Hold onto your pint glasses Bristol, because we’ve officially hit peak pub glory. The Daily Telegraph has hand-picked the best 500 pubs in the UK, and ten of them hail straight from our very own cider-splashed city. Each pub was carefully selected, based on their “charming character, welcoming staff, rich history, and award-winning beer”. The list was curated by Will Hawkes, a certified pub expert who has been writing about them for decades.
Here is the full list of Bristol pubs that made the cut:
1. Bag of Nails (Hotwells)
Bristol’s very own iconic cat pub, a quiet, cosy haven where cats roam freely and judge without restraint. From the moment you step inside, it’s clear: you are merely a guest in their feline kingdom. This is a no-frills, proper pub, the kind that just happens to be ruled by indifferent, whiskered residents who couldn’t care less about your day. Spread over two floors, the upstairs offers a mix of board games and background radio. Come for the beer, stay because Nigel has claimed your lap and you dare not move.
2. The Highbury Vaults (Kingsdown)
UoB pub royalty, and now officially crowned among the UK’s top pubs, Highbury Vaults has earned its legendary status. Long the unofficial HQ for students fresh from a gruelling stint in the ASS Library, it’s where “just one” rarely means just one. Everything about it screams classic student haunt: creaky wooden beams, an excellent beer garden, and that familiar low hum of procrastination disguised as productivity. Whether you’re celebrating an essay submission or just dodging one, this is the spot where academia meets ale.
3. The King’s Head (Redcliffe)
A quirky old pub you might stumble upon by accident, but quickly adopt as your favourite. Decent prices, fun beer, and traditional charm, it’s a tiny gem that packs a lot of character into a compact, oddly-shaped space.
4. The Barley Mow (St Philip’s)
Barley Mow is perfect for craft beer nerds who pride themselves on their love of niche IPA’s. The shelves are stacked with options that make your head spin (the prices do too), but you pay for what you get. Prepare to hear phrases like “tropical hop profile” without irony. If you’ve ever attempted home brewing, this is where you’ll find your people! The Barley Mow is also the home of a 10/10 Sunday roast.
5. The Nova Scotia Hotel (Hotwells)
The Nova Scotia is a classic Bristol pub that knows how to do summer right. With a beer garden that catches the sun and views of the river, it’s lively but never overwhelming, making it perfect for both casual afternoons and spirited evenings. If you want to enjoy Bristol’s outdoor pub culture without sacrificing good beer, the Nova Scotia won’t disappoint.
6. The Orchard Inn (Harbourside)
The Orchard Inn is the embodiment of Bristol spirit. If you like cider, and I mean real cider, the sort that comes in a jug and could floor you in two pints, The Orchard Inn is holy ground. Just off the harbourside, it’s all old barrels, rope decor, and locals who can recommend a scrumpy that tastes like apples but hits like a train. They do beer too, apparently. But that’s not really the point.
7. The Llandoger Trow (King Street)
Right in the middle of King Street, Bristol’s cobbled corridor of quality pubs, outdoor benches, and live music, the Llandoger Trow is Bristol’s historic heavyweight, with over 300 years of stories lurking in its timber-framed walls. It’s said to have inspired parts of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, which means you’re literally drinking in literary history. Inside, the maze-like layout and old wooden beams create an atmosphere that’s equal parts cosy and mysterious.
8. The Green Man (Kingsdown)
Image via Google Maps
The Green Man is a staple of Kingsdown, with solid pints and decent live music. But the real star here? The Wednesday night pub quiz. In my ever so humble opinion, it is one of the best in Bristol (second only to the Hope and Anchor, obviously). So if you fancy a Wednesday night not spent on the Triangle dressed as the Lorax, you know where to go.
9. The Avon Packet (Southville)
Run by the same man for over 40 years, the Avon Packet is a “proper” pub in every sense. Good beer, regulars who run the place as much as the landlord, and a hidden beer garden with a suspiciously large brick pit (rumoured to be an old bear-baiting ring, because why not). It’s old school, it’s local, and it’s still going strong.
10. The Swan with Two Necks (St Jude’s)
This pub feels like a hidden bit of Old Bristol. Low ceilings, flagstone floors and pints under £6. It’s got that slightly scruffy, deeply charming energy that makes you feel like you’ve earned your pint just by finding it. If you like pubs that haven’t been revamped since the invention of carpet, this is your place.
