, mind, with Doom Bar, Youngs and John Smith’s joined on draught by Thatchers Traditional and Gold plus Fosters and Kronie. Thursday night offer brings Fosters and Thatchers Gold at £2 a pint at time of going to press. Very much used as a local centre for music and performance; “The last year has seen almost 200 acts perform, with everyone from ex-pat South African ladies to UWE drama students staging a whodunit using its space,” wrote our man. “Leather sofa-enhanced alcoves either side of the entrance are more secluded than the main bar’s open plan. Up the stairs you’ll find a fascinating jazz family tree poster worthy of leisurely perusal." • Temporarily home to a resident seagull chick, saved from the traffic outside.

REOPENING STAG AND HOUNDS

74 Old Market St, BS2 0EJ. Tel: 07546 082009 · With pub closures all too often making the headlines it’s with great joy DOW brings news of a welcome reopening. The Stag and Hounds is steeped in tradition and dates from 1483. At one time it was the location of a court set up to deal with travelling ne’er-do-wells falling foul of the law at local markets and fairs, and an annual proclamation of this role was read out under the pub’s portico until the 1970s. Today, its new incarnation combines historic boozer character with modern bar vibe. Four hand pulls will bring perfectly-kept ales with lager, wheat beer and premium ciders evincing the high standards set. Complement this with Mediterranean dining, a cracking roof top terrace with heaters and covers for the smokers plus DJs and live music and you have an overall offering worthy of this building’s wonderful heritage • One of Bristol’s oldest – and most beautiful – pubs reopens with a fresh feel. Welcome back!

REOPENED STAR & DOVE

75-78 St Luke’s Rd, Totterdown, BS3 4RY. Tel: 0117 933 2892, web: www.staranddove.co.uk • Reopened in early April 2011 after an extensive refurbishment, with a triumvirate taking over the reins at a former Venue Top Banana long enjoying a reputation for cut-above dining. A restaurant is due to open upstairs to serve reinvented 14th- and 15th-century dishes they’re describing as ‘peasanty’. As we go to press, grub was of the order of homemade pork scratchings (as is the organic bread going with the spiced sausage and cider broth). Things coming on toast include chicken liver pate, mackerel smokies, air-dried beef & Quickes cheddar as well as porter rarebit and gherkins. Surroundings evoke the rustic tavern of yestercentury, with a mini skittles alley among long-term plans. Already here are six cut-above real ales always on plus a dozen whites and nine reds • One of only two Bristol pubs (and 250 nationally) selling Stella Black.

STAR AND GARTER

33 Brook Rd, Montpelier, BS6 5LR. Tel: 0117 940 5552 • A legendary Montpelier institution – and rightly so. Lively, friendly multicultural inner-city pub that affords a warm welcome and great prices, and an experience not to be forgotten. Courage Best is one of three ales always on beside the likes of Stella, Becks, Kronie and Blackthorn with Bulmers in bottles and Red Stripe in cans. The coolest reggae and ska sounds abound, whether live or DJ-spun. Food done occasionally. Check the ‘coffin’ table. Open from 9pm daily with door charge on Fri and Sat • Reggae is the main thing here.

SUGARLOAF

51 St Marks Rd, Easton, BS5 6HX. Tel: 0117 939 4498 • Traditional pub with three pool tables, a clientele from age 20 upwards and an admirably wide cider range. Choose from Cheddar Valley, Black Rat, Addlestones, Thatchers Traditional and Dry as well as Natch but its cider house credentials are confirmed by the presence of Thatchers Ice Gold. Boasting technology of which Q himself would be proud, a dual action pump dispenses one third of a pint of frozen cider before the rest of the pint is pulled. Real ales include Tribute, Otter and Cotswold Spring’s Old Codger (sometimes plus guest,) with San Miguel, Stella and Beck’s Vier for those liking lager. Four bottled ciders include Westons Organic pear and apple. Food comes in sarnie and pie form. Covered area in garden if you’re lighting up. In the shadow of Stapleton Road station (and its ace murals), so nip up and check when your train’s arriving, then nip down and watch St Marks Road bustle by with a pint. Live music autumn and winter with shindigs aplenty come August’s St Marks Road street party. Jukebox • Has been in landlord James’s family for 26 years.

