Café René, Gloucester

Tucked away down an alleyway, just off Southgate Street, Café Rene is an unusual building, parts of which supposedly date back to medieval times. However, there has been much alteration over the years which has resulted in a pub with an attractive, traditional appearance and a few notable 'modern' elements. Entering through a large porch area which has an impressive cider press in one corner, you find yourself in a carpeted main bar. There are a few seats around the entrance, but the main focal point is a remarkable well which possibly dates back to Roman times and boasts a small fountain feature and a grille which allows you to peer into the abyss without fear of toppling in. Moving into the left hand half of the room, the servery can be found along the rear wall, with cockerels and bunches of grapes carved into the canopy and pillars, in keeping with the pub's unexplained French theme, which sees many of the walls lined with wine bottles, lots of Gallic themed pictures and adverts and even a few Parisian road signs. In the far corner, there was a selection of comfy seating, partly obscured by a large screen which had been unfurled to show the Grand National to a seemingly luckless clientele. As soon as the race finished, the screen was retracted and loud pop music started playing, which drove a number of punters away. There is a second, restaurant style room to the right of the servery, which has a spectacular ceiling covered with wine bottles, wall panels with a fleur-de-lys motif and some attractive old wall lamps. Seating is comprised of standard tables and chairs and everyone in here seemed to be eating. There are also a few benches out in the alleyway which give nice views over the neighbouring church. There were four ales on the go when we arrived, with a choice of Greene King IPA, Black Country Pig on the Wall Mild, Stroud Budding and Plain Ales IPA alongside three real ciders. We fancied a pint of the mild, but it was flat and lifeless which was a real shame. We quite liked the ambiance in the pub, so having struggled through the first pint, we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and tried a pint of the Budding, which was better, but still pretty poor. The dubious ale quality was a real shame, as we all enjoyed this slightly quirky, unusual take on the traditional pub format. Some of the reviews below suggest we got unlucky on this visit, so with that in mind, I would probably consider giving it another go as there is potential for this to be a real winner.

Called in here 3 times during our 2 days in Gloucester. We first called in late in the afternoon when it was pretty quiet. 3 ales on the bar all served from the barrel and a good selection of red wines. We were impressed by the menu for the restaurant area as well as the room itself, so we booked in for later that night. Very busy in the evening, but the service was efficient and the food was excellent. Called in again the following evening when there was live music on, not to our taste in this instance, but there were plenty of people in the bar listening. We'll definitely be back in here next time we're in Gloucester.