Poacher, Portisheadback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Worn looking bog standard chain pub with poor selection of ale. Does food, though is fine for people to have their pooches in around the dining tables.
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Thursday night and the place was heaving, with a disco going also, mind you it was someone's Birthday, so could have been all part of that. Same old array of drinks, and service was quick, My Doombar not bad at all. The refit is questionable, from what I could see, but seems to suffice. The toilets you could get lost in, as compared to the white Lion up the street. Still the big screen TV.? I have my own at home.
So, the locals seem to like the place, the one's that use it that is.
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Well what a change.
If you have not been to the Poacher for a while try it. It now appeals to a much wider customer base, it retains a great traditional bar with a good real ale selection but the other areas have been transformed into a modern style with great coffee and cakes from a deli counter, a mix of traditional good pub food alongside continental food with a carvery counter for Sundays.
The pub has had a really good makeover in January with new owners and offers great atmosphere, and still is able to offer live music and sport in the Ale bar,and is open from 9am for breakfasts, morning hot drinks, cakes and lots more in the lounge and conservatory all day. Something for every age group all day. Breakfast was great value. Good value food and drink in relaxed surroundings
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I'm sorry Reagan was disappointed with the re-opened Poacher, but I found it much as before and quite welcoming. Decor wise it hasn't changed, the fire was still blazing away, and the barmaid was attractive and friendly.
Food is not currently offered, but is apparently coming soon. I'd say the only downside was the fact that there are now plasma's at either end of the bar, and last night they had The Gadget Show on with the volume up rather too loudly.
Beers on this occasion were 6X, Butcombe Gold, Doom Bar and GWB's Maiden Voyage. Cider's remain Blackthorn & Stowford Press. Still a 7/10 from me.
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What a difference six months and a pub closure make. Called in last August and the place was warm, friendly and served a good pint of real ale. After a short closure apparently, the place reopens and what was a welcoming pub suddenly makes you feel you have gatecrashed a party you weren't invited to. Seriously poor service, dodgy punters who seem to either want to chant at the top of their voices or generally make the place look untidy and the worst real ale (Butcombe) I have tasted on my travels in a long time. Seems the last of the good pubs in the town has now joined the downward spiral. Hopefully I can get a different truck run so I won't have to stay so long in that part of the world. For an up and coming town the lack of quality pubs is quite astounding. Nought out of ten Poacher, whereas last year it hovered on the 8-9 mark. Baz
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pub closed
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An olde worlde style pub and no worse for that, The Poacher sets itself for aslower pace of life. Having said that, on a Friday night it is THE PLACE to go in Portishead, with some seriously good bands playing. The real ale is usually spot on (he showed me his Cask Marque certificate) and all in all a decent, well run community pub.
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There has been a huge transformation of The Poacher in the past few years. No longer does it's old time intimate charm appeal exclusively to the older generation looking for a quiet pint and a meeting up with old friends. Nowadays the pub caters for a much wider clientele and to good effect.
With an excellent choice of well kept real ales and a selection of fine wines, lagers and cider available, all drinkers are well catered for with the good food menu also adding to the appeal.
For music lovers there have been some of the most entertaining and talented bands in the South West performing in the Friday night slot, with every music night fully booked up until 2011. Wednesday Nights offer the best Open Mic Night for miles around, Tuesdays is always busy catering for local poker buffs, monthly Monday charity quizzes always pull in the intellects. With all that going on it is quite relaxing on a Saturday to pop in and just savour those real ales, Doombar being a personal favourite but Butcombe and several others always in plentiful and perfectly served supply.
Well worth a visit any night of the week, friendly atmosphere, excellent hosts and always a good welcome from anyone you happen to bump into.
Top rated pub and certainly worth popping down to Portishead one night..
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Good sized pub located right in the middle of the High Street. Plenty of seating with lots of tables and chairs, and some comfier bench type sofa�s around the edge. A real fire was burning away under a central chimney (well, it was real flames anyway. I think it was gas. But still a nice effect).
Lots of activities taking place, with open mic nights on Wednesdays, quizzes on Mondays and a band on Friday. On a recent Tuesday night visit there were several tables of people playing card games. There was a plasma at one end showing football, but this wasn�t at all intrusive. This seems to be everything a decent community pub should be. Food appears to be served on occasions with a large servery counter at the back and a specials board, although there was no sign of it on our visit. Could have done with a few more ladies though � although there were some playing cards earlier in the evening, when we returned at about 10:30 there were none at all there apart from the barmaid, even though the pub was still reasonably busy.
Beers on this occasion were Doom Bar, Exmoor Gold, Adnams Broadside and Flowers Original. Ciders were Stowford Press and Blackthorn.
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Certainly they don't dance on the tables here and yes the clients are middle age plus but is that a bad thing.?.When I have visited someone has always said hello or at least a nod. No cheap beers or wines but always found them first class.An old fashioned place for slower pace of life.Pleasant beer garden and its own large car park within the town area. I dont see the disaster bit.
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The ales might be on form,from time to time,but having tried this place on various occasions,it fails to excite,the food i had wasn,t nothing too shout about,another dissater of a town center pub,pity with all that trade passing the door,and the market on your doorstep each Thursday,should be a goldmine...
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Some good ale imbibed here over Christmas, well done landlord.
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nice and friendly and a good pint of doom, 8/10
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Wasn't expecting much - hadn't been here for around 10 years until I went in last week, and was very happy with what I found.
It's a good place to get a beer, four handpulls operating on my visit with a couple of good choices (Butcombe Blonde and Doombar) in good nick.
A bustling atmosphere on the Friday, belying the pub's local reputation of being a boring old farts waiting room where you can hear the clock tick. This of course helps keep the kids and riff-raff out, and the serious drinkers and characters in, as I discovered.
The interior has that lived-in feel, and it is pretty easy to settle in for an all-night session and get chatting to a red-faced local who has a story to tell.
In short, a revelation and highly recommended for the discerning drinker in the area, along with the Windmill. Keep it up!
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Nice quiet pub, never any trouble in here, definetley a place to relax in comfort.
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