Cross Hands

The Cross Hands is my local, however I don’t frequent there often. I went there for some dinner a couple of months ago. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I escaped from the bar part and found a seat in the family room. The service was excellent, friendly and personal. They turned off the football which both me and my partner detest in pubs and when they had to switch it back on at the request of a local who came in, they left the sound turned off. Very considerate. The food was tasty, as the menu was quite comprehensive I wasn’t expecting a lot but given I didn’t have high expectations it exceeded them.
I was a bit surprised at the cost however, a couple of drinks and some food and the bill for me and my partner came to over £26. I couldn’t help but compare what I could have had for that £26.
I haven’t been back since but would be tempted to go again in winter time for a quiet early evening drink and some food while sitting my the cosy fire in the family room. I doubt I would come here on a weekend or a day that a big football game was schedule for however.

This is very much a traditional local boozer frequented by yokels from Bedminster and Bishopsworth, but frustratingly the prices are still in the trendy bar, even city centre price range, and this is one of the main reasons I don’t go as often as I probably should.
If you can over look the unexpectedly high prices for pints of Carling and Carlsberg, then you’ll find the Cross Hands to be a pretty decent boozer, with a main bar on one side of the pub and slightly more welcoming and friendly lounge area on the other. The difference between the two is quite striking and if you were to walk into the bar area on a Friday night, you could be forgiven for walking straight back out as this tends to be where the riff raff hang out.
The lounge area by contrast, has a lovely old wooden fire place and a slightly more civilized and family friend crowd. They also sell pretty decent pub food as long as you stick to the plain and simple. Burgers are their forte, for which they claim to sell famous ones. The only place you’ll hear of them though is actually in the pub itself. But they’re pretty good.