Reality check

If you're looking for a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails, the very best in locally produced organic vegan food and an environment where your children will be made welcome then quite frankly what on earth are you doing in The Royal?The Royal is a pub plain and simple. It's one room inside with one of those increasingly rare circular bars in the middle of the room. In the 20 years I've lived here it has not changed one jot and I suspect it's looked exactly the same since the 1960's at least. It's got a friendly enough atmosphere about the place, one of the few remaining pubs where you can find yourself in conversation with a stranger. It gets busy at the weekends but never feels oppressive and I've never encountered a hint of trouble. There are clearly some serious drinkers of the more mature variety propping up the bar most evenings (and afternoons for that matter!)who class it as their local, but that's fine, it's a pub, you go there to drink. There's no music but you can watch the match on one of the two TVs. The bar staff are male, local, a bit older and pretty efficient. The beers is nothing special but fine for what it is, Guinness, Belhaven Best, the usual draft lagers and a decent enough selection of malts. I suppose you could ask for a pie or a cheese and han roll if you were desperate but it's not really somewhere you go to eat. It's a drinking man and (woman's) pub and all the better for it!

A User - 09/09/2008 | report this review