ReviewA fairly recent addition to Portishead’s pleasant High Street, this is not a pub in the traditional sense but a Spanish tapas bar. However, real ale is available and there is no requirement to have something to eat. The couple running it seem pleasant and friendly and are also in the process of renovating the White Hart in nearby Weston-in-Gordano which has been shut for a few years now.
The pub itself is fairly compact and has salmon colour paintwork on the walls along with some large pictures and a bar counter to the left topped with stainless steel. This part of the pub is perhaps more geared up for dining, but the main action is outside. Up a few narrow and nondescript steps at the rear and you come to a remarkably large, terraced garden, two or three times the size of the pub, complete with it’s own bar counter. Much of the garden is under cover with a substantial wooden roof and this was sealed right to the edges to prevent drafts. Although it was open at one end, this was down at a lower level and it stayed remarkably warm in there. I was quite happy in just a tea shirt late in to the evening, on what was not an especially warm day. There is an exposed stone wall at the end of the garden, and this top level also acts as a stage for any events that are held, which on my visit was Flamenco dancing. A projector and screen were also in evidence, so perhaps sports matches may also be screened on occasions. With it’s colourful rope lights and lively atmosphere I thought this was a really good spot and I almost felt like I could be in Spain.
As mentioned previously, tapas is the focus of the food here and the menu offered a selection of dishes at around £5 - £6, or less for the snacks. On this occasion because of the dancing, a large cauldron of paella was being cooked in the garden, and this was a decent and hearty dish for £6.95. Conversely, a small dish of olives and some chunks of bread with an oil and balsamic dip seemed rather expensive coming in at almost the same price.
The solitary beer on tap was Doom Bar whilst the cider was Thatcher’s Gold. All in all I really liked this, although if you’re after something that’s more of a traditional pub, then it may not be for you.
