please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I do have to agree with some of the views. It can get conjested and often with people i'd usually cross the road to avoid. The beer is good but expensive relative to the rest of Darlo. Good place to see your old Geography teacher.
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A beer lovers paradise. Excellent range of beers across the spectrum from pale ales to stout. All that we tried were in top order. Highly recommended and around 10 minutes walk of the main station.
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We have been visiting No 22 for many years usually on a lunchtime but never seem to have posted a review. I have always found the beers to be good with a range from light to dark and including Village Brewer beers. On the last visit there was an excellent Porter from Allendale. The pub mow has its own very micro brewery as well as distilling its own gin & vodka. The lunchtime food is limited but good value for money. I did visit I think over the Christmas period last year when it was very busy but cant comment on evenings. Definitely worth a visit if you are in Darlington.
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Recent weekend visit proved to be rather disappointing - ale was ok - not the best i've had in darlington - punters in there frankly unbearable and atmosphere really quite offputting - seemed that the place was run by a cadre of civil servant regulars - only amusing thing was the rather inept member of bar staff trying to get the drinks order right!
Shame really - on paper this could and should be a cracking place - in reality I've had better - if you lived in a real ale desert you could be forgiven for thinking this place is the puppies privates. In this area it's just a dogs dinner.
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Nothing really special apart from the two little booth type bits by the front windows. Ale was okay as opposed to good (Collingham Artisan - which was just about drinkable). It is dog and child freindly to the extent of letting them i to the kitchen area though as I wans't eating there it didn't bother me so much.
anonymous - 22 Jul 2012 11:48 |
I really like this pub but after my last visit my view of it has become tarnished.
While visiting with my partner and another couple of friends we managed to get a seat at the front of the pub on a busy saturday evening.
We got chatting to another group of people on the next table who turned out to be regulars.
Stuck to the table was a hand written not saying reserved from 7.30
Sure enough when 7.30 came round a member of staff proceeded to move this party on in order to let some other people in.
We all found this to be unusual and very unfair and let the member of staff know in no uncertain terms.
He told us that these people who had just turned up were regulars who had complained that they could never get a seat when they come in.
I WOULD SAY TO THEM THAT THEY SHOULD GET IN EARLIER IF THEY WANT A SEAT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO AND NOT BE SO POMPOUS........
Needless to say the other people left and no doubt wont return in a hurry.
I do hope the management dont make a habit of this and turn the pub into a stuck up establishment which would be a shame.....
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Pleasant well-kept and well-run pub with more than enough smartly uniformed and friendly staff at lunch time on New Year's eve. Beer was good both in terms of choice and quality and food looked good as well.
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Very nice pub, excellent beer. A victim of its own success however as it was vastly overcrowded on a Saturday night.
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Probably the best real ale pub in Darlington, only The Quakerhouse and The Old Yard Tapas Bar may come close. A changing selection of well kept casks. Good food at lunchtime. Friendly and helpful staff. Recommended by local CAMRA.
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Following a request to the management we were allowed to pursue the ancient sport of dominoes (on a specific table with suitable top.) A good time was had by all - the Durham and Village Brewer beers were excellent, as was the food. An all round top notch experience.
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Nice pub, friendly customers and staff, good selection of beers. Five from the Village brewery and about seven guests. Pretty much as described in previous reviews, and well worth a visit.
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A long thin bar in a high ceilinged victorian building, home of the Village Brewer although the beers are brewed under contract at Hambleton. 15 hand pumps with the Village Brewer range plus changing guests from UK micro breweries, all very well kept. There is also a wide range of european beers on draught and in bottle. Good service from professional liveried staff.
The elegantly decorated room is split into three distinct areas, chair seating with tables near the door at the front, a �canteen� at the back and a mainly vertical drinking area in the middle with a few bar stools and shelves to rest a pint on. The blinds over the big clear front windows say this is a �Traditional Ale House and Canteen�, which tells half the story; the other half being that it is probably the most civilised pub in central Darlington.
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Always enjoy coming into this pub when visiting the area, and enjoyed a Village and Yorkshire Dales beer this time round.
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Sooo the pub is rammed, it attracts geography school teachers, young people and suits - does that mean its a bad boozer or just appeals to all?
This is a cracking pub with a great range of beers, always heaving on a weekend, and of course everyone moans about everyone elses social group being in the way - abit of a reflection on society but with good beer, good staff and good food.
Funny how the moaners come back all the time....
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Had fond memories of this pub having visited after Colchester played Darlo in January 1998. Remember a lovely traditional pub with a great range of ale. Popped in again before a random visit to Darlo's new ground and I was very pleased to find that 10 years later is was much the same.
This is a fantastic pub... rustic feel about it with the wooden floors and hops hanging from the ceiling and a superb range of exceptional real ale. Staff and locals are friendly and welcoming and more than happy to discuss their beer - some of whom (the DAFTS) even allowed us to share their taxi to the ground. The only downside of this pub is that it is so far from Colchester and that Colchester and Darlington are no longer in the same division!
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What agreat place. Superb range of well kept ale, good wine selection and imported beers too. We found the place well run and clean. We especially liked the fact that there was a no nonesence approach to swearing and por behaviour, it seems that the bosses are very experienced and take no crap.
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Superb place to meet your old Geography Teacher. Try and lever some bar-hog out of the way to order a Over priced and often quite average pint. Then wait for some pratt in a pin-stripe to knock you whilst he and his drunk mates guffaw at mortgage rate changes. This pub could be so much better than it is!!
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This is the best pub in Darlo by a mile. It might not be very cheap, but what you get is good quality, excellent choice and a pleasant atmosphere.
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Dull and uninspiring. The beer is getting more expensive.
