please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Nice busy pub with good beers and a discount for CAMRA members.
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I like this sort of high street boozer, and visiting it before the midday food crowd was clearly a good idea. The Great Yorkshire pale was superb.
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Never again! The day we visited it was busy, and within a few moments could hear the waitress apologising to different people in the restaurant end. We ordered steak and chips and pie and chips. The first order that came was wrong, the second was wrong, but by then we were starving so my partner just ate his pie and mash, even though he did order chips. Then I realised we had been over charged, when we mentioned this to the waitress she said the guy had taken our order down wrong and had charged us for superior pie and mash which was about �3.00 more! Meanwhile the couple next to us, even though they had ordered two meals, this guy (who was just new to the job and in my opinion should not have been working on such a busy day) had only taken for one. It really was a farce and I will never go back there again.
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sunday afternoon when i visted a good pint. it was busy in the pub and seats were hard to find so stoodin the corner by the bar.was soon served even though the pub was busy.had a few cask beeron. was told that it was one of the best pubs for cask beers in durham city centre.the pint i had was tasted and had no problem with the pint.a pub i would again if in durham
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Couldn't really recommend this one. Not made to feel especially welcome by smirking woman behind the bar, or the guys at the bar who were very reluctant to move a muscle in any direction so that I could see what ales were on offer. The Thwaites Wainwright was OK, but just a bit too chilled. The most annoying aspect was a surly staff member collecting menus and without a word hurling them into the alcove I unwittingly sat by, virtually whacking my head with them. Strange demarcation seemed to be in place, regulars with stony stares sat the front and students with foreign accents occupied the upraised rear. No distinguishing atmosphere seemed discernible. Sorry to the supporters of the Market Tavern but I couldn't see a reason to stay for more than one pint.
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Was not impressed. Chain pub menu, ale (I had Maxim Delilah) far too cold. Lacking character (takes more for a pub to have character than just being old).
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Nice place. Most (if not all) of the beers were 4.3% and above, including a couople of >5% on offer. Thought the ale was quite good (I had one from the stageeringly excellent Maxim Brewery).
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A wonderful old english pub that is hundreds of years old, but does not let you down on quality. This place is very popular and in a wonderful area near the cathedral and in Durham Market Place. Very nice Ale too.
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Great pub with reasonable ales.
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Maxim xxx, Mordue Workie Ticket, Northumberland Fog on the Tyne, Directors, Hobgoblin. Beer quality was good. Music on Mondays. Came across as a faded Wetherspoons, younger crowd than in other pubs I visited.
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It's either too full or too empty, never in between.
Drinks are average, cider is just Strongbow. Slight rough element, but nothing too much.
Hits the heights of 'alright'.
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An ideal and well-situated "proper" town pub for the regular pub goer and enthusiast. I felt at ease as soon as I walked through the door. Bustling and busy, the staff were competent and welcoming to a stranger and the beer selection was excellent, focusing on local ales and in particular those brewed in the city. I enjoyed the Hill Island stout and the eclectic music selection, which was very much to my taste (and some of which I had not heard for years) before realising that it was actually the juke box. Probably my first port of call next time I am in Durham.
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Probably the best traditional pub in Durham, in an excellent location in the centre of the market place. Lots of dark wood fittings and a wooden floor, but a high ceiling which creates an airy atmosphere, even when it's packed.
A constantly changing selection of four of hand pulled ales on offer, often including unfamiliar brews. The usual selection of premium lagers and bottles are also available.
As Thethompson has pointed out, this place has an unbeleivable jukebox. You could probably type your own name in and come up with a couple of hits. It must have a hard drive the size of my living room.
Definitely recommended, day or night.
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Great beer selection, and all well kept...
Food - never tried it: but I'd imagine it to be terrible
Never had an issue with the barstaff - dude with longhair is great, a proper Durham "face" and Pearl Jam aficionado!
I love the Jukebox - easily the best Jukebox in the city; although that is obviosuly a taste thing (but hey, this is a review site!). Loads of old rock (the kind of which everyone in a pub like this probably loves - by the look of folk), pleanty of Indie classics (new and old) and some jaw droppingly random "hits" by the likes of Mastodon and The Mars Volta. All they need is Jupiter by Cave In and i'll never drink anywhere else ever again!
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Traditional pub right in the market square. Four beers on tap that I'd not come across before, although they may be well known locally. Quite narrow, but opens out a bit in the top bar.
Didn't try the food, but the menu looks ok if you're just after "pub grub" - mostly sandwiches, burgers, jackets and about six main courses.
