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Detail Pages
Bonapartes, Bristol
Bristol
BS1 6QQ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Bonapartes
Bonapartes is situated on Temple Meads station but you can only go in it when through the barriers to the station.
Once inside there is a large oblong shaped room with the bar on the right side,the room looks quite grand and has a high ceiling.
There are leater settees to the rear and tall tables and chairs in the middle area,the front area has normal tables and chairs.
There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Butcombe bitter which went down very well,the other beers were Doom Bar and GK Abbot.
This is a very pleasant station bar to have drink in while waiting for a train like i did.
Pub visited 2/4/2016
On 15th May 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Bonapartes
The interior has a certain Art Deco style here and there. In contrast to this was a high Tudor timber frame ceiling and sandstone walls. The pub wasn't over busy on our visit and so gave it a relaxed atmosphere before the train. It was also good to see they had four pumps, the Butcombe Crimson King was very good.
On 20th November 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about Bonapartes
Strange that you can only access this pub from the platform.Rather liked the style with large original stone windows.Very church like with high ceilings.Not very busy.Three cask beers on and reluctantly tried Butcombe -crimson king which was good.The first album I ever bought was by King Crimson but has nothing to do with this review.Pub lacks atmosphere.
On 16th November 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Bonapartes
+++UPDATE+++
Found myself in here again the other day with a few minutes to kill. Beer prices have gone up, £3.90 for a pint of Butcombe Rare Breed which in fairness was top-drawer. There are now departure screens above the bar; however they are so small and highly-mounted as to be useless unless you are stood at the bar itself. Sigh.
Score up by one as so far the ales have been remarkably well-adjusted.
May 2012
Bonapartes is located on platform 3 of Temple Meads station and is not accessible unless you have gone through the barriers (it’s on the left as you go through). Like the rest of Brunel’s masterpiece this is a striking, attractive building. The interior has an incredibly high ceiling and the original stone walls are on display, which make for a chilly experience six months of the year. There are a number of sofas alongside standard chair and table combos. I was particularly taken by the light fittings (Deco??). Irritatingly there are no train departure screens inside and the only clock is a ‘statement’ piece, which is stopped at 6:56 (ie 1856, when BTM was opened), so don’t fall into that trap when waiting for an evening train. There were a couple of TV screens, one of which was showing the rugby, so it isn’t for want of planning permission to get departure boards erected. Ale-wise, I pleased to see four – three from Butcombe and the parasitic GK IPA. I went for the Butcombe Porter which was in pretty good shape, if rather cold. Whilst the prices are prominently displayed on the board above the bar (‘ale’ has its own price) the Porter was rung through as Guinness (more expensive, surprise surprise) though I was assured that it was the correct procedure. Hmm. Anyway it wasn’t cheap (£3.60pp and well over half that for a half pint) but it is a station outlet and I have read elsewhere that holders of a BITE card get a significant discount.
You could do worse but there’s much room for improvement by doing some simple things.
On 23rd November 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5107 recommendations about 5090 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Bonapartes
I only tend to visit railway station bars out of necessity as I'm sure most do, whether to use the facilities (this station bar actually has toilets) or kill time before a train. The building itself is attractive and interesting with a double storey height interior, built in local stone and having an attractive feature ceiling. Two rows of large art-deco chandeliers add further interest. The bar runs along the wall opposite the entrances and actually has four handpumps, three from Butcombe, Bitter, Gold and Rare Breed plus GK IPA, reverse clipped. The beer was in good shape and a full measure too. Cask Marque accredited. I noticed a fridge containing cans and bottles which must be a good option for those wanting a carry out for the train as prices are cheaper than on board.
The seating arrangements are pretty basic with a collection of tables crammed in one end and a few sofas down the other. there are a couple of shelves with stools too. Standard basic food menu including breakfasts.
Little in the way of decor, a handful of potted ferns perhaps, additionally there are a couple of fruit machines and a rack of papers and magazines for sale by the platform end wall.
TVs each end were muted showing BBC News.
You get what you expect with these places however the beer range was better than many station bars and at least the building has some interest. The layout and the way it is used could be a lot better though and please put a departures board in, I was up and down like a yo-yo.
On 6th June 2012
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Bonapartes
As Blackthorn says,only accessible if you can pass through the ticket barrier at Temple Meads,but with interesting features,an elegant curved bar,high vaulted ceiling and large stone framed windows .Various stickers around the window suggest it was formerly a WHSmith's but the two handpumps still only serving GK IPA and Butcombe Bitter ,a rather dull selection.By definition, a transient clientele .
On 15th October 2011
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2737 recommendations about 2737 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Bonapartes
This is not really a pub in the strictest sense of the word as it is only accessible from the platform at Temple Meads station. Thus you cannot just wander in off the street and buy a pint. It’s a high ceiling, single room affair with much exposed stonework and some wood panelling reminiscent of a stately home drawing room. There are also good sized windows, a tiled floor and some outside seating on the station platform.
The front half is filled with tables and chairs, and the rear half has a number of low leather sofa’s. There were a few fruit machines around and a plasma up on the wall, although the volume was turned off. In keeping with it’s location, there was a rack of magazines for sale, a large coffee machine behind the bar and various snacks on the bar counter. The menu was extensive, but looked to be your typical pub-chain mass produced offering. It was divided in to several sections such as salads, ciabattas, pizza’s, mains, etc. Prices looked reasonable and a few dishes were available as part of a 2 for £7.99 deal.
There were two large clocks built in to the wall at either end of the bar. One had presumably broken at one point, but rather than fix it they had set the time to 18:56 and stuck up a notice saying that it was commemorating the year the station opened! Saves paying to get it fixed I suppose.
A large notice outside enticed you to come and try their range of world beers, however these were all lagers other than John Smith’s Extra Smooth. However, they did have Butcombe and Greene King IPA on tap which is more than might be expected from such an establishment. The solitary cider was Strongbow, though. Why on earth the main rail terminus in a city that is generally known as the cider capital of the world couldn’t showcase a few local offerings is beyond me.
On 25th May 2011
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1951 recommendations about 1864 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Bonapartes
Cafe bar on the platform at Temple Meads station. OK, if you happen to want a cool lager on a hot afternoon and can get a seat at one of the outside tables.
On 10th September 2006
- rating: 5
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]