For my birthday I was given the gift that kept on giving - a bottle of Lola perfume that came with…read morea free 'Lola inspired' cocktail at Harvey Nichols' Second Floor Bar. I don't know whether it was because I was expecting to drink alongside the hoi polloi of Bristol, or because the bar brandishes the Harvey Nicks name, but I was overwhelmed by how un-special it felt. It's got all the right ingredients - sexy low lighting, a fully stocked and extensive bar and happy, helpful staff. But something about the place felt really ordinary. Maybe it was the cheesy Radio 1-like soundtrack playing in the background? Or how uncomfortably empty the already tiny bar was? Or maybe it's just because I was expecting too much of a small cocktail bar? Despite the somewhat stilted the surroundings were it was definitely the drinks that stole the show. My Lola cocktail was as seductive as the perfume itself: sweet and full bodied and yummy as anything. But if you're looking for a more butch beverage I'd recommend the Brunel Mojito - although there's plenty to choose from. At £9 - £10 a cocktail I'd think twice about going back again, but I won't forget how much I enjoyed my drinks any time soon.

Although it looks very much it from the outside this is not a pub but in fact a wine bar. The main…read moredifference is they have a slightly larger wine list and a wine cellar downstairs. Probably a few less students and old men as well. It's got a prime Clifton village location, and many a time has there been when I've trudged past to go to work and jealously looked in on the drinkers. It's a treat when I do get to go. Just the right side of sophisticated, without being a bit too ridiculous and Cliftonish. I prefer it in the basement, where you're not on display to people like me walking past (if you're a bit of a poser this would probably be the place to do it). Down here you can drain a bottle of wine without being too aware of the time (and thus not feel quite so guilty about how long you've stayed there). It's certainly not bad up the top though and you'll be sure to have an enjoyable evening at The Quadrant whether you're upstairs or down.

On the corner of the main drag of Clifton Village, the quadrant is a small wine bar. I quite like…read morethe feel of the place, as it never seems to be too crowded, the atmosphere is just the right tone of upmarket drinking establishment, and the wine cellar beneath the top bar is a cosy place to get to the bottom of a few bottles of wine. Though that might set you back a bit, they do wines (and champagne) by the glass, ranging from £3.50 upwards. They've got a variety of bar snacks, including pizzas, which are good value at £5.50, but I would advise the Nachos, which are surprisingly filling and really good quality. Although the service was a bit slow (our order was misplaced), it was well worth it in the end. The aforementioned cosyness takes on another level in the evenings, upstairs as well, so I reckon the best time to give it a try would be an after work drink on a weekday evening, when you won't run the risk of it being too busy, but you'll get to see the evening atmosphere. The regular wine tasting evenings also provide good value, from £10 a head (sometimes including food), so give it a go for some new found drinking knowledge.

What a lovely old style cute and cosy pub in the gorgeous setting of Nunney. The decor is lovely,…read morecosey and the warming fire was very welcoming. The staff were also friendly. I ordered a pie and chips. The food was good but I was a little bit disappointed in the pie.

Good meal and ambiance. The service staff was very friendly and helpful. Would recommend.read more

The staff and maître D try very hard here to elevate the Mint Room. Almost too hard…read more Drinks and food are good but you pay Clifton prices.

From the owner: The Mint Room is a high-end Indian restaurant in Clifton, Bristol…read more It has a full cocktail bar and the Jacquart Champagne lounge where a good selection of light bites and snacks are available...

Went to Browns Bath today after some morning shopping for lunch and drinks and the atmosphere and…read morefood were fantastic. The staff were incredibly friendly and we were not left waiting long before our waitress came to take all of our orders, said hello and made us feel welcome. It was busy with the festive period but that just added to the atmosphere and everyone seemed in amazing spirits. I had the festive Bellini cocktail and the glazed pork belly for my main which was incredible! I highly recommend!

Where ever my wife and I go we visit a Browns if there is one. we took our family to Cardiff to…read morecelebrate our grandsons 18th birthday, ordered cocktails one of which was for our grandson his first alcoholic drink he could legally have in a public bar. The drink arrived in a pleasant looking tall tumbler that my grandson liked, I then went to the bar and mentioned it was my grandsons 18th birthday and asked could I buy the glass or put a donation in a charity box if they had one as he liked it and would like it as a souvenir the lady said she would ask the manager, promptly returning saying no we couldn't buy it. What ever the reason don't worry Browns about loosing a glass you have now lost our business and was considering booking a table for the six of us later in the week but we will never visit again on principle

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.

