Pubs and Bars / Pub of the Week
Pub of the Week: The Albion
Cups of tea were being sipped with fingers in the air on a recent Saturday lunchtime at the Albion as second and third pints of beer were being ordered at the bar.
As heavy rain fell on the outside awnings, glasses clinked to toast the start of the weekend.
From the kitchen for a family of four who had dived into the pub to shelter from the rain and decided to stay for lunch, came Cumberland sausages, a mushroom and leak pie, and a chicken, bacon and avocado burger.
The quiet, however, was soon broken by a dozen polo-shirted men on the start of a stag do.
‘A Clifton icon with a Cornish soul’ is how the Albion describes itself. The iconic status is debatable but it has long been known to be the most Clifton of Clifton pubs.
A pub since the 1778 after originally being built as a stable block by wig maker and property speculator Thomas Boyce, the Albion was bought in 2014 by St Austell Brewery.
The Cornwall brewery’s beers had a clean sweep of the selection on draught on this recent Saturday including the Hybrid IPA and Anthem from their sister brewery Bath Ales, as well as the ubiquitous Tribute and Gem.
With a suntrap courtyard popular in the summer, the pub is also a fine location in which to hunker down in winter months next to its roaring fire.
As two university friends bumped into each other on their way out, more people were coming in to start their weekend with a cup of tea and a pint of beer.
The Albion, Boyce’s Avenue, Clifton Village, Bristol, BS8 4AA
0117 973 3522
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