The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon), Newmarket

Rather bizarre Spoons, unassuming small room with a part given over to a gaming area, but with down n outs sitting at the machines, not playing. Beer served in plastic glasses. Toilets are a mess, which is very unspoons like. All a bit weird and crap!

Good looking spoons on the High Street. We called in early for breakfast which was pretty decent. Seemed a better than average spoons to me!

This 18th-century building, which has always been a pub, stands out in Newmarket's High Street due to its distinctive brickwork. Sadly, one finds little of note within the extended interior apart from a wood-panelled side lounge area about halfway back. Also has a rear patio beer garden. Unsurprisingly in these post-lockdown days, just an unadventurous selection of six real ales available from the two banks of five handpumps - the usual trio plus three other nationals.

Official site of The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

Official site of The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

I was surprised to discover that this was an original old pub as I'd written down on my scrap of paper "rectangular shop conversion that narrows at the rear". Well, that's what it looked like to me and there is an extensive patio at the rear. The horse racing was on the TV in the central bar area, hardly surprising being Newmarket. The bar has ten hand pumps which had a reasonably good choice of the JDW Trio Of Doom, four ales from the recent festival, Adnam's Broadside, Elgood's Greyhound and Bowman's Quiver. I went for the Greyhound (£2.29) which was excellent and had time to stay for a few. I thought this was a good Spoons and deservedly is GBG 2017 listed.

Old style exterior but with a modern styled open plan interior. All in all pretty formulaic.