The Scarbrough Hotel, Leeds

Stopped here for beer and cod and chips (£9 for beer+pint). Smart traditional decor, well kept beer. Food was fine, good portion, great chips. Best thing was the staff who were very relaxed and friendly. Felt really looked after both when choosing pints and when being served my food. Attentive staff who were chatty and there to help without being in your face about it.

5 Oct 2013 10:58

Delaval Arms, Whitley Bay

Popped in a couple of times while we stayed down the road at the Belhaven Bay Caravan Park. I think this is the nearest pub, maybe twenty minutes walk. Great place, an old-style boozer for locals with lots of well-lit space by the windows at the back for families like us. The four ales were really well kept, lovely fresh-tasting flavours. Apparently they have a natural cellar carved out of the rock underneath the pub which keeps the beers cool. The place was clean which my wife liked (I don't notice until the situation is extreme). Friendly locals with dogs. Lots of clay pigeon shooting trophies on the walls which I didn't get round to asking about. The food was very well priced. I had a chicken curry which was lovely.

4 Aug 2013 18:34

Bert's Bar, Edinburgh

Popped in last night looking for a couple of pints on my way home, ordered a pint of Landlord, paid �3.60, drank half, handed the remainder back and left. This was a very poorly kept pint. It wasn't actually off but it completely lacked the rounded toasty flavour I normally associate with Landlord.

If I order a pint of Landlord and pay �3.60 for it I expect an exceptional experience. I think possibly this place built up a reputation under a previous tenant and now they aim to extract every last penny from the customer without giving anything back.

What's more they didn�t offer to replace the pint. When I emailed them about it afterwards they said it must have been a "bad keg" - but they still didn�t offer to replace it. Not surprising really - if they offered to replace every bad pint they'd quickly run out of beer.

In this part of Edinburgh the best bet is Thomsons on Morrison Street, which is five minutes walk away (roughly the same distance the other side of Shandwick Place). Thomsons charges 10% or 15% less per pint and keeps its ales way better. The staff have personality and a sense of humour. Plus Thomsons will sell you a toasty for �2.20. What more do you want? Get yourself over there! (Try the cheese and Branston toasty by the way - hot Branston with cheese is the business).

26 Feb 2011 16:22