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The Beer Emporium, Bristol
Bristol
BS1 4ED
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Beer Emporium
Housed in an attractive stone fronted building, this certainly doesn't look like a pub inside until you go down the stairs to the exposed brick arched and vaulted drinking rooms. For a subterranean bar it's OK, but doesn't have much in the way of traditional pub character. The furnishings are functional if fairly ordinary, and the flagstone flooring reinforces the "wine cellar" feel to the place. I didn't note all the beers available (indeed, not even the beer I drank) but there were more than enough of them, and mine was in fine shape. But I don't think that this is the sort of place that I would actively seek out for a re-visit.
On 17th November 2014
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Beer Emporium
If I hadn't been with others who knew the place, I would probably have walked straight by what appears to be an off licence (albeit one with some initially unexplained plain wooden benches out front). Anyway, the low vaulted brickwork tunnels beneath house a narrow bar and kitchen with a mixed seating / dining area in between. Well lit, so not the sort of gloomy place that is the fate of many cellar bars. Not all of the 12 handpumps were on, but there was still a good range of real ale styles including Mallinsons US Mild (£1.90, half).
On 16th November 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Beer Emporium
Any place calling itself The Beer Emporium clearly warrants closer investigation. You enter at street level to what at first looks to be an off licence with a counter and shelves full of bottles in front of you. A staircase however is soon noticed which takes you down to a brick and stone vaulted undercroft where there is a long bar down the side of one tunnel. The stairs have a highly polished light wood surround and handrail with the darker grain showing through. There is also disabled access down by virtue of a platform lift plus a sign offering assistance.
There looked to be three vaults, the bar, a side room with recessed fireplace plus another occupied by the kitchen. Stone flagged floors as you'd expect, some light comes through from a stained glass borrowed light from upstairs. Bluesy type music gave a nice relaxed vibe and the beer was good, the range was as described by BF which is unsurprising as we were in there at the same time. There was additionally a clip for a "Secret Brewery Trial Beer" and I also spotted a couple of boxes of cider behind the bar, Ashridge Tricky and Devon Bloom. Seating was a bit mixed but most was of regular height at different sized tables.
An interesting place with a good few beers on even if a number of pumps were unclipped mid afternoon and I thought the staff were very friendly and helpful.
On 16th November 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Beer Emporium
A recent addition to King Street, this pub was a nightclub in a former life but has been closed to the public for some years now. It is entirely subterranean, consisting of three long and narrow vaulted tunnels although only two of three are accessible, with the third being used for the kitchen. A stained glass panel in the ceiling above the bar appears to let in some light, although it's artificial rather than daylight. Bar staff seemed friendly and knowledgeable and readily offered samples to try, and we were even offered samples at our table on a subsequent visit when we were dining.
The street level entrance has plenty of wood carvings around, but other than that it consists only of a small landing area with stairs and a lift down to the basement. The main bar counter runs for a good length along the right hand wall of one of the tunnels. Décor is unremarkable, but in keeping with the surroundings, consisting of a flag stone floor and brick vaulting. There are a number of tables and chairs opposite the bar, a few bar chairs up at the counter and some leather sofa’s down at the end. The second tunnel consists entirely of tables and chairs.
The menu looked enticing with a decent range of dishes. These were perhaps a step up from your usual “pub grub” with most of the main courses somewhere around the £12 mark, but still included some traditional options such as Fish & Chips or Pie of the Week. Alternatively there was a good selection of tapas dishes available as well as Sunday roasts. We decided to go for the Tapas option and shared eight dishes between the two of us. These were generously proportioned and reasonably priced, with most being just below the £4 mark. Without exception we enjoyed all of them, especially the smoked chicken with roasted pumpkin and thyme; the bean, chorizo, bacon and ham hock stew; the Westcombe cheddar rarebit and the scallops and black pudding.
As it’s name suggests, beer is the focus here though, and there were twelve hand pumps on the bar, although “only” seven were in use when we visited. To be fair though, this was on a Sunday afternoon and I heard the barman saying they had had a busy weekend. The selection on this occasion was TSA’s Red Bush Raspberry Beer, Butcombe Gold, Franklin’s Viva La Rye, ELB’s Quadrant Oatmeal Stout, Scarborough Cascades, Plain Ales Arty Farty and Fat Cat Brewery’s Hells Cat. On top of this, there were a number of keg options and no less than 115 (I counted them in the menu!) by the bottle, listed by country of origin. Cider’s were Sandford Orchard’s Devon Red and Orchard Pig Reveller although the latter ran out by the time my glass was about a third full. Mrs. B’s first choice of lager was also off, so perhaps the stock management needs a little tweaking. On a subsequent visit four days later, there were ten pumps in use and every one was different from the previous occasion and offered an equally eclectic mix.
All in all this is a welcome addition to the Bristol pub scene and well worth a visit (unless you’re claustrophobic that is).
On 25th November 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1951 recommendations about 1864 pubs]