The Ostrich dates back to 1745
The Ostrich pub in Redcliffe
They were quite literally waiting for the doors to open – several people hanging around near the door or sitting on the benches opposite, checking their watches for the clock to strike midday.
On a sunny day, The Ostrich is still one of Bristol’s go-to pubs for alfresco drinking.
An inn since 1745, this harbourside stalwart also has one of the biggest outdoor drinking spaces in the city – according to owners Butcombe it can seat 482 people.
Once a waterside watering hole frequented by sailors, merchants and dock workers, these days it attracts a mix of locals and tourists.
It’s also a prime spot for a post-work pint in the summer months, especially for city centre workers heading back home south of the river.
One modern addition is the Portside BBQ shack next to the benches on the quayside – a popular pitstop in the summer.
And then there’s the above-average food menu including fish and chips (£18.50), buttermilk fried chicken burger (£17.95) and Brixham fish finger bun (£14.75).
Wash it down with pints of Butcombe’s own ales or a range of ciders and lagers including five types of Thatchers, Underfall Lager and Madri.
As I finished my pint of Rare Breed (£5.50), a pirate tour stopped on the cobbles outside, its guide telling families about the days when the area was famous for Blackbeard and various buccaneers.
The exotic name of this 18th-century pub has long been up for debate and it has often been said the pub was named after a market stall that once sat in front of the pub selling only feathers.
Inside the Ostrich pub in Redcliffe
There are others who say the name derives from Oyster Reach by which the nearby Trimm Mills pond was known before it became the Bathurst Basin.
Another story is that it was named after the feathers painted on King Edward III’s eldest son’s shield, now the heraldry of King Charles, or after the ship of the same name that once moored close by.
Whichever is true, the fact remains that The Ostrich is is one of the longest-running establishments in Bristol and survived a fire in Victorian times which demolished many close neighbours.
From its time as a Georgian cider house to the modern pub it is now, this Redcliffe venue has remained an iconic part of Bristol’s landscape for over 250 years and a must-visit spot for summer pints in the sun.
The Ostrich, Lower Guinea Street, Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6TJ.