The Rai d'Or, Salisbury

One of the more unusual perennial Good Beer Guide entries - it's a Thai restaurant but you can, if you want, just drink (and we propped up the bar due to a lack of free tables). The Oriental ladies behind the bar won’t bat an eyelid if you just want a pint and there’s no hard sell on the food. There were two cask ales on; Downton Apple Blossom and Wickwar BOB (fair shape) and at £3.50pp, a bit of a steal by Salisbury’s usual standards. There was also a pump for Wessex cider. The interior is a small L shaped affair with restrained Oriental stylings, with wooden trellises acting as room dividers and numerous potted plants along with windowsills. Inevitably, the air hangs heavy with Oriental cooking smells, which may put some off. It’s an intriguing enigma – well-worth popping in on your inaugural crawl round Salisbury (note the limited opening hours – doors at 5), though whether you’d want to settle in for a session is a moot point. Hard to score without eating any of the grub, seeing as that’s an intrinsic part of the experience. But as a purely vertical drinking experience it isn’t (and can’t be) all that.

A small L-shaped boarded room with the bar on the inside corner, this place is a fusion of pub and Thai restaurant. At busy times (the food is excellent and popular), priority seating is for diners so drinkers may need to prop up the bar which may not be popular with some. It is a historic building with an interesting past, at one time a brothel, an inglenook fireplace remains although nowadays housing a wood burning stove. Décor is mixed, a painting of a castle over a chimney breast, a mural of Stonehenge as well as Thai figures and carvings on wooden trellises which act as room dividers. There is foliage aplenty with every inch of window cill being utilised for plant pots. An advantage of the foody angle is that all the seating is of the regular type, no silly high tables or sofas in here. I ate here as planned on my recent Salisbury trip, the food certainly doesn't disappoint and the service is friendly, warm and efficient. The beer choice is none too shabby either, Downton Chimera Dry, Summer Slogger and Stonehenge Eye Opener. I tried the last two, both were in fine fettle and complement the chilli hit of the food well. To one side of the bar a few pump clips advise on which beer is coming soon. I like it here a great deal, I have been in previously just for a drink without any issues however it is probably wise to avoid peak food time if in search of a quiet pint. Opens 5pm Monday to Thursday.