Before it was taken over and re-branded by experienced landlord Stephen Wallace – most famous for turning the Golden Guinea into one of Bristol’s best-loved establishments – the pub now known as The Steam Crane was one of Bedminster’s most notorious watering holes.
Since re-opening in early 2014, Wallace has turned around the venue’s fortunes, largely through a dedication to great drinks, and a tasty food menu that sits somewhere between traditional pub fare and the kind of dishes you’d find at a decent gastropub.
The look and feel of the place is similar to the Golden Guinea, but on a much larger scale. That means a mixture of leather sofas, vintage chairs, Victorian style wallpaper and bare, stripped floorboards. There are regular exhibitions from local artists, and a packed entertainment schedule that includes live jazz, up-and-coming bands, and extended sets from local DJs.
The venue’s real calling card, though, is the drinks selection, which includes both traditional British cask ales – heavily weighted towards local breweries such as Arbor Ales and the New Bristol Brewery – and American-style craft beers from Thornbridge, Kernel and the Ilkley Brewery. If that’s not enough, their bottled beer selection is amongst the best in Bristol.