# Nottingham pubs



## JHE (Sep 29, 2008)

I'd like recommendations, reviews, warnings and news, please - and I intend to offer more than a few myself.


Just a few to kick things off:


*The Frog & Onion*, on Noel Street in Forest Fields

My favourite grotty dump of a pub seems to be going through hard times.  It is often almost empty.  It used to serve Beck's on draught, which was a major plus.  Now it doesn't.  Real ales. It has a quiz night and often has live music of various sorts to bring in the punters.  I hope the pub survives.

I came across a story that HP Sauce was invented in the Frog & Onion, but I've no idea if there's any truth in that.​
*The Vernon Arms*, on the corner of Forest Road and Waverley Street

Pleasant Punjabi food in the evenings and maybe nice Sunday roasts (I gave up on the Sunday roasts some months ago and am not sure if they are doing nice ones there again).  Big screens - a good place to watch major football matches, I think.  Stella.​
*The Horse & Groom*, on Radford Road

Nice respectable mostly middle-aged and elderly clientele:  No punch ups or vomiting teenagers at the H&G.  Proper Czech Budvar and lots of real ales.  Pub papers, usually including the Guardian and the Times.  Good Sunday lunches.​
*Langtry's*

Nice to see a pub that is often full.  Stella, real ales and tolerable food.  Handy for a drink before or after a film at Cineworld.​

...to be continued...


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## Maidmarian (Sep 30, 2008)

*The Lion* (Mosely St , near Horse & Groom ) good music venue, good range of real ales etc , tolerable food , no aggro & by a tram stop.

*Lincolnshire Poacher* (Mansfield Rd) Excellent  !


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## obanite (Oct 3, 2008)

The Frog and Onion is still doing alright whenever I've been in there lately  Great pub, best pool table in Nottingham in my opinion, even if it does look a bit worse for the wear.

Vernon's roasts are nice, but the Fleece's are better.

So... at the risk of sounding like a trendy twat, I have to big up...

*The Golden Fleece*, on Mansfield Road

Friendly bar staff, brilliant food (huge portions, quite creative but still manages to be "pub food" without being wanky), live music, Detonate warm ups, and of course the home of the Left Lion Quiz. Which has gone downhill a bit lately, I mean he's still funny but it's "same old" funny and the questions are all 70's music & tv trivia these days. Oh yea, they do real ales etc.

*The Old Angel*, somewhere round the back of Hockley/Lace Market

Proper grungy rocker/punk pub, I think having massive tattoos over half your body is a requirement for bar staff. Pool table though I haven't tried it meself. Little outside area that's quite er, "cozy"  Once had a large goth girl glare at me psychotically for half an hour in there once which was interesting.

*The Horn in Hand*, near Trent Uni/Rescue Rooms

Student pub, shite pool tables but lots of em so you'll always get a game, quite central and next to the tram, upstairs (not the balcony area) is huge and has a bar if it's packed downstairs. Serve food, never tried it though, probably crap. Handy place to meet before going clubbing.

*The Turf Tavern*, near that big glass cornerhouse place full of shite chains 

Good for a larf innit!


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## JohnnyOrange (Oct 3, 2008)

*The Sal*, Maid Marian Way.  Rock pub, a bit like an up market Old Angel upstairs, with Rock Karaoke on Fridays.  You haven't lived until you've seen one bloke do 'Bohemian Rhapsody' on his own.  Standing room only on the fire escape for a fag.  Don't go from there to The Irish, no matter how pissed you are and how tempting it is to relive your youth.

*The Trip To Jerusalem*, Caves and Real Ale.  If you touch the model boat in there you die, apparently.  Was once on EastEnders years ago.


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## obanite (Oct 4, 2008)

Haha The Irish 

I'm sorely tempted... ah the memories!


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## Meltingpot (Oct 4, 2008)

I second the Trip to Jerusalem, I had a very pleasant pint there once (not long after I finished my finals at university).


