The Pheasant Inn, Dunstable

The Pheasant is a short walk out of town along a main road. It feels like a nice community local, where most people seemed to know one another. Nevertheless, a stranger like me was welcomed. The main bar area near the entrance did feel a little gloomy. Beyond the bar, space opened up to create another drinking area which I did not explore. Sharp's Doom Bar is a regular beer, but the barmaid was eager to promote the guest beer which had just come on. This was Leighton Buzzard Vimy Bomber, which I did indeed select. It wasn't a bad drink.

The front bar feels very cosy, carpeted and last night with a proper fire on the go, although really it wasn't that cold out. Horse brasses on the exposed brick chimney breast which also has a recessed shelf with a few objects on, tie-back curtains and small vases of flowers on the window cills. A few rugby themed prints here and there. The bar front and gantry is boarded, although the pub doesn't look that old probably a relatively recent fit out. To the right of the front room, through a door, an area extends back quite some distance. This area is hireable for functions and indeed last night a 50th party was setting up in there with the lights on full. Naturally therefore I didn't explore fully but you have to go through to the toilets and I did note the presence of a dartboard. The bar TV was showing rugby. A few on the pumps, Goff's Tournament, Doom Bar, Young's Bitter, Pedigree and Vale Brewery Moon. Food served and free curry advertised on Friday evening 'till it runs out. Outdoor seating to the front, partially under an awning. An ok spot, the beer was kept well but I felt something was missing, it might be the contrast between the comfortable front room and the brightly lit party area beyond which involved to-ings and goings of kids, I'm not sure but I didn't fully warm to this pub.

The Pheasant Inn official site with menu and event details - www.the-pheasant-inn-dunstable.co.uk

The Pheasant Inn official site with menu and event details - www.the-pheasant-inn-dunstable.co.uk

Six hand pumps line the bar in this Good Beer Guide listed pub. Three local ales: two from Vale Brewery of Brill, one from XT Brewery of Thame; the others were Doom Bar, Directors and Caledonian XPA. I had the Vale Brill Amber, which was OK if a little unexciting. The pub was very quiet, but this was hardly surprising on a snowy Tuesday evening in January. A smell of cooking fat lingered from whatever customers had been eating in the earlier part of the evening. The building and interior are ordinary to the point of having made almost no impression on my memory. There's a room behind the bar with a pool table and a couple more hand pumps, but I didn't venture that far. Beside the bar is the hotel reception desk, and the tariff appeared to be very reasonable (e.g. £18 per night for a single room at the weekend).