Nelson Hotel, Rochdale

Downmarket and scruffy certainly describes it and unfortunately it was on the unpleasant side of downmarket on this occasion. Ripped banquette seating and a real down at heel appearance in all parts of the pub. A single polite Asian drinker in one room, an old bloke fallen asleep in another room and chavs in the beer garden. The lad at the bar couldn’t string a sentence together but maybe Taddy lager has that effect. My XXX bitter was fairly vile but only £1.30 a half.

During a recent Monday visit to Rochdale the, Samuel Smiths run, Nelson Hotel was the first pub I visited. A tiled floor leads from the entrance to a bar on the back wall which is stocked with the usual SS keg range. I plumped for half an Old Brewery Bitter which set me back a whole pound. In the left hand-side of the pub are front and rear seating areas and to the right is a pool room with dartboard at the front and some seating with a dartboard at the rear. Out the back are a few picnic tables that were being used by the Tourettes Appreciation Society mentioned by the previous reviewer. As usual for Sam Smiths there is no television or music and communication devices such as phones and laptops are banned. For early on a Monday evening I thought that it was very busy in here. I later discovered that the Corporation Inn, an SS pub around the corner, was closed for refurbishment which may explain the popularity of the Nelson. I’m not a big fan of these pubs, but the OBB was good and cheap so I see the attraction.