The Dark Horse Pub

United Kingdom , Bristol
BRISTOL, 172 174 Church Road Redfield
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50 reviews shown

2/10

Poor

11 Feb 2026

Jason

Not a nice room dirty and unclean.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

28 Dec 2025

Darryl

Lovely friendly pub and clean room

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

22 Dec 2025

No parking, parked on another road

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Dec 2025

Tim

Easy to park close by, happy, helpful staff, great atmosphere in pub.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Dec 2025

Paul

Staff are great but the top of the stairs is slippy as hell... can you do something about it?

Business Self

2/10

Poor

06 Dec 2025

sean

Neglected room with dangerous mold and faults.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2025

Paul

Great staff and exceeded expectations.

Business Self

6/10

Pleasant

09 Nov 2025

Fergal

Yes staff were grand and the room was fine.
Noise was the only issue.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

06 Nov 2025

Paul

Spacious room, clean and oddly comfortable

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

06 Nov 2025

Clare

Really enjoyed my stay here, staff in the pub downstairs are lovely, and it was a great and lively place for us to have a drink in late on. It’s probably worth mentioning that there is no parking onsite and you have to find a spot on the residential streets nearby, it wasn’t a problem for us but may be for others, especially if you have a a few bags to carry. The rooms are upstairs and you have to climb up some wooden outdoor stairs and cross a courtyard to get there which might also present issues for some. My room was spacious and clean, and I would happily stay again.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

06 Nov 2025

Anny

Lovely room, nice staff

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2025

Constance

Room was beautiful - clean and private

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

30 Oct 2025

Madeline

I feel like it's a 2.5 star experience.

To access our room, we had to go up poorly lit, slippery outdoor steps. The room was okay. There was a kettle with a nicely stocked coffee bar, plenty of Lotus biscuits and very pretty mugs and saucers. There was also a hair dryer, drawers, and clothing rail. Unfortunately the WiFi didn't work and the bathroom in room 1 was incredibly small and mouldy with a broken extractor fan. Not being able to feel clean made my stay a lot less enjoyable.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2025

Kerensa

Lovely room and facilities. It is above a pub so has some noise but that’s very well explained. Helpful staff
Would suggest a good clean/renew sealant round shower but otherwise just what was needed.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2025

Victoria

Lovely little place

Public car park around the back which is handy. Great location for central Bristol. Warm welcome. Clean and comfy room. Could do with little sprice up here and there.
Lovely bar with a great selection on tap and on shelf. Great atmosphere and would happily stay at again

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

15 Oct 2025

Derek

Acommodation itself was generally good. Clean and well presented although showing some signs of needing refreshing - shower base and kettle.
Listing suggests this is a pub with rooms. It is not. This is a pub with privately owned letting rooms above it.
Due to general area security at entrances and external stairs leading to rooms could be worrying to some guests.
Lack of nearby secure parking can also be a concern.
That all said rooms were good enough for me to consider staying again if the price was right.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

09 Oct 2025

No lleve coche ni mascotas

Friends_and_family Friends

2/10

Poor

29 Sep 2025

Dan

Worst place I've ever stayed, never again

6/10

Pleasant

25 Sep 2025

Gerard

The lady who showed me around was ideal. Room 3 is very tired but the owners had made a good effort. You pay for what you get. Compared to other prices in Bristol that evening this was fair. Parking was around the corner but no charge for the hours I stayed. Overall a good option for a night in Bristol. Close enough to walk to the City but regular buses too.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

17 Aug 2025

Belinda

Just what we needed. Staff were very helpful

10/10

Exceptional

13 Aug 2025

Zsirai

Love it.

Lovely staff, nice pub, lovely and clean room.
I found the tiny horse in my room and I loved it... and of course I left it there! 😊
Only one problem: wi-fi doesn't work.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2025

Mark

Very nice area, quiet and lovely room. Very short and close walk to Aldi or Tesco. Lots of resturaunts and cafes in the area as well. Room is very nice with shower, comfy bed, kettle and quite spacious

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

16 Jul 2025

??????

Overall a very good stay. Had no issues with noise or sleep. It's a room above a pub so I wasn't expecting a hotel experience or service. But I did expect it to be clean, which it wasn't. Bathroom needs a good scrub and dusting and the floors need to be hoovered at least.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Jul 2025

Mark

Overall good

Business

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jul 2025

Paul

Issues, sorted and great nights sleep

Ok, so i had issues checking in but things go wrong and the staff were absolutely amazing. Issues sorted, kept informed, apologised profusely and kept me amused in the bar. Superb service.

There is an outside staircase, little rickety but safe and leads to a roof terrace which is lovely.

The room was clean, fresh, probably the most comfortable stay i've had in a long time. No noise from the pub but ill know more next week, yes im booking again.

Thanks guys!

Business Self

4/10

Poor

19 Jun 2025

David

The room was filthy mould running down the walls, mould all over the bathroom tiles. Walls were damaged flooring coming up toilet leaking.

