Spyglass (Three Brothers), Bristol

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Blackthorn _ left this review about Spyglass (Three Brothers)

For many years, the Spyglass floating restaurant has been something of a Bristol institution, being a sure sign that spring has arrived when it re-opened each year following it’s winter closure. Now rebranded as Three Brothers, the dining experience is a little more informal and there are a number of craft ale options on the bar.

Although based on a boat, the front part of the pub is covered dockside seating and this is also where the bar counter is. Immediately inside the door was a “Please wait here to be seated” sign, so quite what the arrangement is if you’re not dining, I’m not sure. There was a small waiting area to the right, so perhaps this is available for drinkers, but this does appear to be first and foremost a restaurant. A large tree has been left in situ with the pub built around it, and this made something of a feature in the middle of the room. Wooden decking covered the floor and an arched ceiling made of a canvas like material was stretched over a metal frame. A few jellyfish were swimming around in a tank next to the bar.

Food wise, the menu is pretty much exclusively burgers, with only a couple of other options such as hot dogs or salads if that’s not your thing. My Smokey Bro Burger with smoked Applewood cheddar, sweet cured bacon, house-made relish and crispy onions was a decent and tasty dish which I thoroughly enjoyed. At £8 I thought it was not bad value, although this was without fries which were charged extra if you wanted them.

Beers on tap were all keg rather than cask, but they had a few from local micros amongst the more mainstream options. On this occasion they were Arbor’s Boomtown Brown, Headlamp and Duet from Left Handed Giant, Sharp’s Orchard and Bristol Beer Factory’s Milk Stout. The menu listed another 30 or so in bottles or cans and they looked to be a pretty interesting selection from a range of brewers, such as Moor, Purity, Tiny Rebel, Meantime, Beerd and Robinsons. Ciders meanwhile were Orchard Pig Reveller and Thistly Cross Whisky cider, although the menu listed another five draught options which I hadn’t spotted on the bar. All in all I quite enjoyed this and they’ve certainly made an effort with the drinks selection. How much room there is to accommodate the non-diners though, I’m not sure.

On 29^th March 2016 - rating: 7
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