The New Quay Inn, Brixham

Official site of The New Quay Inn - newquayinn.com

Official site of The New Quay Inn - newquayinn.com

As described by Blackthorn, below, we found this somewhat quirky pub to be a bit too full of unruly children and entitled mothers when we visited. The young student barman was cheerful enough, though not very efficient. The dull pop music on the stereo did nothing to improve the atmosphere though. Ales on were Hicks and Cornish Best from St Austell, plus Bath Gem, all in average condition. On keg were Peroni, Cruzcampo, Korev, Amstel, Arctic Sky, Guinness, Devon Mist and Thatcher’s Gold. They were also pushing a very ordinary wine selection at extraordinary prices. Maybe we just caught it at a bad time, maybe it’s better out of season, but I think I’ll look further afield next time I’m here.

A prominent street corner pub split across two floors and forming an unusual curved shape, it’s a little tucked away in the backstreets but is nonetheless only a few seconds stroll from the harbour and is well worth making the effort to check out. Although due to the slope of the road there is an entrance door on the upper level, this appeared to be unused with all access via the lower floor which is where the bar counter is. This is an attractive and traditional room, with slate style tiling on the floor, unpainted wooden beams on the ceiling and exposed stonework on the walls. A number of flags were draped from the beams, as well as a selection of county coats of arms fixed up in between them. Lighting was nautical in style, including red and green lamps above the bar, and there were a few more shields on the walls as well as a brewery mirror or two and some old photographs on the window sill. An old fireplace was off to one side, and a large barrel provided a spot for vertical drinking. An unusual feature was a copper pot behind the bar which for some reason was attached to a pulley and rose up and down at irregular intervals. We eventually worked out it was linked to the door and acted as a closure device! A decent 80’s soundtrack was playing at a reasonable level. The upper room is a little more contemporary in style with red maroon plasterwork on the walls and a comfy Chesterfield sofa. Beers on tap were Tribute and Proper Job from St Austell along with Bass which went down well, whilst two further pumps appeared unused. Ciders meanwhile were Sandford’s Devon Red and Thatcher’s Gold. Overall, I really liked this pub, it has a pleasant ambience, there was a good crowd in and a friendly landlord. Certainly the best of the ones around the immediate vicinity of the harbour.