Bristol’s best bars

When in Bristol, my advice would always be to do as the locals do and order a cider board where possible. Though, as these often range from pear juice to tractor fuel, be a little careful. If that doesn’t float your boat, I’ve selected a few personally tested watering holes to try at your leisure.

Steinbeck and Shaw
The South Buildings, Bristol, BS1 5UH
www.steinbeckandshaw.co.uk/bristol
The literature theme of this cocktail bar is only one of its draws; the other being the fabulous selection of £8 cocktails, including both the classics and their own unique creations. Served in a particularly interesting and wonderfully impractical mixture of buckets, sundae glasses and shots, Steinbeck and Shaw is amenable to both the hardened imbiber and Instagram artist.

The Stable
South Building Anchor Square, Canon’s Road, Bristol, BS1 5UH
www.stablepizza.com/locations/the-stable-bristol
Cheese and cider come together in a way that makes me salivate before immediately ordering a drink and an enormous pizza. Located directly on the waterfront, this place lights up with golden evening sunlight. As melodramatic as that may sound, it’s a challenge to find many more beautiful spots to spend a sunset, and a particularly intoxicating cider board runs the full spectrum of Bristolian delicacies.

The Love Inn 
84 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3QY
www.theloveinn.com
From the team that brings you annual summer festival stalwart Love Saves the Day, The Love Inn is a trustworthy choice for a mouth-watering meal and a drink. They have a variety of cocktails on offer, all using carefully selected spirits and liqueurs, and the menu is divided between Love Inn Classics (the original mainstays from when they first opened), and seasonal great drinks. They have a well-stocked bar, a god range of beers and wines, and regular live music from some of the finest DJs and producers from Bristol and beyond, providing you with a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.

The White Harte
54-58 Park Row, Bristol, BS1 5LH
www.social-squirrel.com/thewhitehartebristol
For those with a sweet tooth, this delightful bar adjacent to Park Street is the place to be. With a variety of cocktails combined with retro sweets on offer, and with the option to scale up to veritable fire buckets filled with enough sugar and liquor to chock a medium-sized horse, this is a place for those who truly commit to cavities and decadence – not necessarily in that order.

ALUNA
4 Broad Quay, Bristol, BS1 4DA
www.aluna.uk.com
Slightly more upmarket, but with rum and passion fruit garnish cocktails served in glass skulls and set alight with powdered sugar, most probably done by some form of dark alcohol magic previously lost to the ages, one can only assume that Aluna’s prices match the effort put into each and every cocktail. Often not for the faint of heart or liver, Aluna really must be seen to be believed.

The Apple
Welsh Back, Bristol, BS1 4SB
www.applecider.co.uk
A Bristol powerhouse since long before my time, this is the first place I take newcomers to Bristol, or those who sneer at cider. With student deals that are frankly irresponsible, the Ol’ Bristolian (served exclusively in half pints) has been the ruin of many a fresh-faced fresher and third-years alike. It’s also on a boat, which is deeply exciting on its own.

Bambalan
Colston Tower, Colston Avenue, Bristol, BS1 4XE 
www.bambalan.co.uk
Bambalan is a great bar and restaurant opposite Colston Hall and with a roof terrace to rival the best outdoor drinking spots by the harbour. The drinks menu reflects the summer vibes, with cocktails galore and club tropicana sharers served in ceramic pineapples. Really. You’ll also get ten per cent off food, including their delicious brunch bagels, with an NUS card.

Highbury Vaults
164 St Michael’s Hill, Bristol, BS2 8DE
www.highburyvaults.co.uk
Another of my personal favourites, Highbury Vaults is home to one of the nicest beer gardens ever to grace human kind. Intimate yet subdued and surrounded by greenery, this is one of the spots where locals and students mingle most happily. There is also a bar billiards table, a wonderfully confusing game that only becomes more so as the night continues. Like playing an accordion, it’s a wonder to see done right and neigh impossible to do oneself.