Five Bristol cocktail bars you may not have heard of

Five Bristol cocktail bars you may not have heard of

Posted on: 29 Mar 2024

Ah, to sit and sip on a mojito on a sunny beach, or a martini in a high-stakes casino – or what about sipping a zombie out of a skull-shaped cup atop a volcanic island?

Whatever your fantasy, cocktails are the ultimate scene-setter, a tasty, boozy ticket to being somewhere (and even someone) else.

But who wants to dream the same dream every night? Bristol has some excellent cocktail bars, but the same names crop up again and again. If you’re looking for somewhere a little different to get the mixological magic flowing, read on for our list of five cocktail bars you may not have been to.

 

Crying Wolf

 

This cosy little bar on Cotham Hill is a pagan-meets-suitjacket affair, with a mixture of understated classiness and intriguing darkness. Low, warm lighting illuminates natural wood, strange antler chandeliers, and a honking great bronze statue of an eagle (because why not?).

 

With a rotating menu of excellent house cocktails, and the skills on hand to make you any commonly-known cocktail, Crying Wolf is the perfect mix of novel and reliable.

Sidney & Eden

Just up Gloucester Road, this secret haven is criminally under-discussed – with a wide range of rotating cocktails including plenty of fun twists on old classics (Jaffa Cake Old Fashioned, anyone?), Sidney & Eden have definitely got their cocktail chops on show.


Speaking of show, Sidney & Eden is a great place for events too – they have multiple regular comedy events, including a live gameshow, as well as a free grindhouse cinema event in their basement space.

Filthy XIII

 

This Cheltenham Road bar manages to flit between the cocktail bar of duality of fancy or tacky into something else – just cool. Relaxed and stylish, with a reputation for hip-hop soundtracks and Taco Tuesdays, don’t let their laid-back style fool you – the team at Filthy XIII are clearly passionate about cocktails, with an extensive menu from classics to house specials, and everything in between.

To The Moon

Tucked away on Midland Road, just off Old Market, To The Moon is a great place to go if you’re looking for a little boogie with your cocktail. To The Moon has regular DJs playing for free every Friday & Saturday, as well as a programme of other events throughout the year.

 

They mainly specialise in classic cocktails, but they do them well – check out their Long Island Ice Tea for one of the best around.

The Library

If you enter the Library by day, you’ll find yourself in a charming, vintage tea parlour with an acclaimed afternoon tea service – but enter by night and this speakeasy transforms into a high-class cocktail bar, complete with a custom cocktail menu (and a smart-casual dress code).

Read more:

Article by:

Patrick Bate

Patrick is a filmmaker with so much Bristol in his blood the white blood cells are graffiti'd. Educated at the Northern Film School in Leeds, he’s returned home to be a Videographer and Reviewer for 365Bristol and BARBI. When he’s not messing about with cameras, he enjoys playing guitar, spending far too much time on tabletop RPGs, and being an awful snob about cider. Have a look at his work here, or get in touch at patrickb@365bristol.com.