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The Hole in the Wall

3.2 (27 reviews)
ModerateBritish, Pubs
Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

The Hole in the Wall Photos

THE HOLE IN THE WALL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Classy
Good for groups
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - The Hole in the Wall

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Daria K.

We were very hungry. In a shortcut: if we could turn back time we would spend another 20min being hungry to find a better place. Have a look at the total counting: We liked: Gluten free beer - awesome. Peppered sauce - really good. Emma's service was great even she was new here (polite and kind). We didn't like: Dessert came before the main course. Lack of professional service - the waitress didn't even say sorry for bringing the dessert before mains. Haddock cakes were mainly made of potatoes and some onions. I couldn't taste the fish there :/ we sent it away and exchange for chicken. Fish cakes should come with spinach, but actually it was just a decoration. Long waiting time - if you're hungry and count on getting your food fast, forget it. The steak was supposed to be medium but it came medium rare - we left it cuz one of us was a fan of med rare meat. Same creme brûlée was exactly the same which we received one hour before by a mistake - it was obviously visible and confirmed by a waitress.

From their website
Henry N.

The Hole in the Wall is the large pub just off of Queen Square which sits on the roundabout opposite Severnshed and the River Station. The most notable thing about it is the large seated area out the front, though as this looks out onto a roundabout and a road, there are better outdoor options in the near vicinity offering views of the docks. It's always looked a tad rundown to me, though it's worth noting that it's had a makeover fairly recently and is rather smart inside. The large interior now has a smooth wooden finish with plenty of seating, from high stalls near the bar for after work pinters to larger, lower tables for foodies. And foodies is what they look to attract now, with an extensive menu of pub classics on offer all day (though I haven't eaten here for quite some time). Not comfy enough to sit down for more than a pint or two without eating, this is more the sort of place you'd meet your family for a meal on a Sunday afternoon.

Will P.

Just off of Queens Sqaure, this fairly high end pub has a lovely lawn out the front where you can enjoy a pint or two on a sunny day. I don't think they call it themselves, but I would certainly call it a gastropub, with much of the crowd here coming primarily for the food. The menu is comprehensive, with all the pub staples as well as some dishes you don't see to often, such as venison steak. They've recently done up the inside, and it feels like they did it with a view to the food side of things. Lots of dining tables, rather than small round pub tables, make it feel like this is somewhere you should get something to eat. There's more of a drinkers environment outside, though. Reasonably priced, especially when you consider the slightly exclusive Severn Shed over the road. The Hole in the Wall balances between serving good food in a pleasing environment and being somewhere needlessly flashy and expensive quite well.

Lorna C.

The Hole in the Wall is modern pub on the edge of Queens Square. They do a good selection of beers and wine, and they serve typical British food. When I visited it was quite quiet and there didn't seem to be too much atmosphere (good or bad), however it was early evening so the pub may well get busier later on. For those heading to Thekla, this would make a good place to stop for pre-drinks as its not too expensive and there is enough room for your whole group to sit down and enjoy a couple of drinks. Unlike a lot of pubs in Bristol there was no leering old men in a dark corner. The place felt light and fresh but I did fell it lacked personality, but in all a pleasant place to spend an evening.

Bacon and cheese burger
Simon I.

Nice enough but not quite good enough for the price . This is basically jumped up pub food without the gastro finesse . Not a lot more to say about it really , it's ok if you just want something to eat but it will never be memorable in your mind

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Review Highlights - The Hole in the Wall

Joe the barman is something else.

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The Shakespeare Tavern

The Shakespeare Tavern

4.0(6 reviews)
0.2 mi
£

The Shakespeare Tavern is a proper boozer just off the centre of Bristol and just at the back of…read morethe waterfront. It couldn't be much more different to the other pubs/bars that it's close to. You can tell from the outside exactly what it'll be like inside; a traditional English, old mans pub. It is actually a really refreshing pub to go and hide away from the horribleness of the waterfront on a Friday or Saturday night. I went on Saturday night for the first time in well over a year. I'd been drinking wine with a meal before hand, so deiced to stick to that; £8 a bottle! Boom! Drinks wise you'll find your bog standard draught lagers, ciders and ales and the usual top shelf suspects. Nothing out of the ordinary here. Apart from a few of the punters - eeeek! Don't make eye contact! If they have eyes, that is! With pub going out of business left right and centre, I can't see this one any time soon. It's serves it's purpose well!

