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Hillgrove Porter Stores, Kingsdown, Bristol

53 Hillgrove Street North
Bristol
BS2 8LT
Phone: 01179249818

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about Hillgrove Porter Stores

This is another great alehouse hidden away in the backstreets of this unassuming part of the city. A corner entrance porch with some fine stained glass panes and an old Dawkins Brewery window above, leads into a parquet floored, U-shaped room which wraps around a centrally positioned servery. The right hand side of the room has a raised seating area with some long, comfy looking banquettes under nice ‘Smoke Room’ stained glass windows and a huge collection of pump clips. The bar has a basic tongue and groove counter and a pleasant mirrored bar back which is lined with hops and various Polaroids of past antics within the pub. Opposite the servery, hard pew seating and a few low stools run along the wall, broken only by the presence of a nice decorative fireplace with a Dawkins Brewery mirror above. More attractive leaded windows with stained glass insets, including those in the toilet doors, run around to the left, where you pass several Chinese lanterns hung above the bar counter, and a DJ booth of sorts, under a few old brewery signs and loads more pump clips. From here, access to a raised rear seating area and popular beer garden can be found. The DJ was seemingly playing to no-one in particular, but cranked out a fair few classic indie tunes during the course of my stay, so I wasn’t complaining.
Beers are listed on a board to the side of the bar, which is handy given the wide selection available. Options on this occasion comprised Brewhouse and Kitchen Papa Death, Ameryck and Yankee Cabot, Dawkins Bristol Blonde and Bristol Beast, Tapstone Wild Woods, Castle Rock Harvest Pale, Stealth Conceal, Electric Bear Werrrd and Big Up, S7N Pale Ale, Wold Top Headland Red, Thornbridge Jaipur and Driftwood Spars JFB. An epic line-up then, so I felt compelled to try a couple of their offerings, both of which were in excellent shape, suggesting good turnover.
This is an excellent alehouse with a very pleasant, comfortable traditional interior and one of the widest cask ale ranges in the city, which appear to be kept in fine condition. I could quite easily have settled down here for the rest of the evening and would very much like to come back and spend more time exploring more of their beer range.

On 8th January 2019 - rating: 9
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about Hillgrove Porter Stores

Well worth the hike up from Stokes Croft road. I initially went for the Tapstone Brewery Zen Garden, which definitely passed the three pint test, whilst Mrs A went for the Siren Yulu. The pub was empty on our Saturday afternoon visit, but soon started to fill up with ale aficionados and I was happy to see that the majority of the drinkers were the younger crowd. The barman was chatty and engaging and had a great sense of humour. A good pub and I'd happily visit when next in Bristol.

On 18th May 2017 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Mark Davey left this review about Hillgrove Porter Stores

Excellent pub for a drink and a game of cards. Multiple hand pulls on the bar, give a fine selection of brews. Nice clean toilets and attractive decor make the Hillgrove Stores well worth the hike up the hill from the city center.

On 16th March 2016 - rating: 8
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Hillgrove Porter Stores

A splendid back-street alehouse, opened out to leave a 'L'-shaped bar with a further small seating area at one end. Traditional-looking interior with a mix of furniture and decor. Excellent choice of real ales and ciders from the 14 handpumps, including the? Blackberry Porter (£4.00).

On 27th December 2015 - rating: 8
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blackthorn _ left this review about Hillgrove Porter Stores

A traditional, street corner pub in a slightly out of the way location, but well worth making the effort to track it down. It’s not somewhere you’re likely to stumble across by accident being in a quiet, residential street, but it is nonetheless only a short stroll from the vibrant Stokes Croft area.

Inside it’s consists of a single U-shape room with leaded stained glass windows and parquet wooden flooring. The paintwork was a mixture of cream and burgundy and there were a couple of old fire-places, although these were not in use on our visit. An old Chesterfield sofa was at the rear, but other than that the seating was mostly conventional tables and chairs. A DJ console was in one corner which was perhaps a bit unexpected, so presumably music features on occasions. The walls of the pub were liberally plastered with old beer mats and dried hops were hung around the ceiling. Lighting was provided my small standard lamps on all the window sills.

The menu offered a concise selection of dishes, just a couple of main courses for £8 or so along with a couple of charcuterie platters and a few tapas options. There were also some sausage rolls and a jar of pickled eggs on the bar counter.

Beer is clearly the major focus here, and there were no less than 14 hand pumps squeezed on to the small bar counter. A board next to the bar listed the current selection, which on a recent visit were Live Wire IPA and Infrared from Electric Brewing, Cheddar’s Totty Pot, Bristol Blonde and Bristol Best from Dawkins, Blood Moon and Pre-Prohibition IPA from Celt Experience, Tombstone Soma, Grifter IPA and five from Arbor Ales – Smokescreen, Chocolatia, Summit IPA, Double Dark Alliance and Penfold. Ciders meanwhile were Aspall’s Suffolk along with Devon Blush and Devon Traditional from Ashridge. An excellent and unusual selection and well worth a visit for any beer aficionado.

On 7th December 2015 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1937 recommendations about 1850 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


train man left this review about Hillgrove Porter Stores

Cheddar Ales Totty Pot Dark Porter, Goat's Leap IPA & Gorge Best, Three Castles Saxon Archer, Plain Ales Inspiration, Beartown Bearskinful, Goffs Camelot, Matthews Brassknocker (I have a note saying the pub owner, Mr Dawkins, also of Portcullis, took over that brewery?). Upper walls are decorated with old pumpclips, lounge area rear right has leather sofas (grrr), but not bad if you commandeer it in a group; bookcase, board games, a variety of brewery trays & other breweriana. Left to covered smoking arbor & picnic sets. Expensive, but the barmaid was very friendly & offered tasters of the beers.

On 22nd November 2009 - rating: 7
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about Hillgrove Porter Stores

One of the best ale pubs in Bristol, with a fine range (and decent condition on my visit) – seven ales and cider, I didn’t take a comprehensive list but I know my Goffs and Wye Valley were both good beers. Expensive though, I thought. Staff and punters were friendly, and I enjoyed the small square that constitutes the beer garden. The interior is nice, with some quaint touches (see pics). Don't be put off by the high-rise flats opposite, they're fine. Board games available as well a comfy leather sofa. I liked it here and will endeavour to return despite the git of a climb.

On 6th May 2008 - rating: 8
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]