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Image posted by Quinno _
Submitted on Monday, 8th April 2024
With picture contributions to 5086 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Llandoger Trow, Bristol
Old City
Bristol
BS1 4ER
Served areas
Reviews of The Llandoger Trow (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Llandoger Trow
A pub of two halves. An effort has been made to get it back to muster which has worked fairly well; a chunk of the original history was put in a skip years ago but the current incarnation does a fair job of bringing back some olde worlde ambience. To the front there’s a big main bar with another (and busier) rear room with more atmosphere. Look out for the impressive carved wood fireplace, not sure whether this is original or has been bussed-in. The toilets, however, were a disgrace - the worst I’ve been in for many a year. The pub is alleged to be haunted and you can see a weird white apparition on my photo of the fireplace so you be the judge. Now GBG listed, I found five cask and a good range as well as a range of craftykeg and forrins. Plenty of staff on for Saturday night though they were far more interested in chatting in a huddle than serving customers; I had to wave a note and shout when it became clear that they were not going to serve anyone. One of them grumpily broke off to serve a good Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout (NBSS 3.5). “Card only, is that cool?” she said. "I have no choice but to be cool" I replied. Whoosh…
Sadly, this place swung and missed. Maybe I’ll give it a go when it’s quieter - I want to like it.
May 2013
Less a review, more an observation as I trundled past last week; most of the outside tables were left with empty glasses and debris on them despite it being a quiet afternoon. So I'm making the punt that things haven't improved one iota...what a waste.
May 2009
Popped in again because there was a beer festival advertised. A quick count revealed that all but three of the beers could almost certainly be purchased within a 10-15 minute walk elsewhere of the Trow. Nice one, manager. Rated 4
5 January 2007
A real beauty on the outside (dating from 1664) and located in a lovely part of the town centre near the docks. Unfortunately it's spoilt by having only two mainstream ales which often come out poorly and (shockingly, for Bristol) no proper cider. The inside is nothing special - in fact, getting a bit dilapidated. A classic case of a pub not fulfilling its (very big) potential. This could and should be one of the top 5 Bristol pubs but sadly it is nowhere near this. There's a lot of tales linking this to the Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island novels, so the history is here in spades. Oh and the name (according to Wikipedia) is derived thus "A trow was a flat-bottomed barge, and Llandogo is a village 20 miles north of Bristol, across the Severn Estuary and upstream on the River Wye in South Wales, where trows were once built. Trows historically sailed to trade in Bristol." Rated 5
On 5th May 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5125 recommendations about 5108 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Llandoger Trow
A very fine timber framed building,although one of the original gables was lost to the Luftwaffe.Someone also told me this was the first Berni Inn,not sure if that's accurate.
The cobbled area outside has a communal seating arrangement of pic nic benches used by all punters to this pub and the Old Duke and Kings Street Brewhouse,but the interior is where the interest lies.On the ground floor the main tap room is directly ahead of the entrance,with a very fine fireplace with wood carved surrounds just beyond the bar,before a rear section with wood panelling but dark due to a lack of natural light.The corridor to the loos also contains interesting features.Off the tap room to the left is a square room overlooking the pavement scene but strangely decorated in modern light shades with much less interest than elswhere.
Sadly the wooden staircase to the higher levels was roped off so no further exploration was possible,my visit was on a quiet Wednesday lunchtime,a visit at busier times would no doubt reveal more on the upper floors.
The ale options on my trip were Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout,Wye Valley HPA,TT Golden Best and Kelham Island Pale Rider (NBSS 4,I assume now brewed by Thornbridge ).The crew sampled widely and all ales were top notch in condition. There is also a bewildering choice of up to 25 craft kegs with the beer list on a wall mounted display.
I really enjoyed my trip,since reopening there is much to admire,not least the ale selection.Don't miss this out on any real ale crawl of the Old City.
On 29th May 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2737 recommendations about 2737 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Llandoger Trow
Third pub crawl in Bristol and this has made the GBG - so added onto my latest visit. Couldnt wait to visit.
I love having free range to wander around such buildings. This had upstairs to navigate and at times, I found myself in whole rooms to myself.
History well described here and on their Wiki page. I love that it has grown organically by purchases more of the gabled frontage and then shrunken quite rudely at the hands of the Luftwaffe.
Beer wise - where to start. An array of 27 keg lines on a chalkboard - offering the finest wares from Bavaria, Czech republic and Cheltenham. And with all this choice.... what did I have..... Timothy Taylor Landlord.
It was perfect but I felt like I should have broadened my horizons.
Front area seems to share outdoor space with the pub opposite. I suppose the truly frugal could easily BYOB and enjoy the same experience as others.
I'd class it as a must visit for the history.... and an interesting beer selection (should you be more adventurous than me).
On 28th March 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1347 recommendations about 1333 pubs]
View more reviews of The Llandoger Trow (5)
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- Llandoger Trow page at the Brewers Fayre site - www.brewersfayre.co.uk
- Facebook - The Llandoger Trow
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Llandoger Trow - whatpub.com
Bedminster, 1.17 miles, 22 min walk (show)
Montpelier, 1.42 miles, 27 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : Yes last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : Yes - Front seating on the cobblestones - last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : Yes - 10% - last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Function Room : Yes last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Quiz Night : No last updated 28 May 2015 by Jonathan Wilde
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Wheelchair Access : No last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
- WiFi : Yes last updated 05 May 2024 by Quinno _
