BITE user comments - Rod_Hariga
Comments by Rod_Hariga
Surprised by some of the other comments. I have been several times and found the range and quality of the ale to be good (both draft ale and bottled beers). Food is excellent, although a little on the pricey side. Staff are very friendly and helpful.
21 Dec 2019 10:41
Always liked this pub on my occasional visits. Popped in on Sunday and they had four ales on and the food looked good too. Unfortunately I didn't get to sample either. I stood at the bar for a while waiting to be served, and it was fairly busy, but I gave up when continually ignored. Three people came to the bar after me (all on first name terms with the staff) and were served straight away whilst I stood waiting. Shame as otherwise it was quite impressive.
31 Jul 2017 20:12
Williams Wine and Ale House, Hoxton
Smart pub with a good range of interesting ales, of varying styles. There was also a range of 8 ciders on offer too. I had the Harvey's mild which was good. My colleague had Mortimer's cider and neither of us had any cause to complain. Pleasant atmosphere and attentive staff.
8 Jul 2017 17:08
Was a bit concerned about this one being a GK pub actually it was quite impressive. Decent size with some good ales on, and only one GK, the IPA. I had an Aylesbury Brewing Company mild from the selection of 6. Several more unusual brewers featured and a range of beer styles too. Good service too.
8 Jul 2017 17:05
Hadn't visited Cambridge since this place entered the GBG. Was expecting lots of beer but like the previous person was a little apprehensive about my visit, especially when I saw how busy it was (Saturday 6pm) and having a bouncer on the door (busy city centre pubs with bouncers normally turn me off). Although it was three deep at the door I was served quickly by a well staffed bar. Staff were friendly, although obviously too busy to chat. Lots of light hoppy, craft style beers but had some dark ones too and the scotch eggs were fantastic! Perched on the end of a table with some other groups and everyone was friendly enough. Despite early apprehensions this was an excellent inclusion on my pub crawl.
5 Mar 2017 08:11
Thought I'd been here before but mistook it for another pub in the river. Good range of beer, including two dark beers (a rare thing nowadays it seems) and a fridge of Belgian and US craft beer). The dark ale I had was excellent, the barman was friendly and chatty, as was the local sat next to me a the bar. The food coming out looked good. Although not a big place on entry there were a few side rooms that actually made for a reasonable sized pub. Had a range of games in one of the rooms to help pass an afternoon away if you so wished. Really enjoyed my visit.
5 Mar 2017 08:05
Arrived for the first pint of the day just before noon but it wasn't open so popped in for our last beer before our train home. Good range of beer, with a ruby mild! It wasn't reasonably busy with a jam session taking place. Friendly and welcoming.
5 Mar 2017 08:00
The Live and Let Live, Cambridge
Great range of beer and friendly staff. Bit of a side street local but still welcoming for a group of strangers wandering in for their first beer of the day.
5 Mar 2017 07:55
The Devonshire Arms, Cambridge
Another superb pub in the Mill Road area. Several beers from the Milton range with three guests and cider. Friendly and helpful staff and the food that was coming out looked good too.
5 Mar 2017 07:52
The GBG didn't do this service! Was expecting Deuchers, Youngs and St Austell, wasn't expecting 4 other beers from more unusually breweries! Predominantly light and hoppy beers (as with everywhere else now it seems) but there was a Toffee Porter.
Quirky pub that's done out well, had a traditional jazz feel to it (music and decor) which isn't normally my thing but worked really well. An excellent pub for a couple to sit and relax but also well worth a visit for a group of ale enthusiasts.
5 Mar 2017 07:50
Not been here for many years but still an excellent pub. Lots of ales and ciders from a variety of breweries (although meets the current trend of having predominantly light and hoppy beers). Good food and helpful and friendly staff.
5 Mar 2017 07:45
Very much a locals pub but friendly enough although a little scruffy looking. Two ales on, GK IPA and Youngs Bitter (which was well kept).
28 Jan 2017 19:54
Interesting pub on different levels, big screen with football on in the bar and other rooms around the side and back. Ghost ship was the only ale on but it was well kept. Quite quiet given it was a Saturday lunchtime. The pub is named the Engineers because the engineers from factory opposite (now a museum) used to frequent it apparently.
28 Jan 2017 19:50
Ye Old Bell & Steelyard, Woodbridge
Not been here for a few years but happened to be passing when one of my children declared that they needed the toilet. Popped in and asked if it was alright to bring the children in and we all received a very warm welcome. Greene King pub but had some true guest ales, and mine was very well kept. Really welcoming stuff and locals to accompany the good beer and lovely real fire. Well worth a visit for anyone in the area!
23 Jan 2017 22:59
Thriving real ale pub. Good range of interesting and well kept beer - often with a Yorkshire influence (landlord is a Yorkshireman). Pleasant beer garden out the back. Toilets are the only negative.
7 Feb 2016 20:32
Recently taken over by Grain Brewery and now serving a good range of beer from Grain. Interior is as was (although the toilets are now inside). Worth a visit.
7 Feb 2016 20:21
Closed and unlikely to re-open. Not many live music pubs left.
7 Feb 2016 20:12
The Grand Old Duke Of York, Ipswich
A decent pub. The landlady appears to be doing a reasonable job but need mosre customers. Regular live music (not all cover acts either), quizes and some good and interesting beer, including lots of bottled beer (a rare outlet for Schlenkerla rauchbier). Unfortunately, it's probably not busy enough to have as many beers as I suspect she'd like but hopefully this will change.
7 Feb 2016 20:02
Closed. This place is now a take away chip (a good one but on the expensive side) and a Turkish restaurant (again a pretty good one but no real ale).
7 Feb 2016 19:56
Closed. This place is now one of about 30 supermarkets in the town. No idea what the beer selection is like!
7 Feb 2016 19:54
Closed. This place is now one of about 30 supermarkets in the town. No idea what the beer selection is like!
7 Feb 2016 19:54
And... a pint of ale was £2.90 with CAMRA card holders getting a discount.
18 Aug 2013 16:40
Big place with the restaurant to the right and the bar to the left.
Started in the bar where the locals were friendly (and knowledgable about their beer) and there were enough staff serving to ensure no one had to wait long to be served. There were 15 real ales on (and not a load of bog standard beers either) and 4 real ciders as well as having a menu for continental bottled beers. There ales we tried were all well kept and tasted fine.
Moved around to the restaurant for some food and were warmly welcomed by the entertaining and attentive Syd Little. The food was good value for money (2 meals for £5.95 if you selected the standard dishes) and the steak pie I had was excellent.
This would certainly be my recommendation for those visiting Fleetwood.
18 Aug 2013 16:39
Disappointed by this one. Arrived about 12:30 on a Saturday afternoon there were four young girls worling and one local. There was Twaites Wainswrights and Tetley Bitter on. Ordered two Wainwrights but the barrel needed changing so the owners would have to be called down from upstairs. About 15 minutes later she told us the pipes were being cleaned. We left and went to the exceptionally good Strawberry Gardens instead.
Good sized pub and the staff were friendly but didn't know what they were doing. I don't think the owners knew what they were doing either cleaning the pipes in the middle of their Saturday lunchtime session!
18 Aug 2013 15:53
PUB IS CURRENTLY CLOSED.
Arrived at 17:45 to find it closed but there were lights on inside so assumed it would open at 18:00. Turns out it's closed probably for 1-2 weeks. Their website doesn't mention that it's closed down and apparently the brewery want to re-open it asap.
19 Mar 2013 22:28
Hadn't been in here for years (well decades actually) but noticed it in the GBG with a desription of excellent food. Decided to pop in for a Sunday lunch. Food was indeed excellent (including a superb vegetarian choice). Desserts were available in normal sizes for £5.25 and tasters for just £2.25. There were also three well kept local ales too (Adnams, Woodfordes and Old Cannon). Surprised the place wasn't busier.
11 Nov 2012 23:10
Having just updated a few reviews in this area it seems that this place (and the landlord) gets mentioned quite a lot. Seems something is going on but my experience (admittedly only based on one visit) was a very good one as described below.
12 Mar 2011 12:33
The Beerhouse, Bury St Edmunds
Paid my first visit since the change to the Beer House. Lovely place, clean and tidy, good range of beer (and those I had were in good condition). Surprised by the beer courtyard out the back - probably quite a plesant pace to enjoy a beer on a summer afternoon. Definitely return... maybe for the BF at the end of May when they are advertising having the best 50 ales they've had over the last year (something like that anyway).
12 Mar 2011 12:16
The Old Cannon Brewery, Bury St Edmunds
Another great visit. Interesting and clean pub with plesant staff serving their own beer and true guests (not something the other brewery in town promotes). Good food although on the expensive side (not bad value for money though).
12 Mar 2011 12:12
Trying to be a trendy lager bar and as others have said is probably only in business because of the captive market. No ale at all, in fact the barman didn't even know what ale was! There is a restaurant attached where you can get overpriced pizza or breakfast - again captive audience. Food was alright but it's not good value for money because of the captive audience.
12 Mar 2011 12:08
Popped in here on the advice of the landlord of the Peacock. Good little pub with four ales on - the one I had was in good condition. Not a great deal of space so I suspect it gets a bit tight when busy but worth a visit. Might be worth bringing a spare tie though. :o)
12 Mar 2011 12:02
The Crutched Friar, Tower Hill
Pleasant staff, a decent range of ale and pub grub. I know it's part of the Nicholson chain but as chain go this is one of the best IMO. Good place to grab some food and a pint whilst waiting for a train out of Fenchurch Street.
12 Mar 2011 11:57
East India Arms, Fenchurch Street
Shepherd & Neame pub near to Fenchurch Street station. Clean tidy city pub with well kept ale (although purely from the S&N range).
12 Mar 2011 11:52
I too was directed here from another pub (Peacock) and found it to be a proper back street boozer and a friendly welcome. Three ales on (Youngs Best, Bombardier and London Pride) that were well kept although not particularly inspiring in terms of unusual finds.
12 Mar 2011 11:49
My visit was a Tuesday afternoon when it was quiet but I found it to be a well kept Wetherspoons. Four ales on but two were Greede King. However, the Beau Porter had good flavour although served a bit cold for my liking.
12 Mar 2011 11:45
Popped in here, and a few others in the city area, before a game at Dagenham (do I know you Essex Rider?) and was very impressed. Three well kept ales on from Ringwood, Hook Norton and a very hoppy Redemption. The barmaid was pleasant and chatty, informed us that the landlord was into his ales and offered CAMRA members a discount. When the landlord came in later she introduce us. He was enthusiastic and knowledgable about his ale and really welcoming. We said we were sampling a few pubs in the city and he gave us some advice on nearby pubs that we hadn't got on our list and even took us to one and bought us a drink there. Admittedly it was mid afternoon when trade was slow as most people had gone back to work but have to admit that I was somewhat amazed by the welcome. It was a real surprise to get a welcome like that in a city pub and I'd certainly use this if in the city during the week.
