The Dog House, Stafford

A former commercial premises which was converted to a lounge bar a few years ago, it has been known as Lounge, Esprei and Satchmo’s among other things. It’s now settled down into a pretty decent pub. There are exposed brick walls and a relatively minimalistic décor. The single main bar feels basic but comfortable, being nicely furnished, possibly a bit trendy, without being twee, although the music was a bit annoying. The bar is at one end, raised on a platform. The unisex toilets are simply marked ‘Whatever – just wash your hands’. There were 2 ales on, Slater’s Premium and Doombar, both in very good condition, plus a selection of craft beers. A pretty decent pub despite retaining some of the ‘lounge’ styling, and I’d be very happy to include in a crawl.