Clifton pub The Royal Oak reopened this week after eight years of name and identity changes.
This 19th-century pub on The Mall shut its doors in 2014, only to reopen soon after as the swanky St Vincents restaurant and bar serving steak and lobster.
It then morphed into the Iconic Steak House before closing completely and remaining shuttered for the past couple of years.
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Back to its original name, The Royal Oak is now owned by Mike Flavin and Ian Frost of the Bristol-based Wickwar Wessex Pub Company.
Mike and Ian have more than 60 years of pub industry experience between them and their other Bristol pubs include The White Lion opposite the cenotaph and The Gloucester Road Ale House and Kitchen.
When I visited The Royal Oak for an early evening pint a few days after its launch, the place was packed with locals clearly glad to have their old pub back open.
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I had to fight my way to the bar, which is at the far end of the narrow, split level pub.
A lot of money has clearly been spent on refurbishing the place. There are mosaic tile floors, caramel coloured leather banquettes and teal paintwork.
Always a favourite with rugby fans, there are large screens everywhere you look and smaller rooms upstairs, including Willie’s Lounge and the Franco Del Naja Dining Room named after the Bristol publican - and father of Massive Attack star Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja.
Set across three floors, it’s spacious and stylish, with as much emphasis on the food as the drinks being served.
At lunchtime, there are a range of sandwiches on offer as well as Scotch eggs with Coronation mayo, beef brisket croquettes and, for the vegans, KFT - Kentucky Fried Tofu.
The main menu includes beef pie with garlic mash and greens; steak and chips; fish and chips and sharing boards such as cured meats or an old-school Ploughman’s.
There’s also a kids’ menu featuring cheeseburger and chips, bangers and mash and Mac ’n’ cheese.
Sunday roasts are also served and booking for these is pretty much essential due to the huge interest and popularity of the pub in its first week.
When it comes to the drinks, prices are very Clifton but certainly not as expensive as some places in the village.
A pint of Wickwar BOB ale is £4.10 and Moles Best is £4. If you go down the premium lager or Guinness route, you won’t get too much change out of £5.50 and Camden Hells Lager is £5.70.
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Cider drinkers can choose between Blackthorn and Inch’s (both £4.80), but then most ciderheads in the vicinity probably choose to visit the Cori Tap around the corner.
With so many places closing for good or being turned into flats, it’s great to see the return of a much-missed pub.
Based on how busy it was in the first few days, the new owners have clearly struck gold and Clifton Village drinkers have already reclaimed one of the area’s most popular pubs already.
The Royal Oak, 50 The Mall, Clifton Village, Bristol, BS8 4JG.
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