Workout, Bristol

As described below, this is a bar and cafe within a gym business premises. Due to its customer base, mostly gym users and health evangelists, the food selection is somewhat limited and centres around faddy so-called health food. The young staff are sloppy and inefficient, and it definitely doesn’t have a pub atmosphere. It is quite pleasant, though, to sit on the benches outside at the back overlooking the dock when the weather allows. The décor is as described, though given the ‘gym floor’ look you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a Loungers. Still no cask ale or real cider available but they have tried to appeal to craft enthusiasts. On tap were Wiper and True’s Kaleidoscope and Tomorrow, plus Staropramen, Madri, Salt’s Jute IPA, Guinness, Pravha and Thatcher’s Gold. I probably won’t be back.

Official site of Workout - www.workoutbristol.co.uk

Official site of Workout - www.workoutbristol.co.uk

Not a pub in the traditional sense, but a bar within a gym, it is nonetheless open to non-members and there were a few punters in who did not appear to have been exercising on a recent mid-week visit. The entrance way is not particularly obvious, and other than a small blackboard outside advertising it, you could easily walk on past and not notice it. The first thing you encounter is the reception desk, but you can just walk on past that in to the bar. The bar area itself is a long and fairly narrow room without a great deal of any character, but clean, tidy and functional nonetheless. Flooring is some sort of pale wood strip with various coloured markings on it, such as you might get in a basketball court perhaps. Whether that’s just part of the theme, or whether it was originally something like that, I’m not sure. The walls were mostly fresh white plasterwork with a contrasting pale green wall at one end, and this hue was also extended to some of the exposed brick work pillars, whilst other pillars were painted in a much deeper green. Seating was mostly tables and chairs that looked to be fairly tightly packed in, along with a few brown velvet arm chairs. Patio doors were at the rear which presumably led to some sort of terrace and perhaps gave good views across the river, although as it was dark on our visit I could not confirm this. A large projection TV was at one end showing a sports channel, but at least the volume was off and a decent level of background music was playing instead. A selection of cakes were on the end of the bar, with the latte and gingernut sponge sounding particularly appealing I thought, and there were also a few sandwiches or similar in a small refrigerated unit. A number of items of colourful artwork were displayed on the walls, and it looked as though these were probably available to buy. A small shelf ran along one wall containing a small selection of pot plants and so on. Unfortunately there were no real ales on tap, but there was a good selection of keg options from local micros. Perhaps the throughput does not warrant any cask offerings. These consisted of Sky Above and Between Seasons from Left Handed Giant, Independence and Rockstar Breakfast from Bristol Beer Factory, Lost and Grounded’s No Rest for Dancers and an American Pale Ale from Wiper & True. The solitary cider was North Street. All in all, not my usual sort of place perhaps, but they have made a real effort with the beer selection, and it could well be a great spot in the warmer weather.

Having passed this place numerous times in a car, but today being on foot I ventured in and although it is part of a gym there is nothing of a gym downstairs just a bar/cafe area as it does food and that's how they've advertised it with harbour seating giving lovely views of the converted dockside warehouses on the Redcliffe side of the floating harbour. To the right there is a table tennis table and a bar on the left with large windows/doors out to the seating area alongside the Floating Harbour.