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## Mallard (Oct 4, 2008)

I'll rate them in rank order for quality of beer and atmosphere/clientle:-

The Lion, New Basford (Great selection and quality of beers, friendly and very mixed crowd) Right next to the tram stop

The Gladstone, Carrington (Friendly Victorian backstreet boozer, great beer, good laugh/great beer garden)

The Plough, Radford (Great pub and tap for Nottingham brewery. Quick brewery tour £1 which includes a pint bottle of EPA and a buffet!)

The Vat and Fiddle, Meadows (Great beer/great cobs)

The Lincolnshire Poacher, Mansfield Road (An institution for a reason)

Hope this helps. I've emphasised real ale type pubs. If you want the anarcho types (and real ale) The Sumac, Gladstone Street, Forest Fields is for you. Copies of 'Organise!', dogs on strings (or usually off them), vegan food.


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## JohnnyOrange (Oct 6, 2008)

obanite said:


> Haha The Irish
> 
> I'm sorely tempted... ah the memories!



I last went about a year ago.  I think the 'DJ' still just puts a 'best of' compilation on and goes for a fag...


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## spawnofsatan (Oct 6, 2008)

The Tap and Tumbler

Rock pub, used to have the best jukebox in town, but no more.  Where everyone meets up before Rock city.

The Peacock, Mansfield rd

Nice old fashioned boozer, waiter service in the lounge.


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## chainsaw cat (Oct 6, 2008)

Old Trip is hewn by loving hands from a solid block of premium quality Win.

Blue Bell on the square too.

Old Trip is a bit of a pain when the tourists are about, I used to resent being filmed as if I was an exhibit in a museum. 

Royal Children...


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## JHE (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks for all the recommendations, folks.

I agree the Lincolnshire Poacher & the Golden Fleece are excellent.

I shall try two of Mallard's suggestions at some point:  The Gladstone & the Plough.  I haven't come across them yet.  I'll also try SofS's suggestion of the Peacock.

Maybe I'll try the Lion Inn again.  The quality of the food went right down a while ago, but the live jazz is nice.

I have been to the Old Angel, strangely enough, though it really isn't a pub for an old man like me.  It's full of 'goths'.  It just happens to have been on the way for me a couple of times when I've fancied a pint before catching the tram.

I haven't been in the Turf Tavern since it reopened.  Is it worth the effort?  It looks like a nightclubby sort of place now and the pleasant Langtry's is right next door.

Ye Olde Trip Thingy is an interesting place to look around - it's really very special - but it's a bit too much of a tourist trap for me.


A couple more:

*The Kean's Head*, St Mary's Gate (in the Lace Market area, next to St Mary's)

This pub has an excellent chef.  She doesn't just know her onions.  She knows her garlic and her rosemary and loads of other stuff too.  The Kean's Head has the best pub grub I have ever come across.

It also has Grolsch and various real ales.

It's a pleasant enough pub in all respects, but it's the food and the Grolsch that attract me and I'm not really sure I'd go there for any other reason.  The clientele is often made up of young posh Lace Market types.  I've nothing much against young posh people living in the Lace Market, but I don't particularly want to sit around in their pub.​
*The bars at the Broadway*

The Broadway's not a pub, but I've sometimes used it as one and the bars are OK.  They serve Grolsch and the arty types you get in the Broadway seem OK.  There are proper espresso machines.  The food's OK too.​

[...to be continued...]


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## 8ball (Oct 6, 2008)

I'll get blasted for this, but I've quite a soft spot for the Pit & Pendulum . .


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## Mallard (Oct 6, 2008)

JHE said:


> I haven't been in the Turf Tavern since it reopened.  Is it worth the effort?  It looks like a nightclubby sort of place now and the pleasant Langtry's is right next door.



The last time I went in Marcia had left as had all the Real Ale and quality food and music. It used to be an oasis in the centre. Marcia's Jerk Chicken plus a pint of real ale £2. Good selection of papers and great local feel. Plus mad Northern Soul on Sundays. Spot on!

Please report back your findings.