12 Mar 2011 11:32
Met some friends here on a Friday night and was pleased to find it wasn't as busy as expected. There were three ales on: Greede King Ruddles County, Wolf Granny Wouldn't Like and Cliff Quay Sea Dog. Good to see that two of the beers were from small local breweries. The Wolf was in good condition although a bit fruity for my liking (that was down to the beer rather than the way it was served though).
15 Feb 2011 00:28
A reasonably sized pub the river. Beer garden out the front with river views. Three ales on during my visit. It was a rugby day and the place was packed. Service was slow but it was expected given the large number of people in there. Serves food but we didn't sample any.
15 Feb 2011 00:15
Popped in on a Saturday morning, we planned to go to the Cask (just up the road) but it didn't open until midday so tried this one instead. Unfortunately they had no ale at all so we didn't stay. Landlord looked somewhat put out by us leaving but he had nothing to offer us.
15 Feb 2011 00:11
Popped in here Saturday morning on the way to rugby at Twickenham. We planned to go t the Cask but it was closed and we lured in by the Cask Marque sign outside. Four ales on and the Harvey's was good, although a little cloudy. Found the staff to be friendly - perhaps different staff to those encountered by others on here. We had a pleasant visit.
15 Feb 2011 00:08
Have to agree with Themarkster... this really is the centre of the community, doubling up as the post office and village stores. There was a very warm welcome from the landlord and landlady and the beer range and quality was good - our visit did coincided with a beer festival though. The pub was packed and really met the needs of everyone with a wide range of people in. There is a small games room at the back with pool, darts and scaletrix.
14 Feb 2011 22:36
Our visit coincided with a well attended Italian night so a bus load of drinkers filled what was left of the drinking area. Some of us retired to the sports bar out the back with was a little bit youth club like with sofas, table football, etc... Comfortable enough room all the same and the beer was in good form.
14 Feb 2011 22:29
Friendly and lively pub on my last visit (a Saturday early evening). Three real ales on offer and those our group tried were all in good condition.
14 Feb 2011 22:25
The Kings Head (Low House), Laxfield
This pub has more character than virtually any other I've been to recently. It's a old pub with seperate drinking areas and a cellar room that doubles as the bar at the back of the pub. It also has a large beer garden out the back. Generally 6-8 ales on from the Adnams range all gravity feed in the cellar room.
14 Feb 2011 22:23
Traditional country pub with real fire and good real ale. Welcoming and friendly landlord.
14 Feb 2011 22:20
Wonderful old pub with real character and a huge roary real fire in the winter. Serves food but haven't tried any. Three real ales on offer and all in good condition. Warm welcome from the staff.
14 Feb 2011 22:18
Visited on 29th January 2011 and it was open again. Modern furnishings inside and welcoming staff. Three ales on (two Adnams and a guest). Food looked quite pricey but I don't know what it was like.
14 Feb 2011 22:15
The Queens Head Inn, Stradbrooke
A little run down but a welcoming pub with well kept real ale.
14 Feb 2011 22:12
Popped in here at 2.31pm on a Saturday afternoon. Was told they'd stopped serving at 2.30pm. There were five of us after a quick drink but we were refused a drink even after we assured them that our bus was leaving soon and we'd be finished before the family at a table near the window (the only other customers in there). The pub must be doing well to turn its nose up at �15 turnover for virtually no effort - especially when there are two other pubs in such a small village. They had two ales on but no idea what the quality was like.
14 Feb 2011 22:08
A warm and cozy little pub set back from the road. We were fortunate enough to be visiting during a Lancaster wide beer festival and there were about 8 ales on (looked as though this was standard though). The ales we tried were all in fine form.
14 Feb 2011 21:59
This is a large canalside pub on two different levels with an outside seating for dry days (we were not lucky enough to have a dry day though). There's a range of seating available for high bars stools to low sofas. There were several ales on offer and those sampled by our group were all in good condition. It served food that looked reasonable as it came past but none of us ordered anything.
14 Feb 2011 21:56
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.
14 Feb 2011 21:10
The Sun Hotel and Bar, Lancaster
Lovely pub/hotel with comfortable seating and an excellent range of real ale, mainly from the Lancaster Brewery range and all those we tried were in excellent condition. Only stayed for one but shall certainly return if I'm in Lancaster again.
14 Feb 2011 21:04
Large pub with several different drinking areas including an outside terrace. Does a range of beers and offers a choice of Irish beers rather than the standard range found in most pubs in Ireland. I tired the Galway IPA which I was warned was hoppy. It was a good hoppy session beer although served in a chilled lager-style. Good to see some choice though.
8 Jan 2011 22:00
Interesting art-deco interior. However, it has the same (very limited) range of draft beers that 90% of Irish pubs have. If you're looking for something unusual in terms of drinks then you'll be out of luck but if you're looking for something unusual in terms of decoration then this is the place.
8 Jan 2011 21:54
The Railway Arms, Downham Market
Bar on the platform of Downham Market station. GBG stated opening hours on Saturday as 10am-10.30pm. We arrived between 1.30pm and 2pm to find a sign stating the opening hours as 10am-10.30pm but the pub very much closed! No idea what the pub or the beer was like but wasn't too impressed to find a pub on the platform of a station closed on a Saturday lunchtime. A local in the nearby Crown Hotel said it didn't open until 4.30pm on a Saturday. I would advise a phone call to check they are opening before bothering to visit this one.
8 Jan 2011 21:45
The Crown Hotel, Downham Market
Lovely old timber framed building with real fireplaces, interesting old-looking decor and five real ales (2 Adnams, 2 Greede King and Hornbeam). My Hornbeam was in fine form and it was a pleasant bar to have a drink and the staff and the real fire made us feel very welcome.
8 Jan 2011 21:38
The Head of Steam, Huddersfield
A real ale pub at the Manchester end of Huddersfield station. There's an entrance from the platform and another from St George's Square. Sam Smiths and Black Sheep on, amongst others. Looks a though the pub also does food but was not there long enough to try it. Reasonable ale but not quite as good as the King's Head at the other end of the station.
5 May 2010 20:55
Great real ale pub just off the platform at the Leeds end of Huddersfield station. There were ten ales available on my visit. The pub has one entrance from the platform and one from St George's Square.
5 May 2010 20:51
The Rat and Ratchet, Huddersfield
Also went here before the Huddersfield-Colchester game after being tipped off that there was a Mild Festival on - and went back again after the game. They had the largest range of milds I've ever seen in a pub (and most beer festivals I've been to too). Several milds I'd not seen before as well. The ones our group tried were all in great form. They also had a wide range of ciders and perries on offer too. Busy but frienldy and efficient staff ensured the wait wasn't too long. The pub itself has several seperate drinking pockets and a beer garden out the back. Very pleased to have found this one!
5 May 2010 20:45
Fantastic range of well kept ales. Friendly staff and customers. Beer garden out the back. Well worth a visit.
5 May 2010 20:41
Typical large JDW with a good range of ale and sky sports on the TV.
5 May 2010 20:38
The West Riding Refreshment Rooms, Dewsbury
Good range of local ales and friendly staff and clientelle. Opens at 10am on Saturdays (possibly other days) and serves a very good full English breakfast. There's an entrance to the pub from the station platform.
5 May 2010 20:36
Friendly staff and a good range of local ales. Pool table and TV Screens for sport and music videos. Appears to be popular with the Batley rugby fans.
5 May 2010 20:32
The Stockbridge Tap, Edinburgh
Pleasant looking pub outside and in. Had a good range of ale on. Unfortunately the service was dreadful... the queue to be served was ridiculous considering the place wasn't actually that busy. There was one girl serving food and drink, and she wasn't very efficient. She was taking longer to serve a drink than the customers were taking to drink them so the queue just got longer and longer. There should have been more staff on and some experienced staff at that.
28 Mar 2010 11:38
This tiny pub in a back street of a residential area is a wonderful find. Great range of beer and friendly, welcoming staff. My visit was on the day of the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield and the place was absolutely jammed with rugby fans so probably not an average Saturday lunchtime but it was a fantastic find and I'll certainly search it out if when in Edinburgh in the future.
28 Mar 2010 11:27
Popped in on a Friday evening and the place was packed with drinkers spilling out onto the pavement outside. Seven ales on offer from a wide geographical area (including locals). Friendly clientele despite being jammed with after both work drinkers and early evening revellers.
28 Mar 2010 11:21
The Diggers (Athletic Arms), Edinburgh
Fairly large pub with wooden floors, basis furniture and TV screens. Six ales on offer for my visit: 3 Caledonians, 2 Stewarts and a Haviestoun. Decent pint of heavy.
28 Mar 2010 11:14
Small pub in an alleyway off the Royal Mail. My visit was on a Saturday morning and the place was packed. Service was good and the ale was in fine form. After the initial pause in conversation as we entered we found it to be a friendly place.
28 Mar 2010 11:05
Small one room pub with basic furnishings and three ales on offer. Pleasant and welcoming.
28 Mar 2010 10:48
Fantastic pub for the real ale enthusiasts. No music or gaming machines just the buzz of conversation. Fantastic range or ales and whiskies. A must visit when in the area.
28 Mar 2010 10:42
Fantastic real ale pub. Great range of good beer and a lot of single malt whiskies. Gets busy at the weekends, and rightly so, but it is all good natured socialising. Well worth a visit.
28 Mar 2010 10:36
Popped in on a Saturday night. Very much a studenty style pub with loud music. Despite the student image there was a fairly mixed clientele and everyone seemed to be welcome. There was a range of ale and the Hobgoblin was in good form.
28 Mar 2010 10:22
Several different drinking areas in this U-shaped pub with a walled beer garden out the back. Good ale, largely Adnams but guest ales normally available.
6 Mar 2010 19:51
Quite a trendy, neat and tidy place to visit. I wouldn't class it as a pub because a pub as it doesn't serve any ale... looks like their main trade is lager and cocktails.
As it turns out my wife and I had only popped in to pass fifteen minutes whilst waiting for a bus one afternoon. Ordered a coffee and a soft drink and was impressed that it was only �1.75 for two drinks. Fifteen minutes later our bus arrived and we still hadn't received the coffee (despite chasing it and only one couple visiting the bar in that time).... so it was actually �1.75 for a lemonade - less than impressive!
