What makes a 'great' pub?

[General Staal]

This is what I look for in a pub, in no particular order:

Beer choice
Service
'Comfort'

In short, I ask myself the question, could I spend the afternoon here, by myself? If the answer is yes, then, to me, its a 'great' pub.

I can surprise myself. For example, my 'local' is the Queslett, a generic Ember in with up to 6 real ales on - yet I feel at home in there, where I don't usually feel like that in other Embers.

Soupy and I went on a crawl around Mere Green. We went into the Pint Pot which is an unspoilt 70s pub situated between an affluent area and a council estate. The residents of the estate use the Pint Pot while the 'well off' go to the Pubcos in and around Sutton. So in the 'Pot, we were surrounded by workmen in overalls and lads in tracksuits. There was only Old Speckled Hen as a real ale and Ansells Mild and Bitter on tap. Yet it was an incredibly warm and friendly pub. As 'great' as any other. I am not being condescending here, just contrasting the two pubs.

Yet the Anchor in Birmingham, a renowned real ale pub leaves me cold. I rarely use it.

I suppose how I feel about pubs comes down to just that - gut instinct.

Do others have some kind of formula, or is it just gut feeling that makes you want to stay in a place?

[Oggwyn Trench]

My favorite pubs are all very different from each other , the only thing they really share is a decent atmosphere , good beer comes into it but some of my favorites may only have one real ale on (Red Lion , Wrockwardine Wood , Tetley if your lucky , John Smiths if your not) .
The pub can have the best beer with great service (it helps i know) but that dont make it a great pub if the atmospheres crap (Admiral Benbow in Shrewsbury comes to mind)

[Conrad]

The ones I have really enjoyed is the atmosphere. Being able to mingle with people you wouldn't normally meet and still feel comfortable is a key part of that.

[gillhalfpint]

I like to see decent beer choice, and then to feel comfortable with the pub atmosphere. Feeling able to miss the planned bus and stay for a couple more means that is a great pub to me.

PS. Providing (when in Cornwall) you know there will be another bus!!

[The Giant]

That's weird because The Anchor is the pub I'm most likely to go to on my own!

[HTM69]

A blend of traditional and contemporary (though not too much of the latter), with a half-decent array of real ales. Customer-base will ideally be varied in age and the music, rocking.

[arwkrite]

Comfortable chairs ( not sofas ) as my back aches when standing to long. An "Interesting " crowd without their being too much of a chance of violence. The building or decor does not bother me , an interesting picture is welcome to stare at in case you nailed by the pub bore. ( WHO ,ME ? ) A good ale or two, if its good I will take whats going. I have a thing against horse brasses on walls but thats just personal.

[General Staal]

That's weird because The Anchor is the pub I'm most likely to go to on my own!

I have never been impressed by the Anchor. Can't knock the beer choice, but I have never had a really good pint there. I find the staff so-so, and some of the customers look at me funny, which I should expect really as I'm a funny looking guy!

[Andy Ven]

some of the customers look at me funny, which I should expect really as I'm a funny looking guy!

Well if you're anything like your profile photo, who could blame them? :)

[General Staal]

Well if you're anything like your profile photo, who could blame them? :)
I am a handsome man. I must be. My mother has said I am!

[Evil Gazebo]

Well if you're anything like your profile photo, who could blame them? :)

I think it's against the law these days to discriminate against Sontarans.

[General Staal]

I think it's against the law these days to discriminate against Sontarans.

I hope, as you have recognised my species, that you are not of the Rutan. If you are, I will have to eliminate you.

[Conrad]

I hope, as you have recognised my species, that you are not of the Rutan. If you are, I will have to eliminate you.
Now, now, you two. You are on 21st century Earth at the moment, I insist you abide by the Shadow Proclamation.

Furtively looking round for the Dead Ringers mic's.

[General Staal]

[QUOTE=Conrad;17062]Now, now, you two. You are on 21st century Earth at the moment, I insist you abide by the Shadow Proclamation.QUOTE]

I apologise profoundly. I thought I had wandered onto the forums of Outpost Gallifrey!

[Conrad]

I apologise profoundly. I thought I had wandered onto the forums of Outpost Gallifrey!
A truly scary place, the wife goes there and occasionally regales me with stories, I don't have the nerve.

[arwkrite]

Sorry...I think I have wandered onto the wrong planet. I was looking for Pubsgalore.

[General Staal]

Sorry...I think I have wandered onto the wrong planet. I was looking for Pubsgalore.

