The Griffin, Carlisle

Prominent city-centre pub, housed in an old bank and located just up the station access road by the old defensive towers. You might think that 'spoons would have done a better job of the conversion because the interior is disappointingly anodyne (and the mezzanine insertion doesn't really help). With two of the four handpumps in use, I found the local Citadel (£3.55) and Greene King IPA being served, with another Carlisle Brewery beer and Old Speckled Hen coming next.

Large Greene King over a couple for floors. Real ale options seemed limited to core GK range, so avoided. Stella £1 cheaper than Peroni at £4 a pint. Seemed popular for the "pub grub crowd"

Large Greene King pub on a corner just outside the Citadel and railway station. Fair bit of dark wood and bench seating. White tiled bar back, four pulls lurk on the front corner of the L shaped counter, Abbott, IPA and Golden Griffin from the local Carlisle brewery, presumably some badge engineering going on there. Looks like it’s had a massive refurbishment in the recent past, which possibly added the mezzanine floor. Usual screens and machines with constant but not too intrusive background music. My IPA was as good as it is likely to get but I drank it fast and had jaded taste buds from the previous days excesses. On the ball with their anti plague procedures and reasonably quick service, although it was a quiet time of day while I waited for a train.