The Dispensary, Liverpool

great pub serving great beer and nothing more or less. completely traditional in every way. loved it but suspect it was unusually quiet this afternoon - we were the only ones choosing to sit down whilst 12 or so bar blocking regulars chatted away.

The doormat as you enter reveals that this was once the Grapes and I believe it was renamed to the Dispensary when the defunct Cain's brewery took it on. The exterior retains Cain's signage. Inside it's a classic Northern pub with a fairly small wooden floored back room and another area at the front. Beers noted were the house George Wright Mark's Mild, Titanic First Class & Plum Porter, Downton Bogus Buffalo, Fernandes Black Voodoo, Rat White Rat and Oakham Inferno. I went for the Bogus Buffalo (£3.30) which was in excellent nick. I also popped in again on the way back from the Roscoe Head for a Black Voodoo which was even better. It wasn't quite as busy on my second visit. This is a famous Liverpool drinking den and didn't disappoint.