The Bull's Head, Hereford

Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Bull's Head

The Bull's Head is an old drovers inn situated in the middle of nowhere down some rather narrow and potholed country lanes where horses appear more frequently than cars. We first tried visiting here about 15 years ago, and on what was a dark November night and relying only on hard copy maps, had failed to locate the pub. We later ascertained that it had been temporarily closed. So there may not have been a sign or anything that could have indicated that it was a pub.

Our long-awaited return in 2023 was in all honesty a bit of a letdown. We found it open this time and whilst the interior is still very traditional, it is now much more of a haute cuisine restaurant-type place that serves a few beers than a public house.

The small bar had plenty of young and enthusiastic bar staff. Butty Bach was the only cask ale. There were instead a few keg options served from a modern bar back. The rom itself was fairly untouched and looked quite splendid. But with all of the tables reserved and some kind of ambient background music playing, the atmosphere was destroyed.

A dining area could be reached by some impossibly steep steps from the bar. But we didn't attempt to venture there, as you needed to have reserved weeks in advance to have secured a table in there and I suspect that any attempts to view the restaurant would have been regarded with contempt.

We did however get a good view of the garden outside, which was most popular with drinkers. Toilets are also outside. Although, these could be the poshest outside toilets I've ever been in.

Since the pictures and the last review from 2013, this pub has very much morphed into a new creature. I'm pleased to say that they don't appear to have tampered much with the building itself, but the atmosphere is very much that of a high-end restaurant than a traditional drovers inn.

On 3^rd May 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]