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The Merchants Inn, Rugby
Rugby
CV21 3AN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Merchants Inn
My visit to this excellent real ale pub has been well described by the two previous reviewers, who were among my drinking companions on the day. Suffice to say that I had a sensible half of Leatherbritches Dr Johnson, which was so good that I had another. I'll have to come back some time for a longer session.
On 13th January 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Steve of N21 left this review about The Merchants Inn
Cannot do anything to improve on what has gone before, except to concur that this is one of Rugby's top ale houses comprising of several sections, all covered with brewing and beer memorabilia and paraphernalia. A large central serving area that supports several real ale pumps leads onto several other spaces all of some character. All nine ale pumps in operation and these included Nethergate Brewery Stour Valley Gold and Suffolk County Chestnut Ale, Oakham Bishops Farewell, Mad Goose Purity, Froth Blowers Hornswoggle, Parkway Brewery V and two Leatherbritches Brewery beers in the form of Ashbourne Ale and Doctor Johnson. All beers tried were in very good condition, so a must visit when in Rugby.
On 10th December 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Merchants Inn
Very overdue revisit to this splendid pub after 14 years, still crammed full of breweriana and rugby memorabilia in bar and three other seating areas within the Tudorbethan facade. It has maintained its reputation as a great place for cask beer, with nine handpumps (plus an extra clip for another served direct from the barrel), and also eight ciders advertised. I went for an excellent Ashbourne Ale, one of a couple from Leatherbritches, with others from Nethergate, Oakham, Purity, Froth Blowers and Parkway noted.
On 10th December 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mild Drinker left this review about The Merchants Inn
Brilliant pub that any ale lover should visit. On entry there is a small bar area with seating stretching out into a room full of pub memorabilia, from past and present. Live sport showing on a big screen. Great selection of German lagers too if that's you're thing. I cannot recommend this place enough. Definitely in the top few pubs I've visited in my lifetime, just a shame I'm not local enough to visit often anymore.
On 28th December 2021
- rating: 10
[User has posted 42 recommendations about 42 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Merchants Inn
Proper pub that I felt instantly at home in.
Walls covered in brew paraphernalia. Large central area with big screen showing the Rugby, even when football is on. A smaller snug section, with a magnificent chesterfield arm chair.
9 real ale handpulls on - North Cotswold Winter Solstice was chosen, but unfortunately the only gravity fed barrel, fetched from around the back. Would have preferred to have been warned on this.
Cracking pub, nonetheless - possibly the 2nd best found in Rugby.
On 11th December 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Merchants Inn
This is a cracking pub. Hidden down the church lane this is a large, olde worlde kind of place. The its mainly open plan with the bar being central. Lots of beer related signs adorn the walls and the ceiling is covered with approximately a billion pump clips. The pub is basically split into 4 areas; a small area to your left on entering, the main nar area up a couple of steps and then 2 areas to the rear of the pub. 9 handpumps on the bar in a bank of 8 for ales and a handpump at the side of the bar for cider. Beers today were from Bright side, North Yorkshire, Oakham, Purity, Nethergate and Hook Norton. An excellent place.
On 16th February 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Merchants Inn
This is another of Rugby's top ale houses, set in a large Brewer's Tudor building in the historic centre of town. You enter into the lower, front part of the pub which has limited seating and several glass cabinets full of books as well as a collection of pump clips on the ceiling and a few bits of breweriana. A raised area to the right has a dartboard and a signed England rugby shirt on display. Moving further into the pub, you reach the main bar area, with the servery on the right hand side and a large open space opposite broken up with chunky pillars surrounded by drinking ledges. The area is lit from above where a couple of skylights can be found, but the rest of the ceiling is notable for the vast collection of pumps clips, stuck to a series of rails. The room has been decorated with all sorts of breweriana including some great brewery mirrors and enamel signs that are well worth exploring. There are also hundreds of bottles lined up on a high shelf that runs around the room. Seating is a mix of benches and standard chairs which extends into a rear carpeted section full of more breweriana and a TV screen. There is a second rear seating area to the right which has a high gabbled roof, hop lined walls and a huge screen on the back wall which was showing cricket during our visit. Pews have been arranged into booth formations and there are display cabinets full of beer bottles and shelves stacked with jugs and books. There is a lot more beer memorabilia here too including an illuminated Tetley's sign. A side door leads out to a small beer garden, situated on the other side of the road that runs past the pub.
On the bar, another strong ale line up awaited us, with the options of Titanic Lifeboat, Burton Bridge Top Dog Stout and Stairway to Heaven, Oakham Bishops Farewell, Tring Tea Kettle Stout and Cassowary, RCH Firefox, Portobello Market Porter, Purity Mad Goose and Batemans XB. The Lifeboat was in great shape and possibly the best beer I had during our long day out around town.
This is a great pub that demands repeat visits. There is plenty to keep you entertained here, not least the fantastic ale selection and for my money, this was the best pub visited all day. A must when in Rugby.
On 18th July 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Merchants Inn
Very interesting pub with flagstone floors, lots of wooden seating and several distinct areas. Lots of breweriana around the walls with old signs and mirrors. 9 real ales available alongside several real ciders and a perry all served by a friendly barmaid. They were even willing to take a JDW voucher against a pint. I tried 3 of the beers and all were excellent. I even had an extra half as the rest of the crew went to the nearby Lawrence Sheriff. Quite rightly in the CAMRA GBG2014 and my favourite pub of quite a few visited in Rugby.
On 15th July 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Merchants Inn
The Merchants Inn is a black and white pub that is situated just off the main shopping area.
I arrived at this pub just before 12am and followed two other blokes through a side door,there were already quite a few other people in the pub waiting for them to start serving at 12.
The room is fairly large and iregular shaped,there are lots of different drinking areas,the ceiling is beamed with loads of pump clips attatched to them,there is a nice stone floor throughout.
There was a vast array of pumps on the bar,i had a drink of Purity Mad Goose which went down very well,the other beers i noted were Three Castles Summer Daze,Batemans XB and Griffin Yeti IPA,there were too many real ales on note.
There was a large TV screen to the rear showing the cricket.
This is a very pleasant pub with a great choice of real ales.
Pub visited 12/7/2014
On 12th July 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Merchants Inn
A very good real ale pub if you like your beers to be a bit different, nine or ten ales were available and the Tring Tea Kettle Stout was particularly good as was the Portobello VPA. Recommended.
On 2nd July 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]