Latest reviews from Aylesbury

“Visit December 2011.“

fonefan 940 days ago

“Visit December 2011.“

fonefan 940 days ago

“Visit December 2011.“

fonefan 940 days ago

“I visited here Friday 21st July 2017 on my way home. This brewery is located outside of the centre of Aylesbury, to the north west on an industrial estate just a couple of minutes off of the A41. It's a simple straightforward unit surrounded by the more usual type of of units (garages etc) you'll find on such sites.

Please don't arrive here expecting a Bermondsey or Piccadilly arches type experience as this is not like that, there isn't a tap room, benches, crowds of folk, this is just a very simple set up where you can nip in and buy some beer from plastic 2 or 4 pint containers, though you can just take away pints rather than have to fill. The chap was friendly, beer good (he'll give you samples) and it's easy enough to find but I suggest driving by as it's far too long to walk out here.“

Fin 2449 days ago

“Its a spoons, and veru Typical overall, bit more maze like and bar area a bit prettier.. With usual selection of spoons standards and avfew locals“

cgarvieuk 2485 days ago

“Old fashioned multi room bar. With a more modern decor. 6 or 7 gand pulls but half were off rest were Chiltern, other than 1 Dark star“

cgarvieuk 2485 days ago

“Big wooden floored bar, with 10 cask pumps and 6keg of which 1 or 2 interesting, small bottle shop round the back of the bar as is more seating. Select is small and mostly Belgian, but decent enough... KID friendly at least during day. But be warned tue-thur seem to shut between 2.30 and 4“

cgarvieuk 2485 days ago

“I visited The Bell on Thursday 11th May 2017, but just for a cuppa. The Bell is a medium/large sized JDW located at the bottom end of the market place in Aylesbury. I have to say that I thought the building both inside and out was completely unremarkable, however what do I know as it dates back to the 15th century and is grade 2 listed. Apparently there are a number of original wooden beams that were uncovered during restoration.

I understand that this must also offer accommodation as well en route to the bar there are stairs off to the right to the toilets and accommodation. Perhaps because it’s on old building and listed, it has a strange layout, lots of rooms in fact quite labyrinth like, the bar is sort of ahead straight on but even this room seems quite strange it sort of feels a bit hemmed in.

The beer choice looked fairly standard nothing particularly interesting on during my visit but I suppose the decent craft beer choice offered these days more than compensates for any shortfall in tap choice. The usual carpets everywhere and general gloomy lighting ensured that the Bell did not stray away from the usual JDW appearance. Overall ok.“

Fin 2575 days ago

“Cheap food, cheap beer, not very good service. Free wi-fi, kids welcome, wheel chair accessible.“

fraggas 2600 days ago

“Excellent service. Very good food. Not big selection of beers, mostly ales from Chiltern Brewery which runs the bar. Very nice back yard for sunny days.“

fraggas 2600 days ago

“Visited on 17th August 2016 (Thanks to DM, my driver!). Large pub with a decent sized bar area and smaller room at the back plus a decent patio out front. Nice wooden decor and traditional feel to the place. Beer range featured Vale and an Aylesbury beer plus a few guests. Bottle range in the fridge looked decent too. Had to send the Hophead from Dark Star back as was off but changed with no fuss. Picked up a couple of new beers here and I think most raters would do the same. Prices and service were good. Like the place and would revisit.“

WingmanWillis 2840 days ago

“Visited on Saturday 28/02/15 around 10.35pm not long before last orders. National trust owned boozer with plenty of old world charm. The place was packed with a bubbly crowd comprising all ages but not too many youths on offer. Service held up pretty well all things considered. 4 cask lines, 3 from Chiltern and the guest wad from Old School in Carnforth. condition was good on all beers I sampled. The decor is like an extended living room in one part, sofas and low tables, then as you Head towards the courtyard it becomes more wooden bench and higher tables. Large courtyard / beer garden but not much fun to hang out in unless you enjoy cigarette smoke! Overall a decent boozer with character and we’ll kept beers.“

Theydon_Bois 3372 days ago

“As other have said, this has a proper pub look and feel to it. Always something to drink in Wetherspoon these days, certainly since the introduction of ’craft’ beers. Something that never changes in Spoons’ is the quality of the staff. Here they are as bad as you would expect. All of them using the Wetherspoon motto, ’Who’s next?’ Not a bad pub in the evening but if you come during the day make sure you’re wearing your grey jogging trousers.“

shakespiers 3412 days ago

“Although there are 10 hand pumps, I always get the impression that the beers are chosen by someone who doesn’t drink beer. I normally stick to Gravitas from the taps. A plus point though are the foreign bottled beers. This is the only pub I’ve found in Aylesbury or surrounding areas that stocks Frank Boon gueuze. This bumps up my overall rating.“

shakespiers 3412 days ago

“A lovely old atmospheric pub with some interesting guest beers occasionally. I don’t like Chiltern beers so I rely on the guest beers or ciders. Good range of malt whiskies too. Staff are the only problem here. Really wet behind the ears.“

shakespiers 3412 days ago

“A cozy old pub in Aylesbury center. Exposed beams in the ceiling, old hard wooden benches, seats and tables made from old barrels. Chiltern brews plus a few decent guests. Friendly staff.“

