Hastings Old Town

Hastings Pier view east towards West Hill and East Hill

Hastings Old Town, just east of Hastings, is distinctive but in a different way than St Leonards-on-Sea, just west of Hastings. Hastings Old Town and St Leonards on Sea both have indistinct borders to separate them and are within easy walking distance along the seafront.

East Hill Lift, Hastings Old Town

Walking east from Hastings, after passing the amusement arcades and the West Hill lift (for Hastings Castle) on George Street, but before reaching the East Hill lift (for Hastings Country Park) you reach the narrow High Street which is the setting for both the Jenny Lind and the First In Last Out (FILO).

St Clement's Church

The Jenny Lind Inn

After passing St Clement's Church, set back from the High Street on Swan Terrace, you reach the Jenny Lind on the left as you walk further up the High Street.

Jenny Lind Inn 'Famously Hastings' Hastings Old Town

Named after a Swedish opera singer, the Jenny Line free house and hotel has a brick frontage with large windows and two entrances. The front bar has wooden floorboards, both low and high tables and some quirky decor including an old petrol pump topped with an illuminated sign.

The Jenny Lind

Ten cask ales on handpump are mainly sourced nationally, eg Courage, Theakston, Wadworth, JW Lees, Caledonian, Butcombe, McMullen with typically two local beers. Traditional ciders are supplied by Orchard Pig.

On our visit in April 2016, Long Man Long Blonde and Franklins Mama Knows Best were the East Sussex ales. Franklins Brewing Co are based about five miles away near Bexhill and other Franklins beers include English Garden.

Blackboards above and behind the bar give details of music events at the pub including Sea Shanties on Thursdays (9pm) and live music on Fridays (8.30pm) and Sundays (4pm).


 

The First In Last Out

Further up the High Street, after passing near St Clement's church, you will find the First In Last Out (FILO) on the right. It has been a free house since 1976 and the building dates back to the sixteenth century.

Café de Paris at the First In Last Out

There may be a fire burning in an open grate giving the pub a cosy feel. When we turned up on Tuesday 26 April, Café de Paris had just started playing delightful 1930's Parisian Café Jazz and Swing Musette.

Cask ales from the FILO Brewery including Crofters (3.8% ABV Best Bitter), Gold (4.8% Premium Ale) and Cardinal (4.6% ABV Sussex Porter) are among six avalable from the bar. The St Clements Brewery was originally situated at the back of the pub. In 2000 the brewery was overhauled and renamed the FILO brewery and in 2011 the brewery moved up the road to Torfield Cottage.
Regular music events are held at the FILO. Tuesday and Thursday events start at 9pm and when there is jazz on Sundays it starts at 6.30pm. 

The Crown

The Crown

The Crown lies two streets east of the High Street on All Saints' Street and can be easily approached from the Jenny Lind along Courthouse Street. Instead of a traditional pub sign, it can be recognised by the crown over the corner doorway. We visited the pub / restaurant on a Tuesday and a Wednesday and no tables were free on either evening.

With good beer, food and service it is easy to understand the popularity of the pub. The efficient staff keep track of customers waiting for tables and we could sit at the bar knowing that we would be informed when a table became available.

At the Crown, four cask ales are supplemented by craft beers and Rothaus Pils from Germany's Black Forest. On our visit cask ales were from Franklins (Bexhill, Sussex), Caveman Brewery (Swanscombe, Kent) and Three Legs Brewery (Broad Oak / Brede, East Sussex).

Cabin by Josh Ross at The Crown

There are changing art exhibitions at the pub with artworks available for sale. Art by illustrator Josh Ross was on display during our visit. Special events like book launches also take place at the Crown. Emmanuel Hadjiandreou launched his book 'How to make Sourdough' there in April. There is a monthly quiz, capably hosted by Jim on the last Wednesday of the month. There are also music events especially during Hastings Folk Festival in early May.

Good food lovers will appreciate the changing 'simple, honest, tasty' menu that includes bar snacks, smaller plates, bigger plates, sweets and cheeseboard sections.

One more thing to like about the Crown is finding simple fresh flowers on the bar, tables and windowsills.

The Albion

The Albion, is situated on George Street at the junction with Albion Lane and almost opposite the West Hill lift entrance. It was once a hotel and named the Royal Albion. We had noticed a sign outside previously.

The opportunity to see a string quarted performing in a decent pub was not to be missed so we ended up here on 27 April after a meal at the Crown.

After getting beers from the bar which has six handpumps, we found seats with a clear view of the Albion String Quartet and enjoyed hearing them perform some popular classical music.

The furnishings of the pub included solid oak tables that may have been there for as long as the wooden panelling on the walls featuring various tartans from the days when the pub served beers brewed by William Younger & Co..
The Albion regularly hosts live music and DJ events catering for all musical interests.

We were particularly impressed to find a high quality of free music events in Hastings Old Town pubs on a Tuesday and a Wednesday night when in most towns you would be lucky to find anything going on at all. Based on our experience, Hastings Old Town can definitely be recommended for a midweek visit for music loving beer drinkers!