See you in The Gladdo! (Quiz night on a thursday is busy but a laugh).


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## JHE (Oct 6, 2008)

Mallard said:


> If you want the anarcho types (and real ale) The Sumac, Gladstone Street, Forest Fields is for you. Copies of 'Organise!', dogs on strings (or usually off them), vegan food.



I went to the Sumac Centre just once.  There was a meeting there about Cuba.  It wasn't an anarchist event.  The meeting was run by and for people who think the sun shines out of the Castro Brothers arses.  It would have been enlivened if there had been some stroppy anarchists putting another point of view.

Can you really just go there (the Sumac Centre, I mean, not Cuba) and use it like a pub?  I'd feel I was intruding into someone's front room uninvited.  Plus I'm not an anarchist and haven't got a dog on a piece of string.


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## 8ball (Oct 6, 2008)

JHE said:


> The meeting was run by and for people who think the sun shines out of the Castro Brothers arses.



I liked _Fargo_ as much as the next guy but there's a limit . . .


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## Stig (Oct 6, 2008)

The Salutation Inn is good. Good beer and they also have caves underneath that you can wander round if you ask nicely.
It's a comfortable atmosphere sort of a pub too.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...53.481508,-1.021729&spn=1.471031,3.477173&z=8


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## JohnnyOrange (Oct 6, 2008)

8ball said:


> I'll get blasted for this, but I've quite a soft spot for the Pit & Pendulum . .





I've got a few Rawk friends and am quite happy to drink there if they're out, but probably wouldn't if they weren't.

The food at the Kean's head is really good, and the atmosphere at Broadway's great.

This thread's tempting me to go out in town again - it's not all dickheads glassing each other is it?

Is it?


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## 8ball (Oct 6, 2008)

JohnnyOrange said:


> I've got a few Rawk friends and am quite happy to drink there if they're out, but probably wouldn't if they weren't.



Well, all the good pubs had been mentioned.


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## spawnofsatan (Oct 6, 2008)

Did anyone on here drink in the Dragon (opposite the cinemas) or the Hearty Goodfellow?


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## JohnnyOrange (Oct 6, 2008)

spawnofsatan said:


> Did anyone on here drink in the Dragon (opposite the cinemas) or the Hearty Goodfellow?



I drank in the Dragon years ago when it was a pre-Rock City haunt for Goths.  I think it's still a pre-Rock City Haunt but I'm not a Goth any more.  They used to do mahoosive doorstop sandwiches didn't they?

The band I used to be in played upstairs at the Hearty Goodfellow in 1989/90 ish, supporting a band called Spunk.  Yes, it was that glamorous.


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## JohnnyOrange (Oct 6, 2008)

8ball said:


> Well, all the good pubs had been mentioned.



It could be worse - I had to resort to The Irish...


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## spawnofsatan (Oct 6, 2008)

The Dragon is a bit upmarket these days. I'm surprised the Speakeasy hasn't had a mention.


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## JohnnyOrange (Oct 6, 2008)

spawnofsatan said:


> The Dragon is a bit upmarket these days. I'm surprised the Speakeasy hasn't had a mention.



I still call Speakeasy 'Fagins', which might show my age!


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## spawnofsatan (Oct 6, 2008)

Probably about the same age as me then, 40?


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## Mallard (Oct 6, 2008)

JHE said:


> I went to the Sumac Centre just once.  There was a meeting there about Cuba.  It wasn't an anarchist event.  The meeting was run by and for people who think the sun shines out of the Castro Brothers arses.  It would have been enlivened if there had been some stroppy anarchists putting another point of view.
> 
> Can you really just go there (the Sumac Centre, I mean, not Cuba) and use it like a pub?  I'd feel I was intruding into someone's front room uninvited.  Plus I'm not an anarchist and haven't got a dog on a piece of string.



