The Cricket Inn, Totley

This is, I suspect, very much a diners pub but that doesn't stop them from serving an excellent range of Thornbridge beers. I was talked into their chocolate stout, a very odd choice for me, and it was the perfect antidote to a miserable, rain-lashed afternoon. Food is pricey but all five in our group thought it was very good and my fish and chips portion would have fed two.
The décor is very much "corporate goes country pub" but is by no means lacking in character. And if the sun ever shines, the village cricket ground offers bucolic entertainment to gild the experience.
This is far from a spit and sawdust boozer as you can get but of its type the Cricket Inn is a very pleasant example.

12 Jul 2016 20:34

New Inn, Milford

This place has as split identity and is more commonly known locally as "Angelo's" because of the Italian Restaurant on the premises. Hardly functions as a pub but I am told you can just call in for a pint if you can find a spot among the great hordes of diners. I settled for Italian bottled lager, which was fine, and then joined the eaters in a restaurant sold out on a Wednesday night.
Not your cutting edge modern Italian - with swooshes and reductions and odd ingredients - but none the worse for that. Old fashioned Italian and English cooking in large portions and with strong flavours. And if all the languid, can't really be bothered kids working in pubs and cafes want to see how it should be done they should spent a night here. This is ten out of ten service.
Thoroughly enjoyable night.

12 Jul 2016 20:25

The Black Boy, Heage

Recently attended a family party and dreaded the idea of your typical, pub buffet. Need mot have worried. The food was exceptionally good and could have served twice the number.
Not as wide a selection as some of the places favoured by local beer aficionados but quality was top notch and the place was rammed on a midweek evening when there was Euros footy on the box.
The place has recently undergone a very impressive top-to-toe makeover, including a superb outside seating area, and one local told me that the pub had "put some community life back in the village."
The taxi driver who drove me and my daughter home told me she is always busy ferrying old folks to the pub because of the lunchtime OAP specials.
Staff were quick and chatty and gave the impression they were proud of the pub and the service they were providing. With good reason in my view because this is as close to being the ideal village/community pub as you are ever likely to get.
I rarely mark anything ten out of ten but in this case I am making the exception because the Black Boy is everything it sets out to be. Bravo.

12 Jul 2016 20:17