great pub. nothing i can really add that hasn't been said; great beers, good selection, friendly staff, friendly regulars and a great cat. I didn't have a cob but rumour has it they're ace. It's gret a to find a proper pub, especially one so close to the train station. Great beer... nuff said... but also note the whisky range! And great liminal location.Got to be one of the best real ale pubs in the country. Large selection of beer and at least five from the excellent Castle Rock range all in tip-top condition. Pretty good prices as well, particularly if you are a regular at Castle Rock pubs and collect the Eight-Ball stickers.

Possibly a tad obvious for the natives, but being a daytripper to Notts on several occasions, I found this a great pub with a unique feature being the canal going through it. Top Castle Rock ales on tap and considering it's a few yards from cruddy chain bars a superb alternative and very close to the station.Bar staff are not the best in the world by a long stretch - standoffish, even quite rude at times, not a pub I'd drink in again unless every other pub around closed.Called in here twice over the weekend to visit the SIBA Champions Beer Festival. This was held upstairs in the impressive function room. Free entrance, 55 beers, all on handpump, all gold medal winners. Overall champion will be announced in early March. Well organised festival with good staff. Well done guys.

Always has a decent range of real ale on and I've never had a bad pint in here. Last time I called the landlord was polishing his helmet at the bar. I kid you not! Attracts bikers and rockers which is fine by me as it means decent music. CAMRA members get 20p per pint of with their CAMRA membership card as well. we enjoyed our meal at this pub, the service was satisfactory and the food real pub food. it is not a pub for the pretentious, but for those who want a good meal.Had a nice pint of something here last Wednesday but I can't remember what it was. Milestone rings a bell - 5%. Music was a bit loud but at least it was good music. Would have liked to stay longer but didn't have time. Good barman too. As The Guvnor of California might say - I'll be back.

Decent range of real ale including a mild, but expensive (as you might expect)and the staff need to learn how to pour a decent pint The place to get in touch with your inner cave man - NOT for those susceptible to claustrophobia (!)

Very interesting for the historically minded - but one felt a bit marked out as "grockle" actually trying to read the history cribs on the walls. Good to see what seemed to be regulars in a tourist trap, but also a bit intimidating.

Beer was perfectly ok, food was a bit usual-suspects and I didn't appreciate having to order dessert at the same time because the kitchen was closing - at eight? If it wasn't a Famous Place it would not get away with that. Or people having to move without being asked to avoid decapitation by the ye-olde swinging-rope pub game (!)nice pint ("trip"), excellent cosy places to sit upstairs. Touristy yes but well worth a stop if in the area.

It's been "renovated" so there isn't much to suggest that it's the oldest inn in the country but it's still a nice place to be. The location is superb on slab square and you can sit outside and watch the trams go by (table service only if you're outside). As at 02/04/2009 the Abbot ale was £2.55 per pint which, given the 5% abv and pub location, is a bargain imho. By far the best pub on the square.We called in during weekday afternoon, there were four of us who all liked the back bar. It has been considerably revamped but still serves a good selection of beers that are well kept.

Its the best pub on the Square.Called in on Saturday lunchtime prior to heading to the Canalhouse for the beer festival. Flag floor entrance with a small room on each side. Larger room at the back with the Belfrey restaurant upstairs. The restaurant sells exactly the same food as the pub but has full service rather than order at the bar. The small bar on the left has a couple of handpumps but the back bar has 8. Nottingham Rock, Legend, Extra Pale, Holdens Devil Dunn plus a couple of nationals. Had a Rock and an Extra Pale, both excellently kept. Pub was pretty full with shoppers even at 12.10. It's still pretty good is this place.

A traditional style pub owned by Tynemill. The pint of Sheriffs Tipple I had was well kept but the beer wasn't really to my taste. It's always been fairly quiet when I've been in, even on a Saturday. This may be because it's a little bit out of the way. Worth finding.
Castle Rock Preservation & Harvest Pale, JW Lees Brewers Dark, Hopback GFB, Everards Tiger, Newby Wyke HMS Revenge, Isle of Skye Hebridean Gold, Moles Black Rat cider. As Td states, the exterior isn’t overly impressive but inside has a solid traditional layout & feel, I’m surprised to read that the current building dates back only to 1950s. From entrance turn right to traditionally furnished wood-floored public bar with big-screen and bar-billiards table, left to carpetted lounge with upholstered banquettes, central bar serving both. Cobs/rolls £2, eg haslet & cheese (Notts friends were surprised I’d never heard of haslet) or 2 slices of gala pie for £1.50. Very likeable pub and landlady, who provided a friendly welcome.Another great pub from the Tyne Mill chain. Does not look great from the outside but a proper traditional boozer inside. Nice range of Castle Rock and guests and I had an excellent pint of GFB. We had some good banter with the attractive landlady.

