The Adelphi, Blackburn

A good looking pub from the outside. Inside is also a nice pub which is well described below. Sadly no real ale was available as all 5 handpumps were off with only 1 having any kind of clip on.

This rather grand pub, with nice curved frontage, is conveniently located next to the train and bus stations, cathedral and shopping precinct, making it an obvious choice to pop into for a quick drink. You enter into a predominantly bare boarded room with the bar running along the back wall. The servery is quite attractive, with a decorative counter and a nice dark wood bar back with integral clock. Directly opposite is a carpeted seating area with banquettes and standard chairs around a smart tiled fireplace. To the left is a rather plain bare boarded space filled with a pool table and a few old pictures which adorn the walls. The right hand side of the pub seems by far the nicest section, set out as a carpeted lounge with deep padded banquettes, wood panelled walls, some nice decorative glass mirrors to the rear, old photos of the pub on the walls and a dartboard. For all of the nice features here and throughout the rest of the pub, an air of neglect hangs over the place, and I did feel that a good freshening up would make the place much more appealing. The windows along the front of the pub are all etched with the pub's name, which is another nice feature. There were TV screens showing a muted music channel whilst other songs played in the background, and a screen in the middle pub was showing horse racing to a few old boys. Food and live music were being promoted on blackboards around the pub, but I saw no menus or stage area, so I'm not sure these were up to date. I was pleased to see a choice of ales at the bar, with Black Sheep Bitter and Box Steam Tunnel Vision available on my arrival. Clips for Thwaites Wainwright and Greene King IPA were reversed. I tried the Tunnel Vision, which sadly wasn't really up to much, although thankfully I only had time for a half before my train left, so I was able to get through it. There is potential here, but it all felt a bit lazy, perhaps content to get by on the passing trade without striving to make this the destination pub it could be. Worth a look if you're waiting for a bus or train, but I wouldn't fancy a session in here.