Coyote Ugly, Bristol

Recently re-opened after an extensive refurbishment having been shut for some months, it now has something of a Cuban theme as it’s name suggests, and is quite unrecognisable from it’s earlier incarnation, with even the central staircase which was a prominent feature previously having been shifted over to the right. It’s all one large, open plan room although divided in to two halves by a large amount of foliage in plant troughs all up the middle. The right hand half seems more geared up for dining and the left for drinking, although I’m not sure how strictly this is enforced. A long bar counter runs all along the left hand side and there is a small stage area at the rear where a Flamenco dancer was performing on a recent visit. Flooring is predominantly some sort of highly polished wood with large areas of inlaid tiling, whilst the walls were mostly pastel shades of salmon and green, with full height windows all along the front making the most of the riverside setting. A large glitter ball illuminated by an orange spotlight created some interesting lighting effects, and a few lazy fans whirled away on the ceiling. Although the said ceiling was all exposed concrete and steelwork which I’m not normally a fan of, it somehow seemed to fit in here with the rustic Cuban atmosphere they are trying to create. A number of black and white pictures were dotted around the walls, and a projector screen at the rear was covered up by a map of Cuba. I didn’t inspect the menu, but did notice a guy with a large cauldron of paella dishing up bowlfuls to interested punters. Unfortunately there were no real ales on tap, just a couple of keg options from Camden. Ciders meanwhile were Aspall’s Suffolk and Angry Orchard, the latter being an American brand which I’ve not come across previously, and was perhaps, better than expected although I’m not sure I’d want to much of it. There is also an extensive cocktail selection, although these seemed a little more expensive than the norm with most of them coming in around the £10 mark. Overall, whilst this isn’t the sort of pub that I’d normally go for, I thought they done a decent job of the refurbishment and the service was, for now at least, fast, efficient an friendly.