What makes a pub great? And what makes it underappreciated? Of course, both are heavily subjective, which is fine because this is a blog and not a newspaper or the BBC, so I get to be as partisan as I want.
Rather than be a list of ‘hidden gems’, I’ve instead decided to big up some pubs that I think don’t get the attention they derserve.
The list of pubs below are a shortlist* (*not so short) of places that meet a few criteria for me:
a) I’ve had several fun evenings there
b) The beers/ales I had were well kept
c) It’s clean, or has been on my visits at least (I make a point of mentioning this because there are some other pubs I really enjoy but would feel wrong recommending them in a guide due to the dank toilets and likelihood of your pint sticking to the bar)
d) Aside from loyal locals, I don’t seem to see many people mentioning it on social media, in guides or suggesting as part of a night out unless we’re on the doorstep
So without further ado, here are some of what I think are the pubs going under the radar in Bristol. Let me know on Instagram, Threads or Twitter/X how many you still need to tick off, or if you think there are any other pubs I should add to the list.
The Seven Stars, Redcliffe
Steeped in history (it dates from the 17th Century and a plaque out the front shows the pub’s links to slavery abolitionists in the late 1700s), you can feel the walls talking as soon as you walk into the Seven Stars. It’s a place I overlooked for my first few years in Bristol, as I only went there when I was going to a gig at The Fleece next door, so it was always rammed and I couldn’t take in the original features and fascinating photos of old Bristol. A good stop for ale and cider drinkers in particular – it’s received many awards from CAMRA over the years.
The Barley Mow, St Phillips
I’ve recommended this pub countless times – tucked away on a side street just across the river from Temple Meads, this pub is owned by Bristol Beer Factory and so always has a great line-up across its 8 cask and 10 keg lines. The food here is great, they’ve got a few boardgames you can play, and it’s within a stone’s throw of a few breweries and taprooms: Moor, Little Martha, Good Chemistry, Left Handed Giant and The Cider Box – a great pubcrawl route in summer!
Duke of York, St Werburghs
Skittle alley? Check. Great selection of beers? Check. Boardgames? Check. There’s not much that the Duke of York doesn’t tick off, and although it’s a bit off the beaten track, it’s the sort of place you can settle in for a few hours, whether it’s chilling in their little beer garden, or playing darts or pool upstairs.
The Annexe, Bishopston
While The Sportsman in Bishopston is fairly well known for sports fans (not only is it around the corner from the cricket ground and Bristol Rovers stadium, it also has lots of TVs for watching sport, and a few pool tables too), across the courtyard is its smaller sister pub The Annexe, which specialises in real ales. You can take food and drinks between the pubs, and The Annexe also has a little garden squirrelled away, which is a bit of a hidden suntrap in summer.
The Gryphon, Centre
Mostly known for being a real ale and heavy metal pub, The Gryphon has a loyal following, and you can see the regular’ tankards hung up above the bar. Annual beer festival Gryphfest and regular live music help to make this one of the liveliest (and I mean that in the best way) in the centre.
The Black Castle, Brislington
This is a bit of a guily pleasure if I’m honest, but I love the journey that The Black Castle takes you on. At first glance you’re impressed, ‘Wow, castle!’, but then on second glance you realise it’s sandwiched between a main road and the Sainsburys car park, and is covered is gaudy signs for live sport and food deals. Then when you find out it’s a Grade I listed building dating back to 1745 and is black due to being made from the cast offs of copper mining, you get impressed again. Yes, this place may be a Greene King pub (my least favourite of the chains, in case you wondered) and most of the tables will have dried ketchup on them, but it’s also cheap, cheerful and a really cool building. Give it a go!
The Coronation, Southville
Despite being just across the New Cut from Wapping Wharf and North Street, The Coronation still seems to be under the radar for a lot of Bristolians. The tap, box and bottle selections in here are always excellent, they do a banging roast, and they also run games nights and quizzes. Their annual street party in May is always a lot of fun too. See if you can spot pub cats John and Dani when you pop in.
The Miners Arms, St Werburghs
I always have a hoot when I go to this pub, and like all the other Dawkins pubs in town, the beer selection is great. A proper community pub with soul, it hosts regular live music, quizzes and gets involved with local festivals. As an aside, they’re not quite low profile enough to include on the list, but The Portcullis in Clifton and Hillgrove in Kingsdown are two of my favourite pubs in the city and also owned by Dawkins.
