The best cocktails in Bristol

We simply couldn’t start the Bristol cocktails guide without mentioning the classic Ivy Clifton Brasserie found in the stunning Clifton village. The perfect place to dress up and go for a cheeky Sunday afternoon tipple, or post-work romantic dinner. With a stunning ambiance created by the huge windows filling the space with light and views of The Mall garden, as well as serving some great service, we recommend visiting for a weekend brunch and gin cocktail for a special occasion. 

Here at The Raven, you can find live music, dancing, an epic team and great cocktails. This is an epic venue where you can enjoy stunning cocktails and a good selection of gin whilst enjoying magic, burlesque, soul music or maybe even have your Thursday tarot read. Their event space is also fab for the fact that they serve Four Wise Monkeys food here as well as a DJ! A really fun and different venue that is fab for a birthday party or friends get together! 

We love this quirky, dark and mysterious bar. Serving fantastic spirits including fab gin and Scottish whisky. The Library’s brilliant mixologists not only serve some stunning, creative cocktails, but you can also find live music here as well as vintage afternoon tea. We highly recommend their Whisky and Blues night for an intimate date night, where you can enjoy their incredible Nectarine cocktail, featuring Mugshot Earl Grey and Lavender gin, or the Norwegian Wood Cocktail, featuring Brockmans gin and Cacao Blanc.

Found in a stunning venue, perfect to capture some Instagrammable content, Cosy Club is a fab venue for a special occasion, be it graduation, date night, family lunch. Whether you are looking for bottomless brunch, cocktails, or a fantastic three course dinner, Cosy Club is a place to get dressed up and enjoy a good cocktail in a beautiful space. 

A cool Bristol low lit venue, speakeasy style. With sofa seating and quirky mirror interior, this is a great venue for date night or a girls get together. Find this awesome little venue hidden away just off Clifton Triangle, is the perfect place to find some killer, award-winning, creative cocktails created by a fab team.

The Milk Thistle is designed over four floors and situated in the city centre in a gorgeous historical building. It boasts an eclectic interior and a variety of drinks on the menu, which are best described as a twist on popular cocktails. For those who are gin connoisseurs, make sure to look out for special events on the bar’s website. For example, over the summer The Milk Thistle has hosted live jazz music and a gin cocktail party – there’s no better combination than good tunes and fine alcohol in our opinion.

Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a cosy, independent cocktail bar with a warm vibe and creative cocktails. The latest menu, Celebrating Cocktails, is a pretty decent summary of the bar – it’s all about the origins of the team’s faves, but with unpretentious and occasionally outrageous twists, with the classics available too, of course. Definitely reserve if you wanna play it safe, especially on weekends, because this popular spot can get busy and we wouldn’t want you missing out!

Loose Cannon Cocktail Bar is one of those places that brings the community together; whether you’re a fan of cocktails or simply want to hang out with friends in a relaxed setting, you’re always welcome there. If you’re not sure where to start but fancy trying a unique cocktail, don’t worry. You’ll be handed a helpful chart that allows you to select your preferences based on the drink’s properties such as sweetness. For gin lovers, there’s quite a lot of choice: Clover Club is a combination of Botanist gin, lemon juice, raspberry shrub syrup and egg white to ensure a foamy texture. Our personal favourite though is the Marine Biology cocktail – a fun name and equally fun mixture of freshness and tanginess (lemon juice, aloe vera and Beefeater gin).

Mugshot is a 1920s-themed steakhouse, which isn’t likely to be your first choice if all you want to do is have a quiet drink, but the menu is versatile enough to lure you inside regardless. You can expect classics such as Hendrick’s Gin and less known signature combinations such as a mixture of gin, Earl Grey and lavender. Throw some decent nibbles into the mix, like short ribs, truffle croutons, pork belly bites, olives, bread and butter or camembert, and you’ve hit the jackpot.