Ye Olde Dolphin Inn, Derby

I think I'm just going to end up re-itterating previous comments here but it's got to be said that Ye Olde Dolphin is probably the best real ale pub in the city.

The beers are well kept and there's always a small, but well chosen selection to choose from, including one of my faves, Black Sheep.

In the winter the snugg is, well, Snug! Especially with the fire roaring, it's toasty cozy.

In the summer, the little beer garden out the back comes alive, and they often have a BBQ too!!

It's a great place to go if you like to chat with friends over a quality pint, and even if you don't like real ale, there's the usual selection of stuff to keep everyone else happy.

1 Jun 2006 23:27

Via Bar and Restaurant, Nottingham

Such a shame....

When the water front area was first developed it was a lovely place to sit enjoy a pint in the sun, enjoy some good food in any of the pubs and admire the surroundings.

But, after paying a visit to Via Fossa only a couple of months ago, I was reminded of just how far downhill it's gone.

The service at the bar was appalling, the barman was more interested in giving his mate a free pint than serving paying customers, and the poor lady next to me asked for the wine menu to then be told "I dunno where it is, you'll have to look round the tables", and then there is the general clientel, which mostly consists of either pretentious posers or beered up half wits whose only real motivation in life is to see how many fights they can start.

And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...

After we had found a little secluded area to sit in and chat whilst we had a bite to eat, up goes the volume. I've stood behind concorde when it's taken off and it would be easier to hold a conversation behind it than in here!!

So to summarise, a nice venue, but might be a good idea to pull down some of the football memorabellia, turn down the music a bit, and cut out the offers on shots & alco-pops and it might stand a chance again.

1 Jun 2006 23:15

The Victoria Hotel, Beeston

For the most part, I love the Vic, an excellent selection of real ales, continental beers and an UNBELIEVABLE range of whiskeys!

The best way to describe the food is 'good' and 'wholesome'. One of the best things is the vegetarian selection, it's great to see more than just Vegetarian Lasagne.

I have mixed opinions about the actual venue, whilst the interior rooms are traditionally cozy (easily mistaken for tatty) it could just do with being a bit bigger but then I guess it would loose it's homely feeling. I say this, because when it gets full, the only choice is to sit in the outside area with the patio heaters, and whilst it is a covered area, you can't help feeling a bit 'out of it'.

I kind of agree with the mobile phone comments, but, on the flip side, you do have to stop and think, has life come to the point where we can't even live without our phones for a couple of hours whilst we enjoy a pint and a chat with friends? I guess it's only pretentious middle class fascists like me that like to actually talk to the people he's with...

1 Jun 2006 22:51