You may remember I spent a few days in Bristol last month to discover the city’s buzzing food & drink scene (my InstaSummary here) and while 2 days are definitely not enough to make the most out of Bristol and discover all its yummy secrets, I still completed quite an impressive urban foodie marathon.
And I’m finally disclosing the results of this #BristolTakeover!
“Changing the Thinking behind The Way We’re Drinking”
The Beer Emporium is an underground Bar/Restaurant/Award Winning Bottle Shop in the heart of Bristol Old Town, the “Beermuda Triangle”. Leave your problems outside and unwind for a few hours while savouring some of the finest Beers the world has to offer!
At The Beer Emporium you can find 24 Draught Lines (12 Keg + 12 Cask) constantly changing and a wide selection of Bottles
Address: 15 King St, Bristol BS1 4EF
What’s the name all about? “Well, Small Bar is named to reflect the makers of the products we aim to represent.” Small companies, focused on making their product the best it possibly can be. The name also tells a different story however. It acts as a reminder to the people running the business of the motivations and aims set out when the bar was founded. Small Bar is a platform to showcase the best of the independents.
We believe that the cornerstone of providing a great environment for you to enjoy, is to focus on quality of product and quality of service first, and the size of our profit margin second. The bar is a free of tie premises who’s driving motivation is to stay small, to stay independent, and to show that to be great, you don’t have to be big!
Address: 31 King St, Bristol BS1 4DZ
Moor Beer Company was started in 1996 on a former dairy farm in the Levels and Moors area of Somerset.
The brewery became a bit of a victim of its own success and temporarily contracted out brewing. In January 2007 the brewery was relaunched and expanded to 10 barrels when Justin and Maryann Hawke took over the company. They worked (and continue to work!) tirelessly with their small team to restore the reputation of the brewery to the status it richly deserves. With award winning branding, some of the highest rated beers in the world, and huge international demand, the brewery was expanded again in 2011 to a 20 UK barrel brew length, and a bottling line was installed.
Although lacking a West Country accent, Justin brings a passion for beer and the local area, as well as a tendency towards fusing the wonders of real ale with the aggressively flavoured beers of his native California. Since taking over brewing, Justin has radically improved the quality and flavour of the old beers while adding many new beers to the core range and producing a number of interesting speciality beers. His reputation and awards have grown rapidly, resulting in Moor Beer now being regarded as one of the top breweries in the UK.
Address: Days Rd, Bristol BS2 0QS
BrewDog Bristol opened in 2012 and fast-became another eclectic outpost in this most transformative of cities. Through Brewdog’s signature reclaimed interior, lashings of exposed brickwork and views over the city’s historic waterways, they’ve made the Bristol Brewdog bar an unrelenting collision of tradition and modernity.
“Our bar harbours hundreds of cutting edge, rare and downright awesome craft beers from across the seven seas, serves a mouthwatering array of charcuterie and cheeses and promises to shelter anyone wishing to tack against the bluster of the mainstream”
Address: 58 Baldwin St, Bristol BS1 1QW
Opened in 2014, The Steam Crane Alehouse and Kitchen is named after the Bristol historic landmark Fairbairn Steam Crane which is the worlds only surviving example. The building has great history, with stories of courthouses, hangings and tigers.
It is situated at the very start of North Street and boasts a fresh and vibrant atmosphere with amazing beers on tap!
Address: 4-6 North St, Bristol BS3 1HT
“We don’t see ourselves as maverick brewers, but we do like to tease the boundaries of traditional brewing sometimes. Our ‘Super Deluxe Stout’ or our India red ale ‘Flame’ would not be classed as true to style by purists but we think they’re awesome.
In the same breath we also understand that sometimes you may just want a tasty traditional beer like our ‘365’ an everyday standing up beer.
You can see we have used the words ‘Hands-On Beers’ on our logo. This is not just some corporate meaningless strap line, we mean it. We collect our malt from Warminster maltings, by hand. We lift and tip up to 200kgs of malted barley into our mashtun, by hand; at which point we stir the hell out of it, by hand. By the end of that our skin leaks…but it’s worth it. We feel part of the process rather than just overseeing it. That’s just the start of it.
Its what goes into our beers that are important. We use the finest malt, hops and fresh yeast, always. After all we can’t brew smashing hands-on beers with mediocre ingredients can we!”
