Froth & Fries, Bristol

This place was opened a couple of days prior to our visit in November 2014 by the same people behind the Hare in Bedminster. However, the two ventures are markedly different, as this is not a classic pub by any means – instead offering a range of draught and bottled Belgian beers and no cask ale. The most striking feature is that the place seems to run a strict table service policy and upon entering we were quickly met by an eager member of staff who tried to convince take a seat from which we could place our order. Undeterred, we ignored him and made our way through to the rear of the two rooms, where the bar is situated, and ordered directly from the barman, who insisted we take a seat at the table opposite before bringing our drinks over. I suppose this is how bars in Belgium operate, so perhaps they are just sticking to their theme. The two rooms are reasonably small with a mix of standard and high stool seating, bare floorboards and mosaic tile floors and gastro-style paint scheme. The rear room is decorated with the eponymous William Morris ‘Strawberry Thief’ wallpaper, depicting a repeated bird pattern, whilst other Morris designs appear in picture frames in the front room. Quite what Morris’ connection to either Bristol or Belgium might be is anyone’s guess. The servery occupies the right rear corner of the back room and is pretty basic with a white wooden bar back and a few enamel beer signs on the top shelf. Music played throughout our stay – I seem to recall quite a bit of REM but a distinct lack of Belgian artists. There are five Belgian beers available on draught including Brugse Zot, Pauwel Kwak (seemingly minus the daft glass and holder) and Saison Dupont. I tried a half of the latter – a very easy drinking, refreshing beer. A menu lists the sizable bottled beer range which covers quite a range of strengths and styles. This was a pretty weird drinking experience and the staff’s anxiety about ensuring we were seated and enjoying our drinks made it difficult to properly relax. This place might settle down and relax itself a bit over time, but initial impressions suggest that it’s a niche pub unlikely to stand up to repeat visits.