Bargeman's Rest, Newport

A large place on the quayside which has totally sold its soul to the tourist market. There might well be some original building in there somewhere but I have seldom seen such a collection of fake timberwork and nautical knick-knacks. All very twee and atmospheric but far too contrived. Having said all that, it is not too bad a place for a drink, if you can avoid busy times. The bar is in the centre with a long room extending off one way and a 'family room' the other, although there is not a great difference. There is a large patio outside but the noise from the main road is annoying. Ales were Ringwood Best and 49er, Hobgoblin, Youngs Special and Yates Sea Dog.

Large waterside pub, playing on the theme and seems to be a tourist pub on the edge of town. Fine enough but very busy

Good Beer Guide 2021 entry - and the place that introduced me to Goddards Fuddle Dee Dum - for which I will be eternally grateful for. Looked lovely inside - all nautical themes - but as you can expect, I was outside. Place is totally geared up for food and a menu is presented once you can get through Covid Checkpoint Charlie. Ordering via the app was quicker than trying to get service but once ordered, everything came out at remarkable speed. Food, was very good. Huge portions and decent value. A pleasant experience.

Perched on the banks of the Medina, this is a very large pub and restaurant set inside an old bargeman’s sail loft. The pub essentially has a very wide, single room interior, but walking from end to end, you get the feeling that you are passing through a number of reasonably well-defined areas, all bound together by a nautical theme that runs throughout the pub. The servery is over towards the left-hand end of the pub and has a nice traditional bar counter with a mirrored bar back. The whole pub is decked out with the dark wooden floorboards, large ceiling beams, rustic timber supports and exposed brick walls which give it a nice traditional feel and help you visualise the building’s former use a bit more clearly. The area beyond the bar has the feel of a proper drinking area, with standard tables and chairs arranged throughout the reasonably large space. Meanwhile, the pub’s mid-section offers back to back booths along the front wall and more standard seating dotted around further back, whilst over to the right, very long tables had been formed into rows, making them ideal for large groups or private functions. The nautical memorabilia throughout the pub creates a cohesive theme that sits well with its quayside location, and includes ship’s wheels, buoys, oars, lanterns, ropes, port holes and a fair few interesting looking technical instruments, all contrasted against typical breweriana from such long-forgotten breweries as W.E. Mew and Langton & Co. A sizeable front patio offers a nice view across the river, with plenty of basic garden furniture on hand. We picked this pub because we were passing through Newport and wanted somewhere to grab a bite to eat, so it was a nice surprise to find a good ale selection on the bar, with options on this visit comprising Island Busman’s Holiday, Banks’ Sunbeam, Yates Island Explorer and Atomic Theory, the latter of which was in pretty good shape and went down well with the hearty pub fayre we ordered from the extensive menu. I had no real expectations prior to visiting this pub but left with a very favourable impression thanks to the interesting interior, tasty food and well-kept beer. The place perhaps feels a bit too food-oriented, especially around peak times, but given the size of the building, it should be pretty easy to find a comfortable spot from which to enjoy a drink or two.