Address: Quay Head House, Colston Ave, Bristol BS1 1EB, United Kingdom
Phone: +441179294429
Rating: 4.5
based on 151 reviews.
Atmosphere & Decor
Pros:
"After knocking on the door and being collected (yup, one of those secret type bars) you'll no doubt be impressed by the interior."
"The interieur is quite dark but there are candles on all tables which sets a nice mood."
"Although quite dark your eyes are drawn to the random items hanging on the wall."
"The venue is a little like a traditional London club - leather seating, high ceilings, plenty of dark wood, great for small groups to chat."
"Beautiful wood panelled colonial gentleman's club style bar with eclectic taxidermy."
"Behind a unobtrusive doorway is one of the nicest buildings in Bristol containing some of the nicest cocktails!"
"It feels like you're stepping in to some kind of special secret society."
Cons:
"Where we were sitting as a group, we could hardly hear each other over loud music, which was very frustrating."
"Just loud enough to struggle hearing friends across the table, and we all ended up needing to shout to hear each other."
"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."
"It is quirky but was really dark and I was a bit suspicious it was filthy maybe."
"Interesting interior (let down by the White board on show behind the bar)."
"The huge antlers might be going a bit far!"
"I'm unsure about accessibility—make sure to check ahead of time if required."
Service
Pros:
"Lovely service, if you looking in a premium place where they offer premium drinks and food then here is the perfect place to be."
"The staff are very friendly and helpful, with explanations of the menu and recommendations."
"Full table service is available the team are really knowledgeable so feel free to ask away no wrong answers."
"Very atmospheric and the crew were very attentive to make sure you ordered the correct drink."
"Friendly attentive staff, on point cocktails, great service."
"Everyone working here are happy and friendly."
"The service from Ali was impeccable."
Cons:
"The service terrible."
"Bar staff & door staff extremely rude to myself and group of friends."
"Not the most welcoming greeting when I first arrived."
"Lying to the customer and not providing any notice of the cancellation is unacceptable."
"We were served by a lady who told us consistently she 'doesn't work here' and doesn't really know the drinks."
"A manager recommended we 'go home' at 8.30pm after spending £99 which was upsetting during a weekend visit from Northern Ireland."
"We were recommended to go here, unfortunately we were ignored for at least 20 minutes after we arrived."
Cocktails & Drinks
Pros:
"The menu is extensive and beautifully designed, the cocktails are creative and very nice."
"The cocktail menu is interesting too, with lots of things on there worth trying."
"These guys are cocktail connoisseurs."
"The cocktails are well made and the staff are very knowledgeable."
"The cocktails are fabulous and often nod to original recipes or unusual combinations."
"Cocktails are the name of the game in the Milk Thistle, luckily they make them very well indeed."
"The drinks were fantastic - with proper cocktail options to cater for our Vegan and for our tee total members."
Cons:
"The cost was the same as an alcoholic drink, which was pretty extreme £10+."
"Omg hugely disappointed the cocktails are tiny like not much bigger than shots hugely disappointed at the price of nearly £10 we expected potent and long cocktails."
"The drinks were not as great as I might expect and if you are not overly adventurous you might find it hard to find something drinkable on the menu."
"Drinks are overpriced."
"Came back with the WORST cocktails I've had in my life."
"The cocktail tasted a little like apple sourz and lemonade."
"The flavours were not enjoyable like medicine."
Value & Pricing
Pros:
"For the city centre of Bristol and its uniqueness, the prices seemed fair."
"They put lots of efforts on the drinks and service so the price will be premium. However is 100% worth it."
"Prices are what's expected of a city centre cocktail bar."
"Didn't begrudge paying a lot as it felt like you were getting what you paid for."
"The cocktails were around £10 a head which was very reasonable and we ordered several platters of meat and cheese."
Cons:
"The prices charged are absurd for what you're getting and don't represent good value for money."
"Very disappointed, and also out of pocket!"
"I was not happy that the bar man had added a £2.50 'service charge' to the bill without asking."
"Overpriced and uncomfortable."
Experience & Booking
Pros:
"Remember to reserve your seat on Friday and Saturday."
"We hired out the vault which is a really superb ambient room with a private bar and barman for a stag do party."
"Thanks for an awesome xmas party, guys!!!"
"This place is absolutely stunning and service is great!"
"The Milk Thistle has consistently been rated as among the best bars in the UK."
"This is one of the most amazing bar I've ever been in."
"It's a great place for a quiet drink, ideal for dates!"
Cons:
"Booked in advance and only allowed 1hour 30mins at the table."
"Waited about 10 minutes for an ape to open the door."
"Waited around 30 minutes for our drinks and then was told 5 minutes after that the table was needed in 30 minutes."
"On arrival we were told that the event was effectively cancelled, with no live music and that a private space was not available."
"Managed to get in for a late bottle of wine mid week. The bottle we first ordered was out of stock so we came up with another, also out of stock."
"Review - Best to AVOID Milk Thistle if you need to plan/rely on any kind of group night out."
"A young man in a waist coat gave some spurious and condescending reason, though I suspect it was because were not 'cool' or 'affluent' looking enough."