please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
We attended Jamie's Tuesday Night Quiz on our recent jaunt and had a lovely evening here. The staff and other people in the pub were very friendly and Jamie himself is a very nice young man who sets a bloody good quiz. Beers tried were all good, but I felt a bit let down due to there being none of their own Brancaster beers on. Still, the Wherry and Broadside were in good nick though, so that made up for that.
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Good, friendly pub.
Good beers (both their own excellent brews and boring national brands )
Pizzas are excellent. The other food on the menu was very tempting too.
Lots of seating, both in the original "nook and cranny" pubs and the open-plan extension at the back.
Friendly staff.
Would go again if in this area.
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I walked in with high expectations as I had seen several good write-ups.
Nice old pub , good range of beers, ok prices, plenty of seats,,,
one problem !
On a wet Wednesday evening (6pm) a lot of parents had turned the pub into a under 14's feeding station . Pizza was most certainly on the menu. A number of youngsters were running and shouting (or both) all around the pub
Silly old me, thinking a pub was a place for a quiet drink.
Perhaps these parents would prefer to take their offspring to a non alcoholic outlet, I know would.
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Had a very good evening meal here in July, and was glad to discover that Pizza, while certainly still available, it is no longer the "selling point" as it had become a few years ago. Plenty of choice, and remarkably quick service despite being VERY busy!
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For once, I am not sure what to say about this place.
Its really, really busy - but the service and staff are excellent and obviously working very, very hard.
It's full of families and you cannot hold the pub responsible for them running around constantly.
The beer is very good - I had the Wherry - which is a new favourite. The food is also pretty good.
My only gripe is that unless you have 14 friends - you cannot book a table. If there are 8 of you and the pub is full, its a bit annoying when suitable tables have only four people on and other tables for four are empty.
I guess they are doing that well that they don't need to change anything.
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The Jolly Sailors is skewed towards the dry side(food) rather than the wet but four ales Two purporting to be their own(brewed by Beeston Brewery i'm told) and an ale from Grain Brewery were very good indeed.A really clean pub handy for the nearby beach.8/10.
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Good mixture of traditional country pub, with a side dining room for families. Drinkers and diners both welcome, but definitely still a pub and not trying to be a restaurant (a good sign).
2 beers (brewed on the premises?) from the Brancaster Brewery, Wherry and one other local East Anglian ale (name escapes me). Seemed in good condition. Did not try the food.
Friendly and efficient service, and a good mixture of customers creating a nice atmosphere.
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I almost called in for lunch on Saturday as I really like the building, beer and atmosphere, but was put off by the emphasis on pizza, which is one of my least favourite foods. So I'm glad to read they other things as well!
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Great pub with good choice of Ale including their own Brancaster Brewery brews, although "Old Les" is sadly no longer with us ( a local legend of a beer). Dogs welcome and although the printed menu is mainly pizza the specials are more traditional and I can recommend the fish and chips and the gammon. Just visited their second Norfolk Ale Festival, a good range of local Ales and live music to boot.
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This is my favourite pub in this area. Great staff and location. On my visit there were two guest ales (Woodfordes and Wolf Brewery) as well as two from the 'Brancaster Brewery' which I am lead to believe is no longer on site. The two guest were of excellent quality, but although drinkable the Brancaster beers did not seem to have the quality that they had under the previous owners. Perhaps this is the result of getting somebody else to brew your recipe!!. Other than this thoroughly enjoyed my visit.
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I love this pub and have been going back for years - not too posh - although a bit too modern and samey compared to the characterful place it once was. It lacks history now - everything odd has gone but at least the customers include locals and thank goodness the recent refurb left the main bar area untouched. The locally brewed beers are fantastic and 'The Wreck' recently won some award. Food is reasonably good with large portions - vegetarian options are a bit disappointing but you can always opt for pizza or veggieburger.
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Tried three beers. All were not up to standard. Food was poor and not cooked.
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First visit in several years - and the beer, food and atmosphere were as good as ever. Not disappointed - would warmly recommend.
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We called in Jolly Sailors for lunch last week. I opted for the �in-house� Brancaster Bitter (3.8% abv) which was superb. The staff were friendly and the pub seems to welcome muddy boots, dogs and children. I am not too sure about the meals which seem overpriced and the so called �hand-cut chips� were rubbish.
Beer 10/10. Staff and ambience 9/10. Food 6/10. Overall 8/10.
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Popped in a few times whilst on hoilday in Brancaster Staithe. Pub excellent as was the food - fish and chips brilliant, homemade onion rings excellent, children's food good (homemade chicken gougons), scampi good and the homemade pizza's were great too. Good value for money. In terms of service a bit hit and miss. We visited four times and we were served by a dark haired barmade on a couple of occasions who was slightly rude and couldn't cope with more than one person at the bar at a time or else she got stressed. On the one hand she was very happy to mix with the locals (and the chap who runs it when he was in there with his mates) but then her attitute changes towards us tourists - they've got to hope she isn't working when the Good Pub Guide people pay them an anonymus visit. On the other hand we were served by a barman who couldn't do enough for us. He poured pints and served food excellently, whereas the barmade was pretty poor really given the high standards set in all other areas - he took it in his stride. Also, I chose to stop in Brancaster Staithe mainly because this pub has a good reputation for beer and brews its own. Five beers on during our stay - Heacham Gold, Brancaster Best and Oyster Catcher, Woodforde's Wherry and Adnam's Broadside. I don't know whether it was the hot weather, but the beer was disappointing - warm, hazy (borderline cloudy) and lacked condition - I have to say not that well kept for a brewpub. Compared to other brewpubs in the area (Heacham and Binham for example), I would rush back for a pint I'm sorry to say. My expectations were high beers wise, but it didn't deliver. They had three beers on for a couple of days and didn't bother to put a forth back on - you would have thought that they would have popped a couple of their own beers on. However, all things considered this is a very good pub, with a great garden and it is good for both adults and children - I would recommend for sure.