NB There are other good pubs in Hastings Old Town, Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea not featured in this post.

For further details of all the pubs featured follow the links in the text above.

North Bar, Leeds

My previous visit to North Bar, Leeds, was in December 2012 when the bar was decorated for Christmas.

North Bar - December 2012

Some more photos of the bar were included in my Huddersfield, Batley and Leeds blog post under the heading 'Sunday (3)'.

North Bar - March 2016

On the evening of Monday 21 March 2016 my plan was to revisit North Bar and continue on to Oporto Bar for some Gaslight Club live music. However, there was such a good atmosphere and so many good beers to choose from that I stayed in North Bar until closing time!

I found a table near the back next to the 'beer wall' which has the names of beers served at the bar over the years.

Among original artwork at the back of the bar is a painting of Belgian cyclist - Eddy Merckx.

My first beer was Comfortably Numb, a cask golden pale ale brewed by Bad Co of Dishforth, Leeds which cost £1.65 for a half pint.  

My next beer was Prototype, a 3.8% ABV cask session pale ale that is a permanent house beer at North Bar, brewed by North Brewing Co. 'just 900 metres up the road'. A good feature of the North Bar is that there are water glasses next to a tall jug of iced water with sliced fresh lemon on the bar for customers to help themselves from.

My clear view of the bar made up for the lack of company. Behind the bar, hanging on hooks, is an impressive display of personal beer mugs.

Further away, the neon sign behind the bar declares We ❤ Beer. When my glass was empty and I was thinking what to order next, James the bar manager kindly offered to fetch a beer for me but I wanted to go up to the bar to do this myself.

This was when I discovered that the We ❤ Beer logo also appears on some North Bar glasses. The half pint keg Beavertown Bloody 'Ell in the photo turned out to be one of a select few beers which I have scored over 4 points on Untappd.

With beer and service this good I decided to stay in North Bar but opportunely moved a bit closer to the entrance when a group found a table near my first table towards the back and proceeded to cheer each other while drinking some shots!

While ordering my next beer I persuaded James and Bridie to pose with a copy of Ullage and introduced myself as the West Berkshire CAMRA magazine editor. James explained to me that there are other North bars, including Harrogate and Otley, in the North Bar 'family', apart from this one at 24 New Briggate, Leeds. 
I'm sure it's good for customers to see staff who obviously enjoy their work and take pride in it.

The keg Magic Rock Cannonball (7.4% ABV) India Pale Ale, brewed in Huddersfield, was another rare beer for me to rate over 4 on Untappd, confirming my opinion of North Bar as a top bar.
As the evening wore on the bar became busier and some band members dropped in carrying instruments in cases. 

When I took my empty glass back to the bar with the intention of leaving, James was telling a customer about the merits of Swannay Brewery (Orkney Islands) Banyan. I decided to have a third of a pint of Banyan, a keg pale ale hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe and ended up chatting at the bar with Mick, the customer who had just ordered a pint. I was happy to find a third beer to rate at 4+ on Untappd.
Mick mentioned that ShuffleDog, a BrewDog bar with shuffleboard tables and pinball machines in the basement was quite near and so I resolved to visit ShuffleDog the next day.
It wasn't long before James was ringing the bell for last orders and then for closing time.
Good night to my favourite bar in Leeds! 
Don't miss North Bar when you visit Leeds. Please pass on my regards to James, Bridie and Mick.

On the map of bars and pubs visited on this visit, North Bar is shown in dark red and ShuffleDog is shown in purple. An interactive map which displays photos when markers are clicked can be accessed with this Google Maps link.

North Bar, 24 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU

Wakefield's Black Rock & Beer Exchange

Wakefield Westgate railway station

Most of the Wakefield pubs featured in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide are closed at 2pm on a Monday. However, the Black Rock was open and only a short walk from Wakefield Westgate station, so after leaving the train from Kings Cross, I headed there via Cheapside and Silver Street.

The Black Rock 

The ceramic tiled exterior give the Black Rock a distinctive look and research shows that it was originally a Melbourne Ales (Leeds) public house.

The Wakefield Civic Society blue plaque under the decorative window records that John Potter (1674-1747), a former Archbishop of Canterbury, lived here as a boy in the family home above his father's draper's shop.

On the way to the bar, an engraved CAMRA mirror and a beer board showing six cask ales give a favourable impression.

A half pint of Kelham Island Easy Rider was served through a sparkler, to give a creamy head, for the reasonable charge of £1.30.

From a comfortable seat at the furthest point from the entrance I could survey the main room of the pub, decorated with views of the city and mainly populated with older men. A succession of classic 1960s pop songs playing on the pub's decent sound system appealed to my ears and compensated for the lack of conversation.

Wakefield Beer Exchange

 

A conveniently placed pedestrian crossing makes it easy to reach Wakefield Beer Exchange on the north side of Bull Ring, opposite the Black Rock.

A  blackboard in the doorway mentions 6 cask ales and keg beers are available at the 'Beer Cafe & Bottle Shop'.