The Golden Guinea, Redcliffe
Probably one of the better known pubs on this list, but the Guinea still doesn’t seem to feature on that many pubcrawls or roundups, even with it being so close to the harbour, having a top notch beer selection and also having some cool history (it forms the start of the Blood & Buccaneers walking tour as the pub is on Guinea Street, which used to be home to Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard!). The pub hosts regular folk jam and open mic nights, and is sister pub to two more goodies, The Three Tuns in Hotwells and The Rising Sun in Windmill Hill.
The Masonic, Bedminster
A self-proclaimed ‘proper pub’, this Bemmie boozer has a few things I love: a skittle alley, filled rolls, meat raffles, pool table and a happy hour where you can get pints for £3. The Black Cat over on West Street has a similar mostly-regulars feel, and both have karaoke and live entertainment most weeks.
The Star, Fishponds
Very popular with the local crowd, The Star has made a name for itself with its Irish session and trad evenings and reportedly does the best pint of Guinness for miles around (I’d rate it on par with Seamus O’Donnells in town and Flan’s in Bath, which is high praise indeed). Make the trip out to East Bristol to enjoy some free live music, well kept beer and brilliant atmosphere. Their garden is the place to be in summer, with the music moving to their outdoor stage.
Cotham Porter Stores, Cotham
The third Wickwar pub on this list (to be fair, all of the pubs they own in Bristol are a good standard and a real mix of individual styles, which is what we like to see from a brewery chain). This snug little pub is a good place to go for a quiet pint, especially if you’re into your cask ales. It’s located just off St Michaels Hill, close to the fantastic Green Man and some brilliant Kingsdown pubs, so you could do one hell of a pub crawl!
The Avon Packet, Southville
One for the cider drinkers, although there’s also a decent selection of mainstream lagers and ales (Bass, Doom Bar and Courage Best) on offer, but you can get Thatchers, Natch and Blackthorn as well as bottled ciders. There are filled rolls behind the bar as well as hot food on the menu, and the pub has a deceptively large garden out the back too. It’s also been listed by CAMRA as having an interior of special national historic interest.
The Cornubia, Redcliffe
This pub is starting to get better known since the latest landlords took over, and I also think it’s been helped by Finzels Reach being redeveloped and a new audience finding the beautiful Kings Head nearby. The Cornubia has bags of character, from the beer mats on the ceiling to the quirky beer garden, and it still manages to feel like a locals pub despite being so central and in quite a soulless part of town.
Whitehall Tavern, Whitehall
Even when I lived in Easton I kept forgetting about this place. You’ll find it on Devon Road, and it’s got a lovely feel to it, especially in winter. As well as a great ever-changing lineup of lagers and cask ales, there’s also a pool table, little back garden and a meat raffle on Sundays.
The Clyde, Redland
The last man standing of old school pubs in this part of the city, the Clyde has the lot: stained glass windows, funky carpet, comfy seating, back garden and great prices. The pool table is a big draw, as is their big screen for live sport.
The Coopers Arms, Ashton
Continuing the trend of ‘old school’ pubs, this tends to be one of the calmer pubs in this part of town (except on days when Bristol City are at home, the pub is just a few minutes from the ground but tends to only let locals in when the football is on), with comfy banquet seating, pub rolls, sport on the TVs and a small back garden. One of my favourites for a chilled Sunday afternoon drink.
Nova Scotia, Cumberland Basin
This pub may always be packed whenever I go in, but even though it’s on the harbour loop, it manages to avoid feeling touristy, and rarely gets a mention when people recommend pubs by the water. Out front is one of the best spots for watching the boats, paddleboarders and windsurfing, and is also a prime viewpoint for the Balloon Fiesta every August (if the wind blows the ballloons the right way that is). I love the wood pannelling, the segmented bars and original features dotted throughout the pub. They also do some comforting pub classics if you get peckish.
El Rincon, Southville
Okay, this may be stretching the term of pub somewhat, but I still think El Rincon meets all of the criteria I set out at the start, and it very much has a pub feel to it, despite being a Spanish bar which serves tapas rather than ham rolls. The friendly feel is what always draws me back, and there are events on throughout the week, from live music and Flamenco nights to Spanish workshops, comedy nights and games night. They also run an annual tortilla competition!
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6 thoughts on “20 Underrated Pubs in Bristol”