I may not be a dog person, but I absolutely love cats, so when I heard of a pub known for its cat-friendly furniture, I knew I had to check it out. Last weekend I travelled to Bristol to visit friends, and of course, a famous pub travelled to see pints flowing freely and cats wandering around the bar.
When I rocked on a Saturday afternoon, I was a little worried as I heard from several friends that the pub would “absolutely stink” cat pee. I don't have a particularly strong smell, but my boyfriend is like a bloodhound – neither of them likes cats and his sense of smell is much more enthusiastic than mine. I relied on him to tell me if the pub was dull or not.
As soon as we arrived at the pub – about a 30-minute walk from Mees at Bristol Temple, we were able to see how popular it was. The three of us were sitting on a small table outside, but the narrow bar on the inside was definitely plunging into people.
The punters were so full that it took a little time to notice that not two but three cats were settled in the bar as staff were woven into them.
The main seats — what's in front of the bar, and even what's in front of the cat in a cardboard box — were all photographed. Even trying to reach the bar was a challenge, let alone coming back in two pints.
I hadn't noticed the smell of the pub so I checked it out with my boyfriend. He informed me that the pub definitely had a bit of funk – but nothing worse than not being able to stay in the room. The biggest part of standing outside was reading all the signs of the door that strictly prohibits children under the age of 14 (including babies), “silly pub crawls”, dogs and mice from entering the pub.
The service was great, the cat residents were adorable, the pub was fun, but there's one good reason why I can't put my nails back in the bag.
Maybe it's because I visited on a Saturday afternoon, but the pub was simply a slump and couldn't sit properly and enjoy the cat. There were some jaw scars while waiting for drinks, but due to the number of patrons at the bar, I felt overwhelming to stay for multiple drinks.
Overall, Bag o'Nails is a great pub, the cats are very loved and happy, the prices are reasonable – worth a visit, but perhaps better for the week.
