Pubs and Bars / Pub of the Week
Pub of the Week: The Colston Arms
Anyone conflicted between a night out and staying in to watch Game of Thrones has met their perfect match in The Colston Arms.
The pub on St Michael’s Hill is showing every episode of season eight of the popular medieval fantasy on the big screen on Mondays – with bonus prizes for the best dressed punters.
Early evening on a recent Thursday, the cosy watering hole is a TV-free zone and an earnest conversation among two locals is in full throes at the bar, where a small cluster of eager drinkers jostle for space to get their order in.
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One knowing regular bypasses the crowds and heads straight round to the quiet side of the bar that looks out onto a traditional wood-panelled back room, with stacks of board games, and a door leading out to the secret garden beyond.
“There you go mate,” says the bar man, handing over an overflowing pint of cask ale – one of many on offer. Artfully written chalk signs above the bar proclaim the pub’s love of beer.
Service is friendly and efficient, and a buzz of noisy chatter reverberates off the building’s rough, old walls. Locals perched on stools at the bar are cheerfully tolerant of the comings and goings of the younger (presumably) student crowd.
A tantalising waft of freshly fried chips fills the air as a large bowl is delivered to a table of women settled in near the door.
The pub that still bears the name of the notorious slave trader – which is being dropped by other establishments, including the Colston Hall and former Colston’s Primary School – has all the trappings of a traditional neighbourhood boozer, with plenty of modern touches.
An ‘art corridor’ displaying work by local artists brightens up an otherwise dead space between the two sides of the bar in a pub that deftly caters for its diverse clientele by offering something for everyone – Game of Thrones fans included.
The Colston Arms, 24 St Michael’s Hill, Kingsdown, Bristol, BS2 8DX
0117 9254 484
Read more: Pub of the Week: The Swan With Two Necks
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