please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Called in here yesterday (27th June) as part of a day out in Lancaster. Good choice of ale, but far too expensive. 2 pints of Coniston Special Oatmeal Stout, very nice ale but cost £7.70 - £3.85 per pint!!
Unless of course this is just what they charge the tourists, but as it goes through the electronic till, then it must be the regular price.
Perhaps it's their canalside position which has a high poll tax, or maybe it's to keep the rabble out, but unfortunately it will keep me out too.
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Very smart, food good value, beer selection excellent - service excellent!
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A must on any pub crawl of Lancaster, ale is fairly expensive but Camra card holders get about 20p off, not as good as the borough in the town centre. Cheese display looks tempting but is expensive. Best on a warm sunny day to sit by tthe canal side. Used to have a pool table which has been removed to make way for intrusive diners.
Turn right out of the pub and about 5 mins along the canal is the White Cross, also worth a visit.
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Nice place but agree with previous poster as it seems to think of itself a bit more than a pub with food but my beer was good and the food a little above average for a pub (in price also). Lovely setting though and well worth a visit.
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rather pretencious however six ales over nine made up for this,quick friendly service and �2.85 for my pint of bowland summer citrus was better than i expected,lovely location except on a horrible wet day like today 8/10
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Lovely canalside pub and restaurant with a good range of beers. Unfortunately it was raining so we didn't make use of the outside seating. We did however make the most of the fantastic cheese board. A choice of 3 cheeses from a varied and interesting range of 12, with sald, pickles and half a loaf of bread for about �8. We each order a side portion of chunky chips but the cheese board alone was more than enough. The beer was also in very good condition.
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Not sure about this place, the staff seem pretty friendly (remember they used to think it was a michelin restaurant). Beer not as good as I expected but not bad, more variety needed i think. Think th efood isn't as good as it was, or maybe an off day. Still really uncomfortabel inside which really puts me off in the winter
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Gastropub by the canal, just south of the city centre. Despite the undeniable food emphasis, the pub also has a strong reputation for real ale and as such is worth a visit.
It's in a pleasant spot by a small marina, and benches adorn the towpath outside. Inside, it's pretty unremarakable, with one long room served by a bar. Most of the tables are given over to dining so I tend to sit outside whenever I visit- pleasant on a nice day but possibly quite prohibitive if it's raining.
The beer range is usually quite strong, on my last visit there was a 'War of the Roses' theme, although York Brewery and Thwaites seemed to dominate the pumps on my visit- not as varied a range as on previous visits. Had an excellent pint of Guzzler and enjoyed it outside.
The food is well renowned but is quite expensive, and can't really be described as pub grub. However, there are always lots of people eating so they must be doing something right.
It's not really a boozer and for the traditional experience there are better places to head in Lancaster. However, if you come on a nice day it can be a rewarding experience, especially considering the ale selection.
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Canal-side pub not far from the White Cross. Long narrow interior with about 5 (interesting) ales on tap - worth a visit everytime.
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Very much a food oriented place, we sat at a table and was almost immediately asked "were we eating", no, so we got moved off the table to a much smaller 'drinkers' area. 5 real ales on in excellent condition, if memory serves me right there is a 30p/pint discount for CAMRA members. Right on the canal, rather pleasant and relaxing on a warm sunny day.
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Great place in summer bit bleak in winter used to enjoy the random canal trips on a Sunday evening at 1030pm after last orders were called, happy days!
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Another good visit. However the beer choice was a bit flat. Tried a very good Roosters - a lager style ale.
Very busy inside with eaters so to brave the windy elements outside.
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An excellent pub - a really fine selection of ales, predominantly Northern but from further afield. When I went there were about 8 on offer...a great place to while away the hours on a Sunday afternoon - lots of outside seating too. They offer third pints if you can't decide!
The beer itself was very well kept - I had a couple of York Brewery beers and they were delicious...
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Visited during the Spring Beer Festival. Good choice. Didn't notice the price of the beers as much as in other Lancaster pubs.
Ales were well kept. Food was good, portions on the meagre side.
Lovely place to side by the canal and watch the world go by - if alittle cold.
Well worth sniffing out if in Lancaster.
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Still the daddy of ale houses in Lancaster, no problems with the sparkler this time either.
Christmas beer festival was insane, so much choice.
Yes it is a little on the expensive side for Lancaster, but given what's on offer I think it's acceptable.
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just visited and can confirm generally favourable comments. Sadly it seems to be going down the yuppie student route but lots of good ales on and sitting outside by the canal is decidedly nicer than inside for character. The Polish? maid was happy to remove the sparkler and was extremely good looking toboot. What else is needed to make you go back? Aha, lower prices!
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I do hope this pub isn't sold off. In my early days at uni (2001-2004) it was the best pub in Lancaster by a country mile. It served it's own beer (Witches water - lager and Witches brew - bitter) for �1 and �1.10 respectively. It then had a refit and the prices went up and their own brewed beer stopped but it remained a great pub. To turn it into a trendy bar would be a shame.
