A Weekend in Bristol

 Set thinking by a Twitter post asking for ideas for a "civilised stag" I started to work out what I'd recommend to visitors for whatever reason they may be wanting to visit.

I guess my basis is the one I used about 10 years ago when I lived in a house 10 mins walk from the centre of the city and welcomed 6 visitors - all of whom like a walk and drink but only had one day to be in the city.  We set out at 11am and returned home around 11pm, having walked about 10 miles and visited 8 pubs.  On the way doing a bit of heritage etc.  I've just extended things for another day and a half...

So - here it is...

Arrive by train lunchtime on a Thursday and leave on Sunday afternoon.  I'd recommend this as giving long enough to see places and make the most of venues without forcing each day to be a continuous 10-pub crawl.

Also, I'd aim to avoid all large chain venues and hotel bars/restaurants if humanly possible, and I think that's easily possible.

I've no idea what the Ibis Hotel close to Temple Meads is like to stay in but it would be a really convenient base if the hotel is acceptable.  It's relatively quiet in the streets but dead easy to get to and from with little effort (about 5 minutes from train to hotel)

Lunchtime Thursday:  Arrive, check in at hotel.  Immediately decamp to Little Martha (<2 mins walk) via the Pasty Shop (next door) - excellent beer and lovely pasty/sandwich/savoury...making a perfect lunch and regrouping venue.

Stroll along the floating harbour and head towards King Street (it'll be less busy than on Friday/Saturday) -  there are a variety of pleasant walking routes.  The stroll is about a mile and if, you're so inclined, pay attention to the architecture -  some of this is old Bristol for sure.  

King Street has some 8 venues all with their different aspects - also HUGE amounts of outdoor seating meaining you could all choose drinks from different bars and drink them together.

- Brewhouse brews its own beer, and majors on TV sport (about 6 screens dotted about the place).

- Kongs does beer and games (I understand)

- The Old Duke is a Jazz Pub

- The Llandogger is a lovely old building but also has a wide range of continental type beers as well as regular cask and keg beers

- Beer Emporium is in a vault and does a wide range of beers - with integral pizza offering

- The Naval Volunteer - good range of beer and good pub menu - and some sport from time to time.  Also a games room

- The King William - Sam Smiths pub if you're into them (I'm definitely not)

- Small bar - my first introduction to 2/3rd measures and card-only payment.  Can be quite pricey but undeniably interesting and usually something stupidly strong if you like to end the evening that way.  Does fried chicken-based food.

There's also a world-famous theatre, indian, chinese & pizza restaurants.   In the adjoining street (next to the water) there is a burger boat, a cider boat and a gin boat and an upscale restaurant. All this could easily keep you entertained for an evening and you'll still only be a 20min  walk from the hotel.

Friday. There are some nice breakfast venues around Avon Street so they'd be a definite alternative to a hotel breakfast...breakfast needn't be too early...

Get yourself on a ferry from Temple Quay (you pretty much passed the ferry stop as you walked from the station to the hotel) to the far end of the floating harbour (SS Great Britain, Mardyke, The Cottage - any of them).  The ferry ride itself gives a lovely view of the bits of the historic city so don't just treat it as transport.  If you're into history and boats - the SS Great Britain is an award-winning museum. If you want to be active there are, I believe, boating activities to be had.  But walking around the harbour itself really pleasant and one of my favourite places to take visitors.

For lunchtime find The Orchard (if you get it right by walking by the rowing club you'll also see the Banksy "Girl with a Pearl Earring" piece...
Best place for cider but respectable cask and keg beer options too.  Monster rolls, pasties (well you are in the West Country), pies etc for lunch but they're delivered each morning and when they're gone, they're gone.  Notably, the most likely place to hear a proper south-bristol accent.  You'll think you're in the depths of the Somerset Levels.  The old boys who often drink there typically have cider which is orange in colour.  However, there's a board of about 20 other ciders and perries which suit all tastes.  Do not head here on Saturday match days if Bristol City are at home.

