Sun Inn, Retford

A surprising backstreet pub that has clearly had a load of money spent on it, creating a modern, slightly upmarket, open plan sort of place. Firstly you have to fight in past the numerous tables wedged round the outside, with its own bar (in an old Airstream trailer) and, depressingly, outdoor musak. Next you come to the large designer decor dining area, complete with a Wait to be Seated sign, which you can ignore and head to the bar as there is a fair sized room with mostly high tables to the side suitable for drinking in. Thankfully it does have a brace of handpumps, which had a tolerable Welbeck Abbey White Stag and a clip-reversed Batemans's Rosey Nosey. Probably useful if you are looking for food and it is not far from the station but not a huge draw.

Facebook page of Sun Inn - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Sun Inn - www.facebook.com

Official site of Sun Inn - sun-inn-retford.co.uk

Official site of Sun Inn - sun-inn-retford.co.uk

Entry is through a door in the corner between two wings of the building. This leads through an area of dining tables to the bar which is up a step or two. There's not really anywhere for drinkers apart from the high chairs at the bar, with all the tables set up for diners. Some pretty awful pop radio station was playing. There were three hand pumps on the bar: Timothy Taylor Landlord, Sharps Doom Bar and Dukeries Hoods Hideaway. Date of visit: 2nd April 2013 A more recent visit found little change, though there are now just two hand pumps with Greene King Gangly Ghoul and Spire Whiter Shade. With Halloween now several weeks in the past I wasn't keen to try the GK beer, but to be honest the Spire wasn't much cop either, though to be fair the landlady pulled a good measure through before pouring mine, as it was the first of the day. (I only came back here because I'd forgotten to write up my review from 2013 and so had no recollection of having been here until a sudden attack of deja vu as I approached the pub. We live and learn.)

The Birches looks quite smart and well kept from the outside,once inside the pub has got two seperate rooms i went in the room to the right this room was on two levels with the bar being on the smaller upper level this area was carpeted and had a few normal tables and chairs,the lower level was larger and there was what looked more like a dining area to the right, the lower area had a stone floor. There were two real ales on the bar i had a drink of John Smiths cask bitter and this was a nice drink the other beer was Taylor Landlord. The pub was fairly busy with locals but there were no people dining here. Pub visited 2/6/2012