I shan't bother going back... largely as it doesn't serve any beer but partly due to the lack of service. However, I would image it would appeal to young lager/cocktail drinkers, especially at the weekend.
6 Mar 2010 19:44
Disappointed to find there was only Greede King IPA on offer on my last visit. Sad to see the loss of a good local ale to be replaced by a boring national giant.
Mind you, if you have no interest in a decent beer then it's a reasonably pleasant place to drink.
12 Feb 2010 21:42
Popped in for a gig a while back. Was pleasantly surprised to see a choice of real ale (Boradside and Best from the Adnams range). Various function rooms for different types of music, a large covered outside drinking area as well as the bar. Beer was OK and it's an interesting enough pub. Friendly enough staff and service wasn't too bad given the number of people at the bar.
12 Feb 2010 21:37
Been in here a few times and like the place. Landlord is friendly (and a Colchester fan), the service is good and the beer are well kept. Tend to be 2-4 ales on, usually from localish breweries Adnams, Wolf and Woodfordes. It's smartly decorated and clean and pleasant place for a good pint. The pub is also frequented by the excellent local ska band New Town Kings.
12 Feb 2010 20:22
The Barrels Alehouse, Berwick upon Tweed
Superb ale pub and meeting place for some of the Berwick Rangers faithful pre-match. We made sure we paid a visit on our recent trip to Shielfield Park and soon made friends with the locals and enjoyed some well kept beer - and a good range of ale too. The pub itself is not very big but has two drinking areas and lots of music and miscellaneous memorabilia on the walls and some unusual seating arrangements around the bar (including a dentist chair). Well worth a visit for any real ale drinkers visiting the area.
22 Dec 2009 21:29
The Pilot Inn, Berwick upon Tweed
This was our first stop during a visit to Berwick a few weeks ago. It's a short walk from the station down a side street, surrounded by houses. Looks like it probably has a reasonable local trade. Five ales on offer for our visit and the EPA was in fine form. The staff were friendly and accommodating, as were the locals. Later found out that the pub does accommodation with a 10% discount for fans visiting Berwick's Sheilfield Park. Certainly worth a visit if you're in the area or have an hour or so to kill waiting for a train.
22 Dec 2009 21:20
The Pilot Inn, Berwick upon Tweed
This was our first stop during a visit to Berwick a few weeks ago. It's a short walk from the station down a side street, surrounded by houses. Looks like it probably has a reasonable local trade. Five ales on offer for our visit and the EPA was in fine form. The staff were friendly and accommodating, as were the locals. Later found out that the pub does accommodation with a 10% discount for fans visiting Berwick's Sheilfield Park. Certainly worth a visit if you're in the area or have an hour or so to kill waiting for a train.
22 Dec 2009 21:20
Very good range of well kept ales (I think there were eight handpumps including a real cider). In a great area for a real ale pub crawl too. Apparently does some good food too but I didn't see or try any.
29 Nov 2009 18:21
Popped in to see what it was like. The interior appeared to be exactly the same as it was before.
There were four ales on and two "Available Soon". The ales on were Grainstore Tupping Ale, Nethergate Stinger, and Greede King: Abbott and Ruddles County. Nethergate Young Growler and Rooster Mayflower were to two coming on soon. There was also a real cider on. The Grainstore was a lovely pint although I'd have preferred it without the swan neck and sparkler.
Only one member of staff on but she acknowledge people as they came to the bar, and served them all in order in a quick and efficient way. Even spent idle time cleaning and tidying - vastly better than the staff across the road.
20 Nov 2009 19:13
Popped in to use some of my JDW vouchers whilst the beer festival was on... I was very disappointed.
Two staff on and four people waiting to be or being served yet it took over 10 minutes to get served as the staff appeared to be moving in slow motion. The person next to me was surprised it didn't stock Stone's Ginger Wine so both members of staff went it search of some (in vain) despite having other customers to serve.
Six handpumps but two of the beers were "Available Soon". One was Greede King, one was a Perry (which was rather good) and two proper beers - a bit disappointing for a beer festival. The beer list had considerably more beers advertised.
I'm not a fan of JDWs and this place has done nothing to change that fact but at least it did have some real ale.
20 Nov 2009 19:00
I've been in a couple of times recently and have been welcomed by the landlord on each ocassion. Three ales on offer from Adnams and Wolf breweries. A lot of potential as is a reasonable size with a bar area and a seated area and is right in the middle of a lot of housing.
12 Nov 2009 23:07
The Coopers Tavern, Burton-Upon-Trent
Fabulous traditional pub down a side street that has a fantastic character. This is an absolute gem that rolls back the years - not many pubs like this are left nowadays. The bar doubles as the cellar in the back bar of the pub where beer, cider and perry is served straight from the barrel. Good selection of ale, some Burton cider and two perries were on offer on my visit. We had Sunday lunch there and it was exceptional value for money... a good portion of meat with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, and a fine selection of vegetables.
12 Nov 2009 22:48
Good selection of ale and reasonable food by the looks of it. Quite a large corner pub with high ceilings. $ky TV on show and appears to be quite a popular place to watch the football scores come in on a Saturday afternoon.
12 Nov 2009 22:28
Good pub about halfway between Bromley South station and the football ground and with an exceptional off licence next door (that serves beer straight from the barrel). On my visit the landlady agreed to open an hour early as the Bromley - Colchester game had been brought forward to 1pm. The pub was packed with fans from both sides. different bar ares but all with a traditional pub feel with wooden floors. Three ales from Shepherd & Neame on offer and in good condition. The food looked alright too although I didn't try any myself. Friendly and welcoming staff and locals despite being packed.
12 Nov 2009 22:19
Nell of Old Drury, Covent Garden
Traditional pub in the heart of Covert Garden. Well kept real ale and friendly atmosphere. Not the biggest of pubs and can get very busy in the hours leading up to a show. Serves food but did not try it so can't review it.
12 Oct 2009 23:19
Leyton Orient Supporter's Club, Leyton
Brilliant social club in the main stand of Leyton Orient FC. A fantastic range of ales and ciders (unusal ones at that). Been here after visits to Brisbane Road with Colchester the last two years and have been thoroughly impressed both times. The bar is very busy after games but the service is very good and they clear the queues amazingly quickly whilst maintaining a high level of service to every customer. $ky Sports News on to watch the scores come in and let the crowds clear - shame the England game was restricted to the internet. This must be the best football club bar in the country - I certainly haven't found a better one.
12 Oct 2009 23:15
A group of us dropped in here before a Colchester away game at Leyton Orient. We'd heard it was a football themed ale pub. The pub is decorated with football scarves and pennants with a definite WBA theme. A little disappointed with the ale range, just two handpumps and one was Greede King. However, there was a warm welcome from the staff and the locals. Certainly worth a visit for any ale drinking football fan. We'll be sending something Colchester United related to cover up the dodgy Southend pennant! :o)
12 Oct 2009 23:07
Good range of well kept ales and what looked like good food in this welcoming pub. Lots of exposed dark wood. Traditional pub menu including a choise of various pies with mash and veg. As previously mentioned the background music was Trojan ska which suited me fine - maybe it's a ginger thing. :o)
12 Oct 2009 23:02
Carpenters Arms, Bethnal Green
Compact pub on a corner which looks to have been tastefully re-decorated recently. Two well kept ales on (Adnams Explorer and Timmy Taylor Landlord) but a wide range of bottled ales (both English and continental) and ciders. A big group of us were welcomed in by friendly staff. Menu suggested a reasonable fayre but none of our group ate.
12 Oct 2009 22:56
The Pride of Spitalfields, Shoreditch
Popped in on a Saturday lunchtime. Three ales on, as the Brewer's Gold had run out, and all in good form. Welcoming little back street boozer.
12 Oct 2009 22:40
Duke of Wellington, Southampton
Popped in here on Saturday and was impressed by a good range of beer (including some local brews) and what looked like an interesting menu (we didn't have time to eat). Traditional looking pub with bare floorboards and wooden beams. Friendly staff and locals.
9 Sep 2009 23:06
The Platform Tavern, Southampton
Found the same thing as Love Good Ale. Advised by the GBG 2010 that it opens at 11am on Saturday only to find that it actually opens at noon. Not a clever mistake to make as it is the other side of town to most of the good ale pubs in Southampton. Beer range looked reasonable but nothing spectacular in terms of the bees on offer.
9 Sep 2009 23:03
One of the better Netherspoons. There were about 8 ales on, the usual ones and some decent local beers from Ringwood. Usual Netherspoons' d�cor and fayre.
9 Sep 2009 23:00
Fantastic ale pub tucked away down a side road. There were eight ales on offer on my visit and five or those were local brews. The four I sampled were all in great condition. The service was quick and friendly, despite a packed pub. Great place for a pre-match beer where home fans welcomed the travelling Colchester fans.
9 Sep 2009 22:52
Hosting a beer festival this week. Popped in this evening and there was an incredible range of unusual beers on offer and also about 20 ciders and perries. Black Pudding Mild (straight from the barrel in the marquee) and Spectrum Dark Fantastic (on handpump in the bar) were both in perfect condition.
2 Sep 2009 21:00
The Duke of Wellington, Norwich
Fantastic range of ale: 14 gravity beers, 6 from handpump and a cider as well as some bottled beers. Friendly, locals pub, that's a little way out for the city but worth the walk! Was advertising a beer festival over August Bank Holiday weekend but the amount of beer on here anyway made it feel like a beer festival.
9 Aug 2009 22:11
Good pub. A bit of a hike out from the city centre but worth the walk (especially with the Cider Shed and Duke of Wellington in the area too). Popped in for a pre-match pint and were welcomed by staff and locals alike. A small bar at the front and a larger area with big screen TV out the back and then a beer garden across the street. Had a choice of: London Pride, JHB, Deuchers, Wherry, Seafarers, Adnams, Broadland Best Bitter, Spitfire, Summer Lightening and Bishop's Farewell. The beer we had was in fine form as were the local City fans (shame for them their team wasn't in such good form that day).
9 Aug 2009 22:05
Large pub with a great range of well kept ale. Popped in here before a Norwich game and the home fans were friendly as were the staff. Been here several times and been impressed each time.
9 Aug 2009 21:59
Ye Old Bell & Steelyard, Woodbridge
Lovely historical pub with low beamed ceilings and various little drinking areas. Visited on a weekend where they had a Cheese and Beer Festival. 120 odd cheeses available from the cheese counter and there looked t be a barbecue out in the beer garden. Even had some live folk music. Unfortunately this is a Greede King pub so the beer was pretty much restricted to their own beers or those beers that they've acquired from other breweries but haven't had the chance to kill off yet. Nine GK beers plus Everard's Tiger, Bateman's XXXB, Aspall's Cyder and Weston's Stowford Press Cider. So nothing inspiring from a beer festival but the beer I had (the non-GK stuff) was is fine condition served straight from the barrel in the snug. I very much doubt that GK would allow any true guest beers here on a normal night though.
