please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This pub has had a horrific makeover. A sort of gothic neon nu-rave mismash of uncomfortable ill filling nonsense.
I'm not even sure what the target audience is for this place now but sadly it's not me. All decent beers and atmosphere have gone. A real shame.
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This was one of the few pubs in Hitchin I had never visited, and having read that there were 9 handpumps in my admittedly ancient Herts Guide to Real Ale, I was really looking forward to having a couple of pints of real ale. What a disappointment, this place turned out to be. The joint had been redecorated in a garish manner, and the main room was cluttered up with a couple of tricycles which had been parked bizarrely in the middle. There were only two real ales, both 5%+. The first one I asked for was off, and the (very young) bar-staff had to ask her colleague what to do next, so I had a half of the only alternative (Black Adder). We were the only customers, and I suspect this place relies on a yoof market post 5.30. This is not really a pub, and if you want to drink real ale in Hitchin, go elsewhere.
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I'm now a regular at the SunRunner and finally a bar for professional people to feel relaxed and have a bit of fun. The over 25 rule means my friends and I feel much more comfortable than we do in some of the louder establishments in and around the centre of Hitchin. My husband likes the range of draught beers and I like the fact I can have Prosecco by the glass. I also love the deco of the place and the staff are always very attentive and friendly, keep up the good work guys :)
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I love the changes at The Sun Runner. So much more sophisticated. The atmosphere is inviting and the range of drinks is broad and appeals to my friends and I. we received some lovely customer service was very helpful and knew what they was selling
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This pub had real charecter and had a real mix of interesting people but sadly it has lost much of this caused mainly by the somewhat strange and occassionally offensive attitude of the landlord. The beer quality has deteriorated and the prices have increased beyond the pain threshold. There is little customer focus now as the furniture is suitable for only limited clientel and the landlord is preoccupied with his own ego. Hopefully it will return to what it once was.....a quirky interesting pub with great beers and a range of people and conversation.
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This used to be an excellent pub. Recently refurbishly and done really nicely. What a pity they have hiked the prices, reduced the range of beers, and the new owners don't have the abilty to manage the cellar or be gracious to the clients. Coming soon - shots and lager louts. I like the musc that the pub plays but it is so loud you need to shout to hold a conversation. Oh - and did I mention the new owners ..... if you want to pay over the odds for poor beer and worse service, you couldn't do much better than this.
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My local for the last five years has been transformed into the bar from Hell by a greedy landlord. All the beer has gone up and is badly kept by the inept bar staff (make sure you have a book to read whilst waiting to get served). The real ale has been reduced in quality and choice but has rocketed to ridiculous prices. The wine now costs the same for half the amount it was and the spirits cost the same for 25gil as it did for 35gil a few months ago. Now decorated and done up like a ponce parlour to attract the Friday and Saturday night crew only. No regard for the regulars and the female equivelant of Manuel behind the bar. GOODBYE!!
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THIS IS HITCHIN.! NOT THE WEST END AT THESE PRICES YOU'LL DRIVE ALL YOU'RE TRADE AWAY....!
THINK ABOUT IT...!
He already has. Doesn't want "sad old men drinking beer" (owners quote) in his "bar".
So we have gone elsewhere.
Stuff you Jason!
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RedRoosterRocker, you and I are of the same mind.
�3.90 a pint now (thanks Mr Osborne) for a 5.0% beer. My Old Growler was warmer than I like my coffee.
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I WENT EARLIER TODAY AND HAVE TWO COMPLAINTS :-
1. I HAD A PINT OF OLD GROWLER THAT WAS TOO WARM,
2. �3.85 A PINT....! THIS IS HITCHIN.! NOT THE WEST END AT THESE PRICES YOU'LL DRIVE ALL YOU'RE TRADE AWAY....!
THINK ABOUT IT...!
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What a great pub, doesn't look like a pub, doesn't feel like a pub, but has great atmosphere, good service, and a great range of real ales.
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Twas a nice sunday afternoon on the 4/7/10 , had a lovely pint of cider whilst watching the world go by , with my daughter drinking her wotever milkshake from down the rd , met an old friend , met a Beautiful young lady . wot more can you ask for . will be going back to check out the night life ! .
