Author George Orwell once described his perfect pub - the Moon Under Water - in an article titled by the same name that lists ideals that Bristol’s King William Ale House subscribes to. The long list in the author’s essay includes qualities like a separate bar for darts, two or more burning fires, possessing neither a radio nor a piano, and putting the beer first.
You’ll find all of this and more in the orange-painted King Street pub, which welcomes drinkers back to the 18th century - save for the electric lighting and the digitised till. Everything else is tinged with the past without looking rundown, several expansive fireplaces, the tramcar seating and the garish carpets - in keeping with the style of Samuel Smith Old Brewery.
The pub was closed for more than six months from May until December and has been taken over by new owners who hope to breathe new life into the building without altering its appearance.
