please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A small pub eight in the centre of the city with a mixed clientele and at time of visit was able to sit outside and watch the world go by. Good range of Wickwar beers in good condition. The only downside is the gents toilet which is accessed via metal spiral staircase into the cellar which could easily be tricky if you have had one Wickwar too many....but the real issue ids the state of the toilet.....ancient and very smelly....surely its not beyond the wit of the brewery to either renew the whole thing or get the manager to clean the bloody thing properly?
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Nothing special whatsoever about this pub when compared with pubs generally, but for Bristol this is way above average. Beers OK but wouldn't like to have to plummet the depths in order to get to the bogs.
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I really want to like this gem of a pub with very reasonably priced Wickwar ales. However, there seems to be an ongoing problem with beer quality. On my last visit normally excellent Station Porter was rather sharp. Shame, as I would like to come here more often - it really is a nice pub.
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A gem the smallest pub in Bristol but just great!!!
In early on Saturday afternoon and I’m the only one inside as about a dozen others are sat outdoors.
They have two fans working one on the ceiling and a small TV is showing the BBC News channel.
5 Hand pulls with 4 for Wickwar and a guest.
I try a pint of the Wickwar Coopers which is very nice and cost £2.80.
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Small but perfectly formed. As a Wickwar's pub that is what you will get, so bear that in mind. Having said that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Wickwar. (I can never order a pint of BOB without thinking of Blackadder). When we visited it was quiet, being a Friday mid-afternoon. Imagine at peak times space for elbows and lifting beer glasses would be at a premium. Well-kept beer.
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Loved this pub.Great real ales,superb location to see Bristol go by and an interesting mix of people coming in and out at the weekend.Also had a friendly atmosphere and the barman was nice.Only quibble was at 10:30 on a Saturday night the barman was on his own,no sign of management about.If a manager can't be around late on a Saturday night when is he/she around ?
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Outside this pub is a banner that proclaims, 'Wide range of Real Ales'. I found four ales, all from Wickwar which ranged from 3.5% to 4.2%. All of them were blonde or bitter coloured. That is a range of bitters, not a wide range. Last year we were charged 1.20 for a half of Soda water. No squash, just soda water. So charging 2.40 for fizzy carbonated water, which was just ten p cheaper than a pint of bitter. Nice decor, but I shall not make this place a regular.
LukeD - 26 Jul 2011 15:15 |
I Think the two main cruxes over this place are one whether you like wickwar beer ,and the overall quality of the beer , although this has never been in the league of the seven stars or the bank which incidentally is only a couple of minutes around the corner ,this was always one you would visit on a saturday crawl or if you had missed the bus in the week, sadly now it doesn't have the compulsory box ticked , the quality has never been great since the big guy had it , and the quality really can compensate for the lack of choice , incidentally haven't seen the station porter around which in my opinion is wickwars best. To the boring farts drinking fosters well you can take it or leave them sometimes the place has the atmosphere of being only one step up from drinking in the park. The prissy bars on the waterfront if you can put up with the expense, no1 harbourside , the watershed bar , and the cheap lloyds v shed seems much more appealing these days
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If you know what you are going to this is a nice pub. I visit it a few times a year when I am in Bristol. I like the Wickwar beers and being able to sit and watch Bristol go by.
It is a tiny city pub with a small bar and room for about 15 people outside in the seating area on the street pavement. There are overhead heaters.
25 people inside would be a crowd and if you are overweight or not very nimble, then you won't easily get down the spiral stairs to the gents below street level.
It has its regulars and some do get pissed but with a pub this size, it probably needs them to keep the �'s coming in else, it will close.
If you want something more refined, the pub is on the edge of the touristy waterfront where all the branded pubs and bars are along with their uniform interiors, food and drinks. Else give this tiny city pub a go to see a bit of real Bristol.
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Entertaining to watch the weekend antics, but the beer is usually very warm and the floor in the urinals wet. Don't bother.
MrKiA - 29 Nov 2010 17:18 |
A pub I always try to visit when I'm in Bristol and I wasn't disappointed this time round. Good Wickwar beer; chatty locals and staff and very reasonable prices. As has been noted there's not much room inside but that's part of its appeal. Mind you the spiral staircase down to the Gents should only be tackled when sober !!
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Excellent little boozer. Definitely a drinker's pub, with locals who clearly enjoy their pint(s)! And with beer at less than �2 a pint, who wouldn't? Not much space inside, but outside tables to sit and watch Bristol go by.
