Henry's Bar, Paignton

Henry’s Bar has some café seating out the front and it is located next door to the horrendous Grand Central, but thankfully that is all they have in common. The interior feels like it has been converted from a shop at some point, but it does have a pub feel and I found it very welcoming. It was a quarter full when I visited early on a recent Saturday evening when a disco was being set up opposite the bar which is found on the left hand wall. There is seating at the front of the pub and more at the rear where there is also a booth and a flight of stairs that leads to the toilets. Plasma screens are located throughout and during my visit the National Lottery live was being shown on them all. Thankfully this was muted and some background music was playing at a volume one would expect from a town centre pub on a Saturday evening. There is a standard draught selection and the five hand pumps were drawing Skinner’s Betty Stogs, Sharp’s Own, Dartmoor IPA, Teignworthy’s Pippa’s Pint and Sam’s Medium Devon Cider. I also counted four boxes of cider on the back bar. Cheap pub grub is available during the day and children are welcome until 21:00. I liked it in here and it would be my pub of choice down this lively stretch of road.

Called into this pub as it is in the 2012 Good Beer Guide, and it is nearly hidden from view as you go down a street with arcade type shops and find that it is located within these. A pleasant suprise once inside, as it does look like a traditional pub, and does have a choice of ales on offer. We had Dartmoor IPA and Teignworthy Reel Ale and both were in superb condition. Stayed for another round as the beers were so gfood, and cannot moan at the price of £2.40 a pint, and not in their happy hour. Well done. Dog and child friendly.

This is a small and narrow one room bar with a long bar counter down the left hand side of the room and half a dozen booths along the right hand wall. As you enter there is an old brick fire place on the left which now has an electric fire in it, on the walls were various branded mirrors and old adverts for beer or spirits, a few nautical bits and pieces which included an old ships figure head of a naked woman. There were two large flat screen TV’s, one at either end of the room and a further three smaller TV’s built into the wall above the bar, all were showing the same music channel during this visit. The sign above the small patio area at the front states that the place was established in 1983. Ales on offer were Bays Gold, Sharp’s Doom Bar and Skinner’s Betty Stogs. A bit of a surprise for this kind of place but all were in decent condition in my opinion. Not a bad place amongst all the gift shops and arcades on the high street near the sea front, I wasn’t expecting much as first impressions were that it looked like a modern wine bar type of place but I spotted a chalk board outside which advertised “Real ale served here” and I wasn’t disappointed, a nice selection and well kept. The décor is a bit cheesy but I would return.

good pub,good food and ale,freindly pub