The exterior and interior of Wakefield Beer Exchange and the Black Rock are about as different from each other as it is possible to get! The same probably applies to their respective clienteles although it was quiet here on a Monday afternoon.

A changing exhibit of original art adorns the walls at the Wakefield Beer Exchange. In March prints by Ron Wilson were on display.

My first half pint was Fox Glove by Slightly Foxed (£1.55). The bad news is that the beer is more expensive than at the Black Rock but the good news is that 1/3 pint glasses are available so it is still possible to try the keg beers without major expense.

The beer exchange was quiet so I was able to have a chat with the barman. It was great to discover that Adam was familiar with the End of the Road festival and festival bars operated by The Really Good Bar Co. I hope to meet up with Adam again at the 2016 End of the Road festival.

I persuaded Adam to pose for a photo with a copy of Ullage, the West Berkshire CAMRA branch quarterly magazine which I edit.

Wakefield Beer Exchange is associated with The Revolutions Brewing Co and many of the beers served at the bar have been obtained by beer exchanges with this brewery, hence it's name.

Before leaving to catch a train to Leeds, I enjoyed a third pint of Chinook, Southern Cross and Bravo IPA, a collaboration beer between Northern Alchemy and dAt bAr brewed in Newcastle.

The Google map above shows the position of the two bars. Click on the link to see photos of places passed on the way from Wakefield Westgate station.

I will try and time my next visit to Wakefield for after 4pm when the majority of pubs open. However, an earlier start would give me a welcome opportunity to revisit the Black Rock and Wakefield Beer Exchange!

Brussels Beer Bars & Cafes

Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent have their own advocates as Belgian beer destinations but one big advantage that Brussels has for visitors from Britain is that it is a Eurostar destination and therefore easily reached by train.

Look out for the Tintin mural inside Brussels Gare du Midi on arrival. The alternative name for the station is Brussel Zuid and it lies south of central Brussels.

Moeder Lambic Fontainas

A good place to stop for a beer if you are heading to central Brussels is the second location for Moeder Lambic at Fontainasplein 8, just beyond Anneessens metro station.

Moeder Lambic Fontainas

Inside the bar is a central passageway with fixed seats and tables on each side. This leads to a long bar and a raised area with extra seating at the back.

The layout of the seating areas is symmetrical with a small wooden chair at the passageway end of each table. The bench seat backs match the polished concrete of the floor but they are made from grey painted plywood. A vertical flat panel on the exposed brick wall end of each table conceals lighting fixtures.

Saison de Dottignies - Brouwerij De Ranke

A waiter will take your beer order and return with the beer in the correct glassware and a small glass dish of roasted barley grains. Each table has a menu listing draught and bottled beers.

There is also a portable blackboard with details of additional beers currently available which the waiter can bring to your table. With up to 46 beers on tap, impressive interior design and good service, this is one of many Brussels beer bars worth a visit.

Poechenellekelder

Poechenellekelder lies only 200 metres away and the pedestrian streets of Rue du Marche au Charbon and Rue des Grands Carmes (via Manneken Pis) lead to this establishment at 5 Rue du Chene, named after its puppets. If you arrive on a quiet day outside the tourist season, a waiter may be able to find you a table in the richly ornamented main room.

The beer menu is split by style and I chose a Blanche Troublette which was expertly poured by the waiter at the table. A small glass dish of complimentary savoury snacks is brought with the beer.

The limited food menu includes an excellent and substantial lasagne with a cheesy topping served on individual ovenproof dishes.

Lasagne at Poechenellekelder

A look around the cosy bar reveals a display of oak barrels and enamel signs next to the stairs to the lower room. Apart from puppets hanging from the ceiling a large puppet is also seated at one of the tables at the top of the stairs.
Poechenellekelder was featured by Jeff Evans as the Inside Beer Pub / Bar of the month in December 2012. This Inside Beer post can still be found in the useful Pub of the Month archive.

Booze 'n' Blues

For a late night drink and a change of scene, Booze 'n' Blues, south of the main Sant Gery area, at the junction of Rue des Riches Claires and Rue de la Grande Isle, also lies about 200 metres from Moeder Lambic Fontainas.

The lovely old Rock-Ola jukebox may be playing vinyl singles or else there will be good music from a sound system. The blackboard behind the bar lists the beers available.

Brasserie de la Senne - Brussels Calling

This is a good bar to find a selection of beers brewed in Brussels by Brasserie de la Senne like Brussels Calling (pale ale) or Zinnebir (6% ABV 'Brussels' People Ale').

Brasserie de la Senne - Xmas Zinnebir

The bar is adorned with old photos, posters and ornaments. If you visit the bar on a Tuesday you may find space to sit at the bar and enjoy prompt service but the midnight closing time may be earlier than at the weekend.

Most of the photos in this post were taken on Tuesday 15 March 2016 when the three bars were visited by Tim Thomas and Simon Grist. 

An interactive map has been created for this Brussels visit - the three bars in this post are shown with green markers on the map below. The map shown below has been made available for sharing www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zcSqbrcXaX-0.k2ohZyVJtR_U&usp=sharing