The Talbot, St. Helens

Another of St Helens’ ale houses located on the fringes of the town centre, this place is a good sized, two bar pub with a strong commitment to cask ale. Turning right in the entrance porch, you enter the Public Bar which has a pool table to the front, a long banquette down the right-hand wall and an area for playing darts to the rear. A conventional servery runs down the left side of the room with a dark wood counter and a very handy beer board on the bar back which details the ales on in both rooms. The highlight here has to be the very impressive collection of St Helens rugby league shirts, photos and other such memorabilia plus a very large, well-stocked trophy cabinet that must give the one at Langtree Park a run for its money. The Lounge Bar, to the left, has smart floorboards which contrast with the tatty, if admittedly comfy, banquettes that run around the front part of the room. The servery mirrors that from the Public Bar and has an impressive whisky box collection running along the gantry. A TV screen showing live sports coverage with the sound turned on, stands in the front corner and has a small collection of rubber ducks in front of it, apropos of nothing. Beyond, this seating area, the room opens out to the left, into a nicely styled area with plenty more comfy looking seating options, another big TV screen and a very attractive fireplace on the end wall. My October visit saw the pub decked out with some very impressive Halloween decorations including a sound activated parrot in a cage, which was triggered into life every time something exciting happened in the football match shown on the TV screen it was hung from! Ales were split between the two bars and I noted Severn Double Hopped, Tatton Best, 4T’s European Pale, Swan Arm Breaker, Wily Fox Karma Citra, Raven Stout and one other that I couldn’t make out. The Raven Stout was an excellent drop and I enjoyed relaxing in the Lounge Bar with a small but chatty bunch of regulars. I thought this was a very good pub with enough different seating areas to appeal to a wide range of customers and enough well-kept beer to service a good long session. I was more than happy settling down in here and had there not been other pubs to check out, I would’ve gladly stayed to try a few more from their ale range.

As the name suggests shows plenty of sport. Shows a lot of Everton games so can be empty at times.