WillRunForBeer 3684 days ago

“Visited on the 4/12-2011, and was the main reason for going to Aylesbury this day :-). We heard they had a beer festival on, and had just started their own brewery. They seems to find beers from lots of smaller microbreweries, they are served in good condition and with a smile. They do food as well, we went for a hotdog though, we were on a mission, tasting beers :-).. For sure worth a revisit..“

Brugmansia 4059 days ago

“Visited 4/12-2011. An old traditionel cosy pub, and with toillets place outside the pub ( in a heated room though).. Many smaller rooms, cosy decorated, old barrels have been mad into tables and even chairs. Very friendly staff and the beers we had was in good condtion.“

Brugmansia 4059 days ago

“Visited 4/12-2011. Being a Wetherspoon it´s deco is as they are, this pub was clean and queit. we went for food and a beer. Menu is as we know the food at JDW, they didn´t have that huge a range of beers on cask, but the ones we had was in good condition.“

Brugmansia 4059 days ago

“Have popped in here on occasion most recently in early ’12 for the steak night. For a spoons it is fairly unusual in that it actually resembles a pub as opposed to some kind of former white goods show room or bank. A former hotel, so fairly trad oak beams, old carpets, horse brass etc on show. Tuesday night on last visit so fairly quiet - some local nut job pissed out of his tree rabbiting away to himself - one of the perils of a spoons. Beer selection was moderate for a spoons, maybe 6 real ales, 3 bog standards and 3 guests, but fair play to the server (who I think was the manageress) she let us have a guest beer with our steaks (should have been Ruddles!). So good marks for service here. If you happen to be on a pub crawl in Aylesbury - no harm in popping in but otherwise don’t make the effort !“

Theydon_Bois 4148 days ago

“Ten or more minutes walk from the town centre. Tap for Vale brwery and now also for its own micro brewery - Aylesbury. usually a good 10 or so beers on cask, their own plus guests and always in good nick. Trad pub with patio to the front, main room around the bar as you enter the door, then down the back a smaller narrow overspill room where I often end up. Service always decent and they are happy to offer samples to you.“

Theydon_Bois 4148 days ago

“On the outer edge of Aylesbury on the old A41, a pretty busy road, we have visited this quite a few times over the years. Now a Vale Brewery tap with its own Micro Brewery it makes it a must visit pub if closeby. A little open and cold perhaps, but the beer is always excellent with a great range. Not the prettiest of places but still worth the effort.“

imdownthepub 4195 days ago

“I was convinced that I’d rated this place befor, so I am not sure where my previous rating could gave gone to. Anyway I’ve been here on many occasions most recently 22nd September 2012 and have never had anything less than a beer poured in very good condition. This is quite a smart place with history oozing out of the very old outdoor courtyard area. The service us always good if a little bit ’snobby’ feeling at times.“

Fin 4266 days ago

“Well, praise for ’Wetherspoons’ for supporting the great course of Real Ale for Camra [Campaign for real ale] prices are outstanding for real ale drinkers, i.e. av £1.99 a pint!! so well done, also the food is great value and plenty of seating around the pub.“

Camraboy 4304 days ago

“Very nice pub, great selection of real ales, prices a little high but blame the taxman for that one, also great food!!“

Camraboy 4304 days ago

“I suppose that I should get around to reviewing this place as I have been coming in here regularly over the last 4-5 years and quite often as much as 1-2 times a week on my way home. The beer selection is impressive with 10 handpumps and a few beers on keg. There is normally 3-4 beers from Aylesbury Brewhouse and Vale Brewery the latter owning this pub and the former is located at the back of this pub and utilises the old brew kit that Vale had at Haddenham before the move to the bigger premises at Brill. I always find something new to try here and the atmosphere and ambience is great. There is a beer shop located at the rear of this pub near to the brewery and this has a decent selection of beers with a decent smattering of Belgian beers amongst those.“

