Fleece, Bristol

I’m a little surprised to find this place listed on this site, as I was under the impression it was a ticketed live music venue rather than a pub, but it seems they do open some evenings without an entrance fee, so it probably just about qualifies. We came here specifically to watch some live music as part of the Dot-to-Dot Festival, so the place was only open to ticket holders and was set up for live music, with only the absolute bare minimum of seating available. The building is some sort of former warehouse and accordingly has a suitable large, open plan interior and pretty good acoustics. The only real problem with the layout would be the 15-20 slim support pillars that are dotted through the room, which mean that ensuring decent sightlines can be a bit of a mixed bag. The band we came to see were on at around 2pm, but the excellent sound and lights helped make it feel like a proper evening show and I’d be very keen to come back again and watch a full concert here. Beer-wise, there’s no cask ale and the keg taps were limited to a few mainstream brands and a couple of token craft beer options. It wasn’t my round when we were here, so I can’t recall what I ended up drinking, but suffice to say it was cold, fizzy and not particularly satisfying. I wouldn’t say this place merits inclusion on any pub crawl around the city – the lack of decent beer and absence of seating should be enough to have you looking elsewhere – but as a live music venue, I thought it was great and I’d happily pay my money to come back and watch a few bands here.

Official site of Fleece & Firkin - thefleece.co.uk

Official site of Fleece & Firkin - thefleece.co.uk

I'm not sure this really qualifies as a pub, but it's on here so I'll review it. It's more of a music venue, and as such you will have to pay to get in on many nights. Over the years they've hosted many bands that have gone on to become famous, eg; Status Quo, Oasis, Amy Winehouse, The Killers, Muse, etc. Posters from these gigs are proudly displayed behind the bar. These days it mostly seems to be tribute acts, although many of these are very good. It's a single large open room, with a very high ceiling. It's like being in some old warehouse, which is probably what it was at one time. There's very limited seating, just a few tables at the back which soon go. There's a bar running the whole length of one wall although even so it can be difficult to get served when they're busy. Beer range is a bit dissapointing, with just Butcombe and Worthington Creamflow (whatever that is). Also Blackthorn cider.