Farrs, E8

Official site of Farr's School of Dancing - farrsschoolofdancing.co.uk

Official site of Farr's School of Dancing - farrsschoolofdancing.co.uk

The most ramshackle and superficially unappealing Antic pub I have visited, with the whole place looking like it has been recovered from a demolition site... However, the central bar counter is tidy enough and the overall effect does start to grow on you once you have a decent pint in hand, and Volden Session (£3.30) and Pale were amongst the real ales available from four of six handpumps.

I have been in a few Antic pubs,but this is the shabbiest chic of the lot,and worth a visit for that alone.MM has described the interior well,I had a look downstairs at the Cocktail Bar which wasn't operational on my crawl visit,it's a large space with it's own servery and a boudoir feel,no place for supping real ale but the fairer sex may enjoy it. The 6 handpumps were offering Dark Star Hophead,Volden Session & Pale and Five Point Pale which was a disppointing range,quite samey, compared with their other pubs.Worth a crawl visit,but I wouldn't base myself here for an evening session without growing a beard first.

A seriously scruffy, unlovely looking building so obviously an ideal venue to add to the Antic stable. Inside there is an open boarded ceiling, a boarded floor with gaps in it, unpapered walls with several areas having deliberately hacked off plaster, some of the seating is in rows of ex-cinema seats and there are tables made of roughly hacked up bits of wood. Conversely there are rather elegant draped curtains in the front windows. There is an island bar, situated towards the rear rather than central and having a padded red cushioned front. The area behind the bar is rough exposed brick and Crittal windows with peeling paintwork. It is a strange business model but in a way refreshing, in any case you are always going to find something worth drinking in an Antic pub, this visit had Five Points Pale and also Railway Porter, Volden Pale and Dark Star Hophead. Home made sausage rolls are advertised and there are clipboard menus on the table with some rather off the wall dishes available. Not a bad spot at all if you can find somewhere comfortable to sit, my revolving chair had a mind of its own but I got through without spilling my beer.