The West Bay, Bridport

Very much as described by BS, below, this unpretentious Palmer’s pub is cheaper and more welcoming than some other nearby pubs. An 18th Century guest house with 1960s décor, its proximity to the beach hasn’t spoiled it despite the hoards of tourists. It has kept its prices reasonable, indeed good for the area. The staff were very pleasant too, being both welcoming and exceptionally patient when it came to dealing with a difficult group on the table next to us who didn’t think they should pay full price for the very reasonable meal they had just consumed. The main large bar is formed from conjoined rooms, and there is a central servery which serves all sides and is noteworthy for its unusual glazed tile pattern. Ales on were Copper, Dorset Gold, IPA and 200. The Copper was in perfect condition, but we didn’t have time to sample the others. On keg were Dorset Orchard Gold and Haze, Dorset Pale, Guinness, Amstel and Moretti. The customer service and ale quality make this the best bet for a pint if you’re visiting the beach.

Our first stop in West Bay. This pub/restaurant felt quite modern inside. There is a pub car park opposite, adjacent to the pay and display public car park. Palmer's 200 & IPA were the 2 real ales. Customers were pretty much all locals, apart from ourselves. Although I'd imagine there's quite a few tourists who visit during the holiday season. Bar staff were friendly, but I felt the pub was fairly unremarkable and lacked the atmosphere of some of the other hostelries in this seaside town.

The West Bay is up a narrow street and very close to the beach. This pub offers accomodation,the room i went in was fairly small and had a nautical decor,this is a Palmers tied house and i had a drink of Palmers best bitter which was a decent drink there was also Palmers 200 and Dorset Gold. This pub was fairly quiet when i was in here but it would get busier later with people dining. Photo taken 24 August 1999.