No question, 5 stars from me. I love Amoeba!…read more If you're unfamiliar with Amoeba (shame on you) then it is a little hidden gem tucked away in a backstreet of Clifton Village. They have an incredible beer selection, but for me, this place is all about the cocktails - and boy do they do good cocktails! Amoeba is small. It is set over 3 levels; ground level with a few tables, the bar is upstairs and then downstairs you'll find a few more tables and nice terrace area. The decor is dark red and it's nice and dimly lit. They have a large blackboard on the wall with a list of all of their beers and an amazing selection of spirits behind the bar. I've felt instantly comfortable and every time Ive been to Amoeba. It always has a great atmosphere and it isn't what you'd expect from a cocktail bar in Clifton. It's nowhere near as pretentious or uninviting as Hausbar up the road. There's no door knocking here! They had a decent DJ (although he was sat down, ha) and the staff were great. I said I wanted a gin based cocktail with some kind of berry influence - I got exactly that! I've no idea what it was called, but it was GOOD! This is one of the best bars in Bristol, in my eyes!

Seeing as it's national poetry day I thought I'd do my review as a poem…read more Amoeba is a cosy cafe bar If you're in Clifton you would go far To find a better cocktail Or even a tea would never fail The decor is dark red and antique Fabulous and oblique There's plenty to look at And not only that The bar staff know every liquor And they'll make a perfect drink quicker So if you were um-ing and ah-ing Amoeba has the perfect thing!

Described by the NME many years ago as "a floating toilet", the Thekla has thankfully had a few…read moremakeovers since and is now quite possibly the best club and gig venue in Bristol. The downstairs main room is fairly small and generates a great atmosphere, and there are also balconeys overlooking the dancefloor and stage, which are great for gigs. Moving upstairs, there's a decent bar which is open during day times and has a daily happy hour and food offers. On sunny days, though, you're better off taking your pint/burger out on the open air deck, which is heated, has plenty of seating and offers great views across the harbour.

A club on a boat! The Thekla (I don't know if that's the name of the boat as well as the club) is…read moremoored up in Bristol harbour with a few good nights and live music as well. There's no need to worry about sea sickness, the boat doesn't sway or anything. Its over two floors (decks?) and has an outside area at the bow of the ship. The upstairs bar is open all week and the bottom opens for club nights (Socialism, electro-indie on Saturdays is my favourite). Being on a boat, things are a bit crowded, but theres plenty of space on the bottom floor (in the bowls of the ship?) to dance. The staff (bouncers and bar staff) are friendly, and there's always a good atmosphere. There's no premium for floating whilst you drink, with the nights I've been too, priced around a fiver. A novelty that's a good night out too.

Just hiding below Park Street are a few little clubs and pubs including The Academy, Basement 45…read moreand the Hatchet. You'll also find an odd looking building, which is home to possibly the most cheesy gay club in town. The drinks aren't too expensive, the music's fun, it's definitely a popular spot for the city's gay crowd. Look out for their themed nights!

Looks like an old pub on the outside but inside is a different story, very fun, vibrant atmosphere,…read moregreat dance floor to the rear and chill seating at the front. Reasonable drink prices, clean toilets and friendly staff. Would definitely go back next time I'm in Bristol.

A long term feature on a stretch of shops that's a bit of graveyard of failed attempts, this is a…read moregem of a café where you can easily spend too much time and money. Wood floors, smart wooden furniture, sharp service. Somebody has made the effort with this place, and it has paid off. You don't feel like you're being ripped off with the pricey food and drink, just that you're paying a premium for getting to sit around in a good café. This is all done without making it feel posh or exclusive. If money is tight there's wifi available, so you can just hide behind a coffee for an hour or so and distract yourself from the menu by checking your email. The menu's comprehensive and has been different every time I have visited though, so this might be a bit of a challenge. This is one of the ways that you might end up spending more here than you'd planned. If this isn't too much of a worry for you, then pay Deco Lounge a visit.

Of all the lounges in all the land, Deco beats them all. I remember when this place had that smoky…read morewine bar feel, but clearly the smoking ban has put paid to that. It's the kind of adaptable place that's just as much at home to an elderly gent having a mid afternoon pint (no longer having a puff on a cigarette though) as it is to a bunch of students/young professionals coming for a few cocktails and catch ups - which by the way, are well worth trying at less than £6 a go. The food is fairly priced too, with a good selection of tapas. The best thing is the breakfasts: if you go before 12pm it's £5.50 for a coffee and lounge breakfast which will really set you up well for the day. If you miss that though, not to worry, they serve breakfast it all day, definitely earning it a few more plus points. Should you want a quiet little hide out, away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Whiteladies road, the table at the top end to the right of the bar is nicely tucked away, it's always my seat of choice. The free Wifi, excellently stocked bar, and good food makes it dangerously easy to waste away far too many hours in here.