The Cuba meeting sounds unusual for there. It's usually animal rights/ vegan stuff/anti ID etc. You can simply drink in there like a pub (they may ask for £1) A years membership is £3. There is often a mix tbh including a few older locals and lefty but not anarcho types and what someone once called 'lifestylists'. It's generally friendly. I noticed a few Trade Unionists/SWP/SP and an AWLer plus one infamous local Maoist when I was last in there. There are usually two real ales on (Springhead cos they are vegan) and it's cheap. They also do a quiz on a thursday which a couple of Urban posters attend.  Internet and computer access there is also free.


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## Mallard (Oct 6, 2008)

Stig said:


> The Salutation Inn is good. Good beer and they also have caves underneath that you can wander round if you ask nicely.
> It's a comfortable atmosphere sort of a pub too.



To be fair the music is appalling (loud cock rawk etc) and the beer selection may be good but the condition is very variable in my experience. If you are into rawk karaoke though it's heaven! No offence, I have an allergy to rawk.


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## nubster (Oct 6, 2008)

The old angel is dingy, it has an odd clientelle of crusties, goths and chavs and the back wall is covered in graffiti, which isn't very rock. It's a proper rock pub though in every sense of the word.


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## nubster (Oct 7, 2008)

8ball said:


> I'll get blasted for this, but I've quite a soft spot for the Pit & Pendulum . .



Just don't go there at the weekend.

*The Social* is opposite the Pit an Pendulum and is ideal for the duffel coat, cords and retro addidas trainer chin stroker crowd.  I personally think it's wank.


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## JohnnyOrange (Oct 7, 2008)

spawnofsatan said:


> Probably about the same age as me then, 40?



*cough*

36

*cough*


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## spawnofsatan (Oct 7, 2008)

OOOPs!


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## chainsaw cat (Oct 7, 2008)

Mallard said:


> I'll rate them in rank order for quality of beer and atmosphere/clientle:-
> 
> The Lion, New Basford (Great selection and quality of beers, friendly and very mixed crowd) Right next to the tram stop
> 
> ...



More than a good pub, a classic of the type - I drink there at every opportunity when I go back to Ningam.


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## chainsaw cat (Oct 7, 2008)

Stig said:


> The Salutation Inn is good. Good beer and they also have caves underneath that you can wander round if you ask nicely.
> It's a comfortable atmosphere sort of a pub too.
> 
> http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...53.481508,-1.021729&spn=1.471031,3.477173&z=8




Half Nottingham has caves under it... my mate ran a shop near the Old Angel (over rated, great if you are 21 and think you're living on the edge) and she ended up under Debenhams after a night of pissed up exploring. We found some bottles and odds and sods in one little annex of the cave under the shop what had been there since 1942 ish!


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## mattie (Oct 7, 2008)

MY girlfriend used to live in West Bridgford and we went to the Cricketers quite a bit - lovely old art deco building with a revolving door at the front.

I gather it's been refurbished, which I assume means ripping out anything of interest and bunging in nasty ikea-like chipboard furniture and flat-screen TVs.  Anyone tell me this isn't so?


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## spawnofsatan (Oct 7, 2008)

Its called the Test Match and its listed, so things are pretty much as they were.

(Apart from it turning into a chain restaurant/pub)


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## mattie (Oct 7, 2008)

spawnofsatan said:


> Its called the Test Match and its listed, so things are pretty much as they were.
> 
> (Apart from it turning into a chain restaurant/pub)



Was it always the Test Match, or am I going mad?  It was cricket-related, anyway.

Glad to hear it can't be changed, sad to hear it's a chain pub.


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## spawnofsatan (Oct 7, 2008)

Yeah, its always been the Test Match, great if you like Art Deco.


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## TomPaine (Oct 7, 2008)

Is Spiders still there? It's that bar just across from the Pit and Pendulum? Last time I was there was some biker gang in there and they where having a lock in.

I remember some pub I think was called the Castle which was just over from the errr... Castle.
There used to be a Scream Pub near rock city as well.

TomPaine


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## spawnofsatan (Oct 7, 2008)

I think Spiders has gone, the castle is still there though. I had many an acid fuelled night in the basement there in the late 80's.


