The WG Grace is the eleventh JD Wetherspoon pub to open in Bristol and it occupies the site of the former Dragon Kiss nightclub.
Wetherspoons spent £1.1m transforming the building into the WG Grace but there is little in the way of actual WG Grace memorabilia to be seen. The rather tenuous link with the legendary Downend-born cricketer is the fact he used to play at the nearby Clifton College ground.
Instead, there are plenty of other Bristol references, including old bus and tram tickets, local photographs and a splendid wooden chest of drawers engraved with names of old Fry's chocolate products.
At the back of the deep building, there is an open kitchen and contemporary booth seating beneath black enamel factory lamps.
Food is served all day until 10pm and the vast menu will be familiar to Wetherspoon regulars, especially the £4.99 curry and a drink offer.
I counted at least eight real ales when I visited and these included O'Hanlons Stormstay, Ostlers Summer Pale Ale, Cotleigh Buzzard and Otter Head. Most ales were around the £2 mark and the pint I had was in excellent condition.
Although Wetherspoon followers have already poured through the doors since it opened two weeks ago, the opening of The WG Grace may not be so welcome by other pubs in the area.
I spotted quite a few regulars from other pubs when I visited, but then it's hard for smaller pubs to compete with Wetherspoons on price when many of the real ales are £1.99 – that's at least £1 cheaper than most pubs in the area – and you can buy two meals for £6.99.
It's not the first time a large pub has occupied this spot. It was a Rat & Parrot in the late 1990s, when Whiteladies Road was buzzing and known locally as The Strip.
Hopefully, the arrival of Wetherspoons will encourage other operators to move into the area, which is finally starting to show signs of a much-needed revival.
commercial real estate mortgage rates real estate investor websites online real estate investing classes
No comments:
Post a Comment