[Bru-list] Extra February meeting(s)

[Vince M Hudd]

On 18/02/2020 22:11, Contact (3rdevent.net) via Bru-list wrote:
> Vince M Hudd via Bru-list wrote:

[...]

>>> or the Mall has two floors. All do  food afaik

>> Also appears to require booking. (Looks like the same basic website 
>> design as the Clifton.)

> I've only been there in the day and wandered in without any problem of 
> getting a table/food, maybe the evening is different?

Could be... or it could be like The Black Castle, where you can wander 
in, but booking is useful for larger groups so they can ensure you're 
all together. Dunno - I just noted a booking button on the website.

> And well, like the Clifton it's "in the Village", so tend to get people 
> try to keep with the joneses there.

There's that as well. :)

>> More wandering around the map...

>> Nova Scotia: https://www.novascotiabristol.co.uk/

> I'd be surprised if they do food. It's not very big inside.

The website mentions it - and the menu on the site seems to have a 
fairly good choice. There's a PDF version:

https://www.inapub.co.uk/uploads/dbfiles/03c5aa20484748d2b30c9db921a0ea36.pdf

(Why on Earth that's hosted elsewhere, rather than on their own site I 
don't know).

>> A couple of Butt Combs (snigger... I'm a child):

>> The Cottage Inn: https://www.butcombe.com/pubs/the-cottage/
> Cottage will likely be very busy.

I thought it might be. I used to get taken their as a nipper when we 
visited family that lived not far away from it - it's a nice spot, so I 
can easily imagine it being busy.

> Same with the Pump House and the Grain Barge around there (waterside and 
> you've got all the new builds)

I did check the Pump House on my first round of looking, and dismissed 
it without mentioning it for some reason I've now forgotten.

[looks again...]

Oh yeah. The prices. :)

http://the-pumphouse.com/

When I worked along Hotwells Road (latter half of the 1990s) I used to 
pop in there occasionally for lunch. It was okay back then.

Grain Barge I didn't spot.

Ugh - https://www.grainbarge.com/ - they can take that small wall of 
capitalised text and shove it right up their own barge!

Anyway, looking beyond that awful example of awfulness, I note the "book 
a table" button at the top.

I see on the map where it is - I'm sure I've eaten there back in the 
1990s (ex-Hotwells Road ex-client) but I don't remember it being called 
the Grain Barge. I used to park in their bit of space quite often as 
well when I couldn't find anywhere on the road itself. ;)

>> The Hatchet Inn: https://www.butcombe.com/pubs/thehatchet/
>>   (Looks like booking required for these, so probably not).

> Didn't know Hatchet had been acquired by Butcombe, probably okay now 
> (used to be a bit of a goth/student pub a while back), I've avoided it 
> since their policy of no dogs. But it's an historic pub basically slap 
> bang in studentville, so no idea how busy it gets. But then the King 
> William on King Street was a student pub at one point because of drinks 
> price back then, we've been in there in the past and it's been mary 
> celeste, so who knows?

[Looks up the King William]

No website - so I can't see what their menu is like, but the images 
linked to it on Google Maps show they definitely do food. Two images 
jump out... one with really manky looking chips and a comment that the 
food was awful, one with a plate of fish & chips that looks quite 
appealing...

Oh, and one from last month showing all the urinals marked out of order. 
(That's sort of food related because 'urinal cakes') ;P

>> The Hole in the Wall: https://www.theholeinthewallbristol.co.uk/

>>   (Looks like booking required... but have we not been there before - 
>> after leaving the Air Balloon, and before settling on The Hope and 
>> Anchor?)

(Or was it the King William I was thinking of when I said that? 
Whichever it was, ISTR parking on Queen Square, so it was close to there.)

> Hole in the Wall is okay, but it does get busy.

Busy. Ugh. We should have the pub to ourselves! ;)

>> The Barley Mow: https://www.bristolbeerfactory.co.uk/barleymow
>> (I may be looking at a map, but I'm lost now!)

> Barley Mow's food and beer used to be great, but not been in there after 
> their chef and bar staff left and everything seemed to go downhill.
> But that's not to say they may have sorted that out now.

Meanwhile, Chris described it as excellent... Chris; how far back does 
that review go?

(The website only shows 'sample' menus - both titled 'festive' so 
presumably they were in use over the Christmas period - and on the 
subject of food the site - unsurprisingly - talks it up.)

>> The Steam Crane: http://thesteamcrane.co.uk/food/

> Steam Crane near me?, bit off the track I think.

North Street. TBH, I suspect I'd be driving around all night trying to 
find a parking space. (Although that theory is based on when I've had to 
visit clients in the area - during the working day!)

> Thursday's weather isn't going to be great by all accounts, so tell 
> Bryan to bring his brolley and wellies.

When he commented that he'd probably come to wherever we're meeting from 
wherever he's being touristing, he reminded me that he does subscribe to 
this list, so:

Bryan - bring your brolly and wellies. :)

> This also may factor places that are normally busy, may be quiet?
> Any of the Butcombe places will be consistent on food. I suspect I could 
> include BBF's Grain Barge and Barley Mow (if it's sorted out now) in that.

Both of which looked at above.

> Butcombe also own the Ostrich round the corner from Hole in the Wall, 
> but I've been told it's having a refit at the moment, so not sure if 
> it's open or not.

I saw the Ostrich, and dismissed it - can't remember why.

[looks it up]

[waits forever and a day for the website to appear]

That might have been why! ;)

Okay, enough has appeared now that I can see a booking button at the top 
- that might also have been why.

> You've made me curious about the Hatchet now ;)

Fun story about the Hatchet - although it wasn't the Hatchet then. This 
was when I was 17 and at my first place of work, so around the Middle 
Ages. A friend and I used to meet up there at lunchtime for a pint. This 
stopped on my 18th birthday - when we went in there as usual, and they 
refused to serve me because I looked too young. :(

(It wouldn't have annoyed me had that been the first time I'd been in 
there, but I'd been getting served there two or three times a week for
several months!)

On the basis that we have at least one person describing it as 
excellent, I'm inclined to think we should give Barley Mow a try. (We're 
running out of time to decide otherwise!)

-- 
Vince M Hudd
Soft Rock Software - www.softrock.co.uk
RISCOSitory        - www.riscository.com