The Bristol Pear has been refurbished and it’s better than ever before

One of Selly’s best pubs just got even better

Bristol Pear makeover pub review selly

The legendary Bristol Pear has been a firm favourite amongst us for years.

More student-y than The Goose, more alternative than The Soak and more everything than Urban Village, the best vibe on Bristol Road has always been provided by the Pear.

The charm of the place perhaps allowed us to overlook a few of its flaws, so when they announced a refurb over the summer it came as a bit of a surprise.

However, the new make-over has allowed us to see how much unnoticed potential the Pear has had for all this time.

First things first, it looks amazing.  The new blue exterior is so much better than the weird green paint that predated it and there’s also a cool new outside area which is just about the most colourful thing you’ll see on Bristol Road.

The new paint work definitely attracts the eye

Inside, it’s almost unrecognisable.  It’s so much brighter and more modern, you almost forget that you’re still in Selly Oak.  The decor looks great, the furniture looks great, and everything feels fresh.

The Tab spoke to Ade who gave us the low down on the Pear’s best new features.

The bar looks infinitely better

“The theme of the refurb is based on the generosity of the pub so we offer free phone charging points at most of the tables as well as free super-fast wifi.  We’ve also got TVs and games (including a SEGA Mega drive!) which customers can use.”

Some of the great new features

“We’re now open from  eight am Monday- Saturday serving pastries and coffee.  You can buy a coffee for 99p and get free refills or you can buy a flask as well which costs £15 and then you can get free coffee all term.”

Well, that sorts breakfast

It sounds like The Bristol Pear will be a great place to hang out all day and I challenge you to find a better coffee deal.  Plus with free charging, wifi, and printing, it’s basically a fun version of the library and makes a great place to work.

Great coffee comes second place to great beer though with the Pear getting in loads of cask and craft ales which they change regularly so there’s always something new to try.

A huge choice of ever changing craft ales

To make the pub more appealing to various groups of customers (yeah, we forget that people who aren’t students live here too) Ade has also said:

“We’ve separated the pub into different spaces for different people.  We’ve now got a snug where the pool table used to be for families because we let kids in now until 5pm.  We’ve got the bar area, and we used to have a side bar area which wasn’t really getting used so we’ve ripped that out and turned it into a communal space with two long tables, again with charging facilities.

“Then we’ve got a sports area at the top with pool tables and the HD big screen.  We’ve painted the wall behind it black and left white chalk there so people can graffiti what they want.  And of course there’s the function room upstairs.”

The super cosy snug area

Pool and sports- what more could you want from a pub?

The function space upstairs, Avenue, has also been renovated. There are loads of regular events to look forward to, with some being moved upstairs to make the most of the space:

“On a Monday night we’ve started doing speed quizzing, which you can just do on your smart phone or tablet. We trialled it this week and it went really well so we’re going to keep doing it. Tuesday is Quiz night which is now upstairs in Avenue. We’re looking at making Wednesdays Sports Days as that’s when we get a lot of students coming out for sports night and also coincides with Champions League games. Avenue will also host live music every other Thursday.”

There’s always something going on

When asked about the cost of the refurb, Ade kept quiet, saying “I’m not allowed to tell you- a lot of money.  A hell of a lot of money.”  Looking around it’s hardly surprising, but it seems worth it as apparently it’s already put The Bristol Pear ahead of The Soak and The Goose.

The side bar has gone to create more space

Needless to say The Bristol Pear seems like it’s the place to  from now on.

Packed events listings and multi functional space means there’s now something for everyone and every mood. Whether it’s a quiet pint, lunch, pre drinks, or even a night out with live music you’re after, it’s on offer here. Combined with the cool and refreshing decor, it’s hard to understand why you’d want to go anywhere else.