please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Chequers was the better of the two pubs we tried on Etnam Street. It has quite an old fashioned feel inside with a front and a rear bar. There is also an outdoor courtyard at the side, with access to the toilets. Ladies have an indoor option too. Ales were all local - Wye Valley HPA & Butty Bach, Hobsons Best & Woods Oak. Cider was Westons 1st Quality. Comfortable place with a nice, friendly atmosphere.
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I can�t comment on whether this pub has gone downhill or not under new management, as I only visited for the first time recently. However, I can say that it�s easily the best pub (out of 3) that I�ve been in in Leominster !
There is a small front bar which appears to cater mainly for the �standing trade� � i.e. those who don�t like to drink sitting down. There is another bar in the room behind, and a number of tables, mainly designed for those having meals, I guess. Seemed very cosy and comfortable with a real fire. No sign of any of the cats mentioned by other posters � and it was an awful day weatherwise, so they were hardly likely to have wandered off.
Had a very nice pint of Cottage �Tornado� � we joked that the ABV should have been 6.0163 % !! Beer was topped up without asking.
We didn�t eat, but I had a look at a menu. The prices for full meals seemed pretty reasonable, those for baguettes and jacket potatoes, less so.
7/10 � will definitely go back
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First visit to this pub pre-2006 was very disappointing. As a lover of old untouched un done-up pubs this should have been good. True it did have a large fireplace to the left as you go in but there seemed to be ash everywhere probably highlighted by the extra long strip light above the bar which rendered the room totally devoid of atmosphere. There was an extra large TV dominating the bar back and the pub was as dead as a doorknob. There was no way throught to the room at the back. To get to it and the toilets you had to go out of the front and round the side.
This changed about 2006 and was done out very well opening the path through to the back bar which was done out well with a small fireplace with a lit fire but also keeping the large open fireplace with a lit fire in the front room. Total change of atmosphere and usually had very good selection of real ales.
The outside has now changed and has massive jumbrellas and heaters since the smoking ban came into force. There now seems to be a party/function room out at the back of the building which was in full swing this Saturday, which has the effect of keeping the bar quieter and more relaxed, although it can still get very busy at times.
Excellent Wye Valley Butty Bach and Spinning Dog brewery's Mutley's Revenge were enjoyed on the first visit on Saturday in the front room, which has a large screen which was showing the rugby. The same beers beckoned us back for second visit later in the evening sat in the back room sank into a leather settee.
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This friday was the frist time that i had been to this pub for 2 years. I had been told not to visit the chequers because there was a change of managers, but i thought that i would anyway to have a look myself. I thought straight away that the whole pub looked very clean from the outside and in.
There was 3 of us and we all thought that we would eat. we all ordered a cask ale (Top Totty, Butty Bach). We all enjoyed the food and easily would recommend The Chequers to anyone. We all thought that The Chequers offers fantastic value for money, as well as a great atmosphere.
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Each to their own opinion , witnessed by us and many others,who no longer wish to use this pub.
Only 2 weeks ago a customer left a bowl of soup on the table and went to the toilet.
Customers at the bar witnessed a cat jump up on the table and start licking from the soup bowl.No one said a word to him when he returned,he sat down and finished the soup.
As i said in my last review this is an excellent pub and has been for many years, but a lot of local opinion now says otherwise.
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last reviewer sounds like sour grapes! I and my family use this pub regularly, it is as friendly during the day with my 2 children (6 and 6 months) as it is at night . Excellent range of well kept mainly local ales , happy to give tasters and a Sunday Roast that you would die for!!
If you are in Leomister make sure you call in, you will not be dissapointed...and not a cat in sight!?
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On being regulars of The Chequers Inn Leominster myself for the last 15 years,my husband the last 40 years,I feel that we have enough knowledge about this pub, between us. In our opinion this is the best pub in the town now and has been for many years. It has excellent beer, a welcoming atmosphere and good friendly staff.
UNTIL 6 months ago.
We now have a pub that is not welcoming, has a bad atmosphere, and a so called landlady that is out of her depth, not to mention a rude, ignorant barmaid, who spends most of her time on her mobile phone, and running customers down. Also there are 5 cats roaming around the pub inside and out walking over tables and eating areas regularly. This MUST be a health hazzard. This pub is still an excellent pub its just a shame the wrong people are ruining all that good work
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Second pub in our group's crawl last night. Excellent Wye Valley Butty Bach alongside two or three other real ales. Lively 1970s/80s music on the jukebox, and a friendly convivial atmosphere afforded by staff and locals alike, all of whom were very friendly.
Superb pub, recommend you visit at least once during your stay in Leominster.
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Taken over by new landlord in 2007 (?). Now sells excellent real ales at affordable prices, and good food in the renovated Stable Bar. Good atmosphere and friendly staff. Well worth a visit.
