please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Awful.Depressing, dull, dingy, and it smelt bad.Staff seemed almost to a man to be self-regarding, passive-aggressive poseurs, under the impression they were 'characters'.The front benches seemed permanently populated by disturbed and bored gloucester locals.The lager was watery.There was a general atmosphere of barely hidden aggression, presided over by a tall man i presumed to be the manager, who for some reason was behaving like a priest.
The place gave me a headache, but throwing up outside, while very appropriate, would have prolonged our stay in this desperate hole. Managed to dodge a man who apparently was the owner on the way out, who was paraletic and screaming.
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As this most 'recent' review was from 2012, it's time for an update. Based on a Sunday afternoon visit in late Jan 2014 for a drink and late lunch.
Quite busy but good atmosphere and not noisy. The place has character and charm. It's easy to miss down that side alleyway, but worth seeking out.
Yes, the drinks were more expensive than anywhere else we went in Gloucester, but were of good quality. Those an ale were happy.
Our meals from the varied lunchtime menu were sensibly priced and very satisfactory with one major exception. Despite taking pains to speak to a helpful member of staff regarding a gluten free meal (they actually have a marked up copy of the menu for GF customers), the burger that was ordered still arrived in a bun - we assume a communication breakdown between bar and kitchen. After that my wife lost faith in their ability to feed her without making her ill.
On the positive side, we did get a refund with no fuss but profuse apologies from the serving staff. Sadly, a bit too late to prevent severe disappointment after my wife's hopes had been raised (it's nice to get a decent choice of GF meals). Hence I am marking Cafe Rene down from an 8+ to a 6 in this instance.
Otherwise, I can recommend a visit.
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SocietalHeretic is correct - and things haven't changed much since 2010. It's a characterful building and it's almost always busy (unlike most pubs in Gloucester!), and there are good real ales and ciders on tap. It's genuinely lively, and hosts good live music and dancing. On the other hand, you may also witness a wild-eyed man in the beer garden attacking a tree with a stick. As long as you accept this as part of the character, that's fine. The bar staff are mostly very friendly, (bar the manager-type bloke, who is usually distinctly saucer-eyed and jittery by 8pm or so and can be a bit rude). Beer prices are a bit steep, food is nice. Still far and away the best place to go in central Gloucester.
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lovely place
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good place to eat they do a really nice stake had it with pan fried potatoes and mushrooms and salad was really nice and the ceiling is amazing candles on the tables very romantic place to take the misses my favourite place for stake.. is very busy on the weekends for drinking goes on til 4.00am benches out side nice in the summer thought �1.50 for half of lemonade was a bit much for just pop tho they got a dance floor down stairs in the cellar not very pretty down there but at least u can have a boogie very steep stairs going down to the cellar so be careful if you have had a few lol bar staff always polite
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My issue is with the mini-Glostovians (is that really the word? 'Glevumites' would sound more suitably pejorative). Small persons allowed to pursue each other shrieking and yelling around the place: the words 'please' and 'thanks' entirely absent from their vocabulary. A shame, because the ale was good and the barman very professional - professional enough not to administer summary justice to the unpleasant little bleeders. Disappointing.
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I�ve had a tempestous relationship with this establisment since moving to Gloucester in 2003. The building, the interior, the well, all seem to conjour up a genuine bohemian atmosphere but in the end there�s just too many Glostovians hanging around to really lift it out of the City�s parochial bias. You might think you�re in Prague or London but a chat with the regulars will quickly reorientate you in the haystack intelligence of the locals. Still, if you�ve stumbled into Gloucester from elsewhere then this place is the closest you can get to civilisation in town.
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I had a lovely pint of Freeminer, served perfectly. The ambiance was excellent, the menu varied and well priced.
My sort of pub � I shall be returning.
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Beer was good on my visit but the food was not that good. Quite a handfull of strange characters loud and drunk and old enough to know better.
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Wonderful location in old Gloucester, and a great building. Beer was OK when I was there but not very well presented - the dried-out towels mentioned by a previous reviewer are not only useless for cooling but don't look good either. Also the outside seating area could have done with a good clean-up, emptying ashtrays etc.
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Extremely impressed with this place. Was reccommended by a friend to me (obv not a_e_m below!). Had a spot on pint of Freeminer - Speculation which was that good i stayed for another pint this time a brew from moles brewery.The building is a must see aswell with a well in the middle of the place plus a ceiling covered in wine bottles. Only downside is maybe its a bit too aimed at food but thats not really a negative and without a doubt earned its 8/10 rating on here
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Great sandwiches at lunch, good atmosphere and worth a look.
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What a disappointment. Barwoman was pleasant and enthusiastic but the beer was woeful. Barrels were on the bar with no cooling whatsoever except for a long dried wet bartowel. IKB was dire,replaced with apologies by Butcombe (I think). Barwomans enthusiasm ran out after the arrival of a friend with a baby. Sorry folks but Fr Jack is an honest man so AVOID is the word if you're after decent ale.
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Quite simply the best pub in Gloucester centre. I'm not a regular but it is always a pleasure to visit.
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This is a great little place - infamous for its decor (ceilings made of bottles, a bar made of barrels etc) and it does some decent beers too. All kinds of people get in here on a wednesday night and on weekends - from silent old men to gothic sorts. Downstairs (the 'dungeon' as I call it) is a very warm cellar where there is another bar (sans ale) and generally a DJ playing. Great pub any time of day or night. Food is excellent too.
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well run, during the day its ideal for a quiet drink with pleasant outdoor seating area, 2 beers on gravity + 3 ciders available. Food is excellent value and good quality. Well worth a visit if your in town.
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You go under the archway and into a courtyard with picnic-benches. Inside Cafe Rene is very interesting - the ceiling is, in parts, made of bottles there is also a wall of corks and an old well in the centre of the room. For added interest the bar is held up with old barrels. During the day there is often music being piped in, if there are few people around ask the friendly staff to change it for you. In the evening (weekends) a live performer/group can often be heard coving a wide variety of musical tastes, the ale has recently gone downhill, but the famous cheddar valley orange cider is as good as ever and the house wines are superb.
Beccy - 19 Sep 2006 11:44 |
Very interesting pub/restaurant which is accessed via an archway in Southgate Street. The staff are very friendly and always there to help you.
Real Ales and ciders are served straight out of the barrel which is kept on the bar.
The restaurant has a lunchtime and an evening menu which is freshly prepared every day with chef's specials, and during the summer on sundays there is also a barbecue and the obligatory sunday roast which is also on a seperate menu. Well worth a visit.
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