Pubs and Bars / Pub of the Week
Pub of the Week: The Bell
A sticker above the bar in The Bell reads ‘Fuck off back to Eton’ – that’s big chunks of the Tory Government out then, but the rest of us can assume we’re welcome.
It may be a part of the Butcombe Brewing Company’s portfolio of Bristol pubs, but this Hillgrove Street boozer remains defiantly independent, a little rough round the edges and brimming with character – befitting the area within which it stands.
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There can’t be many beer gardens that are standing room only on a mid-October Wednesday evening, but then few are as wonderfully cosy as this.
A haze of smoke fills the air and friendly voices reverberate around the ivy-strung walls surrounding the compact patio area, as the eclectic collection of regulars enjoy a chilled night.
Inside, some gentle reggae beats are starting up in the corner and a couple of tables are occupied by groups deep in conversation.
Drinks are served in a prompt but perfunctory fashion from a well-stocked bar, with a fair selection of beers on tap. Sunday roasts are advertised on a chalk board overhead.
A man with blue hair and a backpack walks in, taking out his earphones as he strides straight to the bar. He is soon followed by someone else, wheeling a bike straight through and out the back door.
The collection of stickers adorning the pub’s old wooden beams give clues – if any were needed – of the political leanings here, one reads ‘Homes are for people not for profit’, another simply ‘Corbyn’.
On the bar, a giant jug of pink lillies look a little out of place, but leave a pleasant lingering scent near the sticker-filled front door. A stack of The Bristolian magazine sits on the edge of the bar.
The collection of eclectic artwork and posters help distract from the cracked woodchip walls that look like they haven’t seen a lick of paint in a decade or two – noone really cares about that anyway.
Just of the beaten track, The Bell is an old favourite for many and its loyal local following on a Wednesday evening is testament to this pub’s enduring popularity.
The Bell, 18 Hillgrove Street, Bristol, BS2 8JT
0117 909 6612
www.butcombe.com/pubs/the-bell/
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