ReviewA fairly grand imposing building on a corner site, the exterior retains a few of the pendant lamps that are similar to those at the nearby Warwick Castle. The frontage has attractive Victorian curved windows with etched glass designed to maximise light. The entrance retains superbly preserved tiling which continues along the side wall once inside, indicating possibly this was once a passage. The interior is just as impressive with the island bar seperated into different areas with the wooden partitions linked by a series of tiny access doors. The bar back is unusually free standing, but there is plenty of carved detail to catch the eye, and the clock over the bar has the pub name at the bottom. A lot of traditional seating but unfortunately a row of those high tables and stools which add little to the surrounding character of the pub.
The rear area is known as The Formosa Dining Rooms, and is in contrast to the Victorian splendour of the bar areas, being modern, minimalist and frankly a thoughtless alteration to such a well preserved building.
The beer range was nothing special at all, just Young's Ordinary and Bombardier, plus an Addlestones Cider.
The Alfred is worth a visit certainly for some of the architecture, but it felt to me as if it was unsure of direction, with one foot firmly in the traditional pub corner but the other straying into modern trendy gastro.
