please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Great pub we took in on the way to a Bristol Rovers game (and we wish we had stayed there instead of going to the match!), the Bath Ale was in top-notch condition, the bar staff very friendly and the pub has a lovely interior. One to spend a full evening in on our next visit to Bristol.
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Good boozer which should supply oxygen and CPR for those who make the mistake of walking up, rather than down, to it. An ordinary range of Bath Ales was very much to the fore but Moor's Revival was a superb guest ale, in tip-top condition. Features a barman - and regulars at the bar - who knew so much about local beers their conversation might have been intimidating if I didn't know what they were talking about. Pleasant interior, nice mix of locals and visitors.
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Love the HOTH, but what a boring selection of beer - what happened to the guest ales? Only Gem, Barnsey and Spa on. And the Barnsey was in average nick. Disappointing. And I think Barnstormer was a much better name, for what it's worth.
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Deja vu here , almost exactly the same as a year ago.I think the problem is not with the pub , but bath ales, nothing new on the market, and also seem more interested in foody pubs, and bottled beer these days, it all just seemed a bit tired . Ale was ok but i've had a lot better dark star.4/10
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More-or-less perfect Bath Ales pub. Always reliable and well worth the walk from the centre. The nearby Hillgrove is also very good.
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Nice pub , smallish with wooden interior . A bath ales pub so range wouldn't have been that intersesting to many , unless of course your a bath ales fan , however did have a guest beer , dark star hophead , which was gladly supped. Food was good , bog standard menu , but then i'm not into gasto pubs . A Good 7/10 , in an area worthy of more ale drinkers.
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Went in last Sunday on a kingsdown pub crawl. Very friendly welcome from the relief manager, who dealt with the big order of 10 gems and 10 laphroigs very well. Gem in good form.
Bit on na quiet side for a sunday evening of a bank holiday weekend, but enabled us to have good banter with the aforementioned releif manager.
Will be in again soon.
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Was good to finally visit this pub a couple of weeks ago. We only popped in for one as the hillgrove nearby had a beer fest on. Was very pleased to find champion beer of britain Castle Rock "Harvest Pale" on. This was very well kept. The pub was very stuffy but it was a warm day, sadly DEAD though for a sunday evening :( 7/10
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First pub owned by Bath Ales; Festival, Gem, Spa, Barnstomer (known locally as Barney). Good looking pub but very busy during Eng-Arg rugby and very awkward layout around central horseshoe bar (6 uneven sides of octogon) made getting in & around a bit tricky. TVs in two corners, dartboard to rear right (no need for a table under it), follow bar round to left where a wood panel partition forms a small open snug (empty due to no view of rugby) but also a bottleneck to the loos when busy. Alex, behind bar, asked about the note taking and was thoroughly good-natured with the craic to gain positive comments, incl half a Barney! Home-cooked mains included chilli beef or steak & barnstormer pie (�6/�7) and a couple of good veggie dishes. Baguettes, in contrast, started at �5.50(!). Good pub, cheers Alex.
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Nice interior , in a smallish pub , which was very cosy inside . choice as said before 4 bath ales , no guests , but i enjoyed my golden hare . a nice pub , will visit again , barmaid , if were still allowed to call people that ,polite ,and friendly , always think the sign of a good pub on beer in the evening is how many reviews its had , and this pub has had over thirty , so its up there amongst them.
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Four Bath Ales and no guest beer on. The Gem and Barnstormer were both ok, but not as good as they used to be say three years ago. The place has had a refurb, and definately looked smarter. It was pretty quiet on the Wednesday evening that we visited, and the music was to quiet for my liking. I could just about make out a cover version of 'Beat it' but couldn't quite work out which style it was in.
LukeD - 13 Aug 2009 10:01 |
Hadn't heard of this place before last week, found it on the way to Hillgrove nearby, very cosy spot with variety of Bath ales to enjoy, worth the steep trek (or precarious descent), yet another high quality Bristol hostelry.
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Another great Bath Ales pub. A pleasant and tidy interior, it looks to have been recently refurbished. A couple of plasma's on the wall with just one of them on showing the cricket so this didn't dominate. Menu looked good although we didn't sample the food.
Usual wide range of Bath Ales beers. Not sure about their new Bounders cider though.
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Under new ownership and seems to be doing well. 3 Bath Ales on, and what I assumed to be the guest beer - Greene King IPA (I kid you not!). Toilets have been done up and spotless, seats refurbished and even a new, sign on the door. Landlord and landlady very friendly, and we will be returning. (hopefully there will be a more adventurous GBeer next time!)
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Paul and Dee are off to the Victoria in Clifton apparently. Another great little pub and I'm sure they'll do very well.
