The Perfect Pub (The Priory (Portbury))

Member Name: sweetpea01

Product:	The Priory (Portbury)
Date:	07/09/09 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great location and great food

Disadvantages: None

On a Monday bank holiday there is rarely anything to do unless you're away or going shopping! As Mr Pea had come back from the Belgium Grand Prix at 3am Monday morning the last thing we both wanted to do was cook lunch or do anything strenuous for that matter! The pub we always end up at (most Sunday's especially) is The Priory in Portbury. It's a lovely traditional style pub in the lovely village of Portbury which is situated just off the M5 at junction 19 about 15 minutes from Bristol. We go to The Priory quite a bit just because we always get great food, it's not over priced (even though prices have risen) and the atmosphere is really good.

*~*~* Pub History *~*~*

The building was constructed way back in 1822 and was originally called the Priory Hotel - the building has basically spent all its years serving food and drink! Underground passages have been found which link the Priory Hotel to Portbury Monastery, suggesting that the monks would have used the premises to hide from persecution.

*~*~* The Pub *~*~*

The pub is the traditional sort but with more of a modern twist on things! The tables and chairs are all wooden and tend to be mix and match, whether this is how it was intended I do not know but this is how it's ended up! The walls are typically wooden painted in shades of cream and mint green - depending on where you are sitting. The only thing I find is that the tables are all quite close together so when its busy (especially on a Sunday lunchtime) you can feel a little like sardines in a can! The bar is right at the front of the pub and directly opposite the front door, this is painted cream so it doesn't make the place look dark. On the walls you have a collection of traditional style paintings together with photos and paintings.

The Priory has two large beer gardens located at the front and back of the pub with adequate seating. Food is served in both gardens which makes it enjoyable during the summer. The back garden is enclosed with large round tables and modern umbrellas and the front garden has traditional pub tables/ benches, the front garden also over looks the road and the houses of Portbury.

*~*~* The Menu *~*~*

The menu is quite large but is put into sections, by this I mean in sub-topics as fish, salads etc. There is not one long extensive list! The dishes are set out well with the descriptions and what comes with it. There are a handful of dishes per sub-topic so you're not over-whelmed! The menu is quite pub like and it is standard and will be in other pubs owned by the same brewery so it isn't really that unique! Despite the menu not being unique to the pub it still has a wide choice of meals which would appeal to even the fussiest of eaters!

* Lunch Menu Sample *

Salads - Chicken & Chorizo with red pepper, baby spinach, cucumber, cos lettuce and a tomato & herb dressing - £6.95

Sandwiches - Bacon & Brie melt served with a confit of plum tomato and the choice of chips or salad - £4.45

They also do a lunchtime meal offer where you can have 1 course lunch for £5.95, 2 course lunch for £7.95 or a 3 course lunch for £9.95. There is a wide choice of starters, mains and desserts.

* Evening Menu Sample *

Starters:-

Breaded Mushrooms with smoked garlic dip - £3.95
Lobster & Pink Grapefruit Salad bound in a lemon mayonnaise on a bed of mixed leaves - £5.25

Pub Classics:-

Gammon Steak & Eggs served with pineapple, chips and garden peas - £6.95
Toad in the Hole with red onions, gravy, mashed potato and peas - £6.95

Grills:-

Prime Beef Burger chargrilled with melted cheese, bacon, tomato, fresh green leaves, mayo and chips - £7.50
Piri Piri Chicken with a fiery red chilli and tomato sauce served with chips and peas - £7.75

Fish:-

Grilled sole fillets served with parsley sauce, steamed greens and new potatoes - £8.50
Luxury Fish Pie with salmon, king prawns, cod and smoked haddock in a light cream and wine sauce topped with cheese and potatoes and served with seasonal vegetables - £8.50

Puddings:-

Lemon & Blueberry Jelly served with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries and blueberries - £3.45
Vanilla Roasted Apricots served with crème fraiche and pistachios - £3.45

There is also a choice of salads which are the same as the lunchtime menu. On Sundays there is a Sunday roast available and you have a choice of turkey, lamb, beef and sweet cured bacon loin. The Priory also has fish of the day special as well as daily specials which can be found on the blackboards around the pub. A children's menu is available upon request from the bar.

Yesterday afternoon we both had the luxury fish pie which was served with beautiful chantenay carrots, green beans and cabbage. The fish pie was piping hot and contained lovely chunks of salmon, smoked haddock and prawns. It is really hearty food which really fills you up! It really couldn't have been nicer!

*~*~* The Staff *~*~*

Whenever we go to The Priory there always seems to be different staff, I don't think I have seen the same face twice! That doesn't mean that there is a fast turn around of staff but as most of the staff are probably between the ages of 17-20 years is no doubt an indication that they work part time maybe due to college or university. However, even though there are new faces all the time they all seem to be happy and polite! This is one few places where the staff always seem to be friendly and helpful. I'm sure that should you have any issues with the food (or anything else) they would be more than helpful to assist.

*~*~* Useful Details *~*~*

Station Road
Portbury
Bristol
BS20 7TN

Tel: 01275 376307 - You can reserve a table should you have a large party (this is advisable for a Sunday as it gets very busy very quickly!).

There is a substantial car park but especially on the weekends it can get full very quickly so you will have to park on the road. But as it's quite a quiet village this shouldn't really be a problem.

Opening times:-
Monday to Saturday 12pm to 11pm
Sundays 12pm to 10.30pm

Food Serving Times:-
Monday to Saturday 12pm to 10pm
Sunday all day to 9.30pm

Please note the times may vary.

*~*~* Overall Opinion *~*~*

I have eaten at The Priory numerous times is definitely a good thing! I have always had a good meal here, I've never been disappointed with the food and I have sampled quite a few of their dishes both at lunch and in the evening! The place is always busy which is definitely a positive thing!! We've never had a problem with either the staff or the food which is why we keep on coming back!

I would recommend this to anyone, not just people in the Bristol area! If you're on your way down south to Devon or Cornwall etc this pub is only 2 minutes from junction 19 and boats a great menu and wonderful atmosphere!

Summary: A great rural village pub!