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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 5th May 2024) with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Ship, Bristol
Portishead
Postal town: Bristol
BS20 8JT
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Ship
A recent revisit found an excellent Bass (NBSS 4) and a pleasant sunshine-filled view across the water. Vic’s now been 50 years at the helm and to celebrate there’s ceremonial arch appeared the entrance. It’s a brilliant place and I urge you all to sample it…
September 2021
Doom Bar is now a regular beer alongside Otter and Bass. I decided to try some and to my joy/horror it tasted rather good!. Not enough to get me off the Bass, but enough to marvel at Vic's magic cellaring skills. Got directed to the Portishead history section where pretty much every publication about the local area has been sourced and is available for perusing. This is a class pub, make sure you get here whilst Vic is in situ. Rated 8
December 2018
Ahh, a long-overdue re-review of this Portishead institution. Young Victor (who built the pub!) is still in situ after 45 years and still going strong; engaging, contrarian and master of all he surveys. Things remain as they ever were; the bar billiards table is immaculate, the place is spotless and the ales – Bass and Otter bitter – were in good shape. It’s a wonderful, idiosyncratic place, the type of which I have come to appreciate much more over the past few years. Make an effort to enjoy a real bit of local pub history here with a Bass in your hand. Excellent stuff. Rated 8
July 2012
Nothing much changes here, popped in earlier today and had very enjoyable pints of Butcombe Rare Breed and Otter Bitter; barrel Bass also still available. Pub closes in the afternoon. Dog-friendly. Packets of peanuts are huge and clearly sourced from a cash-and-carry, value. Vic still in residence which is good to see. Rated 7
June 2009/October 2011
A pub set in a posh area of the 'head which looks like it was put up sometime in the late 1960's. There's a well-tended garden out the front along with ample parking. The interior is fairly large and essentially decorated like your dear old Nan's lounge, which perhaps will put a few people off for being a bit 'safe' but I think it’s pleasant enough, it’s very clean and there are good views to be had over the Severn estuary. The predominant colours are magnolia and red wine. Three ales are usually available – Bass and Butcombe are regulars and Otter beer is often spotted - priced around £2.90-£3 and the quality is usually pretty good. There's also a decent selection of bottles - Thwaites Double Century and Abbot last time. I think there's a real cider but forgot to note it. The landlord, Vic, is good for some banter and the locals seem like a decent lot - classic gentrified old Bristolians. There's a well-maintained and well-used bar billiards table along with a dart board. If you venture onto the BB table you're likely to receive plenty of 'advice' from various quarters as to your play. Basic food is served. There's now a TV for sports (showing the darts on my visit yesterday). Basic food is offered in the evenings. It's worth a visit if in the general area I'd say - well done. Portishead certainly has improved beer-wise over the last few years. Rated 7
On 5th May 2024
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5117 recommendations about 5100 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Ship Inn
A good sized pub on the outskirts of Portishead, it has a somewhat unusual interior which Quinno ably sums up by saying it’s like your Nan’s lounge, even to the extent of having a slightly musty smell.
The left hand bar is a square room with red, velvet button bench seating around the perimeter, red velvet chairs and red tie-back curtains. One wall is covered in dark wood panelling, an old patterned carpet covers the floor and there are various nautically themed pictures about along with a collection of jugs on the window sill. There is a large picture window giving glimpses of views across the channel. A rectangular room off of this looked as though it may be more geared up for dining, although we didn’t investigate this. Topping off the 70’s feel behind the bar were those star-shaped day-glow signs like you get in the windows of tacky shops; one stuck to the Stella Cidré bottles proudly proclaimed “as seen on TV”!
Another bar off to the right was more geared up for sports with a bar billiards game, darts board, giant Jenga and a plasma screen, although oddly this was showing Countrywise rather than a sports channel. There is also some limited seating outside. It was very quiet on a recent Tuesday evening visit, both in terms of the number of punters and the general ambience; some background music wouldn’t have gone amiss.
Beers on tap were Young’s London Gold, Butcombe, Bass and Otter Ale. Ciders were Thather’s Dry and Thatcher’s Gold.
On 27th September 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1953 recommendations about 1866 pubs]