Pubs and Bars / Pub of the Week
Pub of the Week: The Eldon House
‘Don’t put any glasses on this shelf’ a note taped to the window above a very tempting shelf to put glasses on said on a recent evening at the Eldon House.
Within seconds of the sign being accidentally disobeyed by a bearded customer on his own, the barman appeared with a cloth, wiping down the beer ring while explaining that the shelf was receiving its primer the following day.
It’s a well-known fact that the more signs a pub has, the rougher around the edges it tends to be.
is needed now More than ever
There aren’t many rough-around-the-edges pubs left in Clifton these days, and even though the Eldon House is on the Hotwells border it still doesn’t fall into this category.
Up to five real ales are always on offer
A handpainted map on one wall close to the main entrance locates the Eldon House exactly within its environs, but also within a map that takes various liberties with both history and geography – a melange of facts, anecdotes, and current and former place names and local characters from cricketer WG Grace to suffragette Annie Kenny forming a fascinating artwork.
The Eldon House is of course on this map’s equivalent of the Greenwich Meridian, close to Wood Wells Lane – the former name of Jacob’s Wells Road.
In this unusually proportioned pub, a conservatory-style extension built a decade or so ago doubled it in size, with stained glass windows that were once outside now inside, dividing the extension from what used to be the pub’s snug.
“Rachel,” one man said to the person on the other side of the table to him in the conservatory.
“Rachel! RACHEL!” He had finally got her attention. “Look at the photo on our group chat.”
“Why am I even on the group chat?” Rachel responded.
North Street Cider from Bristol Beer Factory was the drink of choice for Rachel’s table, while Independence from the same brewery was a popular choice of beer.
All Six Nations games are currently screened here, with regular live music nights, and Sunday lunch and dinner.
During a rare lull on Thursday evening, the barman got his cloth out again to wipe down the bar and and a few stools.
“Rachel,” Rachel’s friend said once again. “Rachel! It’s my round. What do you want to drink?”
The Eldon House, 6 Lower Clifton Hill, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1BT
0117 922 1271
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