THE GASHEADS.COM PUB GUIDE |
||
| EVERYONE KNOWS that Gloucester Road is full of pubs
but which are the best ones to drink in? If you haven’t got a
clue or, if you’re a visitor to Bristol then the gasheads.com
pub guide could help you decide.
The map below shows all the pubs reviewed in this section – click on a pub or road to get to the relevant section. There are other pubs but we’ve just included those we think are either the best, most popular or within an easy walk of the Mem. Additional pubs which are not on the map are included at the end of the guide. The map is intended as a guide to location and it is not drawn to
scale and neither are all roads shown: we have only included those
which pubs are situated on plus Muller Road (as it is a major route
to the M32). At the end of each pub review is a link to a more detailed
map. We’ve tried to be as accurate as possible on the beers
listed for each pub but there will, naturally, be changes; if you
spot anything in the guide that needs updating or changing, or if
you’d like to add some comments (which we can include in the
guide) then email us at comment@gasheads.com. |
||
|
||
 |
||
In terms of appeal, The Inn on the Green does do a fairly good range of real ales. This sits rather oddly with its focus on sport – it shows every Sky football match on big screens and has a number of pool tables extending down through the old skittle alley– and possibly underlines its desire to be all things to all people, trying to attract real ale lovers and the local student population as well as its traditional regulars. It’s not a huge Rovers pub but you do get quite a few Gasheads in there before games and it’s friendly enough for away fans – and if you fancy watching a bit of sport before the match in pleasant-enough surroundings then it may be worth a visit. |
||
| Distance from Mem: 0.6 miles |
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
As with any chain the pub has a standard décor and a standard menu (you know the type of thing: mixed grill, steak, scampi, lasagne), which is almost certainly brought in by truck from a central factory, ready packaged up for the ‘chef’ to put in the oven when it’s ordered. Not surprisingly there is Sky Sports on offer on the big screens and you can expect to find the usual crowd that gather to watch live football in the pub. It’s fair to say that the clientele can be a bit leery and it’s not uncommon (on non-football days) to see the Old Bill maintaining a presence outside. When it was still the Duke of York the pub was the main pre-match haunt of a fair number of Rovers ‘lads’ and at that point any away fan entering did so at their own peril. It’s not quite so bad these days although it still has its moments - in 2003/4 a Lincoln transit was set alight outside for instance – and probably isn’t the best bet for away fans as a result. |
||
Distance from the Mem: 0.4 miles |
||
|
||
 |
||
The nearest pub to the ground and what a good one it is. The pub had become a bit seedy until it was taken over by award-winning local brewery Bath Ales a couple of years back and in 2004 it was rightly voted the Bristol and District Camra pub of the year. The new owners have refurbished the place (in the tasteful way that Bath Ales do), maintaining character and extending the garden. They’ve also restored the pub to a hotel, which gives away fans wanting to stay over a handy place to stay. The full range of Bath Ales brews is on sale as well as guest beers as well as Becks, Budvar and Bath Ales’ Organic Lager on draught together with Stowford Press cider. The pub has a good reputation for food too and, while the full menu isn’t available on matchdays, the football/rugby specials are just what you need before the game (sausage baguettes, cheesy chips etc). Add to that a great landlord & landlady, friendly bar staff and a smoke-free area and you have one very nice pub. There’s plenty of room too as it’s a huge building plus there’s a big garden although it does still get very busy by about 2pm. The Wellington has operated a ‘home fans only’ policy for the last year or so but plenty of visitors to the Mem do come in and while you should cover up your colours going in, once you’ve got through the door you shouldn’t have too many problems as long as you behave yourself! There’s no Sky TV on offer but who’d want that when you can chat to your mates in a pub as good as this? Needless to say this is gasheads.com’s favourite pub and you’ll find us in here on a Saturday lunchtime… |
||
Distance from Mem: 0.1 mile |
||
|
||
 |
||
|
The Vic is pretty small and basic but it is a ‘proper pub’ as opposed to one of those theme places. To the uninitiated it can also look more frightening than it actually is: it has its share of ‘characters’ frequenting it and is often busy but, in reality, everyone’s pretty friendly including the bar-staff. The beers are pretty much bog-standard and your best bet for food on matchdays is probably to nip across to The Bristol Fryer which is almost opposite, especially as the legendary post-game (free) buffet seems to have disappeared with the change of owners – in the past the landlady would put whole stiltons, cheddar, pate and crackers on the bar together with all sorts of snacks including sausages, black pudding, meatballs, chips & pizza depending on the day. Sadly, the best we’ve had with the new owners is some cheddar and crackers: it’s just not the same as it used to be. The Vic, which pretty much becomes ‘Kingswood in Horfield’ on Saturdays, has been the scene of some excellent post-match celebrations in the past, particularly during the Ollie era when the whole pub would sit on the floor for renditions of “Sit down if you hate the sh*t” and the windows would shake when Irene was sung. It’s all a bit more muted these days (the tape of Rovers classics – including Rod Hull and Emu’s “Singing Bristol Rovers all the way” - that used to be played is alas no more) but then we’re not as successful either… |
||
Distance from the Mem: 0.1 mile |
||
|
