Bristol has a wide choice of pubs to suit all tastes and pockets, but the ‘proper’ old-school boozers are sadly dying out.
Here at Bristol World, we love to support these traditional pubs, which are often packed with interesting characters and serve cheaper pints than posh places that often feel more like restaurants than pubs.
Food is not always top of the list when it comes to proper drinking pubs, although if you’re lucky there will be a clingfilm-wrapped cheese and onion bap on the bar and a few packets of Scampi Fries or pickled onion-flavour Monster Munch to line the stomach.
These are timeless pubs where conversations often compete with live sports on TV or a game of pool or darts in the bar.
Here are nine of the last ‘proper’ Bristol pubs but we’d like to know about more so let us know which are your favourite boozers and we’ll check them out.
1. The Concorde, Stockwood Lane
An L-shaped single-room bar with function room and beer garden, this 1960s pub remains the locals’ favourite in Stockwood.
2. The Mardyke, Hotwell Road
Across from the floating harbour, this popular drinkers’ pub is deceptively spacious inside and serves some of the cheapest pints in the area.
3. The Lifeboat, Shirehampton High Street
Saved by a group of nine local mates in 2021, The Lifeboat has been restored to its former glory and Shirehampton drinkers still flock there.
4. The Colosseum, Redcliffe Hill
With pool tables at the back and covered terraces on two sides, The Colosseum opposite St Mary Redcliffe church is also well known for its affordable food and drink.