The Freshfield, Liverpool

This large pub in a fairly well to do neighbourhood made it into the final four of CAMRA's national pub of the year a few years ago, so I was expecting a typical backstreet alehouse when I visited recently. I was therefore a little surprised to instead find a large dining-style pub set in a rather imposing former hotel. The pub has a very wide and long U-shaped layout with the main bar in the front section which has scuffed floorboards. The main part of the servery runs along the back wall with a dark wood counter and rough bare brick bar back sporting a nicely detailed carved wood feature in the centre with some mirrors set into it. An old punch card clock with a rack of cards next to it can be seen at one end of the bar and there is also an acoustic guitar on display. Some lovely curved banquettes with tub chairs in support fill the front window bays and a barrel next to the front door holds a selection of the day's papers. To the left is a smart fireplace with a decoratively framed mirror above and the room extends some way back on this side, with the bar following it for the first section. There are lots of comfy chairs and sofas down this side under plain mirrors and old photos on walls decorated with modern wallpaper. This runs on through to the rear restaurant which is full of lots of standard tables and chairs and was pretty much bereft of any pub feel. To the right of the bar, a doorway leads past another nice fireplace with a TV screen above, into a smart room with bare brick walls, long benches and standard chairs, decorated with lots more black and white photos. Surprisingly, there is a dartboard to the front and I noticed an upright piano and a bookcase full of old Good Beer Guides towards the rear. Some decent indie music played quietly throughout my visit and the only other customers on a Thursday lunchtime were young mums and their kids and a few retired couples - almost all here for some food. The pub's alehouse credentials come from the extensive range of beers across fourteen handpulls. The options on this visit were Oakham Citra and JHB, Greene King IPA, London Glory and Abbott Ale, Milton Nero and Minerva, Ruddles Best, Taylor Landlord, Acorn Blonde, Pier 59 Oceanic, Lancaster Centennial, Milestone Aegir and Empire Porter. A great range to go at, but you have to wonder how, on a quiet day such as when I visited, they manage to maintain quality across fourteen casks. Thankfully my pint of the Acorn Blonde was in decent enough shape, so perhaps they really can support such a selection. This is definitely a destination pub for anyone looking for a wide selection of ales comprised of well known national brands and slightly obscurer brews. The pub itself wasn't quite as expected given the gastro feel through parts of it and the large open spaces, but perhaps things are very different when its busier and it was certainly very clean and well presented. Overall, the place just about won me over and I'm glad I took the train out here to give it a try.