The 20 best bars in Bristol

Wiper & True is Bristol’s newest brewery taproom, and she’s a beauty. A lot of thought has gone into this huge new venue near Old Market, with an accessible bar, braille menus, gender-neutral toilets and lots of sustainable credentials – from solar panels to electric car charging points. Not only can you sample their tasty beers just metres from where they’re brewed, there’s also a great selection of natural wines, locally-made spirits and non-alcoholic tipples.

As secrets go, a secret room within a secret bar is probably as secret as you could get. Hyde & Co may be just off the Clifton Triangle, one of Bristol’s busiest nocturnal thoroughfares, and surrounded on almost all sides by kebab shops, but if you didn’t know it existed, you might walk by it blissfully unaware of the delights within. Cocktails dominate but are most certainly not the only drinks here, with bottles of Wild Beer and Burrow Hill cider both making the short journey from Somerset.

It’s likely that even some of the drinkers in the White Lion pub next door might not know that the Milk Thistle contains four floors of decadent excess. If you don’t like wood panelling and taxidermy, look away now. Each level has a different function, with a ground-floor cocktail bar and various function rooms including private dining with chefs from sister restaurant The Ox. If you’re here with a group of friends, try the latest specials on their cocktail menu, or one of the rare whiskies downstairs in the hidden vault bar.

Forget about bar stools or booths, why not enjoy your cocktail in a grand four-poster bed? Get in early at hidden bar Secret Lantern to nab the best seat in the house, and take your pick from their menu of classic cocktails and special concoctions, which are every bit as elegant as the surroundings. All cocktails are priced at £10, which keeps things nice and simple.

Set in the Old Vic’s stripped-back foyer, this theatre bar is a show-stopping prospect. Rub shoulders with thesps and foodies alike as you sip an expertly prepared G&T before a performance, or nab a seat in one of the colourful cabins outside, each themed around a past show to have graced the stage of this historic theatre. Other cultural institutions, take note: this is how you get a whole new audience through the doors. 

Look above the counter at Small Bar and after the list of IPAs, stouts, blonde beers and the like, you’ll see an extra category: crazy shit. Don’t expect anything less than 10 percent here, with prices up to £5 for a half – and be thankful that you can choose to drink whatever unusual delight you’ve ordered in a bespoke one-third glass. An indication of this place’s popularity since it opened towards the end of 2013 is that it has become one of the after-work venues of choice for Bristol’s chefs, waiters and baristas – a good sign if ever there was one. And if you fancy a nibble, you’re in luck: the food offering is from Wing’s Diner, often cited as the best fried chicken in Bristol. 

Let your competitive spirit take over at Kongs. If vintage arcade games such as stone-cold classics Street Fighter II or PacMan aren’t your style, give your wrists a workout on the table football table or don your coolest headband at the table tennis table where a ricocheting shot could end up behind the bar. Lagers are not frowned upon here: there’s an international selection that includes Sierra Nevada from the USA, Affligem from Belgium and Birra Moretti from Italy. Ciders on tap are Thatchers Gold and Symonds.

Beer. Beer everywhere. There are literally *hundreds* of choices in the ‘Emp’. Don’t be fooled by the small bottle shop on street level. Three vaulted cellars downstairs play host to more beer than anywhere else in Bristol. An ever-changing selection comes from various international brewers as well as closer to home, such as Bristol Beer Factory and Arbor Ales. With 28 keg beers and two casks to choose from, as well as 250 different bottles, you’re sure to find at least a few new favourites.

‘Say No to Shit Wine!’ is a motto we can certainly get behind. KASK in Bedminster is on a mission to get us drinking more natural wine, and have a damn good time doing it. Wines are available by the glass or bottle, with an ever-changing line-up of red, white and orange on tap to keep things exciting. They also run regular wine and cheese events, plus a weekly £5 wine tasting for those who are on a budget.

This dinky watering hole is tucked away at the bottom of its steep, cobbled namesake. Co-owned by independent music mag Crack, the Christmas Steps hosts cutting-edge dance music in the beer garden, but is just as good for a classic pub roast. For a true taste of Bristol, sample the house ales: Arbor Ales’ Crack Hops, an IPA and Crack Gold, a golden easy-drinker from Twisted Oak. If you’re heading down after work, come quick – it doesn’t take long for this place to get rammed. 