So to summarise: good pub shame it's GK.
2 Aug 2009 09:57
Pub with real character, low beamed ceilings and different drinking areas. Three ales on offer: Explorer and Best from Adnams and Fuller's London Pride. Didn't view the menu but it does food apparently. Lovely friendly barmaid too. Worth a visit.
30 Jul 2009 19:41
Visited on a Wednesday night and there were five ales on offer: Buffey's Norwich Terrior, Woodforde's Mardler's Mild and Sundew, Fuller's London Pride, Adnam's Best. Terrior and Sundew were is good form and the barman was welcoming. Other than our group the pub was empty which was surprising given the number of well kept ales they had on.
30 Jul 2009 19:36
Has a bit of an outdated feel but this place is well worth a visit. Real fire, real furniture and real ale. Three Green Dragon ales brewed on the premises were on offer. Wednesday night is curry night.
30 Jul 2009 19:32
Large pub with three bar areas and a large function room at one end. Good selection of well kept local ales: Mardler's Mild and Nelson's Revenge from Woodforde's, Elderflower Ale from Green Jack, Pageant Ale from Elgood's, Adnam's Best. Friendly and welcoming bar staff. Amazing collection of aircraft in the pub car park (and stretching out to the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum). I'd heard there were aircraft at the pub but wasn't expecting what they have on show.
30 Jul 2009 19:28
Large pub on the river next to the bridge across the Waveney. Various drinking areas, including a pool room, a bar and a restaurant. Four well-kept local ales on offer: Green Jack - Orange Wheat, Wolf - Golden Jackel, Adnams - Best, GK - St Edmunds. Pub was busy, with lots of people dining. The menu was fairly exotic (although on the expensive side) and included Ostrich, Impala, Crocodile and Kangaroo. Shall be returning to sample some rare dishes at some stage.
30 Jul 2009 19:18
Pleasant little beer garden out the back. Sorry for the spelling on the previous post.
28 Jul 2009 21:11
Lovely rural pub with low beans in the bar and lots of seafaring memoribillia. Popped in on a Tuesday night for something to eat and it was already busy... by the time it got to 7.15pm people were waiting to be seated. Food was excellent with lots of locally caught fish on it. Three ales available (all from Adnams), Explorer and Broadside on handpump and Best straight from the barrel (clear and tasty) and also a variety of wine (from the glass or bottle). Great place to go for a meal but get there early.
28 Jul 2009 21:01
A country style pub in the town that has three seperate drinking areas and a beer garden out the front. Inside there is a real fire, real ale, friendly and welcoming service, bar billiards and good food. Several ales on offer, can't recall them all but the Wherry I had was in good form.
19 Jul 2009 17:23
Not a bad pub at all. Very close to the station and overlooking the river. The pub itself is on different levels and has a largely wooden interior. Often has doorstaff but they always appear friendly enough (I guess they need them due to the proximity to the station). Staff tend to be welcoming and there's a range of beer with always includes a few from Woodfordes. Worth popping in here should you need to kill some time before getting a train.
19 Jul 2009 17:11
Good pub with several seperate areas. Come in the front and turn left you get a traditional style bar - very wooden and with lots of artifacts hanging on the wall and ceiling. Come in the front and turn right and you get a gastro-pub style bar - very modern and metalic. There is a small courtyard out the back which would appear to be the smokers' area and home to a model railway club. On the side on the pub is a large and modern beer garden.
Several well kept ales available on our visit: Best and Broadside from Adnams, Abbot from Greede King, Wherry from Woodfordes and Landlord from Tim Taylor.
Warm and friendly welcome from the staff and what looked like a good and varied menu although we didn't actually try it.
19 Jul 2009 17:04
BTW, the pub is called the Windham Arms but it is on Wyndham Road.
19 Jul 2009 16:54
Warm and friendly welcome from bar staff and landlord alike. Great range of Norfolk ales: Wolf - Straw Dog, Spectrum - Light Fantastic, Humpty Dumpty - Reedcutter, Woodfordes - Nog, Wherry & Nelson's Revenge. Also had a Norfolk Real Cider on handpump. All ales sampled by our group (which I think was most of them) were is top condition. Food available (pub fayre with a few Greek dishes) but has already been described. Not the biggest of pubs but has a garden out the back.
19 Jul 2009 16:52
Popped in here on a day trip to the Sheringham Beer Festival. Four ales on, three from Greede King (IPA, Abbot and Speckled Hen) and Woodeforde's Wherry. Not a bad pint of Wherry and the barmaid was friendly and welcoming. Not sure what the pub is catering for though, it has large TV screens, food (didn't try it though), real ales and large outside drinking area overlooking the sea. I guess it's a catch all for holiday goers.
19 Jul 2009 16:47
The Globe on Morning Lane, Hackney
Had two ales on my visit London Pride and Young's Best. Not bad but not in brilliant condition. Reasonably priced beer and food (although didn't see or taste the food). Sport on the TV screens. Agree with Love_Real_Ale that it was a little disappointing for a GBG entry.
14 Jul 2009 20:55
Large open-planned pub with high ceiling so can feel a little empty. Good pub food available. Wonderful range of beer, including a wide variety of Milton ales. There is a beer festival on the weekend of 18th July.
14 Jul 2009 20:37
A recent addition to the Halstead drinking circuit that was built and decorated using a number of items bought from the Layer Road auction following Colchester United�s move to a new stadium. Not so much a pub as a club so it can be a bit of a bugger to find and has some erratic opening times as a result. However it remains a very welcoming family run hostelry with good quality local ale, very reasonable food and a pleasant outside bar and drinking area. Beers from the Red Fox and Red Squirrel breweries were available on my last visit, including Blue & White Shed Strong Dark Ale brewed. Look out for the special events they put on events, such as firework night special.
29 Jun 2009 18:47
Returned again and four ales on, including two locally brewed Woodforde's beers. Quick and friendly service and a had a pleasant time sat out the back overlooking the river.
27 Jun 2009 15:23
Lovely looking pub from the outside and quite pleasant on the inside. Unfortunately there was no real ale and a DJ playing loud music (despite there only being three customers). Afraid the lack of ale meant we didn't stay - a lot of potential but didn't really appeal to me.
27 Jun 2009 15:17
The Kings Arms, Great Yarmouth
Welcoming pub which seems to have something for everyone. Reasonably priced food (although I didn't try it), three well kept ales, $ky TV, juke box (noise was not overwhelming), beer garden and patio area out the back. Not far from the station so worth a little detour. Visited on a Sunday when there were various forms of entertainment in the garden and a barbeque going.
27 Jun 2009 15:12
As Love_good_ale says this pub has a great range of beer and is apparently a sister pub to the Mariners in Great Yarmouth. Worth a trip if you're into your ale. It's quite a large estate type pub on appearance and seems to have a good base of drinkers.
27 Jun 2009 15:01
Small and somewhat dated, but friendly and welcoming, locals' pub in the middle of a residential area. Had pool, darts, $ky TV and a good range of beer, including Anchor (Titanic), Mitre Gold and Yarmouth Bitter (Black Friars), Swallowtail (Humpty Dumpty), and Old Rosie cide. We'd also just missed out on Harbour Lights and Lemon & Ginger.
24 Jun 2009 20:45
The St. John's Head, Great Yarmouth
Traditional old style boozer near to the station and with a car park out the back. Bit of an old mans' pub but a great range of well kept beer. Unfortunately the Moorish Mild had just gone but we were still left with a choice of Elgood's Cambridge Blue, Cottage IK Brunel, Theakston's Old Peculiar and Moorland Original. There was also a range of buffet style snacks on the bar, including prawns and cheese (it was a Sunday lunchtime). Has a pool table and a large screen which was showing the Grand Prix.
24 Jun 2009 20:33
Mariners Tavern, Great Yarmouth
Visited here on a Sunday early evening for a beer on the way back to the station. Traditional style pub with a great range of ale: Lurcher, Summer Dream, Orange Wheat, Wherry, Moorlands Original, St. Edmunds, Abbott, two ciders and a perry. Would've liked to have spent longer here but had to get back to the station. Worth a visit for any real ale fan. Apparently the recently re-opened Mariner's Compass in Gorleston is its new siter pub (and also well worth a visit).
24 Jun 2009 20:28
Reasonably large pub overlooking the market square. Popped in on a Sunday lunch and welcomed by friendly staff. There was a choice of ales: London Pride, Wherry and Adnams Best. Plenty of seating and good value Sunday roast on offer too.
24 Jun 2009 20:16
The New Entertainer, Gorleston
Popped in here on a Sunday afternoon and it was very quiet which left it a little short of atmosphere but it was friendly and comfortable. However, it was quick an interesting pub in a fork in the road. Pool table at one end, the bar along one side and arm chairs, fireplace and libary area at the other end. Landlord was friendly and there was a good range of beer. Everards Tiger, Cottage SS Great Britain, Adnams Braodside, Courage Best and Greede King IPA were available on my visit. The large number of pump clips on the walls suggest that they have regularly changing beers.
24 Jun 2009 19:50
A short walk from the station and the cathedral. A reasonable sized pub with a lot of outside seating alongside the river. Three ales available on my last visit.
14 Jun 2009 13:59
Great pub... home to the Chalk Hill Brewery so has a full range of their beers and also some guests. Good food too. Only a short walk from Norwich station and a great place to waste an hour or so when waiting for a train.
14 Jun 2009 13:44
The Berney Arms Inn, Berney Arms
Remote pub on the broads... best reached by boat but there is a station about 10 minutes walk and it's also possible to walk there across the broads (we walked the 4 miles from Reedham to get there). Has an interesting bar, a small games area with table football and pool and outside seating overlooking the river. Good range of beer, three from the local Humpty Dumpty brewery in Reedham and one White Horse beer as a guest. Friendly and welcoming landlord/lady.
14 Jun 2009 13:39
Lovely village pub with a pleasant beer garden right on the river. Three ales on offer on my visit and what looked like good food. A footpath leads from the car park out across the broads to the Berney Arms (about 4 miles).
14 Jun 2009 13:30
My previous comment should have read "Lovely pub right ont he broads". Re-visited this weekend and 2 Adnams and 2 Woodfordes available. Still didn't sample the food - really must do so next time as it does look very good.
