The Bunch of Grapes, Bristol - pub details
Address: 8 Denmark Street, Bristol, Bristol, BS1 5DQ [map] [gmap]
Tel: 0871 951 1000 (ref 3661) - calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
Bristol Temple Meads (0.9 miles), Clifton Down (1 mile), Redland (1.2 miles)
Pub facilities/features:
- Live music
- Pinball
> Current user rating: 6.6/10 (rated by 39 users)
other pubs nearby:
Drawbridge, Bristol (0.0 miles), Greenhouse, Bristol (0.0 miles), Urban Tiger, Bristol (0.1 miles), River, Bristol (0.1 miles), Watershed Cafe Bar, Bristol (0.1 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Bunch of Grapes, Bristol
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 24 shown - see all reviews
| After a visit to the Gryphon (rockers pub), I moved on to Smoke & Mirrors. This place has a quaint frontage and stretches back a fair way from the street. It's a pub that focuses on magic. But on this day, it appeared all of its customers had done a disappearing act. Not willing to join them, I drank up swiftly. 3 ales were on - Caledonian Deuchars IPA & Edinburgh Castle & St Austell Tribute. Disappointing. blue_scrumpy - 5 Jun 2016 18:09 |
| Renamed to Smoke and Mirrors since my previous review, this is now a sister pub to the Illusions Magic Bar up on the triangle. Although the basic layout is unchanged since it’s Bunch of Grapes days, it’s had a bit of a makeover and what was the the rear band area is now curtained off when not in use for live magic acts, which are only a couple of times a month. There’s a round bay window at the front, and a white grand piano has been installed here. The long wooden bar counter remains on the left, and some high tables and stools have been added opposite along with portraits of various magicians such as Houdini. Unfortunately whereas previously the whole wall was covered in a collage of posters showcasing many years of shows from the Hippodrome opposite, this has now been painted over in a rather depressing black paint. If the new owners want a new look, then fine, but why not just fix some plasterboard over the top so that the history of the place is at least preserved, if not on view, instead of just destroying part of Bristol’s theatrical heritage? Beers on tap were Butcombe, Tribute and Flying Scotsman. Ciders were a slightly disappointing Strongbow and Scrumpy Jack. Unfortunately due to the cultural vandalism that has been perpetrated, I can do nothing other than award this the lowest possible mark, and I will not be visiting again. Blackthorn - 14 Jan 2013 19:08 |
| Cool bar, lots of character and great staff frankw5 - 16 May 2012 17:01 |
| Beers on a recent visit were Caledonian Chocolate Drop, London Pride, Old Speckled Hen, Doom Bar and Hobgoblin. Ciders were slightly disappointing with just Symonds Founders Reserve and Scrumpy Jack. Blackthorn - 25 May 2011 13:18 |
| This place has lost a lot of its, no, ALL of its character since being refurbished. Ripped out most of the old fixtures and fittings, and replaced by bland pubs r us furniture. The lights were uncomfortably and unnecessarily bright, which everybody in our group commented on. They still have live music but the 'singer'/ 'guitarist' in last night was just awful, wailing loudly and badly out of tune to about five punters. For the record, last night's ale choice was an uninspiring and average Doom Bar, flat Bombardier and OKish Spitfire. Oh, and when doing the place up, they seemed to have forgot the toilets, which haven't been touched since about 1987 and stank to high heaven. A pub ruined. Dandillus - 4 Apr 2010 11:38 |
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