The Verulam Arms, St Albans Central, St. Albans

This pub was a little too on the gastro side of things for me, either it works or it doesn't, and it didn't for me so I didnt linger long here, a quick half an Adnams Ghost Ship was sufficient.Unlikely to make a repeat visit.

A bit of a mixed bag I thought, on face value a decent street corner local boozer but it has also a theme of being some kind of upmarket trendy foody place based on earthy ingredients sourced in natural ways with a hunter/gatherer ethos. A board advertises "Foraging Walks" and there are framed posters of fungi and the suchlike. If you look at the place purely as a pub it's not bad. Four handpumps, Adnam's Ghost Ship, Tring Kotuku, house beer Grindcobbe (with an unusual carved wooded clip) and a scrumpy cider from Wales, who's name I couldn't see properly. A few fancy keg offerings from the likes of Camden, Titanic and a wheat, Maisel's Weissbier. Boarded floor, some etched glass, olive green wainscoting, scrubbed tables with mismatched chairs, a nice fireplace with a mirror over. A feature was a carved wood stag's head.....I doubt the politics in here would permit a stuffed one. Fancy menu at fancy prices, I didn't see anyone eating but it was around 4.30 in the afternoon. A bit of a short measure but not worth arguing about, strange to get a pint in a goblet glass I thought. I can't really make my mind up about here, as a pub it is ok but the undercurrent of it trying to be something else that it possibly isn't I find difficult. I'll probably never go in again so I must judge on this visit, I'll try and be fair.