The Elmer's Arms, Old Market, Bristol

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Blackthorn _ left this review about The Elmer's Arms

A new opening on the popular Old Market strip, this has operated as various different bars over the years before being turned in to a taxi office, so it’s great to see it now back as a pub. Now named after the new landlord, it’s a small, single roomed pub with a fairly basic style of décor.

Flooring is predominantly wood strip, with some coloured tiling around the bar counter at the rear. There is exposed brickwork all down the right hand side with a mixture of pale blue and cream painted plasterwork to the left. A few wooden tables had been pushed up against the wall on our visit, leaving a largely open space in the bulk of the pub. A small stage area at the front of the pub had a band doing a sound check on our recent early evening visit, and from the short samples that they did they sounded pretty good, if ear splittingly loud.

Unfortunately there were no real ales on tap, but there were a good selection of craft beer options served from taps on the back wall, predominantly from local micros. On this occasion, they included Lost & Grounded’s Running with Sceptres, Moor’s Claudia and Zero, Croft Ales Black Book and Beast along with Pauliner Hefe and Lervig Happy Juice which are obviously from slightly further afield. The solitary cider listed was Bristol Beer Factory’s North Street, although it looked as though there may also have been a box of something on the end of the bar. Overall this is a bit more basic and minimalist than the sort of pub I normally go for, but the landlord was really friendly, apologising about the noise as we left and I actually really liked it.

On 2^nd September 2018 - rating: 7
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