I realise that what started as a genuine intention to get people to enjoy the sights and spectacles of Bristol has instead turned in to a series of rather irresponsible pub crawl posts. Oh well, if Bristol does one thing better than most places in the UK it’s provide an amazing variety of drinking establishments, whether your tipple of choice be a fine craft beer, a rich Bordeaux or a cloudy pint of scrumpy.

St Michael’s Hill in the centre is probably the highest concentration of great pubs in this fine town of ours, and therefore perfect for a pubcrawl. I’d advise starting from the top, mind. It’s a wee bit steep, so not the most appealing route if you’ve imbibed a few strong ales.

Stage One: Up on High

From here not only do you get to start with two of the best pubs on the route, but you also get to kick off your conquering of St Michael’s Hill with a stunning view across the city and a game of bar billiards at the homely and hospitable Highbury Vaults.

Still split in to a main bar and a saloon with dark wood panelling and some great traditional pub snacks, the Highbury Vaults is the sort of pub that I would live in if I had the chance. The whole place feels very friendly and hidden away, with several little nooks nestled around the small premises. There’s also a great beer garden out the back.

Once you’ve emptied your glass at the Vaults, it’s across the road with you to a bar at the other end of the interior design spectrum; Beerd. Beerd arrived with its colourful seating and amazing array of craft beers in early 2012 and has since been a popular choice for booze-happy students and beer conoisseurs alike. Their pizzas are great too.

It’s now time to move a few yards along to The White Bear, a pleasant student pub with some quirky features and regular events.

Stage Two: The Descent

Now that you’ve given your calf muscles a bit of a work out on the city’s slopes, it’s time for a reviving drink at The Robin Hood, one of the most underrated pubs in Bristol. Small but perfectly formed, the RH always has an almighty selection of beers and ales from all over, and the staff are always happy to share their knowledge and make recommendations.

Next, it’s down to the The Open Arms, another small pub which still manages to cram in a fair bit of seating across a couple of rooms and its cute little back garden. The place also gets quite lively when there’s sport on, especially if Wales are playing!

Stage Three: Munch and a Microbrewery

Kudos for making it this far, you’ve now made it to the bottom of the hill and are in Central Bristol proper. Where you decide to take your night from this point on is up to you (will it be to the bustling chain bars of Corn Street or the candlelit wine bars of Clifton?) but before you make any big decisions it’s probably wise to duck in to one last pub for a celebratory drink.

What better way to finish a pub crawl of such decadence than in a microbrewery? Zero Degrees is a large and slightly cold space which lives and dies on how busy it is; when the place isn’t bustling it has about as much atmosphere as the departure lounge at Gatwick Airport, but when there are a few heads in the room it definitely has a decent buzz. The best bits though are the outdoor terraces and balcony for you to take in the view whilst supping on one of their homemade beers. I’d recommend their Pilsner or Mango Beer – lush. They also do a big menu of decent pizzas.

Next Stop? Either progress in to town via the The Gryphon (bring your tankard for them to hang above the bar – ale afficionados are particularly welcome) or rumoured to be Bristol’s oldest pub, The Hatchet (metal horns!).

Other posts you may enjoy…

• Cosy pubs in Bristol
• Country pubs near Bristol
• 20 Underrated Bristol pubs