14 Jun 2009 13:27
Fantastic village pub on the river. Great range of beer: 7 ales including 2 from Humpty Dumpty (based in the village) and two real ciders. Home cooked food available at reasonable prices and it has its own restaurant. Beer garden across the road overlooks the river - lovely place to enjoy a drink on a sunny day.
14 Jun 2009 13:23
The Fox and Fiddler, Colchester
Good welcoming pub with a great range of beer (mostly from the Mighty Oak range). It's quite a long narrow beamed pub with a courtyard beer garden out the back. Juke box is worth a look too. Have seen this pub packed with squadies, football fans (even Leeds ones) and regular drinkers but never a sign of trouble.
25 May 2009 16:07
Popped in here on a Friday night - the first time for many years. Fairly large pub with a beer garden out the back. There were three (unusual and interesting) ales on (including a raspberry beer and a honey beer). The place was busy but the serving was done efficiently so I didn't have to wait long to be served. Had a rock/pop covers band in the main pub and a punk covers band in the room out the back. Not the place for a quiet drink on a Friday night but a friendly and lively evening all the same.
25 May 2009 16:01
The conservatory has now been finished and adds extra space for drinking. Apparently accommodation is the next thing on the agenda, which if done to the high standards of everything else in this pub will offer visitors a good place to stay after an evening on the beer. A large range of people drink here but it's always friendly and well humoured and never a sign of trouble. The pub also has a loyalty scheme where you get credit back the more you spend.
25 May 2009 11:26
Bit of a back street local that could do with a touch of decorating but good quality ale on (all from the Hydes range). Visited here just before a Man City game at the end of the season and found the locals to all be welcoming and friendly (even to the point of one of them, who we'd never met previously, offering us a lift to the stadium - thanks Jonathan). I found the barman to be friendly but we had a mutual interest in music and had a bit of discussion about recent gigs we'd seen - in most cases having seen the same band on the same tour but in different cities. (So were The Specials better in Manchester or Briston on the recent tour?)
25 May 2009 11:13
Fantastic real ale pub on the corner of Oldham Road - within a short distance of Smtihfields, Bar Fringe, Marble Arch and Jolly Angler which form a good little real ale crawl. Good and quick service and four well kept ales on: Tom Cobley, Crackaway Jack, Crown & Kettle Bitter and a Dark Mild. Large pub with various drinking areas. TV screens were displaying football but not so that it interupted the predominantly drinking atmosphere in the place. Worth taking a moment to look up at the interesting ceiling too.
25 May 2009 11:03
Fantstic pub and home to the Marble Arch Brewery. Ornately decorated narrow bar area, a small restaurant area next tot he brewing area and kitchen and a small beer garden out the back. We visited on a Sunday lunchtime of a bank holiday weekend. They had seven of their own brews on (Mild, Chocolate Marble, Bitter, JP Best, Lagonda IPA, Stout and Pint), four guest ales (George Wright - Drunken Duck, Thronbridge - Kipling and Ashford, Brampton Golden Bud) and a real cider (Moonshine Cider). Our group worked its way through several of them and everything we tried was in fine form. We also ate and the food was superb too (presumably all home-cooked). A fabulous roast with Yorkshire pudding and fresh veg. Food wasn't cheap but there were certainly no complaints about value for money from our table. Service was also very good. A little way out of the city centre and about a 30 minute walk from the City of Manchester Stadium but a very good place for a pre-match meal and pint!
25 May 2009 10:59
Rural pub which is about a 10-15 minute walk from the station through the woods. Good quality ale on offer and first rate food (not cheap but still good value for money). Service was superb on our visit, even arranging a birthday cake for one of our party.
25 May 2009 10:42
Closed and looks unlikely to re-open. In fact looks like it will probably be residential in its next life.
25 May 2009 10:38
Lovely boat right on the broads so ideal for boat people. A bit of a walk from the station (about 20 minutes) but definitely worth it. Service was good. Three local ales on offer and what looked like fantastic food coming out of the kitchen. Various different rooms, several designed for eating in. The bar itself looks like an old smuggling den with a low bar at the back. Thousands of business cards stuck to the ceiling.
25 May 2009 10:33
Excellent pub... good range of very well kept draft ale and a large selection of bottled beers. Food was also excellent. Visited on a Thursday evening and although busy was not packed enabling a group of eight to eat and drink comfortably.
25 May 2009 10:28
Good pub close to Brixton tuve station but hidden away in the back streets. Popped in here before a gig and although packed with Specials fans the service was fairly quick and they had well kept Youngs on draft. Narrow bar area but a reasonable sized beer garden out the front that overlooks a small park (probably a village green many years ago).
25 May 2009 10:26
It has indeed re-opened. Had three ales on my visit - Wheery, Bombardier and Abbot. Wherry was of reasonably quality although not exceptional. Tends to have music on weekend evenings - covers bands.
18 May 2009 22:03
Has the potential to be a very good pub with its interesting layout and town centre location so it's such a shame that it falls short of that potential. Unfortunately it is catering to the same evening crowd as virtually every other Ipswich t/c pub. No ale available at all but plenty of binge drinking favourites. For the best experience go at a lunchtime when it is quieter. Menu was fairly standard to most chain pubs (range of burgers, salads and jacket potatoes with one or two more substantial meals) but it is a pleasant place to eat (provided you don't want a proper beer).
4 May 2009 10:17
Appears to cater mainly to restaurant trade. Fairly large pub with a beer garden out the back and a large car park. Good home cooked food - on the expensive side for pub food but wholesome portions make up for that. Staff are friendly and welcoming. Had four ales when I visited: Nethergate's Essex Borderer and Old growler and then two Greede King ales. Nethergate ales were in fine form. Julian Dicks has moved on now.
26 Apr 2009 11:22
Wonderful olde worlde pub, although a bit of a bugger to find.
22 ales on offer on my visit. We arrived shirtly after opening and the landlord was friendly, welcoming and enthusiatic about his beer. All the beer I tried was top quality and it's easy to see why this made the last four pubs in the nationwide CAMRA POTY. Also does food (which look fabulous) and accommodation (a wise idea given its rural location). Bar area is not large but has a real fire. There is a restaurant area upstairs I gather - booking seems to be essential on a weekend.
Absolute gem and well worth seeking out. Considering getting a group together for an overnight stop here next time Colchester play Exeter. Good food, great beer and a place to stay - spot on!
21 Apr 2009 23:50
Great pub. Cosy bar with a real fire for the winter and a beer garden with great views over the river and a serving hatch in the side of the pub for the summer. Good range of local ales and cider on offer. Staff were friendly and the weather was spot on for an ale or two in the beer garden. Well worth a visit.
21 Apr 2009 23:43
Had lunch here on a Thursday and found the landlord to be friendly and welcoming - he also provided us with some very useful local knowledge on parking in the town. Tribute and HSD on offer in terms of ale and they were both in good form. We ordered food which was quite good but took a long time to arrive (despite only being salads and there being only one other table of eaters - also having salads). Opposite the pub is a cut through to the beach and the causeway to St Michael's Mount.
21 Apr 2009 23:35
Just off the M5 so convenient stopping point for those travelling to/from Cornwall. Large family orientated pub. Reasonably priced food and three real ales on (Flowers IPA, Bombadier, 6X on my visit) which were reasonably well kept. Service was reasonable. As we were leaving we had the surreal experiencing a coach load of pirates arriving.
21 Apr 2009 23:29
The Trengilly Wartha, Nancenoy
Right off the beaton track. Appears to have been extended to cater for food and accommodation. Gets busy with tourists and families staying in the area.
Good and interesting food - restaurant food rather than pub grub.
Two well kept Cornish ales on offer - Betty Stogs and Cornish Knockers on my visit. Staff were friendly and welcoming and the service in the restaurant was good. Probably best treated as a place to go for a fine meal (with the benefit of selling good real ale) rather than a drinking hole although this is partly due to its obscure location.
21 Apr 2009 23:25
Popped in here for some food and drink before going to the Minack Theatre.
Reasonably basic bar food avaialbe but it was good value for money. Three Cornish ales on and the ones we tried were spot on.
21 Apr 2009 23:19
My wife and I stayed in the area for a few days and popped in here for a quiz night. Then realised that it was a GBG entry and it's no surprise after visiting.
The pub is in quaint surroundings overlooking the village green. There were seven ales and a cider on offer and all well kept. The staff were friendly and welcoming as were the locals. Had a very pleasant evening. Entering through the front door, there is a restaurant area to the right (didn't sample the food), then a bar to the right. Through the bar leads to another drinking area and then through to a pool room and then the toilets.
Well worth seeking out (the pub that is not the toilets).
21 Apr 2009 23:13
Great pub with true character in every aspect. From the outside it's a little thatched house that looks a little odd jammed in the middle of a main street in town. Going through the front door you enter a corridor with lots of little rooms off each side. The bar is through the doors to the right and serves good quality beer brewed on the premsises. Follow the corridor to the end and you come out in the beer garden at the back and the brewery is in a building in the beer garden. Friendly and knowledgable staff and a warm welcome from staff and locals alike. This is a real gem and a must visit if in the area.
21 Apr 2009 23:03
Cracking pub with a naval feel. The main bar is carved in the shape of a ship and the rear room is made out to look like the desk of a ship - cleverly done rather than tacky theme style effort. There was also a beer garden to the side of the pub. Pub is also home to Spinning Dog brewery and supplied a range for Spinning Dog. The ones I tried were of good quality and very tasty. Also serves food that was reasonable value you money but not outstanding. St. Owen Street is the place to head for is visiting Hereford.
21 Apr 2009 22:52
Fantastic pub with a great range of ale. Pool table in one bar and a beer garden out the back. Friendly service and very well kept beer. A must for any ale drinker visiting Hereford.
21 Apr 2009 22:38
Wonderful, traditional old village pub that's full of character. Has several seperate areas with stone floors and wooden furniture. Turned up on a Wednesday night and there were some folk musicians sat at a table jamming together. Staff were friendly, welcoming and a real pleasure to talk to. Ales on that night (midweek) were Adnams Best, Brandon Rusty Bucket, an orange wheat beer, a blonde wheat beer and there was also a Thatcher's real cider. All of which were lovely. An exceptionally well run village pub that deserved the recent CAMRA award IMO.
10 Apr 2009 10:00
Fantastic range of well kept beers: Jive Bunny, Seafarers, Spring Zing, Bad Egg, Red McGreggor, Adnams Best & Abbot Reserve on my Wednesday night visit. Also had a few good malt whiskies. The beer was good and the staff were friendly and helpful. Appears to do food and would imagine it to be quite good but that's purely guess work. Might have to pay a visit for a meal at some stage.
