The Dispensary, Liverpool

Purveyor of Tayto crisps at a pound a packet, as well as cheap pies and sausage or vegan rolls. Also: beer! Ossett and Oakham seem to be preferred with 2 of each, but there's several more handpumps. TV screens are a bit annoying, but the sound was off when I visited. The Dispensary is well worth stopping at and I'd hope to revisit at some point.

I visited the Dispensary on the evening of the last bank holiday Monday when it was fairly quiet with a handful of people listening to jazz music in the background, I struggle to listen to jazz without thinking of Tom & Jerry. The first thing I noticed when walking in was a nod to this pub’s past where ‘the Grapes’ is written into the mosaic tiled floor at the entrance. Inside the thin bare boarded bar is seating across the front and up the left opposite the U-shaped serving counter that runs across the rear. Raised seating is found in the left rear and televisions for airing Sky Sports are hung very high up the walls, so with them muted they’re easy to ignore. I counted seven hand pumps on the counter, two were unused and Oakham’s Citra was off which left Ossett’s White Rat, Rat Brewery’s Robin Rat, an offering from Wild Horse Brewing and a very nice pint of Titanic’s Plum Porter. The food stretches to baked goods in a heated cabinet on the back bar, I went for a cheese and onion slice that tasted suspiciously like a Greggs, which I’m fine about because Greggs slices (when they’re hot) are actually banging. The bloke behind the counter was very friendly and I thought this place had a lot of character, so I’d gladly return.

A decent corner pub with an equally decent beer range albeit mid-range, I went for the Oakham Citra which was spot on.

Official site of The Dispensary - www.dockleafbar.co.uk

Official site of The Dispensary - www.dockleafbar.co.uk

Well, another fine pub, where I was trapped by a thunderstorm. Unusually stopping for two - a Utopian Extra Pale Ale on Cask. So, only ever having this Devonian brewery in can, I come to Liverpool and find it on cask twice in two pubs. Also tried a Neptune Mosiac. Both in top condition. Need a further reason to come to this classic old school pub? Taytos.

Formerly a Cains house, the Dispensary is a typical Liverpool city centre boozer that used to be a regular haunt for us a few years back when Dave was in charge. He was a unique character in the city's pub scene, but we managed to get on well with him and always found the beer quality to be superb. The pub changed hands a few years back, but it seems that the new owners have not tried to change what the pub was renowned for. The beer range is almost as good as before and the character remains, even down to the rather stinky toilets. In fact, it was actually much busier in here than how it used to be, with a much younger crowd. So, the new owners must be doing something right. Regular beers here are still Oakham Citra, Ossett White Rat & Titanic Plum Porter. Also on for our Saturday evening visit were Titanic First Class & Bowland Hen Harrier. Not quite as many real ales as there used to be, but still very much a good pub.

the rumour that real ale is no more appears to be bogus, but the pub will be making attempts to market itself to the young students that mostly inhabit this area of town. The usual good ale selection was present today and the new owners are friendly so do give them a visit. Still a fine traditional ale house based on this visit.