Port O’ Bristol Wine Bar
Unit 3 Gaol Ferry Steps, Bristol BS1 6WP, UK
Best Wine Bars in Bristol
Bristol’s wine scene blends independent bottle shops, cosy neighbourhood wine bars and creative natural-wine pours. Explore 15 standout wine bars across the city — from Clifton’s classic cellars to Harbourside tasting rooms — where local producers, small-batch English sparkling and Mediterranean varietals meet lively after-work crowds.
15 venues
4.7 avg
Port
Barroux
19 Chandos Rd, Redland, Bristol BS6 6PG, UK
Tonight Josephine - Bristol
28 Baldwin St, Bristol BS1 1NG, UK
Rhapsody Greek Wine Bar & Restaurant Bristol
6 Denmark St, Bristol BS1 5DQ, UK
Flight Club Bristol
41 Corn St, Bristol BS1 1HT, UK
Cotto Wine Bar & Kitchen
29-31 St Stephen's St, Bristol BS1 1JX, UK
KASK Wine
51 North St, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 1EN, UK
Cave - Wine Bar, Bistro, Wine Shop
286 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8PD, UK
Tapps Wine Bar
87 Whiteladies Rd, Redland, Bristol BS8 2NT, UK
Marmo Restaurant & Wine Bar
31 Baldwin St, Bristol BS1 1RG, UK
The Library Bristol
6 St Nicholas St, Bristol BS1 1UQ, UK
The Wellhead
The Wellhead, Hawkins Ln, Bristol BS1 6JQ, UK
22 Clifton
The Cellars, 22 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4DS, UK
Native Vine - Redfield
217 Church Rd, Redfield, Bristol BS5 9HL, UK
The Quadrant
2 Princess Victoria St, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4BP, UK
Wine Culture in Bristol
Bristol’s wine culture is built on independence and variety. Traders, restaurateurs and small importers have long shaped the city’s lists: you’ll find carefully curated natural wines alongside classic European bottles and a growing selection of English producers. The city’s maritime history gives the wine scene a Mediterranean bent — fresh, food-friendly bottles and an appetite for Greek and Iberian varietals are nowhere more evident than in smaller neighbourhood bars.
Locally there’s strong interest in English sparkling—Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier dominate bottles from nearby producers in the South West and Sussex—and for still whites the Bacchus grape has become a favourite. Bars such as Barroux, Port O’ Bristol and Rhapsody Greek Wine Bar & Restaurant Bristol reflect that mix: sustainable, small-batch wines; by-the-glass flights; and menus designed for sharing. Whether you’re after a polished tasting room or a humbler natural-wine spot, Bristol’s wine culture rewards curiosity and conversation.
Where to drink wine in Bristol
Neighborhoods shape the drinking experience. Clifton offers more formal wine bars and elegant cellars ideal for older-styled tasting rooms and classic French or English sparkling pours. The Harbourside attracts waterside bars and places with bigger tasting lists and bottles to share after a day on the waterfront. Gloucester Road and Stokes Croft showcase Bristol’s independent spirit: expect eclectic lists, natural wines and late-night vibes.
Notable venues are spread across these areas — Cotto Wine Bar & Kitchen and KASK Wine bring modern small-plate pairings, while Tapps Wine Bar and Cave - Wine Bar, Bistro, Wine Shop mix retail and table service for both takeaway bottles and seated tastings. Tonight Josephine - Bristol and other lively spots add a fun, social option for casual evenings. For Greek-focused pours, Rhapsody offers an exploration of Assyrtiko and other Mediterranean varieties. Plan neighbourhood-hopping to discover contrasting lists and atmospheres.
What to Look For
Choose wine bars that balance a well-considered by-the-glass list with bottles to take away. A good Bristol wine bar will highlight English sparkling and South West producers alongside imports—look for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for fizz, Bacchus for fragrant English whites, and a selection of lighter reds such as Gamay or Pinot-style wines. Natural and orange wines are increasingly common; ask staff about producers and skin-contact techniques.
Other signs of quality include tasting flights, knowledgeable staff who can recommend pairings from small-plate menus, an on-site shop or curated bottle list, and sustainable practices like low-intervention producers and minimal-waste menus. Whether you value a quiet seat with a book or animated wine evenings, look for places that match atmosphere with expertise—venues such as Barroux and Port O’ Bristol are examples of spaces where personality and good wine lists come together.
When do wine bars in Bristol open and close?
15 of the 15 wine bars listed in Bristol publish their opening hours. The median one opens at 3 pm and closes at 11 pm on a typical trading day.
Sunday is the day that catches visitors out: 9 venues in Bristol (60% of those with published hours) trade on Sunday, against 4 on Monday. 2 open seven days a week.
14 addresses stay open past 10 pm, which matters if you are buying after dinner rather than before it. Tonight Josephine - Bristol closes latest, at 2 am.
At the other end of the day, Cave - Wine Bar, Bistro, Wine Shop opens earliest, at 10 am.
These hours come from each venue's own Google Business Profile as read in March 2026. They are regular hours: public holidays, August closures and harvest-season changes are not reflected, so call ahead for a specific date.
What the ratings in Bristol actually say
The 15 rated wine bars in Bristol carry 3,984 reviews between them. The mean rating is 4.67 out of 5 and the median is 4.7, and 14 venues hold 4.5 or better — 93% of the list.
Tonight Josephine - Bristol carries the highest rating with a review base large enough to mean something: 4.9 from 1,325 reviews.
