User name:

Password:

Login


Sign in with Facebook


Not already a member?
Join our community and - Rate & review pubs - Upload pictures - Add events JOIN for free NOW


Chat about:
Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

Picture of The Strawberry Thief
Image posted by Will Larter
Submitted on Wednesday, 15th January 2020
With picture contributions to 11515 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (5 more images)
Only members may add pictures, click to receive free membership

The Strawberry Thief, Bristol

Pub added by Pub SignMan
26 Broad Street
Bristol
BS1 2HG
Phone: 01179256925
Correct details

Served areas

Tweets by The Strawberry Thief
The Strawberry Thief The Strawberry Thief CENTRAL BRISTOL PRIVATE EVENT SPACE!!! 12:54 PM May 24th from Twitter for iPhone
View the full twitter feed for The Strawberry Thief

Reviews of The Strawberry Thief (Average Rating: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

E TA left this review about The Strawberry Thief

A town bar specialising in strong lagers, mainly Belgian, as described below. There is still no real ale available, though the lagers are complemented by local craft beers. I had a pint of House Party Pale Ale at an expensive £6.50, OK as these things go but predictably unsatisfying. The foreign staff were attentive enough, but it lacked atmosphere and wasn’t for me, but I can see how it would appeal to the Bristol crowd.

On 30th January 2024 - rating: 4
[User has posted 3272 recommendations about 3237 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blackthorn _ left this review about Strawberry Thief

A recent addition to Broad Street, the unusual name comes from a design of William Morris wallpaper that was apparently printed nearby at one time, and there is an example of this in the small rear bar. The pub only offers table service which some may feel precludes it being a proper pub, but I understand that this is a licensing restriction rather than any deliberate intent. The only food currently offered is quiche, although apparently a kitchen is coming soon.

The bulk of the pub consists of one large room at the front, with large windows to let in plenty of light and a sanded wood floor. It has quite an elegant feel with large brass lamps and high ceilings. Decor wise, the colour scheme is pale blue and there is white wood panelling on the lower part of the walls. There are several pieces of floral artwork around, as well as a number of empty beer bottles on the ledges and window sills. A tiled fire-place was off to one side, although this appeared unused. Towards the rear was a smaller walk through area with a tiled floor and beyond this the bar, although this too was quite a small room with only one table.

Beers were all of the Belgian variety, both the bottled and draught versions. The tap beers were Pauwel Kwak, Westmalle Dubell, Blanche de Bruxelles, Kasteel Rouge and Bruges Zot. Tasting notes were helpfully provided on the menu and I opted for the last one as I’m not a fan of witbeer and this one sounded quite pleasant with it’s citrus notes and hints of coriander and it did indeed seem decent enough, although I’m certainly not an expert. Prices seemed high though with the cheapest one coming in at £5 per pint and rising to £7.40, although four of the five were quite strong (up to 8%) and only sold in halves.

On 22nd February 2015 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1937 recommendations about 1850 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about Strawberry Thief

This place was opened a couple of days prior to our visit in November 2014 by the same people behind the Hare in Bedminster. However, the two ventures are markedly different, as this is not a classic pub by any means – instead offering a range of draught and bottled Belgian beers and no cask ale. The most striking feature is that the place seems to run a strict table service policy and upon entering we were quickly met by an eager member of staff who tried to convince take a seat from which we could place our order. Undeterred, we ignored him and made our way through to the rear of the two rooms, where the bar is situated, and ordered directly from the barman, who insisted we take a seat at the table opposite before bringing our drinks over. I suppose this is how bars in Belgium operate, so perhaps they are just sticking to their theme. The two rooms are reasonably small with a mix of standard and high stool seating, bare floorboards and mosaic tile floors and gastro-style paint scheme. The rear room is decorated with the eponymous William Morris ‘Strawberry Thief’ wallpaper, depicting a repeated bird pattern, whilst other Morris designs appear in picture frames in the front room. Quite what Morris’ connection to either Bristol or Belgium might be is anyone’s guess. The servery occupies the right rear corner of the back room and is pretty basic with a white wooden bar back and a few enamel beer signs on the top shelf. Music played throughout our stay – I seem to recall quite a bit of REM but a distinct lack of Belgian artists.
There are five Belgian beers available on draught including Brugse Zot, Pauwel Kwak (seemingly minus the daft glass and holder) and Saison Dupont. I tried a half of the latter – a very easy drinking, refreshing beer. A menu lists the sizable bottled beer range which covers quite a range of strengths and styles.
This was a pretty weird drinking experience and the staff’s anxiety about ensuring we were seated and enjoying our drinks made it difficult to properly relax. This place might settle down and relax itself a bit over time, but initial impressions suggest that it’s a niche pub unlikely to stand up to repeat visits.

On 6th January 2015 - rating: 4
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]

External web links for The Strawberry Thief

Pubs Galore is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Jonathan Wilde
Bristol Temple Meads, 0.94 miles, 18 min walk (show)
Montpelier, 1.11 miles, 21 min walk (show)
Redland, 1.22 miles, 23 min walk (show)
Latest updates View all updates for The Strawberry Thief, Bristol
30th Jan 2024, 09:14
Review submitted by E TA
 
12th Aug 2023, 08:26
Picture submitted by Blackthorn _ approved

Pub Details

Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.

  • Accommodation : No last updated 06 January 2015 by Pub SignMan
  • Bar Billiards : No last updated 06 January 2015 by Pub SignMan
  • Beer Festivals : No last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
  • Beer Garden : No last updated 06 January 2015 by Pub SignMan
  • CAMRA Discount : No last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
  • Car Park : No last updated 06 January 2015 by Pub SignMan
  • Child Friendly : No last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
  • Darts : No last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
  • Dog Friendly : No last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
  • Function Room : No last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
  • Hot Food : Yes last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
  • Jukebox : No last updated 06 January 2015 by Pub SignMan
  • Karaoke : No last updated 06 January 2015 by Pub SignMan
  • Live TV Sports : No last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
  • Micropub : No last updated 07 October 2015 by Blackthorn _
  • Pinball : No last updated 06 January 2015 by Pub SignMan
  • Pool Table : No last updated 06 January 2015 by Pub SignMan
  • Quiz Night : No last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
  • Real Ale : No last updated 06 January 2015 by Pub SignMan
  • Real Cider : No last updated 06 January 2015 by Pub SignMan
  • Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
  • WiFi : Yes last updated 26 January 2024 by E TA
Local pubs

Icon Key: Picture Recommendation Rating Closed