Somerset House, Bristolback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Ex barman Charles Franklin has just been convicted of raping a customer on the floor of this delightful pub, presumably after closing time. Got a nine year spell in chokey
Charming place. Give it a miss
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Although this has been a Clifton Village stalwart for many years, it has recently undergone an extensive renovation and there is now much more of an emphasis on food. In fact the signage outside has been changed to say “Pub & Kitchen” and the loos have been shifted upstairs to make way for the open kitchen where you can see the chefs hard at work. Apparently there are also plans afoot to open a Champagne & Gin Bar upstairs which will no doubt suit the local well heeled residents.
As soon as you get in to the hallway there is now glass partitioning in to the front bar which gives it a more open feel. This is the larger of the two bars and seems to be used for a mixture of drinking and eating. The tables are mostly small round and metal with bar stools to sit on. This didn’t strike me as particularly comfy to eat at, but nonetheless at least one of these was reserved. A large brick chimney breast with a wood burning stove was a prominent feature with a few rifles hung above it. The flooring is dark boards and this continued down a couple of steps in to the rear bar with a wine rack partition between the two areas.
This rear bar is very much more geared up for eating with a table for fourteen reserved on our visit. As previously mentioned an open plan kitchen is off to the right and this was adorned with strings of garlic and chillies. To further emphasis the foody nature of the pub, an industrial food mixer was a decorative feature next to the kitchen counter. To the left is black button back bench seating, there is some exposed brick work on the walls and elsewhere is the usual shade of gastro-pub green paintwork. An arched ceiling with a skylight at the top has been painted in a contrasting cream colour. The tables here came complete with retro “3D” binoculars which was an unusual feature.
To menus were offered, a regular and a specials. These offered a decent selection of dishes, with most of the mains being somewhere around £10 - £15 on the regular menu and £15+ on the specials menu. I enjoyed both my starter of Lime Bay Crab on toast and a main course of Pan Fried Brill, Scallop and Prawn tagliatelle. Slightly less successful in my opinion was a desert of Apple Doughnut with Mulled Cider and Toffee Sauce. Not there was anything wrong with it, it just wasn’t as good as I expected. Three courses for two and a bottle of wine came to £80 though, so this is clearly a cut above your regular “pub grub”.
Beers on tap were predominantly from Caledonian with their Deuchars IPA, Flying Scotsman and Golden XPA. The only other beer option was their own Somerset House Ale. Ciders were Symonds Founders Reserve and Scrumpy Jack.
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Cold and uninspiring pub, very strange how the seating is arranged, makes the place seem empty and a bit bleak
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small rather uninspiring pub in clifton,courage best,theakston best and london pride served straight from cask,i opted for the latter which was a bit flat and �3.40 a pint ,cute aussie barmaid,annoying wine bar bavkground music,6/10
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As the memory of the previous incarnation of this pub fades, I am warming to the new one. It�s a pleasant enough place in the heart of Clifton village. It�s reasonably small and on two levels with a sandy colour scheme reminiscent of a Moroccan restaurant, and a few chunky wooden tables. Finding somewhere to sit can be difficult though, with only a fairly limited amount of seating available.
Beers were all dispensed from barrels racked up behind the bar, although the choice is not as inspiring as you might expect. On this occasion they were Courage Best, Doom Bar and London Pride. Ciders were Blackthorn and Scrumpy Jack.
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I had this on me notes , but forget to record , that night , uninteresting choice of beer gary but would love to go back if only to see D who use to work at the Nova
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The refurb was really a bit wasted, it had far more character beforehand. There's definitely something missing now, although it was reasonably busy for a Tuesday night. They had some sort of open mic night on.
Blacthorn on draft.
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yeh ditto again really , choice of 4 real ales cor best , doombar , butcombe , fullers london pride , bar person friendly enough , but food a non event .
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Member of bar staff working this afternoon was quite friendly, but the choice of alcoholic beverages is immensly bland to say the very least, and the quality of the breakfast was shocking, shame considering the old chef used to cook up a really good breakfast. Quite frankly, I now feel ill.
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Not a particularly welcoming pub, stark is correct-wont be returning
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Ambitious refit possibly a bit too stark. Well-kept beers from stillage behind the bar, but why such a boring selection? Good value breakfasts served.
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First class Butcombe bitter from the barrel. Friendly landlord pleasant atmosphere. Will certainly be back when next in area.
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Now taken over by the people from the Rose of Denmark and what a transformation! Gone is the dark and gloomy interior with the smelly carpet and in it's place stripped floors and rustic woody furniture. Beer from gravity behind bar - Butcombe & Bass - didn't see a guest. A welcome oasis in the Kensington of Bristol.
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