10 Apr 2009 09:53
Only one ale on (Adnams Extra) but it was well kept. Popped in on a Wednesday night and it was quite busy as they were showing football on the TV. Friendly enough pub.
10 Apr 2009 09:49
Good range of well kept beer. On my visit there were three Adnams ales and also Ufford Ale White Hart and Everards Tiger. Pleasant enough pub that appeared to do food but I didn't try it.
10 Apr 2009 09:46
Large, well kept pub with restaurant. Adnams ales available along with Hook Norton 303 as a guest. Visited on a Wednesday night and it was busy (largely diners by the look of it). Pleasant staff and the beer was good. Inclined to return to sample the food.
10 Apr 2009 09:13
A great pub... superb range of beer including their own brews. Visited on a Saturday night and although it was likely and busy it is a big enough place to avoid customers feeling cramped. Despite being busy there were enough staff to ensure quick and efficient service. Surprised there is a need for bouncers but they were very low key so you hardly noticed them.
22 Mar 2009 11:07
The Shakespeare's Head, Leicester
Strange looking pub from the outside but pleasant enough inside and welcoming staff. Two ales on from the Oakwell Brewery. Barnsley Bitter at �1.55 a pint and their mild at �1.45 a pint. Good quality beer at a very affordable price.
22 Mar 2009 11:03
Full range of Everards beers on when I visited. The Tiger was in great form. Pub was busy, presumably due to the location (near the station) and because there was football and rugby on. A good place for a refreshing pint after a train journey.
22 Mar 2009 11:00
Cracking ale pub. Had a beer festival on my visit with the full range from three more unusual breweries. Service was a bit slow but that was just due to the number of customers. Well worth a visit.
22 Mar 2009 10:57
Great pub with a wonderful range of real ale and an amazing range of bottled beers from all over the place. The place was packed on my visit as both the football and rugby teams were at home and the six nations was on the TV. Given the number of people in I thought the service was actually quite good. Definitely worth a visit when in Leicester.
22 Mar 2009 10:06
Great range of beers. Popped in here whilst the six nations was on and the pub was packed with rugby but the staff were still able to get everyone served in a reasonable time. Superb beer and a great atmosphere.
22 Mar 2009 10:00
Rumours are that this is to re-open as the New Town Tavern, an ale pub run by the former landlord of Ward 9 (Hospital Arms).
15 Mar 2009 12:16
Number 22 Alehouse and Canteen, Darlington
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!
15 Mar 2009 11:47
The Quaker Coffee House, Darlington
Located down a small alley next to Binn's department store. Not the easiest of places to find but worth doing so. Slightly untidy exterior that does not do it credit. A small and narrow bar but a fantastic range of beer on offer (local beers and guests from further afield) and also real cider from handpump. The beer we had was top quality and it was a quiet cosy place to enjoy a good beer although this was early evening on a Saturday and I suspect a few hours later it wold be very busy.
15 Mar 2009 11:39
Popped in on a Saturday afternoon and it certainly had a student feel to it. Seperate pool room to the right of the entrance and then a fairly large open bar. Staff and locals seemed friendly enough although the music was on the loud side for a Saturday lunchtime. Good beer on offer (although a strong lean towards the dark - not a problem for me) including my favourite Hobgoblin and also a chocolate stout.
15 Mar 2009 11:33
Long and narrow interior that is smartly decorated. Football showing on the TV screens but it wasn't too intrusive. Friendly and welcoming staff, what I saw of the food looked good and the beer was excellent (range and quality).
15 Mar 2009 11:29
Came across as very much a locals' boozer. Long and narrow interior that hasn't been decorated for a few decades but has TV screens that was showing sport on my visit. Wonderful choice of good quality ale on offer and a friendly enough atmosphere.
15 Mar 2009 11:27
Good selection of local ales: Woodforde's Wherry, Adnams Best and Brandon's Rusty Bucket (which was a well kept drip). It was quiet on my visit but it was noon on Saturday and they had only just opened. Food is served but we didn't eat so can't comment on that.
15 Mar 2009 11:23
As others have said, this can be tricky to find but it's worth seeking out. A traditional Adnams pub with three ales on my visit (Best, Broadside and Oyster Stout but no true guest). Both the Best and the Stout were on fine form and the staff were friendly and welcoming. The food, however, was exceptional. Home cooked with produce apparently sourced locally. A lot of fish and vegetarian options on the menu. Everything we saw being brought out looked good and the food we ordered was fantastic.
Seemed to be popular with walkers and twitchers - and understandably so.
15 Mar 2009 11:20
The Great White Horse Hotel, Ipswich
Unfortunately this place has being going downhill for decades and has now closed down. Looks like it is to become a Starbucks. Another piece of traditional and historic English character converted into a dull global chain.
16 Feb 2009 00:25
Popped in this week and five ales on: Adnams Broadside and Bitter, London Pride, Tim Taylor's Landlord and Hook Norton Bitter (which went down very well). One of the more expensive pubs in town but beer quality is good.
15 Feb 2009 23:43
Popped in at lunch time from work. Good range of ales, including Youngs, Harveys and (a fine pint of) Black Sheep. Reasonable meeting spot with food served downstairs. $ky TV upstairs.
15 Feb 2009 23:40
Made a special detour from Carlisle to Ayr to go to this pub and it was well worth it. A lovely, traditional country pub with restaurant and microbrewery. A fairly small bar area at the front, which leads into a restaurant area. Then behind the bar is the Windie Goat microbrewery (which can be viewed from the corridor) and there is also a function room at the back. Our group tried all of the ales on offer and were impressed by them all. Staff and locals were friendly and welcoming to a 14 strong party who were desperate for refreshments after a two hour minibus ride. Unfortunately there was no food available on our visit so I cannot review that. Well worth the detour!
8 Feb 2009 10:23
Popped in for a quick half whilst passing. Only Adnams Best in terms of beer but I'm not convinced they get much ale trade. However, the barman pulled off what had been in the pipes before serving us and we got a fine, and very hoppy, bitter. The pub itself comes across as a bit of a gastro-pub and I guess they serve food but it was friendly and welcoming. The African Grey Parrot in the corner can make some disturbing noises.
8 Feb 2009 10:14
Popped in here on a Friday night and it was quite quiet but surely it's only a matter of time before trade picks up. There were three Earl Soham beers available: Victoria Bitter, Gannet Mild and Gold. The guest was Brewer's Gold. The Bitter and Mild were both quality pints. The menu, although not settled yet, looked very inviting and I'll be looking to sample this in the near future. It's early days but this place has great potential!
8 Feb 2009 10:10
This has re-opened as a joint venture between Earl Soham and the former brewer of Wychwood. They have started to brew beer and the first batch is due to be ready in the middle of February 2009. This is using new micro-brewery equipment and not the former Tolly/Ridleys equipment. The beer will be a brand new brew apparently and not Earl Soham or Wychwood.
8 Feb 2009 10:07
This place was re-vamped and re-opened as the Mauldon's Brewery Tap very recently. Took a trip to see what it was like and was very impressed. It's light and clean with no music or fruit machines. A great range of local beers on offer, on my visit they were: Moletrap, Silveradder, Suffolk Pride and Micawbers Mild, all from Mauldons, and also Nethergate Augustines and Earl Soham's Jolabrugg. All of these were in fine form, some from the handpumps, others served from the cask. Limited snack food on offer (rolls, pasties, pies) but they allow customers to bring in take-away food. Far and away the best pub in town and a real treat given the Greede King monopoly in the area.
8 Feb 2009 10:01
Popped in here to watch the tail end of the England - Italy rugby game. L-shaped bar with big screens and pub games. Good place to view $ky Sports and there were quite a few people in there. However, there was only GK IPA available in terms of ale and it was not a good pint - in fact it was pretty horrible. Didn't stay long (well until the final whistle) and then hurried back to the Brewery Tap just down the road.
8 Feb 2009 09:53
This place has closed down. There is currently a sign on the exterior that states JD Wetherspoons have applied for planning permission. Not sure why they'd want it as it's directly opposite an existing JDW and only a few minutes walk away from another one.
21 Jan 2009 18:44
Popped in here one lunchtime and there were four handpumps: Spitfire, Worthington (99p a pint), GK IPA, Bass (although this had been turned around). Had a Spitfire which I assume was the first out of the pipes because it wasn't brilliant. Also ate but food was fairly average - mind you I didn't expect a great meal given it was �6.95 for two meals. It's not a bad looking pub, wooden floors and various features but it has a JDW feel about it with the cheap beer and food.
21 Jan 2009 18:41
Popped in on a Saturday evening and reasnably busy without being unfortably so. Four of us managed to get a table and enjoyed a few beers. Adnams, Woodfordes and Fullers available and all well kept. It is the higher end of the price scale in the town though.
11 Jan 2009 10:33
This appears to have re-opened in January 2009 but I haven't been in to review it yet.
11 Jan 2009 10:30
Now re-opened as Harvey's. Not been in there but it would appear to be lager bar.
11 Jan 2009 10:27
Spent a Friday night here with friends and was very impressed. It has closed and re-opened in November-December 2008 which leaves some of the reveiws and the photos a bit out of date. There were three local ales on: Adnams Bitter, Woodfordes Wherry and Earl Soham Victoria. All were in fine form. Not the biggest of pubs and about half of it is given over to diners. We ate and were very impressed by the food - it was restaurant quality rather than pub quality. Pleasant atmosphere, attentive staff, good food and good ale.
11 Jan 2009 10:22
Big pub that serves snack food and has lots of TV screens. Popped in here on a Saturday lunchtime when Fulham were playing and the place was packed but the bar staff were attentive and serving people quickly and generally in turn - I expected a far longer wait than I did to be served. Unfortunately the Doom Bar ran out moments before I was served leaving just the Greede King IPA for ale. Seemed quite a friendly place but I was disappointed about the ale. Certainly not good enough for the GBG but a reasonable pub and I may have to revisit to assess it properly.
11 Jan 2009 10:07
Traditional looking pub with wooden floors, different levels and interesting features. Had four ales from the Fuller's range on our visit: Pride, ESB, Discovery and Chiswick. Couldn't fault the clarity of the beer we had. Menu consisted of mainly starters and main meals but it was a bit limited for snacks. However, the food was delicous and appeared to be home made. A real open fire was ablaze in the middle room (just right for the freezing cold day that we visited) and out the back there was a conservatory and some outside seating overlooking the river (which I would imagine is very pleasant in the summer). Would imagine that it could be a bit of a nightmare getting served when busy though due to the layout.
