Hausbar

I had such a great couple of hours in Hausbar last night! Me and my girlfriend had a spontaneous urge to have a cheeky tipple, and not just any tipple, a posh tipple! So we knocked on the door, awaited the response and were politely asked to come in.
«Sit anywhere you like» the bar tender said. And he wasn’t lying. We were the only people there. But it was 8.30pm and England were playing in the World Cup — so it was hardly surprising!
We were given a menu, a bowl of delicious munching nuts and told to give them a shout if we needed a hand choosing. We did, so we went and sat at the bar so we could chat to the 2 barmen easier.
At this point I’ll talk about the venue because it is so good. It is really dimly lit with some odd but interesting wall décor. Behind the bar is a huge array of spirits and while we were chatting the the guys, they opened a secret little cupboard that had old medicine bottles inside. Such a nice touch!
We had 2 drinks each but unfortunately I can’t remember what they were called. Not due to inebriation, but just because I had looked at so many. The menu really is vast but really interesting. I could easily of stayed for 5 or 6 — but it was a school night!
Nobody else came in while were were there and we left around 10.30pm. I’ve been before and it’s always been really busy, so I guess we had a lucky one off! experience being able to chat and have some good banter with the bar tenders.
I’ll be back again soon for sure!

Excellent place, hidden away, well run, nice drinks, great atmosphere.

I can’t get enough of this place. The whole experience is top-​notch from start to finish.
The cocktail menu is extensive, the servers are helpful but professional (not particularly chatty, but very happy to help you pick a cocktail)
It’s a bit pricey, but your money will go a long way. I can hold my liquor, but three cocktails here and I’m dones-​ville.
Be sure to make a reservation because it fills up fast and you’ll be turned away rather than crammed in.
If you’re looking for a classy, but awesome night out, this is the place to be.

Gotta love a good speakeasy type bar, and was really surprised to come across one while in Bristol with my man. The last time I was back in his hood we had dinner at the restaurant above Hausbar and made mention to come back to check out the bar. After dinner the other evening we did just that. Something so mysterious about ringing a bell and waiting to be «let in» if you fit the bill, also something a bit pretentious, but hey… every once and a while it’s cool. The dark lit intimate space is very inviting and sexy, and the cocktail list is as good as any I’ve seen here in NYC. Bartenders not overly friendly, while by no means rude, they know how to mix a drink and that’s all I care about in a place like this. Not overly expensive either, in my opinion. We were lucky enough to score seats at the bar and stayed for a few and will definitely be back.

Excellent place with excellent cocktails, served by excellent bartenders. Couldn’t fault this place in any way. Just hope that it does not get over run with cliftonites.

I’m firstly confused why this isn’t listed as a cocktail bar as this is where Hausbar shines and puts itself way above the rest of the crowd!
The location is perfectly hidden and away from the usual mess you find elsewhere to create a friendly crowd of like minded people who have made the pilgramage up there. the atmosphere is relaxed, friendly and intimate with the previously mentioned prohibition/​European feel perfectly blended.
If you make it past the entry policy, you’re greeted with a perfectly crafted cocktail menu and drinks selection to please the palate of anyone who doesn’t think Fosters and Pinot Grigio is the pinnacle of a night out. I personally recommend the best ‘Él Presidente’ I have had anywhere. the Staff also seem to be handpicked from what I can imagine is a long list of bartenders who want to work there. These guys are easily some of the best the South west and even the UK has to offer!

Hausbar is the epitome of exclusivity, with its doorbell, underground location and relatively exacting door policy. The interior is decorated in the sumptiously stylish manner which establishments keen on promoting a sense of class tend to opt for.
It’s conspiratorially low lit, the atmosphere is hushed, there’s a huge range of expertly concocted cocktails and seating space is tight. Hausbar is very unlike the majority of cocktail bars out there, so if you enjoy a good mojito make sure you pay at least one visit.
Everyone else will be sporting their interpretation of the high society frock so dress the part and just pretend for an evening that you’re part of some James Bond-​style multinational elite.