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Popped in here for first time in yonks the other day, sat outside in the sun with a bargain priced pint of Wickwar Bankers Draft (�1.99!) 7/10
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Came here in search of Wickwar beers which we enjoyed. Referring to TalbotHill comments, when we arrived a small obnoxious character who had been hogging the bar right in front of the pumps, which we were looking at to chose what beer, returned from having a fag to his drink and started gobbing off that we were in his place!! The barman immediately sent him on his way - no argument!!
Anyway we then settled down to a very pleasant session with the other locals who seemed to have seen a lot of Bristol life!! Entertaining!
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Always has a few characters in here who have obviously enjoyed a few-but its ok and always have a good pint
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A interesting small city centre pub that reminds me of many London pubs. Plenty of good real ales and some heavy drinkers around the bar. Good staff and tables outside to watch the busy street.
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Very strange. One pub on the Centre that I've never been in!
I called in here on the way home from work at about 8:45pm. There were only six people in, one of which was a woman who had obviously been on a training course "How to teach Dockers to Swear". The chap behind the bar, from what I could gather, is a relief manager and appeared a bit out of his depth dealing with the mouthy cow in the corner (who kept putting "Land of Hope & Glory" on the Jukebox)
Other than that, I had a nice pint of Wickwar "BoB" and at �2.70, I don't suppose it was over priced, especially being in the centre of town. I did notice the Bass on the Bar afterwards.
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Very pleasant pub with a well-kept range of Wickwar beers.
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Nice range of the wickwar beers in a small cosy pub, barman friendly and attentive. I loved the beer glasses kept on a low slung beer shelf above the bar. Gem of a pub
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small pub, doing tapas , taking up valuable seating room , area outside to sit where you can watch the hustle bustle of bristol city centre , beer festival last night and this weekend, 4 beers , not a bad choice quality , but to be honest really there are other pubs that can give you a better selection every day of the week in central Bristol , also a pub that has a somewhat sitty senta feel to it .
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Lovely little pub worth visiting just to see the Gents toilet. Disappointed to find no Mr Perret's Stout or Station Porter and the Banker's Draught was pretty ordinary. 9/10 for the pub and 6/10 for the beer.
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I can only really echo what others have said. Small Wickwar pub right on the city centre. Fairly quiet on a recent Tuesday night, although a few Camra types popped in later. TV on in the corner showing Spooks (which was a shame as I was taping it).
Several Wicwar beers on tap, plus their Screech cider and Addlestones. Landlord seemed pleasant enough.
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I have survived the spiral descent to the loo and can report Wickwar Coopers, Bankers Draft, Bob(x2), Addlestones cider. Small bar surrounded by crowded drinking area, large windows to street from where, as Millay says, you can junction-watch (shades of a favourite Parisien bar for me) though you would have needed to do so from inside in last Sat�s downpour. Scattering of tables & stools, drinking shelf at windows with barstools, wooden bar-back with good whisky selection. Seven pints cost a reasonable �18. I have to mention the poor guys collecting for charity � painted smurf blue & wandering around in just shorts in the pouring rain, also that Tigerdrinker �pulled� here � two senior ladies attaching themselves to the company until we had to leg it from the next pub�
ps. for me, the Nell Gwynne just wins the most hazardous descent, but I wouldn't fancy either at the end of a sesh.
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A tiny pub with large windows overlooking the junction of two busy roads, so ideal for any traffic-watchers out there. Had a decent pint of Wickwars Bankers Draft from which I think a charitable donation is made from the price of each pint, could probably have done without the landlord all but shoving a collecting box at us though. Gentlemen beware, this pub has perhaps the most precarious and narrow climb down to the Gents ever, and despite the encouragement of my drinking partners I do have to admit to refusing the 'stairway challenge' and waiting for the next pub.
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Interesting little pub, but with a very strange smell inside. Unusual decor includes many old cheese dishes. Nice pint of the ruby-red Autumnale, with a reasonable selection of Wickwar's other beers on offer. Overall - not too bad, but I didn't like the way that the jukebox (which was fine indoors) broadcast itself loudly into the street via external speakers.
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previous ll taking over at the sugar loaves bottom of xmas steps
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Has never really reached its potential as a Wickwar pub. Another new landlord-another pint of moderate ale(Bankers Draft). Landlord ridiculously sarcastic when one of the party asked who makes the "Screech" cider. Not hurrying back.
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Nice old style pub unfortunately full of old dross.
I don't know if I was there on a bad day but the beer wasn't up to much, neither was the service
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Visited this pub after seeing the wonderful Banksy exhibition at The City Museum, not far from where you come down the hill. There was no excuse for the hot glasses that our beer was served in which ruined the beer. Wickwar range which is fine in a city and we got a seat out the front. I just wish the service had been better.
