The Lion

Superb quality of food, lovely friendly staff it’s really hard to beat this place.

Just for the ability to bump into Bill Maryon and David Gilroy I will give this 3 rather than 4 stars but make up an extra one for having great food and beer, plus a playground next door. I think 4 stars is a decent return.
Expect lots of parents of Hotwells School Children to be here most of late afternoon and early evening on a Friday.
Proper community pub. Very recommended. Unless you drive there, which is not recommended.

Update — quiz nights still on Wed, but no Spanish on Thursday and Irish music on Friday. Great food and beer. Friendly local pub. Family run. Excellent quiz, standing room only last night so get there early.

This pub evokes very old memories. My dad’s local when I was growing up. Saturday afternoons were spent accompanying him and joining two or three other men for a few hours as the only customers. There we would see, he with his beer and me with my Coke. Things were quiet, sometimes I got to play on the pinball machine.
It’s changed hands a few times since then and things have livened up a bit. Down in Clifton Wood it can be a bit difficult to find if you’re not from round here. The students seem to have managed it though. They have moved away from the old men sitting stoically at a bar feel to a more convivial atmosphere. Innovations include fair lights and cooked food. Everything has got a bit friendlier and brighter and I’m not sure if I like it. It’s still something of a locals pub and certainly much more down to earth than some of the gastropub places up in Clifton Village. The Lions taken steps to being a bit more of a pub for the whole family but hasn’t gone too far, fortunately.

The Lion is a great pub with a traditional feel. This is particularly present on Monday nights because this is the open mike night Irish music session. It’s an incredibly friendly atmosphere, and the perfect place to be on a cold winter night. If Irish music isn’t your thing, they also have Spanish lessons on Thursdays and a pub quiz on Wednesdays. It is quite hard to find though so you might want to bring a map.
(I haven’t rated it five stars, because as far as I can remember it doesn’t have a roaring fire. Can anyone tell me a pub that does in Bristol?)