Highbury Vaults

Our Take

One of Bristol's most beloved traditional pubs, famous for the working model train that trundles around the bar — a detail that's delighted drinkers for years and makes this one of the most genuinely unique pub interiors in the country. The real ales are excellent, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the beer garden out back provides proper outdoor drinking space when the weather cooperates. A characterful, truly broken-in pub with invariably excellent ale and a cosy atmosphere in winter that's matched only by its garden charm in summer. The kind of pub that every city needs but few manage to preserve. Perfect for afternoon sessions that feel properly local rather than curated. Bristol's most characterful traditional pub.