Admiral Benbow, Shrewsbury

Packed to the rafters during the Rugby World Cup final, so it was difficult to take in the undoubted merits of this side-street pub. Two-part bar area supplemented by a rear room and sizeable side / rear patio beer garden. Lots of real ales and ciders on offer from a variety of handpumps, including Shropshire Sawn Off (£3.50).

A largeish looking pub. I liked this pub and a good selection of 6 ales made it a worthwhile visit.

This is a small carpeted pub with a courtyard at the back and a second bar. It was late on a Wednesday evening when I got here so didn't get to note all the beers but I did see ciders, Six Bells Black Echo & Cloud Nine Gold and Ludlow Gold. I went for the Black Echo which was excellent. I preferred the Coach and Horses nearby to this but it's still well worth a visit. It is GBG 2015 listed.

Our last pub of an evening in Shrewsbury so my recolections are a bit blurred. I do however remember there being a great little back room with a dart board that was completly empty on our arrival at 10pm. We had a couple of pints and a totally un-interrupted game of darts, probably because we just took over the bar. A good pub with great beer, well worth a visit.

This pub dates back to 1835, when it was called the Talbot Tap before changing its name in the 1860’s to honour Shrewsbury born naval commander Admiral John Benbow. The pub today presents a pleasant carpeted L-shaped main bar, with a hatch directly opposite the front door which looks like an old bottle and jug. Either side of this, in what would therefore have presumably been separate rooms in days gone by, stretches of bar counter can be found with hand pumps that are, in some cases, triple clipped in order to display the full range of ales available. The left hand side has some banquette seating next to a nice tiled fireplace and some shelves with a few old plates and bottles on show. The lighting was very subdued, with a TV screen showing golf giving out more light than anything else. The right hand side of the room has an L shaped banquette and some standard and low stool seating, also with muted lighting including candles in various beer and wine bottles on each table. As you might expect, there are a few nautically themed pictures hanging on the walls. At the rear, a bare brick part of the room leads out to a garden and a rear function room which is carpeted with four tables served by three short banquettes and a few low stools. A dartboard hangs on the far wall and a poster notes that Slater’s Top Totty is ‘banned from Parliament, but not from here’! Top Totty was indeed available on my visit, as was Wye Valley HPA, Monty’s Midnight and Sunshine, Ironbridge Gold and Six Bells Cloud Nine. Boards listed three or four real ciders as well as a tidy selection of whiskies. I plumped for a pint of the HPA which was excellent and served to me by a cheerful barmaid. The landlord was hovering around the front door area, welcoming customers and bidding them farewell as they departed. I thought this was an excellent pub with great beer, a homely interior and a really friendly atmosphere. My eagerness to visit a few other well regarded pubs around town meant that I left this place when I could quite easily have remained for the rest of the evening. The standout pub from a long crawl around town and top of my list for a revisit.

I had been recommended by several people in the town to visit this place. I'm glad that I did as it was my kind of pub - old fashioned, full of character and the ale was kept in good condition. I went for the Monty's Stout brewed by Ludlow Brewing Co and it was sublime. I must admit though that where I live in Manchester, I am spoilt by the prices in and around the city. So when I was paying on average £3 a pint in Shrewsbury it did crease me. A trip to the gents sent me on a fascinating trail though corridors and a hidden beer garden. My only gripe about the place was that it was empty. (Maybe it was due to the time when I visited?) Well worth a visit!