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.

Formerly Hush Hush, The Bootlegger is a massive improvement and one of the newest and coolest bars…read moreon the Cheltenham/Gloucester Road stretch. My girlfriend and I were on our way to one of the other bars on Gloucester road, but couldn't walk passed Bootleger as it looked and sounded really cool from outside. The open front, tables on the street and electro-swing music were a perfect combo to draw us in. It is pretty unbelievable what they've done with the place. From being a pretty terrible club that was mainly used for birthday and drum and bass parties - it is unrecognisable and really cool! It is a really narrow space but every inch has been used really well. The staff were really friendly and you could tell try we're pretty excited to be working in the new bar on such an infamous party street! The draught options are pretty basic but good enough. They have a couple of really nice pale ales that they were happy to let me 'try before I buy'. We shared a Mac n cheese which was good. I'd say a little more seasoning was needed; it way lacking a little umph! But we demolished it in seconds! I'm really interested to try the rest of the menu coz it sounded great, if not a little familiar. Bristol seems to a breeding ground for pulled pork and American style dining/menus at the moment! All in all a great place and an incredible turn around from its former self. They should be proud and I can see them doing it well. It was busy enough when we were there, so it looks promising!

Sat with my friends having a few dark and stormy cocktails. Listening to blues music and watching…read morethe world go by on Gloucester road. This place is awesome and their food menu looks great, although I haven't eaten here - yet, but I will, soon!

If it's a classic "old man" pub you're looking for, look no further than The Shakespeare. It has it…read moreall: a weekly pub quiz, a top-notch Sunday roast, classic unfussy daily pub menu, big comfy tables and chairs, and staff who are pleased to have you there relaxing for as long as you like. It's mercifully free of students, generally, which is unexpected given it's in the student heartland of Redland. It's perhaps not cool enough for the under-25s, which leaves it nice and quiet for those in search of a simple pint in a classic British pub atmosphere.

Tucked away on a side street in Redland, the Shakespeare is a traditional pub popular with locals…read moreand students alike. I've been here a couple of times for a pub quiz, which is always good quality and good fun. They've got a range of good ales, like Butcombe and Marstons (it's a Marstons pub), and the pub is split up into two sections - the main room is to the left of the bar as you come in, and has many tables arranged, whilst the room to the right houses two pool tables and is more of a lounge room. There's traditional pub grub on offer - I had a steak and ale pie which was really tasty and under £7 which I thought was reasonable. It's got a good atmosphere and feels very homely and cosy. An ideal pub if you live in the local area.

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.

A lovely local pub with a large beer garden, good service and friendly staff. I've not eaten there…read morerecently but had a Christmas do there several years ago and it was really good and the favours were a decorative touch and included tasty sugared almonds.

After bookmarking this pub at Christmas I finally managed to visit this summer. We didn't sit in…read morethe fabulous beer garden and instead ate our Sunday roast lunch indoors. The decor is tasteful with muted colors and some wallpaper with classic wooden furniture. The plates of roast were well-balanced, but on the smaller side. My pork came with 2 roast spuds, green and red cabbage, corquette, mashed swede, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. If you don't like apple sauce tell them as it comes already plated. Our plates barely had any gravy on, but a small gravy boat was brought on request as were the horseradish and mint sauce.

Soulless circular pub with central bar. Little chance of generating an atmosphere unless it's a big…read moregame day, due to the large open space. Not really the best layout for a neighbourhood pub, as there's lots of square-footage but no imaginative use of it. Handy for the Orpheus cinema, but otherwise you're better off walking to the Cambridge Arms, round the corner.

Westbury Park Tavern was the perfect place for me to go when I'd have enough of barging through…read moreswarms of fellow students to get a drink at the bar. It is a fairly up-market place but the prices don't mimic this- even the food is really cheap. They do great onion rings but also have a restaurant menu for lunch and dinner time dishes. Free wifi is an added bonus. Another positive point is the amount of space in the pub-inside and out. I think the Westbury Park Tavern is the best place to go on a sunny summer afternoon.

The Vittoria can be found along the stretch of trendy-looking bars on Whiteladies Road, but it's…read morenot quite like the others. The pub is popular with the locals, features guest ales and is pretty small so draws a completely different crowd to the others here. If you're a rugby fan, visit this pub as they show rugby before football and if you just want a decent pint and none of the trashy dance music you'll get with other bars in this area, The Vittoria is a great place to come out.

