The Earl of Mercia (JD Wetherspoon), Coventry

Ticking off the GBG 2019 pubs of Coventry. This was #1. All the bad thing you expect from a JDW - filthy tables, angry queuing at the bar, inexperienced bar staff shouting "who's next" not exactly helping. What was a real disappointment was the beer. Elliswood Royal Standard was very poor. Good location. Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2P0EwkX

This is a well presented bank converted branch of Wetherspoons with a good location in the corner of the small square opposite the attractive Council House. Entering the pub you find yourself in a carpeted ground floor bar area with the servery along the back wall and some regimented rows of high tables and stools opposite, with standard tables and chairs under the front windows. There is a nice dark wood ceiling and a few support pillars through the middle of the room which breaks up an otherwise open space quite effectively. The servery has a long and rather plain counter and a fairly simple mirrored bar back and I think it's fair to say that there is a general sense of the underwhelming when comparing this venue to some of the chain's more opulent bank conversions. Stairs in the rear right corner lead up to a pleasant first floor seating area which looks down to the bar below and gives some nice views out to the aforementioned council building. The first floor area runs in an elongated U shape and offers almost exclusively small tables with regular chairs in two rows. Decor throughout is confined to the usual 'Spoons information boards and a few old local black and white photos but there were two or three TV screens all showing muted live rugby coverage on a Saturday evening visit. The pub was doing a roaring trade with a good mix of customers and was almost as busy when we returned on Sunday morning for breakfast, including a farcical queue running from the bar to the other end of the room which the bar staff directed me to when I tried to just get served at the bar like a normal person. There were five guest ales on the Saturday evening, plus two of the inevitable 'Spoons regulars and one out of action pump. I tried Elland Beyond the Pale which was rather good and merited a second pint before we headed off elsewhere. As usual, the food here was reliable and filling but there was a slightly farcical element to the serving of the food, as someone had clearly moved some of the tables around, leaving the waiting staff with no idea where they were supposed to bring each order. I liked this Wetherspoons although I thought it was remarkably similar to the Flying Standard at the other end of the city centre. The service could have done with a bit of polishing (especially the stupid queuing at the bar set-up), but this turned out to be a reliable stop off during our weekend in the city, enhanced by some good beer and pleasant views.

Nice two storey Wetherspoons with views over the central square. usual seating arrangements but the mezzanine level reduces the height from huge banking hall to comfortable pub in a good way. Beer is very good, the service unfortunately average Wetherspoons.

This Spoons was originally opened as a Lloyds back in the Summer of 2000. I assume they changed it to a normal JDW when they opened the Spon Gate over at the Sky Dome complex. It's very obviously a bank conversion as you approach it and inside is one long room with an upstairs area that I didn't look into. It has an ornate red ceiling. The bar has eight hand pumps with which had one unused, the two GK beers, Doom Bore, Hobgoblin, Three Castles Corn Dolly, Dorset Brewing Jurassic Dark And Sadler's Mud City Stout. I went for the Jurassic Dark (£2.35) and Mud City Stout (£2.55) which were in very good nick. Overall I thought this was a reasonably good Spoons.