The Commercial Hotel, Wishaw

I wouldn’t go so far as the previous reviewer, but this is certainly a very impressive pub. It’s a large, L shaped bar which seems to occupy the entire ground floor of the building. Although it’s modern, the low level lighting and the nooks and crannies around the walls create a cosy and intimate atmosphere. There is a juke box, gaming machines, flat screen TVs, two pool tables and a podium which looks as if it’s designed for a DJ later in the evening. Meals are served and there is even a cash machine in the bar in case you run out of money. In the outdoor seating area at the back, the tables are sheltered by giant umbrellas and warmed by halogen heaters. Incredibly, there is also a TV screen there, protected from the elements by a wooden awning, which is something I’d never seen in a beer garden before. There are even two TVs in the gents toilet (another first), so you don’t have to miss a moment of whatever you’re watching. I can’t speak for the ladies’ but, in the interests of equality, I imagine they will have screens too.

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