The Gloucester Old Spot: We visit the "greatest" pub in Bristol and was blown away by the presentation

Located in Kellaway Avenue, The Gloucester Old Spot has won the “Stonegate Group Pub Partners Pub of the Year” award at the Great British Pub Awards 2024.

We decided to pay the pub a visit to see what made it so great.

Inside, strings of fairy lights adorned the walls where black and white photos hanged above the unlit chimney.

Outside, the vibrant beer garden wall was decorated with a stunning flower mural. The area was full of wooden picnic tables and customers enjoyed their drinks under the canopy shelter.

As I made my way inside, I could spot quite a few pig-themed decorations on the wall - a nod to the pub’s name -, a community board filled with events and a jar of doggy treats next to it with a “dogs welcome” and “we love dogs” sign.

Music played at a good volume on the speakers as I made my way to a table inside opposite one of the “specials” menu boards.

The main menu includes toasties and flatbreads like Roasted Vegetables, Za’tar, salsa verde flatbread (£8.95) and Maple smoked bacon, Westcombe Cheddar, Dijon mustard toastie (£8.95), small plates and sharers like House focaccia (£4.50) and Lamb Chips (£8.50), pizzas and large plates and salads like the Old Spot Beef Burger (2x3oz beef patties, smoked bacon, American & smoked Cheddar sauce, crispy onions, baby gem lettuce, tomato, pickles, burger sauce, slaw and fries) for £16.95.

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I decided to go for the Buttermilk Chicken Burger (Korean BBQ sauce, American & smoked Cheddar sauce, crispy onions, kimchi slaw, baby gem lettuce, tomato and fries) for £16.95 and a Homemade Raspberry Lemonade for £3.80.

The drink arrived within 3-minutes and it’s presentation made me question whether I had accidentally ordered the cocktail version.

The vibrant red drink was clearly homemade as I found small pieces of raspberry in some sips. The fizz was enough to linger on the tongue but not enough that it took away from the experience. The lemonade was sweet, but not too much, and very refreshing.

The meal, beautifully presented on a wooden board, arrived 15-minutes later. The chips, which were on a aluminium cup, were soft and fluffy with a slightly crispy exterior, and the sauce was sweet with a slight spicy kick that crept in.

As for the burger, it was stacked and I wasn’t to sure how to tackle the first bite. The bun was soft and on the sweeter end whilst the chicken had a crispy outer layer and was slightly chewy. The vegetables were crispy and juicy. The flavours blended very well with each bite and was very tasty.

Overall, it was a very good experience and I didn’t want to leave. The food was very delicious and well priced, the staff was very quick and friendly and would occasionally check on you, and there was a very homely environment.