Cock & Tail, Bristol

A relatively recent opening on what was for many years The Velindra, along with a short lived spell as The Nook, the Velindra name is in fact still very prominent on the pub’s frontage, with the Cock & Tail being restricted to a fairly small sign above the door. The layout is much the same as my previous visit, with only the décor having changed slightly. The lower level had grey slate style tiling on the floor, with grey paintwork on the top half of the walls and grey wood panelling on the lower part. A couple of cow skin rugs were on the floor and the tables were in fact old metal suitcases with very low, industrial light shades over them. A couple of pot plants added a splash of colour, whilst the seating was a mixture of padded stools, fitted benches and chairs. A small brick fireplace with a wood burning stove was off to the right, although this did look as though it were perhaps decorative rather than functional. Up a few steps to the rear section brings you to the bar counter as well as an extensive DJ rig, suggesting that music features prominently on occasions, and even on our Sunday afternoon visit, the background dance music was slightly, though not unreasonably, louder than might have been expected. Next to this was a set of traffic lights that had been converted to disco lights, and an unusual silver mannequin who’s head had been replaced with a glitter ball. A slightly comfier lounge at the rear had a number of vinyl records fixed to the wall which made an interesting feature. Unfortunately there were no real ales on tap, or indeed much in the way of any beer from what I could see, with at most one keg option, if that. Ciders fared slightly better though, with Mortimer’s Orchard and Bounders. Cocktails are something of a speciality here as might be inferred from their name, and that was really the reason for our visit, so it was disappointing to find that their mixologist was not starting until later in the evening and so none were available. Overall with it’s chilled out vibe and friendly barman (and dog!), this is certainly a great improvement on my last visit, but it’s still not really anywhere that I would rush back to.

Official site of The Cock & Tail - www.cockntail.co.uk

Official site of The Cock & Tail - www.cockntail.co.uk