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The Cornubia, Bristol
Bristol
BS1 6EN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Cornubia
After a run of below-par beers nearby I was looking for salvation and found it here in Beowulf Chocolate Porter (NBSS 4) and a pasty from the counter. Remains a straightforward no bullshit pub and is now the best in the Victoria Street area.
Dec 2021
Back once again. Trundles on like it has for many a year – it’s a nice traditional place but also very small, narrow and generally awkward which makes finding a comfortable spot to sit a pain. Good selection of six cask on with a range of styles and strengths, my Mallinson Rakau Calypso was far too astringent for me but in decent nick nonetheless (NBSS 3.5) though the dirty glass took the shine (arf!) off proceedings a bit. Also some decent ciders. Rated 8
November 2014
Little change to this classic Bristol pub since my last review a year ago. Absolutely packed on our Friday afternoon visit (and again when I returned later in the evening). Three ales sampled, condition-wise a bit like Carol picking out the numbers on Countdown, one from the top of the pile, one from the middle and another a bit lower down the scale. It’s certainly a destination venue and a shoo-in for a crawl in the area. Rated 8
October 2013
Over the last couple of years the place has new ownership (again!) and seems to be heading (dare I say it) upmarket; but in a positive way. A lot of work has been done both inside and out – a fenced-off garden area, thorough paint job, wall-to-wall beermats and the addition of cushions on the benches inside. Fish tank to rear. Usually around eight ales on. I’ve had a mixed experience over the last year with the quality though last month’s visit was very good, so hopefully that’s settled down (and also hopefully no more nasty Glastonbury brewery!?). Pieminister pies and pasties available. Also does a CAMRA discount. Whilst I’d personally choose the Seven Stars if pressed for time in the area, this one is certainly worth popping into. Rated 8
August 2009
My most recent yielded a strange mixture of Rocky Horror and Disney on the speakers and a paddling pool for the punters outside. You make your own mind up on that one. Good service from a friendly barmaid. Seemed to be less guest beers available then previously, which is a shame. Saying that, it's still worth a visit. Rated 7
January 2007
This Georgian survivor takes a bit of finding...pop into the Kings Head first if you're stuck and ask for directions. Now run by the Hidden Brewery, this is a top-notch old-school alehouse inhabited by real drinkers and some real characters. On my last visit me and my mate were accosted by an Andy Fordham lookalike and spent a surreal 30 minutes discussing the merits of Scottish Lower Division football (do you know who the best-supported team are in terms of catchment area? Apparently it's St Johnstone). Rated 9
On 5th December 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Cornubia
Tucked away in the backstreets behind Victoria Street, this isn’t somewhere you’re likely to stumble across by accident, but is it’s well worth making the effort to track it down and it was good to see it full to capacity on a recent Thursday evening visit, with several more punters in the covered and heated beer garden, although recent reports in the local press suggest that this may be under threat from the proposed redevelopment of the adjacent office block.
Internally it’s quite compact, and is one single L-shape bar with the upright part of the L being quite narrow as it runs along the bar counter. Décor wise, it’s quite traditional with red carpet on the floor, good sized windows at the front and some black wood panelling on the wall to the right as well as black timberwork around the windows. The main feature though is probably the hundreds of old pump clips affixed to the ceiling which is both attractive and interesting. An archway leads through to small room to the left, whilst stained glass panels in the doors to the loos were an unusual feature. A small selection of rolls and scotch eggs were for sale on the end of the bar and a few pictures and a brewery mirror were dotted around. Other bits and pieces included a large VHS box set of the Inspector Morse series and the obligatory selection of horse brasses.
Beers on tap were all listed on a chalkboard behind the bar and on this occasion included Wily Fox’s Dark Flagon rum porter and Azacca American Ale, Bluestone’s Red of Heaven and Stone Cold, Chantry Special Reserve and their own SO. Cider’s meanwhile were Moonshine and Strawberry from Broadoak, along with a trio from Thatcher’s – Dry, Gold and Haze. All in all, a cracking pub and well worth searching out.
On 2nd December 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Cornubia
The Cornubia is an interesting J-shaped pub with hop covered beams that line the ceiling that is carpeted in old pump clips. Horse brasses hang on the walls and there is a fireplaces adorned with coat-of-arms shields. You get the picture. This isn’t the biggest place so I was glad to find it very quiet during a recent midweek visit. I counted ten handpumps on the bar, seven of which were in operation drawing cask that I’d never heard of before, although I’m not from these parts so some may have been local usual suspects. Out the front behind an ivy covered fence is a well-tended beer garden lined with picnic tables. The service was very friendly and even though quiet I was made to feel at home straight away. I’ll make a point to revisit when next in the area.
On 2nd September 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Cornubia
My type of pub - small, traditional inside. Large beer garden out the front. Shield from the outside world with fencing that presents a minor challenge to get in but once there, you feel you are in an isolated and secure world.
Beers from Elland Brewery in excellent condition and knowledgeable staff.
Recommended but make sure you check the opening hours. Sunday evenings are early closing.
On 7th June 2021
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Cornubia
Another hazy memory of a previous visit five years ago put right by a revisit. A hidden away small pub that is big on beer, a great selection of cask ale across the styles. rammed on a Friday lunchtime so patience was required while waiting to be served, however my revolutions Switch #15 was well worth the wait.
On 9th October 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Cornubia
The Cornubia is a decent pub that is hemmed in by taller modern buildings and a car to the front of it.
Once inside there is a small single L shaped room with the bar on the left side,there are normal tables and chairs to the front and wood bench seating and small wood stools,there are a couple of tall stools to the rear,there was a large screen to the front showing the Euro Wales v Northern Ireland game.
There was a decent choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Twisted Pirate Bitter which was a very nice well kept beer,the other beers noted were Blue Bee Tempest Stout,Blue Bee Olicana Gold,Tyne Bank Silver Dollar,there were a few other beers i failed to read my notes of.
I found this to be a very pleasant pub to have a drink in.
Pub visited 25/6/2016
On 14th August 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about The Cornubia
Excellent real ale pub in a slightly strange location, probably as others have said due to WW2 bombing. Great selection of brews on the bar with an interesting, if a little cluttered interior. Well worth stepping away from the city center to visit and close to the railway station for a last beer.
On 16th March 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Cornubia
Single roomed L-shaped bar, lots of pump clips covering the walls as well as flags. Traditional pub carpet. This is a drinkers den with friendly knowledgable staff.
On 1st April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Cornubia
One of the top pubs in Bristol and very well described by previous reviewers and cannot add anything new in this respect. Except to say this was my personal favourite of all the fine pubs and bars we visited during the PuG crawl of Bristol as it delivers so many of the things I like in any establishment. A superb traditional pub interior with several eclectic collections of Military memorabilia, pub memorabilia and general bric-a-brac to the extent that not a single inch of walls and ceiling are not covered by something. A strong focus on real ale with a policy of offering a frequently changing range. And a well-supported pub with a lively mix of likeminded beer appreciating visitors.
A must visit pub when in Bristol IMHO.
On 2nd December 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Cornubia
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.
On 29th November 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]