Coronation Tap

Thursday 2nd July 2009

This is a Crackerjack review of Coronation Tap. Do you agree? Rate and review this venue.

Family friendly: 5 / 10.
Range of drinks: 6 / 10.
Atmosphere: 8 / 10.
Food and drink: 5 / 10.

Only a handful of pubs could be described as genuine Bristol institutions or tourist destinations but The Coronation Tap is most certainly one of them.

A 19th century cider house with a national, if not international, reputation it’s one of those pubs that many visitors to the city usually have on their list of must-visit watering holes.

When I popped in on Tuesday, there were three Mancunians on the next table, downing pints of cider and talking about their visit to Bristol. A visit to ‘The Cori’ had, they said, been the highlight of their trip and even though they weren’t big cider drinkers they were quaffing halves of the pub’s famous Exhibition Cider because “it just had to be done”.

At a knee-buckling 8.4 per cent, the Exhibition is not a cider to mess with. Such is its potency that it is only served in halves and even though the pub was quiet early on Tuesday evening, the landlord was clearly expecting to shift quite a few halves because there was a tray of them already poured and lined up in anticipation. Lo and behold, a large group soon appeared and orders of “seven Exhibitions, please” soon came in.

A dark, wood panelled pub with low ceilings, The Coronation Tap is a stone’s throw from the Suspension Bridge but tucked away enough to feel off the beaten track.

Although real ale is served (Bass and Brakspear Bitter usually), it’s the cider that people make a special detour for and there are 15 available – five on draught and ten by the bottle.

These range from entry-level bottles of Magners and Brothers to the more serious Cheddar Valley and Taunton Traditional. Thatcher’s has quite a presence, including its excellent single variety bottles Katy and Cox’s, to which I am particularly fond especially when the weather is as hot as this.

Food is kept to a minimum (filled rolls at £1.50), but then I guess it would only get in the way of the drinking. The pub also has a reputation for live music and a band was setting up for the evening when I was there.

Popular with students in term-time, The Coronation Tap also counts local celebs such as Massive Attack as regulars and even Kylie Minogue is 
rumoured to have visited once when in the city.

Whether she bought a ‘I’ve been Corried’ badge (£1 from behind the bar) remains to be seen.

Mark Taylor

This is a Crackerjack review of Coronation Tap. Do you agree? Rate and review this venue.