Ten Bristol pubs, and what to drink in each

Start on a Monday at the King’s Head on Victoria Street, where every cask beer is £4 a pint and the mid-Victorian bar back behind the pumps is the second oldest known in the country. Bristol’s pubs sort into three kinds: old rooms near the harbour, beer-first bars that don’t sell lager, and the taps of the breweries that made the city’s name. If you only have one evening, walk the Redcliffe three (King’s Head, Cornubia, Seven Stars), which sit within ten minutes of each other and of Temple Meads.

How we chose: CAMRA’s Bristol listings and Good Beer Guide entries, Bristol & District CAMRA’s 2025 and 2026 awards, Time Out Bristol’s pub list, and each brewery’s own taproom.

The old rooms

King’s Head

The pub dates from around 1660, and the reason to go is the interior: CAMRA lists it as nationally important, and in 2025 it was runner-up in the campaign’s national Pub Saving Heritage award. Five cask ales come from small independent breweries, and the bar aims to keep a dark beer on, so order that. Look for the old gas pressure gauge, and the narrow “Tramcar Bar” at the back. Food is cheese rolls and pickled eggs, or bring your own. Card only. Victoria Street, Redcliffe · cask £4 a pint on Mondays · walk-in

The Hatchet Inn

Built in 1606, the half-timbered Hatchet is probably Bristol’s oldest pub still trading, and it sits by the Hippodrome, the O2 Academy and Bristol Beacon, which makes it the pre-show pint. The small JW Bassett group refurbished it in 2021. Of the four cask beers, two come from local breweries; drink one of those rather than the national brands. Food runs all day, every day, and there is a garden terrace out of sight of Frogmore Street. Frogmore Street, centre · open daily from 11am · walk-in

Seven Stars

In 1787 the abolitionist Thomas Clarkson used this pub, and its landlord William Thompson, as his base while he gathered evidence on how Bristol’s slave ships found their crews; a plaque outside tells the story. Today it is a one-room free house, ten minutes’ walk from Temple Meads, with up to five beers and two real ciders. No food, but you can bring your own, and there is live music on the first and third Sunday afternoons of the month. Thomas Lane, Redcliffe · up to five cask beers · walk-in

The Cornubia

Pump clips cover most of the ceiling at the Cornubia, built in 1775 and a Good Beer Guide regular. There are six changing ales, usually more than one dark, and a house beer brewed for the pub by Twisted Oak, which is the one to order first. Two ciders are on handpump. Pies, sausage rolls and scotch eggs cover food, and the garden wraps round the front and side. Temple Street, Redcliffe · six cask ales · closed Sun · walk-in

The beer-first bars

Bag of Nails

The resident cats sleep on the bar at Bag of Nails, a small Hotwells free house with portholes lit into the floor and records on the turntable. Six cask ales change constantly, there is no draught lager, and there is usually a dark beer, which is the pint to pick. The cats set the rules: no dogs, and no children under 14. Tuesday is quiz night, Wednesday board games. St Georges Road, Hotwells · six cask ales · walk-in, no dogs

The Drapers Arms

Bristol’s first micropub opened on Gloucester Road in December 2015 and pours up to seven ales by gravity, straight from the cask, with no lager, keg, cider or music. It was runner-up for the local branch’s Pub of the Year in 2025. Order whatever has come from Ashley Down Brewery, which it works closely with. It is a short walk from the Memorial Stadium, and hours change on Bristol Rovers match days. Gloucester Road, Horfield · up to seven ales on gravity · opens 5pm Mon–Thu · walk-in

Small Bar

Thirty-one taps on King Street, open since December 2013, with South West breweries first and the rest of the world after. Owned by Left Handed Giant, it is the place to try a Bristol beer you have not seen before, and Wing’s Diner has run the kitchen since 2018, so order the buttermilk fried chicken with it. No bookings. King Street, harbourside · 31 taps · walk-in

The brewery taps

LHG Brewpub

Left Handed Giant opened its brewpub at Finzels Reach on 13 June 2019, with money from 1,500 crowdfunders, in a building that has brewed beer for more than 250 years. The local CAMRA branch launched the 2027 Good Beer Guide here on 25 September. Drink a beer brewed downstairs, play pool or darts on the top floor, and book the Wednesday or Saturday brewery tour if you want the building’s history. Finzels Reach, Temple · brewery tour with tasting · no table bookings

The Barley Mow

Bristol Beer Factory’s flagship pub has eight handpumps: four of its own beers and three guests, plus a real cider. The pint to order is Independence, the 4.6% beer that CAMRA named Champion Beer of Britain in 2026. Sunday roasts run from noon to 5pm, the walled garden is at the back, and it is a 400-yard walk from the rear exit of Temple Meads. Barton Road, St Philips · Champion Beer of Britain on cask · opens 4pm Mon–Tue · walk-in

Wiper and True Taproom

Order a beer brewed metres from your seat and a pizza from Pig’s Pizzas in the garden; that is the whole plan at Wiper and True’s 500-capacity taproom, on an industrial estate between Old Market and Easton. The garden has a stretch tent for rain. It opens at 4pm on weekdays, and Sundays currently close at 4pm for private hire. Dogs are welcome. Enter from Easton Road, opposite the gym. City Business Park, St Jude’s · beer brewed on site · opens 4pm Mon–Thu · walk-in, book for 10 or more

Checked October 2026.