2017 The Cricketers Arms - St Helens
2016 The George & Dragon, Hudswell
2015 The Sandford Park Alehouse, Cheltenham
2014 The Salutation Inn, Ham
2013 The Swan with two Necks, Pendleton
2012 The Baum, Rochdale
2011 Bridge End Inn, Ruabon
2010 The Harp, Covent Garden
2009 Kelham Island Tavern
2008 Kelham Island Tavern
2007 Old Spot Inn, Dursley
That's 11 years...
Originally Posted by Komakino
6/10 for me
...but 10 pubs.
Originally Posted by london calling
I cant help noticing how few Camra pub of the year choices are on our list.Comparing the last 10 years I can only see the Harp and the Kelham Island.
The Old Spot, Dursley was nominated by Leigh. And the Cricketers in St Helens was nominated by Spinko, so that's four. They didn't appear on Aqualung's truncated list because of failing to garner a seconder.
Not that it was a competition... or even a vote. (See complete list here.) Or better, see the attachment below (I didn't notice that the original one had become unformatted when I corrected my careless error on Al Bundy's Grapes (Roscoe St)). [Why didn't someone tell me? Were you afraid I'd become senile overnight? ]
The Old Spot, Dursley was nominated by Leigh. And the Cricketers in St Helens was nominated by Spinko, so that's four. They didn't appear on Aqualung's truncated list because of failing to garner a seconder.
Not that it was a competition... or even a vote. (See complete list here.) Or better, see the attachment below (I didn't notice that the original one had become unformatted when I corrected my careless error on Al Bundy's Grapes (Roscoe St)). [Why didn't someone tell me? Were you afraid I'd become senile overnight? ]
A great list and 21 for me:
Black Friar, EC4
Charles Lamb, N1
Cock Tavern, E8
Chesham Arms, E8
Dukes Head, N6
Gardeners Arms, Oxford
Hand & Shears, EC1
Harrow Inn, Petersfield
Hemingford Arms, N1
Old Fountain, EC1
Princess Louise, WC1
Salisbury, N4
Seven Stars, WC2
Southampton Arms, NW5
Tapping the Admiral, NW1
Victoria, W2
Warrington Hotel, W9
Wenlock Arms, N1
Wilton’s, E1
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, EC4
Ye Olde Mitre, EC1
BTW, as it's a London pub, should not the Dukes Head (last page) have the postcode of N6 rather than the area 'Highgate'?
Just to illustrate how fickle these choices can be these were my thought processes about including a Batham's pub. There are three that I rate more or less the same, The Royal Exchange in Stourbridge, The Vine in Brierley Hill and the Britannia in Upper Gornal. I felt I had to include one of them so I went for the easiest one to get to (the Britannia) rather than the more obvious Vine Brewery Tap. If I had put forward the Vine it would have joined the other two with five nominations.
Just to illustrate how fickle these choices can be these were my thought processes about including a Batham's pub. There are three that I rate more or less the same, The Royal Exchange in Stourbridge, The Vine in Brierley Hill and the Britannia in Upper Gornal. I felt I had to include one of them so I went for the easiest one to get to (the Britannia) rather than the more obvious Vine Brewery Tap. If I had put forward the Vine it would have joined the other two with five nominations.
That's why this sort of popular poll is better done blindfold. If it had really been a vote, it could have distorted everyone's view. I'm not sure fickle is the right word here - you had your reasons at the time, as did others. No one is right, no one is wrong.
I've only been to the Vine once, on a fairly drunken coach trip - it wasn't the coach or more importantly the driver that was drunk. My appreciation of the pub was not recorded at the time, because I don't write very good notes after a few beers (or not that I can make out for typing up later, anyway). I take my hat off to reviewing colleagues who seem able to achieve something readable without having to resort to make-believe (see my reviews on the Alan Winfield Memorial Crawl for my degenerate efforts).
Whatever the reasons for each of us choosing our top ten, and whether or not they would have been different if we had our time again, it's been fun.
As the title says. Following this comment in another thread;
I thought it would be fun to start one.
This is not easy, as I have just discovered. Getting on for 3,800 reviews, I have scored 32 a perfect 10 (0.84%)*. Of these 32, there are a number where I would have the score at 9.5, which knocks about half out. This left 19 to narrow down to 10! I gave favour to those where I have visited more than once - maintaining a 10 across multiple visits is a feat in itself. Then knocked out some where the last visit was more than 5 years ago. Then I filled the last few places with those where I shelved plans to move elsewhere, or I made a revisit during a crawl. Your methodology may be a bit different, of course
So here, in no particular order, is the Quinno Top 10 (thus far...)!
As a non ale drinker I'm not sure where to begin on rating a pub top 10. Open and serves me drink is initial criteria. I'm only really going to have one pint so whatever happens while in there I'm not too fussed over, WWIII or a fight can happen doesn't bother me. If local enough to me I may revisit in a couple of years time but not going out of my way if other new options available.
I think I'll go with the quirky pubs and ones with no bars as they have something about them over any normal establishment. Am I spoiling the fun for real ale drinkers with my view of a top 10?
I think I'll go with the quirky pubs and ones with no bars as they have something about them over any normal establishment. Am I spoiling the fun for real ale drinkers with my view of a top 10?
Not at all, I like pubs with Railway porn which some people may find a bit weird. There are two on my list plus one or two that came close.
As a non ale drinker I'm not sure where to begin on rating a pub top 10. Open and serves me drink is initial criteria. I'm only really going to have one pint so whatever happens while in there I'm not too fussed over, WWIII or a fight can happen doesn't bother me. If local enough to me I may revisit in a couple of years time but not going out of my way if other new options available.
I think I'll go with the quirky pubs and ones with no bars as they have something about them over any normal establishment. Am I spoiling the fun for real ale drinkers with my view of a top 10?
It doesn't have to have real ale for me but it must have something that I enjoyed to drink.I rarely rate a pub if it has only mainstream lagers and Guinness so I found it difficult to find a worst pub of the year as I don't visit worst pubs.Must make pub ticking a bit easier for you?
It doesn't have to have real ale for me but it must have something that I enjoyed to drink.I rarely rate a pub if it has only mainstream lagers and Guinness so I found it difficult to find a worst pub of the year as I don't visit worst pubs.Must make pub ticking a bit easier for you?
Plenty of worst pubs that sell real ale. Like here