Pubs and Bars / Pub of the Week
Pub of the week: Under The Stars
Drinking on boats is just something you do in Bristol, as normal as spending half of your lunch hour queuing for falafel in St Nick’s market, or washing seagull shit out of your hair over a sink in Cabot Circus toilets.
While Thekla might have the monopoly on wild nights of partying in the hold, and Grain Barge is nailing the craft-beer-plus-boat angle, Under The Stars sometimes slips off the radar when it comes to a city centre drink. Moored permanently by Cascade Steps, and about the only business in the area that hasn’t been shunted around by the MetroBus works, its cream and maroon exterior is a familiar sight. While quieter at this time of year, the top deck seating area is often full late into balmy summer nights.
is needed now More than ever
A recent renovation has turned the inside of the boat into a much brighter and cleaner affair, with a waxed pine floor and modern dark teal colour scheme. The old protruding bar has been removed (claiming at least one casualty amongst the staff, who “broke his face” while crowbarring it out, the barman says cheerfully as he mixes a gin and tonic) and replaced with a slimline wooden one, enclosed on one side and with greenery cascading from the top.
Behind the bar is the familiar array of good beers on tap, including Bath Ales and Beerd, and spirits including almost a dozen gins, while on the table is a comprehensive wine list. Cocktails are also available, made fresh by the talented staff. The new wooden tables with their cast iron feet are set for dinner, with clean white crockery, fresh flowers and candles. While the menu of tapas and stone-baked pizza hasn’t changed, the new lighter, brighter feel to the place is enticing in new diners. A well-dressed couple enter and sit at their table, watching the ferry perform a neat three-point-turn just beyond the windows.
Upbeat samba music plays over the sound system, a fun backdrop to people-watching from this unparalleled vantage point. The pretty string lights come on across the way as commuters leave work late and pleasure seekers fill the Harbourside bars on this weekday evening. Next time you need to find your sea legs, don’t pass up a classy drink at this pleasant little waterside joint.
Under The Stars, Narrow Quay, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 4QA
www.underthestarsbar.co.uk
0117 929 8392
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