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Good choice of beers, lots of nice continental lagers (Paulaner is always a favourite for me) It is a bit pricey, but it has a good atmosphere.
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Pretty average pub/bar really and the Guiness is only average at best. I have never eaten there and something about the place tells me I should not. BUT they do have live music on Wednesdays which redeems it a lot in my opinion as live music seems to be so rare in pubs nowadays. So go on a Wednesday and you can support the noble cause of live music in pubs with your presence.
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We were actually warned not to come here by some of the locals in other pubs but we ignored them and I'm glad we did. This feels more like a bar than a pub but it works nonetheless. Good selection of around 8 ales and my pint of Brewdog 77 was lovely. Definitely worth a look if you're in the area, 7/10.
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Go there for the beer - great range and generally well kept. However, take care with the food - the place recently received a "no stars" "Scores on the Doors" rating when the local council performed a hygiene inspection visit.
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The Sunrunner is fine if you're just after a drink, but if you're after food I'd give it a miss.
My girlfriend and I thought we'd give it a try for Sunday lunch, as it used to be really good for food. We turned up just before 2pm, and I ordered a roast, but they'd all sold out. Fair enough, I thought, so we both ordered baguettes. After OVER AN HOUR waiting (!!!) I had had enough and went in to cancel my order. As I did this, the barman went and found our food, but when he brought it out it wasn't actually what I'd ordered, either (they'd "ran out of cheese"?!). At no point did anyone come out and offer us an alternative, or explain why it was taking so long. It's not even as if they were all that busy either.
I don't think either of us will be going back for food. Shame really as in most other respects it's a really nice pub.
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Pleasant local pub even though it is in the middle of town, a range of ales, straightforward and busy.
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A lovely local, with nearly always a good variety of people from age 20 to 70, and everything in between. Lots of space, and room around the back of the bar if you need it; the tables out front are fab all year round, although they of course attract the smokers, so one often has to walk through a very thick cloud of cigarette smoke to get in.
A great place for going in on your own, meeting friends or even having an informal business meeting (which I've done on more than a few occasions!). Still keen to try to the food, which I�ve not yet done!
Thanks to Kevin and staff for making the place to welcoming.
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Decent pub. Good atmosphere, extensive range of frequently changing real ales plus wide range of wines and ciders. This week's Brains SA was well worth the visit. Unsurprisingly, given its many merits, can get very busy at weekends.
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The 'Runner is the best pub in Hitchin. From the witty repartee of the back bar to the sartorial eloquence of the front bar.
Where else can you meet a more cosmopolitan array of people.
The staff are not unfriendly, they don't suffer fools gladly.
Good range of beers, the reason there is sometimes a lack of choice of beers is that Kevin runs them all down in order to put on a range of " fresh " ones. Simplicity itself.
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Centre would like to apolige to the landlord of the Sunrunner on a complaint based on gate crashing a party.
Soulrider inform me about funeral taken place on the day centre posted this comment. I for one did'nt see the sign on the door closed to the public and did'nt realise i was entering a private funeral.
This actually made me felt upset and was'nt really here to ofend anyone. Losing a mother is one of the harders thing.
Also having no respect to the disabled, i was going a step too far and i realise how much your staff goes out of there way to help others.
This performance at the Sunrunner has made me felt embrassed and would like apolige to all mourner who were at the private funeral.
My profile has now been updated and have unhidden my profile.
I would like to send my respect to the landlord and say how sorry i'am for the lost of his mother.
Hopfully this has talked me a lesson, never a gate crash private funeral,
Regards from Centre...
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Centre - Are you for real?
You try to gatecrash the funeral of the Landlord's mother and then complain you were made to feel unwelcome; what planet are you from?. Far from complaining you should try apologising!
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It�s a good job that this site points out that the comments posted shouldn�t be taken to seriously.
Gate crashing a private party is usually regarded as bad manners. If centre visited the Sunrunner on the day their comment was posted the party in question was a funeral which was very clearly signposted that the pub was not open to the general public.
