Fleur-de-Lis (JDW)

No Longer In Business

I visited The Fleur-de-lis on Tuesday 8th December 2015. Like the Exchange that I had been to earlier, this is another pub that I been to previously on numerous occasions, however mostly in its JDW incarnation as opposed to when it was a Slug and Lettuce and whatever else.

It’s another centrally located pub, however Broad Street is something of a beer desert, so you will need to head elsewhere after here to find more pubs. For those unfamiliar with the layout of the town Broad Street links in with the bottom end of High Street and this section of Broad Street like that part of the High Street is pedestrianised. It is also just 2-3 mins away from the Town Hall and the Market Place.

It is a big rather expansive one room place with lots of tables and seating. The long bar is straight ahead. I sat here with my half of Tetleys Christmas Cracker and listened in on the conversations that were taking place all around me. One rather portly chap (clearly a regular) was in discussion with the young chap behind the bar commenting on why they hadn’t seen ’so and so’ for a few days, a couple of separate discussions being conducted in Polish beyond him and then the unmistakable voice of a female patient I know off to the RH side, brought me to my senses and fearing that I might get stuck in deep discussion with her and with a train to catch I moved on.

However I must quickly comment on the beer and service. Beer choice was as expected, varied enough and on tap nothing replicated with the Exchange. Service was instant (must of hit it at the right time I guess). I don’t like the layout or building as much as the Exchange, it seems a bit soulless but for early on a Tuesday evening it was doing a decent trade, and as I have said before JDW’s serve a purpose and admirably so.

Visited on a Tuesday afternoon in October 2015. Lloyds conversion in the town centre about 10 mins walk from the station. Large single roomed affair, not really any distinguishing features. Hit during the Autumn beer fest so range may be somewhat improved. £1.89 a pint was an absolute bargain. Beer was decent, service efficient. Not much to complain or write home about. A decent Spoons effort.

This is the Lloyds No.1 Bar version of JDW’s for Banbury in what used to be the back end of Woolworth’s, if my memory serves me correctly and more recently a Litten Tree then Slug & Lettuce. When it first started it was going to be a dance floor on Friday and Saturday evenings, we went in on a Fri evening at the time and were so traumatised by it that we haven’t returned on weekend eve’s ever since, although the Dance Floor exists I think it fairly unlikely that the Dancing still goes on. This is the pub in Banbury where young families go to fill the kids with burgers, there is all the usual Wetherspoons trappings but it always feels a bit dark in there and the carpet smells. Possibly the slowest sservice in any Spoons unfortunately, but better on the food front. It doesn’t lead the way on the beer front as it moves slower in here than the other JDW.