If there’s one thing us Bristolians love to do when the sun comes out, it’s sink a pint or two in celebration. We’ve all got our favourite watering holes in the city, but what about venturing a little further out of the centre and seeing what the south has to offer?
We’ve already hailed Southville, but here in the south we hide some of Bristol’s best pubs, too.
The Victoria Park
Take a stroll away from shopping favourite North Street, and pay a visit to the Victoria Park for a pint of ale. This upmarket backstreet boozer is just a stone’s throw away from the beautiful expanse of greenery that provides its namesake, and offers a generous garden out back if you can’t stand to be away from the sunshine. Pop down for a lovely pint of cider or enjoy a proper stone-baked pizza from their clay oven in the garden. Lush.
The Windmill
A hop, skip and jump away on the other side of the park on equally lovely Windmill Hill is the cleverly-titled The Windmill. Sister pub to Ashley Down’s The Lazy Dog and the fantastic Pipe and Slippers in Stokes Croft, this quirky little establishment offers a beautifully snug environment, lovely bar staff and delicious home-cooked food, plus plenty of well-kept real ale.
The Windmill
The Hare
Take a wander up North Street and pay a visit to The Hare. Opened just a couple of years ago, it’s already established itself as one of the go-to drinking destinations along this road, offering a delicious selection of real ales and ciders, and hiding a secret sun-trap beer garden out back. Keep an eye out for their annual beer festivals, plus their Belgian and American beer nights on a Wednesday evening.
The Hare
The Old Bookshop
A couple of doors down from The Hare sits one of Bemmie’s absolute gems. One part quirky hipster weirdness, one part hip cocktail bar, and all shades of awesome, this little Southville favourite has been doing the south proud since 2011. Arguably the best place for a roast dinner on a Sunday afternoon, stay a while at their sister joint Cocktails at No 62, and be sure to check out their amazing nautical-themed garden.
Flickr: shrinkin'violet
The Spotted Cow
No line up of south Bristol pubs would be complete without The Spotted Cow. This North Street favourite was made for summer – its huge beer garden is packed on sunny afternoons, with locals soaking up the rays with a pint of cider in hand. The food is pretty exceptional too, from the thick-cut chips and homemade mayo to their amazing Sunday roasts. Southville knows how to celebrate the Day of Roast well.
The Spotted Cow
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