Latest reviews from Penrith

“Posher than average pub in the marketplace which seemed to be the most popular place in Penrith - we were glad we'd booked a table. Posher than your average pub inside, and does well at pulling off the difficult trick of accomodating both drinkers (including a lively hen party) and diners within the same space. There's also a small patio out the front. The food is high quality pub grub, some of which is locally sourced - but that quality makes it pricey. There's up to four local cask beers - although just 2 on our visit, plus national kegs. Tirril and Cumbrian Legendary feature heavily on the cask front and sadly they don't seem to vary their offering too much. The service was excellent, especially considering how busy it was. All in all a decent place to eat, but you'll then want to move on if you're looking for interesting or new brews.“

wheresthepath 916 days ago

“We were accompanied for the journey here by a very friendly chef who emerged from another pub, liberated pint in hand, and swapped stories with us of northern vs southern English life (though he loved Penrith he was clearly facinated by tales of what he regarded as foreign parts!). He turned down our offer of a drink in the Fell Bar as he wanted to get home, which was a shame as he was a nice chap and the Fell Bar was a great place. It's a micropub which, as the name implies, is owned by the Fell Brewery. Downstairs there are (if I remember correctly) just four tables; there's some more upstairs but we didn't go up there. Somehow they apparently manage to fit in occasional live music gigs There's 8 craft keg taps and 6 cask beers - about two thirds of these are dedicated to Fell brews, with the remainder occupied by the usual craft suspects (with a northern England focus). There's also a couple of ciders on tap, plus a small but interesting bottle menu. Unfortunately some of the cask was in sub-par condition, suggesting maybe they don't quite get the turnover to support 6 casks. The keg beer was all good though. The barmaid was really friendly, knew her beers, and in true micropub style engaged the whole pub in conversations. We really liked it here; we ended up staying for the rest of the night and will return on our next annual pilgrimage to the Lake District.“

wheresthepath 1519 days ago

“Located about 5 minutes from the town centre, near the castle ruins (worth a quick look) and the station. There's a bar area at the front, and then a large raised restaurant area off to the left. There's four cask ales - a couple are rotated between different Hawkshead brews, the others are guest ales from other local micro's. There was one dark beer and the rest were session golds and bitters - the ones we tried we tried were all in decent nick. I think there may have been a couple of Hawkshead keg beers as well. The whole place feels a little dated - not old and dusty, more as if you've gone back in time 30 years or so to a pub that had been newly refurbished at that time. The menu also has the same vibe about it, but the portions were decent and it was tasty enough. Service was average - fast enough and pleasant enough, but without the enthusiasm and energy that seems to have been instilled into staff of more up-to-date establishments. All in all it met our requirements - somewhere to fill up and warm up after a wet day on the fells, and as a prelude to going on to the Fell Bar for a craft beer fix. If I had the same needs in Penrith again (which I undoubtedly will later this year!) I'd probably return, but it's certainly not a must-do.“

wheresthepath 1560 days ago

“Our introduction to this establishment was from a group of drunk, abusive women forcing their way out of the door that we were attempting to go in through, who advised us "don't go in there, the staff are all a bunch of f***ing c***s". We entered with trepidation to find that - hey, it's just a standard Wetherspoons. The cask beer selection seemed a little smaller than most Wetherspoons, the atmosphere was a bit more boisterous, and the service a bit slower and less friendly than you expect in a 'Spoons (I suspect the drunken abusive women may have caused this though). It also seemed a little gloomy in the back half of the pub, although apparently there was a roof garden upstairs (which we didn't try) if you wanted somewhere a bit brighter. The food was fine, usual money's worth 'Spoons fare. Overall a slightly sub-par 'Spoons, which nevertheless performed the job of refueling in an economic way whilst also providing a couple of rates.“

wheresthepath 1598 days ago

“Nice little JDW . Used the app to order more beer , paid on phone and the beer was brought to the table super fast . Bang on“

deepdrinker 2305 days ago

“Visited while staying at the nearby Premier Inn. Very bid spoons esq open plan interior, with a bar that seemed off to the side. Not as much character as some, but had a wide selection of "festival beer" when i went. Usual business like integration with staff, and ok beer. You know what you get with a spoons.“

Mr_Pink_152 2394 days ago

“Situated slightly out of the town centre, this is quite a large JDW offering the usual food menu and decent selection of ales and craft beer. A tap range of six or so cask beers is complimented by some taps and also a good selection of bottled beers. Has a decent atmosphere and good service. Probably the best pub in town, since the closure of the Moo Bar?“

Grumbo 2585 days ago

“We made a short detour off the M6 into Penrith on a recent trip up to Scotlandshire. Cranston’s is a purveyor of premium food and beverages. They offer a smallish selection (20 - 30) of local ales from the likes of Eden and Hawkshead. We visited on a Tuesday afternoon and the place was impressively busy. I can recommend the sandwiches for some sustenance. Overall it is a decent enough spot to pick up some Cumbrian beers, but it won’t set you world on fire.“

Scopey 2811 days ago

“Surprised I had to add this to the places database as it’s been open for a while now. Well done ’spoons, feels like a large pub. Service was good which unfortunately is unusual for this chain recently. Good selection of ’spoons specials and local ales, kept in good nick.“

niquillis 3307 days ago