The Gatehouse, Monmouth

The Gate House is situated by the river next to the historic 13th century Monnow bridge but does not really make the best use of its prime location. From the outside, the pub is quite tatty and run down with copious amounts of peeling paint, rotting wood and tired looking flower baskets. Check out the front door for starters! The small interior is divided into a stone floored main bar and a screened off dining area to the rear. At least the décor is in better shape than the exterior although it does seem a bit dated and the pink paintwork in the dining section is perhaps not to everyone's taste. There are lots of plates and pictures adorning the walls and a few flickering lights but overall the interior is not particularly memorable. Space is at a premium when busy although the dining area was totally empty on our visit and we just managed to grab the last couple of stools around a pillar with a shelf. Of the 4 hand pumps, 2 were out of use but Hancocks HP and Sharops Wills Resolve were both available and seemed fine to my untrained palate. I certainly couldn't complain about the service - unable to see what beers were on the barman / landlord was quick to point them out and a short measure was topped up without any prompting. The locals were quite friendly as was the cat. There were signs for a Thursday quiz night and there is an enclosed beer garden to the rear although it did not look like you get much of a river view. The other big plus was having a chippy next door - always pretty handy! Overall, not a particularly memorable pub, especially given its location but it is perfectly adequate for a friendly couple of pints.