Puzzles?, Peterborough

Well, we must have caught Puzzles? at a bad time, because we weren't impressed at all. We called in on our way back from the football just down the road, at just after 5pm on a Saturday, and there was only one person behind the bar and about a dozen waiting to be served. Having just watched Peterborough United's goalkeeper walking around his six-yard box as though he was in the final stages of exhaustion, it was remarkable to see someone who was even slower. It didn't help that there was almost no information about the beers available. As far as I could make out, there were no pump clips on display and no beers listed on the large blackboard behind the counter, just small, handwritten notices propped up against the keg fonts. The one that was headed "real ale" did mention Release the Chimps, but no mention of the brewery, the style of beer or the method of dispense. The barman disappeared from time to time through a door behind the counter - was the beer on stillage there? We never found out, as after five minutes of watching him serve just two other customers, I decided that the time before my train out of here would be better spent actually drinking in another pub rather than waiting to drink here.

A fun, friendly and trendy micropub bang in the centre of town. It's an old shop premises with tables and chairs outside which was where most of the clientele were situated on a warm Sunday evening. The service is friendly, knowledgeable on the ale front and requests are accepted on the music front with some eclectic and top tunes being played. Beers on cask were Nene Valley Brewery Release the Chimps and Rocket Ales Vostock Stout. Both from local breweries, both very good beers and both in excellent nick. I'd have avoided the stout on such warm day had the barman not insisted that we try it. I'm very pleased that he did. If there is a typical micro then this isn't it but I'd happily return.