It's Never Just One

I was in town for some shopping but it I couldn't resist visiting a pub which only opened yesterday, so I headed up Seel Street to 1936 Pub Co's newest outlet, St Peters Tavern:

Wow!  1936 have outdone themselves with this one.  The interior on three floors is stunning.  Almost all fake, I think, except for the stained glass windows which look original.  The usual stag's heads (Where do they get them all from, I wonder?) decorate the walls.  On its second day many of the customers were taking pictures, as was I.

I never visited this building in its previous incarnation as Alma De Cuba, I always thought that was a restaurant but I suspect I might have been wrong about that. So I don't know how much of the current decor is brand new, but I suspect it is most of it.  The building was originally a catholic church, opened in 1788.

Sixteen handpumps offered a wonderful selection and for once I skipped favourite White Rat (I had a couple in the Big House on Monday, another 1936 pub.) and went for a fine pint of Bass.  The young barman who served me struggled with the till, I guess it was new to him - The place only opened yesterday - but he managed the pour perfectly, which is, after all, the most crucial part of his role.

There were a couple of dozen customers at one on a Thursday, so the enormous space felt rather empty, but even as I typed that more arrived.

A tremendous place, highly recommended. 

So, where else can I tick while I'm round here?  Dirty O'Shea's and Mean Eyed Cat aren't open at this time, but Pogue Mahone is:

Here I had a Guinness, of course.  Good grief, £6.30 is a bit steep, isn't it!

The Irish decor in here is pleasant as always, but not special enough to justify that price, I think.  Perhaps unsurprisingly there are only about five other customers.

Next?  I'm supposed to be shopping, not drinking, but there on the corner is La'Go:

I had always assumed that this was a night club sort of place that I would probably never visit, so I was somewhat surprised to see the doors open at half two on a Thursday.  But they were so I thought I would try it. 

What I found was a large open plain room pleasantly decorated with a rather stylish corrugated steel counter front and a good mural on the wall behind the DJ booth.  My knee-jerk reaction was to describe this as a bit of a dump but that's not fair, it is rather well done.

The customers were a handful of blokes, one or two of whom looked a bit "down market" if I'm honest.  I found out why when I ordered a pint of Carling, it was only £2.50.  I also learned that Guinness is 2.80 in here, that's less than half the price I just paid up the road.

I really liked this place, although I think I would probably hate it at eleven on a Friday night.  I'm not sure what warmed me to it, maybe the music - I've always loved the Eagles' Take it Easy, perhaps because I have actually stood on that "corner in Winslow, Arizona" that they sing about.  (Now there's an unusual boast!)

OK, shopping forgotten by now, where's the next target?  (I'll regret that when there's no milk for my morning coffee!)  Dirty O'Sheas opens at three according to Google, so maybe I should have another look there:

Another Irish bar, in my opinion nicer than Pogue.  And the Guinness was only three quid, again less than half their price!

Just ten minutes after opening time there were only two other customers in the spacious wood floored front room as I settled on a bench seat with my Guinness.

I noticed a massive stock of plastic glasses in the corner, perhaps that's what you get at 1 am when I can imagine this place jam packed.  More customers came in as I enjoyed my pint. 

They've got a "competition draw" on Sunday called Find The Fenian.  In my ignorance, I had thought that Fenian was a dirty word or at least a pejorative term, but I guess not, or at least it is not bad enough to be excluded from a big sign on the wall.  I'll get my friend John, who knows everything, to explain it to me when I see him on Monday.

Time to head for home, but at the bottom of Bold Street is an imposing building labelled the Lyceum Post Office.  I have no idea what it has been used for in the past, but now a sign calls it One Under:

This is some kind of golf related place but at the front is an attractive bar where I had a pint of Moretti in a beautiful two storey domed room. 

If I was sober I would have investigated what the golf was all about, is it like a mini golf course?  I searched the web.  Yes, one is supposed to play crazy golf or other games, that explains why the barman asked if I wanted anything else when I ordered my pint.

