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The Hare on the Hill, Kingsdown, Bristol
Kingsdown
Bristol
BS2 8LX
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Hare on the Hill
Street corner pub at the bottom of a very steep incline that is Thomas Street North,the exterior tiling in green is very attractive.You enter via some modern glass doors with the pub interior split into three sections,both front sections looking over the street have large banquettes below the windows with small tables and stools while room dividers with frosted glass break up the interior in a pleasing way.There is a third section beyond the bar towards the back of the building.
The small bar had ale choices of ELB Foundation Bitter,Roosters Yankee (NBSS 3.5) and Fierce & Noble Straight Up Stout while there was a large keg choice .The Yankee and the stout were well kept and the 2023 GBG entry seemed justified.
There is a vinyl collection from which you can play what you like on the turntable,the barman was a chatty ,engaging chap and if I live locally this would get my regular custom,although the target audience is a generation or two behind me.
There is a Banksy behind some perspect near the pub which seems to have a community feel but without the grunge factor of many other Stokes Croft pubs. Worth a crawl visit.
On 29th May 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Hare on the Hill
This is a very pleasant back street pub in a quiet neighbourhood not too far from the city centre. On arrival, the pub’s fine tiled exterior catches the eye and sets up great expectations for a proper traditional interior, which the pub is able to deliver on. You enter into a bare boarded main bar area where all the walls have been painted in simple, neutral shades. Fixed bench seating is available to the right of the entrance and all down the side wall, supplemented by a collection of low stools. To the front left, there is a screened off seating area with more tables and chairs under half panelled walls with lots of bright, modern art prints on show. The servery stands proudly in the middle of the pub, with a basic tongue and groove counter, smart pillared bar back with the keg taps mounted on it, all topped with a rugby ball and beer bottle collection. The pub opens out a bit beyond the bar, into a rear raised seating area with benches and chairs, arty prints on the walls and a dartboard. Fairy light around much of the pub help to create an unexpectedly cosy feel in even the most public parts of the room and I spotted useful bits like a rack with the day’s papers and a collection of board games here and there around the room. A folk soundtrack played throughout my stay and the clientele seemed to be several decades younger than the pub’s initial impressions might lead you to expect.
There are four hand pumps on the bar and these offered a promising selection of Bristol Beer Factory Independence, Moor, Noor Hop and Arbor Blue Sky Drinking and Shangri-la. I ordered a pint of the latter, which sadly spluttered to an end with only three-quarters of the pint glass filled. The cheery barman said I could have this for free and a quick sample suggested it still tasted pretty good, but having got about halfway through it, it started to taste pretty disgusting, which was a bit of a dilemma as I was then too embarrassed to give it back and buy something else!
I thought this was a nice pub that struck a good balance between maintaining a traditional feel and providing a more contemporary environment that younger drinkers will feel comfortable in. It’s a shame I had a rubbish beer here, as I would potentially have enjoyed the place even more with a well kept pint but that was purely my own mistake and no fault of the pub. Definitely one to return to and a good double-header with the nearby Hillgrove Porter Stores.
On 7th January 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Hare on the Hill
The most striking part of this pub was the exterior Victorian Glazed tiles around the entrance. Once inside you will encounter a fairly modern and minimalistic interior. All the walls were painted in cream and all the woodwork was painted light blue, which gave it more of a nautical theme. There were a few hares dotted around the place to help you realise you were in the Hare on the Hill. The flooring was boarded and the bar counter was polished mahogany. There were five pumps on the bar, with three in use, two from the Moor Brewery and a Rosie's Cider. Another ale was also due to come on whilst we were there. We went for the Moor Revival and Moor Union Hop, both were in excellent condition and were priced at £4.10 a pint.
On 17th May 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Hare on the Hill
A pleasant street corner pub in a slightly out of the way location, but only just a couple of minutes stroll from the bustling Stokes Croft, for those taking the effort to search it out it offers something of an oasis of tranquillity away from somewhat frenetic pubs on the strip. It was at one time a Bath Ales pub, possibly their first in fact, but as JW has said below it’s now leased to an independent operator.
It would appear that it’s recently been refurbished and is now quite contemporary in appearance with an etched glass entrance door and sanded wooden boards on the floor. Wooden panelling on the lower part of the walls has been painted in duck egg blue and this extends to the wooden bench seating around the front wall of the pub, which was scattered with maroon cushions. The pub wraps partially around a central bar counter which had a pile of appetising looking scotch eggs on one end and several leather bar stools for punters to sit at. A couple of plasma screens were showing the rugby. Some small partitions with leaded and frosted glass divided up one side of the pub in to separate booths.
Beers on tap were Cheddar’s Goats Leap, RCH PG Steam, Gem, Moor Nor’hop and XT 13 Pacific Red as well as another two or three on keg dispensed from taps on the wall behind the bar. Unusually I neglected to note the cider choice, although I think it was fairly uninspiring and may well have been Bath’s Bounders.
On 7th December 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Jonathan Wilde left this review about The Hare on the Hill
This has just reopened after being let by Bath Ales to an independent group of people to run. Externally, minor changes have occurred and internally it has a fresh pale blue coat of paint to the interior woodwork. An array of 5 hand pumps grace the bar with another 6 taps behind the wall which seems to be a common design/trait of many new or refurbished bars. Real ales from Bath Ales remain and feature alongside other local offering from Moors and alike.
On 8th September 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 365 recommendations about 347 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nigel Sheppard left this review about Hare on the Hill
Good local pub, very drap decor inside. The staff seem very nice and the ales were in good condition, worth a visit although it is quite a hike from the town centre.
On 27th January 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 192 recommendations about 192 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about The Hare on the Hill
First pub owned by Bath Ales; Festival, Gem, Spa, Barnstomer (known locally as Barney). Good looking pub but very busy during Eng-Arg rugby and very awkward layout around central horseshoe bar (6 uneven sides of octogon) made getting in & around a bit tricky. TVs in two corners, dartboard to rear right (no need for a table under it), follow bar round to left where a wood panel partition forms a small open snug (empty due to no view of rugby) but also a bottleneck to the loos when busy. Alex, behind bar, asked about the note taking and was thoroughly good-natured with the craic to gain positive comments, incl half a Barney! Home-cooked mains included chilli beef or steak & barnstormer pie (£6/£7) and a couple of good veggie dishes. Baguettes, in contrast, started at £5.50(!). Good pub, cheers Alex.
On 22nd November 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Hare on the Hill
If you are prepared to venture forth up past the flats that precede it from the city centre, you are rewarded with this gem of a pub, a small old-school street corner local from the turn of the century. The interior is Spartan and pretty small so can get a bit tight when there’s a few punters in, though there’s usually a good mix of punters so it’s not as bad as it could be!
Beer-wise, Bath Ales plus a guest on my Xmas visit along with the recently introduced Budvar Dark (bottled). Also boats SKY Sports and a friendly welcome along with food. Apparently this was Bath Ales’ first pub back in 1997.
I think it's well worth a stop on the Bristol route - my mate felt it was the best place he'd been in for a while and he's done a lot more Bristol pubs than me in his time.
On 4th January 2007
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]