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Where to eat and drink at the Bristol Harbour Festival

Posted on: 21 Jul 2017

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A nigh-on exhaustive summary of where to eat and drink on the fringes of this year’s Bristol Harbour Festival, which takes over the city centre and harbourside this weekend.

Back for a staggering 46^th consecutive year, the multi-faceted, multi-venue Bristol Harbour Festival returns to the banks of the river for three days of nautical-themed japery, art and music. Participating locations, which will host some of Bristol’s best new musicians, include the Amphitheatre Stage, Thekla, the Grain Barge and the SS Great Britain, with festivities spreading from Queens Square to Spike Island and occupying much of the city centre.

 

Though the harbourside will no doubt be jam-packed with food and drink traders for the weekend, the festival represents an advert for the area as it is, which brims with bars and restaurants all year round. Here are just a few of them:

 

The Bag of Nails

You might know The Bag of Nails as ‘The Cat Pub’ on account of the family of felines which swans around the pub’s interior, climbing its curtains, cosying up to its patrons and living the life of Riley. Perhaps not one for allergics or dog-lovers, this is however a public house for the discerning beer drinker, with a rotating range of real ales that really is the cat’s pajamas – and at the bottom of Jacob’s Wells Road, it is spitting distance from the harbour.

 

The Golden Guinea

Just across the river from the main thrust of the action is The Golden Guinea in Redcliffe, which purports to be ‘Bristol’s Best Backstreet Boozer’ – and it is difficult to disagree with this piece of plosive alliteration. With a rotating cohort of guest ales on hand to accompany their traditionally hearty range of bar food, this is a place to catch a bit of respite just out of the festival’s immediate line of sight.

 

The Smoke Haus

The Smoke Haus doesn’t really do small. Big on flavour, portions and menu, their offerings will satisfy the vast majority of taste-buds, appetites and cravings. Recently opened in Colston Tower, they serve up new-style American food straight outta the south, where the meat is tender and smoke is king.

 

Spoke and Stringer

One part trendy restaurant, one part  (even trendier) ride culture shop, Spoke and Stringer united the two seemingly disparate demographics of Bristol’s skaters and brunchers. Sitting right on the docks, this is the ideal spot for a bit of munch prior to heading for the festivities.

 

The Rummer Hotel

Stationed just out of earshot of the festival in Bristol’s old city is The Rummer, a bar which, contrary to its spiced, brown title, specialises unapologetically in gin, with a glittering selection of the more transparent spirit up on display behind the bar. It is not just for these, however, that the hotel has grown to be considered one of the main reasons for which Bristol is now so renowned for its gin. The hotel plays host to a microdistillery, which is put to good use in creating its own eclectic range of alcoholic idiosyncrasies.

 

Seamus O’Donnell’s

Home of the finest pint of Guinness you’ll find this side of the Irish Sea, Seamus O’Donnell’s is the emerald heart of Bristol and one of its favourite pubs, situated spitting distance from the festival next to St Nicks Market.

 

The Crown

Another St Nicks boozer of kingly quality, The Crown is the perfect place at which to make a royal appointment this weekend. With a well-stocked back bar and food served until 9pm, there is something for everyone in this subterranean watering hole.

 

Spike Island Café

A hop across the harbour from mainland Bristol is Spike Island, the art gallery which shares a name with the promontory on which it sits. Catering to the hungry cognoscenti is its accompanying café, which serves up all manner of health-inclined offerings. 

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