The 22 best pubs in Bristol

Long before Stokes Croft became the city’s most bohemian neighbourhood, The Bell was widely regarded as something of a Bristol institution. Tucked away on Hillgrove Street, just off the main drag of bars, independent stores and cafés, it has long served a variety of purposes; it’s a laidback meeting place for local artists and musicians, a low-key community pub and a popular weekend pre-club boozer all rolled into one. 

For the assorted students, young professionals, party people and liberal locals that make up The Cadbury’s clientele, this pub has legendary status. For many, the weekend isn’t complete without a hungover, bleary-eyed trip to the pub for its proper, all-the-trimmings Sunday roasts. There was a refit that had locals fearing for the preservation of its infamously chill vibes. But there was no need to worry. The vibe prevails.

The Bag of Nails has long been regarded as one of Bristol’s best real ale establishments. It is, without a doubt, also one of the city’s most eccentric. Much of this eccentricity stems from landlord Luke Daniels, a self-proclaimed ‘opinionite [sic], non-conformist and cat-fancier’ whose dedication to real ale is notorious. It’s tiny, it’s friendly, and it’s full of cats and beer – what’s not to love?

This pub gets rammed on the weekend, and for good reason: its beer selection, unusual interior decor and lively clientele make it a fantastic night out – and there’s a massive garden to boot. Another plus? When you get bored of your mates’ drunken chat, you can challenge them to a game of skittles at the in-house mini-alley. The next round’s on the loser...

Now, here’s a pub that knows its real ale. CAMRA award-winning landlords Phil and Jakki took over The Cornubia years ago, and it has no less than ten hand-pulls behind the bar at any one time, including ones you won’t find anywhere else in Bristol. Festooned in funky flags and old pump clips, this is a proper pub lover’s pub.

Few Bristol pubs can boast as long and distinguished a history as The Coronation Tap. There’s been a boozer on its Sion Place site since the eighteenth century, meaning ‘The Cori’ pre-dates the nearby Clifton Suspension Bridge. As you’d expect from something so steeped in Bristol folklore, there’s a homely, old-fashioned feel to the place, and you’re arguably not a true Bristolian until you’ve sampled the venue’s own super-strength cider, so potent that it’s only ever served in half pints. While you’ll find a solid selection of real ales, lagers and wines, too, it’s the pub’s constantly changing cider range that stands out. 

Bristol’s harbourside area has long been a popular drinking spot, particularly in the summer months, but it’s hardly renowned for the quality of its pubs and bars. Most are glitzy, soulless chain affairs, catering to the kind of Friday and Saturday night drinkers who are more interested in cheap booze and pop music than ambience or quality beer. The Ostrich, then, is something of a haven. A little further around the floating harbour in Redcliffe, it’s an old inn – built in 1745 – and revels in its centuries-old links to Bristol’s maritime heritage. 

When climbing up the frustratingly steep St Michael’s Hill, you’re unlikely to miss The White Bear at the summit: a life-size replica of the creature that gives the pub its name dominates the front wall at first-floor level. It’s a useful metaphor because The White Bear can be as lively as its towering mascot.

Even if you disregard its adjacent sister venue, The Annexe – a smaller, real ale-focused outlet a few steps across the smoking yard – The Sportsman is still one of the biggest pubs in Bristol. When you first approach the building from Gloucester Road, you get a sense of its size. It has a Tardis-like quality, feeling much roomier on the inside than it looks on the outside. It’s easy to lose count of the various interlinked rooms and seating areas, and it took us several visits before we realised there was also a converted loft space. 

Redfield has become a desirable location – for young, trendy first-time house buyers, at least – and the neighbourhood’s pub scene could feel under pressure to move with the times. However, this off-kilter old boozer hasn’t changed a bit. With its model dragon display, properly sized pool tables and banterous bartenders, it’s great to visit a pub that doesn’t take itself too seriously.