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This pub suffers from its location - central but prone to attracting pissed up vagrants spurting abuse at the barlady. Hey ho, it is Bristol, land of the character....
Wickwar beers - I tried 3 and experienced a mixture of sensations. Warm Banker's Draft, tasty Station Porter and a strange pint of Coopers. I was a bit perplexed by the rather lax quality but I did like the interior.
Time to pay attention methinks.
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I have now had a couple of return journeys to the White Lion (mainly out of convenience of it's location but also in the hope of decent beer). The last visit this Sunday saw really well below average ales - only just not returnable. It seems strange that this Wickwar outlet lets the LL serve it's beer in such rubbish condition - what's going on there? The locals that seemed as though they had been in the pub all day were understandably drunk, the barman seemed intrigued that someone was actually interested in the quality of the beer they were serving, and we will not be returning to this place any time soon.
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Had a couple of Wickwar beers last month when I visited but found it a little small for its popular location. Difficult to get seats, but those in were friendly enough and we enjoyed our time there. The larger of the chaps we were with had a struggle on the spiral staircase down to the gents loos though.
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City centre location and ideal for punters seeking out Wickwar beers - I've always been a bit underwhelmed by them myself. Very busy for a Sat lunchtime, and lots of promotion for Wickwar's new ale 'Banker's Draft', for which I was served a very flat version - bit strange that. Mrs Dandillus' pint of Coopers was much fresher as she was keen on telling me (and cheap at �2). I would say an above average place and, of course, better than your Slug and lettuce type places which abound in City Centres, I wouldn't get on a bus to go there though.
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Lovely pub. Unfortunately the usually excellent Station Porter was a bit sharp. Hope it's a bit better by the time of my next visit or I won't be going back.
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good pint ,nice pint of coopers , toilets terrible to get to , beers fixed by wickwar , slight critiscism , landlord thoroughly nice
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Great pub and great beer - I always try and get to it when I'm in Bristol.
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Great little pub.
Just an old fashioned city centre boozer of the old school.
Interesting beers and well worth a visit.
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Superb little boozer.Fantastic beer - Mr Perret's Stout AND Station Porter. WOW!! Don't miss the Spiral staircase to the gent's loo.
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Mr Happy Les has departed to bring his sense of traditional English landlordship to pastures new,there's a write-up bout it in the current CAMRA rag. Been replaced by new youngish,chap but on both my visits recently the warm beer problem,which has rambled on intermittently for many years,seems to have returned. Feet voting alas applies.
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Tiny Wickwar pub serving brilliant beers. Very highly recommended. Old Bob was great!
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The sort of pub that restores your faith in city centre boozing. It stands it's out ground against the Wetherspoons, Hogsheads, Walkabouts that try to bully the traditionals out of the way. The rickety rackety staircase to the loo is a good 'how pissed am I?' indicator. There's usually some erudite conversation at the bar as well, though the Landlord is definately of the seen-it-all before school. A small pub with a big heart and brain to boot.
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One of the best pubs in Bristle (and there's some beauties in thsi city!) Met the love of my life here in 2001. Sadly, she and the jukebox are gone now but the White Lion goes on and looking at Les's grumpy face cheers me up all the time!
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Wickwar beers served in good condition in this place. Take care when descending to the gents!
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Not only a rare outlet for the range of Wickwar beers, but guests are also available. Very convenient location in the centre, and tends to get rather busy, but definately for the right reasons. Highly recommended.
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Absolutely. The White Lion was actually a surprisingly good little free house before Wickwar's takeover, but needless to say they have maintained the good aspects of its previous existence and improved on them. A rare outlet for a good range of Wickwar ales and with a clear accent towards traditionalism, there is still a hint of the continental about it, and the outdoor seating complete with awning can be pleasant in all weathers - sometimes there is little choice as the pub is one of the city's smallest! Spot on, and a worthy antidote to the countless All-Bar-This and Thats further down the road.
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Corking, tiny city centre pub presided over with grave efficiency by Les. Sit outside for a lungful of carbon monoxide with your pint of Bob and you could be on the boulevards of Paris.
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This is a lovely little old pub run by Les & Carol who couldn't be nicer hosts. Real Ales, Port & Stilton evenings and an outside area on the main road where you can watch the world go by if weather permits. Be warned, stairs to the Gents are not for the faint-hearted, nor to the Ladies although a little less treacherous.
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Small pub with a nice selection of ales. One wall of the pub is part of the old wall of Bristol.I enjoyed 'Old Arnold ' especially. Too bad it's on the way out-short shelf life. Drinkers of Britain-Save "Old Arnold". -bgough
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