A pub is for life not just for Christmas
Despite stiff competition from The Tamworth Tap and The Last Heretic, amongst others of Burton's finest, POTM goes to The Smithfield for it's superb selection of cask ales.
"Beer is food." Morse, Colin Dexter
Undoubtedly,The Royal Oak. I'm not a town pub regular, or town lover,but if I had to name one it would have to be this.
"At that moment I would have given a kingdom, not for champagne or hock and soda, or hot coffee but for a glass of beer" Marquess Curzon of Kedlestone, Viceroy of India.
The Victoria in Durham. So good that I went for a second beer while on a crawl that eventually ran to 14 pubs. "... it's a shame that 10 is the maximum rating available on reviews on Pubs Galore. I don't award many 10s, and this is my first 11."
Come On You Hatters!
The Guide Dog.
A very good ale house,not too far from the football ground and a real surprise given the neighbourhood.The Smithfield (above) would have got the nod but I was beaten to the punch and repetition can get boring.Both pubs were at the top of their games in each city.
"Good people drink good beer" Hunter S Thompson
Yes, you wrote (20 Aug '21): "Unspoilt in every way, the kind of gem that you don’t find too often." This is spot on. Too many really beautiful pubs have nothing much on the beer front, or it's dead quiet, or the people running it think it's beneath them to make you feel welcome, or they just don't give a toss (like the Rose Villa in Birmingham). But this one's got it all. I didn't want to leave!
Come On You Hatters!
One that you and I also liked was coincidentally called the Victoria, at Great Harwood (Blackburn). One of my rare 10s, but it didn't quite reach Spinal Tap levels, like the Durham one did.
Come On You Hatters!