The Milk Thistle — Restaurant in Bristol

Fake classiness, pseudo speakeasy, overpriced and uncomfortable.

I was so excited to come to this bar expecting a quiet place to enjoy a drink with my partner before they leave the city. I heard that this bar was of a "speakeasy style" and would be "quiet and intimate". It was far from it.

They have this concept of a super private and exclusive bar but do not treat their customers as such. We had to ring a doorbell to get in (we made a booking) and we turned a corner to immediately be seated by the door frame... AT A PIANO. not even a working piano! It was sealed shut so that the piano lid could be used as a table. This wasn't a grand piano but an upright with a sloped lid that could barely hold any drinks.

We were also right in the main walk way so staff were literally running with bottles up and down very close to us and noisy arrivals of other customers through the door frame affect our conversation. My partner asked if we could move, to which the staff (possibly the manager?) came to tell us he was fully booked, even though the table next to us was empty for an HOUR.

We were served by a lady who told us consistently she "doesn't work here" and doesn't really know the drinks. Took our orders. Came back with the WORST cocktails I've had in my life. It just felt like they mixed all the alcohols together with no thought of how it would taste. We took a few sips but couldn't finish, virtually leaving them untouched.

The girl came back and asked if everything was OK, I told her honestly we didn't like them and she said again "I don't work here so I can't really recommend what you would like but I hear another one is good". This didn't feel me with confidence so I refused.

In the end we were so uncomfortable with the loud music, drinks and seating we decided to leave without finishing our drinks.

I took the drinks to the bar and asked for a bill which I thought would only be £22 as drinks were £11 each HOWEVER there were extra charges on top and had to pay over £24!!! I was shocked. Woman who dealt with my bill said I "should've told them and they would have changed the drinks" Thing is I did, and the other lady couldn't recommend me one. Made it feel as if it was my fault and I deserve to pay £24 for NOTHING. She asked me if I will be back. I said no.

Very upset as we don't go to fancy bars often. This was suppose to be a treat but it turned into a horrible experience that I had to waste a lot of money on.

My partner saw how distraught I was when I left and treated me to drinks at Aluna instead. It was FANTASTIC. It was the same atmosphere of loud music but it was a lot more spacious, comfortable, the drinks were AMAZING AND CHEAPER, and the staff were so friendly and accommodating. A much better place to go than this pseudo fancy place.

I was expecting Milk Thistle to be as classy as Circo or Opium in Bath which are fantastic quiet and intimate places. It couldn't be as much far from it!

Very disappointed, and also...

Absolutely fantastic bar to visit for some unique and tasty cocktails! We were initially a bit worried as I needed to adjust my booking and there was no answer on the phone but when we arrived and explained the situation, the host (never caught his name) informed us he was about to send an email to explain that it wouldn’t be a problem. Drinks were amazing! My personal favourite was the pico punch, which is a play on pico de gallo in a (very strong!) drink. I’m a fan of bloody Mary’s and this has a very similar taste profile (tomato, chilli) but the presentation was absolutely amazing! I don’t want to spoil the fun but it is fair to say I loved it. The best part of this bar is definitely the staff. The hosts and waiters we met (Shoutout to Will!) were so welcoming and informative. Something I really liked was when will sat down with us and talked through the menu, the story and how it works. They were also very accommodating (both myself and my partners phone had died and they very kindly let us charge her phone behind the bar which was very important once we stumbled out an hour and a half later! The decor is fantastic, perfect for setting the theme and the taxidermy is beautifully presented with a lovely personality for all of them! Overall I would recommend this cocktail bar to any fans of trying new unique drinks served by some of the loveliest...

How anyone could rate this place anything less than 5 stars is beyond me!

To start, I did feel a bit lost outside the venue and ended up calling to check if they were open. Stu kindly answered and explained I just needed to ring the doorbell (I did feel a little silly 😅), but he instantly put me at ease and made me feel welcome.

Once inside, I was seated at the bar and looked after by Will – an absolute legend. I mentioned I was a whisky drinker and shared what I liked. That’s when the real journey began. They introduced me to whiskies I’d never even heard of, and I was given an exclusive tour of their collection – absolutely mind-blowing.

The customer care and knowledge the team have is second to none. I was later introduced to Tom, who was just as friendly, passionate, and knowledgeable as Stu and Will. Honestly, this place is a hidden gem – the staff are incredibly welcoming, and the range of cocktails and whiskies is unbelievable.

I can’t recommend this place highly enough to anyone visiting Bristol who loves whisky, cocktails, and great company.

Wishing Will the best of luck on his upcoming adventures to Italy and Canada – you’ll definitely be missed by the team.

Thank you all for making my very first trip to Bristol such a...