A perfect place for a pre gig drink if you are heading to the Thekla or the Louisiana. The…read moreShakespeare is set up some steps by the floating bridge so grab a window seat and it is a great place to watch the world go by. It's quite a small pub but for some baffling reason, despite it always seeming busy, I have never struggled to get a seat in here. As with most Bristol pubs they serve good local ciders but the best bit is the food. Pieminister, mash, peas and gravy is a must on a cold winter or autumnal day. And if that day is a Wednesday you get a free drink with said meal! Bargain. This is one of those pubs which makes you feel warm and lovely inside when the nights are cold, dark and long, less so in the summer but still well worth a pre-gig visit.

Photos
The Shakespeare Tavern
The Shakespeare Tavern
The Shakespeare Tavern

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The Old Duke

The Old Duke

4.0(40 reviews)
0.3 mi
£

This is such a lovely spot for a pub, and The Old Duke has been here for absolutely ages. They…read moreshare an outside courtyard with the Llandoger Trow opposite, and I found it so cute when I saw that they identified their pubs glasses by allocated paint spots at the bottom of the glasses. The Old Duke is a jazz pub, and they have so many nights on every week with different live acts. You get the feel of this immediately when you walk in, with all the posters and newspaper cuttings stuck to the walls. Unfortunately I've never managed to catch a live act here - I've seen them set up enough times though, but seem to have always had to rush off before the band starts! This pub is great to hang out, whether it is in the courtyard in the afternoon or sitting snugly inside at night.

This pub gets crowded, hot, and loud - but, with very good reason: everyone wants to be here…read more Located down on the waterfront just along from the Old Vic Theare, it's a classic old pub that has become legendary among jazz and live music fans. Named after Duke Ellington, the pub lives and breathes jazz music which is on offer every evening during the week and on Sunday lunchtimes. Take a trip here for the atmosphere; sit and gaze up at the ceiling papered with old concert posters, grab a drink from the extremely friendly bar staff, and hear some of the best toe-tapping blues and jazz around - free of charge. Crowds tend to spill out onto the cobbles of King Street during the interval, especially in the summer months. It's an absolute must-visit for any fan of jazz and old traditional pubs. You'll soon forget the fact that you're jammed shoulder-to-shoulder with a hundred other people all trying to get to the bar; the live music and atmosphere more than make up for that.

Photos
The Old Duke - Old Duke Bristol

Old Duke Bristol

The Old Duke - Jazzfest 2007 im Old Duke

Jazzfest 2007 im Old Duke

The Old Duke

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Highbury Vaults

Highbury Vaults

4.2(33 reviews)
0.9 mi
££

After a long, cold, wet day of walking the center of Bristol, I was in the hunt for a hearty, hot…read moremeal. I stopped in to the pub Highbury Vaults which boasted a surprising menu that included my favorite food, nachos. I ordered a drink and sat in the outdoor heated patio awaiting the order. The pub was exactly as you'd expect inside, stuffy and tight with a welcome mix of white haired older men mumbling and gripping to each other over a pint, Bristol Uni students laughing raucously, and gatherings of post grads deep in discussion with their advisers. True everyman pub fashion. The bowl of nachos was good! The slow braised beef was tender and flavorful, the salsa, sour cream, and cheese sauce all mixed well with the sturdy chips. And the portion was perfect for dinner. My only request would have been a separate bowl of chips so that an optimal ratio of toppings could have been achieved. Decent price, quick service, and charming atmosphere coming with good food to ensure if definitely come back and maybe try the pie next time.

The default drinking hole for students from the university, the Vaults are rather grotty, rather…read moredark and loud, but rather fun. I've never quite understood why it's so dark inside; perhaps it's to accommodate the flinching hangovers of students hiding out here after lectures. It's quite cramped and uncomfortable inside, but has the most brilliant covered back garden which more than makes up for the dingy interior. With loads of comfortable seating, it's a really great place for drinking outside in the warmer months. Large groups of students do tend to assemble out here for smokes and loud chats of the "oh my God, I was so drunk last night" variety, so steer clear if you don't like that kind of thing. On offer at the bar are some very cheap sandwiches which are friendly to the student wallet. All in all, it's pandering to the student clientele, but that's not surprising, and doesn't seem to have put off the older locals who still come here for a cheap pint in what is essentially a traditional pub.

