The Dog & Doublet, Wolverhampton

City Centre bar close to the Civic Hall. One long knocked through room with almost a cellar feel at the rear with the brickwork. There is a cocktail bar outside in the small courtyard. Not that much seating I expect they are after the standing crowd that would frequent bars like Yates over the road, though it was quite quiet on my Saturday evening visit. 4 real ales, 2 of which were more unusual though slightly warm for my taste.

The former Manders Bar has been renamed the Dog and Doublet, thoroughly refurbished and was reopened at the end of May. The interior was previously two small rooms that have been knocked into one narrow but long room. The front half of the room has a dark wood counter along the left wall, a brick fire place with cast log burner in the right wall and high backed burgundy leather chesterfield arm chairs either side. A wood floor directly in front of the counter and carpet in front of the fire place. A flight of stairs (staff only) running left to right divides the two halves of the room, beyond these is an area with a low vaulted ceiling, a second brick fire place with cast log burner in the right wall, wood floor and a DJ booth in the back right corner. Various photos of Wolverhampton and Wolves FC are on the walls towards the front while there are a couple of photos of old British rock bands on the walls at the back such as Led Zeppelin, the Who and the Rolling Stones. In the left wall opposite the rearmost fire place is a door that leads out to a decked courtyard with a classy Benidorm style bamboo and straw bar counter. Ales on offer during this visit were Enville Ale, Holdens Golden Glow, Purple Moose Dark side of the Moose, Dickensian Nicholas Nickle Beer, Directionless Pale Ale and Abbeydale Orange Wheat. The Dark side was very good. There was an interesting selection of foreign bottled beers behind the bar that one of the young barmen was very enthusiastic about. Interesting new place with a good selection of ales on offer, the décor is a mix of traditional and modern which in this case works quite well in my opinion. Another welcome addition to Wolverhampton’s slowly growing real ale pub scene (city centre at least), an encouraging start, I shall return soon.