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Image posted by Will Larter
Submitted on Friday, 4th March 2022
With picture contributions to 11567 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Sun, Lancaster
Lancaster
LA1 1ET
Served areas
Reviews of The Sun (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about The Sun
This is a good sized, historic pub and hotel with a handy location near the bus station and quite close to the castle. The main bar is in the left-hand part of the building, occupying a spacious room, with seating limited to the perimeter, leaving a big empty space in the centre. The bar is in the rear-right corner and has a dark wood panelled counter and matching bar back with a small beer bottle collection across the top. Padded benches can be found to the front, with high tables ans stools elsewhere. There's lots of exposed stone throughout room, including in a small fireplace to the right and a much bigger one to the left of the bar. A few old pictures have been put on display as well as numerous local history plaques detailing the building's history and some of the famous folk who used to drink here. Turn through a door to the right for the hotel lobby and a dining room which opens early for breakfast, although alcohol isn't served until 11:00. A weird soundtrack was playing quietly in the background on my Monday morning visit and perhaps unsurprisingly, I was the only visitor at such an hour.
Local beers from the Lancaster Brewery dominate the bar, with Lancaster Black, Red, Amber, IPA, Cascade and Blonde all available alongside four guests - Thwaites Wainwright, Bowland Hen Harrier and Titanic Iceberg and White Star. A few Lancaster beers were available on keg dispense too, although I stuck with the cask and enjoyed a reasonable drop of the IPA at £2.25 for a half pint.
This is quite an attractive old building that doesn't quite fall into the trap of feeling like a bland hotel bar, but didn't feel all that much like a proper pub either. The extensive ale range will be a draw for some and it looked like a nice place to come for a bite to eat, but I was content enough with my flying visit and would probably skip it the next time I'm in town.
Date of visit - 15th January 2024
On 7th April 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Sun
I have taken to breaking train journeys at Lancaster whenever I can, just so that I can call in here for a beer or two, although it's by no means the nearest pub to the railway station. It is, on the other hand, one of the best pubs in Lancaster and in my experience the beer is always in good or better condition and not overpriced.
My visit in July found a queue stretching from the bar almost to the door, which is not something you see every day, so I joined at a reasonable distance and was served within about six minutes. The lass was working on her own, but was doing very well with a mixed bunch of about five or six people, including some slightly more demanding than average. I've seen some bar staff in this situation lose it, and give less than good service by showing their frustration or impatience at not getting any help from colleagues. I was last in the queue and asked for halves of three different beers and then lined them up in front of their respective hand pumps to have their photo taken, but even this didn't faze her. When her manager finally showed up she got a bit of an earful for the lack of support, but not in such a voice that the whole pub would know what had caused the backlog - my only impression was that someone's food order had caused the computer to have a breakdown; fortunately the human element was made of sterner stuff, and I think the manager appreciated this.
Putting this well-handled customer service situation together with the very good and well-presented beer - my three beers, all from Lancaster brewery, which owns the pub, were very good - and the pleasant environment, justify my rating of 9, I think. It's beginning to tax my ingenuity to arrange train journeys where I can reasonably change at Lancaster, though.
On 30th October 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Sun
Two-room pub / hotel bar, created from two adjoining buildings, with a slightly upmarket yet rustic appearance (if that isn't too big a contradiction), plain wooden furniture, exposed stonework walls, etc. As a Lancaster Brewery outlet, one of the five-handpump banks was dedicated to its beers, from which selection I went went for the Amber (£3.50). The other row featured three Titanic ales, Wainwright and Hobgoblin.
On 28th September 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
View more reviews of The Sun (14)
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- Official site of the Sun Hotel & Bar - www.thesunhotelandbar.co.uk
- Facebook - The Sun Hotel & Bar
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Sun - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : Yes last updated 06 August 2013 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 19 February 2014 by Alan Hurdle
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Car Park : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 19 February 2014 by Alan Hurdle
- Darts : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Function Room : Yes last updated 07 April 2024 by Pub SignMan
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 19 February 2014 by Alan Hurdle
- Jukebox : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Karaoke : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Live Music : Yes last updated 07 April 2024 by Pub SignMan
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 19 February 2014 by Alan Hurdle
- Micropub : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Pinball : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Pool Table : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Quiz Night : Yes last updated 07 April 2024 by Pub SignMan
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 06 August 2013 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Aqualung .
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 19 February 2014 by Alan Hurdle
- WiFi : Yes last updated 19 February 2014 by Alan Hurdle
