Pubs and Bars / Pub of the Week
Pub of the Week: The Westbury Park
It’s brisk service in the Westbury Park on a recent Sunday lunchtime. But then roast dinner is something to be taken seriously in this well-established gastro pub on Northumbria Drive in Henleaze.
Teams of staff are efficiently doling out plates laden with steaming food – a giant Yorkshire pudding placed precariously on each – to a family spanning at least three generations occupying a vast wooden table to one side.
The servers neatly dodge children underfoot as they ask if any extra sauces are needed, while a baby in a pram battles to make their voice heard above the busy hubbub of chatter.
is needed now More than ever
………………………………
Bristol24/7 relies on your support to fund our independent journalism and social impact projects. Become a member and enjoy exclusive perks from just £5 per month.
………………………………
A curious shaped standalone building on the corner of Northumbria Drive and Fallodon Way, the pub found fame as the Kebab and Calculator in 80s cult TV series The Young Ones.
It reopened as the more sedately-named Westbury Park pub and kitchen following a complete refurbishment in 2016 by current owners Zazu’s Pub Company, the team behind the Greenbank, the Alma Tavern, the Knowle and the Grace (full disclosure: Bristol24/7 consultant publisher Dougal Templeton is a director of Zazu’s).
Candles flickering away on the windowsills seem an unnecessary touch this particular Sunday lunchtime, as winter sunshine streams in through the glass panels, while fresh flowers, perched in a glass bottle on each of the wooden tabletops, bring extra cheer to the bustling venue.
The large bar dominating the centre of the room boasts a selection of ales, ciders and wines, as well as an extensive gin list and a haphazard stack of board games. A firm family favourite, there’s plenty of room for everyone inside the Westbury, which aims to cater for all.
“The olives aren’t our usual ones and they’re quite salty so they’re on the house,” says the man behind the bar, dishing out a generous portion. They are salty, but who’s to argue with free olives?
The veggie roast was more inventive than many
The roasts when they arrive are piping hot and served with a big dish of veg (cooked to perfection) and cauliflower cheese (could be cheesier). The veggie option of Jerusalem artichoke & chestnut wellington (£11.95 each) is more inventive than most and comes with the obligatory giant Yorkshire.
The couple at a nearby table crack open a pack of cards as they order more drinks and ponder over the pudding menu. And why not, this is what Sundays were made for.
The Westbury Park, Northumbria Drive, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4HP
0117 962 4235
www.westburyparkpub.co.uk/
All photos by Ellie Pipe
Read more: Pub of the Week: The Langton
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
