Pubs and Bars / Reviews
Bar Des Amies
Bar Des Amies is the new nocturnal name for Cafe Des Amies in St George, a cosy neighbourhood cafe and formerly an evening bistro that now serves cappuccinos by day and craft beer by night.
Tucked away on Whitehall Road a few hundred yards from the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, this exciting addition to Bristol’s real ale scene opens at 5pm for the after-work crowd.
Much of the beer on offer is commendably local, with Towles, Arbor and Moor all brewed within a mile and a half of the new bar. The gin comes from a bit further afield; Bramley and Gage distillery in Thornbury, 10 miles north to be precise.
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A crafty bit of carpentry has created a new bit of space to one side of the bar – where there used to be a fridge – for four casks. These are currently Towles’ For Whom the Bell Tolls, Twisted Oak Fallen Tree, Moor Ales’ Old Freddy Walker and Cotswold Spring Trooper.
Cotswold Spring also make a good showing of the selection on draught, with their Guv’nor stout and Aviator cider alongside Freedom Four lager.
Bare floorboards and exposed brickwork may be all the rage, but here they feel natural and not forced, in a cafe and bar that not so long away was a greasy spoon called Jane’s.
The bread is also made nearby at the East Bristol Bakery in Easton. A small plate of breadsticks, crisps and olives was unexpectedly presented to me as I was drinking a fine For Whom the Bell Tolls, with “tapas top-ups” of hummus, olives, cheese and ham available at £1 per portion.
And what better accompaniment to the brilliant beer here than an extra something from Montpelier’s Ginger Beards Preserves, many of which are made with added beer including the Towles Chocolate Stout plum chipotle jam and the apple and pear chutney, also with a top-up of Towles.
The tapas menu is set to expand in May. For now, there is a pork pie slice, spinach and mushroom pastry, scotch egg or tuna ball.
A lot of thought has clearly gone into creating Bar Des Amies and it deserves to be a success, whether you go for the coffees during the day or beers by night.
Bar Des Amies, 86 Whitehall Road, St George, Bristol, BS5 9BQ