St James Tavern, Winchester

Small wedge of a pub, a little trendy but nicley laid out, chunky pine tables, small bar and generally a nice feel. There is a small sun trap back yard. Its away from the main tourist area. 4 real ales from Wadworths kept well.

This is an unusual wedge shaped pub a short walk from the town centre. The interior has plenty of wood panelling, a wooden floor and pine furniture, with the top half of the walls painted in dark colour which, combined with the muted lighting and limited natural light, created quite a nice cosy ambiance. There are various split level areas within the pub, including what appeared to be a dining area to the right. There is plenty of seating throughout the pub and at the rear there is a pebble garden with a few more seats. Music was playing unobtrusively in the background and I spotted a rather incongruous bass guitar hanging above the main door. This is a Wadworth house, so their beers dominated the pumps. The selection on our visit was 6X, Bishop's Tipple, Henry's IPA and Horizon with Pedigree as a guest option. I gave the IPA a try which was well kept, if not the most exciting beer I've ever had. This initially struck me as being a foody place, but once we settled down with our drinks it grew on me and I left feeling that the place would definitely be worthy of a repeat visit.