BITE user comments - ulverstoned
Comments by ulverstoned
The George and Dragon, Altrincham
Given the last poster has recommended The Classroom, I think we can treat their views with a pinch of salt. Yes, it is a pub inside a hotel trying to be a pub but it does not fail. The food always seems popular and served until late on in the evening. They do have two hand pumps and at the moment Golden Sheep is available and well worth tasting. If I have a complaint, they tend to have the same beer on both pumps, and invariably it is over 4.5 % - need a more reasonable session bitter as an alternative to something akin to "Ye Olde Skull Splitter"
17 May 2011 20:45
When you stand outside you want to give this pub a minimum 8....it just looks great. But inside it just fails to deliver.... not inoffensive or tacky....more a real let down. Multi area with created rooms / area. Nothing wrong but nothing overly right. Clean and friendly staff. One handpub serving Speckled Hen. All in all I give it 5.
25 Mar 2011 20:00
Marvellous name. Not the greatest looking pub from the outside but well worth a visit. 4 real ales on tap : 3 Jennings and Mansfield Bitter. Tried the Jennings Bitter and it was fine. I've eaten here before and the food was really good. Handy for the train station.
25 Mar 2011 19:54
Clean and well kept and curiously not overly "sporty" for a pub called the Sportsman. Food seemed popular. Friendly staff. Not a fire cracker. It wants to be more than it currently is, but certainly worth a visit. Nice location. Lancaster Blonde was acceptable but a bit cold.
25 Mar 2011 19:46
Not sure what to make of Blackburn. I've never seen so many pubs open and so many people in them drinking pints at 11.15 am - admittedly it was a nice sunny, weekday morning. Called in the Adelphi around 12.30. Its the sort of pub where, at first glance, the locals could scare the horses. The carpet to the gents is well worn and sticky. The advertised "Forthcoming event" was "Bulmers at �2 a bottle". There's also a "Live Act every Wednesday at 2pm". What !!??? But after a few moments you realise it's not the bar in Star Wars. Whilst there are a few members of the Light Ale Cavalry dotted around, there is a good atmosphere. There are plenty of screens showing music videos, but it's not too intrusive. The pub itself has echoes of Edwardian splendour - high ceiling, simply moulded cornice and large, etched mirrors in mahogany stained panelling. I tried the Youngs Gold which was well kept and good value at �2.30 a pint. An alternative was available : Caledonian Lip Smacker (didn't try it). Also landlady said they are rotating 16 ales a week, so really worth calling in if you are in the area or waiting for a train.
18 Mar 2011 20:11
This is a huge disappointment. It should / could be so much better. Decent room but cold, dark, soulless, and lacking in real atmosphere. Having experienced the Head of Steam in Huddersfield (and the buffet bar at StalyVegas), I really can't see how such a bad job is made of things here. The Higsons I tried was ok and there were numerous others on tap, but not sure how well kept they were.
16 Feb 2011 20:51
A favourite on the odd occassion I get to Liverpool. Good, clean unpretentious boozer with separate room to the back. Excellent range of cask beers : 6 on tap. Tried Villain from Denton and Liverpool Organic - both in good form, but a little chilly. I imagine this pub has changed little over the years beyond a lick of paint and opening out the front room, which has a "tap room" feel. It's stripped down to basics : wood screen by entrance, iron columns, floor boards and moulded plaster ceiling. Behind the bar there's a nice set of display shelves with a fearsome looking stuffed mammal of indeterminate type resplendent on the top. Could be a badger - definitely not roadkill.
5 Oct 2010 20:55
Wandered around Carlisle today and could not believe how lacking in pubs it is. You could come to the conclusion it is dry. Yes there are cafe bars / restaurants but they don't count when you're after a swift one. After the usual lengthy circular ramble around the streets of somewhere I don't know, I stumbled across the Cumberland, which of course is just 100 yards from the train station. It looked great from the outside and in all honesty decent on the inside. A few nare-do wells (members of the light-ale cavalry) were stuck to the seats opposite the bar, but it has a decent interior and the bar staff were really friendly. I didn't mind the music or tellies. A rather lively pint of Lancaster Blonde was on hand pump and it was in good form. The food seemed decent as well. All in all, well worth a visit.
3 Sep 2010 22:38
The Black Horse Hotel, Preston
I've been in and out over the years and can't quite make up my mind as to how fantastic this pub is - hence holding back from scoring. In two words it's "awesome" "gem". It ought to have the word "legendary" it is that good - never had a bad pint and excellent range always on tap. I've given it an 8 (I'm a hard marker) but it probably is worth 9...or 8.5 as a minimum
17 May 2011 21:03