The Old Market Assembly, Bristol

This is a very unusual building with an interior which winds through the building and is worth a wander around.You enter into an large internal hall with a very high ceiling topped off with a glass dome.Around two sides there is a mazzanine balcony while on the ground floor heating is provided by as large wood burner with a long stove pipe,while a performance stage is opposite the bar,itself situated below the mezzanine.There is an open kitchen to a rear wall.Walking to the rear ,you pass through a rear snug with one very large table while beyond is the Theatre. Upstairs to the Gender Neutral Urinals and Traps (no gents symbolism here !),while there is also a door to a roof terrace.The mezzanine level has a spirits and wine only bar,tucked to one side. Rainbow flags outside show it's gay friendlyness,the building is a well used community space and the customer base right on youngish folk and their offspring.Our phalanx of CAMRA types did look a bit out of place at a large refectory table but no one seemed too bothered.We are all too old to be mistaken for the law. Three working handpump offering Sharps Atlantic ,Bristol Beer Factory Notorious (NBSS 3) and Independence with two more pumps unused. Worth a visit ,and the food did look good.It's certainly different,as it a lot of the Old Market neighbourhood.

A new opening on the Old Market strip, as JW has pointed out below this is not only a pub but a café, bakery, music venue and home to the Wardrobe Theatre that was previously based at the White Bear in Kingsdown. That said, there was no sign of the bakery on a recent visit, perhaps you just go and order at the kitchen or maybe it’s not up and running yet. Inside it’s all one large, open space with a mezzanine level balcony around the perimeter giving good views over the pub. The high ceiling has a domed roof window and alabaster columns with intricate cornice work. The flooring is slate tiles and the paintwork a mixture of cream and battleship grey. A stage area was to the left and a band was in the process of setting up on a recent visit, whilst an open kitchen is at the rear. A free standing wood burning stove was off to one side. Lighting levels were quite low with just a few wall lights and plenty of candles to provide the illumination which I thought gave quite a pleasant atmosphere but my friend described as gloomy. The menu was divided in to four sections, but rather than the more usual sandwiches, burgers, curries and such like these were vegan, vegetarian, fish/meat and specials with just three choices from each section. Options included Pho (a seaweed and mushroom broth), cauliflower tartine, beef salad and a cassoulet and these were mostly priced somewhere around the £7/£8 mark, although the specials were slightly more. Beers were all from Bristol or just outside and on this occasion were Bristol Brewery’s Fergal Sharkey, BBF Independence, Arbor’s Blue Sky Thinking and Butcombe Crimson King. Ciders on tap were Ashton Press and Pilton’s Stickleback along with Cleeve Orchard’s Medium cider dispensed from a box on the end of the bar.