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Submitted on Saturday, 2^nd November 2019
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O'Neill's, Bristol

7-9 Baldwin Street
Bristol
BS1 1RU

Correct details

Pub Type

Castle (Mitchells & Butlers)

Served areas

Bristol Central

Reviews of O'Neill's (Average Rating: 4½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

E TA left this review about O'Neill's

As described below, this is more an American style bar than a British pub. The staff are friendly enough, the solitary other customer was happy to be on his own, there was live golf on the TV screens, and the gaming machines were doing their thing in digital isolation. No real ale, of course, and no real cider. The choices were Punk IPA, Tiny Rebel Calipale and Camden Pale, all over £6.00 a pint. Also on keg were Asahi, Carling, Guinness, Guinness Zero, Madri, Coors, Heineken, Thatcher's Gold, Strongbow and Magners. No surprises here.

On 16^th August 2024 - rating: 4
[User has posted 3581 recommendations about 3545 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Blackthorn _ left this review about O'Neill's

Recently opened on the site of the short lived Hy-Brasil Music Club, this is now a fairly standard chain pub with little, if any, redeeming features. It seems a little odd that O’Neill’s only recent departed their premises on the other side of Baldwin Street, but have now opened here. Perhaps they had issues with the renewal of the lease over the road.

Internally it retains the opened up layout of it’s predecessor, with a central bar counter. Flooring was predominantly wood, a mixture of sanded boards and parquet, with some Victorian style mosaic tiling in places. Paintwork was almost entirely a dark grey, with some relief from the monotony provided by small sections of exposed brickwork and one wall clad with plain white butcher’s tiles that had diagrams on explaining the brewing process. Padded benches were fitted perpendicular to the windows proving booth like seating, with regular tables and chairs elsewhere. Multiple large TV screens were dotted around showing sports channels, and although the volume was off the background music was rather too loud for easy conversation. Service at the bar was pretty abysmal with staff having no clue as to who’s turn it was next, and I was passed over at least twice before eventually being noticed.

Despite a sign outside advising that they were “purveyors of craft ales” there were no real ales on tap that I could see, and very little in the way of keg. There was an IPA of some sort that I didn’t recognise, but that appeared to be about it. Ciders fared no better with just Magners and Strongbow Dark Fruit, although it appears that they do also stock Thatcher’s Gold, but this had run out.

On 4^th November 2019 - rating: 3
[User has posted 2083 recommendations about 1982 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Blackthorn _ left this review about Hy-Brasil Music Club

Recently re-opened under a new name, the name may not sound that enticing if you’re just after a quiet pint and don’t want any loud music, but when we visited on an early evening we found it had a chilled out and relaxed vibe with no sign of any music at all.

Inside it’s been opened out slightly and is now one large, open plan room with a small stage area off to one side. Flooring was predominantly parquet wood whilst the ceiling was all black and had recessed green lighting in some places. Not quite as oppressive as it sounds perhaps, and elsewhere they’ve gone for a fairly rustic look with some rough wooden boards screwed to the walls in places and corrugated iron cladding on the bar counter which was a new one on me. Elsewhere the walls were painted in either a blue/grey paint or clad with butcher’s tiles, and the supporting pillars were in aqua blue. There was some urban artwork about in a nod to Bristol’s street art scene, and of course, exposed filament light bulbs which I think must be a legal requirement in pubs these days going on the amount that I see. Various brightly coloured leather sofas and chairs were arranged around the perimeter.

Beer choice initially looked promising, but closer inspection revealed that the Hogs Back TEA was apparently “coming soon” and the Ubu Purity went off whilst we were there, leaving just Doom Bar and another pump that was unlabelled. Ciders fared better with Mortimer’s Orchard, Orchard Pig Reveller and Caple Road, whilst the Orchard Pig Explorer was also coming soon.

On 19^th May 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2083 recommendations about 1982 pubs]

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