The Resolution (Lloyds No 1), Middlesbrough

This is a Lloyds and boy could I tell! Bingo (or something like it) to the left, bar on the right. Escaped to the upper floor with the toilets on the same level. Usual suspects on the ale front.

As noted below the Resolution is a full blown Lloyds with no attempt made to disguise it. It consists of a long room with lights and speakers everywhere and a spiral staircase leading to an upper area that I didn't bother with. A raised area to the left houses the Lloyds disaster area and idiot booth for the Friday and Saturday nightmare. There is also a glitter ball and the two massive screens behind the bar were just showing ads. Beers available from the eight hand pumps were the IPA JDW Trio Of Doom and Hobgoblin doubled up which is pathetic even for a Lloyds. I had a pint of the keg Devil's Backbone (£2.95). I thought this Spoons was a complete waste of time and wouldn't return. If I had come here on a Friday or Saturday night or when football was being screened it would have got the score of shame.

Taking its name from the flagship of Middlesbrough's most famous son, Captain James Cook, the Resolution is a large town centre Lloyd's No 1 bar close to the bus station. You enter into a spacious open plan ground floor room with the servery along the right hand wall. The bar is notable for the very high bar back which is dominated by a massive screen which was showing live football on my Sunday morning visit. Ample space has been set aside for vertical drinking opposite the bar, but on a relatively quiet morning, it merely had the effect of making the room look empty and rather bland. A few tables and chairs run along a railing which separates this bar area from the raised seating area behind, down the left side of the room. Here you'll find plenty of high tables and stools plus a few cosy looking banquette booths down the side wall which has been decorated with some interesting bespoke pieces of art. Some tub chairs fill the remaining spaces under the front windows which look out to a small pavement seating area which is screened off and has enough room for half a dozen or so tables. A spiral staircase to the right of the entrance leads up to a mezzanine area with plenty more seating options and good views down over the main bar. Several other screens were dotted around the pub, all showing the same muted football fixture whilst a soundtrack comprised mainly of 90's Britpop tunes played in the background. The ale range was much improved from the previous reviewers experience, with four 'Spoons regular beers alongside four interesting guest ales, mainly from North East breweries. I was in for breakfast, so gave the beer a swerve in favour of a fry-up and mug of tea. The food was the usual cheap and cheerful affair and the bar and waiting staff all seemed to be a very friendly and helpful bunch. This relative new build venue doesn't quite match up to the town's two other 'Spoons, both of which are set in more characterful buildings and thus generate more of a proper pub feel. It's therefore apt that this is the one that has been given the Lloyd's branding, marking it out as perhaps more of an evening time venue instead. Nevertheless, I thought it was still a decent enough place offering a few interesting ales and with good customer service and I would have no complaints if I had to visit again.

Modern Lloyds No. 1 bar with a very high ceiling and a balcony accessed via a spiral staircase. Also has some patio tables out front. Very dull choice from two banks of four handpumps - just Pride, Abbot, Broadside and Doom Bar (£2.05) - but the bargirl managed to get the simplest possible order wrong (twice!).