Hole In The Wall, Nottingham

The online information about this pub's opening time was contradictory - was it 3pm or 4pm? Just in case, I called around at 3:30 but there was a notice in the window saying that opening time was 4. Fair enough, so I came back just after 4:15 but there was still no sign of life. Giving them one last chance, I returned at just after 5 and found two lads playing pool, though the state of play and of their beer glasses told me they'd only been there a couple of minutes. So, 5 it is - so why not correct the notice in the window? This is a light and airy pub, with cool green and white paint, the bar lining the wall to the right, a pool table beind a row of pillars to the left, and a smallish beer garden beyond that. There are two banks of three hand pumps, with one set seemingly not in use. Two of the three beers were from breweries I'd not previously encountered: Bang the Elephant and Lenton Lane, with Hollow Stone making up the trifecta of Nottingham breweries. I went for the mild: Merlins Thunder from Bang the Elephant, which was very good though not as violent as the name suggested. Date of visit: 22nd June 2022

I wasn’t expecting much from this place as in 22 years of living in Nottingham I have never been in or heard of anyone visiting it. One friend did mention that it used to be a very popular place in the eighties so I ventured on a Wednesday afternoon around 2pm to give it a try…..CLOSED. The pub was clearly still operating but was not open which I found most odd. Upon inspecting this place does not open until 3pm every day. Another day I went back when it was open and if not for ticking it of my list wish I hadn’t bothered this place is dire. Upon entering the pub has been completely knocked through from the old bar and the extension which creates one square shaped room with a pool table on the left and the long bar running along the right hand side of the pub. This had one of the worst/plainest decors of any pub I have ever been in. All walls are whitewashed with virtually no decoration at all which made the place look a large prison cell. There was no heating so a large plug in heater was pushing out hot air and the toilets were disgusting. This will come as no surprise but there were no customers in on a Wednesday evening so when we approached the bar we were waiting a good while before a man appeared who even seemed surprised to see us there such is the lack of popularity of this place. On the bar I saw signs of what my friend may have been on about from years ago as two banks of four hand pulls were at either end but not a single pump clip in sight, not even a reversed one. I enquired about any ale and was told they “don’t do that anymore” and there was no demand for it. This left me with an incredibly bland standard keg selection with the only minor change from the norm being Marstons Smooth. I opted for a pint of John Smiths (£2.90) which I regretted as although far from being nice drink was particularly poor and seemed to have been sitting in the pipes for a very long time, you know it’s getting bad when the keg stuff can’t be kept. This place is such a shame as its located in the heart of student central and a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of central Nottingham and all the trade but it seems like the landlord has just completely given up and is just plodding along waiting for an excuse to close rather than invest in his pub, get some beers on and advertise himself to his audience, a little effort would go a long way in a place like this. One slight redeeming factor were the two boxes of real cider behind the bar but this was really a token effort to try and appease anyone who wants anything near a genuine drink. I cannot recommend this place and judging but what I saw cannot see it surviving. Then again with no staff costs maybe he makes just enough to plod along on and is ok with that, either way it’s a shame.