A lovely local pub in Winterbourne Down…read more This has been my family's local pub for around 20 years and it hasn't changed one bit. It's still as charming, still has the same locals, still the same landlord and, I think, still the same roaring log fire. The Cross Hands doesn't do food, but it does do lots of guest ciders, ales and a brilliant atmosphere. The landlord and landlady (Pete and Lesley) are great (Pete is the spitting image of Peter Stringfellow - with open shirt and hairy chest) and make you feel like part of the furniture - which can make leaving quite difficult at times! Friday nights are good fun. Typical local pub style. A bit of cheese on the jukebox and a good mix of young'ens and old'ens to keep it interesting from one end of the pub to the other. But the best thing about this pub isn't its huge back garden. It isn't the fact you can use one of their massive BBQ's and bring your own meat/food. It isn't even the regular events they hold in the summer with live bands and cider in boxes. The best thing about the Cross Hands is the pub dog. A beautiful Staffordshire Bull terrier who has the gentlest demeanour and wonderful personality. She'll pin her belly to the ground and wiggle her way over to say hello. All the while snorting like a little pig. She has her own arm chair and sits with the locals who play cards on the big round table from 4pm every day. This is a lovely little boozer that has a huge garden for the summer and wonderful warm log fire for the winter. As it is out of town, you can knock 40-80p off the price of pint. A must if you're in the area.

They dont do food here mate ! But you can bring your own and cook it up on one of the complimentry…read morefree bbqs ! This place has tons of character and a great choice of beers ciders and ales all at a very reasonable price. There is a beautiful big garden out back or benches out front if you fancy just sitting and watching the world drift by. Pete the barman is one of lifes winners always there with a warm welcome and a joke or two for you to enjoy. Stick a lepord print thong on him and marvel at the way he transform into Peter Stringfellow oh yeah ! All in all a class bozzer in the country.

I rate this place highly since coming upon it is like fishing water after wandering in the desert…read more This is a very local neighborhood pub that is never too crowded. This place has plenty of outdoor seating in the front and back. Toilets are a little crowded, but overall, I would come back.

I have been here once for a carvery and I was thoroughly disappointed. The food was completely over…read morecooked and tasteless and the gravy was extremely watery and tasted more like vinegar. Definitely won't be returning in a hurry!

Closest pub to my mums house so have been in loads. Carvery…read moredinner for 4 quid during the week.... i find that hard to resist, even if it is a bit hit and miss sometimes quality wise. standard pub booze prices and selection.

Just had a lovely meal at the Sandringham on Quakers Rd, I had a lovely salad with strips of rare…read morerump steak which was cooked to perfection and was exceptionally tender, my husband had chicken in BBQ sauce which was also very good - it would have scored a 5 stars except that his chips were well salted and as he is on a low salt diet was a little unfortunate! I really do think that all restaurants should. Stop seasoning after cooking - lots of people are on low salt diet! My husband had the creme brulee with freshly baked short bread which was lush! The service was fast and the staff are very polite - we will be back!

This is a very friendly pub which following a fairly recent refurb has a modern interior and plenty…read moreof comfy seats. The Sunday night pub quiz is always really popular and good fun. Another good winter pub as to my knowledge there is no beer garden.

The servers here are extremely friendly and helpful. They are great at recommending items. The food…read moreis always delicious, cooked to your liking. It is a beautifully decorated pub, that can take back in time. It also has a great outdoor dining area.

I don't need to tell you how good this place is. I just need to tell you it won CAMRA pub of the…read moreyear back in 2006. The ales are still as good today, including Doombar (and 11 other cask ales for your tasting pleasure). The pub is located opposite the Horfield Sports centre (oh the choice you'll have to make - gym or pub) an imposing old building literally on the green. Inside is a bit faux-antique, but warm and inviting all the same. Food smells wafting from the place when I was there were stomach-rumblingly good, unfortunately I've yet to taste the grub. All the more reason to go back.

This is where we had our works christmas party and really enjoyed it. They had a carvery with a…read morechoice of 3 or 4 different meats and then veg, potatoes, gravy etc Everyone enjoyed the food and also the atmosphere was really nice aswell. We had a laugh with the staff there and it made a good, enjoyable night. I have since recommended this place to other friends and will be going back there myself.