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Decent pub with an excellent range of well-kept ales.
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Another must visit pub when we get into Darlington from the midlands. Great beer and great staff who found time to have a chat about some of the beer names. Locals friendly too.
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Excellent blue-blooded venue. This place is a secret meeting spot for Darlington Wizzards.
anonymous - 13 May 2007 11:30 |
Being a Darlo exile, I only get in here every week or two but have never found it cliquey. Maybe they're a bit sniffy about football shirts but I've never had a problem with my dress in there (and I'm far from smart).
Should be supported for the no alcopops/shorts/one-lager/loadsa real ales policy - more pubs should be like this.
I'm always made welcome and chat with various groups of people in there - some reviewers obviously have insecurity issues...
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Something of an institution with 11 ales to choose from. Many from local brewers and all in excellent condition. One of premier ale houses in Darlo.
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At last a decent pub! Beer is excellent. There is no music just quality beer and wine.
No bloody Fosters thank god!. Lager is Bitburger. STrong and tasty. Best beer is White Boar.
If only all pubs were like this. Aren't we sick of pub chains who cater just for kids!
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The Beer is good but pricey which suits the suits.Very much the 'Darlo crowd' who eye folk up . Very cliquey. Small thing but bogs are pathetic for such an establishment.
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If you want to meet the people who used to teach you at school, then this is the placde to be! If you get in early enough you can wear the t-shirt and jeans, but watch out for the trouser and shirt crew in here. The beer is absolutely astounding! Great real ales.
Not MAD prices.. but you're supposed to be a professional if you step foot in here.
Definately should give it a go. Friendly and happy atmosphere.
But be warned... Dont let your mobile phone ring in this pub or you'll be liable for a fine (all goes to charity though).
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FANTASTIC pub. Not sure about the whole "watch" thing though - what are you on about??!! Comfortable, great beer, great food, what more do you want...
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about as trendy as wearing your trousers really high, but does great beer and good service. I've always been served with a smile here, but then again I've got a nice watch.
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Not a local. But I've always been made welcome. Beer excellent and a comfortable place to take a girlfriend.
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In the Boot & Shoe , you are made to feel welcome , unlike No.22 , where you are only served with a smile on the merit of how much your watch cost .
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Unsurprisingly those that appriciate the delights of classy establishments such as the boot and shoe don't appear to like it here.
anonymous - 4 Mar 2006 02:27 |
A pub that is very popular with middle aged poseurs and old couples , who seem to have nothing else better to do than drink in No.22 and talk about their holidays in Egypt , whilst staring at their reflections in the mirrors .
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In response to Darwins.
Not all the views here are by the locals. For one I live in middlesbrough and only get chance to visit this place a few times a year.
To say that the beer here can be obtained at Tanners Hall is much like saying 'why by steak from a butchers when kwick save sell beef burgers'.
anonymous - 28 Feb 2006 17:56 |
Great pub, despite its links with the fox hunting crowd. There are always numerous and an ever changing range of ales to chose from. Last time I visited the food was pretty good too. There is even a great selection of wines for the ladies. Beware however the upper class twit crowd that inhabit this place of a Friday evening (don't they know its 2005?). Under such circumstances one should decamp to either the quaker or the Brittania.
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Excellent pub, impressive range of real ales and now a good range of foreign beers (Erdinger, Veltins, Leffe to name a few) on draught and a large selection of wines for the girls, Village brewer beers (brewed by Hambleton) are A1, the higher gravity beers tend to be expensive but the beers are served in lined glasses, excellent staff this place can be bursting at the seams but the service is second to none.
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Fantastic pub. Great Ale, nice atmosphear.
I'm not normally a large fan of light ale but with white boar I make an exeption. Fantastic drink.
The sole draught larger Oranjeboom (Dutch: Orange Tree) whilst not the best larger in the world still beats the pants of the carlings and stellas of this world. But who cares, if you come to this pub you should be drinking the cask ales, it would be rude not to.
A very interesting pub with its long and thin layout and dark interior is very welcoming and friendly environment.
Nothings perfect, the bar can get paked to the rafters on a weekend. This is testament to the quality of the place and if thats the only fault with a pub then you know its somewhere special.
9/10
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This is a cracking pub with excellent beer, I completely agree with darloexile that the white boar is truely excellent. Service is always good but the bar can get rammed on a friday night but even so still worth trying to squeeze in to a really delightful pub.
cutch - 18 Aug 2005 12:11 |
The second best pub in Darlington. Great selection of beers, a good friendly service and clientele. The White Boar is a magnificent pint and every time im back in Darlo I need to sup several before I know Im back home again. Lets hope this place doesnt change.
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I love 22's. Having given it big legs from a place called Hogans I was on the look out for a spot of lunch and some none neanderthals to talk to or even sit next to and I happened upon 22's. I was gobsmacked. A great selection of ales and wines from the bottle. A nice easy luch followed and what has followed that? My wife and I visit pretty regularly even though we live 20 miles away.
Well done to everyone in there. Nice atmosphere well kept drink.
10/10 It is as spot on as I can get.
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A fantastically chilled out traditional bar, good variety of ales, a good meeting place. Cheers Griff and Falc for pointing us in the right direction.
Nick - 10 Nov 2004 16:02 |
Excellent. Nice decor & atmosphere. Real ales superb --- and good food.
Ken. - 10 Jun 2004 21:02 |
Known locally as "Jurrassic Park", 22's is a real ale house of the highest order, offering 6 or 7 choices of "real ale"
However it is worth noting that it sells only one variety of Lager on daught (continental style... oranjeboom i think), and bottles of rarer types. Not spirits or alcopops availaible
anonymous - 23 Mar 2004 16:03 |
