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Halifax Crawl - 21 June 2024 with sheffield hatter
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
MacKenzies, Taunton
Taunton
TA1 4AD
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 3½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Winchester Arms
I suffered from deja vu as I walked into this down-market drinking den: I thought I’d gone into the Hideout, opposite, by mistake. Previously known as The Drawing Room and Atlantic Radio Cafe, it’s an open plan, single bar with a gaming machine, pool table, jukebox and a pile of fag ends at the door. Further inspection revealed a raised area in one corner with dining tables, though the thought of eating here isn’t an appealing one. There was one ale on, Jail Ale, which was in poor condition. It’s unfortunate that the inside and clientele are so disappointing given the historic nature of the building itself. It could be so much better given its grand location.
On 18th October 2019
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3286 recommendations about 3251 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Paris Hilton left this review about Winchester Arms
Changed hands recently and re-maned the Drawing Room (?!). Managed by the same people who run the Lethbridge Arms in nearby Bishops Lydeard. They try hard in both pubs but the beer is always unimaginative and of poor quality. It will take more than a name change to turn this dive around. Good luck to them I say.
On 15th November 2012
- rating: 2
[User has posted 78 recommendations about 62 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Winchester Arms
I was first attracted to the Winchester Arms, situated on the Castle Green in the middle of Taunton, because it is a fantastic looking building from the outside and I initially thought it may have been old enough to have been something to do with the original Castle build.
But alas no. It apparently was built around 1812 by a one Josiah Easton, although subsequent extensions and additions and heightening have obscured the original design. So, still old enough, but not steeped in history as I originally thought.
Which is probably a good thing because the inside really doesn’t match the outside, being one large space in separate sections, bar in front of you as you come in, carpeted seating area on a slightly raised area and a couple of pool tables in a section to the back.
Four hand pumps on the bar, which were Otter Ale, Doombar , Addleston Cider and Abbott (which was off). Not the best pint of Otter I’ve ever had, and I didn’t find the inside of this pub particularly attractive, but the outside tabled section butting on the Green was a very pleasant place to sup a beer when the sun was out.
My visit was on a fairly early Friday lunch time, so cannot really comment for the type of clientele this place would attract in the evenings, so you would be better off taking the advice of more local reviewers. But it does appear that there are live music nights over the weekend, so i would imagine it’s not a particularly quiet place on a Friday night.
On 29th August 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
BobOs . left this review about Winchester Arms
Used to be relatively OK but now full of chavs and other knuckle-dragging low-lifes. Service is seriously shoddy and beers poorly kept. I won't be back. A 1/10 score is over-generous. Avoid.
On 13th July 2011
- rating: 1
[User has posted 370 recommendations about 355 pubs]