Hausbar caters for a particular type of evening, and nails the niche into the ground and smacks it out of the park. It’s rubbish if you’re with a group, dire if you’re low on cash and pathetic if you feel like going nuts. But for those times where you may be with friends from outside of the area, a hot girl or just a few of you (less than five in fact) and early on in your night out, it has said park smacking effect.
Imagine the scene, you and a date are discussing where to go, «meet me at the top of Blackboy Hill m’dear» you quip, you pull up, peck her on the cheek, take her arm and stroll on over to what looks like an Indian restaurant. Much to her surprise, you then duck a right by the door and head down some steps. She’ll either be scared or bemused, but she’s now putty in your hands. You ring the buzzer and nod towards the security camera like you do this all the time, the head barman then opens the door for you, takes your coats and you take a stool at the room filling bar. You open a menu full of expensive cocktails you have never heard of (but she doesn’t know that), you order two and revel in the art deco/​prohibition era décor and the soft music. It doesn’t even matter if your chat is bad, you look like some sort of sophisticated gent and not actually the Hugh Grant-​esque bumbling fool that you really are. Repeat x3 and you leave and continue on to wherever you feel the night should take you.
Smooooooth.

At the very top of Whiteladies Road/​Blackboy Hill, looking out to the downs, this bar was whispered to be a secret exclusive establishment which was very hard to get in to. My friends and I had long been planning a trip to try it out and finally made it last weekend.
To get in you have to ring a doorbell and wait for the door to be opened — they assess the look of you from the video camera that’s situated just above the front door. If they judge you worthy enough, you’ll enter a bar that is extravagantly furnished and really well set out. The space is quite narrow, with a long bar along the right hand side, and comfy seats and tables on the left.
The bar staff are cocktail wizards; there’s an extensive menu of cocktails organised by the predominant ingredient. From champagne cocktails to whisky sours you’ll be bound to find something that appeals. At £6 it’s well priced — they could charge upwards of £8 in a place like this.
The clientele are clearly the rich and beautiful of Bristol — if you want to know what a Cliftonite is then come here for some animal observation. It’s no bad thing in my opinion though, as it just plainly suits the place.
It’s not as secret as it’s rumoured to be, especially as they’ve started leaving flyers in equally high class establishments across town. If you’re after a sizeable helping of class with your drink, Hausbar is the place to come.

Rumour had it that there was a secret bar at the top of Whiteladies road. A couple of months ago, a friend and I drove past the entrance, which is underneath an Indian Restaurant called Rajpoot. It took til last night to get around to actually visiting but we weren’t disappointed.
Hausbar, I have since learnt, is based on the Berlin cocktail lounges and is very popular with the upmarket Cliftonites. Having lived in Berlin for several months, I can see the similarities.
When you arrive (only groups of less than 5 unless you’ve booked) you ring the door buzzer and are surveyed by the camera outside. We weren’t particularly smart but we got in anyway. My cocktail was strong and delicious and not too expensive at £6. I’d come again, but I think I’d have to dress a little smarter to fit in with the affluent crowd.

This bar only opened in 2006 so it is something of an unknown, but I’m guessing it will grow in popularity as it offers something a little different.
Essentially Hausbar is a very, very swanky cocktail bar for the super rich and upper middle classes. It is run by a German (hence the name) and wouldn’t be out of place on the continent as it has something of an other worldly feel to it. The clientele look and sound like the great and the good of Bristol’s high society and the sophistication and elegance of the décor is self evident wherever you look. It is the kind of place you expect to find James Bond if he were staying over in Bristol.
Great if you want to experience something totally different from the norm, not so great if you haven’t a lot of money. Also, this is for people who know their alcohol and can discuss it’s finer qualities at length, don’t come here if you’re a pint and a packet of crisps man.

Cool, initimate bar — ideal for a drink with some close friends or a date. Fantastic cocktails, reasonable prices and a real underground feel to the place.
Just don’t tell everyone.

Hats off to Haus Bar. Proper job cocktail bar with the feel of a modern day version of a 1930’s prohibition drinking den.

Not sure if it is a good idea putting this here, because the more people that discover the hausbar the more popular it is going to become.
This bar is run by a German — hence the name — in my opinion it should be ranked as one of the coolest bars in Bristol.
It has a certain feel to it — a bit of an underground, gambling, proper gentlemens club where suits are worn and people would smoke pipes and talk politics; blended with a European Bar/​club feel in which you expect a beautiful brunette to walk in at any point and order a glass of the finest wine — followed a few minutes later by her husband and mate who order Ricard. If you could still smoke in this country, this place would be foggy. It is that sort of place.
If you are a group you need to book — if you are a large group wanting a quick couple of pints before moving on, this is not the place for you. If you are after some cocktails followed by a few whiskeys or the like then this is the place for you.
The atmosphere always seems to be friendly and relaxed. It is a gem — lets hope it stays that way.