TAP AND BARREL

43 Dean Lane, Bedminster, BS3 1BS. Tel 07530 431977 • Large, turn-of-the-century community pub that’s family-orientated and biker-friendly. Wet your whistle with a range of draughts including Fosters, Kronenbourg and Stella, with Natch, Thatchers and Old Speckled Hen cooling in the fridge. Pool tables and darts, disco Mon, Fri and Sat when you’ll also catch live bands. Covered and heated smoking area • Perfectly positioned for a trip to the Dean Lane swimming pool or Dame Emily Park.

THREE LIONS

206 West St, Bedminster, BS3 3NB. Tel: 0117 902 0056 • None-more-red City fans fave where Ashton Gate is visible from the garden. Robins memorabilia throughout, just in case you weren’t sure which team the regulars follow. Courage Best, Natch and Blackthorn among the draughts • Formerly the Three Horseshoes, became the Three Lions to coincide with Euro ’96.

THUNDERBOLT

124 Bath Rd, Totterdown, BS4 3ED, Tel: 0117 373 8947, web: www.thethunderbolt.net Myspace: myspace/thethunderboltpub • Music is central to operations at a pub serving three ales at any time (currently Doom Bar, Bellringer and Number 7) plus Amstel, Kronie, Sagres, Pheasant Plucker plus more. Katy and Leffe among the bottles, half-a-dozen wines in total and drivers getting Holsten non-alcoholic. Lovely big garden out the back, shelter for the smokers • Housed in a historic tollbooth.

THE VICTORIA

Southleigh Rd, Clifton, BS8 2BH. Tel: 0117 974 5675 • Django Reinhardt, Jacques Brel, Thierry Boutsen, Eddy Merckx, Vincent Kompany, Dr Evil, Tintin, Hercule Poirot, um… and 42 Smurfs. It might be impossible to name 50 famous Belgians, but legendary Bristol pub husband-and-wife team Paul and Dee Tanner are looking to line up a half-century of Belgian beers at this Fisher Price-sized former Top Banana bagger. Already here are two Dawkins ales joined on draught by four guests from across the country as well as Samuel Smith’s Alpine and Leffe. Cider heads get Dawkins’ Sunshine plus two boxed guests such as Old Bristolian and Bristol Port and wine types get six reds, as many whites and a rosé all kept in perfect nick thanks to a Le Verre De Vin system. Chilling like villains in the fridge are bottles of Brewdog Punk IPA ready to go ahead and make your day, while everyone’s St George’s Day is made with a beer festival here (and Halloween is similarly celebrated). Devilishly tricky quizzes are staged on Tuesdays with all sorts of godawful tat foisted upon forlorn victors when the month’s last Thursday brings crap prize bingo. It could be you (but you’d rather it wasn’t). Benches have recently arrived outside, DOW has been assured main courses are soon to start emerging from the kitchen • Canada to India, Australia to Cornwall, Singapore to Hong Kong, you won’t find a better boozer. Victoria! Victoria! Victoria, Victoria.

CURRENTLY CLOSED THE VICTORIA

James St, St Werburghs, BS2 9US • Our man has spoken to an insider and it’s like this: St Werburghs’ Victoria may reopen as a pub or it may be converted to alternative usage • Will this place reopen as a pub? Yeah, but no, but yeah, but… as Vicky Pollard, the subject of a sign here, might say.