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Just been tarted up a bit inside and looks good. Beer and chat as good as ever though possible bad news I'm afraid, seems current management team Paul & Dee are soon leaving for pastures new to take helm at one of the small local Dawkins chain - I know not which one as of yet. Let's hope Bath Ales get it right this time with their replacements unlike when they left the Welly some years back.
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I have recently rediscovered this excellent pub. Four very well kept Bath Ales and they have just got Westmalle on tap. Wonderful. The Sunday night music line up looks good as well.
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yes, agree with earlier commnets. on my most recent visit, the Festivity was superb.
with the usual friendly service and excellent value food, quickly served, this pub is a top-rated Bristol venue.
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Really can't fault thas pub. Superb beer from Bath Ales and excellent food.Well worth seeking out along with the Hillgrove Porter Store down the road.
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This pub isn't only great for the beer, but always has Ashton Press cider on tap, and a great range of bottled alternatives.
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Outstanding little pub, very friendly staff, nice clientele, yummy food and all the Bath Ales and good scotches you could want.
Being Bath Ales run, it occasionally has the fantastic "Rare Hare". Which is worth a taste.
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A very fine Bath Ales pub. It's a shame they no longer seem to serve a guest ale - I remember a fine session in which seven pints of Moor's rather tasrt but strong Old Freedy Walker was consumed. Still, Bath ales are magnificent, not least the newish and distinctively dry Wild Hare. The pub is decorated in what is now the well-developed Bath Ales style, think contemporary lightness meets old-fashioned darkness. Yes, brightish walls, dark wood, wooden boards etc. Always packed but always interesting.
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Yes misterX thats us. we came in about 6 weeks after the re-fit. In the days of gorden white, cider jim, packy,patsey etc etc.
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I think so dagdog, was it just after the refurb when locals called it the "Dagmar" after the bar in EastEnders at the time? If not, it must have been a bit later and I'll get me coat. lol
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i ran this pub in 1986 when it was called the masons arms. do you remember kev and maxine.
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Fantastic little pub, but have to agree with previous post that it's a shame the LL doesn't put on a few guest ales instead of the usual Bath Ales. However, if you like your Bath Ales, it is always served in tip top condition. Pop down to the Hillgrove down the road for more beer choice.....
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Credit where its due this has always been a good pub. Mr Happy John used to scare people off but the current bloke seems amiable if a little quiet.
The usual Bath Ales boring factor underlies a bit.The ale is ALWAYS good though. With the Hillgrove down the road there's a nice little 2 pub crawl available here.
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One of the best pubs in Bristol. Great selection of Bath Ales', Budvar and European bottled beers. A very friendly community pub too - I spent many an evening in there when living in Kingsdown.
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If you are prepared to venture forth up past the flats that precede it from the city centre, you are rewarded with this gem of a pub, a small old-school street corner local from the turn of the century. Dig that green tiling on the front. Interior is fairly spartan, but not neccessarily the worse for it.
Beer-wise, Bath Ales plus a guest on my Xmas visit along with the recently introduced Budvar Dark (bottled). Also boats SKY Sports and a friendly welcome along with food.
I think it's well worth a stop on the Bristol route - my mate felt it was the best place he'd been in for a while and he's done a lot more Bristol pubs than me in his time!
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If you can find it, this is a great cosy little backstreet pub.
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The rating of 9 is justifiable for this excellent Bath Ales hostelry, which seems to be continuing in fine fettle under the new licensees. It combines the usual traditional face with a modern twist that Bath Ales do so well (I recall this was their flagship Bristol pub whch opened in 1997), and the feelgood factor of this corner local atracts equally large numbers of students, locals, men, women, couples and groups. The thing about the Hare is that it presents a perfect balance.
It isn't just the welcoming nature of the pub and its staff either: the ales are always in fine condition, and the food is also to be tried. There is a cracking selection of malts available too, for those long winter nights!
Still one of the best BA have opened. Why aren't all pubs more like this?!
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Superb community boozer!
Great staff, great beer & great, well priced food that doesn't get in the way of the drinking atmosphere.
Excellent (Free!) music on a Sunday evening too. Only downside is parking, arrrgghhhh!
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In a city whch has arguably got one of the best - if not the best - range of pubs, this is arguably the finest. 10/10.
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This is run my the ex-landlady and landlord of The Wellington in Horfield. They have brought the same care and attention to the Bath Ales they serve here as they did in their previous pub. They always have one guest ale on alongside the regulars.
Any big sports matches are shown on the big screen, which is used on Monday nights for showing silent movies.
Overall, an excellent pub, great beers and a very warm welcome.
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Excellent beer (Bath Ales pub), friendly staff, and the centre of the Freemantle Square summer festival with truck/stage and live music right outside.
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