So where do you fancy a pint tonight?
So many pubs, so little time... Good job that Venue's
drunken researchers have come up with a list of top fives that you definitely
can't go wrong with.
5 OF THE BEST...
Smoking facilities
Crystal Palace
Abbey Green, Bath • Covered, heated, spacious - a puffer’s paradise.
Garrick’s Head
St John’s Place, Sawclose, Bath • Peaceful, traffic-free pavement paradise (and star-spotting vantage point; this place is attached to the Bath Theatre Royal).
Prince of Wales
Gloucester Rd, Bristol • Buzzing garden out back where heaters and covers keep a cool crowd - and the coughers - warm and dry.
Highbury Vaults
St Michaels Hill, Bristol • Self-activated heating to stay as toasty as you like under cover.
The Woods
Park St Ave, Bristol • Delightfully dinky courtyard - pitch base camp here for a night of whiskies and cigars.
5 OF THE BEST...
Live music
Mr Wolf’s
St Stephens St, Bristol • It’s all about the music into the wee small hours.
Tantric Jazz
St Nicholas St, Bristol • This joint is jumping!
Prom
Gloucester Rd, Bristol • Mad for music (and questions thereon at the weekly quiz).
Porter
2 Miles Buildings, George St, Bath • Laid-back, lively, lovely - and always, always entertaining.
Thekla
East Mud Dock, The Grove, Bristol • Still going strong after a quarter-of-a-century of top tunes.
5 OF THE BEST...
Real ale
Royal Oak
Lower Bristol Rd, Bath • A former CAMRA pub of the year, specialising in microbrewery ranges from artisan producers.
Port of Call
3 York St, Clifton • Around seven ales always on, 300 served annually.
Lansdown
Clifton Rd, Clifton • Scrubbed lines mean their five real ales always taste their best.
Clytha Arms
Clytha, nr Abergavenny, Monmouthshire • Around 350 beers served annually with 28 (plus 20 cheeses!) on August bank holiday.
Tom Cobley
Spreyton, Devon • A mighty 22 beers on at any one time.
5 OF THE BEST...
Cider
Bell
Walcot St, Bath • Organics a-go-go.
Cotham Porter Stores
15 Cotham Rd South, Bristol • Exclusives P45 and DR 10 plus the pretty rare Dabinett and more.
Sugarloaf
St Marks Rd, Easton, Bristol • Six draughts (including Ice Gold) and four bottles.
Apple Tree
Philip St, Bedminster, Bristol • No-frills cider celebration - careful how you ask for Pheasant Plucker!
Central Bar
Upper Borough Walls, Bath • Recently added Aspell’s Suffolk to their burgeoning list of alcoholic apple juices.
5 OF THE BEST...
For Winning Stuff
Imp
Alpha Rd, Southville, Bristol • Up to 120 tickets sold weekly for Sunday 2pm prize draw.
Victoria
Southleigh Rd, Clifton • Thursday night crap-prize bingo! Win some clothes pegs! Swap them with someone. Or leave them behind.
Orchard
12 Hanover Place, Spike Island, Bristol • Apple central serving 15 ciders; win some pork on Saturday night!
Old Tavern
Blackberry Hill, Stapleton, Bristol • Free tarot offered by a friendly barmaid, but do you feel lucky?
Masonic
110 North St, Southville, Bristol • Winter raffle with a £1 ticket getting you into Sunday lunchtime’s draw. It could be stew!
5 OF THE BEST...
City gardens
Niko’s Lounge & Shisha Bar
72 Park St (entrance also via Park St Ave), Bristol • Sit out in the courtyard and crank up that shisha!
Park Tavern
Park Lane, Victoria Park, Bath • Free scrumping during the late summer months? Irresistible!
Hop Pole
7 Albion Buildings, Upper Bristol Rd. Bath • Gorgeous garden attached to a Bath Ales pub.
White Hart
Widcombe Parade, Bath • Covered, heated, hidden-away courtyard with a Mediterranean feel (especially when the sun comes out).
Bell
16-18 Hillgrove St (off Jamaica St), Stokes Croft, Bristol • A hidden gem in the heart of the city.
5 OF THE BEST...
Family-friendly
Hatters
Gloucester Rd, Bristol • A Mad Hatter’s tea party for young and old alike.
Cross Keys
Midford Rd, Bath • Extremely welcoming to family groups.
Dolphin
Locksbrook Rd, Lower Weston, Bath • Kids’ portions and a well-equipped safe play area.
Mill at Rode
Rode, Somerset • Entertainment indoors and outside, microwave for baby’s milk - they’ve thought of everything!
Star & Dove
St Lukes Rd, Totterdown, Bristol • Family room with children’s play area and DVD player.
5 OF THE BEST...
Pub quizzes
Lounge
North St, Bedminster, Bristol • Friendly quizmeistresses and the chance to suggest next week’s specialist round.
The Bear
Wellsway, Bath • Enjoy the recently revamped delights of this formerly prosaic boozer at the popular quiz on the first Sunday evening of every month.
Bristol Flyer
96 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, Bristol • Unashamedly ‘really cheesy’ quiz on Monday.
Roo Bar
Clifton Down Stn, Bristol • The big question is: how to spend your £100 winnings?
St James’ Wine Vaults
St James St, Bath • Great prizes (cinema tickets, cases of wine, etc), great atmosphere - and always in aid of a good cause.
5 OF THE BEST...
For Catching The Ashes
Bush Tavern
Wells Rd, Totterdown, Bristol • The boys from Down Under won’t be rooted for here.
Avon Packet
Coronation Rd, Southville, Bristol • These fans once followed the Barmy Army to the Windies.
