Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 20/06/2026 18:27:00

Part bowling alley, part music venue and part late bar, The Lanes is a multi-purpose entertainment complex on Nelson Street in central Bristol. Its mix of five stringless bowling lanes, karaoke rooms, pool, a bar and a gig space makes it one of the city's more unusual nights out. Housed in a historic city-centre building whose upper floors hold the Rock & Bowl hostel, the venue combines daytime and early-evening bowling with a busy after-dark programme of club nights and live music that runs late into the night. On the music side, it hosts everything from local bands to national and international touring artists, alongside up to four club nights a week spanning soul, motown, ska, rock and roll and dance, drawing on Bristol's strong independent scene. The bar serves craft beer and milkshakes, and the in-house Ray's Pizza handles food, while a covered and heated outdoor courtyard, pool tables and table football add to the range of things to do under one roof. A separate upstairs bar can be hired as a private event space, and the venue as a whole markets itself for parties and group bookings, able to accommodate up to around 500 people across its various rooms. Open until the early hours at weekends, The Lanes leans on its all-in-one format - bowl, eat, drink, sing and dance - to stand out among Bristol's clubs and bars, anchored by its central Old City location near the bus station and Temple Meads. Bristol has a strong tradition of repurposing old buildings for nightlife, and The Lanes fits squarely within it, combining heritage architecture with a deliberately retro, rock-and-roll aesthetic. Its blend of activities draws a broad cross-section of the city, from families and office groups bowling early in the evening to clubbers arriving for soul and motown nights later on. That flexibility has helped it weather the ups and downs of the hospitality trade, giving it several revenue streams under one roof rather than depending on club nights alone.