NEW VICTORIA PARK PUB & KITCHEN

66 Raymend Rd, Victoria Park, BS3 4QW. Tel: 0117 330 6043 • Formerly the Raymend, this, one of Venueland’s most tucked-away boozers opened to immediate acclaim in autumn 2010. A mid-terrace marvel a short stroll from the wonderful Victoria Park, the menu changes seasonally here and offers a mix of locally sourced Mediterranean and English dishes. Drop in to read the papers and enjoy one of three real ales (Bath Ales and Butcombe permanents) or join in the quizzes set to return, book club or even the mums-with-nippers singalong on Thursday morning. Outside wood-fired oven used to cook pizzas and bread, smokers get covers and heating, summer is bringing alfresco barbies • A hidden gem well worth tracking down.

THE VITTORIA

57 Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2LY. Tel: 0117 329 1282 • Traditional boozer on the edge of the Strip’s cafes and restaurants serving up to six real ales at any time (Tribute, Butcombe plus four guests) and Kronenbourg, Foster’s and Symonds. Five above-average quality wines (at less exalted prices) accompany traditional pub grub. There’s a military connection here with a strong welcome offered to the nearby barracks’ personnel, collections taken for Help For Heroes and smart regimental crests adorning the walls. Elsewhere you’ll find an eye-catching wine bottle artwork and a distinguished photo of the good cricketing doctor • Named after 1813’s Battle of Vitoria.

WALKABOUT

40 Corn St, BS1 1HQ. Tel: 0117 930 0181 • A huge Australian theme bar in a converted bank, with a never-ending party atmosphere. Large televisions show all the sport you could want, with DJs keeping the party mood going Fri-Sat • 2am finishes Fri and Sat.

THE WELLINGTON

Gloucester Rd, Horfield, BS7 8UR. Tel: 0117 951 3022, web: www.bathales.com • “The living is easy whatever the season, with impressive port and single malt ranges giving ample excuse to linger after enjoying meals accompanied by wines from around the world. Pint glasses get filled with more locally-made beverages, with Bath Ales’ Warmley brewery, the site of a party Venue remembers most warmly, conjuring up some sublime sups.” Our man dropped in here to research his last Bristol pub of the issue article at the place where he wrote his first. He found Gem, Spa, Barnstormer, Golden Hare and guest going down a treat alongside top-notch tipples like Sagres, Freedom, Erdinger, Brugse Zot and Bounders. “They’re served here by smartly-aproned bar/waiting staff bringing the Champs-Élysées to Gloucester Road. Regulars – and management – praise their engaging nature with jovial banter passing back and forth.” Our man found a dozen each of red and white to go with food being savoured in an extensive conservatory restaurant – one of the changes between his visits with tens of alfresco tables also having arrived here. He concluded; “How best to take care of a thirst or hunger when next seeking a night out? Give it some Welly…” • Modern and traditional combine to make this a great pub to eat, drink and meet.

WESTBURY PARK TAVERN

Northumbria Drive, Henleaze, BS9 4HP. Tel: 0117 962 4235 • Previously the Cock O’ The North, a refurb a while back created the Westbury Park Tavern, although its inherent and almost unique roundness remains. Expect to find draughts like Staropramen and Beck’s Vier, plus Bombardier, Butcombe and Courage Best beside around 18 wines, all accompanying the traditional pub grub. Umbrella with heater for those sparking up alone or with close acquaintances. Big and friendly, and handy for the rather wonderful Orpheus cinema. Live music second Thu monthly • Exterior was famously used as ‘The Young Ones’ local, the Kebab & Calculator.

THE WHITE BEAR

St Michaels Hill, BS2 8BS. Tel 904 9054 • “A welcome as big as the eponymous, Arctic circle-dwelling carnivore awaits at the White Bear where engaging staff ensure the customer is king,” wrote our man, revisiting a pub where the cinnamon-spiced apple crumble he savoured before remains a delightful memory. “Among Bristol’s five oldest pubs – dating back to 1650 – its several rooms sprawl pleasingly and offer a space for all occasions and tucked-away areas where private shindigs swing unnoticed by those not partying.” He noticed Doom Bar, Otter and Butcombe Gold on draught beside five-strong lager offerings including Peroni and Red Stripe and a cider brace. A dozen wines go wonderfully with the contemporary pub food and even make punter-to-pub pressies. General manager Kelly Savickas told our man: “Locals have come back: one had not been in for 17 years but he’s had three successive roasts and bought me a bottle of wine!” Quiz on Mon; cover for the smokers • Look out for a night of short films on 28 July at the recently opened Wardrobe theatre upstairs.

