The Kings Arms, Bristol

Front of the pub has been disfigured by a wood and plastic tent – I wonder if that’s permanent and needs planning regs? Anyway, someone (who I presumed to be the landlord) was outside on a ladder fiddling with it. The place is surprisingly spacious over three quasi-rooms and has been modernised in a less-than-alluring manner. The bar is a strange little curved counter. There’s no ale here that I could spot. I stood around for five minutes, got no service...and left.

A fair sized pub just off the main A369, this is a pleasant enough pub with plenty of decking out the front to sit and watch the world go by. It’s very much a pub of two halves, with a sports type bar at the front, and an all together more upmarket feel to the lounge at the rear. The front bar has a pool table, two very large plasma at either side, a juke box, a couple of fruit machines and a quiz machine. No real ales in evidence here either, presumably the clientele who frequent this part of the pub don’t drink it. The flooring appears to be wood laminate and there are various black and white photo’s of the old village on the walls, an old church pew and a few stools at the bar. The decking area at the front has some rather cheap long metal tables and chairs, which slightly spoils what is otherwise a pleasant spot. With a few LED uplighters, wood and iron railing around the perimeter and large umbrellas with infra-red heaters, they’ve clearly spent a bit of money here. There is also a small patio area at the rear with just a couple of benches. The rear bar has a flagstone floor, and this leads in to another wood panelled, carpeted room which feels a bit like an old hotel drawing room with an old fireplace, big gilded mirror and paintings on the wall. Quite a contrast to the main bar at the front. We didn’t eat on this occasion, but spotted a small specials board which had some interesting looking dishes at reasonable prices. Beers on tap were Courage Best, Butcombe Blond and Butcombe Mendip Spring, and these were all dispensed from barrels racked up behind the bar. Ciders were well represented with four all from Thatcher’s – Cheddar Valley, Dry, Gold and Traditional.