You can’t help but notice this magnificent boozer and its riverside terrace if you’re strolling through Castle Park – and you’ll struggle not to be tempted in for a half (or three). This three-storey bar was crowdfunded in 2018 and includes a brewery, games room and the aforementioned covered terrace, where you can taste all of their brews while admiring the city go by.

Braces and bourbon are the two lingering impressions of The Bootlegger. The braces are sported in a dashing shade of red by the bartenders, while the bourbon is just there to be drunk. The Bootlegger has the unique distinction of being a speakeasy-style bar in Bristol that isn’t hidden behind a doorbell or a payphone. Live music from chaps and chapesses strumming away at double basses bigger than themselves evoke 1920s New Orleans, but there are also DJs here who bring the music policy more up to date. 

This historic Bristol pub was given a refresh in late 2022 by new owners, local brewery Good Chemistry Brewing Co. Listed by CAMRA as a ‘pub of national importance’ due to its well preserved interiors, The Kings Head has always been a firm favourite with locals, but is now attracting a crowds from further afield thanks to its quality beer selection and vintage features (including a ‘Tramcar Bar’ snug and Victorian signage).

Whisky is the drink of choice at The Woods, a near-legendary after-hours drinking den just off Park Street. When other bars start battening down the hatches for the night, Woods is just coming alive – unlike the butterflies, moths and assorted animal skulls that make up most of the decoration on the walls. The Woods is split into three distinct areas. Prop up the bar downstairs, nestle down in the chesterfields upstairs or head outside to a small courtyard area. There are some 50 Scotch malts to choose from, alongside selections from America, Ireland and Japan. 

A quirk of the licensing laws means that it has to be table service at the Strawberry Thief, so wait to be shown to your spot by a waitress in a crisp linen shirt and navy blue apron. It makes for a slightly sterile atmosphere, but then the beers are the stars of the show here. And what a selection. Peruse the substantial drinks menu made up almost entirely of Belgian bottled beers, then sit back and be presented with your choice usually served in its own branded glass.

Having changed hands in 2021, The Old Bookshop in Bedminster has kept its cosy and quirky interior, but switched up the menu to become fully vegan (both food and drinks), with a focus on German, Belgian and Internationally-inspired beers. There is still plenty of choice if you’re into your ciders, cocktails or low-slash-no alcohol options, and there are regular specials, offers and events such as tap takeovers to encourage you to try something new, too.

Call it the Galli – everyone else does. ‘Gallimaufry’ is a hodgepodge, jumble, a confused medley. All very apt terms to describe this Bishopston bar that, since opening in 2012, has swiftly become one of the go-to bars in an area of town not short on drinking choices. This is a bar with a quirky and artistic vibe well-suited to the ever-eclectic Gloucester Road. Keeping it independent and local, as is the way around here, this bar always has at least two beers from Bristol breweries in, as well as a variety from further afield which change regularly.

If cider is a West Country institution, then The Apple is its spiritual home. Come summer and its outside seating area is invariably packed. Come winter and hunker down for the night with a drink of mulled cider in hand under a heater or a blanket. If you think the floor beneath your feet is moving, it might not just be the cider talking – The Apple is on a former Dutch barge now moored permanently at the end of King Street. It’s fermented apple juice all the way, and what a selection. With names like Tractor Fuel, you’d be wise to line your stomach.

Tucked down the Bath Road in the creative hub that is Paintworks, Bocabar is a real jewel in this end of town’s crown. The space is vast and open, which is hardly surprising given it’s the top floor of a warehouse space used for events. However, despite its size, it somehow still manages to feel cosy. This is probably down to the mish-mash of rustic furniture, curios, fairy lights, rugs, artwork and toys; kids are very welcome here and the space is perfect for buggies. They’ve also opened up a second location in the snazzy new district of Finzels Reach in the city centre.

Team Love are a typical Bristol success story, veering in various directions but always staying true to their primary goal – giving people a bloody good time. From its roots promoting one-off nights, Team Love now organise festivals such as Love Saves the Day in Bristol and Garden Festival in Croatia, as well as programming stages at Glastonbury and sound systems at St Paul’s Carnival. It might not be easy to distil all of that into a single venue, but The Love Inn is a pretty fine effort.