The Queens Arms, Bristol

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Blackthorn _ left this review about The Queens Arms

Recently renovated and re-opened under new management, this is tucked a little out of the way in the back streets of Chew Magna and can’t get anything in the way of passing trade, especially with two much more prominent pubs on the main road through the village. Staff were pleasant and friendly with a cheery greeting as soon as we arrived as well as saying goodbye when we left.

Internally, the layout remains unchanged although it has had a bit of a makeover and now looks a little more contemporary than was the case previously. The main bar is roughly an L-shape, with old flag stones on the floor at the front and a carpeted area at the rear. There are a few old beams on the ceiling, although they have all been painted in a very pale green, along with much of the walls, so they are not particularly noticeable. A few old black and white photographs of the village were on the wall and a couple of games such as dominoes on the window sill. A large stone chimney breast was at one end with a wood burning stove and a pile of logs stacked up next to it. A plasma was mounted up in one corner showing a terrestrial TV channel, but the volume was off so this was not too intrusive. Seating was a mixture of chunky wood tables and stools at the bar, and there was a large crowd of young men propping up the bar which seemed a little unexpected in a quiet country pub I thought. Off to the side was a restaurant area divided in to two halves. The furthest half has an impressive double height arched ceiling with black timberwork and a large clock was inset in to the wall at one end.

The menu offered a reasonable selection of “pub grub” dishes such as ham egg & chips, fish & chips, burger, curry, bangers & mash, etc., and these were mostly priced in the £10 - £12 range. The food was a bit of a mixed bag, nothing really wrong with it, but nothing outstanding either, and for the price I had expected a little more. As is the vogue in many pubs these days, a small selection of cakes was on the end of the bar, as well as a large coffee machine.

Beers on tap were Butcombe, 6X and Wadworth’s IPA, whilst a fourth pump appeared unused. Ciders meanwhile were Thatcher’s Gold and Thatcher’s Dry.

On 5^th February 2016 - rating: 7
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