Kings Arms, Grantham

A decent looking pub on the outside, inside of course has been messed about with, opened out and extended to the rear giving an L shape to the place. Entering at the front the counter is ahead and extends back along the long side of the L, it’s a decent old wooden job no doubt rescued from a pub now long gone. Umpteen tall T-Bars with a normal selection of keg delights, a sticker on a front window boasts they serve John Smiths. There are four hand pumps but three had Lilleys cider while the fourth had a decidedly average Taylors Landlord at a bargain price of £3.35. The front right has a pool table and table football, the left side has a dart board and three of the many screens. Above the pool table is a blow up of a Victorian map of Grantham, possibly the most interesting thing about the pub. I probably don’t need to mention the constant over loud music and the machines.

My recent visit to the Craft Union run Kings Arms coincided with he weekly quiz that is hosted on the multiple screens throughout. I think the lack of quiz master makes these evenings very sterile, especially when there’s only a handful of teams sat in different corners of the pub. Seating and a dartboard are found to the left of the entrance and to the right is a pool table, table football and a couple of booths. The serving counter up the left faces mainly standing room with a strip of seating up the right-hand wall. At the rear is some raised seating under a massive television screen, Sky Sports is advertised. The service was polite, but the options of standard and premium keg alongside a mainstream ale aren’t going to draw in many.

Official site of Kings Arms - www.craftunionpubs.com

Official site of Kings Arms - www.craftunionpubs.com

Looks and feels like a Lloyds JDW variant – make of that what you will. One long room, brown in shade (my favourite…). TV football on multiple screens and the interior was done-up ready for a Friday night disco. Weird but lovely cornice exit at the rear. Two pumps with one on - Robin Hood Pale (fine). Crawl fodder, but there’s worse in town.