Radnor Arms, Salisbury

Luscious looking building. Nice inside, a traditional comfy feel. Sadly the Rona meant we were confined to a draughty tent in the large back garden as the tables inside were all reserved – with not a sod sat in them on arrival and only one table occupied by the time we left, which p*ssed me off. 3x ales on; I went for Andwell Ruddy Darter (NBSS 2.5 – aspirator?). Cheery staff, at least. Could and should have done better.

An 18th Century house which became a pub during the 19th Century. There is limited car parking to the front and side. There is a large garden at the back which borders the River Ebble and is very pleasant in Summer. The ground floor of the building has been opened out to form a large L-shaped bar and a smaller bar at the rear. One leg of the L is a long, narrow restaurant, the other has the bar counter. The smaller room at the back is laid for diners, while there is a small snug at the far end. A large central brick chimney stack has been opened on two sides and heats the main bar and restaurant. The pub has largely lost its village pub appeal and is mainly interested in the food side, although it is far from being a gastro. On this latest visit there were several families with loud children, although the latter were drowned out by something called ‘Dylan’, an apparent adult who drowned out all other sounds with boastful braying. Four ales on, none of them Ringwoood or Sambrooks, a surprise given that David Welsh (former owner of Ringwood Brewery) lives a few yards away. The barman is also a bit of a liability, clearly not local to this part of Europe and someone who didn’t know what CAMRA was. I had Itchen Valley QED and Flack’s Double Drop, both in truly excellent condition. Notwithstanding the good beer quality, I would rather go elsewhere due to annoying locals and unwelcoming staff.