The Ship Inn, Sheffield

I love a bit of exterior tiling, green or brown I don’t really care, so I found the brown tiled exterior of the Ship Inn very inviting. The impressively mosaiced entrance is faced by an L-shaped serving counter that also faces banquettes on tiled flooring up the right. There’s more banquettes at the rear and I noted a dartboard and large screen for airing Sky Sports. This was muted while some modern rock music played. Premium keg was available alongside Neck Oil and two of the four hand pumps were in use drawing Little Critters Head Banger and Little Hopper, the former being a decent pint. If this pub was on my local high street I’d be very happy, even if it doesn’t quite match up to its peers.

A nicely tiled pub on the exterior gives way to something a little more basic inside. The beer offering was also quite basic, in Sheffield terms, with Doom Bar, Abbeydale Moonshine and Old Rosie available on the handles, the Moonshine was neither great nor poor, good enough for a pint. Although there's nothing wrong with the pub there's not enough of interest to make me rush back.

A very striking pub, with the splendid nut-brown Tomlinsons tiling looking a picture on a fine sunny day. Less sure about the modernised interior, though, but this is well done it its own way. Not sure what the Artisan Tap branding means, but Landlord, Abbeydale Absolution, Henry Smith Session IPA (£3.05) and Swoon Chocolate Fudge Milk Stout available were found on handpump when we visited.