The Royal Crown, Rochester

The Crown is a decent sized corner pub that is at the top end of the high street and close to the bridge over the bridge over the Medway. Once inside there is a single U shaped room with the bar in the middle area,the right side has normal tables and chairs and looked more like a dining area,the other seating was tall tables and chairs around the edge of the room,the room is carpeted where the seating is and bare boarded around the bar. There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Sharps Atlantic which went down well,the other beers were Doom Bar and Bombardier. There were TVs showing snooker and BBC news on mute, background music was playing. Food is available wit a few people having meals on my Saturday dinner visit. This is a decent pub just a shame there is no low seating for normal drinkers. Pub visited 6/6/2015

The first pub in Rochester as you cross the Medway, it is also one of the oldest. Elizabeth I stayed here in 1573, when it was a prime hotel on the London-Dover road, although the building has changed substantially since then. It was first licensed as a pub in 1855, was owned by Inde Coope for a while, was known as The Norma Conquest during the 1980s and is now a family run Freehouse. The downstairs is now a single large bar, light and airy, wooden floor, discreet gaming machine, tv, screen and projector. Staff are very friendly, the food is reasonable and the clientele are pleasant and civilised. There are 2 handpumps dispensing Courage Best and Bombardier, both in very good condition and enjoyable. Free wifi is available. Definitely worth popping in for a snack, a few pints or just to hide from the wife, and an essential part of a City crawl.

The Crown is a U shaped pub with an upstairs bar that was closed for a private function during my recent Saturday evening visit. The bar is stocked with standard draught products alongside four hand pumps that were drawing Bombardier, Deuchars and Pride with the forth being unused. Food is served all day and the mains come in at around the £8 mark. Plasma screens are located throughout for showing Sky Sports and I found the staff to be friendly. I thought that the music was a little loud and the other customers didn’t look like the type that would be that impressed with the hip-hop that was being pumped out of the speakers. This pub is in a prime location next to Rochester Bridge so there is a lot of passing trade which can detract a little from the atmosphere. I’d have no problem popping in again for a quick pint, but there are better pus in the area.