Nope, this site is a cover for an alliance of scary aliens to take control of the Planet Earth through manipulation of one of its inhabitants' favourite beverages - beer!

[arwkrite]

Thats great. I can shed this latex humanoid suit and stretch my eight legs.

[General Staal]

Thats great. I can shed this latex humanoid suit and stretch my eight legs.

Excellent! But you will need your disguise to continue with your research into human drinking habits. And don't forget to carry on sampling the ale. It is essential to fully understand drinking patterns...erm...I'll just get my coat!

[Evil Gazebo]

I for one welcome our new alien overlords.

[Conrad]

I for one welcome our new alien overlords.
If their buying I also certainly welcome them (at least they have some sensible policies unlike our current overlords).

[Evil Gazebo]

There is an episode of Men Behaving Badly where Gary and Tony wander their area, clipboards in hand, assessing each pub for its potential as their new local. I think the landlord was leaving their old haunt or something.

I found myself in a similar position about 12 years ago - I'd just moved to a new city and didn't know anyone in the area other than Mrs Gazebo. A few afternoons venturing into all the nearby pubs, however, was a great way to explore the area. Anyway, during this search, I believe I did manage to find what was - in many respects - my perfect pub.

It took only two or three visits before the barman had found out my name, and what my preferred drinks were etc. I particularly recall going there one Saturday afternoon when the Five Nations (as it was then) rugby was on the TV. As the place rapidly filled up just before the England game, I realised that all the conversations going on were addressed to the pub as a whole, rather than a huge number of private chats between small groups. I have rarely felt as welcome in a large group of almost total strangers, and got very pleasantly pissed, staggering home many hours later than planned.

For years after that I used to love lunchtimes there. I worked from 5am till noon in those days, so did most of my drinking early afternoon. The pub was blessed with an eccentric (in a good way) landlady, a small but always excellent range of beers and a massively disparate group of regulars (a lorry driver, a retired banker, a shopkeeper, a retired Merchant Navy captain, a couple of cabbies, a restaurant owner, a copper and various people who never seemed to do anything but always seemed to have plenty of cash, to name just a few). The TV would only ever be switched on if someone actually wanted to watch it, and there were no gaming machines or similar distractions.

Most lunchtimes there would be about seven or eight out of the approximately 20 core regulars, plus occasional strangers of course, and we'd just enjoy a few pints and ramble on about all sorts of nonsense. It was a small, one-room pub, which technically closed for the afternoon at 2.30pm, but would in reality stay open until either we or the landlady had had enough. Strangely after it reopened for the evening at 6.00, it was complete rubbish, full of poncey yahoo types and students - I've never known a pub be so different depending on what time you visited.

Sadly, the landlady sold up a few years ago, the pub now has a different name and is unrecognisable from the place described above. Happy days, though.

[Andy Ven]

Thats great. I can shed this latex humanoid suit and stretch my eight legs.

Oh dear, Geeks Galore have taken over a website that was set up to promote the good side of humanity :pray:

[Eddie86]

***smiles and nods***

[The Giant]

I've had some fantastic beers in The Anchor. I always try before I buy. Some staff are better than others!

I've seen some strange people in there and it's only human nature to observe them! There's one guy in a suit, but not a business type of suit, who always seems to be dancing by the bar. I usually look at him in a slightly bemused manner.

[General Staal]

I may try the Anchor again...and I might fall into the White Swan, Lamp and Spotted Dog which, in my opinion are better pubs, with less beer choice nevertheless.

[The Giant]

I'll look out for you... we don't get many Sontarans!

[arwkrite]

I'll look out for you... we don't get many Sontarans!

It sounds like you already have one. Check out the chap in the suit who likes dancing.

[trainman]

I'm hijacking this thread a little just to advise that Leyton's William IV had a good range on, as usual, on Saturday including a couple of lower abv beers - Giddy Blonde at 2.7% & Summer Stout at 2.8% - these at just £1!
Not for me, but a couple of boys tried halves & brought the round of 5 pints down to an extraordinary £7.98!

They had flyers for 'Brodie's (2nd) Birthday Bonanza', 4&5Sep - 24 Brodie's ales including some new lines (Elizabethan, at 22%, surely even William IV can't sell that one at £1.99?). Great stuff! Why are the Euro qualifiers that weekend on the friday night, and not Saturday? At least I wouldn't be able to blow the TVs up (this time) if there on a bonanza day!