The Old Duke

The Old Duke on King Street is one of Bristol's most reliable live music pubs, with free live music every night.

It is named after Duke Ellington, and the interior is covered in jazz posters and magazine cuttings. Despite that, it is not strictly jazz only: the listings take in blues, swing, funk and more, and Friday and Saturday nights tend to feature livelier bands. Expect a squeeze at weekends, when it gets seriously busy.

Its central location on the cobbled harbourside street draws a friendly, mixed crowd, from jazz heads to students. There is an open mic night on Tuesdays.

The Old Duke is under the same management as The Golden Lion on Gloucester Road, another of the city's live music pubs.

King Street itself is one of Bristol's best pub streets, with the Llandoger Trow, the Old Vic theatre and several other bars within a few steps, which makes it an easy start or end to a night out in the centre.