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Visited on the weekend of the Jolly Sailor's Beer Festival and had a great time. It looks like they usually have at least four ales on, although of course much more choice during the beer fest. The Brancaster Best was very very good. Pizzas were delicious. Large pub with restaurant area and a big garden. Will definitely be visiting again.
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The beers are now brewed by Beeston and are more full bodied than before and excellent . Fish and chips are recommended
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Had a couple of pints in here and was tempted by the pizza's. The ale was Humpty Dumpty brewery offering - cannot remember nae but it was good - pizza good too. Friendl enough.
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As a local I love the Jolly, which is so much better since being taken over and given a needed lease of life by the owner of the White Horse up the road. Now back to a friendly, well-run village pub.
This is a proper traditional fishing village pub, with stone floors and walls and a back entrance for the locals! Now specialises in pizzas, which are decently priced. Generally same beers on tap as the White Horse, including their own labels.
Like anywhere 'round here, gets busy in summer with tourists and sloany ponies but can be deathly quiet in winter. Both are good as far as I'm concerned.
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Lovely little pub greatly improved sine the owners of the White Horse down the road took it over. However they do not brew thier own beer now I beleive that is brewed by Iceni brewery and to tell you the honest truth I thought it was a bit "thin" and not quite as good as it used to be when the brewery was at the pub. Brign back the Old Les - my fave. However the rood is good and the smoked fish calzone pizza a dream!
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Visited in May 2009 - really pleasant. Their own brews plus Wherry Ales. Spoke to a few locals when we were in, and the craic is good. Food really good including their own pizzas. Dogs welcome.
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I like the way the sand bows in and crunches on the flags and tiles underfoot. Good mix of native tradition and a slightly bleached-out Baltic (or even New England!) influence. Fantastic beer. Laid back and definitely coastal.
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Stopped there last week on our travels. The menu looked interesting but the beer was a little disapointing in that the Brancaster bitter was cloudy. When I queried the barman was honest and said it was just a new barrel and I could change it if I wanted. We would go back.
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Fantastic village pub with attached brewery. Brancaster ales (IPA at three point something percent, and Old Les at 5%) are well kept and very tasty indeed. Lest one forget the ales are brewed on site the occasional shift of the wind offers a reminder now and then. The local seafood menu is a real treat as well.
I didn't see any of the mwah mwah air kissing "Chelsea tractor brigade" mentioned in Brancastrian's review below, but I think we must have just been very lucky - uncrowded on our Saturday visit despite perfect weather.
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Probably heaving in mid-Summer, but had a nice, friendly, traditional feel that brightened an otherwise dull and unseasonably cold April day. Enjoyed my pint of their own-brew IPA. Recommended.
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I drove past this pub the other day and was pleased to see a sign that said something like "Dogs, children and muddy boots welcome". Quite right too.
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One of my favourite Norfolk pubs, great seafood, and good value compaired to other pubs in the area.
Nice large enclosed garden at the rear
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A good pub indeed and the food was very good. The Old Les was fantastic.
As with any of the 'bootiful' villages on the Norfolk coast, there will always be plenty of visitors. Don't let this deter you as the coastline and pub are both well worth the visit.
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First of all-its a VILLAGE not a "small seaside town"-don't be put off people, Brancaster Staithe is just that, small and quiet, especially in the Winter.
The "Jolly" is very popular though-primarily with the Chelsea tractor brigade who invade Norfolk, alas, with more success and adverse affect on the surrounding countryside than any marauding army of centuries ago. Bear that in mind if you go there, as you WILL see air kisses and inappropriate use of the 'Barbour' brand of clothing people. Green wellingtons are, of course, standard, even in the summer. And wet and stinking spaniels-mind you, wet and stinking they might be, but they are generally more intelligent and approachable than their owners!
So, taking that negative into consideration, what of the pub? Its good. Serves some great ales, including the deadly "Brancaster Brewery" variety (try the 'Old Les'); afore mentioned beers are kept well and look AND taste good. Food variety is excellent, especially the sea food, fresh and very local and probably caught only a few hours previously.
Best visited in winter weekdays, to get the real flavour and "feel" of the village, if you go at a summer weekend, well, you won't get the same vibe-and might as well be in Putney or Wimbledon.
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Nice pub with in a nice small seaside town, plenty of largers and ales to choose from, shame that the food menu has become over priced of lower quality food in recent years.
anonymous - 22 Dec 2005 00:17 |
Great pub with lovely food and superb beer. Lovely in winter with fires. Nice garden in the summer. Can get busy though.
pete - 21 Oct 2003 12:02 |
