The Bristol Old Vic on King Street is the oldest continuously operating theatre in the English-speaking world, having opened in 1766 as the Theatre Royal. The auditorium is an example of Georgian theatre design at its finest — a compact horseshoe of galleries in cream and gold, beautifully restored in a 2018 redevelopment that added a new entrance building while leaving the original interior entirely intact.
King Street itself is one of Bristol's most historic streets, with 17th-century almshouses, pubs that have been trading since the same period, and cobbles that survived because the street was too narrow for heavy traffic. The Llandoger Trow pub at number 5 (said to have been the model for the Admiral Benbow in Treasure Island) and the Old Duke jazz pub are both on the same block. An evening at the Old Vic followed by a drink in one of the King Street pubs is a Bristol evening done well.