The Cornubia, Bristol

One of the few buildings in this part of town to survive the bombing raids during the Second World War, the Cornubia is a classic traditional pub offering an excellent range of beer. The pub has a compact L-shaped layout with the dark wood servery running from front to back, opposite a drinking ledge lined with bar stools. There is plenty going on in here, making it well worth spending time to explore fully. A smart tile dado runs around part of the room, most clearly seen above the aforementioned drinking ledge which has numerous beer related books and magazines heaped on it, as well as a couple of bonsai trees. Further back there is just about enough space for a single table served by benches and low stools, and from here you can admire a tank with some bright coloured fish swimming around, a large bird cage containing a soft toy parrot and another tank which is home to three or four terrapins. The walls are decorated with lots of military memorabilia, horse brasses and a pub mirror, plus a seemingly never ending collection of pump clips. I also noticed a large stack of board games in the rear corner. To the front left, a wide archway leads into the main seating area, although this is still fairly small and fills up quickly, requiring overspill to the front courtyard which has plenty of picnic benches and a gazebo and is presided over by a life-size cut out of the Queen, which stares down on the drinkers from a first floor window. The bar offers a good range of interesting, predominantly local, ales which on this visit comprised Burning Sky Aurora, Twisted Oak Dark Flanders Black IPA and Slippery Sky, Trufit Erimus Pale Ale and Revivers IPA and Waen Message to You, whilst a stack of boxed ciders was hard to miss on the bar back. My pint of Erimus Pale was particularly enjoyable and the bar staff were quick and efficient in dealing with the lunchtime crowds. This is a fine pub and one of the best we visited during a long weekend in the city. The place has an air of eccentricity that makes it easy to warm to, but takes its beer seriously thereby making it a destination pub. A great little place and one I'm sure I'll head back to the next time I'm in Bristol.

For me this is the jewel in the crown of Bristol pubs. Tucked away in a side street, It's everything I like in a pub, being well patronised by people enjoying themselves engaged in conversation; has masses of bits and pieces around the place including pump clips everywhere as evidence of the changing ale policy, scarves on the ceiling, and a cage at the back (I missed the terrapins). There are benches outside, and inside furnishings are comfortable if well used. I noticed that cheese or ham baguettes, as well as pork pies, were £1.50 a pop - I don't remember the last time I paid £1.50 for a baguette in a London pub - sometime soon after decimalisation I would guess. If I lived anywhere nearby I would expect to make this a regular haunt.