The Platform, Letchworth Central, Letchworth Garden City

This was almost the opposite experience for me to the Albion Tavern. Externally this looks a very inviting traditional pub in a commanding corner position overlooking the large pedestrianised square at the end of Eastcheap, a short stroll from the train station. It even brands itself as a traditional free house on the dark wood external beams. Unfortunately, for the traditional pub enthusiast, it’s anything but internally, now being a modern cocktail sports bar. One large open internal room with different sections that stretch round the large L shaped bar. It is bright and airy, due to the large double aspect windows out onto the square, and the end section with its exposed brick wall and large TV screen wasn’t a bad quiet spot to sit in quite an empty pub on a late Wednesday afternoon. I can imagine it being quite different of a weekend evening or when the sport is on, as the conversation from the few in the front section of the pub was echoing around the place. Plenty of standard keg chrome fizz taps along the bar and then a bank of three chrome ale pumps, two unused and the dreaded Doombar clip on the last. Not much in the way of modern craft brews that I could see apart from Beavertown Neck Oil, which is becoming as ubiquitous as Doombore nowadays, but a better option on the taste front. I made the decision to go for a half of the Doombar, which in hindsight was probably the wrong decision. I can imagine that this is a good lively pub if you are under 30 or you want to watch the football with a beer, especially as there is nowhere else in Letchworth that caters for the yoof or the footy fan from what I could see. For me however, I couldn’t warm to the place.

Official site of The Platform - www.craft-pubs.co.uk

Official site of The Platform - www.craft-pubs.co.uk