Queen Charlotte, Rochester

Despite the relatively interesting façade, this pub has quite the worst interior I have come across in years. One rectangular space, almost totally devoid of furniture, with just a few stools along the bar counter and side wall, a pool table and the DJ booth at the far end. It was so oppressive inside that the few (mostly partly broken) wooden benches out on a notional split-level patio area behind the rear yard seemed inviting by comparison. Goodness knows what the sole other customer sees in the place, but I couldn't finish my pint of John Smiths (£2.50) quick enough.

The Queen Charlotte is a corner pub that is at the bottom end of the high street. Once inside there is a decent sized oblong shaped room which runs to the rear,there is a pool table to the front right,the bar runs down the right side. The seating is bar stools along the bar and what looks like a kitchen work top used has a drinking shelf along the left side with more bar stools,the room is bare boarded. There is a small DJ rig to the rear. One pump on the bar with its clip turned round,so it was a drink of John Smiths Extra Cold crap,which was a really crap drink. This is a pretty dire pub that was empty on my Saturday dinner visit. Probably a good contender for worst pub of the year award. Pub visited 6/6/2015

Charlotte’s Bar is now called Qc159, which is an unimaginative play on the historic Queen Charlotte name and the pub’s address. The bar area is open plan and the only furniture in situ were some bar stools that were tucked under a beer shelf that runs around under the windows and a pool table. This pub seems to be geared towards late night music when I can imagine it being somewhat of a sweatbox. During my weekday lunchtime visit the plasma screen was playing Capital FM and there were no other customers. The bar is stocked with standard draught and lone hand pump was reverse clipped with Bombardier. I didn’t see any food advertised. This isn’t a pub that I will be rushing back to anytime soon.

Originally The Queen Charlotte, this Georgian high street pub was first licensed in 1824 but was serving ale long before that. Currently owned by Enterprise, the business has recently rebranded to shed its image as a sleezy strip bar. In doing so it has actually got worse, having lost its one (or maybe two) good point. It is now, without doubt, the nastiest pub in Rochester. All traces of its Georgian charm have been obliterated by recent redecoration, the strip bar in the basement is now a horrible nightclub and although there is a handpump on the bar, there is no real ale (landlord says it would cost too much due to the Pubco's rules on purchasing). On entering we thought we were being mobbed by angry hippos, but it turned out to be a group of drunk, screaming bipedal humanoids, like humans only fatter, on their species's equivalent of a hen night. Truly, truly awful.

If you are a contractor staying locally, or in need of "erotic" entertainment, chances are you will know this pub well. If you are looking for good beer and a friendly atmosphere you will most likely walk past. Nothing much to recommend it.