At four on a Thursday there seemed to be more staff than customers in here.  But perhaps there are lots of people golfing?

Finding my way to the gents I was able to observe that this place is, indeed, an indoor crazy golf course.

Now it is definitely time for home, but can I call in at the supermarket?  Yes!  With no less than four new ticks, bringing my total to 1,515 that's a great shopping trip! 

Pub of the day: St Peters, of course
Beer of the day: Bass, obviously
Miles walked: 1.5
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale, Litherland

Birkenhead

On a chilly damp Saturday afternoon I headed under the Mersey to Birkenhead where I started in the Richmond:

Outside this one looks a bit down at heel, the inside is much better, plain but pleasant.  Just one room with proper old wooden floorboards.  Some bare brick walls and lots of matchboarding complete the decor.  Altogether a rather fine "ordinary" boozer. 

About eight other customers were in at two on a Saturday, I imagine they get more later.  At least I hope so. 

My notes reminded me of sour Guinness in here a long time ago, that's why I chose Carling today, but actually a survey of the glassware in use showed Fosters was more popular. 

Just a few doors down the road was the beautiful ceramic frontage of the Windsor Castle, pictured in 2018:

Sadly, it is now a shop and no trace of the tiling remains.

On to the Charing Cross:

Another "ordinary" one, again well cared for and pleasant.  A proper two sided boozer with a servery in between the halves.  I started in the bar side where pool players and others meant I couldn't have a good seat at a table, so I took my Carling through the doorway to the better appointed lounge side where there were plenty of comfortable seats. 

I hesitated writing the last sentence.  Is it still a doorway if there isn't a door?  There must be an architectural term for a door shaped hole?  Immediately adjacent to it are two window shaped holes in the wall without windows. 

Wordiology aside, this is a truly great plain pub, long may it continue. 

My notes show real ale here, but the three handpumps are purely decorative, I think.  One had a John Smith's clip, perhaps I missed an opportunity?  I doubt it.

I looked around.  Sparkly white lights can be an all year round thing these days, or are they tastefully restrained Christmas decorations? 

Access to the gents involves passing close to the pool table, I watched as regulars paused to allow players to finish their shots before entering. 

Next, just round the corner is Desi's:

This used to be a Yates Wine Lodge and it still has some of the decor.  Dozens of customers were enjoying mostly lager in here, no music, no footie commentary, just multiple cheerful animated conversations. 

The large open room has, I think, retained some Yates styling, including a beautiful staircase to the mezzanine seating, and a giant glitter ball (Must be 2ft diameter!) above the stairs.  Obviously the actual finish, paint, carpet, etc. has been redone over the years because it all looks very good.

Did I ever tick this as Yates?  I don't remember doing so, and a quick check of the database confirmed this, in fact my first and only previous visit was as recently as November 2018.  Oddly, I did take a picture of it as Yates back in 2004 but apparently I didn't go in.  I wonder why.

My third Carling of the day came in one of the older style glasses, again a survey of the glassware showed that Fosters was favourite here. 

Correcting my comment above, I could hear a little bit of racing commentary amongst the conversations.

A few steps down the road is Seamus O'Donnell's.  I failed to take a picture today so here's one from 2018:

I remember being frightened by an enormous dog behind the counter here last time, no such problem today and a friendly barmaid soon served me an excellent pint of Guinness.

This pleasant "Irish" pub is well decorated with plenty (but not too much) of Irish "stuff".  I note that it used to be the Exmouth Arms, did I ever come here in that era?  My memory says no and the database confirms that, so I've only ever sampled its Irish version.

The sounds were gentle muzac mixed with cheerful chatter, the soundtrack of a proper pub! 

Next, only a short walk gets me to Mackenzie:

This boozer holds a special place in my affections because in July 2004 it was my Merseyside pub number 1,000.  Five hundred odd pubs further on that feels like a long time ago! 

Good grief it's cold in here!  Just a handful of customers in the one room.  I noticed that unusually they don't offer Carling, I had Guinness.

