Pubs and Bars / A-Z Bristol pub crawl
A-Z Bristol pub crawl: The Annexe, Bishopston
There’s really not a lot of pubs in Bristol starting with the letter X, believe it or not. So you’ll have to allow us for at least finding Ann-exe (sorry).
It sits quaintly in one of the most picturesque areas of Bishopston, towered over by the neighbouring pub The Sportsman. Whether or not these two are directly related remains to be seen, but it would be tough to imagine two neighbouring pubs so close to each other that they shared beer gardens, whilst being under different owners.
Taking the obligatory pre-drink tour of the place, it reminded me strangely of my Grandmother’s house. Weathered statues of various forest animals lined the walls of the outdoors, almost as if you were being watched wherever you went.
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Even a hungry pooch would be able to satisfy their cravings at The Annexe
The inside was relatively cosy by small neighbourhood pub standards, albeit quite sleepy when we arrived, owing to the sunny cloudless evening no doubt. Standard sticky carpets and classic barstools that had certainly seen their fair share of being perched upon. There was even a conservatory leading you out to the seemingly hidden second outdoor area around the back of the small property, in typical annexe style.
The conservatory was a reminder that this pub was, at one point, someone’s home
Ordering a drink, I spotted the pizza menu. I used to live not too far from here, and had heard tales of the pizzas here. Heck, I’d even seen one or two cold slices left strewn about the pool tables of the Sportsman on my very occasional visits there in years past.
The menu itself was extensive. It was a build-your-own scenario, and my goodness were there options to choose from. You could even have – get this – reggae reggae sauce instead of the standard tomato base. You were free to choose any four toppings on top of this, all for £7.95. Not bad at all, I thought.
I was lucky enough to be there with an Italian friend, so you can be rest assured we were in safe hands when it came to pizza judgement time. By this point, the beer garden had begun to fill slightly, those filtering in from finishing work, and those living in the surrounding area looking to enjoy the sunshine slowly began to make their way in, the volume and energy of the place ever increasing as they went. Pizza time.
The pizza looked impressive enough for being less than £8
We had asked for extra cheese, but in hindsight we could have used our topping selections wiser. The dough was nothing to be snuffed at, especially owing to the almost criminally low price-tag. Crispy where it needed to be, light and fluffy where it didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t the most amazing pizza I’ve ever eaten, but if you’re looking for an easy, value for money stop for a beer and a pizza, I couldn’t recommend anywhere else more so than The Annexe/The Sportsman.
The Annexe, Seymour Road, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 9EQ
All photos: Miles Arnold
Read more: A-Z Bristol pub crawl: The White Bear, St Michael’s Hill
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