Bristol is a fantastic city for beer. With a huge range of breweries, traditional pubs and modern craft beer bars there is something for every beer drinker!

Bristol Top 5:

Famous Royal Navy Volunteer: a fabulous multi-room pub on King Street, close to Queens Square, the small facade hides just how big this pub is inside. As you enter, a wall display shows you just how many beers and ciders are on offer….around 40 keg and cask offerings covering the full range of styles will give you a near impossible choice!

Small Bar: also on King Street, this long-established craft-focussed bar is a fantastic place to find rare craft beers. With regular tap takeovers and a continual rotation of beers, you will also find something to pique your interest at Small Bar.

Left Handed Giant: a relative newcomer to the central Bristol bar scene (although the brewery has been in operation for a while), this is a literal warehouse of beer by the river in Hawkins Lane. With seating spread over 3 floors, the bar is on the ground floor. As well as 20+ taps of their own brews, LHG also has multiple guest beers, including belgian specialities on my last visit.

The Orchard Inn: this traditional back street pub is a cider specialist (with 20+ draft ciders every time I’ve visited) but also has a small range of local ales on keg and gravity cask. Well worth the walk along the river from the city centre to experience a welcoming atmosphere and excellent beer and cider.

The Barley Mow: narrowing down Bristol to a top 5 list is a real challenge. The Barley Mow makes the cut as a small inviting local pub, run by a local brewery (Bristol Beer Factory) but also offering a great range of guest beers from the UK and overseas. It has a homely feel and always gives a great beer experience.