Cocktail barSpeakeasy£££Old CityTue-Thu 18:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-02:00; closed Sun-Mon
The Milk Thistle stacks four floors of hidden cocktail rooms behind an unmarked Colston Avenue door, Bristol's grand speakeasy with a whisky vault.
Signature drink: A whisky cocktail from the hidden vault list
Food: Bar snacks; dining in The Attic
Tip: Ring the doorbell and book ahead for weekends; the vault below street level takes small groups for whisky tastings.
British gastropubPub££Old CitySun-Wed 12:00-00:00; Thu-Sat 12:00-01:00; food 12:00-16:00
The Bank Tavern hides down a John Street alley in Bristol with an award-named Sunday lunch so popular its roast bookings sell out a year ahead.
Signature drink: A local ale while you wait years for a roast table
Food: Award-winning Sunday roasts and pub lunches
Tip: Sunday sittings for 2026 sold out again; weekday lunches need no booking and carry the same kitchen's cooking.
Cocktail barJazz pub£Old CitySun-Thu 12:00-00:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-01:00
The Old Duke runs free live jazz and blues every night of the week on King Street, a Bristol institution in a cobbled-street pub dating from around 1775.
Signature drink: A pint of ale with the trad jazz band three feet away
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Music is free every night; get in before 21:00 on weekends or listen from the cobbles with the overspill crowd.
British gastropubCraft beer pub££Old CitySun-Tue 12:00-00:00; Wed-Sat 12:00-01:00; roasts Sun 12:00-17:00
The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer runs 36 all-UK beer and cider lines inside a 1673 King Street building, Bristol's Grade II listed craft beer flagship.
Signature drink: Whatever rotating UK keg line is about to run out
Food: Modern British pub kitchen and Sunday roasts
Tip: Locals call it The Volley; once a rotating keg goes it is gone, so order the interesting line first.
Cocktail barBeer bar££Old CityTue-Wed 16:00-03:00; Thu-Sat 12:00-03:00; Sun 16:00-01:00; closed Mon
The Beer Emporium runs 32 keg and cask lines in vaulted cellars under King Street, the underground bar of Bristol's self-styled Beermuda Triangle.
Signature drink: A cask pour from the 32 underground lines
Food: Pepenero Italian kitchen with 20 inch pizzas
Tip: It pours until very late for King Street; the in-house Italian kitchen means the last pizza lands well after midnight.
British gastropubPub££Old CityMon 17:00-00:00; Tue-Thu 12:00-00:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-01:00; Sun 12:00-23:00
The Christmas Steps pours local craft beer in a c1600 building on Bristol's medieval stairway street, with a free jukebox and a serious kitchen.
Signature drink: A local craft pint on the medieval stairway
Food: Fresh, local lunch and dinner menu
Tip: The pub anchors the bottom of the historic steps; Ahh Toots' cake counter sits across the lane for afters.