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Image posted by Ian Mapp
Submitted on Monday, 12th February 2024
With picture contributions to 1068 other pubs
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Detail Pages
Windmill Inn, Bristol
Portishead
Postal town: Bristol
BS20 6JZ
Served areas
The Windmill Inn
Get ready to soak up some Shakspeare this summer. We're kicking off the tour with The Taming of The Shrew - a four-… https://t.co/8SoJBOZF7Q
12:15 PM May 24th 2022 from Falcon Social Media Management
Reviews of Windmill Inn (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Ian Mapp left this review about Windmill Inn
Stumbled across this 2024 Good Beer Guide pub from the North Somerset Coast Path. At first, we thought it was a cafe (perfect) but became apparent on inspection, it was a grand Fullers House. Fortunately (for us) it was an early opener. Think it was just after 11am on a Saturday morning, when we burst across the threshold and was greeted by a friendly member of the team.
She did a fine job of adding carrot cake and a fine sausage sandwich to out coffee orders. Should I have been ready for a beer (or Mrs M allowing me), I noticed lots of London Pride hand pulls and Butcombe.
Two level terrace offering great views across the channel... shown in one of the uploaded photos, if accepted.
A very pleasant visit.
On 12th February 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Windmill Inn
Four ales on - Pride (NBSS 3), ESB, Oliver's and a guest in Butcombe Original (obviously!). I retired to the very impressive tiered terraced beer garden with sea views, first time out here and I have to admit it’s impressive and probably justifies and extra half mark. If I hadn’t had other things to do I would have probably chugged a further pint of ESB in the same seat. 6.5
February 2019
Seems to have trundled down the road of gentle blandification and really is now mainly an eatery (unfortunately my food was awful – some idiot in the kitchen stir-fried the pasta!?!). A fistful of ales remain on the bar, and my Butcombe was at least in good shape. With the opening of new places over the last few years, this isn’t the default destination it was 10 years back. Rated 6
September 2015
First visit since the freehold was acquired by Fullers. Very light-touch so far, only visual change is a tasteful non-corporate glass window proclaiming the new brewery. Ales have started to switch to Fullers. Five on; three Fullers and two guests – the perennial Butcombe Bitter (exceptionally good) and Moles Mole Catcher (fair). Thatchers cider still available. Ate here and the food was remarkably decent across the eight dishes. So not bad at all, really. Rated 7
July 2012
A quick revisit today, five ales on (Courage Best, Bass, Butcombe Gold, two from Cotswold Spring brewery). Another extension has been built and this is clearly a thriving business, there were a good 40-odd people in mid-afternoon. Ale around £3pp, cheaper than you'd expect. Worth stopping off for, especially for the channel views on a nice day. Dogs allowed in the bar. Rated 7
November 2009
Was a poor pub when known as the Hole in One - a classic case of much potential unfulfilled. However, potential is now being fulfilled. A large amount of investment has resulted in an expanded, modern building with wonderful views over the Channel towards Wales. A new conservatory has been built recently, to cash in on the Marina crowd no doubt. My quibbles with the overhaul is that you can no longer drink in the old windmill itself, which had a lot of character; also that the pub is a lot less drinker-friendly than previous. There’s a very good range of six ales in top condition (usually a couple of guest ales on often from the same brewery), along with some real ciders. The emphasis on dining is a bit mixed as it looks a bit on the expensive side for what actually turns up. Clientèle are mixed, but mostly white, middle-class younger locals, with some older aleheads in residence. Service is usually polite and prompt. Still a sound choice for a beer, though it's noticeable that other pubs in Portishead are beginning to catch up now. Rated 8
On 1st September 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Windmill Inn
An extensive, split level pub with fantastic views across the channel, it gives the impression of being part of a large corporate chain but is in fact privately owned which makes a pleasant change. It’s had a recent makeover which besides giving it a bit of a spruce up has relocated the bar to just inside the entrance.
As you walk in the front of the pub, you’re actually on an intermediate floor, with further levels up a few steps as well as down. This is the only part of the pub that really seems designed to entice drinkers, with a couple of small tables and a few sofas. The bar is surprisingly small given the size of the pub, but there is a separate food order point which perhaps gives a clue as to where it’s priorities lie. The flooring is here is a polished wood. Elsewhere in the pub this gives way to carpeted areas as you get in to the dining areas. Paintwork is a mixture of chocolate brown, maroon and peach and there are a few arty black and white photo’s dotted around as well as some friezes showing various sailing boats. There’s a good selection of seating, with many of the chairs being comfy leather affairs.
The best feature of the pub in many ways is the newly installed floor to ceiling windows covering the whole of the back wall and giving a 270° panoramic view of the channel and adjacent golf course. Beyond this are two levels of terraced decking giving further opportunities to enjoy the views in the warmer weather.
Food features prominently here, and virtually all punters were eating on a recent Tuesday evening visit. The menu is extensive and is complimented by another dozen or so dishes chalked up on to a specials board. In reality though, it was a bit of a mixed bag. Portion sizes were undoubtedly generous, but the dishes gave the impression of being mass produced, and the accompanying veg was bland and disappointing. With most of the main courses being in the £8-£10 range I had hoped for a little more, but then if you’ve got a particularly hearty appetite you may consider it good value. There’s a meal deal if you order before 7:00pm during the week where you get a free pudding, but my Strawberry Cheesecake was clearly out of a packet and I would have felt somewhat aggrieved if I had been paying for it.
Surprisingly for somewhere so food led, there was a good choice of beers on tap with Butcombe, Butcombe Gold, Courage and Bass being the regulars and joined on this occasion by RCH Firey Liz and Festival Pride from Cheltenham. Ciders were Ashton Press, Blackthorn and Thatcher’s Traditional.
On 27th September 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
View more reviews of Windmill Inn (4)
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- Official site of the WIndmill Inn, contains menus, real ale details and wine list - www.thewindmillinn.org
- Facebook - The Windmill Inn
- Twitter - The Windmill Inn
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Windmill Inn - whatpub.com
Shirehampton, 6.76 miles, 2 hr 10 min walk (show)
St Andrews Road, 7.58 miles, 2 hr 26 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Car Park : Yes last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : Yes - Front bar only - last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Function Room : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 01 September 2015 by Quinno _
- Wheelchair Access : Yes - "Restricted" - last updated 02 April 2016 by Jonathan Wilde
- WiFi : Yes last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
