King Street Brew House, Bristol

This stretch of Bristol seemed to be where it was all happening where rows and rows of picnic tables line this pedestrianised part of King Street found between four pubs, one of which was King Street Brew House. Every table was taken, must have been a few hundred people, but thankfully inside the KSBH it was reasonable quiet so I got to have a mooch about. Throughout is well trodden wooden flooring and there is a mix of hight tables, booths and standard tables and chairs. The U-shaped bar that comes out of the rear wall has a few flashes of green tiling for those who like the Victorian vibe. At the right rear are some weird bits and pieces that are worth a look, but I may have dreamt them because they’re not in my notes. The front of the pub was opened up and overlooks the hordes below. No televisions, but there was some background music. On the bar I counted seven handpumps, five of which were in operation drawing the pub’s own brews. Can’t remember what I had, but it was served well by one of the many friendly barmaids. I liked it in here and would gladly return.

Large modern brewpub attracting the younger generation but still offering a rather good selection of beers. 7 handpumps offered their own brews ranging from IPA to stout, while sundry keg taps had others with mainstream and craft stuff as well. The place itself is fitted out with brick pillars, ceramic tiling and timber roofing giving a warehouse effect. A set of brewing coppers stand behind the bar.

Modern brew bar in a new building. It's rather well done-out actually; scuffed plank flooring, exposed brick walls, glazed green tiling. The large windows give a nice view of the Llandogger Trow almost opposite, a pub much better viewed than visited. The U-shaped servery is in the centre of the pub with the glass fronted Brewhouse behind. In a sign of its ostentation, the front area of the bar is made of 2p coins glued to the floor; there’s a pretty tasteless metaphor in here somewhere. Six pumps at the bar with four of theirs on, my Atomic Gold was in good shape although it was a pretty bland brew. Eight craft kegs plus Westons cider in addition. Rugby was showing on the telly. The place was populated almost exclusively with squealing hoorays and boisterous powder puffs on my Saturday night visit which made for brilliant overheard conversation but rather less fun in terms of being able to relax. So overall it’s not bad but definitely a circuit bar in the evening so best avoided at busy times. GBG19 listed.

This is a large, modern brewpub located in what might best be described as Bristol’s craft beer quarter. Steps lead up into a large room with bare floorboards and numerous brick and tile pillars running in two rooms through the centre. Seating includes some nice padded benches at either end of the room, some of which are formed into cosy booths, some small tables under the big front windows that had been opened out on a warm summer’s day, and large tables through the main part of the room, all served by hard wooden chairs or low stools. The bar is in the middle of the room and has a modern, two-colour, glazed tile counter and considerably less attractive metal framed bar back. Pump clips line many surfaces around the bar area and some of the brew plant can be seen behind the bar area. Decor throughout is a bit of a mixed bag – there is some naff wallpaper that is made to look like a bookcase and TV screens were showing live coverage of an F1 practise session, but I also spotted some quirky odds and ends like a collection of old suitcases stuffed into a wall recess, an old diving helmet, bell jars full of all sorts of weird items such as gas masks, and a coffee machine that was made to look like it was connected to a complicated series of wall-mounted pipes, valves and gauges. The pedestrianised street outside was filled with loads of picnic benches – some in the sun and others in the shade – and a pretty forgettable lounge music soundtrack played throughout the pub during the course of my visit. There were four home brews available on hand pump – Sesh, Atomic Blonde, Oh Vienna and Liberty – complimented by two guest ales (Tiny Rebel Cwtch and Bristol Beer Factory Long Summer Days) and Henry Weston’s Family Reserve cider. My pint of Atomic Blonde was in great shape and the service was friendly, with the staff seemingly pretty knowledgeable about all things beer-related. I really liked this place and thought it was one of Bristol’s better beer-exhibition style pubs, with the bonus of having its own on-site brewery to ensure plenty of fresh, straight from the brewery beer on hand. This is a great little place for beer enthusiasts to spend a few hours and works pretty well as a pub that is versatile enough to cater for a wider range of customers.

A new brew pub with an attractive brewery set up in the corner. Thursday evening saw the King Street Brew House pretty packed with younger boozers, a loud soundtrack and a very lively atmosphere. Not for everybody but, on our experience, it's a very friendly place with people chatting amiably at the bar and freely advising on the beer choice if asked. Mr. F. lists the available selection below so all I'll add is that the beer of the evening was encountered here in White Trash, a very moreish American style IPA. Busy but not to be missed if on King Street.