Old Fish Market
Baldwin St, Bristol • Raise a glass of London Pride when Straussie and co do us proud.
Sportsman
Seymour Ave, Bishopston • A KP six from the County Ground!
Cork & Bottle
Westgate Buildings, Bath • Revamped to exacting standards and promising to do cricket fans proud come the great day(s).
5 OF THE BEST...
Gastropubs
Marlborough Tavern
Marlborough Buildings, Bath • Locally sourced modern British food in stylishly welcoming surroundings.
Albion
Boyces Ave, Clifton • If you’ve come to the chubby tyre fellow’s attention, you’ve got to be good.
one3o
130 Cheltenham Rd, Bristol • Gastrobar rated in the Which! Good Food Guide as one of Bristol’s top seven eateries.
Chequers Inn
Rivers St. Bath • Atmospheric, imaginative... and totally, terrifically tasty.
George & Dragon
High St, Rowde, Wiltshire • Egon Ronay-starred and with accommodation.
5 OF THE BEST...
Waterside
Bathampton Mill
Mill Lane, Bathampton, Bath • Originally a 17th-century water mill, now a gorgeous ‘Tales of the Riverbank’ oasis.
Beeses
Wyndham Crescent, Brislington, Bristol • Beautiful, tranquil, verdant, bewitching, rejuvenating, idyllic - just go there!
Pump House
Merchants Rd, Hotwells, Bristol • Imposing building with spacious suntrap terrace beside the wet stuff.
Apple
Welsh Back, Bristol • Aboard or on dry land, core! What a beauty!
The George
Mill Lane, Bathampton, Bath • As close to the canal as you can get without actually leaving dry land.
5 OF THE BEST...
Views
Hare and Hounds
Lansdown Rd, Bath • Amazing views right across a green and pleasant valley from a spacious split-level patio.
Miner’s Rest
Providence Lane, Long Ashton Bristol • Check the view to Dundry from the patio.
Quarryman’s Arms
Box Hill, Corsham, Wilts • Stunning vista across the valley reached up a twisty turny lane.
Packhorse Inn
South Stoke, Bath • At the heart of a village, itself at the heart of rolling countryside.
White Lion
Avon Gorge Hotel, Sion Hill, Bristol • Bring some spare breath because it’ll get taken away.
5 OF THE BEST...
Novelty factor
Bladud’s Head
Catsley Place, Larkhall, Bath • Eccentric, characterful, charming - and that’s just the regulars…
Old England
Beaufort Bldgs, Montpelier, Bristol • Onsite cricket nets in which to re-enact Stuart Broad’s wickets.
Boat
Lone Lane, Penalt, Monmouth • Cross the iron bridge from England to Wales and you’re there!
Bar Salt
North St, Bedminster, Bristol • A tiger mauled a man to death here in 1827. Allegedly.
Jack’s Brasserie
The Pavilion, 1 Hanover Quay, Harbourside, Bristol • Railings here glow at sunset.
5 OF THE BEST...
Late nighters
Blue Rooms
George St, Bath • If you don the glad rags, you can party on until 3am Fri, 4am Sat and 6am on bank holiday weekends.
Cosies
34 Portland Sq, Bristol • Cosy until 2am Thur-Sun.
Flan O’Briens
21 Westgate St, Bath • You can glug the Guinness into the wee small hours Wed-Sat.
The Park
37 Triangle West, Clifton, Bristol • Park life goes on until 4am Thur-Sat.
The Woods
Park St Ave, Bristol • ‘Stupid o’clock’ - that’s a 6am finish Sat eve into Sun morning.
5 OF THE BEST...
Wine
All Bar One
11-12 High St, Bath • An extensive wine list, plus regular tasting events.
Hotel du Vin
Sugar House, Narrow Lewins Mead, Bristol • Wine and dandy.
Bordeaux Quay
V Shed, Canons Way, Bristol • Within its walls you’ll find over 300 wines.
Moon & Sixpence
Broad St, Bath • Thoughtful, well-chosen, sophisticated list.
Gascoyne Place
1 Sawclose, Bath • The ever-evolving, international wine list (currently incorporating a 90+ range) includes exclusive, award-winning labels alongside a locally sourced English range.
5 OF THE BEST...
Wallet-Friendly & Wallet-Busting
Harvey Nichols
Second Floor, Harvey Nichols, Philadelphia St, Quakers Friars, Bristol • A glass of Hennessy Richard H? That’ll be £265, please.
Whitehall Tavern
30 Devon Rd, Greenbank, Bristol • A mere £1.98 gets you a Blackthorn or a Foster’s.
Snooty Fox
Market Place, Tetbury, Glos • Try the Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac, at £60 a glass.
Mardyke
Hotwell Rd, Hotwells, Bristol • Beat the recession with Courage Best at £1.80 a pint.
Pulp
Monmouth St, Bath • Happy Hour cocktails all day every day (well, 12noon-9pm anyway).
5 OF THE BEST...
For Pub Decor
Rising Sun
Alfred Rd, Windmill Hill, Bristol • Mural has to be seen to be believed.
Golden Lion
Gloucester Rd, Bristol • Lion artwork a ‘mane’ attraction.
Cadbury House
Richmond Rd, Montpelier, Bristol • Getting medieval on your ass.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia Pl, Hotwells, Bristol • This maritime scene must have used a ‘Canada’ best spray paint!
Minibar
John St, Bath • Mirrors, mirrors on every wall.
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Drinking Out West Guide
- Bristol and Bath's best pub guide. Only 2.95.To
order a copy ring 0117 942 8491.
Eating Out West Guide
- Bristol and Bath's best restaurant guide. Only £4.95.
To order a copy ring 0117 942 8491
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