Credit: Good Company
Where’s the best pub in Bristol? It’s an argument that’s been raging longer than the city has been a city and isn’t likely to be solved soon. We have our own opinions, obviously. But The Times has put a good case forward for The King’s Head on Victoria Street, as it names ‘the best pub in every English county’.
Step inside and The King’s Head looks like a time capsule to a bygone era. When pubs were pubs and that sort of thing. This “pint-sized delight” dates from 1660 but has undergone a few updates to the early 20th century since then and not much further – including a magnificent mid-Victorian bar back and William Morris-style wallpaper.
Credit: Good Company
In actuality, the Grade II listed pub was only recently revived as an independently owned free house in 2022. The Bristol-brewery, Good Company – who also run The Good Measure in Redland – have largely preserved the pub’s historic interior, however. You’ll even find it serving old-school, chunky cheese and onion rolls from the bar
Convenentially located on the way to Temple Meads, the pub is known for serving independent cask ales and keg beers, usually at least one from Good Chemistry itself and small UK breweries. But the highlight has to be the ‘Tramcar Bar’, its unique snug area that’s shaped like a tramcar with a mirrored back bar, which you can find at the back of the pub.
Credit: Good Company
The Kings Head is far from the oldest pub in Bristol, but you’ll have a hard time finding a boozer that feels as historic. It’s the only Bristol pub of National Importance in the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)’s Heritage Listed Interiors but has managed to tap into the laidback and friendly atmosphere of the pub’s past too.
To learn more about Good Chemistry head here.