A Couple In Town

No survey today but as I'm in town maybe a tick or two.  I started in the Scholar:

I assume this one is aimed at students.  In any case, it is a pleasant spacious place with a small bar area at the front and a larger space behind with long tables for dining and a stage at the far end.

At two on a Friday there were just two of us drinking lager in the bar area, and no one at all in the big room.  Mine was the house Scholars Ruin, a bargain at only £2.50.

The decor is standard bare brickwork - I think it might be wallpaper in the big room?

What have Google done to my keyboard?  That's no good at all.  Of course, the Germans have a word for it - Verschlimmbessern - To make something worse by trying to improve it.

The other customer departed leaving just me and the barman.  I hope more people come later, if not this place won't last long.

On my way up here I spotted a "new" target in the Grand Central Hall complex.  Places in there seem to come and go, and many of them have had limited lives and limited opening hours, but this one was open as I walked past so let's give it a try - Belle's:

I'll have to check my records to see what this used to be, perhaps with help of Streetview.  Ah, wait, you can see Bar Celona in the mosaic under the windows.  And I should have recognised the Gaudi styled frontage.

Now it is a rather pleasant place with attractive decor, aiming at the cocktail and champagne end of the market.  On Renshaw Street?  I wonder how many bottles of Dom Perignon 2000 they sell at 450 quid.

On a Friday afternoon I was the only customer, and I don't think my pint of Belle's Biere will boost the profits much.  The other two lagers are 1664 and 1664 blanc so I think we can guess where the house lager comes from (Google's AI says Northampton.)

The barman busied himself getting everything ready for the (hoped for) Friday evening rush.

I don't think I've paid for my beer yet, will I remember on the way out?  I did.

Heading for home now, but I can't walk past the Crown when they've got Oakham Citra on.

Quite busy at three o'clock but plenty of seats in the back room for me to enjoy my beer.  Some of the other customers were eating, but I think this is still mainly a drinkers' place.

There's not much I can say about this lovely pub that I haven't already said.  With both Citra and Bass on regularly, the ale selection seems to be getting better and better.  And it's so convenient when waiting for a train; or, if I'm being honest, missing a train deliberately to call in for a pint.

As I said, not a formal pub survey today, but you can't argue with two overdue ticks, and a pint of Oakham Citra.

Pub of the day: Crown
Beer of the day: Oakham Citra
Miles walked: 1
Merseyside pubs visited in the last five years: 1,006
Maybe coming soon: Cains Brewery Village