Fantastic pub in many ways though I have a few reservations. Beer is always excellent and on a visit this weekend tried a couple. I agree with the no mobile phones rule but they do ram it down your throat a bit much - a big blackboard notice as well as the signs. I dont like the big marquee out the back and for we sinful smokers we can't even light up there. Still the best in Beeston by a fair margin, although there are better pubs in Nottingham area - Vat & Fiddle and Plough at Radford for sure.When did beer in the evening become a website for small minded cowards with nothing else better to do than bravely sit at their computer slagging off others. Get a life you sad sad people.IT's just so joyless, it serves good beer, decent food but when I go out for a drink I like to enjoy myself and have a laugh, not read the Observer.

Shabby old pub, very close to the Theatre Royal and the Royal Centre. This means that it, and everywhere around it was heaving on Saturday as it was Valentines night. I've been coming in here for years and it never seems to change, which I think is a plus in this case. Had 4 ales on the bar. I had a pint of the Marston Moor Brewers Droop which was pretty good as usual. A pleasant oasis away from the Market square. Not at the very top level as Nottingham has plenty of great puibs, but well worth a visit if in the area.This place is awesome, it's a don't miss spot in a great location. The atmosphere is great, the beer selection is amazing and the FOOD is a major plus, especially the Chicken, Ham and Leek Pie. We loved the bar staff, especially Penny so if you see here say HI to her from Rick and Nicole and tell her to contact us.Excellent City Centre pub which hasn't been continually revamped so as to be fashionable for a month.
In my many visits I've never had a bad pint unlike Glugg, so hard luck, try again.
Yes, it's a bit scruffy but it keeps attracting people who want a good pint in a good traditional pub atmosphere.

I have been drinking in the Poacher for years and the beer was always varied and reasonably priced.Over the last year however they have started to charge silly money for their ale with less choice.Beers are regularly hitting the £3 mark and even low gravity ales are often £2.70 and £2.80.I imagine they must be working on a GP of over 60% and buying cheap uninspiring beer that they can maximise their profits on.Tynemill who own the pub seem to be intent on squeezing as much money as possible out of loyal customers, abandoning an ethos that has served them well in previous years.Getting ridiculously pricey with uninspiring choice of beers. It seems that they're not stocking anything decent that might compete with the dull Castle Rock beers.Fine pub. Castle Rock beers and guests - I had a top pint of Hydes (from Manchester I understand).

Has become my local again after spending many years avoiding the place.
Very friendly . Excellent live music at the weekends, great food & most importantly Harvest Pale as a regular. Heavenly lol
Have got to know the chaps who run it well & know that they do a lot for charity & the local community. Pleased to have a great local within staggering distance.i was not offered 2 go bak 2 this hole but saying that i will not be going there again and will spend my cash in nice pubs in response to gav the cat ... I remember the day he came in and to the average eye he appeared to be intoxicated ... when questioned by our barstaff he became agitated and abusive and it was for this reason alone that he was refused service... we have a diverse clientele and a fair proportion of this are differently abled in various ways ... we do our best to cater for all customers irrespective of their ability or otherwise ... gav the cat was offered the opportunity of returning to discuss the incident but declined ... publican sam is the licensee of the Robin Hood

A truly dismal establishment, I've been in 3 times and every time I've had to wait ages to be served, the beer was rubbish and the pub was full of tax dodgers!

The clientele spill out onto the street, drunk and swearing at people, there's always police in there dragging hoody wearing 'yoofs' out and i've not yet met anyone that likes the pub or thinks it's a useful addition to mapperley top...

It looks nice and could be nice, but instead it's a magnet for chavs

Avoid like the plague and go to the Bread and Bitter or Plainsman insteadonly been open a few weeks and guess what?
a drugs raid!!!!!
what a quality establishment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!After three weeks I've re-tried the Woodthorpe.

As the previous review stated (28 Nov) it does attract the dosser element or as a female friend put it "toerags". But there are plenty of respectable patrons as well. I might be tempted back in January to spend the beer vouchers from the free newspaper, but then again.....

JDW are the Little Chef of the pub trade, giving people what they want - cheap beer, which of course isn't the same as good beer, having said that the standard has gone up from the first dire visit.

So I'd now rate it a 4 from being a 2 in the first week.

Got fed up with the food when staying at the hotel opposite so ventured to the Grosvenor. Very busy at teatime, with lots of passers by stopping for a drink. Good atmosphere.
Great bar staff, helpful and friendly.
Good range of beers.
Plenty of tvs to watch sport, etc.
Good selection of food, not the best quality (as mentioned in other reviews) but adequate and served quickly.
Went back two nights later and pub was quieter, but still great atmosphere.Can't see why this place has such a low rating. Went there on Saturday lunchtime and again late evening. Friendly service and decent range of beers: Landlord, Bombardier, Pride and one other I can't recall. Lots of screens if you want to watch the football but plenty of seating if you want to get away from it. Had lunch there which was also decent. Not at all busy so it seems I am in the minority.A definition of the word " average" ! Could be so much better with just a little bit more effort ?

A positive is the amount of women who frequent the place ......