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A bit of a foody pub but cracking pint of Yorkshire Gold (yes I know.....keep it locale, but I had already sampled the local brews elsewhere that day)
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i recently visited this pub on a Friday night and was not impressed by the manager. my party of four were treated to a prime example of a rip off!
don`t know which company this is .....what an ATTITUDE.
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Potentially wonderful - good beer and very nice building. Marred by awful piped (juke box) music which seems as often as not to be put on for the benefit of the staff rather than the clientele. In fact, in general, the staff - who are pleasant and friendly - need properly to take on-board that the place is there for the use of customers, rather than to serve as their own private club.
BurtF - 18 Dec 2007 14:57 |
Visited this pub early in November. A beautiful "Black and White" building. Happy and friendly staff and a terrfic menu! Now THESE people really know how to make a tourist feel welcome! Thankyou.
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As an Aussie on a quick trip around the UK earlier in October, this pub was recommended by our Leominster hotel receptionist. The locals were friendly (we met the Mayor!), the food was great, the beer was cold, and the staff were polite. It was a day of overwhelming homesickness and a young barman, Glen, I think, - polite, kind and helpful - sticks in my mind as the nicest person I met in the whole UK!
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well i have to say was rather looking forward to going in here after reading the reviews, but was a little disappointed, the two ladies behind the bar werent very talkative, were more interested talking about their hair than saying please or thankyou. seems to be a place for workmen to hang out in due to all the work talk going on. we felt very uncomfortable in there as if people knew we were strangers so werent interested. shame because was expecting alot more
anonymous - 17 Apr 2007 23:02 |
An excellent pub with many original features! Ample car parking and freindly staff. Attention to every detail, clean glasses and good beer!
Highly reccomend the sunday roast. Congratulations to the new owners for the obvious improvements made to this delightfull pub without losing any of the character that oozes from the original timbers and wonkey walls.(or was that the bloody mary?)
A must if in Leominster. A+
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Firstly, ignore any comments made before December 2005 as this is when the pub changed hands and is now vastly different to how it was before...
Anyway, The Chequers is a lovely, albeit cosy pub that serves good, well-kept real ales (about 4 or 5 different ones at the moment) along with some ciders and the usual selection of draught lagers and Guinness. The food (which is currently only served at lunchtimes) is superb (especially their Sunday roasts which are fantastic!!!) and when the weather is good there is a nice beer garden with many flowers to give the place an extra bit of colour, whilst the staff are all very friendly and efficient and the owners are keen to keep show an interest in their customers and make sure that they are happy (if anyone is familiar with The Nag's Head in Malvern then these are the couple that used to manage that for Duncan, the owner of The Nag's, and effectively made that one of the busiest and best pubs in Malvern). Overall The Chequers is a great pub and quickly becoming one of the busiest in Leominster
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Having just registered at this site I see that there seems to be some confusion over the quality of this pub. Although it was pretty run down and definitely not the best place for a pint in Leominster previously, it has recently changed hands (Easter '06 I think) and is now a very warm, welcoming little place near the centre of town and just around the corner from the railway station. A friendly young couple run the place and stock at least a couple of real ales (often including local beers from the Wye Valley Brewery) and usually a couple of draught ciders too. The front bar is small but very cosy and there is a larger rear bar and a small, gravelled beer garden just outside. As far as I can remember from last Easter at least, on colder days a real fire is usually lit. I don't know anything about bar meals (I'm suspicious none are served as it's a very small place and I haven't seen any indication of menus or a kitchen) but bar snacks are varied and good - including cockles, the only place in Herefordshire that I've found them! Overall, a very good little pub that seems to be gathering a cult local following for itself.
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Found ourselves in Leominster for a wedding - had checked BITE first for pre-service ales and would have avoided the Chequers based on the 2 reviews here. On finding the church, we discovered the Chequers was right across the road - looked good from the outside, had a peek in, still good, so gave it a go; top beer, good Westons Cider and good honest pub grub at reasonable prices, friendly staff and a landlady who actually cares about customers what they think of the pub. Great stuff, would recommend.
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As a lover of basic, unspoilt pubs, can I say that this is one that gives the term a bad name. visited on a Sunday lunchtime.
Landlord opened half hour late, looking like he'd just got up. we helped to open the curtains, which allowed the sun to glint on last nights beer rings on tables and overflowing ashtrays. Beer was flat and they seem to do a trade in thousand year old eggs, if the pickled ones behind the bar where anything to go on.
Overall, disgustingly filthy, with crap beer.
Jim - 10 May 2004 19:12 |
A very basic unspoilt boozer on the way into town from the railway station. Note the GBG entry is now out of date and only Banks's Bitter and Wye Valley Butty Bach are available, but both of these are superb! Friendly locals bought me a pint when I dropped in! Now how often does THAT happen guys?
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