Fell Bar, Penrith

Proudly self-described as "Penrith's premier ale bar", this is a new micro-pub in former shop premises next door to the much longer established Robin Hood Inn. It's fairly basic, with aluminium beer barrels stacked in the redundant shop windows and a couple of wooden ones supplementing the rough-hewn tables and benches on the wooden floor. A small bar is in the right hand corner, and this has six hand pumps which has beers ranging from Doom Bar and Jaipur to Loch Lomond Bonnie n Bitter, Lancaster Amber and Portobello APA. Several beers were available in keg format, including Duvel from Belgium and Libertine Black Ale from BrewDog, and many bottled beers from around the world added justification to the pub's designation. Upstairs there's a smarter lounge on the first floor, and the toilets are a further floor up. The music was interesting and for those in doubt about which beer to try, there are taster bats available of three thirds.