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Lovely spot, and nothing wrong with it as a pub per se - but, compared to the rest of Lancaster, very expensive; and somewhere for London-born students to visit if homesick for high prices.
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An absolute must-visit, a pretty canalside freehouse serving ELEVEN (yup) handpulls with the condition of each of the six I tried in good nick, and a huge selection of bottled beers and vodkas (look out for the Porter by the Anchor Brewery in San Francisco, it is an absloute corker for �3.50).
Apparently this place was converted in the 80's, though you can only spot this in subtle ways, like the backlit glass at the bar. The music selection was pretty good, a mix of 80's, 90's and Indie alternative.
One small moan, teach the foriegn barstaff what a sparkler/sprinkler is, and that removing it on request is perfectly acceptable!
I hear on the grapevine that this is being flogged to Mitchells(?), so whether the incredible selection continues undiminished looks precarious, as very few of these groups appreciate what makes these types of places successful in the first place.
I urge all ale drinkers who use BITE to get up there ASAP, in case in turns into a yuppie w@nko bar with nothing but Inbev/Coors pish!
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Morning Advertiser Supreme Pub of the Year 2006
Best Pub Promotion 2006
Granada Regional Champion 2006
Granada Best Cask Beer Pub 2006
Granada Best Premium Bar 2006
12 Cask Ales
Extensive beer, wine and spirit selection
Restaurant menu "classic with a modern twist"
Knowledgable staff
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No comments for nearly a year now!
My son's at Uni @Lancs, and he reliably informs me the 'Water Witch' won some pub award recently (best pub in the country, or something) ? Can anyone confirm that?
We had a meal here earlier in the year. Food was good. Nice selection of beers. Venue is unusual, but tastefully set out (a converted boat-house perhaps..?) Couldn't appreciate the canal setting properly, as it was dark. Will re-visit certainly, next time I'm "Up North"..!! TJ
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Reading the comments below, the beer should be good as it's the most expensive pub in Lancaster as far as I know.
anonymous - 11 Aug 2005 11:20 |
Having read the comments so far, I can only agree with most that this pub is very special and is probably close to if not the best in town. Food,Beer, Location, it has them all.
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Superb pub with loads of awards to its name. Great canalside location, many guest cask ales and a fantastic restaurant. Only downside is that most of Lancaster know that it's fantastic, and it's only small :)
Nathan Weston - 15 Apr 2005 12:56 |
Whilst the Sun and the John O' Gaunt are in my top 3 pubs in Lancaster, this rates as my top hostelry in the city of Lancaster.
In a canalside setting, it can be approached on foot after a nice walk along the canal either from North or South or across from B&Q side over the metal bridge thus avoiding the emissions from the traffic of Lancaster's permanently blocked one way sysem!
An excellent variety of well kept beers can always be found and also a good selection of foreign bottled beers are served by some great staff.
Also I urge you to try the food, great variety and good value!
Comments about "students" is not surprising since halls of residence on other side of canal.
A cracking pub. Well worth a visit (or ten!)
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Excellent pub by the canal in Lancaster, good choice of ales and lagers, food very good. Very popular in summer with seating outside, at busy periods be prepared to wait for your drinks. Good starting place for a pub crawl as its at the top of town and close enough to the town centre to be accessable but far enough away to be out of the town centre traffic
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Still the best by far in Lancastre and probably the north. It is an institution and an example to other pubs
bernard - 4 Nov 2004 16:06 |
Top class Lancaster institution. Busy all year round, this is a special pub that wins national pub/restaurant awards every year. The food, the drink and the environment are all absolutely superb.
Phil - 18 Sep 2004 17:49 |
Wonderful pub - loved the food, it's probably the finest gastropub in Lancashire. Enjoyed an excellent bottle of wine, superb service and an outstanding meal. A bolt out of the blue top class pub.
Pat McConnell - 18 Sep 2004 17:40 |
Nice staff, too MANY students to enjoy the pub though...might just stop going out in my home town altogether.
Shane - 3 Sep 2004 21:23 |
I liked this place, and had a couple of very good ales from their large selection. Sat by the canal, warm sunshine, bliss.
Allan - 25 Aug 2004 12:45 |
just don't wear a hat in there!
Jonathan Greatorex - 23 Jun 2004 15:17 |
The food here is awfull,it also needs a jolly good cleaning and dusting.
Canal Boater - 18 Jun 2004 06:43 |
Stunning pub, hugely popular with a massive selection of beer, superb food and all served in 18th Century converted stables. A special pub.
Mark Patterson - 29 Feb 2004 12:20 |
Old canal side building, recently renovated. Near town centre. Specialises in continental beers, with 10 or so on draught. Meals and chees platters.
Mike - 21 Feb 2004 20:59 |
The best pub
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