Bristol's best craft beer taprooms are Wiper and True in Old Market and Bristol Beer Factory on North Street in Bedminster, both breweries with their own bar attached, so the beer you're drinking was brewed metres away. If you want to compare more than one in a day, several sit close enough together in St Philips and St Werburghs to make a proper taproom crawl.
Old Market and Bedminster: the two biggest names
Wiper and True's Taproom, on an industrial estate between Old Market and Easton, is a 500-capacity space with sweeping views onto its own fermentation vessels, a large beer garden, and a varied events calendar from brewery tours to live music. Alongside its own beer it serves natural wine, local spirits, cider and a solid alcohol-free range. Open Tuesday to Thursday 4pm-10:30pm, Friday 2pm-midnight, Saturday 12pm-midnight, Sunday 12pm-10pm, closed Monday for private events.
Bristol Beer Factory's Tap Room, at the end of North Street in Bedminster, is the more traditional pub-in-a-brewery option, five hand pulls and eight keg lines of BBF beer, plus wine and spirits for anyone not drinking pints. Open Monday 12pm-9pm, Tuesday-Wednesday 12pm-10pm, Thursday-Friday 12pm-11pm, Saturday 10:30am-11pm, Sunday 12pm-7pm.
St Philips and St Werburghs: smaller, more specialist
New Bristol Brewery, on Wilson Street in St Philips, pours 22 lines of its own beer plus fresh cans, alongside cocktails, wine and gluten-free options, with an outside seating area and dogs welcome. Open Thursday 5pm-10:30pm, Friday 4pm-10:30pm, Saturday 1pm-10:30pm.
Good Chemistry Brewing's Taproom, on William Street in St Philips, keeps shorter hours, Friday 5pm-9pm and Saturday 12pm-9pm, and also runs brewery tours if you want to see the kit as well as drink the beer.
Fierce & Noble, in St Werburghs, is a small independent brewery with a core range including a session IPA, Czech-style pilsner, American pale ale and oatmeal stout, plus a 0.5% pale ale. Its Tap Room is open Wednesday-Thursday 4pm-10pm, Friday 2pm-10pm, Saturday 12pm-10pm, Sunday 1pm-7pm, and runs paid brewery tours from £25pp including a pint.
Comparison at a glance
| Brewery | Area | Best for | Weekend hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wiper and True | Old Market/Easton | Biggest taproom, events, food | Fri 2pm-midnight, Sat 12pm-midnight |
| Bristol Beer Factory | Bedminster | Classic pub feel, wide tap list | Sat 10:30am-11pm, Sun 12pm-7pm |
| New Bristol Brewery | St Philips | 22 lines, dog-friendly | Sat 1pm-10:30pm |
| Good Chemistry Brewing | St Philips | Brewery tours | Sat 12pm-9pm |
| Fierce & Noble | St Werburghs | Small-batch, guided tours | Sat 12pm-10pm |
Doing a taproom crawl
New Bristol Brewery and Good Chemistry are both in St Philips and an easy walk apart, so they pair naturally for an afternoon. Wiper and True sits nearby too, on the Old Market/Easton edge, making all three workable in one trip without much travel between them. Bristol Beer Factory, over in Bedminster, is better treated as its own destination, easily combined with Bedminster and Southville's other food and drink rather than squeezed into the same day as the St Philips breweries.
Most of these taprooms are cash-optional but card-friendly, and several have limited or no kitchen of their own, relying on food pop-ups or nearby takeaways instead, so check what's running on the day if a meal is part of the plan.
Getting there
Old Market and St Philips are a short walk or bus ride from Bristol Temple Meads, and St Werburghs is a similar distance north of the centre. Bedminster is across the river from the Harbourside; see our getting around Bristol guide for bus and ferry options, and our parking guide if you're driving, since several of these sites are on industrial estates with limited on-street parking.
Frequently asked questions
Which Bristol brewery taproom is biggest?
Wiper and True's Taproom in Old Market, a 500-capacity space with a large beer garden and a regular events calendar including brewery tours and live music.
Can you get food at these taprooms?
Some do: Wiper and True has food partners on site, and several offer snacks or pop-ups. Others have no kitchen at all, so check ahead if a meal is part of your plan.
Are Bristol's brewery taprooms dog-friendly?
New Bristol Brewery explicitly welcomes dogs in its outside seating area. Check directly with other taprooms, since policies vary and some events may restrict access.
Do any of these breweries run tours?
Yes. Good Chemistry Brewing and Fierce & Noble both run brewery tours; Fierce & Noble's start from £25pp including a pint in the taproom.
Which taproom is open latest?
Wiper and True, open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Most of the others close by 9pm or 10:30pm even on weekends.
Can I combine a few taprooms in one visit?
Yes. New Bristol Brewery, Good Chemistry Brewing and Wiper and True are all within a short walk or two of each other around St Philips and Old Market, making a taproom crawl straightforward without much travel.