Pubs and Bars / Reviews
Club Haus, Welsh Back – bar review
“Mike, do you smell burning? I’ve smelled it for a while now.”
Not the best thing to hear from a member of staff talking to a regular customer at Club Haus on Welsh Back but I could smell nothing so I was not unduly concerned.
Anyhow, a vintage Pathé newsreel behind the reception desk cum bar showing games of table tennis from the days when men played in trousers and women in long skirts was enough of a distraction from any impending catastrophe.
And on the opposite side of the room was a view of the Floating Harbour, houseboats and converted warehouses that I had previously only glimpsed rather than had as a lingering view.
Club Haus takes up the reception area of Vivo Sports & Gym Club, formerly the Welsh Back Squash & Health Club, and while its clientele remain predominantly members this is open to the public and should become more well-known as the word gets out.
Since Caffe Gusto on another corner of Queen Square put a bicycle up on one of its walls, its coolness factor has faded for me. It’s rather like KFC serving pulled pork. But there is a vintage bike on one wall here, alongside mismatched tables and chairs and a floor that looks as if it could have once been a squash court, still with colourful court markings.
Any bar that has bottles of Wiper & True knows what it’s doing. For the more health conscious, there are smoothies and juices. Ensconced in a comfy leather sofa, I enjoyed a well-made flat white from among the choice of coffee and teas.
The food menu is unsurprisingly a healthy one, including porridge, granola, jacket potatoes and wraps, with people popping in for a workout able to order at the bar beforehand and have it ready for them on their return.
Club Haus is one of the most surprising new openings this year in Bristol. Soon you might even be able to ignore the horrendous 70s entrance and arrive by stand-up paddleboard from the water as the club links up with SUP Bristol.
Just ignore the burning.
Club Haus, Vivo Sports & Gym Club, Welsh Back, Bristol, BS1 4SB
0117 9378020