A five-star average is worth less than it looks on a venue with a dozen reviews, which is why the ranking above is sorted by rating and review volume together rather than by rating alone. The rating also measures the visit, not the cellar: service, queueing and the state of the room all land in the same number as the wine selection. It is a starting filter, not a verdict on what is on the shelf.
How much do wine bars in Bristol cost?
Price level is published for 3 of the 15 wine bars in Bristol, and it splits as follows: 3 moderate (100%). Google's price level is a four-step band reported by the venue and by visitors, not a price list, so it says where an address sits relative to its neighbours rather than what a bottle costs.
The specialisations that recur most often in Bristol are Port (1), Tasting Events (1), Wine Cellar (1). Filtering the list above by one of those is usually a faster route to the right shop than sorting by rating.
Bristol compared with the rest of United Kingdom
Bristol accounts for 15 of the 136 wine bars we list across United Kingdom, spread over 10 cities.
Sunday is harder here than elsewhere: 60% of venues in Bristol open on Sunday against 76% nationally, 16 points lower.
Both columns are computed from the same rows that build these pages, so the national figure moves whenever a city's listing does.
| Measure | Bristol | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Venues listed | 15 | 136 |
| Mean rating | 4.67 | 4.64 |
| Open on Sunday | 60% | 76% |
| Median closing time | 11 pm | 11 pm |
Where to look next from Bristol
Other wine venues in Bristol: 14 wine restaurants, 18 wine shops, 5 wineries and tasting rooms. In a city with a thin specialist trade, the restaurant list is often where the interesting bottles actually are.
The nearest larger listings in United Kingdom are Edinburgh (18), Bradford (17), Sheffield (17), London (17), Leeds (15). Each is a separate page with its own hours, ratings and map.
Bottom line
Bristol has 15 wine bars on this list, averaging 4.67 out of 5 across 3,984 reviews. The median address opens at 3 pm and closes at 11 pm; 9 of the 15 with published hours open on Sunday.
If you only have time for one stop, Tonight Josephine - Bristol is the highest-rated address with a real review base (4.9 from 1,325).
Ratings, hours and price bands here come from public venue profiles read in March 2026; they describe how an address is reviewed, not how good its wine list is. Confirm hours before travelling for a specific bottle.
Buying wine in United Kingdom: age, tax and trading rules
Selling alcohol to anyone under 18 is an offence under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales, and retailers operate Challenge 25 on top of it, so expect to be asked for ID well past 18.
The United Kingdom taxes wine harder than anywhere else in this directory, and it taxes it by strength. HMRC's rate from 1 February 2026 is £30.64 per litre of pure alcohol for wine between 8.5% and 22% ABV, which is £2.87 of duty on a 75 cl bottle at 12.5% ABV, before 20% VAT is added on top of the duty-inclusive price. On a £7 bottle that leaves very little for the wine.
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 caps shops over 280 m² in England and Wales at six continuous hours of Sunday trading between 10 am and 6 pm. Smaller independents are exempt and may open all day, which is why a specialist wine shop is often the only thing open on a Sunday evening. Scotland is outside the Act entirely.
Sources: HMRC — Alcohol Duty rates (GOV.UK) · Sunday Trading Act 1994 (legislation.gov.uk) · Licensing Act 2003 (legislation.gov.uk)
Local Tips
01
Book ahead for weekends in Clifton
Clifton’s popular wine bars fill up quickly on Friday and Saturday evenings. Reserve a table in advance if you want a window seat or a tasting flight—especially at smaller venues such as Barroux.
02
Try English sparkling between pours
Sample local and nearby English sparkling wines—Chardonnay and Pinot blends—alongside your flights. They pair particularly well with seafood plates available at Harbourside bars.
03
Neighbourhood hop for variety
Plan a short crawl: start with daytime bottles on the Harbourside, move to independent lists on Gloucester Road, and finish in Clifton for a more refined tasting. Each area showcases different strengths of Bristol’s scene.
04
Combine wine with small plates
Look for wine bars serving sharing boards or tapas-style menus. Small plates make it easy to taste multiple wines in a single visit and reflect Bristol’s love of food-led wine culture.
FAQ
Bristol features 15 wine bars on this curated list, spanning cosy neighbourhood spots, harbourside tasting rooms and bottle-shops-with-seating. The city’s scene changes often, but these 15 venues represent a strong cross-section of what Bristol offers for wine lovers.
Clifton and the Harbourside are top picks for polished wine bars and tasting rooms, while Gloucester Road and Stokes Croft are best for independent, natural-wine oriented venues. North Street (Southville) and areas around the Old City also offer lively evening options and small-plate pairings.
Yes—many bars showcase English sparkling and still wines. You’ll commonly find Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier for fizz, and Bacchus or Ortega among English whites. Venues often pair local South West producers with imports from France, Italy and Greece.
Most reputable wine bars in Bristol offer tasting flights or organised tastings—especially on quieter weekday evenings or by prior booking. Check the venue’s website or call ahead; bars like Cotto Wine Bar & Kitchen and KASK Wine often run events and tutored tastings.
Many Bristol wine bars double as bottle shops or will sell bottles to go. Cave - Wine Bar, Bistro, Wine Shop and other hybrid venues make it easy to try a glass in-house and take home a favourite bottle. Ask staff about cellar-stock and local producer availability.
Expect to pay roughly £6–£10 for a standard 125–175ml glass at most wine bars, with premium or rare pours priced higher. Tasting flights often range from £12–£25 depending on the size and list. Prices vary by neighbourhood and venue style.
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