Pubs and Bars / A-Z Bristol pub crawl
A-Z Bristol Pub Crawl: The Greyhound, Fishponds
The sky hangs grey over industrial buildings on Lodge Causeway and traffic is impatiently rumbling by, but inside the Greyhound, warmth and conviviality prevail.
“Shall I get some food in, boys?” asks a man in his 30s. “Oh, go on then,” his friend replies, a cheeky glint in their eyes as hands reach for a menu of burgers, wings and loaded fries from Really Good Burgers.
Their eyes dart to a table being served voluminous plates of food as the heady smell of meat and barbecue sauce wafts by.
is needed now More than ever
As the pair peruse the selection, a silver-haired woman clatters through the entrance and starts bobbing her head to a tune by LCD Soundsystem.
Exposed red brick and a repurposed stable to the rear of the Greyhound is a nod to its history as a coaching inn that dates back to the 1800s
It’s early evening on a recent weekday, and people are enjoying post-work pints and burgers in the Greyhound in Fishponds, where conversation is in full flow and a cluster of a dozen or so punters jostle at the bar to get their order in.
Two construction workers and a couple with matching shag haircuts are among them, plus a group of (presumably) students musing over a chalkboard cocktail menu solely dedicated to spritz, from rose to black cherry.
“I am alive and very well, thanks!” exclaims one as another couple comes to join them and engage in some jovial backslapping.
The clue is in the name for most of the decor at the Greyhound
Clearly a thriving local that caters to a cross-section of the community, the Greyhound was recently reopened by new custodians, World Famous Dive Bars Group, who are also behind the Mother’s Ruin, the Colosseum and the Crown.
The team has given the longstanding boozer a major makeover inside and out, including a huge mural of a greyhound on the pub’s outside wall by artist Shaun Sepr.
The canine-themed decor continues throughout with greyhounds popping up wherever you look, from sculptures on the bar to illustrations and photographs adorning the walls to more murals lining the beer garden.
A deceptively big beer garden was mostly empty on a recent visit to the Greyhound
“Cheers, guys,” says a bartender as he pours a customer a drink while waving off some smiley punters. He’s attentive and friendly, offering recommendations to an array of options, including brews from Bristol Beer Factory and Good Chemistry.
Some friends escape the hubbub of inside for a quick vape in the boozer’s rear where all is quiet as darkness falls, the only noise the growling of cars on the road and quiet chatter from patrons.
In start contrast to its industrial surroundings, the back garden has the feel of a countryside pub with exposed red brick and a repurposed stable a nod the boozer’s long and proud history dating back to the 1800s when it was a coaching inn.
Not long passes before the clock strikes 7pm and the group of smokers bundles back through the threshold, eager to return to the inviting warmth of the Greyhound.
The Greyhound, 80-82 Lodge Causeway, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JP
All photos: Betty Woolerton
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