Pubs and Bars / Pubs
Bristol pub named among top-100 cosiest in UK
A historic Kingsdown pub makes the list of the 100 cosiest pubs in the UK according to the food and drink critics of the Mail on Sunday.
Tom Barker Bowles and Olly Smith say that their ideal cosy pub has a roaring fire, comfy nooks to dwell in, ideally dogs are welcome, great grub, and a carefully chosen gathering of ales and wines.
The St Michael’s Hill pub that they chose is the only Bristol pub on their list.
is needed now More than ever
The Highbury Vaults has a smaller bar at the front of the pub
Dating back to the 1800s, The Highbury Vaults was once the place where condemned prisoners were taken to enjoy their last meal before being hanged at the nearby gallows.
Today it is owned by London brewery Young’s and is popular with students and staff from the University of Bristol, with a model railway, a bar billiards table and one of Bristol’s best beer gardens.
Smih, a regular guest on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen, describes the atmospheric conditions of the pub as lying “somewhere between Withnail & I and Great Expectations“.
He adds: “There are good guest beers dotted around the Young’s range, but my steer is to head for the all £18-a-bottle wine list and sip a glass of glory on Slow Roasted Sunday. The beef brisket is usually marvellous.”
The pub’s garden is one of the best in Bristol
Read more: 173 things to do in Bristol in December 2018
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