Hercules Revived, Nuneaton

Official site of Hercules Revived - www.herculesrevived.co.uk

Official site of Hercules Revived - www.herculesrevived.co.uk

Facebook page of Hercules Revived - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Hercules Revived - www.facebook.com

This is a terraced Georgian styled pub/restuarant. The name comes from the racehorse, so it is said, owned by the Dixie family, which were landowners in the area. Technically, the place is called 'Hercules Revived', after the new owners thoughtfully employed "a team of heritage people and craftsmen", to rip out the "tired 17th century inn", in 2012, creating a "a wonderfully relaxed bar and simple dining on the ground floor with a large open fire, and a series of elegantly decorated, cosy restaurant rooms on the first floor". This transformation apparently "evokes memories of how a great English Country Inn should be". I only saw the one room, and this one made me think of how daringly the interior designers had mixed-up the furniture in that oh-so modern way, so as to look like every other arty restaurant and many a front room - anything in fact, but the memories of what a great English country inn should look like. Sorry, personal rant over; many will love it, I am sure. The room i saw was in cream walls, with a pale green wood bar in the corner. Georgian prints were juxtoposed with dog-headed human portraits and comfy, table and banquette seating gave the willing punter a choice of where to park their backside. There was no TV and the background music was at a soft level. A book case, yes, with books, allowed access to something should the food take a while and a strange potted planty twig thing stood on the bar, the alien nature of which reminded me that Dr Who will be back on soon. The service was really friendly, and a couple of other people were in, eating. Beer; general tap stuff with Wood Farm Union, Church End What the Fox's Hat and Battlefield Brewery's Henry Tudor on handpull. The Union and Tudor being decent. I can't fault the beer and service - and Mrs Soup liked her hot choccy - i just don't get the modern interior, especially when you are told that it is traditional! Mind you, this is more a restaurant than a pub now, having been many years since i was last in.