16 Regent Street,
Clifton,
BRISTOL,
BS8 4HG
The ViewBristol Review
If you haven’t been to The Clifton in the past few years you might be in for a shock. A massive refit has given this village staple a completely new lease of life.
The Venue
Set a few doors up from Pizza Express in Clifton village, The Clifton has two bar areas, a smaller one at the front which is available for private hire, and a larger one at the back which is set around the impressive open kitchen area.
Mismatched furniture and local artists’ work on the walls lend a comforting feel to this superbly decorated and entirely unawkward L-shaped space. There's no specific smoking area, but this can be forgiven.
The People
The staff have an uncanny knack of making each customer feel like they're part of the family. This is the perfect pub for post-work refreshments, chilled weekend lunches and pre-clubbing tipples and the staff seem to adapt to the needs of their customers.
And there's so much more to The Clifton than just being a local pub. There are chilled out beats from resident DJs on Sunday nights and live acoustic sets on Thursdays. On Tuesdays there's the rather epic Clifton Factor quiz, with a £30 bar tab up for grabs and all entry money going to a local charity. Don’t be surprised to see a group playing board games in the corner as these are also available.
The Food
If you think you can handle it, the pub’s burger is not to be missed. The classic 8oz at £6.90 would be quite enough but it’s easy to get carried away jazzing up your burger with all manner of bacon and mushrooms extras, despite the fact that it already comes with Maris Piper chips and Bloody Mary ketchup. If you're feeling really greedy you could go for the 10oz which is £9.95.
There are also plenty of snacks, categorised on the menu by how in need of food you are – hungry (£4) or just peckish (£3.50). Staff here know that Sundays are for reading the papers and relaxing with a drink, which is why they offer a roast with all the trimmings (vegetarian option available) for £8.90.
The Drink
Being in the West Country, this pub understands the importance of cider and therefore offers six different draught ciders and eight bottled varieties, all around the £3 mark. There is also a wide range of real ales and lagers both bottled and on tap.
Strawberry flavoured Fruli is worth a try for the adventurous, fruit-loving consumer. But if you're more of a wine drinker you should make a trip to here on a Wednesday when a bottle of wine that's usually just under £20 is reduced to £10. And to add to the fun, on these discounted wine nights they also have a magician wandering around the place.
The Last word
You can’t help but love The Clifton. Yes, the bar is small, and there’s no specific outside smoking area, but it has everything a good pub should, and a bit more besides.
The Clifton has been reviewed by 4 users