Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerneback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Blackthorn's review is spot on - an excellent pub at the back (actually the front when approaching from the canal) and a fairly soulless room at the back. There is great canal memorabilia (as is fitting in such a toothsome location) and Northamptonshire skittles is a real curiosity - presumably designed for those without bad backs as the 'alley' is raised. Excellent ales although the food was a bit disappointing. Very friendly so overall a cracking pit stop before the 7 mile walk to Cosgrove.
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Like this pub a lot. Beer is always good & always a friendly welcome. Never eaten here so can't comment on the food, but the menu looks interesting. (I wonder who buys the expensive cigars behind the bar and if they go outside into the car park for a smoke?)
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This seems to be very much a pub of two halves. At the back are a couple of great old snugs, with a frontage that is right on the canal. At the front is a much more open, contemporary lounge with perhaps slightly less appeal for the traditional pub aficionado.
The entrance way from the front car park is unusual in that you first enter in to a sort of hallway with a couple of sofas, but little in the way of character. It�s difficult to imagine anybody sitting there and having a pint. To the left, is a large open room with a modern looking wood vaulted ceiling, a wood strip floor and a stone built bar counter that has a couple of large wooden ship�s keels built in to it. Decor wise there is wood panelling on the lower part of the walls with cream paintwork above, a few pictures of the canal and other nautical scenes and a mixture of tables, chairs and a few cosy looking low leather sofa�s. A fruit machine was in the corner and a plasma was stuck on the wall which perhaps seemed a little out of place, but the only thing that it was showing was a message saying �no input signal�. Beyond this is another room with exposed stone walls that looks as though it may be more geared up for dining, although there was another room beyond this again marked up as a restaurant.
The real character of the pub is undoubtedly at the back. Besides the pleasant outlook on to the canal (as opposed to the car park) the popular and cosy snug was bursting at the seams on a recent early Wednesday evening, whereas the front bar was deserted. It has an old flagstone floor, real fire and wood backed pews around the perimeter. This is a really small room, and was full to capacity with only a dozen or so people in there. These were a mix of friendly locals and boaters who all seemed to mingling and chatting amiably. Beyond this is another small room with a red tiled floor and next to this something that I initially took to be a skittle alley, but then found that it was only about eight foot long. There was some sort of table skittles game at one end, and a sign saying something about under arm shots. Clearly skittles in these parts is very different to what I�m used to at home.
Food was a bit of a mixed bag. The menu looked to be a decent enough selection of pub grub, with a good choice of burgers, as well as jackets and a (very) small specials board. Most of the mains were around the �8-�9 mark, and whilst my chicken breast with bacon, caramelised onions and goat�s cheese had some interesting flavours, the chicken was somewhat tough and stringy. Similarly, desert which was a concoction of ice cream, caramel sauce, mars bar pieces, chocolate buttons and cream was ok but had a somewhat artificial taste to it.
There was a good selection of beers on tap with Banks Bitter, Pedigree, EPA, Frog Island, Marstons Old Empire, Hobgoblin and Jennings Cumberland. Ciders were also well represented with Scrumpy Jack, Strongbow and Thatcher�s Heritage. In spite of a slight disappointment on the food front, this is still a cracking pub and in a completely different league to the other one in the village and I would happily return.
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Would not go back. The menu was most misleading and we ended up paying far more than we thought we owed.
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Further to my comments the Frog Island bitter was good well kept and not over priced.
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I visited this establishment just recently,June 09.. at lunchtime it was not very busy,I ordered a pint of Empire it was very drinkable and at two pounds fifty per pint very good the staff were very pleasent and attentative.I ordered the ham eggs and chips with a portion of home made cole slaw,this was very good value meal,and not short in portions.my wife had the liebfraumilch vine on tap,this was also good..Well worth a visit I would think it gets very busy at weekends aslo there is anarrow boat festival.on coming,a very good Free House.
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Wonderful traditional boaters boozer,go in the entrance off the canalside to find the small back bar with the friendly atmosphere are real coal fire.Good selection of real ales including Frog Island Bitter and the bar food grub is good value and well cooked.The front bar from the car park is a bit dull but no worse than the rather corporate feel in The Navigation near by.
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The better of the two pubs in Stoke Bruerne by far. Manages to mix a good canal side local boozer feel with that of a touristy, restauranty feel. Highly recommended, - an ideal place to end a days navigation on the Grand Union
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Good location. Cheesy chips delicious and the beer was fresh and tasty. Decor somewhat sterile.
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A pleasant enough pub, with some character. Parking's aproblem most of the time and all said and done, it's not as good as the Navigator down the road. But the beers are ok and the location makes it worth a visit.
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We ate here on 15th April. My wife ordered 'Root vegetable roast with Goats Cheese and Cranberries'. She has a nut allergy and unusualy for her didn't ask if it had nuts in. It turned out the meal had peanuts, wallnuts and almonds. My wife nearly died, thankfuly the ambulance saved her life.
When I spoke to the landlord, although apologetic he has not sent me a revised menu showing it properly labled as I have requested, or a letter of apology or any kind of gesture.
Apart from that the Sunday Roast was grim, chewy Yorkshire pud, manky veg and tough beef.
The other pub looked much nicer down river... So my suggestion - don't bother Nut allergy or not.
anonymous - 23 Apr 2007 12:57 |
Only been in here once
Meal was Ok, but was driven mad by a tinny radio playing in the background
anonymous - 17 Apr 2007 12:30 |
With regard to parking at Stoke Bruerne, the car park at the Navigation is the "car park for the village"....this is a condition of the agreement with the owners of the Navigation. So do what I do every evening and walk over to the excellent Boat Inn, the pub has been in the hands of the Woodward family since 1874. The current generation of Woodwards' work in all areas of the business; management, behind the bar, in the kitchen, in the restaurant;so you are guaranteed to meet a member of the family during your visit for an excellent pint of English ale !
See you at the bar !
Steve
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Very Nice pub with good food choices. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Bit of a mix up on what was available on the menu but the barkeep was very good about fixing the problem Area on Canal side of the pub is very nice. Skittle Bowling room for use.
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Lovely pub. Great choice of well-kept real ale, beautiful location, friendly staff, and a Children's Licence so no problems taking the kids in.
Haven't tried the food but must do because it looks really good!
Only trouble is the car parking because their car park is always full (popular pub!) and there's nowhere else to park except the expensive Canal Museum car park.
Woth it though!
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Love his pub. Good selection of beers. Lets dogs in public bar. Can get tremendously full up with boaters and tourists.
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much choice in changing ales Weds night is practice time for Rose & Castle Morrismen = music after ten
don - 20 Aug 2005 17:09 |
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