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Four Wise Monkeys, Bristol
Bristol
BS1 1YH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Four Wise Monkeys
Whilst the previous incarnation of this venue was a well regarded tapas bar that managed to last a few years, it has now changed hands yet again and is now a sister venue to the Seven Lucky Gods restaurant in Wapping Wharf. This too is really much more of a restaurant than a pub, with a “Please wait here to be seated” lectern just inside the door and table service with a drinks menu provided, although there is a bar counter. Whilst it is possible to just pop in for a drink, this seems to be discouraged and may well not be possible if they were busy with diners.
Internally, much of the space is taken up with the open kitchen and bar counter on the left, with the remainder being booth style bench seating alongside and regular tables and chairs at the rear. A raised seating area was at the front of the pub, and a few bar stools at the counter. The flooring was some type of wood strip which has been worn smooth and got very scratched over the years, whilst the paintwork is various vibrant hues including turquoise, purple and a deep salmon, along with a small section of exposed stone walling at the front. Even the lighting was similarly vibrant, with fluorescent tubes in a multitude of colours, each with coordinated cabling (I can imagine the electrician who got that gig thinking “where on earth am I supposed to get pink cable from?”). The smell from the cooking rather dominated, which is fine I guess if you’re eating, but less so when you’re just having a drink.
Unfortunately there were no real ales on tap, or any beer at all come to that, with the only draught offerings being a couple of Asian lagers. I went for a can of the Tailgate Peanut Butter Milk Stout, which was an interesting drink, although I can’t say that I really noticed any discernible peanut butter flavour and I definitely prefer the Salted Caramel stouts available from one or two of the Bristol micro’s. At the equivalent of £11.20 per pint it seemed a little on the pricey side I thought. My friend’s can of Hawke’s Urban Orchard cider was also ambitiously priced at £8.60 per pint. Overall, the group behind this has a solid reputation and I may well return to check out the food, but it’s not really a pub and is best avoided if that’s what you’re after.
On 29th July 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Pata Negra
It would seem that the craft beer venue known as Copper Jack’s didn’t work out after all and this is now a “Wine and Tapas Bar”. Decor wise it’s largely unchanged and certainly still has something of a gloomy/atmospheric ambience. We were greeted at the door suggesting that the tapas side of things is perhaps more of a focus than the drinks, although it was certainly not a problem for us to just go to the bar and have a drink.
A large display case is now behind the bar showcasing a selection of cured hams, Spanish sausages and chillies and there was also a large selection of red wine stacked up on shelves behind the bar. Our drinks were served on a paper napkin and we were asked if we wanted to start a tab, but we declined as we were only stopping for one.
Unfortunately there were no ales on tap, real or otherwise, with the only draft option being a continental lager of some sort. I had a bottle of Spanish cider, but at the equivalent of £6.88 a pint, I don’t think I’ll be rushing back, especially as I didn’t particularly like it anyway. If wine and tapas is your thing, then I’m sure this is a very nice place, and I may well return to try some of it. But as a pub, it falls woefully short.
On 5th September 2014
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Jonathan Wilde left this review about Copper Jacks
Looks shut at present with some sort of refurb ongoing after taking an update picture this morning and noticing sign gone and place looking a mess inside. Will still need to take a new update picture once completed. At least it close to work.
On 30th July 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 365 recommendations about 347 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Copper Jacks
One of many bars on Corn Street that has had numerous names over the years and seems to spend as much time closed as it is open, it now bills itself as a craft beer venue so hopefully may have a little more success than previous unmemorable cocktail type venues.
It’s a corner building and inside it’s one single open plan room, although divided in to different areas with the rear part being up a couple of steps. The ceiling is painted black and the floor is quite a dark wood, so this together with the low ambient lighting can result in it being either gloomy or atmospheric depending on your point of view. All the tables had candles on, and there were also some very large church candles in the windows so I guess they are aiming for the latter option. The front wall was exposed stone work and the rear wall was painted a maroon colour. There were large windows along the right hand wall and counter top running along it with high chairs to sit at and watch the world go by as well as an old beer barrel to rest your pint on. At the rear were a number of leather arm chairs and there were also a couple of Chesterfield sofas at the front. The friendly barman pointed out the juke box which is apparently free to use.
Beers on tap were indeed unusual options as befits their craft bar pretensions although they were all keg rather than cask. Helpfully there was a printed menu on the bar and this included a few tasting notes. On this occasion they were Cromarty Happy Chappy, Black IPA and Australia from the new local micro Wiper and True, BBF Southville Hop, Ceaser Augustus from William Bros and Moors So’Hop. There were no ciders on draught unfortunately, although there was a good selection of bottles and many of these were also from local producers such as Severn Vale. Prices seemed expensive though with a bottle of cider and a G&T costing £9.50.
On 29th October 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Bar@30
This is a relatively recent addition to Corn Street, although it has existed in a different incarnation previously. It’s tidy and well decorated inside, with a front and rear bar. There were several plasma’s dotted around, those in the front bar showing some sport and the ones in the rear bar switched off.
The front bar is has some exposed stone walls, leather armchairs and a small raised area that may perhaps be used as a dance floor or stage on some nights. The rear bar has a polished wood floor and a several sofa’s all around the edge, all facing the centre of the room. Together with the whitewashed walls and the fact that most of the sofa’s were of a different style, it somehow reminded me of a furniture showroom. It seems an odd layout anyway, as if there were more than two of you, you’d all be sat in a line making it somewhat difficult to converse. There was also a small raised area in the corner with a light tiled floor, large table and a very large, low-hanging lamp. Some of the walls had rather unusual, floral, velvet wallpaper.
The tables hadn’t been wiped down for a while, as they all had the remnants of spilt drinks on them. This was pretty inexcusable given the fact that there was only one other punter in there on a recent Monday night visit. The barman was friendly enough and served us promptly, but soon returned to playing his computer games rather than looking around to see what needed doing.
The solitary beer on tap was Butts Barbus barbus, which the barman declined to serve as it was near the end of the barrel and past it’s best. The only cider was Thatcher’s Gold.
On 22nd March 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]