One of the oft-titled 'trendy' Whiteladies' Road's few traditional pubs, the Vittoria has recently…read morerepainted its facade from an unassuming burgundy to bright red. Before you accuse a drinking stalwart of trying too hard to keep up with the times, the colour change luckily hasn't affected the atmosphere within. The Vittoria remains as unpretentious, laid-back and characterful as it was was before. There's a wide selection of drinks, a faithful crowd of regulars and entertainment most nights of the week ranging from a quiz (with free curry doled out while the answers are checked) to steak or sausage tasting nights. Undoubtedly ne of the best places on Whiteladies for a quiet (especially weeknight) drink.

Wow! I went to The Grace for lunch with 3 other yelpers, and it was one of the best meals/lunches…read moreI've had for a while. If you haven't heard of The Grace, then it is what used to be The Robin Hood on Gloucester Road. It was taken over by the guys that own Zazu's Kitchen and The Greenbank in Easton - so it has extremely good credentials. The place looks and feels very similar to its former days as the Robin Hood, but has been spruced up and feels really nice and welcoming. Personally I'd try and give it a bit more personality, maybe some statement art work or colour on the walls - but it works fine as it is. They have one of best, hidden gardens of any pub/restaurant in Bristol and I will definitely making more use of it during the summer. Right, onto the food - amazing! Seriously, this is some of the best food I've had in a long time. Between the 4 of us we ordered 8 or 9 of the small plate dishes and everyone one of them was a triumph. The menu is seasonal and understated and I found it quite difficult to chose from. the dishes are brought brought to the table looking like something from Masterchef, it's a real treat and got me really excited. Stand out dishes were the Venison and the ham hock with clementines. We also had a Parsnip dish which was just beautiful, I struggle to imagine that anyone has ever made parsnips look or taste better. I'll be back to The Grace really soon and can't wait for their spring menu change (which I'm assuming they will do) This is definitely one of the the best small plate restaurants in Bristol, and I think you'd have to travel far to do much better.

Enjoyed a lovely warming glass of mulled wine in here this weekend…read more Good drink and nice atmosphere - Makes a perfect pit-stop when doing some Gloucester Road Christmas Shopping. Although I didn't eat this visit, the small plates menu on the blackboard looked very promising - a 'tapas style ' menu that had a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern feel. (Think, 'foodie food' in a grown-up bar/restaurant) I have earmarked it as a definite place to come back and visit for food. The restaurant itself has undergone a facelift recently. The decor is lighter and more open these days, while still maintaining the period old features that give this place character and charm, like the fireplace, the dark wooden bar and the gorgeous windows. I was sad to say goodbye the former restaurant in this spot - The Robin Hoods Retreat. However, from my first impression, I can imagine that I will thoroughly enjoy The Grace.

I have to give Jersey Lily a good score because it provided me with one of the best night's I've…read morehad out in Bristol. On the face of it, the other reviewers are right; it's a bit of an old man's pub. But once inside what you'll find is reasonably priced drinks and a great team of bar staff. We only came in for a few after work Friday drinks and ended staying up until closing time. Would I have had such a good time if it weren't for the fab bunch I was with? Possibly not, but Jersey Lily was a great location for a great night. I've been back since and had a pleasant time, and I'd say that this pub in Clifton Village will always give you a reliably pleasant time.

Clifton's got quite a few pubs like this. Fairly traditional, fairly expensive, and with a pretty…read moregood (but remember it's expensive) food. This one isn't overly fantastic, though certainly not too shabby. It's located near to the top of Whiteladies, so unless you're lucky enough to live by the Downs there's a bit climb to get here. If you make the effort you should arrive at a middlingly full pub most of the time. They don't have to many students this far up (unlike further down the hill where most places are utterly heaving with them), which means you do get a fairly quiet drink here. The focus is on real ales, making a quiet Saturday afternoon is probably what this place is best for. The food side of things is done to a pretty well and I'm sure a Sunday roast here would be lovely. Not a bad pub at all, in my opinion. Just a bit expensive for my tastes and not that lively.

Used the pub back in the 60s and 70s when Joe was the landlord…read moreWe had a sing song with some music in the side room every weekend a lot of the clan would have passed on by now RIP,it brings back some happy times,i have moved around a lot since then,now retired in Cornwall

The Beaufort, hidden away on York Street in Montpelier, is a bit of an old man's pub. I quite like…read morethat vibe, though. It's the kind of place you can go with a few friends and have a quiet pint and a chat, if you want a bit of peace away from the hoards of trendy types frequenting nearby venues such as the Canteen or Pipe and Slippers. They serve the usual range of lagers, ciders and ales here, for around average prices. The inside is pretty old-fashioned looking, but that just adds to the charm of the place, in my opinion.