The three other customers are surely not enough to pay the wages of the beautiful barmaid.  As I arrived a bloke was leaving and he got a hug, what do I have to do?  Perhaps I should have bought her a drink!

I checked my photographs and apparently this pub has lost the capital K that used to be in MacKenzie.

Now I've got a choice:  There is exactly one more pub round here that needs ticking so, five pints to the good, do I head home or do I call in at the Garrick Snug.  I think we all know the answer:

Wow, this is a really packed boozer complete with karaoke.  I managed to find a seat but no chance of putting down my Carling while I wrote this.  It's quite a feat to type on a tablet while holding a pint, especially when it's number six; and I didn't spill a drop.

The karaoke fella was very good although he had to do much of the singing himself, no one was volunteering.  Eventually someone did, a great rendition of Minnie the Moocher.

Compared with the previous tick, this place was lovely and warm.  And packed with happy customers at five o'clock on a Saturday.

When I start singing along with the karaoke it's a good sign that it is time to head home!

Pub of the day: Garrick Snug
Beer of the day: Guinness
Miles walked: 1.2
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale

Brunch!

A morning in town started at the Brunch & Cocktail Club:

Not the type of place I frequent, so I didn't really know what to expect here.  A pleasant one roomed cafe/bar is what I found.  I think the decor would usually be described as restrained, but they've gone a little overboard with the Christmas stuff - Still looking good, though.

At eleven on a Friday it was quite busy and everyone was half my age or less.  No, wait, I can see one older bloke.

I enjoyed a fine breakfast fry-up accompanied by a very spicy Bloody Mary.  Now that's the way to start a special day!

The room gradually got busier while I was there, I don't think they ran out of tables but it was probably close.

This is probably the only visited entry in the Merseyside Pub Guide where I haven't had any beer.

Where next?  There aren't any overdue ticks round here likely to be open at this time.  However, as I wandered in search of a Wetherspoon I heard the rattle of the shutters going up at Albert's Schenke:

Here, I had Erdinger, in a proper glass, from the impressive range of taps.  There were some unusual ones available, from Germany and from local Black Lodge as well.

I was disappointed but not unduly surprised to see that the two handpumps were out of use.

Are the three copper "Pilsner Urquell unpasteurised" tanks above the servery in use?  Maybe I should have had that.

As I enjoyed my beer more customers trickled in but it was still fairly quiet.  Many of the tables had Reserved signs, so they are obviously expecting to be busy later, while I'm already on my way home.

Hope Street

November already!  I headed into Liverpool for a few overdue ticks.  Firstly, up Mount Pleasant past Paddy's Wigwam and into the Font:

Despite my being two generations too old, I quite like this place.  Modern decor, mixed seating including some sofas, decent music including songs I recognise and at a non deafening level even though I was sitting under a speaker. 

A good selection of "common" kegs includes my usual Carling but I chose Tiny Rebel's Clwb Tropicana, delicious.  There was no sign of the real ale I enjoyed, er, wow, was it really eleven years ago?

There were about a dozen customers spread out in the large space at one on a Friday, but more than half of them departed while I drank. 

My mind wandered back to when I was the age of this place's target audience.  In those days the favourite haunt of my friends and I was the Bulls Head by Piccadilly station, which in the 1980s was very much a traditional boozer, offering a fine pint of Burtonwood Bitter.  So I was a Pubman (TM) even then!  Goodness knows what the regulars in the bar side thought of all those noisy students in the lounge.  The inside has changed out of all recognition now, but they still did a decent pint when I was there in March this year.

On to Hope Street next, and the Pen Factory:

More of a food destination, this, but they have always offered real ale and I learned recently that it is now run by the same people as the Bridewell and the Denbigh Castle, so we should get a great selection of ales. Indeed we do, and I had Three Swords from Kirkstall brewery.  There were six handpumps so plenty of options.  Three Swords has a bit of a burnt tang reminiscent of Spitfire, perhaps? 

The large open room was quite busy although there was still a choice of empty tables for me.  No music at all, just conversations and the occasional clink of cutlery.  The decor is unchanged since my last visit back in 2015, bare and painted brickwork, naked ducts, and so on.  Very pleasant. 

