Bristol Nightlife

This is a new mico-brewery, part of a small chain (with a couple more in london) that's only recently opened. Been down there a couple of times in my last trips to Bristol and really like it - some great beers and good food...

Its a bit trendy and the decor can feel a bit cold when its empty, but popular and lively later on...

The terraces are nice in the sun - great views.

Most of central bristol is a bit of a jungle friday and saturday nights, but King Street is not...

There's several bars and restaurants there - avoid Club Med or whatever its called like the lepper it is - but go to the Old Duke (jazz pub) and opposite the Llandoger Trow (allegedly inspiriation for the 'Admiral Benbow' in Treasure Island)

Dress Code: Old Duke: its Jazz man, cool daddy-o!

Llandoger: Long John Silver..

Bristol`s Colston Hall is a venue where you can watch all kinds of events including concerts and wrestling.
In the 80`s I had tickets to go and see Adam Ant but unbeknown to us the concert had been cancelled. We didn`t find out until we travelled all the way to Bristol so we ended up going ice skating instead.

I have seen professional wrestling there with the likes of Pat Roach who pushed past me and Big Daddy who let me carry his suitcases for him.

Dress Code: Anything you want within reason, depending on the event.

This is one of the biggest and best clubs in Bristol. I has two levels which plays Dance music and a small room upstairs that plays RnB and hip hop. Always packed on the best night Thursday and also Sat but only go on those days

Dress Code: Smart casual you wont be aloud in with ripped jeans!

The Waterfront - There is a real mix of bars and clubs - from the art/media centre 'The Watershed', which includes two cinema screens to Lloyds - bright, brash and not particularly my scene, but it attracts a lot of the bright young things. 'The River' is one of my favourite places for a drink - they do fabulous cocktails! Next door is 'The E Shed' - bright red walls and a good vibe, and they do quite cheap pizza.

Across the Pero Bridge is the Arnolfini, another art gallery and cinema complex. It has a wonderful bar for spotting the trendy, it is currently undergoing refurbishment and will be open in 2005. In the summer, the Waterfront is where everyone hangs out with the proverbial British pint.

If you walk from the Waterfront to Prince Street, you come across the largest Georgian square in Europe - a wide open space surrounded by town houses (unfortunately most are now offices). Walk diagonally across the square to King Street, which has one of the oldest pubs in Bristol - the Llandogger Trow. It is thought to be the inspiration for 'The Spyglass' in Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island', and is quite beautiful - white washed with black beams, this is a typical 'Ye Olde English' pub.

Opposite is one of my favourite haunts, 'The Old Duke' - a tiny pub but with a fantastic reputation for great live jazz. Entry is free, and it's best to arrive as early as possible in order to get a seat. If you stick to this area of Bristol, you are guaranteed a good night out.

Dress Code: Bristol is a terribly laid back place (one advantage over London), and it is rare for a place to have a strict dress code. However, to be sure of no trouble, the general rule for men is 'no football (soccer) shirts and no trainers'. There are no rules for girls - you can see a lot of tipsy women trotting about in not-very-much late at night! I have never been with any friends who have had dress code problems though.

Many people who frequent Bristol may dissagree with me here, but I think the works rocks! Okay, it may not play all the latest jump-in-a-mosh-pit type music, but it does play classic cheese and whatever is in the chart. That's what I like to shake my funky stuff to, and if you do too, then you'll loveit too!

Dress Code: Smart but casual. i.e. no trainers, but you can wear jeans.

This pub is one of the oldest in Clifton, and has been notorious for decades. The reason is that it sells Exhibition cider, which is sweet and tastes of harmless apple juice. But it is about 8.6% alcohol, and in fact the pub will only serve it in half-pint measures due to it being so strong. During term time the pub is rammed full of students, and it can get a bit noisy and sweaty. The fun is watching the students trying to drink 5 Exhibitions, thinking it's innocuous, and then literally falling over unconscious! This is probably the only 'must-see' pub in Bristol and even has its own website.
You might need to go there early (i.e. before about 8pm) if you want to get a seat, or get in at all.... :-)

Dress Code: No dress code, it's a normal pub. On Friday and Saturday nights they have bouncers on the doors to stop it getting too crowded, so don't be surprised if you can't get in.

Bristol Hippodrome is one of the country's top theatres and one that keeps staging major West End and Broadway productions.
A true gem for Bristol and a great cultural refference

Dress Code: Smart clothes.... you are going to a Broadway show!!!! That is an occassion to dress-up