Pubs and Bars / Pub of the Week
Pub of the Week: The White Rabbit
Students reveling in post-exam freedom were happily tucking into one of The White Rabbit’s stone-baked pizzas on a recent Wednesday night.
Most recently known as The Richmond and earlier the Three Magpies and Clifton Cow, the pub on Gordon Road has been completely transformed.
Doing away with the dark, drab interior that once was, the new owners – who also have a White Rabbit in Oxford – have brought in plush red sofas, dozens of artsy rabbit-themed prints, and an upbeat, youthful atmosphere.
is needed now More than ever
It might just banish the memory of a brutal murder at the pub in 1998 which saw barman Michael Eifinger kill landlord John Fitzgerald before taking £1,600 from the pub’s safe and fleeing the country.
When they first put the message out about their launch in May, almost 1,500 people ended up registering their interest on the “Grand Opening Pizza Party” Facebook event.
Since then, especially when the volume on the speakers is ramped up at the weekend, the White Rabbit beer garden has been well populated.
Among the beer selection are local breweries Good Chemistry and New Bristol Brewery, as well as their own White Rabbit Ale.
And then there are the pizzas, all the ingredients for which as one barman happily informed us as he took our order are are imported from Italy.
Every pizza is customisable, although Robbie Woods, the assistant manager, insisted that we should “always trust the chefs”.
The White Rabbit team have got their own award-winning organic and gluten-free pizza company that supplies select retailers across London, Oxford and Bristol.
It’s clear that this brand-new addition to Clifton’s pub scene has been modeled on a successful tried and tested formula, but it will need to attract more than just the student market to succeed.
The White Rabbit, 33-37 Gordon Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1AW
0117 908 9096