Pubs and Bars / News
Gastropub permanently closes
In 2024 the son of Queen Camilla, Tom Parker-Bowles, gave a glowing four-star review of The Clifton in the Mail on Sunday.
He said: “This is a place that melds the big and bold with the light and lithe: a proper pub with serious food. Generous, too, in every way.
“A pub to be proud of, and yet another Bristol banger.”
is needed now More than ever
Yet, on Friday, the gastropub on Regent Street in Clifton Village announced with “heavy hearts and the deepest regret” that it was permanently closing.
Although the pub had been on Regent Street for years, and was formerly a Castle pub, it was taken over by new owners, Sarah and Tom Watts-Jones, in 2023 with a focus on serving high-quality food.
The husband-and-wife duo had, by that point, already taken over struggling pubs in Wales – in Aberthin and Cardiff – and transformed them into successful gastro pubs.
Their pub in Cardiff is currently in the Michelin guide and their pubs in Aberthin and Bristol have previously featured too.
Despite this success, in a statement on Instagram the pub owners admitted that it has been a “tough few years for hospitality; we’ve put our heart and soul into the pub over the last few years, but it’s not been an easy ride”.
They added: “Thank you to our wonderful team over the last two years, and to our lovely customers who have enjoyed food and drink with us. We’ll miss being in Bristol and part of this lovely village community.”
Main photo: The Clifton
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