The Dolphin Hotel, Plymouth

Easily the best bet among Plymouth’s harbourside pubs, the Dolphin is well described by others, below. We were very pleasantly surprised by the welcome, the convivial atmosphere and the helpful young bar staff. Ales on were Jail Ale, Tribute, Landlord, Atlantic, Proper Job and Doombar. The non-cask ale drinkers could choose from John Smith’s, Amstel, Fosters, Thatcher’s Gold and Haze, Guinness and Bass. Definitely worth a visit or inclusion in a crawl, and I’ll be back next time I’m passing through.

The Dolphin has a U shaped bar on the right hand wall with an area out of sight behind where the gravity fed cask is stored. Sharp’s Doom Bar and Atlantic, Dartmoor’s Jail Ale, St Austell’s Tribute and Proper Job, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and two Thatcher’s ciders from their Stan’s range were the cask options during a recent Tuesday afternoon visit. A standard and premium keg range was also available. The frontage with the leaded windows is inviting, but the interior is pretty basic, although it very much feels like a coastal pub. The seating is found around the walls and there is plenty of standing room in the centre, so no doubt this place gets busy at weekends. I’m sure that I’d use this pub if I lived locally.