In praise of…Café Pivo, York
York is one of the best cities in Britain for a real ale mini-break, with any number of fantastic pubs that are within easy walking distance of each other. We’re big fans of several of them (see our BeerCast Pub Guide to York), particularly the Last Drop and the incomparable Blue Bell. But on our […]
In praise of…The Grain Barge, Bristol
Pubs come in many shapes and sizes, and are to be found in many unusual and varied locations. I’ve been to several great pubs near water, but never actually visited one on water before – until I set foot aboard the Grain Barge in Bristol, that is. As the name suggests, it used to ply […]
In praise of…Ye Olde Mitre
There are some wonderful pubs in London, many with histories stretching back several hundred years. One of these is Ye Olde Mitre, which was built in 1546 – during the reign of Henry VIII. There’s supposedly a more direct regal connection, as a youthful Queen Elizabeth I is said to have danced around the cherry […]
AAA at the Wellington
The vagaries of work take me down from Edinburgh to Birmingham a few times each year, and although the travel and crappy hotel are never welcome – the Wellington certainly is. Previously I’ve written two ‘…in praise of’ articles on this fantastic pub (here and here), located on Bennet’s Hill just a short wander from […]
In praise of…The Brunswick Inn, Derby
The Midlands can be a joyful place for the real ale drinker – from the city pubs of Birmingham in the west to the original trailblazers of Burton-on-Trent in the…north? (We’re based in Scotland so forgive our geography). But the East Midlands can also hide some great beery secrets, if you know where to look. […]
In praise of the Wellington…part 2
In late 2007 I visited a pub in Birmingham with one of the largest arrays of handpumps I’d ever seen – the Wellington on Bennet’s Hill. Well, the other day a similar bit of business saw me return to the second city and I just had to pay another visit. In short, the Wellington is […]
