The Lansdown is the sort of convivial pub most people would like to have as their local. It’s also one of those pubs with something interesting enough going on seven days a week to attract drinkers from all over.
A handsome Georgian pub that still boasts original gas lamps in the bar decked out in huge flags for the participating countries, this Clifton landmark is a particular draw during the Six Nations. As well as TVs inside, rugby fans can watch all the action on a large screen in the heated marquee that takes up most of the courtyard beer garden.
But there’s a reason to visit The Lansdown whichever day you choose. On Mondays, all cask ales are just £4 a pint and on Tuesdays there are 2-4-1 deals on burgers.
Swing by mid-week and it’s ‘Wing Wednesdays’ that draw a crowd between 4pm and 9pm. The wings cost £5.50 for 500g or £10 for 1kg, served with a choice of buffalo, BBQ or chipotle sauce.
On Thursdays, there’s a ‘two Camdens for £10’ offer. That means a decent saving on pints of Camden Hells, Pale Ale or Stout.
For those drinkers heading to the pub on a Friday, double shots of house spirits are £5. The mixers are sold separately but that’s still a bargain for those who prefer a drop of the hard stuff.
The kitchen at The Lansdown opens every day apart from Monday. From Tuesday to Saturday, between 5pm and 9pm, the menu includes sharers like nachos (£8), burgers from £12.50 and main dishes include haddock and chips (£15), sausage and mash (£12.50) and scampi and chips with mushy peas for £13.50.
You can wash it all down with a wide range of draught beers, lagers and ciders including Asahi, Camden Stout. There are also up to four real ales available – the choice last week included Dark Star Hophead, Fuller’s London Pride and Fuller’s Grand Slam.
There’s also a vast choice of gin, rum and whisky including several from Bristol Distilling Co. They are all listed on special drinks menus placed on tables.
But it’s the Sunday roasts at The Lansdown that are gaining a strong local following. They start at £14.50 for the vegan Wellington and climb to £21 for the dry-aged striploin of West Country beef with roast potatoes, glazed carrots, red cabbage, broccoli, parsnip puree, Yorkshire pudding and bottomless gravy.
For those with heartier appetites on Sundays, there’s also a trio of roast beef, pork and chicken £26 with sausage stuffing, pigs in blankets and crackling. And for groups of friends or families, there’s even a whole roast chicken serving 2-3 people for £45 including ‘all the trimmings’, pigs in blankets and cauliflower cheese.
Served in the middle of the table for family-style sharing, it’s certainly a Sunday roast in keeping with this charming pub’s home-from-home atmosphere.
The Lansdown, 8 Clifton Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1AF.