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## Mallard (Oct 7, 2008)

spawnofsatan said:


> Its called the Test Match and its listed, so things are pretty much as they were.
> 
> (Apart from it turning into a chain restaurant/pub)



Sadly with the nouvea riche clientle it's like wankers anonymous in there in my experience. Avoid 'Bridgford like the plague. Only pubs that are slightly passable is the pet shop ie Stratford Haven featuring elderly tories and conseravtive teachers but with decent beer or surprisingly The Southbank which is footie orientated with surprisingly decent beer.

As a pedant, West Bridgford is not in Nottingham. It's in Rushcliffe in the county. If leaving the city, head to The Victoria in Beeston.


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## 8ball (Oct 7, 2008)

Mallard said:


> To be fair the music is appalling (loud cock rawk etc) and the beer selection may be good but the condition is very variable in my experience. If you are into rawk karaoke though it's heaven! No offence, I have an allergy to rawk.



Having been there tonight I can confirm this.  It was quite annoying.


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## 8ball (Oct 7, 2008)

Mallard said:


> If leaving the city, head to The Victoria in Beeston.



Mere yards from where I'm sitting, and a good boozer with good grub.

Social centre of Nottingham's academic ghetto.


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## Maidmarian (Oct 8, 2008)

8ball said:


> Mere yards from where I'm sitting, and a good boozer with good grub.
> 
> Social centre of Nottingham's academic ghetto.



True .


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## obanite (Oct 9, 2008)

Got to say, loving this thread, loads of new pubs to try!

Off to the Gladstone tonight for the pub quiz. We're currently looking for a decent quiz having got sick of the Fleece's, if this doesn't work out might try Sumac. I love Forest Fields


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## obanite (Oct 11, 2008)

2nd time in the Gladstone, ended up hammered, grrr. It's an alright pub, bit small inside but that outside area looks quite nice! We sucked at the quiz though


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## JHE (Oct 13, 2008)

*Fellows Morton & Clayton*, Canal Street (nr the railway station)

Very good homemade steak & kidney pie - a generous portion with loads of mushy peas.  The other food may be OK, too (I haven't tried it yet).  Grolsch.  Decent TVs for watching football.  Young studenty staff - but I don't mind.  The poor sods have to earn a living these days.

A good place, IME, to have food and a lovely cold lager after a hard day's work.​
*The Bentinck Hotel*, next to the railway station

An old-fashioned dump of a pub - not a slightly trendy dump like the Frog & Onion - a proper dump, with its share of drunken old men.  Every time I've been there, though, someone has made me laugh and the bar staff have been nice.​


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## obanite (Oct 24, 2008)

JHE said:


> *Fellows Morton & Clayton*, Canal Street (nr the railway station)
> 
> Very good homemade steak & kidney pie - a generous portion with loads of mushy peas.  The other food may be OK, too (I haven't tried it yet).  Grolsch.  Decent TVs for watching football.  Young studenty staff - but I don't mind.  The poor sods have to earn a living these days.
> 
> ...



Jesus christ, the Frog & Onion is 'slightly trendy'?  Last time I was in there a group of drunken women were complaining loudly about how they weren't coming back because of the flies


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## Clint Iguana (Oct 24, 2008)

lock up your daughters, cardiff city will be drinking in nottingham this weekend


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## JHE (Oct 25, 2008)

obanite said:


> Jesus christ, the Frog & Onion is 'slightly trendy'?  Last time I was in there a group of drunken women were complaining loudly about how they weren't coming back because of the flies



I haven't noticed unusual numbers of flies there, but once or twice I've  noticed that the place has _fleas_.  That helps it qualify as a dump.

As for the slight trendiness... there are anarcho-wotsit, anti-capitalist and 'antifa' stickers and graffiti in the loo and I think the customers include quite a lot of people from the scruffy and leftish end of the teaching and social working classes.  What's more, the last time I was in there, there were a couple of youngish white men wearing dreadlocks.


