Bristol’s Cat Pub – Is Bag of Nails Worth the Hype?
Yes, you read that right, and no, I’m not joking – Bristol has its very own cat pub.
Bag of Nails isn’t some gimmicky social media sensation like many viral cat cafes you may have been to; it’s a regular pub that serves a wide range of cask ales and ciders, hosts weekly pub quizzes and board game nights, and just so happens to be home to about 15 cats.
What’s even better is that the pub has a wonderful dark academia aesthetic (although I doubt the owner would ever refer to it as such), and is home to an abundance of plants, including a spider plant, which may explain why the cats are so happy.
In this post, I’m going to share my experience visiting Bag of Nails, as well as the lore behind the boozer, what to expect from a visit, and my honest take on whether it’s worth visiting.
The History of Bag of Nails
Bag of Nails has been a proper Bristol pub since the 1860s, tucked away in a Victorian terrace in Hotwells, near the Floating Harbour. For most of its life, it was just that – an unremarkable local boozer, with no cats in sight.
That changed in 2011, when Luke Daniels took over as landlord. Not long after, a friend’s kitten called Malcolm started turning up at the pub, before eventually moving in for good.
The Bag of Nails announced its new arrival on Facebook, and it wasn’t long before Malcolm was joined by a second cat, a black female named Beresford. The two went on to have several litters of kittens, all of whom stuck around, and the pub’s cat population grew from there, reportedly reaching as many as 24 at its peak!
Today, the resident population sits at around 15 cats, most of them descended from Malcolm and Beresford, and all still owned by Luke himself.
Meet the Cats
The cats come and go as they please, but there’s usually at least two chunky cats sprawled out along the bar (there’s no doubt that these are some well-fed felines).
When I visited, I was lucky enough to meet four of the resident felines, including the one and only Sally, who is the most famous and is an absolute unit of a cat, and a little black one who curled up next to me and napped while I read my book.
A Pub With Cats, Not a Cat Pub
I think my favourite thing about Bag of Nails, aside from the obvious, is the fact that unlike cat cafes, which are crammed with people trying to get the perfect Instagram photo and bothering the cats, Bag of Nails just feels like a normal pub that happens to be home to a lot of cats.
It turns out that that’s exactly how it’s supposed to feel – landlord Luke Daniels has pushed back on comparisons to cat cafes, insisting his pub’s main draws are the beer, the vinyl collection, and the board games, with the cats simply along for the ride.
In other words, it’s a ‘pub with cats,’ not a ‘cat pub.’
Now, I’m not sure I buy the idea that the cats are entirely incidental, but I can confirm that the atmosphere is very different from cat cafes I’ve been to.
What to Drink
Bag of Nails is a proper real ale pub at heart, typically serving around six changing cask ales from local and further-flung breweries, usually including at least one dark beer, alongside a rotating real cider.
It’s also very affordable. I got a 500ml bottle of German lager for £5.50, and in this economy, that’s pretty bloody cheap!
Some of the cask ales have been known to go for well under £4 a pint, which makes Bag of Nails one of the better value pubs in Bristol, cats or no cats.
Quiz Nights, Board Games, and Entertainment
Beyond the cats and the cask ale, Bag of Nails has built a real reputation as a proper community pub. Tuesday is quiz night, Wednesday is board games night (with a solid stash of games behind the bar for any night of the week), and you’ll regularly find live music and DJ sets, alongside an eclectic soundtrack played from an old record player the rest of the time.
The pub also picked up the title of Beard Friendly Pub of the Year in 2016, so if that’s your vibe, you’ll be right at home here.
Bag of Nails Rules and Opening Times
Now, before you go, you should know that there are a few rules that you’ll need to abide by if you want to visit Bag of Nails.
- No dogs allowed (duh).
- No kids (including babies)
- No large groups
- No pub crawls
Bag of Nails is open every day, from 11am-12am, with the exception of Mondays, when it doesn’t open until 4pm.
Bag of Nails address: 141 St George’s Rd, Hotwells, Bristol BS1 5UW (Google Maps link).
Bristol’s Cat Pub | Final Thoughts
I loved Bag of Nails, and I think it’s well worth visiting.
It’s a great pub with some great beers, great staff, and (most importantly), great cats. I visited the pub alone, and was made to feel very welcome, and if I lived in Bristol, I’d be propping up the bar every day.
That’s all for this one, but as always, if you have any questions then let me know in the comments below. You may also be interesting in my extensive list of quirky things to do in Bristol.
Until next time,
XOXO
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