As for being rude to disabled people this is an offensive comment. Whilst the outlay of the building is not really suited to those with a disability such as being in a wheelchair (It is a 17th century building, it doesn�t cater too well for people over 6ft in height either). The staff always go out of their way to accommodate those who need help. If they were seen to treat disabled people with such disrespect no one would drink there.
It is amazing that centre is able to post such a detrimental comment based upon gate crashing a private party. It is also hard to contact people who have had a bad experience when the hide their profile.
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I gate crash a private party this evening. Only went into the sunrunner to use the toilets. Once was a lovely pub. But now own by an idolt who think he can bring in anyone he likes, even if it one of my friends who is not dress smart and look like an down and out.
Friendly staff, but the landlord is extremely rude. Won't be visiting again.
No respect for the disabled.
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A quirky pub for real ale drinkers. Unusual from the outside and in and it gets PACKED at weekends and almost impossible to move both inside and out and ages to get served. Best visit at a lunchtime when less busy as the food is quite good. Given that, it really needs a better wine selection other than "red" or "white" as your choices. It could do with a refurb as well but I expect some would say that is part of it's charm.
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Visited for the first time a week ago. Can't say i was too impressed, but it was the last pub on a four pub crawl so maybe i was a little jaded. �3.20 for a pint, though. Ouch! Never say "never again", but i won't be rushing back.
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I really can't countenance the comment below that states this pub's beer quality and choice is poor. Granted, I have only visited once, last month. However, with a selection of 8 real ales (all unusual options to boot), a real cider, and even some good quality draught continental stuff, (all the casks ales I sampled were in very good nick), I simply can't believe that "tef" was drinking in the same place. Moreover, who can sniff at a pint of Potton Shannon Ale for �1.95??!
I'd also have to question the judgement passed below that suggests the Sunrunner is "yuppified". I considered it to offer 2 pubs for the price of 1: a more well-heeled, cafe-bar style area at the front of house, with a more earthy, local pub character to the rear. Some may dismiss this as a bizarre amalgam, and may prefer a pub to have a single, unified identity. But personally I rather enjoyed hearing the gritty banter of working class locals emanating from the back mingling with the more sophisticated conversation going on at the front. I like to drink amongst both ends of the social spectrum, provuided there is no unpleasantness - which there certainly wasn't here. There was a broad mix of ages and backgrounds, and all seemed to be having a jolly nice time of it.
Better still, the chap who served me was very efficient, welcoming and friendly - perhaps others have been less fortunate and been served by another less-convivial staff member.
Whether you want a more modern cafe-bar look or a more down-to-earth trad regulars' atmos, if you love cask beer, make a beeline for this place and you shan't leave disappointed.
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Beer OK, but this place is too yuppified for me.
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What has happened here? I used to visit regularly, but now don't bother. Even on a quiet day it takes ages to get served -the staff only want to serve the regulars in the back bar area and the beer quality and choice is really poor.
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good selection of ales and ciders...bizzare almost contental cafe feel about the place....the staff seemed a little bit bermused by the fact i wanted to by a drink...top chips though..
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What is going on? This used to be a great place for real ale. The last two occasions I visited there was hardly anything on and it didn't taste particularly good either. The barmaid was stroppy too. Just lost a cusomer I'm afraid.
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The beer is always well kept, with a great variety.
However I wouldn't necessarily agree about friendly staff; have always found they have a fairly poor attitude to customers, though that may well be different for regulars.
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Lots of handpumps (maybe 10?) but just a couple of bitters on ystdy lunch, fair comment made about limiting choice at quiet times to avoid wastage thru lack of throughpull. A little disappointed that having checked the pumpclips (& been seen to do so) at both ends of the bar I still had to go back to ask if anyone was serving. Ended up with Hydes 1863 which was good. Front bar has attractive rounded bay windows & I hope/presume it loses its coffee-shop ambience when busier. Pub stands opposite lovely old half-timbered building with a "developer's" sign hanging threateningly from its facade; I hope it gets preserved. Sunrunner looks great for beer, I would go back if ever in Hitchin again.
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Best real ale pub in Hitchin by a distance I would say. Yet to be disappointed. Friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere.
