Recently there was some discussion on Twitter about the signifiers of both rough pubs and snobby pubs. So I thought I would ask a related question of what things you come across when entering a pub that give you a positive feeling. These are a few of my personal suggestions – not the big items of beer and food offer or pricing, but the little touches. I’ve deliberately not included any that are the absence of something.
- Frosted or etched glass windows
- Bench seating
- A stone-flagged or quarry-tiled floor
- Or, failing that, a carpet
- A jukebox
- A glass case on the bar containing cobs/rolls
- Small round copper-topped tables
- Beermats
- A pub cat or dog
- A Sooty or similar charity box
- A font for an obscure blast-from-the-past keg mild or bitter
- Cards of nuts and snacks pinned up behind the bar, especially the famous “Ploughman’s Lunch”
- Pictures or memorabilia reflecting a personal interest of the licensee
- Lamely humorous notices such as “Free beer tomorrow!”
- Coat hooks on the front of the bar
- A collection of miscellaneous well-thumbed books and magazines for customers to read
- A traditional pub game such as bar billiards, bagatelle or devil among the tailors. Even table football
I’m sure you can add one or two of your own...
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Haven't been in for a few years, but the Unicorn in Manchester city centre used to tick most of those boxes.
ReplyDeleteIt has a lovely interior, but sadly in terms of the way it's run it has gone seriously downhill in recent years.
DeleteIs it still open? It was clad in scaffolding and the door closed when I i a memory lane trip to Manchester a couple of weeks ago.
DeletePork Scratchings
ReplyDeleteA presentable maître d' at the door to escort me to a table and ensure the drinking only riff raff are escorted to a public bar some distance from polite company.
ReplyDeleteLandlord in braces with a mug of tea.
ReplyDeleteLow ceilings, octogenarian supping a pint, beer towels on the bar, rotary phone behind the bar.
ReplyDeleteA 5 star pentagram on the floor dooming the righteous and hailing the return of the dark one.
ReplyDeleteA welcoming fire, in winter. Roast potatoes on the bar, on Sunday lunchtimes.
ReplyDeleteYes, a real fire is a good one to add - a couple of people on Twitter suggested this too.
DeleteOver the years I've had several pubs where I've been a Sunday lunchtime regular, but none of them had titbits on the bar, although I have seen it elsewhere.
Yes, I'd rather watch a proper coal or log fire than a television screen.
DeleteA full pint.
ReplyDeleteA genuine old Bass mirror.
A meat raffle.
Ground floor toilets, indoors or outdoors, with a proper urinal.
Working bell pushes.
11am or earlier opening every day of the week.
A Old Boy reading the Racing Post. Obviously there are few pubs that can afford to employ pensioners specifically for that purpose.
ReplyDeletePickled eggs and ham and cheese toasties.
ReplyDeleteWhen the cricket is on Test Match Special on Long Wave with occasional breaks for the shipping forecast and news of an Aussie batting collapse when we return to Lords.
ReplyDeleteRadio 2 at all other times