The Chimp House works two fold really. In the evenings it functions as a very pleasant bar for…read morelocal couples and students. The music and the vibe are both always relaxing and the owners happily dish out free nachos and bar snacks all night. It is the Chimp House's use as a function room, however, where they really shine. This really is a business where the customer comes first. From quiz nights, to naming ceremonies to Irish wakes they've seen them all here. There's no fee for the place, just profit from the local Cheddar Ales, weekly guest beers and a well stocked bar where, interestingly, everything's £3. A patio and a very nice beer garden for their popular summer time barbeques - the atmosphere at The Chimp House is always spot on.

These premises at the northern end of Gloucester Road seem to be a bit doomed, changing hands many…read morea time in the past few years. In its new incarnation, though, I think it has real potential to turn the buildings former bad fate around. The Chimp House is a cosy little bar, with comfy sofas, low tables and warm coloured décor, giving it a nice, chilled out atmosphere. The home-made tapas and food is excellent, and the owners are very friendly - have a chat to them at the bar - each time I've been in they've given me some complimentary olives and crisps to nibble on over a leisurely tipple. With talk of a live music licence, there's real potential for this to be a definite must-see place for the top end of Gloucester Road, so get in there before the crowds start packing it out. The bars well stocked, with a good whisky selection, and the garden at the back is a good extension, with nice vines climbing around, really making it the perfect place to chill out under one of the heaters in the fast approaching winter nights. There's also a little seating area out the front of the bar, so should you want to spy the world going by on Gloucester Road, you can do so under the welcoming arm of the Chimp.

Bristol University is infamous for having a quite posh student body. Not sure how true this is but…read moreit certainly seems the case when you go to Lizard Lounge. Lots of Jack Wills on display and many refined accents to be heard. Not quite sure why the great and the good of Bristol's students choose this place as their hang out. Yes, it is in desirable Clifton, but its small, crowded and just not that nice. You can queue up and spend lots of money at a lot better places just a stones throw away. You may well see a few bottles of champagne being opened here and probably a fair few cocktails. It's all quite rah, to use a Bristol phrase, and very cheesy. Most definitely not my cup of tea, but there's certainly a type that likes it. Go to Lizard Lounge to spend some time amongst Bristol well spoken students and sip some bubbly in a bit of a hole of a setting.

My first one star review is reserved for a truly horrendous place…read more I am easily pleased: I like good music, a moderate to good choice of drinks, I don't even care what a place looks like, I don't usually even mind if the staff are nice to me, so hopefully you'll know when I say I dislike a place there is a pretty good reason why. I have nothing against people who choose to project the image that they (their parents) have lots of money, even when they don't, or that they think having money is the most important thing in the world. I don't mind peroxide blondes who are too posh to wash and don't know their arse from their elbow, and have a very suspicious tan considering it's the middle of November (?). I don't mind guys being so impressed by themselves for playing rugby that they look forward to taking their shirts off and trying to fight you. Oh wait...yes I do. This 'club' epitomises everything I hate about the bar industry in Bristol. It is not acceptable to take people's money and offer them this experience in return. The music is literally so bad, don't be surprised if you find yourself trying to dance to Agadoo. The bar serves some strange brand of watery vodka I have never heard of and men in the men's toilet urinate in the sink because they can't be bothered to queue for a urinal. The urinals also get blocked so you are wading in the over flow. Don't forget you paid for this privilege. A close friend of mine actually watched a girl vomit on the floor and continue to kiss the guy she was dry humping against a wall. It is a truly soulless experience. If you hate music, and culture, hate yourself and literally expect nothing from your night out, this is the place for you. You see I don't know how much of this is the fault of the Lizard Lounge itself. You see all they've done is open some grotty looking club (think gypsy wedding/social club) and sell dirt cheap vodka (except at weekends) and play terrible music but yet they seem to make money and attract patrons. So who are the fools. But the lizard lounge does service a purpose; it keeps a good number of people away from the better places in town.

I live just around the corner and visit regularly. I love this place, the decor is beautifully done…read moremaking you feel cosy and welcomed from the moment you walk in. The staff are super friendly and helpful. The coffee is really good and the Bloody Mary's are delicious! The food is so tasty, I never know what to choose!! It's a great place to spend the afternoon with friends or just sit by yourself and watch the world go by.

