The Bank Tavern, Bristol

As described below, this is a decent alehouse tucked away just off the shopping streets and hidden by The Lanes bowling alley. Basic food was on at a fair price, there was a family in with well-behaved children but otherwise it was solo drinkers. Ales on were 1846 Stout, Red 5, Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy, Wildwood and Natural’s Proper Drop. The ales were in very good condition, served with a smile. Craft beers were Stateside IPA and Neck Oil, predictably over-chilled and over-priced. I’d be very happy to come back in for a few beers, and it’s a good candidate for a crawl.

This is a small, compact city centre pub with a simple, single room interior. The room is bare boarded throughout with the servery running midway down the right hand wall. High stools serve drinking ledges to the front of the room, with banquette and chair seating covering much of the remaining perimeter space. The bar has a dark wood panelled counter, broken part-way along by a massive pillar, and a fairy-light strewn canopy topped with a collection of board games. The front part of the room includes a deer skull collection above the front door, a large banknote image of the Queen above what appears to be a former fireplace and a limited pump clip collection. To the rear there are more banquettes, a smart fireplace with dark wood surround and a few dusty books on top and a few more banknote images of the Queen. Lots of outdoor seating was available in the small square outside the pub, resulting in the typically London-based phenomena of having more customers outside than in on an evening visit. A huge St George’s flag was spread across the ceiling although there was no suggestion that sport is regularly screened here, and a hip music soundtrack played throughout my stay. On the bar, four hand pumps offered Butcombe Original and Rare Breed, Milk Street The Usual and Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout. I decided to have a pint of The Usual, served to me by a real cheery geezer-type of barman, and thought it was maybe a little past its best, if still very much drinkable. This place offers a very simple, uncomplicated drinking environment with some basic but comfortable seating, friendly staff and a decent selection of local ales. I liked the vibe in here although can imagine it would feel very different if all those people sat outside suddenly decided to pile into the pub, and would suggest it makes a solid addition to a crawl of this part of the city.

Solid traditional pub with decent beer and a friendly atmosphere. I have been in a couple of times in the last 5 years and nothing changes. Well worth a visit.