I could see plenty of food coming out of the kitchen but there were also a few drinkers. 

Once again, not really a Pubman's destination, but again I like the place.

I examined the menu.  A number of tempting options but nineteen quid for fish and chips is a bit steep, I think.  I'll pencil this place in for the next time I want to impress a woman on a first date - I should be so lucky! 

Next target, just a little further down Hope Street is the Casa Bar:

This popular one roomed boozer is only open on limited days of the week.  (When I was planning this survey for yesterday, it would have been closed, I think.)  It is for ever associated with various workers rights campaigns.  At three on a Friday the custom was mainly blokes as old or older than I enjoying get togethers.

From a good selection of keg beers I selected Guinness and was somewhat surprised to be offered normal or cold, you don't often see that nowadays.  I chose normal of course.  And it was very good.

The group of lads sitting near me were discussing a future pub crawl starting in the Lime Kiln.  The details seemed very complex and a lot of discussion, and beer, was necessary as they sorted out the arrangements.  Later, the topic was football.

A bit famous, this place, but to me it is pleasant enough but nothing special.  Certainly worthy of a tick, anyway.

My next target was the Hope and Anchor:

Another student-oriented place, an enormous chilly room mostly empty. 

I selected a favourite beer at home, I don't think I've ever noticed Magic Rock's High Wire Grapefruit on draft before.  It came in a Punk IPA glass, tut tut, but tasted delicious.

The small and large screens are showing cricket, the West Indies won as I was typing this.  I wouldn't have thought this was the most interesting sport for today's youngsters, but who am I to judge their proclivities?

The enormous space here was mostly empty at half three, presumably they will be busier later.  Every time the door opened I was hit with an icy blast, this place definitely needs some more heat.  On the other hand, jam packed at ten tonight it's probably roasting.

Continuing today's theme, again this isn't a Pubman's destination but I quite like it, apart from the cold that is.

As I enjoyed my tasty pint the room got busier, still sparsely populated but a lot fuller than when I came in.  Apparently, Friday night starts about now! 

One more, I think, how about the Flute:

The large open room here was sparsely populated with groups and couples. 

I eyed the handpumps with some suspicion but decided to gamble on a pint of Wainwright Gold.  I won the bet, it was spot on, I shouldn't have doubted.  And it came in a Wainwright glass.

In common with most of today's calls, I was two generations older than the rest of the customers, and yet I like the place.  Probably the closest to a pub of all today's ticks.  There was a regular flow of custom at the counter and the room slowly filled as I enjoyed my real ale.

The sound track in here was gentle background music mostly beaten by cheerful chatter.

I recall grumbling about finding the toilets on a previous visit here, I noticed there's now a big sign pointing to the gents, so no problem this time. 

I had a quick look at the menu; fish and chips is seven quid, that's twelve pounds less than the Pen Factory.  I still think that if I were trying to impress someone the Pen Factory would win.

What about the real ale?  This is definitely not a cask destination, but they still managed to serve a spot on pint.  Why don't more places do this??  If I knew the answer I'd be running a pub the country by now. 

That's five enjoyable ticks, time for home...

But wait!  On a number of occasions I have wanted to try Bock, but it has always been shut.

However, at four on a Friday it is open so I have to go in as I've never ticked it before. 

What I found here was an unexpectedly small room comfortably decorated with a counter offering a selection of keg beers including Guinness and Old Speckled Hen, and favourite Erdinger which I chose. 

I had imagined that a place like this, on a busy drinkers road open only at peak drinking hours would be an enormous beer hall catering for the evening crowd.  But no, it's a small place offering quality keg beers in a comfortable interior. 

One of the other customers ordered two Erdingers and then took a picture of them on the counter before returning to his table.  Perhaps someone else is blogging?  

It's definitely time for home...

Pub of the day: Flute

Not-a-pub of the day:  Pen Factory
Beer of the day: Three Swords
Miles walked: 1.7
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale, Birkenhead