Now stroll back towards the centre of town.  You'll pass the docks railway lines (sometimes with steam trains running), a Fairbairn Steam crane (last one in the world) and some 1920's electric cranes (what's not to like) and a museum which often has special exhibitions.

At Wapping Wharf there are more places to eat and drink than you can shake a stick at.  If you need topping up... all of them are independents which was a priority by the site owners.

Heading further back to the centre there's an indepedent cinema at the local arts venue (Watershed) if that's your bag.  Most of the rest of the city centre is retail, food and drink though.  There's a 10pin bowling venue close to the centre of town which is also a music and other venue...but you've got to know it's there - does beer, but also the nearly-adjoining pub (The Bank) is a proper street corner cask-led pub. You're now in some of the oldest extant  parts of the city (thanks to fires and bombs over the last couple of centuries) so keep your eyes peeled for little lanes to explore and see old architecture.

Depending on what time it is/how much energy you have you could stroll back to your hotel via "Castle Green" and make visits to Left Handed Giant Taproom, Good Chemistry's "Kings Head" (it's one of their effective "tap rooms"), Fleece and Firkin for various gigs (with Seven Stars and its very traditional cask beer range) next door and The Cornubia (find it if you can).

Saturday

This is actually a tricky one -  there's so much choice.  For a full schedule - head out around 9.45am and go to the Martin Parr Institute to see the latest photography exhbition, followed by breakfast/brunch at Bocabar.

Then having stretched your legs head back to the Moor Brewery for 12.45pm to go to one of their excellent tours.  They also have occasional all-day events so that's worth checking.

If you now head to the "St Pauls" part of town (yes, you've heard of it but it's not rioty on a regular basis). Basement Beer is in Wilder Street (tiny brewery, even tinier taproom). Before you head back down the hill  join the main road and walk up the hill a little until you can see a place called The Canteen (good for a visit but not essential) to the right of the entrance is another Banksy - "Mild Mild West". 

Now head down the hill - get onto the back streets (via Wilder Street again, perhaps) and find the lovely New Bristol Brewery taproom (check social media rather than website for actual opening times).

I've lost track of what time it might be but after you're fed up of NBB, head down the little lane next to the brewery which will bring you to the main road (end of the M32).  Cross over to the far side and head down Wade Street - in a side street to the left (Great Anne Street) is the Swan with Two Necks - if you like a proper old boozer.

If you bypass that (or if you're still after somewhere else) you're heading in the general direction of "Old Market" which is a area of town and the road is "Old Market Street". There are a few pubs and restaurants there, including the quirky "Elmers" which is a late night kinda venue.  Also "The Old Market Assembly" which is a bar/food venue with a small quirky theatre.  

Once you're done around here and if it's not stupidly late, head down "Midland Road" until just before you get to an old railway bridge and there's a small road to your right (Barton Road).  Half way down is, simply my favourite pub in Bristol:  The Barley Mow.  Cask, keg, food, wine, spirits, friendly, etc, etc.
You are now spitting distance from the Ibis.

 Sunday

If you missed the Barley Mow (or if you just want to revisit) check out late from your hotel and make time for Sunday Lunch here (booking advisable sometimes).  Then a pleasant 10 min stroll will see you back on your train...and probably thinking you've seen everything.  You haven't.  

You've potentially visited the taproom (or equivalent) of 5/6 independent breweries.  There are at least 6 or 7 more (Arbor, On Point, Bruhaha, Tapestry/Props, Bristol Beer Factory, Fierce & Noble, Wiper & True, Lost and Grounded).  You've not walked across the Clifton Suspension Bridge or been on the rock slide, or visited the observatory.    You haven't visited the "Bag of Nails (Cats)" or the Grainbarge, or the Limekiln...all really have to be done at some point.

There are two football clubs and a rugby club which could have been visited if that's your thing.

There are (they tell me) escape rooms and the like.  There are Belgian-led bars, speak-easy hidden bars, more street art than you can shake a stick at and you've not really touched anything that isn't very close to the centre of town.  Bath's close too (cyclable along the cycle track, or 15 mins by train).  Seriously, you're going to have to come back!