This is a very lovely old pub. With very nice rooms, so I've heard from a friend who has a fairly…read moregrand mother. The landlord is very pleasant, friendly and helpful. They have a reputation for food. But I'm vegetarian and, as per usual, the veggie food lacks imagination. I think it's probably a risotto or something like that and not that good. We've been disappointed more than once. However, plenty of people like it and the meat dishes are probably better. The restaurant is very cosy and the general atmosphere is more grad than your usual pub but it s authentic. It's not trying to be something it is not. You can sit outside, but it's always pretty blowy, so bring something warm to put on. Lovely tables and chairs though and very enticing. I am happier with the bar food. Nice sarnies come with crisps and a salad. It's in the Good Hotel Guide 2011. I notice there is a new website for it. http://www.the-carpenters-arms.co.uk/ I'm a bit concerned that it's been she-she'd up since I was last there. It looks a bit corporate and not my kind of thing. But I hope it's still in the same hands.

This pub is one of a dying breed, a proper "boozer" with friendly engaging staff and a fabulous…read moreatmosphere Fine range of draft beers and ciders, full range of snacks, even cheesy moments! Warm and friendly, always enjoy a pint in here

Most of the watering holes in Staple Hill are no better than average but this place is the…read moreexception to the rule. It is a superb boozer. It was always a friendly place to relax but in the last three months it's seen new owners take over who have removed the worn out tables and chairs and replaced them with modern fixtures and fitting. Staple Hill now has a bar to be proud of. It was always renowned as a good real ale pub and it appears the new owners will keep this going with the Wadworth 6X being superb. A menu has also been introduced and you can treat yourself to a selection of the mighty 'pieminister' pies with trimmings for less than £5. Bargain. They've kept the weekend music and added to it with a Sunday night chill out session to ease you back into Monday.

What used to be a thriving country pub with a great atmosphere and family friendly vibe, has now…read moreturned into a quiet, clinical and disappointing restaurant. As a youngster I used to love going to The Golden Heart with my family. It felt really comfortable and had loads of room inside and amazing front and back gardens. Unfortunately that has long but disappeared and the bar now feels more like a waiting room and the restaurant has now soul. It is a real shame because the food is really good. It's a bit over price for the area, but good all the same. The drinks are crazy prices for this side of town: £4.80 for a pint of ale! This place has so much potential, but unfortunately doesn't deliver. Such a shame!

I went to The Golden Heart yesterday for a Christmas lunch with my Mum, Nan and sisters and was…read morereally disappointed! We were told that they had a lot of Christmas lunch bookings and so we'd have a wait for food, so we got there early.... And were the first table in there. Within half an hour there were a few largish tables in (4-8 people) but the restaurant was by no means full, in fact not even half full. The drink prices are high for the area, so I chose the cheapest Rose on the menu, which I assumed was the house wine at £5 for a large glass. Soda water was charged at £1 a glass, most places will include this free of charge especially if you are eating. Most of us chose to eat from the set price lunch menu at £11.95 for two or £13.95 for three courses... But this menu only included flatbreads and a small choice of mains dishes. They hadn't had their fish delivery so the fish dishes were unavailable, but they did have fish cakes which is what I chose. When the food finally arrived (after an hour of waiting) it did look reasonably nice, presentation wise, and my family liked their flatbreads but my fish cakes were horrible! They didn't taste much of fish, more like cheese - I honestly would have guessed baked Camembert or something and that's not what I was after at all as I'm not much of a cheese fan! So we did a bit of swapping around and I had some of the duck flatbread which as nice enough. We all chose a pudding, they took another 30 minutes to arrive and weren't warm as they should be... I had treacle tart with ginger cream - didn't taste a bit like ginger! When we got the bill I realised I'd been charged £7 for my wine, so I questioned it and apparently the house wine is not the cheap one, it's a few choices down on the menu and costs more???!! I don't know anywhere else I've been where the house wine is not the first listed and cheapest on the menu??! Very bizarre! There was no goodwill gesture either just a brief and miserable 'sorry' from what I assumed was the manager on the day. All in all it wasn't a pleasant experience, there was a frosty reception from most staff apart from a girl on the bar, who was very nice, a ridiculous wait in a restaurant no one would class as busy at all (who knows how they would cope on a busy Mothers Day!) food wasn't up to scratch, and drinks overpriced. I've been going to the Golden Heart since I was a kid and it used to be one of the best pubs in the area for families in the summer and it was relatively cheap and cheerful back then... Its transformation into a trendy country pub initially gave it a 'quality' status and we would go for special occasions for a nice meal, but since I feel it has gone downhill and as a result you are paying over the odds for nothing special and so I wouldn't recommend it, sadly!