Old Spot Inn, Dursley

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Blackthorn _ left this review about Old Spot Inn

Tucked away just off Dursley’s pedestrianised shopping street, this pub has previously been Camra’s Pub of the Year, as well as winning numerous other accolades, and has been on my “to do” list for some time. A small and slightly run down looking town does seem a slightly odd place for such a nationally acclaimed pub, but nonetheless I had high expectations.

Internally it consist of three rooms, a larger central one with the bar counter and two smaller ones off to each side. Décor wise, it’s quite rustic with quarry style tiles on the floor, pine wood panelling on the lower part of the walls and a couple of thick old beams on the ceiling that had been plastered with various photographs and magazine articles. Paintwork was a mixture of cream and salmon colours, with a mustard shade on the ceiling and there were numerous old brewery mirrors on the walls. Seating was a mixture of upright bench style seats as well as regular tables and chairs. The curved wooden bar counter had a selection of old bottles up above it. An stone chimney breast and fireplace was off to the left. The smaller room to the left was broadly similar in décor, but perhaps more of a farmhouse kitchen style with a burnt orange ceiling and more a selection of pine furniture, whilst the room to the right included another stone fireplace and wood burning stove.

Beer choice was extensive as might be expected, and on this occasion consisted of Uley Old Ric, Otter Bitter, St Austell Chester, Goffs Black Knight, Tiny Rebel Cwtch, Bath’s Forest Hare and Bristol Beer Factory’s Independence. Ciders too were well represented with a trio of both sparkling and still options – Thatcher’s Gold, Thatcher’s Haze, Bath’s Bounders, Pagget’s Golden Slipper, Kingston Buck and Kingston Farmhouse. All in all I thought this was a very pleasant pub, but if I’m honest, nothing outstanding and I came away feeling slightly confused as to why it had garnered so much praise. Not that I’m saying it’s not very good and worth going to, but for a Pub of the Year I had somehow expected a little more.

On 31^st October 2017 - rating: 7
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