Address: 20A Wilson St, Bristol BS2 9HH
Chums Micro Pub – Address: 22 Chandos Rd, Bristol BS6 6PF
Good Chemistry Brewing – Address: Unit 2, William Street, St Philips, Bristol BS2 0RG
Left Handed Giant – Address: Unit 8 and 9, Wadehurst Industrial Park, St St, St Philips Rd, Bristol BS2 0JE
Bristol Beer Factory –Address: The Old Brewery, Durnford Ave BS3 2AW
Arbor Ales – Address: 181 Easton Rd, Bristol BS5 0HQ
The Woods bar sits just off the top end of bustling Park Street and is somewhat of a hidden gem with one of Bristol’s best spirit selections – especially when it comes to whisky! To be honest, Bristol is much more of craft beer lover paradise than a hotspot for whisky enthusiasts but still, when I pushed the doors of The Woods Bar, I couldn’t be happier to see all those familiar bottles behind the bar: from American, Japanese to Irish, Scotch and even recently some Indian whisky! The Woods Bar is just THE place to go if you crave a good whisky in Bristol.
If you like rum, you’re in luck at the Rummer (although the name is just a happy coincidence) – with more than 400 premium spirits from around the globe (including an impressive selection of whiskies), it may well be home to the largest collection in Bristol.
Recent addition Cap Savanna Rum comes from Reunion Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. An espresso martini and roaring log fire can also warm the cockles on a cold winter’s night or a day spent exploring the stalls at nearby St Nick’s Market. (read more)
An unmarked doorway between two empty shops, the only giveaway that something might be happening behind the graffiti-daubed front door is the throbbing red light and the payphone.
Red Light is the first venture from award-winning local cocktail expert Richard Tring and it occupies what for years was the Tube nightclub and the Massive Attack-owned Nocturne.
Address: 1 Unity St, Bristol BS1 5H
“Hidden in one the finest historic buildings in the old city The Milk Thistle is the flirty younger sister of Bristol’s hippest prohibition bar, Hyde & Co.
We pride ourselves on being purveyors of the finest cocktails in the city, and with four floors, including a cocktail bar, lounge and private function rooms we’re also the perfect place to host a truly fabulous party!
With a reputation as one of Bristol’s best kept secrets we promise to provide a decadent escape for those in the know who are looking for good food, good drinks, good company, and most of all, a good time!”
Address: Quay Head House, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 1EB
Beneath an Indian restaurant isn’t traditionally the first place you’d head for a great night out, but that’s precisely where you’ll find one of Bristol’s coolest bars. Right at the top of Whiteladies Road opposite the Downs, Hausbar has long been a place to finish a night in style.
The original Bristol speakeasy bar, which you have to ring a doorbell to gain access to, is rather out on a limb – especially with plenty of cocky young upstarts now opening nearer the centre of town. But despite no longer being unique, Hausbar remains a venue for discerning drinkers. (read more)
Address: 52 Upper Belgrave Rd, Avon, Bristol BS8 2
Corks of Cotham & Corks North Street
Need some food to cope with all this drinking? I’ve got your back!
Pata Negra– for some Spanish-styled tapas & great wine (also try their house gin made by local microdistillery Psychopomp)
Address: 30 Clare St, Bristol BS1 1YH
The Ox – not a safe place for all the veggies & other pesco vegans – The Ox is a meat heaven but also serves amazing cocktails to quench your thirst. “we believe in creating exceptional food using local, seasonal produce which has been cooked to perfection by our expert chefs”
Address: 43 Corn St, Bristol BS1 1HT
Pie Minister – a Bristol institution (3 different restaurants in town) for all things pies & hearty food. Vegetarian options also available!
Address: 24 Stokes Croft, Avon, Bristol BS1 3PR
The Lido is situated on the old viewing gallery of the Clifton Pool. If you litterally want to eat poolside (yeap, you read that right!) on a sunny day, I can’t think of a better place than the Lido, especially if you fancy some very good and fresh cuisine in a beautiful setting (the splended Victorian building on itself is worth a visit) – Definitely my personal favourite of all the Bristol restaurants I visited, couldn’t recommend it enough!
Address: Oakfield Pl, Bristol BS8 2BJ
Did you know Bristol was home to a craft distillery? Psychopomp is just the cutest, small, independent distillery, located on top of Michael’s hill and producing a range of small batch gins in very limited quantities from their handmade copper pot stills. The talented distillers currently create classic and seasonal recipes but also some bespoke recipes for special customers (Pata Negra and The Ox – see the above restaurant section – both have their house gin!)
The team at Psychopomp offers a special “make your own gin” experience every Saturday afternoon but also private tastings on request: don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate Bristol’s only local gins!
Address: 145 St Michael’s Hill, Bristol BS2 8DB
You may also like
