The Lymestone Vaults, Newcastle Under Lyme Central, Newcastle under Lyme

Hidden down an alleyway this pub doesn't look particularly inviting from the outside. Once inside though it's a different story with two distinct areas, both comfortably furnished. Friendly and efficient service was another bonus. 9 beers on the bar listed in previous reviewers from the PuG crawl. My pint was in good nick although I'm not the biggest fan of Lymestone beers, I was a fan of this pub.

Initially a little wary of following Real Ale Ray up a seedy looking passage, my mood lifted when in fact it turned out to be the entry to this pub - housed in part of a former pub called the Wine Vaults. The fairly austere painted brick exterior was at contrast to the lighter decor of the interior which, in two areas, formed an L-shape around the bar. I believe there is a garden area. They do some food, but I didn't eat. No TV or music, mixed ephemera on the walls, all-in-all it was tidy. Service was very good and the clientele looked like a group of people off a pub/ale website that met-up every so often! 9 beers, listed by the fastidious Mr F below, and I had a really nice Stone the Crows. I could have sat here all day - a must.

Yes, you can see why the local CAMRA branch salivates over this one. Hidden away down an alleyway from the High Street this outlet for the Lymestone Brewery is a very good pub. A comfortable internal space with a decent sized stone flagged main bar area with some tabled seating round the edge and then an additional fireplaced wooden floored room space beyond with additional settee and table and chair seating, and then a small patio garden beyond with a couple of hop plants being grown. But the main draw is what is on the bar in the form of the nine handpumps, mainly showcasing Lymestone Brewery Ales. For our visit there were seven of the Brewery beers and two guests in the shape of Purple Moose Dark Side of the Moose and Magpie Brewery Jay IPA and apologies to the local Stone brewery but Purple Moose is one of my favourite small breweries and I do like a bit of the Dark Side, and very good it was too.