Hire Our Space
Grain Barge started life as an engineless transport barge that carried barley and wheat from Bristol to Cardiff, across the Severn Estuary. Built in 1936 by the Charles Hill shipyard, the barge is now moored in Hotwells, opposite her original berth and near Brunel’s SS Great Britain.
Today, Grain Barge is a relaxed and friendly bar/restaurant with spectacular panoramic views across Bristol Harbour. Serving fresh, locally sourced dishes and a range of craft beers, ciders, wines, and coffees, this unique venue is the perfect location for everything from film screenings, workshops, exhibitions, work conferences – and the wedding reception of your dreams….
Read on to find out what we do – we can’t wait to make your event become a reality!
Hold Bar
With its attractive, cosy, wood-lined interior and windows looking out across the harbour at water level, our Hold Bar truly is a one-of-a-kind location to host your event. Our dedicated Events Manager will work personally with you to plan your day from start to finish, down to the smallest details, and be there on the day to make sure everything runs smoothly.
The space has its own exclusive bar and PA system – perfect if you want to hire a band or DJ for the night. You can decorate the space to your heart’s content and, if there is a particular drink you would like us to serve your guests, let us know and we can order it in for you. We’ll make your hire experience a chilled and fun experience, just get in touch to start the conversation!
Capacity: 100 people standing, 50 people seated
You will need to pay a hire fee to secure the date for your private hire. Please get in touch to find out more and discuss your booking.
Discounts for charity and community groups may apply – please ask.
We also offer fantastic daytime packages and rates for corporate hire. If you are planning to impress clients or simply look for a different event environment to standard meeting rooms – our hold bar is the perfect space…
Find both our venue hire and corporate pack below.
Download our hire pack as a PDF Corporate hire pack Food offerings