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One of Durham's fine old pubs, prime site location in the Market Place next to the covered market. Near the green bloke on the green horse. Pleasant panelled interior in the front bar with plenty of vertical drinking space. There is a rear lounge with more but limited seating up a short flight of steps past the bar. A good range of local microbrewery beers, including some from Mordue, on six pulls, all in good condition.
anonymous - 4 May 2009 11:14 |
Nice looking L shaped pub on two levels. High tables with seating at the front and dining tables on the upper level at the back. Sells Theakstons beer as standard but usually has a Mordue and a Houston beer on as guests. It's a pretty decent pub this that has been in and out of the GBG for a few years now. Always call in for at least one whenever I'm in Durham.
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well kept beer, but louder music than was required to fill such a small space - just trying to force an atmosphere too early in the evening. With the quality of their product, why? Aim less at the loud, scruffy, smell, poor, student types, and more at richer professional types WITH jobs.
Slowest and worst trained staff in town - do they have a boss who cares? But worth the wait when you do eventually get served. Location also a bonus, overlooking the market square, in the room at the back (not immediately obvious) overlooks the indoor market.
Put it on the list to visit, and you'll have a better experience if you try to ignore the dark decor.
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Beers may be good - had an excellent selection of pump plaques, but the food was easily the worst I have ever bought (and it must have been bad because I left it!)
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Traditional Spirit Group pub in the central Market Square with a fine welcoming atmosphere, but with that slightly generic feel that one might expect from a large chain - owned pub.
On the plus side, the pub stocks a good range of real ale - Deuchars IPA, Mordue IPA, black Sheep, Theakstons and Adnams Broadside on my visit. The Mordue IPA - at a surprisingly strong 5.1% OG - was very tasy and is worth looking out for.
Staff were friendly and knowledgeable about the beers on offer, which is certainly not always the case in this type of pub.
I see that its now in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for 2009.
Food is served at most times and this draws in a wider cross section of customer than most other Durham pubs that I did.
It's probably on the "circuit" , but, yes, avoiding Saturday and Sunday nights, I'd do this one again when next in Durham
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a great local pub with a good range of beers. Sadly stopped food at 9pm.
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Surprisingly good, given that it's location would allow it to milk the tourist and weekend circuit-drinking market all too easily. Old, one-bar, two-room pub, with the front barroom, at weekends, mostly used for vertical drinking and the back room for sitting and having a quieter chat. The food is apparently quite nice (standard, non-gastro, pub menu and prices, generous portions) and the beers excellent, mostly from Mordue and other northern brewers (all �2.40-60).
My only criticism would be that the music goes a touch too loud at weekends, even in the back room, but really, that's a minor quibble for a the only good real-ale pub in the centre that stays open late.
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Called into this pub and it was busy during the day, but I was served by friendly staff. Enjoyed my beer while looking out over the square.
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Decent food and decent beer right in the market square.
Regularly rotate their ales.
Can get rather busy around the bar on an evening, but a decent pub nonetheless.
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Depressing overpriced dive, like most of the olde englishe pubes in durham.
User4 - 16 Feb 2008 18:19 |
They do good pies.
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Recently refurbished pub and the first pub I ever visited in 1989 at the age of 10...with my parents I hasten to add. There are normally three real ales on offer of decent quality, and the pub has attracted a loyal band of regulars.
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Better in the daytime. At night, it's full of ex-pit town boys who are looking to beat the shit out of each other to impress their women who wear so much make-up and crap jewellery they could be anywhere from 15 to 65.
anonymous - 22 Oct 2006 12:54 |
Fairly decent, very central pub, done out in traditional style with "old" decor. Pleasant beers, and surroundings, some interesting characters, and can get rammed on occasion, and there is relatively little seating. Not bad for an occasional beer.
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Don't really know what to make of this pub. It's one of the most historically important pub in Durham (try reading the lengthy history above the door when you're hammered), but there's an alarming proportion of pseudo-victorian crap around; think ag�d firkins and stuff... Reasonable beer, but nothing to write home about and some very worrying regulars.
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Rather a pleasant pub all in all. Good range of guests and do a nice pint of Guinness. Food's pretty good and fairly cheap. Always nice to kick off an evening here with a pint of 80/
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It's great for regular guest ales, especially the McEwans 80'. Food's great quality aswell, and the atmosphere is a warm and friendly one. One of Durhams best pubs in my book.
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A number of years ago they changed this pub from an ordinary market place pub into one of these retro victorian spit and sawdust efforts. Old wooden floorbaords hold up old wooden barrells that double as tables, which in turn stand next to old walls which are the final resting place for reproduction old photo's of durham. You know what I mean? It's authentic 90's retro of the 1890's. Overall it is ok and yes I do go in there from time to time. They do have a good selection of drinks including some german wheat beers which as i remember were.... well ........ yuck.
6/10 it's ok.
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Nice pub -- good range of lagers, beer not so good. Friendlyish atmosphere and fairly quiet, mostly because of the high prices. Apart from on a Friday/Saturday, you are pretty much guaranteed to find a seat for a quiet pint or two, though you probably won't be able to afford any more after that!
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