Self

8/10

Excellent

15 Jun 2025

Jason

Affordable. Good location, easy access for public transit. Community is alive and fun to explore. Good food/drink walking distance.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

29 May 2025

Michelle

So noisy with pub downstairs playing music and doing pub quizzes until midnight.
Access to the property not great.... Up some outside steps to a second floor level to get in.
Room was clean and comfortable tho.

Business Family

6/10

Pleasant

16 May 2025

Yvonne

The quirky of horses

I stayed at the Dark Horse for 3 nights whilst visiting family who live close by so it was very convenient. My understanding is that there are only three rooms available, with check in after 4pm. The kitchen was closed for refurbishment during my stay, however there are plenty of places to eat nearby plus supermarkets. I found the pub quirky and to have a good atmosphere with friendly and helpful bar staff. The room was only accessible by climbing steep wooden stairs via the roof terrace which could restrict access to those less mobile. The room was basic and expected for the price. I did notice a lot of mould around the shower unit and found difficulty getting warm water to wash. Towels were provided and access to a hairdryer. There was a kettle and usual packets of tea, coffee etc. I didn't find noise too much a problem as I managed to stay up late enjoying the wide variety of gins on offer. It's certainly a bit of a dark horse and I would visit again.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Apr 2025

Caroline

Nice pub

Nice pub. Room was clean and comfortable. No hot water in the hand basin, ok in shower.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Mar 2025

Verified traveler

Very comfortable stay with a good atmosphere

The staff at the pub were very friendly and the atmosphere was great. The room was as advertised, spacious with a comfy bed, Freeview TV, and ensuite which was a little snug but perfectly usable. The room got a little cold and I couldn't find a way to fully close the bathroom window but that didn't matter too much once I was under the duvet. I was warned that I was staying above a pub on a weekend even so, the noise never got too loud or disruptive, if anything it made my solo stay feel a little less solo. My only gripe was finding parking was a little challenging, I ended up parking behind the pub after getting a little lost down some one-way roads.

Self

4/10

Poor

12 Mar 2025

ashley

Looked ok on the surface but all very run down.
Access to rooms were poor with outdoor stairs very unstable

Business

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2025

Kirsty

Lovely great value rooms in Bristol

Fantastic value rooms for staying when going out in Bristol. Lovely pub, great service.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2025

Ashton

It was excellent I had to a nice time, spacious rooms

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

19 Feb 2025

Claire

Mixed bag

I had seen online before arriving that it was on-street parking but I hadn't realised it can't be on the road the pub is on as it's a high street.
We had to drive around a bit to find a space and certainly the roads and parking are very busy in the local area.
When we arrived the staff were lovely and showed us up to the room. Be aware it was up a steep wooden staircase so not great for poor mobility.
The pub itself seemed lovely and friendly and was running a quiz the night we stayed.
The room itself was really cute, it's certainly an old building but it was clean, warm, bed was comfy and TV was all good.
The shower in the morning was nice and warm and powerful enough, also lots of really nice smelling toiletries were provided. I had an issue with the shower tray becoming full but after some fiddling with the drain that resolved itself. Sadly I only realised there was no tea or coffee as I went to make it at 7am. We had seen the kettle, milk, sugar and biscuits etc but didn't notice the absence of actual drink. We did a full desperate search but to no avail.
Now sadly my negative, I expected noise being in a room at a pub. It was very loud, as in could hear the questions in the quiz. That was all fine, however when the post quiz music was still going at 11.30pm I got a little concerned. Unfortunately following this when everyone left the noise outside the thin windows was terrible, bathroom window didn't close which didn't help. Sadly this meant little sleep

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2025

Gill

Lovely clean room. Bar staff were very helpful and kind.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Feb 2025

Lisa Marie

Overall great value for money, liked the location as well. WiFi was spotty, had to find another location to gain stable access and heater wasn’t on upon arrival so it took a while for the room to warm. Otherwise, we would stay again for a quick overnight

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Nov 2024

A value for money clean bed for the night

The room was absolutely fine for one night's solo travel as I went to a friend's party. I didn't want to spend a fortune and the room was a good price in the right location. I hadn't expected tea and coffee making facilities, nor a hairdryer but was pleasantly surprised with both.
The bed was comfy and clean.
It's over a pub with a late license so there was a bit of noise but not enough to cause an issue. The bathroom was compact and apart from the mouldy seals in the shower it was clean. It did smell a bit damp/mouldy too.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

25 Oct 2024

Bruce

So the first impression of the room is it smells a bit damp. There appears to have been a leak in the ceiling (evidenced by the damp marks on the ceiling) and the damp stains on the room information card (why would you not change that before your guest arrives?). On entry it also seems very loud trom the traffic outside. The bar man who showed me round did warn me about the noise and, yes, you expect a little noise when your room is over a pub.
Once the bathroom window was closed the noise from the street was ok and, honestly the noise from the pub wasn't an issue.
The tv remote seemed to be the wrong one (or wasn't working properly) as you had to turn the tv on/off at the wall.
The shower door came off the rails briefly and the towel rail/radiator is a little precarious.
But, having said all that, i couldnt help but like the place. The bed was comfy, the bar man very affable and it did the job of a cheap overnight sleep.
Not sure I would take the missus there or stay more than a night (or possibly two???) but definitely wouldn't write it off as an option.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

24 Oct 2024

Nice style and furnishings, all amenities I needed. Felt slightly wary arriving at night as access was an exterior side entrance with no working lighting. However I felt safe in the room and any noise from the pub downstairs was minimal. The room had signs of damp on some walls and the shower had mould patches. There were good quality tea and coffee options as well as toiletries. The bed was really comfy.
Overall a comfy and convenient stay.