Photos
Highbury Vaults - At about 10 one of the bar staff came round selling freshly made sausage rolls for £1.50 each - it was perfect!

At about 10 one of the bar staff came round selling freshly made sausage rolls for £1.50 each - it was perfect!

Highbury Vaults
Highbury Vaults - Bowl of nachos showing meat, salsa, sour cream, and chips.

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Bowl of nachos showing meat, salsa, sour cream, and chips.

The Hatchet Inn

The Hatchet Inn

3.5(33 reviews)
0.4 mi
££

THEY NEED TO UPDATE THEIR WEBSITE!! No food served as of APRIL 2019. I am giving them 2 stars…read morebecause having the wrong information on their website made our group of 4 massively HANGRY (you know, when you are Hungry + Angry?). I had stopped by the Hatchet Inn as part of our Blackbeard To Banksy -Ultimate Bristol Walking Tour, and beguiled by our Guide's story of it being the oldest pub in Bristol as well as the legend of Blackbeard and its original door being made of human skin, after a day of walking around Bristol, even tho' this pub was a good 15 mins away from our location, we walked back to it to get dinner..only to discover that they no longer served food! We'd gone to their website and it still listed a menu, and when I told the Bartendars that, they responded, yeah, that the website needed to be updated!!! Not a happy camper.... Yelp 159/ 2019

The 'atchet (or Hat Sh*t as it is also known, as of this weekend) is the only 'proper' music pub…read moreleft in Btown, since the Chavs came and bought all the decent pubs and turned them into Chinese Karaoke bars and R 'n' b style lounges. The horror. Basically this pub used to be the perfect before and after spot for anyone watching a gig at the Carling Academy (sorry, O2 Arena or Music Bowl...whatever the hell it is now), but really The Hatchet is so much more. I even saw Badly Drawn Boy do an acoustic set here after a show. Beautiful. Don't expect anyone to smile at you here; it's not that type of crowd. Just keep your head down, tell yourself you're cool enough to be in there, enjoy the music, get your pint of Guinness and sit at a table in the corner somewhere - oh and try not to make eye contact with the skinhead with the skeleton tattoo, you'll know who I mean. At least that's what I do. Seriously great pub though. Check out the DJ every weekend, if you really want to hear great music. Expect at least three Rage tunes a night, The Deftones, The Cure, The Cult...actually I'm going to stop listing bands. They just play the best music in town. Got it? Good.

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The Hatchet Inn - Taken from their website

Taken from their website

The Hatchet Inn
The Hatchet Inn

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The Woods - View from mezzanine

The Woods

3.3(26 reviews)
0.6 mi
££

The Woods can be found just off of Park Street and is the sister bar to Elbow Street just slightly…read moredown the way. If the Elbow Room was going through puberty, drunk and passed out on the floor, The Woods has grown up, got a job and developed a taste for whisky and fine wines. This late night drinking venue is a victim of its own success and is often packed to the rafters will drunken revellers and city boys. It is a little on the pricey side, but I always find it worth the money considering what the other, unholy options are. Head upstairs if you're looking for a more relaxing atmosphere with your beer.

Set slightly away from Park Street, you'll spot this bar by its distinctive yellow front. This is…read moresomething of a specialist bar with a focus on whisky. This means behind the bar you'll find rows and rows of (pricey) whisky on display to tempt you. The focus on whisky is taken pretty seriously; they don't even serve beer by the pint, you have to buy it by the jug. Apart from the prices there isn't much too complain about here. It opens late, and this is a great place for late night drinking session. The big comfy sofas upstairs should help with this too. It's very popular, which is a blessing and curse as always. I recommend going on a week night, as you've got half a chance of getting one of those sofas then but it certainly won't be quiet. Also, it's worth knowing there's sometimes a queue to get it at the weekend.

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The Woods - Downstairs seating

Downstairs seating

The Woods - Mezzanine

Mezzanine

The Woods - Full bar

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Full bar

The Hole in the Wall - british - Updated May 2026

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