||
 |
||
|
It has also developed a reputation as a hang-out for some of Rovers’ less desirable types and, while they also drink elsewhere, away fans may want to avoid the pub, especially when it’s a potentially heated fixture. The Cabot has a beer garden, kids’ play area and two bars, one of which is more of a family/eating area, a digital jukebox (see entry for The Golden Lion) and a pool table. Sky TV has also returned – it disappeared after the latest refurb but clearly the locals weren’t happy about that – together with a new big screen and there’s often a disco on Saturday nights. |
||
Distance from the Mem: 0.3 miles |
||
|
||
 |
||
The name is about all that’s traditional about the Anchor though as the sofas certainly weren’t there in the past and the pub has tried to model itself on the ‘Pitcher and Piano’ type bar: open plan, pine flooring, comfy seating, pseudo-sophisticated and appealing to the early-20’s if you get our meaning. It has everything you’d expect: chain-pub type menu, Sky Sports, lots of promotions and consequently it is frequented by students a fair bit. It has also become another of the favoured haunts of Rovers lads so it’s worth being a bit careful if you’re an away fan. |
||
Distance from the Mem: 0.5 miles |
||
|
||
 |
||
Is it The Golden Lion? Or is it Finnegan’s Wake? We’re not entirely sure to be honest. It was the Golden Lion up until a few years ago when it became themed as one of the Finnegan’s Wake bars but, more recently, the arrival of a new landlord and landlady seems to have heralded a move back to the Golden Lion. The confusion comes from the pub sign outside which, at the time of writing, still reads Finnegan’s Wake although there’s also a plaster lion on the façade. Whatever the name, this is a surprisingly spacious pub with two bar areas and a long dark area at the back with a number of pool tables. There are other games available like giant Jenga (which half the bricks missing) and naturally there are the accompanying students that this type of ‘entertainment’ attracts. Sky Sports is available too on two TVs in the front bar, although there is no big screen. It’s fair to say that the landlord and landlady aren’t
exactly pro-Rovers and you get the feeling they’d prefer life
if football fans didn’t exist so we guess that no one should
be too surprised that, when the inevitable sing-songs start at about
8pm after games, it doesn’t go down too well. That doesn’t
stop Rovers fans frequenting the place though and it’s one
of those situations where people really just have to put up with
each other! |
||
Distance from the Mem: 0.6 miles |
||
|
||
The Bristol Fryer, 431 Gloucester Road |
 |
|
|
||
|
||
 |
||
Together with The Annexe (see below) and The Barn restaurant, The Sportsman is owned by local company PB Leisure but, thankfully, none of the establishments fall into the ‘theme’ category. As its name suggests, The Sportsman is geared up for sport. Sky is shown on a number of TVs and there are 12 full-size pool tables as well as an American 9-ball table on offer. Its size does make it feel a bit cavernous and impersonal at times but by and large it’s a friendly enough place and you do get draught Red Stripe and a guest ale on tap too (although The Annexe is the place for real ale buffs to head to) plus decent pub grub is available at lunchtimes. |
||
Distance from the Mem: 0.6 miles |
||
|
||
 |
||
There’s a pool table and darts on offer as well as Sky on TV although you do have to watch whatever is on in The Sportsman! There’s also a non-smoking conservatory and a beer garden and decent pub food available at lunchtimes. Well worth a visit. |
||
Distance from the Mem: 0.6 miles |
||
|
||
 |
||
There’s also a pool table and a couple of tables outside if it’s nice weather (although these are on Ashley Down Road so they aren’t exactly quiet). Also, make sure you don’t mix this up with the pub of the
same name on Gloucester Road, especially if you’ve arranged
to meet someone for a drink: There’s nothing wrong with the
other Foresters, it’s just quite a bit further from the ground! |
||
Distance
from the Mem: 0.5 miles Map Beers/Lagers/Ciders: Sharp's Doom Bar Bitter, Smiles Best, John Smith's Extra Smooth, Caffreys, Guinness, Carling, Foster's, Kronenbourg, Stella, Blackthorn Cider Website: None Other information: Pool, Sky Sports, Setanta, Rolls/snacks |
||
|
||
 |
||
Just down the road from The Foresters, the Ashley Arms attracts locals and students. It often has special offers on for the latter as well as Sky TV and pool tables. It has, thankfully, changed its exterior from the bright yellow that was there for a couple of years and is a friendly pub even if it has nothing particularly special to recommend it. |
||
Distance
from the Mem: 0.5 miles |
||
|
||
The beers on offer are bog-standard and the lack of ventilation can make the clubhouse bars very smoky. Food is available (most of which involves chips) and Sky TV is shown on the TVs / big screen although pay-per-view games aren’t always shown. In the ground, the pasties available from the concession huts are superb. They are driven up from Cornwall and really are ‘proper’ pasties with sliced potatoes and good quality ingredients – nothing like the mushy offerings from many grounds/manufacturers! |
||
Map |
||
|
||
The Kellaway Arms, 140 Kellaway Avenue |
 |
|
Friendly two-bar local which has gone back to its roots after a recent change of management. The previous management had tried to modernise the place with a pool table, Sky Sports and a digital jukebox in an attempt to pull in a younger generation but these have all gone now and it has reverted to being a rather more traditional boozer. The Kellaway is popular with rugby supporters and some Rovers fans and has a range of real ales on offer. It has also been a regular in CAMRA’s good beer guide and there’s a decent sized beer garden for warmer days. |
||
Distance from the Mem: 0.7 miles |
||
|
||
The Beehive, 112 Wellington Hill West |
 |
|
|
||
Distance from the Mem: 0.7 miles |
||
|
||