The Rose & Crown, Welwyn

Official site of The Rose & Crown - www.roseandcrowntewin.com

This could, nay should, be so much better given its location (just off a smallish, triangular village green) and facade. Inside, it's a two-roomer with some nice touches - if you enter to the left, there's exposed boards, mixed seating, including leather bucket chairs and a huge, open inglenook fireplace, albeit with modern burner. The disappointment was the clientele (overly male and laddish), large, loud screens showing a PL match, and limited ale selection - GK IPA and Abbot Ale over three pumps (one unclipped) on the right-hand bar and the same over four pumps (two unclipped) in the main, left-hand bar. A semi-dining area was out back of the main bar with a beer garden out yonder. Under GK's auspices, the apathy makes sense, and anyone with the money and inclination could make a killing here as there is precious little in the vicinity worth making the trip out to.

Official site of The Rose & Crown - www.roseandcrowntewin.com

Not sure I can give a true view of what this pub is like as there was only one other punter in when we visited on this freezing cold late January afternoon. So couldn't fault the service as it was virtually personal and obviously there wasn't much atmosphere. But this should be a decent village pub as it has all the right ingredients. It's a kind of two room set up with spacious drinking areas either side of the central bar serving area. Both has large fireplaces and although the right hand area had a gas wood effect fire, the large brick fireplace in the left bar supported a roaring open fire, which was very welcome on this bitterly cold afternoon. There is a dining room at the back of the left hand area. We didn't eat but the menu looked reasonable. And a large garden out the back for warmer days than this one. It's a GK house and had IPA and Abbot on pump. So not the most inspiring choice, but my pint of IPA was OK.