The Britannia, Darlington

As I made my way into the bar, the server stood up from behind a table where, to my casual glance, she had been working at a lap top computer. A more careful subsequent look informed me that she'd been sitting before a halogen heater - and it wasn't even a cold day! The choice of real ales was disappointing for a " local CAMRA award-winning " pub - just Black Sheep Best and John Smiths Cask. Though I have to admit that the half of Black Sheep was my best beer of the day, the rest of my experience here, from the bar person's indifference to the formulaic pop music from the local radio station was totally depressing. Surely, after more than eight years of the smoking ban, the bar area should not still be smelling of stale cigarette smoke? I had been looking forward to coming here, after reading reviews on this site and WhatPub, but I have to say that it's only the beer quality that drags its rating up to my 4 points. Date of visit: 25th November 2015

The Britannia is now selling quality food. Carley and Colin provide "proper home-cooked pub grub", served Wednesday to Saturday noon until 8.00 pm, Sunday 'til 4.00 pm) plus tasty snacks throughout the day, every day. I visit this pub several times each week and their five hand-pulled beers, 2 regulars & 3 guests, are always in excellent condition. They also boast a range of world crafted bottled beers, plus some unique "bespoke" spirits! The pub serves the community and is home to two resident domino teams, plus a Folk singing group using the rear room. There's always something of interest going on in the pub so there's plenty to interest solo visitors.

This is a detached pub that stands alone on the North side of the ring road near one of the roundabouts. Inside it's a long narrow single room. The bar has six hand pumps one of which was devoted to cider. On my visit there was a disappointing beer selection with one unused, John Smith's Bitter, Deuchar's IPA, Wadworth's 6X and Cameron's Strongarm. I went for the Strongarm which was in good nick. Although it's quite a nice old pub the beer selection was uninspiring but that may be more down to the pubco than the people running it.

The pub has been closed for a couple of weeks for a small refurbishment and only reopened last Friday. The new young couple that now run the pub were friendly and chatty, so too were the couple of locals stood at the bar. There were no TV's or fruit machines to be seen on this visit. The interior of the pub was traditional, with painted walls, banquette seating and a 70's style Formica bar counter. Five ales on hand pump on this visit and have to say the beer we tried was in excellent condition. The manager added he had spent some time learning his cellar skills in a few pubs around Darlington. We went for the Camerons Strong Arm and Adnams Southwold.