11 Jan 2009 09:59
Welcoming country pub. Three ales on offer on my latest visit: Wherry and Mardler's Mild from Woodfordes and an Adnams beer. Worth making a stop here.
26 Dec 2008 22:25
Lovely old and traditional pub with real fire and oak beams. Serves good ale and what looked and smelt like good food. Friendly and welcoming staff too.
26 Dec 2008 22:18
The Wentworth Hotel, Aldeburgh
Large hotel overlooking the sea. Definitely a hotel/restaurant feel but it does welcome drinkers in the bar and there is a fairly large outside drinking/dining area. Didn't try the food but it looked quite good and there was nothing wrong with the ale I had.
26 Dec 2008 22:13
The White Lion Hotel, Aldeburgh
Popped in here on a Wednesday night at about 10.45pm whilst having a few drinks in Aldeburgh. Wasn't expecting a great deal from a Great Western but we were turned away as we weren't residents. A good advert from avoiding large chains!
26 Dec 2008 22:10
Traditional old ale pub oppostie the Moot Hall. Four ales on offer (all from the Adnams range) and the Old Ale I had was lovely. Also ate here and the Cornish pasty I had was fine. Staff were also friendly welcoming and attentive.
26 Dec 2008 22:04
The Brudenell Hotel, Aldeburgh
This is a hotel/restaurant on the sea front but drinkers are welcome in the bar and they serve ale.
26 Dec 2008 21:57
The place has had a massive overhaul on the inside. Seems food is the priority now. Did have an ale on though, Mauldon's Mole Trap, which was a good drop.
21 Dec 2008 17:58
Modern gastro-style pub that appears to mostly accommodate diners but also welcome drinkers in the bar and has overnight accommodation. Popped in for meal on a Saturday night and it was virtually fully booked. However the staff were friendly and accommodating and managed to fit us in without a fuss. There were three real ales on offer: Brewers Gold, Adnams Best and Wherry. The four pints that we had were all very well kept. The food was also excellent - not cheap but certainly value for money. Good beer, great food and wonderful service. Definitely recommended!
21 Dec 2008 17:21
The Railway has now closed down. Rumours are that there's going to be a Travel Lodge style hotel on the site at some stage in future.
21 Dec 2008 17:11
The Betjeman Arms, St Pancras International Station
A smart and modern gastro-style pub in appearance. An area for drinking out in the station and then some bar style drinking areas and then various other rooms further back (lounges and dining areas). Did not try the food but it looked quite good. Three different ales were on offer and those tried were very good. All ale was served in handles.
5 Dec 2008 19:37
The King Edward VII, Stratford
Traditional pub decorated with lots of wood with several different areas. Reasonable range of beers, including two frm Nethergate on my visit. Beer was well kept and the place seemed to do a lot of food (but did not try any).
5 Dec 2008 19:32
A bit out of the way but worth the trip. Good range of well kept ales. Also had a reasonably priced menu... very healthy portions of good food (inlcuding quite a range of veggie options).
5 Dec 2008 19:25
The White Elephant, Northampton
MTaylor40 has summed this up quite well. It's a big estate pub (aptly named on first impression), with local support, lots of $ky TV screens, pool tables, acade type machines... oh and Northamptonshire skittles. However, the locals were friendly and welcoming and there was a good range of beer from smaller, lesser known breweries. We were very tempted to stay there rather than go to Sickfields and watch the football in the cold (a good away win made it worthwhile though).
5 Dec 2008 19:21
Superb range of beer, including a lot of local ones. Definitely the best beer pub in Northampton. The pub itself is decorated with a wide variety of pub (and other) memorabilia. Different drinking areas and a real open fire. Just south of the town centre and about a 15 minute walk from the station � well worth the walk!
5 Dec 2008 19:10
The Palmerston Arms, Peterborough
A small and welcoming little pub that was packed on my visit (a Saturday afternoon when Posh were at home). Two seperate drinking areas that are joined at the end where they both feed into a bar with a large tap room behind. There was a fantastic range of beer, including the wonderful Dark Star Smoked which was exceptional. This pub really is a gem for ale drinkers.
23 Nov 2008 22:09
This is a barge on the river that has a bar and restaurant on board. It is full of character and has a fantastic range of quality beer - I had a Wikced Witch that was superb. Really busy on my visit but that was due to Posh being at home as a lot of the customers were football fans.
23 Nov 2008 22:01
The Wortley Almshouses, Peterborough
Interesting pub with seperate drinking areas. Not a great range of beer, just the Sam Smith's bitter on offer but that was good and only �1.49 a pint (in November 2008). Also does what looked like good value home-cooked food.
23 Nov 2008 21:39
Fantastic pub. Visited on a Saturday with a large group of friends and it was the perfect place to start. About 12 ales on offer, including the Oakham range. I had a very well kept JHB (now this is understandly a good place to drink this) and an excellent Black Swan.
Large open plan pub that could feel a bit empty but seperate areas. Also does what looked and slet like very good Thai food but i didn't eat here so can't comment on its taste.
23 Nov 2008 21:33
The Old Cannon Brewery, Bury St Edmunds
Paid another visit here on Saturday with a large group of mates and staked my reputation on this being a quality stop-over. No-one was disappointed and there was total agreement on this being a top quality pub. Four of their own superb ales on offer along with a couple of guests. Cannot speak highly enough of this place.
23 Nov 2008 21:24
Changed management recently. Has removed the juke box but plays music and hosts live bands of the inide variety. Certainly a change from the usual drivel that many town pubs play continually. From an ale perspective they had a choice of three on my visit: Adnams Explorer, Landlord and Hobgoblin, in addition it looked as though the Adnams Best had only just run out.
21 Nov 2008 19:13
Popped in after work on a Friday for the first since it re-opened and was impressed at the changes - nothing drastic but it's been redecorated. Same layout but new furniture and paintwork. Three ales on: Ipswich Bright, London Pride and Wherry. Had a Wherry which was in good nick and in a clean glass - something new for this pub! Much improved.
21 Nov 2008 19:02
Well kept Adnams pub close to North Station. Good range of well kept beer.
Gets busy before Colchester United homes games (due to location between the station and the shuttle bus stops) - it is restricted to home fans on match days though - sorry to get the hope up of away fans!
16 Nov 2008 16:30
Traditional ale pub. Great range of ales and ciders. Popped in on Saturday afternoon and witnessed the pub being awarded cider pub of the year.
16 Nov 2008 16:18
The British Grenadier, Colchester
Stopped in here on Saturday lunchtime. Great range of well kept beer. Only a few locals in but it was quite early. No nonense, ale pub with a warm welcome.
16 Nov 2008 16:11
An olde worlde looking pub but it's location has seen it turn almost into a greasy spoon. Not somewhere that will get much passing trade other than from the container port. It was friendly enough, staff and customers, but no ale on and an over-whelming smell of greasy-fried food.
14 Nov 2008 18:34
Narrow pub on the sea front with a conservatory out the front. Recently changed hands (October 2008). Now run by a Makem couple who were friendly and welcoming on my visit. Greede King IPA and Adnams Old on offer on my visit (and the Old Ale was very good) but they regularly have Black Sheep Bitter available. Certainly one of the better pubs in Felixstowe.
14 Nov 2008 18:24
Bit run down and the main bar has been re-done and has left a bit of a bare/open feel - that may have been exaggerated by the fact that there was music on and the furniture had been moved out of the way. However, the staff were friendly and they had two ales on (Adnams Bitter and Doom Bar). The evening proved to be a good gig with good beer though.
14 Nov 2008 18:12
Very much a restaurant pub with most of the pub given over to dining tables. However, it still had two well kept ales on: Adnam's Bitter and Elgood's Cambridge Bitter. A modernly decorated gastro-feel pub. Did try, or even see, the food though.
16 Oct 2008 19:22
The Kings Head (Low House), Laxfield
Cracking old pub with serious character. Beer served from the barrel in the cellar. The full range of Adnams (except Tally Ho) with Timmy Taylor Landlord as a guest on my visit.
16 Oct 2008 18:22
Paid a visit last night (a Wednesday) at about 10pm and it was closed. It didn't look as though it had closed down though - it just seemed to be closed for the night.
16 Oct 2008 18:06
A great little pub serving a range of Triple fff beers on, although no guest beer. I'm not from the area so I had a half of each and all were tasty, well kept beers. Alton's Pride, Moondance, Stairway to Heaven, Pressed Rat & Warthog. Also had some bootled Belgian beers too by the looks of it.
Unintrusive TV showing football, some scooter memorabilia on the walls, friendly staff and locals.
Only about a mile from the football ground and has limited street parking in the area so worth parking there for a game.
Seems to be some talk on here about this pub closing down but I can't see it happening - this is a gem and well worth seeking out!
7 Sep 2008 11:43
Large pub with large screens in the bar and a seperate but joined eating area. A choice of four real ales on my visit: Doom Bar, London Pride, Bombadier and Hog's Back TEA. Went for the local beer and it was a well kept pint.
7 Sep 2008 11:33
Popped in before a game at Aldershot Town so only a brief visit. Just London Pride on in terms of real ale but it was kept well enough. Fairly small pub with large screens in the bar and a pool room out the back. Came across as a reasonably friendly little locals pub.
7 Sep 2008 11:28
Half Butt Inn, Great Horkesley
Large village pub just outside Colchester. It is clean and smart inside and has a beer garden out the back. Seems to have an empathies on food (which, although not cheap, did look good value for money) but drinking more than welcome and they have up to four ales on and $ky Sports in the bar. Friendly and welcoming staff. Also only a 15 minute walk to Colchester United's new ground so handy for match days.
1 Sep 2008 21:05
The Loyal Trooper, South Anston
Stopped in here on a Saturday lunchtime. They had three beers on: Tetley, Adnams and Copper Dragon. Copper Dragon was a good drop. Also tried out the reasonably priced food. Staff were welcoming. Pud has several rooms and each seemed to have a seperate identity. Pool and darts and big TV available in one of the bars.
24 Aug 2008 14:48
Just outsideally busy area so tends not to be quite so busy but overlooks the river. One of the few pubs in Ireland that offer anything different from the norm. The stout and ale are of the creamy-flow 'traditional Irish' stout/ale style.
14 Aug 2008 22:19
The best pub that I've come across in Ireland. A pub on many levels that serves food, has live music and serves great beer... one of the few places that offers anything different from the norm. Three stouts, three ales and three lager/pils available from the microbrewery. Also has a host of other beers from around the world.
14 Aug 2008 22:15
This pub has now closed down.
Prior to that beer quality was poor and glasses weren't always clean. As a drinking venue not good but it did have a good duke box and pool.
