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.
Editorially verified August 27, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Food program: 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.
Address: 17-18 King Street, Bristol BS1 4EF
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Gallimaufry mixes bar, kitchen pop-ups and nightly free music on Gloucester Road, the all-purpose local of Bristol's longest independent street.
Signature drink: A negroni during the free evening gig
Food: Kitchen pop-up residencies
Tip: A rotating pop-up runs the kitchen, so check who is cooking this season before you set your heart on a dish.
Grain Barge floats Bristol Beer Factory's pub on a 1936 grain boat off Hotwell Road, with deck views straight across to the SS Great Britain.
Signature drink: Bristol Beer Factory ale opposite the SS Great Britain
Food: Pub kitchen on the water
Tip: The top deck faces Brunel's ship; time a pint for golden hour and watch the harbour ferries cross.
The Highbury Vaults keeps a Victorian warren of snugs at the top of St Michael's Hill, the Kingsdown local where Bristol academics argue over ale.
Signature drink: A well-kept cask ale in the snug
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Find the model train that runs above the garden; the tiny front snug is the seat worth waiting for.
The Volunteer Tavern hides a 17th-century pub and walled beer garden off Old Market in Bristol, pouring small-brewery casks away from the traffic.
Signature drink: A changing microbrewery cask in the walled garden
Food: Bar snacks and pop-ups
Tip: The garden is a genuine secret sun trap; it sits two minutes from Exchange for pre-gig pints.
