The Castle, Torquay

Strange place, with the exterior branding looking a bit gothic, but the slightly split-level interior is plainly furnished and decorated. The rectangular bar area was busy, with hits of the 70s and 80s blasting out to the obvious satisfaction of the regulars (mostly middle aged plus), but the similarly sized area (housing the daytime food servery and a pool table) was a bit quieter. However, the main point here is that all meals and drinks are just £2.50, including things like Guinness and San Miguel, but I went for the Doom Bar from one of a pair of handpumps (with a reversed Otter Bitter clip on the other).

New Chaplins is now called the Castle and there is a medieval theme, including knights and dragons, running throughout. The main bar area is to the left of the entrance where a standard draught selection and Bays Springtime were available during my recent Wednesday evening visit. A couple of Johnny Cash hits were playing off the jukebox and there are plasma screens throughout that show Sky Sports. Up some steps to the right of the entrance is some seating and a smaller bar. This area also houses a pool table and a dartboard. Pub grub is available all day and I found the service to be very friendly. This is a decent enough pub and I’d have no problem returning for another pint.