23 Jul 2008 22:58
This is a very well run pub that puts on a lot of good and varied music (there can be a fee to enter depending upon the band). A real haven for alternative music scenes. Only downside is GK only beers foolwing the dimise of Ridleys.
5 Jul 2008 21:29
Popped in here to see some bands a few weeks ago. Quite a good atmosphere but the beer availability was shocking... Saturday night and nothing on draft (I don't just mean ale either). Having paid to get in I felt I should at least stay for a while - the money was for charity so I could hardly have asked for it back but was disappointed that they took my money without warning me that there was nothing to drink! Best thing on offer was Newcastle Brown Ale - with four of us drinking it, we'd cleared them out of that in a two rounds too. Probably an off-day but can't rate it very highly from this visit.
5 Jul 2008 21:22
Has a very Adnams feel to the pub - traditional feel with wooden floors, chunky wooden furniture. Tends to have 3-4 Adnams beers on offer and are usually well kept. Also serves good food. Has a walled in beer garden out the back.
5 Jul 2008 21:16
Tends to have three ales available (London Pride, Adnams Bitter and one other). Serves reasonably priced food. Lots of TV screens for watching sports and also has a pool table.
5 Jul 2008 21:13
Wonderful pub with a superb range of beautifully kept ales. Holds regular beer festivals - in case the usual 20-odd ales are not enough :)
Three seperate drinking areas inside and plenty of outside seating - mostly under cover.
5 Jul 2008 21:09
First class pub. Fantastic range of ever changing ale, always well kept. Traditional feel with wooden floors, chunky wooden tables, no music/fruits/TVs. Lovely beer garden out the back. It attracts a large group of regulars and provides a great starting point for anyone going into town. Only downside is that it can get VERY busy, especially on a weekend evening.
5 Jul 2008 21:06
A reasonable range of ale (usually at least three available) and normally well kept - unfortunately it's very expensive here though. Has a lovely walled in beer garden out the back (can be a bit of a sun trap). Serves food of the bar snacks and pub grub variety.
5 Jul 2008 21:01
Large pub just outside the Ipswich town boundary. Has very reasonably priced meals and had three real ales available on my visit last Sunday. Popular place to watch football it seems with several TV screens. It also welcomes children and has a large beer garden complete with climbing frame and five-a-side goals to keep the children enterained without them running riot in the pub itself.
5 Jul 2008 20:52
Visited on a Saturday evening and it was very quiet. There were five ales available but I suspect a Beer Festival at the Rose around the corner had probably hit trade.
5 Jul 2008 18:43
Large pub that gradually transforms from a bar with pool table and $ky TV, through a traditional bar and round into a restaurant. Has up to ten real ales, most of which are regularly changing guests. Certainly worth a visit.
5 Jul 2008 18:39
What a fantastic pub... No English ale but 8-10 Belgian beers on draft and numerous different bootled Belgian beers covering the full range of varieties. Lovely, clean and well kept interior and the food looked good. A great place to take a breather from walking around the city centre but probably not the best place to go for several drinks... it's all too easy to get carried away drinking the fantastic beer only to realise when you leave that the strength of the beer has removed your ability to stand or walk. :o)
5 Jul 2008 18:33
Great range of well kept ale. Quite compact inside but has some outside seating over-looking the square.
5 Jul 2008 18:22
Great little pub with lots of character. Well kept real ale and good food. Can be a little on the cramped side due to its size.
5 Jul 2008 17:18
Used to have a brilliant range of ale but went in there one evening this week and they had ten hand pumps but only one beer (GK IPA). GK taking this one over has meant it has taken a serious turn for the worse.
3 Jul 2008 21:27
The Kingpin, Kingpin Bowling Centre
Can confirm everything Daniel has said. Not a pub but I went here with some work friends and was surprised (and very pleased) to see two real ales (Adnams Best & Broadside). Beer quality was good too.
3 Jul 2008 19:14
Mainly food orientated in this Adnams pub - a lot of seating for eaters (inside and out). Good food and three ales on handpump (all Adnams: East Green, Broadside, Best).
3 Jul 2008 19:10
The Old Cannon Brewery, Bury St Edmunds
Quality pub, brewery and restaurant. Each time I've visited they've had 5-6 handpumps on, including 3 of their own beers. Perfect quality of beer in a pleasant atmosphere. Agree with Quinno - a must visit if in BSE - it's by far the best pub in the town.
3 Jul 2008 00:52
Friendly pub in terms of staff and locals on my visit. Unfortunately only GK IPA on offer so not a huge draw on the beer front but would have happily stayed for the company.
3 Jul 2008 00:40
I think this used to be the main entrance to the Newmarket Caberet Club. It's now a large more or less open-plan bar that I would imagine appeal to drunken clubbers for a drink before going to a club. Cross between a bad JDW and a Chicago Rock Cafe... needless to say - no real ale.
3 Jul 2008 00:38
Only current GBG entry in Newmarket. Had two handpumps on my visit and I tried a Wherry. Had to say I was disappointed in beer quality given it's in the GBG... may have just been an off day.
3 Jul 2008 00:35
Upmarket hotel that opens its bar and restaurant to the public. Lovely place to go for afternoon tea and cakes but no real ale.
3 Jul 2008 00:27
Looks very pleasant from the outside. The inside is one large open-plan room that looks a little dated. Unfortunately they didn't have any real ale.
3 Jul 2008 00:24
Good range of ale, including beers from: Charles Wells, Adnams, Mauldons, Hydes, Jennings and St Austells on my visit. Lots of memorabilia decorating the interior. Unfortunately couldn't stay as long as I'd have liked due to train times.
1 Jul 2008 21:20
The Live and Let Live, Cambridge
Good range of ale, including beers from Potbelly, Oakham, Mersea Island, Nethergate, Everards and Cassels Cider on my visit.
1 Jul 2008 21:17
Good range of beer, several from Adnams but also a range of guest ale. Pleasant pub with beer garden out the back - definitely has that Adnams feel about it. Also does good food
1 Jul 2008 21:13
Pleasant pub with food and a full range of well kept Everards beers plus a guest (Jennings on my visit). Liked this pub a lot.
1 Jul 2008 21:08
Looks like a 1960s style estate pub from the outside but a great range of beer. On my visit: Deuchars, Cambridge Bitter, JHB, Tribute, Wherry, Cottage Champflower and Potbelly Bejing Black Mild (a first for me). Beer was well kept and locals were friendly. A bit of a walk out of the city but worth taking a stroll on a nice day.
1 Jul 2008 21:02
Large GK pub that had a beer festival at the time of my visit so a good range of beer (about half GK and half true gusts). Agree with Love Real Ale about the Moonshine - Orange Chocolate Stout and I'm not normally a stout drinker. Barmaid was knowledge about all the beer on offer - apparently having sample several of them the night before! :o)
1 Jul 2008 20:58
Pleasant and busy (on the Friday evening I visited) little pub. Mainly GK beers but included a GK Mild and Rev. James as a guest.
1 Jul 2008 20:53
Cracking range of real ale. New landlord has come from the Hobgoblin in Reading apparently so knows his ale. Seemed a friendly pub where people go to enjoy good beer and have a chat.
1 Jul 2008 20:50
Good old fashioned boozer! Lots of ale including several local ones. Was busy on the Friday afternoon I visited and people had spilt onto the street and were enjoying each others' company. I got chatting to a bloke about the quality of the beer and it turned out to be the bloke who brews the beer at Milton Brewery - it seems he likes the way they serve his beer too!
1 Jul 2008 20:47
The Champion of the Thames, Cambridge
Friendly GK pub with a true guest. The staff were keen and knowledgable about ale and pubs in the area.
1 Jul 2008 20:40
Looked like it has been converted from a 1960s style multi-story car park from the outside. Went in to five five hand-pumps with a range of beer - unfortunately (as Love Real Ale states) none of them were available! Looked to be food orientated.
1 Jul 2008 20:38
Very old pub with a lot of history and an interesting story (including the RAF bar at the back) - I would imagine that it would attract the tourists. Reverand James was the only alternative to GK here though.
1 Jul 2008 20:34
Pleasant atmosphere (my visit was a Friday afternoon) in the large food-based pub on the river. Unfortunately only GK beers on offer though.
1 Jul 2008 20:31
Looks a little run down from outside but inside is full of character (wooden floors and lots of pig and music related memorabilia) serves good real ale and what looked like reasonably priced food. Beer garden and pool room out the back. Definitely a good stop on the way to/from the station.
1 Jul 2008 20:26
Agree with Pads... a fantastic pub that's only draw back is its popularity. It has got busier and busier over the last 10 years meaning you have to get there earlier and earlier (in the week and the evening). Brilliant choice of ales of offer as well more unusual lagers and bottled beers.
22 Oct 2007 20:47
Fantastic pub... very close to the station. Hadn't visited for a few years but ate (and drank) there one evening last week. Good, reasonably priced, food and great beer. Six beers on offer as I recall - all from the on-site Chalk Hill Brewery. They were very good, well kept and distinctly different from each other. Well worth a visit and handy if you've got a wait for your next train.
22 Oct 2007 20:38
Paid a visit here and was very impressed. Good range of beers (mostly local) and even the draught lagers were unusual brands. Friendly landlord. Certainly consider another visit when I'm next in the area.
17 Aug 2007 14:31
Took a trip here on a Friday lunch time from work. It's a little way out of town but worth the trip. Six local ales (3 from Earl Soham brewery, 2 from Crouch Vale and 1 from St Judes). Very quiet though but then it's only just re-opened. It wasn't the template design for a cask pub as described below but had more of a gastro feel - light and airy and clean. Recognised the landlord as Nigel formerly from the Emperor. Likely to make the occasional lunchtime trip here I think... made a change from our regular Friday lunchtime venue, Mannings. Hope the trade picks up as I liked it a lot and it would be good to see it be successful.
17 Aug 2007 14:26
An absolute gem. Large range of very well kept ales. Good food although slightly pricey. Not as popular as its sister pubs in Norwich and Ipswich yet so not so busy. Gets very busy on football days though.
10 Jun 2007 10:33
The Compasses, Holbrook
Came here some time ago for a family meal. Good ale but the meal was a shambles. We had been asked to come at a particular time to avoid a large group of rambles who had booked. We ordered some fairly basic pub food and the main course took about an hour and a half. They were short staffed and had one man running the bar and restaurant on his own (who was very apologetic for the poor service throughout) . Despite the open admission of terrible service he still had the cheek to charge full price! Unfortunately the bill payer just paid - I would not have paid it!
21 Dec 2019 10:48