Business Self

2/10

Poor

19 Oct 2024

Verified traveler

Cheap but not cheerful

On arrival was made aware it was an AirBnb NOT a hotel, and to not speak to any of the pub staff as they have no idea what they’re doing. As we got walked into the room, the staff member commented on the room smelling ‘like pot noodle’ when it was clearly mould. The room itself was incredibly mouldy and dusty. Shower was the mouldiest and didn’t drain, so chunks gathered in the bottom. All the surfaces were dirty. Sure they provided tea and coffee but the mugs and spoons were dirty so could not use. Bed slats were broken. Weird stains on Curtains. Bathroom bin was broken and the toilet brush was disgusting. WiFi didn’t work while the pub was open. Walls are paper thin, so we could hear everything the people staying next to us were saying. Stayed for two nights, first night was the pub quiz which we expected, but pub was open until 2am and an alarm went off - we had no one to contact to ask if the building was burning. Night two was better but still not a good nights sleep with the broken bed. The only positives was clean towels and clearly refilled shower products. It’s cheap and we expected not great but clean should be a bare minimum and also it should be clearer it’s NOT A HOTEL on Hotels.com.

Partner

2/10

Poor

13 Oct 2024

Lucia

Did not like anything - we actually booked another hotel and stayed else where and came back in the morning to collect luggage as we had rush to go to an event in the evening. Would not recommend this property at all was very dirty and grimy - dust and mould throughout.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

25 Sep 2024

Justin

Fine as a bed for the night - but it's a pub downstairs until midnight, so dont expect an early night. Quite shabby, smells damp, and grimy. Arrive late, sleep and leave early is my advice. That's what I did.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Sep 2024

Lisa-Marie

Ok, first up: The Dark Horse is a (quirky, friendly, lively) pub on a main road, so if you’re looking for a tranquil escape this ain’t it. But that, and the location (15 mins to the city centre on the bus, which comes about every five minutes) made it ideal for my overnight stay - and the lovely lady who showed me to my room even offered earplugs (I always travel with my own, so no need, and I slept like a baby even though it was Friday night and the bar was open til 2am).

The room had everything I needed: super comfy bed, ample storage, actually functional hairdryer (!), tea/coffee facilities (with biscuits and OAT MILK), nice toiletries. Bathroom was a bit pokey and the shower temperature gauge temperamental, but not so much I’d take a star off particularly given the price. Overall, excellent vibes, would stay again.

Self

2/10

Poor

21 Sep 2024

Niveditha

I arrived midnight, I already informed them that I was going to be late. The whole place was shut down. I stood at the door, pressed door bell several times. No answer, I called the number available on the account. I also emailed. There was no reply.

Finally, I had to leave the place after trying for half an hour. I had to go in search of a hotel in the middle of night, spent so much on taxi. I could not get any hotel room at 3 AM. I was allowed to wait in the lounge of one of hotels until that morning. Around 5.30 am, I left to the train station to catch the first train back to my destination.

I had a terrible experience. In addition, I did not get the refund. I tried through Expedia. Nothing has happened. I do not recommend this property.

6/10

Pleasant

20 Sep 2024

Michael

I like that the rooms are above a pub - very old English. The bed was also comfortable and clean. There is a beautiful park nearby.
The pub is obviously the priority for the property. The stairs to the rooms are in questionable condition - very steep and narrow wooden steps.
The shower does not drain well - have to turn off while showering to let water drain before continuing. There was mold in the shower. My booking did say a king bed but the bed in our room was not a king bed.
Not being able to check in until after 4 was an issue as there was no where to store luggage on the area.
Okay place for a couple of nights.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2024

CBDCSV1

Great

2/10

Poor

21 Aug 2024

Idanesha

I sent an email to the property stating the time of my arrival. I never got a response. When i arrived at the property it was closed with no reception available to check me in. At midnight, i now had to find another hotel so i won't be stranded on the streets. The number they also provided is saying that it is not valid. I emailed over and over again and still no reply from them.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

15 Aug 2024

Karen

Led outside to gate at side of pub up steep wooden steps to accommodation. Room ok but only quarter of a toilet roll for 2 people for 3 nights,and out of date milk.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

08 Aug 2024

Jonathan

Basic,no frills

Very basic ,no frills,bar ok but only bitter glasses even for san Miguel.

Room ok,bathroom grubby,shower shocking, had to remove filter to let water drain away from tray,left out in hope it gets cleaned

Rough area,won't visit again.

Self