WHITE HART

Lower Maudlin St, BS1 2LU. Tel: 0117 926 8747 • Lovely old pub, first licensed way back in the mid-17th century. Beers include Greene King IPA, Abbot, Old Speckled Hen and a guest changing fortnightly. Stowford Press is on draught with Kopparberg and San Miguel in bottles. Possibly DOW’s most affordable bottles of wine and yours for £7.49 each. Bargain! Food is sandwiches, chilli and Pieminister loveliness from Mon-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12noon-5pm. Karaoke on the last Saturday monthly. Umbrellas for smokers • Boasts the oldest pub cellars in the country, dating from 1190.

WHITE LION

Colston Ave, BS1 1EB. Tel: 0117 927 7744 • Front-room-sized one-bar pub on two levels joined by an attractive spiral staircase. Five draughts always on, such as BOB and Bass plus Carling and Grolsch, and Screech – a cider rarely spotted. Beer festival due end of summer. Open from 8am weekdays (10am on weekends) to sell paté on toast, croissants, toasted sarnies and general cheese and bread/British tapas loveliness, with paninis due to arrive soon. Seating for 30 outside beneath retractable covers and heaters • Part of the original city wall indoors, new cordoned- off seating area outdoors.

WHITEHALL TAVERN

30 Devon Rd, Greenbank, BS5 9AD. Tel: 0117 955 6798 • Cosy yet uncluttered charmer that’s had some sprucing-up since last year without losing any of its warmth. This place represents a step back in time. Indeed, with Youngers at £1.85, Thatchers Traditional at £1.90, Blackthorn at £2.20 and Fosters at £2.34, you might think you’re back in the days before the bankers took the world economy and threw it off a cliff. Even the bottled Empire and Abbot are only £2.85. Loads of character, with individual wooden booths, a free quiz Tue night and engaging touches like cider in cans (Bulmers, Thatchers and Natch) and the lesser-spotted Woodpecker in bottles. Covered smoking area; karaoke every Friday • Community pub with a rural feel.

THE WINDMILL

14 Windmill Hill, BS3 4LU. Tel: 0117 963 5440, web: www.thewindmillbristol.com • There is, if you will, a Bristolian version of the Moulin Rouge here, with six reds appearing on the Windmill’s wine list. As many whites complete a delightful dozen, with two rosés very much in the pink. Just like at the Parisian cabaret, you’ll also find the green fairy here, with three drops of absinthe going into the Pipe Dreams cocktail, the in-house version of the infamous zombie on a 10-strong cocktail list. There’s more in the B50 Czech, one of four shooters coming in small and large measures. Moving on to the biggest glasses, nine draught lagers, weiss biers and ciders include Krusovice, Carlsberg and Millwhites scrumpy, with Bath Ales’ Gem and the award-winning Vale Brewery’s Gravitas amid four draught ales and stout. As if this wasn’t enough variety, there are a staggering 18 bottled beers and ciders (and stagger you would if you tried them all). Highlights include a Bath Ales hat-trick, Leffe, Duvel and Brooklyn. Those not driving get Beck’s Blue • A former Top Banana runner-up and sister to the Pipe and Slippers and Lazy Dog.

YE SHAKESPEARE

78 Victoria St, BS1 6DR. No landline in place at time of going to press • Old Bristol establishment (third oldest pub in the city – 1636, since you ask) with impressive history and interesting architecture. As we go to press it’s under holding management and drink details are unclear so you’re recommended to drop in for more information. Our chap dropped in a few years back and with research assistant Charity and tried the pub’s famed Cheeky Vimtos: fingers crossed these survive any shake-up • A human thigh bone was found in the cellar wall during renovations in 1950.