The Jolly Coopers, Hampton

Quinno _ left this review about The Jolly Coopers

This one has had the same owners since 1986 which seemed more than enough reason to pop in, along with the Good Beer Guide’s recommendation and the * CAMRA heritage rating. Five cask on, a relatively conservative set of choices with Heritage Vienna Pale being the outlier so I went for that and got a good (NBSS 3.5) pint for my trouble. Seeing what was on - and subsequently ordering - was made rather difficult by the impenetrable line of bar blockers, a pet hate of mine, though the small amount of floorspace means that seating is at a premium so I suppose here it is accepted as a necessary evil. The pub is a fairly tight U shape and is spec’d to comfy traditional standard with plenty of pubby artefacts – details can be found in detail below so I won’t repeat them here. Rugby was on the box and there was a partially playable bar billiards table (one side up against a wall). One tradition that has seemingly died out in the wider pub world was alive and kicking here; a lass doled-up in a clingy dress, flashing a bit of leg in the hope of getting free drinks off the middle-aged male clientele (she succeeded). We were recognised as strangers and were bade farewell on exit. Bar blockers aside, this is a lovely pub that’s well-worth a special trip (at a quiet time) to sample.

On 24^th April 2024 - rating: 8
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