The latest of the local Lounges to spring up in the city, this one is housed in a former bank in…read moreTotterdown. It very much follows the formula of the others in the small chain, with an identical menu and even the same pictures adorning the walls. Where I would say this is inferior to the original Bedminster-based establishment is that it's far smaller, with too many tables and chairs crammed in. Consequently it gets a bit crowded and waits at the bar can get a bit tedious. However, the reason that it always seems to be busy is that the food is very good and very reasonable. I would personally recommend the sweet chilli chicken panini with chips and salad for just £6, though this remains very much somewhere I would pop in for some grub (including breakfast - they open at 9am), than actually sit down and drink for more than a quick pint.

If you are ever staying in Bristol I fully recommend you stay at least one night in this hotel and…read morestay in a big Loft Chapel facing suite. Each room inside the hotel do not have room numbers but are called champagne where this room being the best from all other rooms is called Veuve Clicquot. This is duplex suite with a Very large King size bed featuring a stunning Veuve Clicquot, back-lit display headboard. Intimately designed in rich earthy tones with a separate lounge area and 42 inch plasma TV. Upstairs in the bathroom you'll find twin roll top baths and a walk-in monsoon shower. I admit the rooms may be slightly pricey but the luxury of this suite is worth every penny! As the complimentary toiletries smell lovely, there are Egyptian Cotton sheets on the bed, the monsoon walk-in shower is so refreshing, I've never felt so clean in my life! Once a year we travel over here but not to visit Bristol town centre but to this hotel as this is one of my favourites! We always have issues with parking but there is off street parking available!

Du Vin is one of my favourite places to eat in Bristol. Who doesn't love classic French food with a…read morefantastic sommelier and bar staff. Service is always good and when busy you're not waiting around for food for ages, not that you'd notice with the brilliant classic decor and cosy yet clean atmosphere. Set in the old sugar house and popular with he cigar smoking philanthropist types of the 1920's the style is a dirty yellow paint to resemble smoke stained walls, surprisingly attractive, unlike a smoked stained wall in weather spoons before the smoking ban came in. The wine cellar is set in the old smoking room which is brilliant to have a peak at as you see bottles of '62 Perignon and the finest wines from across the world. 10/10 would recommended the beef Bourgogne with a match deep burgundy red, just ask the Sommelier - they'll sort you out! Give it a go it's a great place and not too expensive and the hotel rooms, I've been told, are to die for!

Had a delightful meal and drinks this evening at Porto Lounge!…read more Being able to order directly from your phone made it super convenient to be able to place an order for whatever you wanted and it would appear at your table quickly and everything was delicious. We had mojitos, tapas, pasta, flatbread and the sticky toffee desert and we were RAVING with how good it was. Highly recommend to any and all that can swing through this delightfully bright neighborhood spot in fishpond! It was so cozy and inviting for a night out and bring your dog along too :)

Came along to the Porto Lounge this morning after being turned away by Melanie's Kitchen…read more Ive always enjoyed a good lounge and The Porto is no exception. A lovely comfy homely decor, that doesn't distract to much. The service was good despite being busy. And when me brekky arrived I wasn't disappointed. Top quality and well priced. I shall be back !

At the very top of Whiteladies Road/Blackboy Hill, looking out to the downs, this bar was whispered…read moreto be a secret exclusive establishment which was very hard to get in to. My friends and I had long been planning a trip to try it out and finally made it last weekend. To get in you have to ring a doorbell and wait for the door to be opened - they assess the look of you from the video camera that's situated just above the front door. If they judge you worthy enough, you'll enter a bar that is extravagantly furnished and really well set out. The space is quite narrow, with a long bar along the right hand side, and comfy seats and tables on the left. The bar staff are cocktail wizards; there's an extensive menu of cocktails organised by the predominant ingredient. From champagne cocktails to whisky sours you'll be bound to find something that appeals. At £6 it's well priced - they could charge upwards of £8 in a place like this. The clientele are clearly the rich and beautiful of Bristol - if you want to know what a Cliftonite is then come here for some animal observation. It's no bad thing in my opinion though, as it just plainly suits the place. It's not as secret as it's rumoured to be, especially as they've started leaving flyers in equally high class establishments across town. If you're after a sizeable helping of class with your drink, Hausbar is the place to come.

Rumour had it that there was a secret bar at the top of Whiteladies road. A couple of months ago, a…read morefriend and I drove past the entrance, which is underneath an Indian Restaurant called Rajpoot. It took til last night to get around to actually visiting but we weren't disappointed. Hausbar, I have since learnt, is based on the Berlin cocktail lounges and is very popular with the upmarket Cliftonites. Having lived in Berlin for several months, I can see the similarities. When you arrive (only groups of less than 5 unless you've booked) you ring the door buzzer and are surveyed by the camera outside. We weren't particularly smart but we got in anyway. My cocktail was strong and delicious and not too expensive at £6. I'd come again, but I think I'd have to dress a little smarter to fit in with the affluent crowd.