Baltic Fleet, Liverpool

The long slow revamping of the Baltic Fleet continues. The bar counter has moved through 90 degrees and now sits against the back wall of the front bar, and the main door has moved yet again, this time to where to counter used to be. There's also a posh seating area outside. There are 2 ciders among the 7 pumps including less beer from Wapping than previously. Latest news is that the brewery will remain downstairs.

From a distance this wedged shaped building with chimneys painted as funnels,looks like an ocean going liner.The entrance now seems to be in the stern and leads directly to a tap room with bare floorboards,a banquette,circular tables,a fire door to the bow and a bar with seven handpumps serving on my trip four from the home Wapping brewery (Wapping,IPA,Stout and a very good Summer),a guest ale and a real cider.Between the front door and the bar there was a temporary entrance to the side lounge area and,carrying on to the bow area which looked the most interesting spot surrounded by elegant curved windows. So the refurb continues,there was a wooden stable door where you could get served if drinking in the side lounge but I wonder if this pub is like a builders house,never quite finished.The exterior could also do with some sprucing up but the quality of the ale would always ensure that I would pay a visit here.It's proximity to The Albert Dock means you can get a decent pint if visiting this largest collection of Grade II listed buildings in the UK.

As below its difficult to rate this pub as half of it is under construction. Its near the albert Dock, but feels very isolated on the opposite side of the busy road with no complimentory buildings near by. Its quite basic but with potential. The beer was ok Best reviewed once the works are complete.

This interesting brewpub, situated opposite the Kings Dock and Echo Arena was partially closed on my recent visit, meaning that it wasn’t possible to get a proper feel of the place. Externally the pub bears more than a passing resemblance to a ship thanks to its wedge shape and liner-style chimneys. Entering through the back door due to the work being done at the front, there is a narrow back room with bare floorboards and scrubbed tables and benches plus a few small marble topped tables with low stools. Pictures from the docks in their heyday cover the walls and the eye is drawn to a fireplace at the end of the room which also serves a small cosier section at the thin end of the wedge. This seemed to be the best place to get a view out towards the dock, but it was full on my visit, so I had to sit near the short remaining stretch of bar counter and admire the old pub sign hung over the fireplace. The barman explained that the refurb, which resulted in the complete closure of the front room, began on the 27th February and the intention was to restore the pub’s original layout including a new servery and to make more of a feature of the outdoor patio area. There were four beers on the bar, all from the Wapping brewery which is located in the pub’s basement. I tried the best bitter which is also called Wapping (£2.40) and thought it was a nice enough pint. The three other beers were all over 5% - Stout, Baltic Hefe Weiss Bier and Ten Years On which celebrates the brewery’s recent ten year anniversary. It’s difficult to rate the pub given that half of it looked like a building site, but there was plenty of promise from what I saw and the good beer and friendly staff certainly make me keen to revisit so I can enjoy the pub in its proper state.