Fox & Crown, Old Basford, Nottingham

Much as described by Alex, below, this traditional town pub serves as a lively local as well as a Thai restaurant.  The right hand side of the octagon as you enter is mainly a public bar-type area, with a pool table, darts and a juke box, while the left hand side is mainly dining tables.  The barman was helpful and explained that the food was a totally separate business – you buy your drinks at the bar then ring a bell by a side door, whereupon a Siamese gentleman appears to take your food order.  The clientele is a mixed bag, and there was a good atmosphere when we visited.  Ales on from Shipston’s were Mild, IPA, Gold and Original, plus there were two guests, Kruger’s Blue and Magpie Brewery’s Wanderers.  They have a weekly quiz, and daily Happy Hour, and the barman quickly pointed out the CAMRA discount.  Well worth a visit. 

This nice community local is easily reached from the city centre thanks to its proximity to Basford tram stop. The pub is worth the trek, as it is the brewery tap for the Alcazar Brewery, which ensures that a number of their ales should greet your visit. When I arrived, there were four Alcazar brews available – Alcazar Ale, Vixen’s Vice, Windjammer and New Dawn – as well as a less than inspiring guest of Sharp’s Doom Bar. There are quite a lot of hand pumps along each of the three sides of the servery, suggesting that a wider range might be available at peak times. I decided to give the Alcazar Ale a try and was disappointed to find it was not really up to scratch. This may, judging by the reviews below, have been a bit of bad luck on my part, but it did put me off trying any of their other beers. On approach, the pub certainly stands out thanks to a large mural of Robin Hood and friends painted on the end wall. Inside, there is a large main bar area with a centrally positioned U-shaped servery with an imposing modern wooden counter and canopy. The left side of the bar has a tile floor with banquettes running around the walls and lots of standard chairs in accompaniment. A brick fireplace on the left hand wall has a small stove inside and rather bizarrely there was another stove plonked down next to the bar. A nice framed tap display took pride of place on the wall, surrounded by numerous black and white photos and several TV screens showed Sky Sports News whilst music quietly played throughout the room. To the right there is a carpeted area with limited seating at the front due to the presence of a pool table and dartboard, but some sofas appear further to the rear. A few bits of breweriana can be found dotted around the room, mainly in the form of old signs and advertisements and the overall effect is very pleasant, with the pub striking me as somewhere you would happily settle down for a good session. For those wanting something to eat, a Thai food menu is offered and a number of people were taking advantage of this during my lunchtime visit. This is clearly a very good pub with a warm, welcoming feel and a range of facilities to keep a wide customer base entertained. It’s a shame my pint was poor, as I would have liked to have sampled a few more of their beers, but given the positive reviews below, I might be tempted to give the place another try sometime.