Saracen's Head, Worcester

Two bar format, each room accessed via the now covered cobbled side alley which clearly once led to stables behind the pub. This side area now has evidently popular semi-outdoor tables, I preferred to head inside where the front room has the bar, quiet music, part boarded and part carpeted, ceiling beams, some with dangling pewter tankards. Traditional seating in here, copper kettles and brass plates, framed prints of birdcages and racehorses. There is a dartboard and Tv in here, the clientele were lively and loud but in no way threatening. I looked in the back room briefly, no drinkers in, just a small child on a scooter zooming about so best left I thought. Holden's Golden Glow, Hobson's Twisted Spire and Doom Bar in the main room, my brief foray in the back revealed more pumps, GK St Edmunds Ale, a Thatcher's cider and a perry so well worth enquiring before choosing.

A two room old-school boozer straight out of the mid-70s. Basic public bar at the front with darts and banquette seating, cream and red colour scheme with some timberwork going on. The rear room(s) are more lounge-like in style, accessed via the side patio (football shown here, apparently). Bit confusing on the ale range, looked like there were three ales when I entered the public bar (Doom Bar, Butcombe, Hobsons Twisted Spire though on exploring the rear I came across a couple of others including one from Worcester which I’d have gone for had I known (or perhaps more pertinently, been told). A proper cider and perry (from Black Rat) were also in residence here too. Anyway my Hobsons was cheap, tasty and served in a rather fetching branded glass. Rolls spotted behind the bar which always gets a vote from me. Worth stopping off for and given its proximity to the Dragon and Foregate St BR, I’d be quite tempted to drop in here again.

Having walked past it the previous day thinking the place looked a bit run down, but then having been advised that it actually had a reasonable selection of real ale on offer, I took the opportunity of a brief stopover between trains at the nearby Foregate Street station to pop in quickly. The small front bar was absolutely rammed by I could just make out three handpumps on the counter. The larger rear bar, with another little seating area beyond, was thankfully rather quieter and had another five handpumps (four of which were operational). Further patio seating is also available in the covered side alleyway that also forms the link between the bars and the route to the gents. Old-fashioned furniture and decor, but tidy enough. My pint of Slater's Bitter was in good form, and all-in-all I was glad I made the effort to visit.