The Stratford Alehouse, Stratford Central, Stratford-Upon-Avon

This place is a welcome retreat from the tourist hordes on a Saturday afternoon. It's a fairly standard micropub, a single room rectangular shop conversion with tall tables. It's about average size with some extra seating near the bar provided by placing what looked like the tops of some stools onto some empty casks. It also has the luxury (for a micropub) of having separate Ladies and Gents Toilets. Four beers were available on my visit Crate Pale Ale, Kendrick's 1823 Mild, Clouded Minds Elisir IPA and a rebadged (probably) Stratford Gold in memory of one of the regular's dogs called Bonnie. I went for the Clouded Minds beer (£3.40) as I remember this brewery from when they were said to be brewing in a cupboard at a house in London's Hornsey but are now based nearby. The friendly landlord apologised for the price being dearer than normal but it is a strong beer with loads of New World hops and was in excellent condition. I can't imagine anywhere in Stratford being better than this.