Pubs and Bars / A-Z Bristol pub crawl
By Betty Woolerton , Friday Mar 11, 2022
Despite several closing in recent years, there remains no shortage of pubs in Hotwells.
There may still be the Bear, the Mardyke, the Merchants Arms, the Pump House and the Rose of Denmark but you don’t need a long memory to also recall the Adam & Eve, the Plume of Feathers and the Spring Garden Tavern.
One old-fashioned boozer and a proud survivor is the Nova Scotia. Originally built as a terrace of three houses in 1811 and later becoming a coaching inn, it’s affectionately known as ‘the Nova’.
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The Nova Scotia is affectionately known as the Nova
As two sisters in need of a drink entered on a recent evening, the pub was in full swing with people laughing, drinking and being together.
A smiley member of staff slickly poured two pints of Thatchers Gold and handed the sloshing glasses over to eager hands.
Swooping in to grab a seat as a group got up to leave and settling down with our drinks, it was clear why this Hotwells haunt is a local favourite.
The little pub was as cosy as anyone’s living room, as yellow light from a lamp post outside gently spilled into the bay windows overlooking the Floating Harbour. In the summer, the outdoor seating is prime real estate and overflows with a mix of families, football fans and friends of all ages and walks of life.
That evening, music played in the background but was only just audible above the belly laughs coming from the tipsy punters.
Furniture was old-fashioned and nautical themed – wooden floors, framed photos and squishy cushioned benches.
Serving as a reminder of Bristol’s rich nautical heritage, oars suspended from the ceiling and historic photographs of the docks were in pride of place adorning the wall.
Photos at the Nova Scotia set against what looked like peach-coloured peeling wallpaper in the low light but on closer inspection are nautical charts, each showing a detailed portion of the world from the Isle of Harris to Florida
At the far end of the pub is one of its quirkiest features: a snug bar accessed a by door saying “reserved for captains”.
To the left of the bar and written on a chalkboard is the menu, unchanged for years and displaying the much-loved usual suspects: sandwiches (£4), ham, egg and chips (£8), hunters chicken (£9.50) and more.
Diners are hard-pressed to find vegetarian food at the Nova, which unselfconsciously confines itself within boundaries of British pub grub.
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A couple and a man sat at neighbouring tables bonded over their compact Jack Russell terriers who joined them on their pub outing.
One perched contently on a plush velvet cushion, ogling the pint of Guinness stood at his eye-level. Another called Molly was curled around her owner who blurted out to anyone who would listen that it was her thirteenth birthday.
“I’ll go and get her some food in that case,” said a staff member merrily. Returning with treats, Molly’s tiny paws rested on the waxy table as she savoured the titbits.
Unruly dogs, heavy food, sticky tables, cackling laughter and spilled pints: the Nova is what British pubs are all about.
While it isn’t pretty or a gastronomic pleasure like some of its local counterparts, this historic Hotwells local is wholesome, exuberant and full of heart.
The Nova Scotia sits next to Underfall Yard overlooking the Cumberland Basin
The Nova Scotia, 1 Nova Scotia Place, Hotwells, Bristol, BS1 6XJ www.facebook.com/novascotiabristol/
Read more: A-Z Bristol pub crawl: The Mechanics Arms, St George
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