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## JHE (Oct 25, 2008)

...and this evening there were lots of 'Goths' there.

Whatever else it may be, the F&O's not a proper old-fashioned smelly-drunk  dump.


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## Mallard (Oct 26, 2008)

Clint Iguana said:


> lock up your daughters, cardiff city will be drinking in nottingham this weekend



Shouldn't that be sheep?


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## spawnofsatan (Oct 27, 2008)

Sounds like there's enough peeps on here for a Notts booze up.


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## obanite (Oct 29, 2008)

JHE said:


> I haven't noticed unusual numbers of flies there, but once or twice I've  noticed that the place has _fleas_.  That helps it qualify as a dump.
> 
> As for the slight trendiness... there are anarcho-wotsit, anti-capitalist and 'antifa' stickers and graffiti in the loo and I think the customers include quite a lot of people from the scruffy and leftish end of the teaching and social working classes.  What's more, the last time I was in there, there were a couple of youngish white men wearing dreadlocks.



<boggles> Your definition of trendy is different to mine. Imho, the Pitcher & Piano and the other Lace Market bars are trendy!


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## seeformiles (Oct 30, 2008)

I once spent New Year's Eve in a pub called "The Grosvenor" (I think) - never been snogged so much in my life by lots of pilled-up lasses


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## upsidedownwalrus (Oct 30, 2008)

obanite said:


> <boggles> Your definition of trendy is different to mine. Imho, the Pitcher & Piano and the other Lace Market bars are trendy!



Different sort of trendy, innit...


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## obanite (Oct 31, 2008)

seeformiles said:


> I once spent New Year's Eve in a pub called "The Grosvenor" (I think) - never been snogged so much in my life by lots of pilled-up lasses



Down the road from me, used to be my local


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## obanite (Nov 4, 2008)

RenegadeDog said:


> Different sort of trendy, innit...



I suppose I can see how anarchism and dreads are trendy in a way. In a good way, imho


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## JohnnyOrange (Nov 4, 2008)

seeformiles said:


> I once spent New Year's Eve in a pub called "The Grosvenor" (I think) - never been snogged so much in my life by lots of pilled-up lasses



Used to be my local, a long time ago.

So anyway, Nottingham Urban beers?


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## obanite (Nov 4, 2008)

<directs all and sundry to this amazing, awe-inspiring thread of true genius>

(and hopes nobody remembers what a no show he was last time )


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## JHE (Mar 29, 2009)

JHE said:


> *The Frog & Onion*, on Noel Street in Forest Fields
> 
> My favourite grotty dump of a pub seems to be going through hard times.  It is often almost empty.  It used to serve Beck's on draught, which was a major plus.  Now it doesn't.  Real ales. It has a quiz night and often has live music of various sorts to bring in the punters.  I hope the pub survives.​





obanite said:


> The Frog and Onion is still doing alright whenever I've been in there lately  Great pub, best pool table in Nottingham in my opinion, even if it does look a bit worse for the wear.



Frog & Onion is due to close at the end of April, unfortunately.


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## OneStrike (Apr 4, 2009)

Bentinck 'Hotel'


Mentioned already but this place had a real impact on me.  A few years ago when living in Nottingham i made a point of going there at least once a week, always on my own.

  Not once did i ever leave without a new story or experience.  The barman looked about 12, the resident scottish alcoholic sat in the corner would swing punches at strangers as the walked past him (ex boxer with hands like shovells but about 70 so harmless).  Often people released from prison would be in the pub with there plastic bag of posessions.   Best was seeing the look on the faces of weary travellers looking for a nice pint before their train arrived!!

  Wouldn't change the Bentinck one bit!


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## lang rabbie (Apr 4, 2009)

Smurker said:


> Bentinck Arms



The Bentinck *Hotel*


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## the button (Apr 4, 2009)

Another vote for The Trip to Jerusalem. It's the only pub I've been in in Nottingham, but I had a pleasant afternoon winding down in there with a member after a particularly gruelling disciplinary interview when I was a union rep.


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