Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Bristol

  • Bristol – Small Bar

    The pub name of Small Bar refers to the concept that small businesses focus on being the very best that they can be, rather than the size of the venue which is actually relatively large.

    I’m very much in support of this, which is any business being brave enough to be cash free. It means that people don’t have to carry about money, pubs don’t have to have money on site or transport it to banks and then pay to change it. It’s easier to be transparent with card only payments and it’s just quicker.

    This is why I don’t like pubs like the Jubilee in Norwich which still surcharge for card payments (or at least they did a few months ago, I’ve now stopped going in because of the surcharge despite it otherwise being a brilliant pub), even though the law has changed to prevent such price gouging.

    There are 31 taps available in the pub with the choices on chalkboards above the bar. The full list of bottled beers are available on a screen to the side of the bar, all very modern. It’s also much easier to keep a screen such as this up-to-date, it’s a shame that more locations don’t do this.

    And the crisps selection.

    The pub had a relaxing and on-trend feel to it, being both stylish and not over-stated. The beer quality was, as would be expected, excellent and the choice was considered and well thought through.

    Every modern pub needs some books. The pub served food, and it was an on-trend (like most things about this pub) menu based around Asian chicken. We weren’t ready to eat when we visited, but it did offer a tempting selection.

    Overall, a rather lovely pub, perhaps one of my favourites from all those that we visited over the weekend. Although it had a modern feel to it, there was no element of pretentiousness or excessive hipster atmosphere, just a comfortable and welcoming environment.

  • Bristol – King’s Head

    There’s some history to the King’s Head on Victoria Street in Bristol (it has its own Wikipedia page) which was a long time ago a private property, but which was later turned into a pub. And the Victorian interior which dates to around the 1860s is gorgeous and remains relatively untouched, sufficient for the pub to be listed on the National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.

    There’s a corridor along the side of the pub which runs to the back of the building, with the Tramcar Bar taking up the central space. It’s really quite staggering that this was never removed during the twentieth century in the name of progress, as it is a bit clunky, but historically it’s marvellous.

    A photo of the aforementioned corridor.

    It was towards the end of the night, so the photos aren’t quite as straight as perhaps I’d ideally like. But another photo of the historic interior.

    Underneath the old mineral waters sign is this old Dublin Stout sign, which I assume was from Burton Ales.

    I didn’t place the drinks order, but I think from memory I had the London Pride (or at least it tasted like London Pride, so my money would be on it being London Pride), which was well-kept and at the appropriate temperature. There was nothing there which was particularly unique, although it was nice to see a beer from Harvey’s Brewery in Lewes as I was in the town just a couple of weeks ago.

    The service was friendly and I can imagine the furtive conversations which have been held here over the last couple of centuries. It’s a comfortable environment, although the pub is relatively small, so there isn’t a great deal of space.