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Have drank on and off here for years. Still one of the best pubs for choice of real ale. Seating and acoustics poor. Service can be slow. Also they need to get rid of the 100 watt bulbs. Previous owners always kept the lights down makes for a better beer atmos.
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This is a good local pub,, with a friendly, informal atmosphere. Good interesting beers as well. The toilets could do with some attention and it will benefit from the smoking ban.
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Just had a superb bitter from RCH: full of hops and flavour, bubbles lining the glass all the way down
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The pub is very homely and popular, since Kev took over. It has many real characters, like Tim whose dog panders customers and pinches hats and gloves. I like the company very much. The beers are well kept, about average as yet. There's always an ever changing range of bitters, with mild stout and porter from time to time - which is very good. There's connosseur wine and german beer on keg too. We hope the Wednesday night live music will be back during this year
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If you're on a pub crawl heading down from Nightingale road into the town, then this is a great pub to stop in. Try the raspberry wine, mmmmmm
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Nice pub, looks modern, well more modern than a nice old pub. It had lots of real ales on. You can choose what you want from the big black board on the wall.
Seating is a bit sparse and cramped as it is not a big place.
Seems to get quite busy at night, mainly your older folk which is good.
NeilA - 31 Dec 2005 20:34 |
A clean, bright trendy cafe feel in the front area with large bay windows, lots of pale wood, tables and chairs on the pavement, and some old fashioned tea-room arched nooks for displaying vases. A selection of eight casks (six on the front bar, two on the back bar) and two cask ciders. The blackboard in the corridor joining the front and back bars displays the beers on offer. The food is imaginative, fresh and tasty - and good value. Beer condition was good, but never shone on any of the four beers we had. The place appears very popular with a healthy mix of customers. Very enjoyable.
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Used to look good but serve unusual but rubbish real ale, on recent return to Hitchin I was amazed by the quality of the Gales (though I wonder they can keep the other 6 or so as well !) - pretty good
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I can empathise with almost all the comments listed so far. This has most of the ingredients that should make it a great pub... but somehow, yesterday, I didn't really want to stay for a second pint.
Again, its hard to put a finger on whats wrong. It's so near to charmingly quirky - but doesn't quite carry it off.
Black squirrels in the bins round the back were interesting, but even they're just arboreal vermin.
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A real ale festival every day of the week. Constantly changing and updated often within the space of an evening. Has gone upmarket in last few years, and now the clientele appear to resemble a VW Golf owner's club, If you can laugh and shout at the same time, this is a paradise. For the discerning real ale drinker - get some ear plugs, cower in the corner and enjoy some fabulous beer in very good nick.
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Rating seems a bit mean since it is a real ale oasis and has a good, friendly atmosphere. Customers can be a bit up themselves but it is a Home Counties market town.
Tones - 26 Apr 2005 00:49 |
A staggering amount of real ales on offer together with two scrumpy ciders. Nice atmospheire, and very reasonably priced quality food. Aims at the 25+yrs market. Live music on Wednesday evenings.
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I went to this pub on recommendation. It was at the end of 2004. I was told they had excellent choice of ales. They had two ciders on and two ales. Not much of a choice. Also thought the locals in there were a bit unfriendly, we felt uncomfortable and left. The place also smelt like a toilet (not a dirty one, but more like those freshners you put in them to take away odours). Very dissapointed.
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Used to be excellent. Staff now seem to be unfriendly and aiming at a younger crowd. Shame
anonymous - 17 Jan 2005 12:32 |
Good pub. Excellent choice of ales, makes a change to see such a good selection, my mate and I were spoilt for choice.
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A hidden gem of Hitchin. Loks more like a cafe-bar from the outside, but the range of beer is impressive. Stonehenge Bodyline, Shannon IPA and Ruitani Panther (among others)on the pumps when I visited.
Graham - 9 Oct 2004 17:45 |
Although it's changed hands in recent years, the Sunrunner (formerly Assizes) is still a great pub. Good staff, great selection of beer, and far enough from the rowdy part of town to make for a great evening out.
Thomas - 6 Jun 2004 14:04 |
Some great live music and friendly staff. Good selection of regularly changing beers and ciders and the food isn't bad either. Please, please don't try any of the fruit wines available - it'll only end in tears.
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