Seven Stars, Bristol

Situated just off Victoria Street ( the main road that runs into the City Centre from Temple Meads Station ) , in an area of many office developments is The Seven Stars, a pub that the current CAMRA Good Beer Guide describes as “one of Bristol’s premier real ale venues”. As we approach the pub, we see on the wall a banner proclaiming the pub as “CAMRA Pub of the Year Winner 2010 – Bristol and District” and also an old Ushers of Trowbridge sign. Outside the entrance we see a very noticeable “Cry Freedom, Cry Seven Stars” plaque and we learn of the role this pub played in the abolition of slavery. Back in 1787, one Thomas Clarkson used this pub as his headquarters where he met sailors to gain evidence of cruelty against sailors and African slaves by slave traders. Inside is a bare boarded single bar pub with a rather Spartan feel to it. In one corner is a dartboard and a snooker table. Despite a lowish ceiling and darkened beams, it’s a rather characterless and featureless interior. On my recent lunchtime visit, 7 beers were on- Dark Star Hophead and Espresso, 2 beers from Plain Ales, plus 1 beer from each of Moors Beers, Arbor Ales and Church End. Both ales sampled by me – Arbor Ales Brigstow and Plain Ales Innocence were in excellent condition. The friendly barman mentioned that there was a discount for CAMRA members and, although I was unable to produce my card, he was happy to split the difference as a goodwill gesture. The pub is listed in the 2011 CAMRA Good Beer Guide and has a beer festival on the first Monday of every month. This pub is well worth making the effort to find

visited last night for a quick one and ended up going back later and had far too many, 8 hand pumps with Berrow Topsy Turvey, Yeovil Spring Forward, Stonehenge Sign of Spring, Plain Innspiration, one from Jollyboat, Arbor Hornbeam and Teignworthy reel Ale. This pub has just received Bristol CAMRA's pub of the year award and I can see why. Beers were all great. No food here mind

This is a relatively small L-shaped pub which can get packed, particularly when there's a popular gig on at the Fleece next door. A pool table at the back wastes a lot of space. This is a basic no-frills boozer, but none the worse for that. I was struggling to get to the bar, and squeezed in between two Camra types having a very animated discussion of the various beers they were sampling. One was on the second pint of his 9% Russian Stoat and kindly offered me some to try! The beers that I noted were Bath Ales Dark Hare, Nailsworth Mayor's Bitter, Ha'penny Ale, Wessex Russian Stout, Sharp's Abolition, Otter Head and Tudor Sugar Loaf. I think that was the lot, apologies if I missed any. After that lot, the ciders were slightly dissapointing - Thatcher's Gold, Symonds Founders Reserve and Blackthorn. After such a good variety of beers it seems a bit odd to have three broadly similar ciders, and not a "proper" one amongst them.

No surprise really that this is the local CAMRA branch pub of the year. 8 ales on hand pump, another three on gravity out the back along with an offering of Ciders and Perrys. Mainly regional and Micro brewery ales on which included Budding from the Stroud Brewery, Vale Ale and Cotswold Spa Old English Rose and Apricot Ale. The couple I tried were very well kept, but I think I will be sticking to brews that don’t have real fruit as ingredients in the future. Yes the decor is basic but this is a no frills pub aligned to drinking and social conversation. And I was lucky enough to visit during an afternoon session of one of their acoustic weekends, so got good entertainment thrown in as well.