Bay Horse — Restaurant in Bristol

My daughter, grandson, best friend and her children went to the Bay Horse for a meal on Monday 3rd of August 2020, to take advantage of the Eat Out to Help out scheme. We ordered a Hunters Chicken, sausage and mash, a burger meal and 3 kids burger meals. My friends Hunters Chicken was still partially raw, the pink, bouncy chicken breast dripping with pink juices! She ate some before noticing and now she is very anxiously awaiting food poisoning! We then quickly checked the kids burgers to ensure they were fully cooked, thankfully they were!

The managers response was, "well it doesn't look raw to me!" After I explained that juices in chicken should run clear, the meat should not feel bouncy and it should not be pink, she apologised and gave a refund for her meal and offered her a pint of Stella on the house! A mere token to make up for Salmonella that may occur!

My sausage and mash wash also poor. The mash was dried like Smash instant mash and the sausages, which had a nice flavour of, sadly, were dry like they had been microwaved. All the burger meals were fine.

The table where we were sat was by the door. Each time a customer or staff member went in or out of the door it slammed very loudly behind us! Scaring the hell out of the kids! And making us jump a few times too!

In addition the manageress was observed outside, arguing with someone on the phone, shouting and swearing in the process! Not at all professional in front of the establishment!

Two positives though were the politeness and warmth of the bar staff and the very good social distancing measures in place. But this was not enough to ensure a positive experience.

I DO NOT recommend eating here, unless you want food poisoning and disappointment, despite the meals being so cheap! Very very disappointing evening. The first night we have eaten out since before lockdown too and we were so looking forward to it. The food a few years ago used to be lovely! Wasted evening and...

A rather nice, old City Centre Public House. I have visited several times usually once a month for a Social. I find quite a lot to recommend it. There is nice area to the side, down three steps that has several tables and chairs, quite cosy. The bar itself has a wide range of drinks available including Amstel and Heineken, I usually have Stella Artois. Food is available as is Sky Sports on TV. The period features are nice, and the décor features many photographs of Bristol.

It can get packed, especially as Sky Sports are shown and as a result, especially noisy at times. Generally, the bar service is good, not left hanging around. I find it can get very crowded sometimes, so one can seem lost in a sea of people. The toilets are nothing to write home about, but you can use them. Equally with the alcove to the side, depending on how many turn up, that too can get very packed.

Prices are certainly more reasonable than by The City Docks and its biggest strengths are its period charm, central and easily accessible location (near the Bus and Coach Station and on Bus routes, not far from the City Docks and the Older parts of Bristol) and its wide range of drinks. Importantly for me it serves Stella Artois so good for me.

If you needed a space to hold a social gathering, the fact it has an alcove to the side with seating, tables and a side entrance on a lower level than the main room is a plus point. Not every pub has such a facility I note, certainly compared to the modern ones in the City Docks.

Whether you want somewhere quiet would depend on the time of day and what is in vogue on Sky Sports during the year but overall recommended by me as a nice Pub...

A Champions League Catastrophe

Venturing out on a Champions League night while working away, I sought a classic pub experience: a pint of fine ale or refreshing lager and a hearty meal. Instead, I stumbled upon a culinary nightmare.

The menu, rather than offering just the usual pub fare of pies, burgers, and chips, presented a monstrosity: the Beyond Meat Sprout Pesto Burger. A concoction that defies logic and taste. A plant-based patty, a pungent pesto, and a heaping pile of sprouts? It's as if the chef had a personal vendetta against food.

The plant-based patty, in itself is bad enough. But then sprouts? Sprouts, the bane of Christmas dinners everywhere? A vegetable so universally disliked, it's often relegated to the dinner plate as a punishment. And now, it's been elevated to burger status.

My ancestors, the valiant hunters and gatherers, would be turning in their graves. They fought and sacrificed for the right to enjoy a good steak or a hearty roast. Little did they know their legacy would be reduced to this: a sad excuse for a meal.

I left the pub, disillusioned and fearing I could...