Fin 4345 days ago

“One of two Wetherspoon pubs in Aylesbury. The Bell stands at the bottom of the square in Aylesbury. It’s a good location but the pub felt a bit soulless. It seems to be a converted hotel with a large, dark wood panelled reception room at the front – quite empty apart from a few diners - and the bar through the back down a low corridor, possibly in an old coach house or courtyard. It was difficult to work out. The choice of beers was fairly limited with Colley’s Dog (from Tring) and Ruddles being the best on offer. We ate dinner there and it did the trick (burger, chips and a pint for £5.10) but the food wasn’t particularly great and Per’s steak was poorly cooked. Service was patchy. The female bar person was OK but her colleague seemed clueless. After passing me my drink he wandered off to do other things behind the bar and I was left standing waiting to pay. (Visited 4 December 2011).“

Boudicca 4484 days ago

“A cosy, warm and friendly bar with a contemporary feel in an old coaching inn. The Farmers’ Bar is part of the King’s Head, once a coaching inn and now a National Trust property. It’s tucked away in a cobbled alleyway just off the lower of the two squares in Aylesbury. Despite the low beams adorned with hops, the nooks and crannies and the rough whitewashed walls, it has a modern feel, but not in an overly trendy way. I think they’ve got it just about right The bar is part of the Chiltern brewery and has a good range of their beers in bottle and on tap. They also serve food and the menu looked quite enticing. (Visited 4 December 2011).“

Boudicca 4484 days ago

“A relaxed, ordinary looking local with an extraordinary beer selection. A sign on the gable end of the Hop Pole proclaims that this is “Aylesbury’s permanent beer festival”, and indeed it is. We last visited in early December on the weekend when the brewery shop was officially opened and the new microbrewery launched. A great range of ales was being served, as on previous festival weekends, from casks set up on trestle tables in the room at the back which is accessed through the shop, now smelling strongly of fresh paint. The main pub is a basic double fronted building with bay windows and a fireplace on each of the side walls of what would originally have been the two main rooms, now knocked through. There are bare floorboards, wood panelling up to dado level and pump clips around the walls. Pleasingly for me, one was for a beer named Boadicea. The location, just out of town off the ring road and opposite a large car showroom, is where you’d expect to find a rather ordinary local but the Hope Pole is actually quite special. It has 11 or 12 hand pumps in the main pub and the festival weekends make an excursion well worth the trip. Local and visitors alike rub shoulders quite comfortably and they serve reasonably priced burgers and other meals. (Last visited 4 December 2011).“

Boudicca 4484 days ago

“The location is pretty poor - on a busy main road opposite a car dealership and next to an industrial estate. Inside the look of the pub is hardly authentic; lots of stripped wood (as Chris notes), and the only aged feature is the fireplace which is in a bad state anyway. It was empty when we entered (afternoon), so I cannot really comment on the clientele. The seating and tables are oddly spaced, clumped too closely together around the walls with a large empty space in the middle. The keg lineup is fairly good - Staropramen and Budvar, with a couple of other foreign beers and a keg cider that didn’t seem to be from a national producer. There are ten hand pumps, one was off when I arrived, and another went off when I asked for some. Of the eight remaining there was a single Vale, two Titanics, two Bath and a few others. I sampled Bath Spa, Titanic Black Ice, Titanic Captain Smith and Vale Best, but all were served too warm and not in good condition. The bottled selection looked pretty good, a few standard Belgians (Chimay, etc), Anchor Steam and a few others, all in the display fridges behind the bar, but it was hard to see what there was without there being a list. The food menu looked fairly standard, but I didn’t eat. I will return another time, but it didn’t impress as much as I thought it might.“

Joeh 6649 days ago

“This formerly run down locals’ boozer on the outskirts of Aylebury has recently been bought and refurbished at significant expense by Vale Brewery as their premier outlet (they now own five pubs). Seems to be aiming for strpped wood style with cafe/bar tendencies. Early days yet but, on a quiet afternoon between Christmas and New Year, it wasn’t exactly cosy. Plus it seemed to have retained the old clientele who were lined up on stools along the bar (thus making access difficult) drinking lager, albeit Budvar or Staropramen rather than Carling or whatever they would have drunk in the old days. Whether Vale attract the sort of custom they need to make a success of the ale house concept remains to be seen. Ten handpumps, although two are tucked away in the back bar and weren’t in use on my visit. But as there’s no list of beers on display, you’ll need to check those pumps to make sure you don’t miss something. I was expecting a full range of Vale beers, but there was only one on offer. The rest were micros from around the country - two Beartown, Brewsters, Shardlow, Mauldons, Millstone and Dark Star. Also Leffe Blonde and Artois Bock on draught. Couldn’t really see what bottles they had on offer. A welcome addition for the area, but the overall experience was not quite as impressive as I’d hoped. No food being served when i was there.“

chriso 6727 days ago