Can anyone recommend some cool, unusual high quality bars/restaurants/cafes in Bristol?

[Geri]

I would blame George Ferguson, but I'm pretty sure those signs went up before he became mayor.

 

[DaveCinzano]

‘Canon's Marsh’ never seemed to catch on for some reason.

 

[Geri]

I think most Bristolians associate Canons Marsh with a big car park.

 

[wiskey]

I don't even know where it is

 

[Geri]

I don't even know where it is

The Watershed is in Canon's Marsh. For years there was just a huge car park behind it, where Millenium Square is now.

 

[wiskey]

The Watershed is in Canon's Marsh. For years there was just a huge car park behind it, where Millenium Square is now.

oooohhhhh ... nope never heard it called that. I do remember the car park though. In fact I don't know what I would call that area, either 'the bit by the watershed', or 'the bit by @Bristol' I guess...

 

[JTG]

West End is near Southampton, Old Town is in Swindon and Canons Marsh is where we used to smoke prior to Sixth Form when we graduated to the back of the Council House.
HTH

 

[big eejit]

Went past again about half hour ago and there he is at his station behind the bar and not a soul to be seen.

I was told it was shut but, as you say, it doesn't seem shut. Never been in tho I walk past all the time. Intriguing place.

Is there a list of licensed premises on the council site or somewhere?

 

[_pH_]

No one's mentioned OMG, Bent or Queen Shilling yet, what the fuck is wrong with you?

 

[_pH_]

I like:
Tobacco Factory (staggering distance from the g/f's so dead handy)
Old Bookshop (for the tapas)
Severn Shed (for the cocktails & terracey bit hanging over the river)
Olive Shed (for the tapas)
The Woods (for the cocktails & whisk(e)y)
The Lido (for the swim & fancy lunch package)
Famous Royal Navy Volunteer (yeah why not?)
That place on the Harbourside that does cider and pizza, can't remember the name
Bristol Bear Bar

Didn't really like Small Bar, alright if you want beer but they had only one white wine and that was rank. Went to Crofters Rights recently for a roast and they took ages AND the wine list was rubbish. It was OK though I suppose.

edit: and the Thali Cafe. And want to try Soukitchen but haven't been yet. And a new place called Birch or something on Raleigh Road which is supposed to be good.

 

[BlackArab]

I was told it was shut but, as you say, it doesn't seem shut. Never been in tho I walk past all the time. Intriguing place.

Is there a list of licensed premises on the council site or somewhere?

Definitely not shut, just had a pint in there prompted by this thread!

 

[butchersapron]

I like:
Tobacco Factory (staggering distance from the g/f's so dead handy)
Old Bookshop (for the tapas)
Severn Shed (for the cocktails & terracey bit hanging over the river)
Olive Shed (for the tapas)
The Woods (for the cocktails & whisk(e)y)
The Lido (for the swim & fancy lunch package)
Famous Royal Navy Volunteer (yeah why not?)
That place on the Harbourside that does cider and pizza, can't remember the name
Bristol Bear Bar

Didn't really like Small Bar, alright if you want beer but they had only one white wine and that was rank. Went to Crofters Rights recently for a roast and they took ages AND the wine list was rubbish. It was OK though I suppose.

edit: and the Thali Cafe. And want to try Soukitchen but haven't been yet. And a new place called Birch or something on Raleigh Road which is supposed to be good.

Yep. That's it. Game over.

 

[_pH_]

Yep. That's it. Game over.

Yeah but which is best: Bent, OMG or Queen Shilling?

 

[xenon]

I didn't know you drank round Southville _pH_ when down here. Get yourself down the Corronation. It's a proper pup...

 

[JTG]

The Crofters Rights can fuck off n all

 

[big eejit]

The crofters rights is alright. It's friendly and sells good beer at a reasonable price, and isn't actually up its own arse. Obviously it's Stokes Croft so there are a few knobs, but not as many as I expected.

Went down the other week and they had a beer festival on by Mike Ross from Brewers Droop. Had a good chat with him about when he used to run Ross Brewery from there. There were also brewers and beers there from Arbor, Celt, Ashley Down. So they're proper about their beer.

The Small Bar OTOH. Morose hipster wankers selling two third pints for £4. 'We don't serve pints, so uncool.'

We can still work out your ripoff prices, you daft cunts. A bar for people who don't actually like beer to pretend they do.

 

[Geri]

If people are friendly, the hipster vibe can be forgiven a bit. I went to Small Street Espresso, very hipstery and felt awkward and out of place. Full Court Press just around the corner however is lovely.

 

[xenon]

My mate's dragged me into Full Court Press a couple of times. I'm not a coffee officianardo but yeah, it was fine and the staff friendly.

 

[Geri]

I was in there just now, there was a hipster with a beard and no socks, and the people on the table next to me were eating pork pies and ham from Tesco.

Coffee is lush but could do with being a bit hotter.

 

[DaveCinzano]

On a similar tack, Bubble Tea in Quakers Friars(!) minds me of a hipster version of those shipping container torture chambers the US military ran with the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan

 

[JTG]

I'm just holding the loss of the Croft's gigs against the Crofter's tbh
The opening up of Quaker's Friars is one of the only good visual things about the Carboot development

 

[strung out]

Crofter's Rights is awful - probably the most uncomfortable pub I've ever had the displeasure of drinking a pint in.

I don't drink the beer in Small Bar, but the cider is fairly reasonably priced (£2.20 for two thirds of a pint) and at least there's somewhere comfortable to sit! Plus trendy pubs on King Street haven't demonstrably changed the character of the area to make it near enough unrecognisable. Crofter's Rights fits right in to the new Stokes Croft

 

[JTG]

Queen's Head, two quid for a pint of Thorn plus footy via naughty satellite

 

[strung out]

Crofter's Rights is awful - probably the most uncomfortable pub I've ever had the displeasure of drinking a pint in.

I don't drink the beer in Small Bar, but the cider is fairly reasonably priced (£2.20 for two thirds of a pint) and at least there's somewhere comfortable to sit! Plus trendy pubs on King Street haven't demonstrably changed the character of the area to make it near enough unrecognisable. Crofter's Rights fits right in to the new Stokes Croft

Not getting at you btw big eejit! I've had this argument many times with friends on twitter, which you've probably caught bits of

I think you and I can be united in our dislike of Brewdog - the only pub in Bristol that has actually tried to dissuade me from ordering cider in favour of something else.

 

[DaveCinzano]

The Long Bar: pound-a-pints still available, and NO SHOPLIFTERS

 

[Thora]

My dad recommends The Cornubia. But then he is a man in his 50s who likes ale and horse racing, so maybe it's so uncool it's actually trendily ironic?

Reading all these names of bars I don't recognise is making me realise I haven't had a night out for about 3 years

 

[chemn]

I'm guessing the £4 2/3rd pints in Small Bar are hipstery/ very strong/ very unique? The beers I had in there were a bit over £2... Still, I won't defend it any longer. I'm no fan of hipsters and shit like that, and only went there once...

 

[xenon]

What is the Crofters Rights? Is that formally The Croft. Which is the one that years ago was called the Brew House?

I've been since it wasn't the Brew House but can't remember what it was called.

 

[DaveCinzano]

What is the Crofters Rights? Is that formally The Croft. Which is the one that years ago was called the Brew House?

I've been since it wasn't the Brew House but can't remember what it was called.

After the Brewhouse it was the Comedy Pub (green) for a while before it was The Croft.

 

[xenon]

Oh yeah, the Comedy Pub. What a shit name.