Mill Lane, or the 'Cafe Quarter' as Cardiff seems to slowly be rebranding the area, is full of bars…read moreand restaurants (very few cafes, actually). This is the kind of place that will become packed any day after work when the sun is shining. Each place has tables and chairs on the pavement in a very European-feeling setting with trees and waiters and glasses of rose wine dotted about. Mocka Lounge is one of these places, and, very much in its favour, is one of the few places that remains a happening and well visited place during the entire day and not just coming alive in the evening like many of the others. This is a great place for a sophisticated drink and bite to eat at lunch time and late afternoon, and then stay sitting and watch the nightlife awaken around you as the sun goes down. One of the most attractive and friendly places along Mill Lane, this place is certainly worth checking out. Lovely.

I was all geared up to hate this place. I don't enjoy Mill Lane, the pretentiousness and the prices…read morerub me up the wrong way. Walking in to Snow Patrol on the stereo wasn't a great start to this visit either. But upon sitting down I found myself warming to the place. The service was excellent, prompt and professional, the black and red décor very much to my liking and the bottle of house red (which comes in at £14 a bottle) was light and fruity and highly quaffable. So much so that I found myself able to ignore The Black Eyed Peas that has dripping out of the speakers . We ordered the steak (8oz Sirloin = £14) from the surprisingly small menu. During the time it was being prepared I flicked through the drinks list. And then it became clear. Food for Mocka is a lunchtime slash early evening fixation (the kitchen closes at 8.30pm) with the main focus of the business on cocktails. Indeed rather than focus of how say much a double spirit and mixer is, such as the drinks lists in Wetherspoon's do, Mocka do things by the bottle. With a bottle of Grey Goose setting you back £90 and a list entitled "Cognac & Cigars", they're clearly going for a classy clientele or those on a total paycheck blowout. The steaks arrived and were divine. They were seasoned perfectly, the chips were super thick, the mushroom was buttery and meaty, while the peppercorn sauce was creamy with a delicious kick to it. My girlfriend reckoned it was the best steak she'd had in Cardiff. We opted to share a chocolate fondue for dessert. And while the chocolate was slightly sour, it strangely worked with the array of fruit, waffle and brownies we had to dunk with. A quick cocktail (from £5.80) was ordered to finish off what had been a fabulous evening. Highly recommended, if you've just been paid.

I've had some good times here, but sadly, I think Rococo's Glory Days are behind it now…read more The staff here used to broadcast classic movies like Pulp Fiction from a projector onto its back wall, serving as an unusual and welcomed backdrop to an evening of cocktail-sipping and trash talking. But there's little to distinguish it now from the surrounding city centre bars. Most of the times I've been in here, the men outnumber the women four to one, quite possibly because Rococo offers easy access to the Fantasy Lounge, which is located right next door. The bartenders at Rococo do, however, mix a mean drink, which could make up for the lack of atmosphere. One of my all-time favourites is the "Dirty Little Rococo" which is a cocktail of crushed berries and vodka served in a tall glass. Dangerous and delicious - exactly what I want in a cocktail.

Rococo is an independently owned cocktail bar that is awash in 70's decor. With all the colours…read moreunder the rainbow slapped on the wall you wouldn't be shouted at for checking what exactly has been put in your drink. The drinks are fairly expensive in here but you do get better quality liquors etc being used so that's fair enough. Your pretty much going to find young professionals and office types in here, probably not great for the atmosphere then. It's all a bit too poser-y in here as the peacocks strut around with their feathers up looking for a female partner. Unfortunately, because a s a venue it looks lovely and is great it's independently owned, just a shame about the crowd.

I love the confused look on my friends' faces when I take them to Hyde & Co. They have probably…read morenever heard of it, despite having walked only yards away from its front door many times. And when we get near, it's up a few stairs then down some more, ring the doorbell, be assessed by the dapper barman for suitability, and then be allowed into this terrific bar. That's when their faces turn from confusion to delight, as Hyde & Co feels like a secret bar that only you know about. You have to go there to believe it, and even then you barely believe that you are sitting in a bar so special and so different, but so near to the more traditional modern day nocturnal happenings of Bristol. Hyde & Co easily deserves five stars, but unfortunately when a group of friends and I came to leave the bar after celebrating my birthday last night, we were handed a bill with four expensive cocktails on that we had not ordered. Despite protestation, the barman would just not budge, and a stand-off ensued (quite apt in what has been described as a speakeasy). After what seemed like an interminable time, the £27 was finally dropped, but it left a bitter taste after what had previously been a typically wonderfully evening.

Set against the backdrop of Hyde & Co's faultless 1920's décor people are provided with the perfect…read moreenvironment and sublime cocktails of Bristol's new speakeasy. Hyde & Co is a beautiful bar that serves expertly made drinks and provides a truly wonderful and unique experience for anyone looking for more from their venues. The attention to detail is exquisite, from the authentic 1920s New York cocktails to the fixtures and fittings. The staff are lovely and welcoming, which is a real treat on a Friday night. We actually met new and interesting people as well as having some fantastic conversations with the large group we arrived with.

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!