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Image posted by Ian Mapp
Submitted on Monday, 12th February 2024
With picture contributions to 1067 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Siren's Calling, Bristol
Portishead
Postal town: Bristol
BS20 7QH
Served areas
Reviews of The Siren's Calling (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Ian Mapp left this review about The Siren's Calling
Hidden in plain sight between a posh chipper and the Co-op.
A perfect micro pub and easily my pub of a four GBG weekend. Inside, a deep red Chesterfield sofa spotted. Outside, a sun trap and perfect place to people watch. Knowledgeable staff that walked me through a wonderful selection of craft keg, traditional keg and a lot of Belgian and German choices.
After some deliberation, I plummed for a Good Chemistry Free Thinking keg IPA. Delicious and suited the outside drinking in the sunshine. In February.
On 12th February 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1337 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Siren's Calling
Was looking forward to coming back here but I got a fairly disappointing experience. Started off well with the BBF Fortitude (NBSS 3.5) but then downhill rapidly with ropey halves of Pitchfork (2.5) and Quantock Sunraker (2), with a huge mark-up noted on the halves. It was rammed, but keeping a beady eye on the bar it’s obvious that cider and keg are the big sellers here now. What’s the opposite of a virtuous circle? There’s no way ropey ales should be coming out of a capacity-packed beer bar…
December 2018
Located well-into the Marina complex at the dockside. This is a brand new opener in brand new building - so not much latitude for alteration or character-building, really. Nonetheless there are good views of the marina from the plated windows. Inside has a burnt orange painted wall interior, polished concrete floor, some proper local photography on canvas on the walls and a nautical nod with a mounted ship's wheel and rope suspended lights. Furniture is traditional, but a bit samey. Live music advertised. We were quite taken by the FA Cup of local breweries, a straight shoot-out based on how quickly a 9 could be drunk by the locals. An impressive selection of craft keg, cans and bottles on a menu with very reasonable prices (under £4 for a bottle of Duchesse, for example) as well as proper cider. Cask-wise, there are a number of pumps (six, was it? Can they shift them all during the week?) with a good range of styles. I tried beers from Animal (Oystercatcher - good nick) and BBF (Fortitude - very good nick). Friendly owners, who were happy to chat about the pub. Our Boxing Day evening visit shouldn’t have happened; it turned out they weren’t planning to open originally, but the locals got them to open up for a bit and they carried on well-past planned shutdown as people kept turning up, so a good sign. I was fairly keen on this one, though I do have a dog in the fight as a former resident of the town. Good luck to them, I will be making a beeline back here. Rated 7
On 1st September 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Siren's Calling
A new opening on Portishead’s popular marina development, in some ways it’s not the most inspiring location being in a fairly anonymous looking new build block alongside a coffee shop and a supermarket. That said, it’s got a great outlook down the whole length of the marina, and full height windows along the front of the pub make the most of this. It’s a shame though that there is no outside seating, that would really make a massive difference and there’s plenty of room. Perhaps that will come in time, although there may also be a licensing restriction that prevents it due to the residential apartments located directly above.
Internally it’s really lacking much in the way of any character with a polished concrete floor and plain walls painted in a shade of burnt orange. The bar counter is quite attractive with rustic wooden planks being affixed to the front as well as on the wall behind, and a row of imitation beer barrels were used for the keg taps on the back wall. Light fittings were suspended by thick ship’s rope and there were a couple of pieces of siren related artwork and a mirror on the walls, but overall the décor style is very minimalist and it could definitely have done with something to give it a bit more character. Seating was standard dark wood tables and chairs, with one sofa in the corner.
There was an eclectic selection of beers on tap which on this occasion were Fortitude and Milk Stout from the Bristol Beer Factory, Stonehenge Danish Dynamite, Azacca and Clouded Minds 99 Steps. A sixth pump appeared unused on our visit. Ciders gave a similarly unusual selection with three that I’d never come across before – Hunt’s Barn Screecher, Slack Alice and Crafty Nectar Number 7. The latter was a pretty decent pint and the friendly landlord informed me that it was a brand new one developed in Shepton Mallet but brewed in Herefordshire. Overall, I’ve mixed feelings about this. It’s a great location, unusual beer choice and friendly staff, but they really need to do something to create a bit more atmosphere, and from some of the Facebook reviews that I’ve seen, it would appear that most people have a similar view.
On 30th May 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1947 recommendations about 1860 pubs]
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- Official site of The Siren's Calling - sirenscalling.co.uk
- Facebook - The Siren's Calling, Portishead
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Siren's Calling - whatpub.com
Shirehampton, 5.46 miles, 1 hr 45 min walk (show)
St Andrews Road, 6.28 miles, 2 hr 1 min walk (show)
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 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Function Room : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Live Music : Yes last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Micropub : Yes last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Quiz Night : No last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 01 September 2021 by Quinno _
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
- WiFi : Yes last updated 31 December 2018 by Quinno _
