The Crown Hotel, Emsworth

Pub SignMan left this review about The Crown Hotel

Occupying a prime spot on Emsworth’s main road, close to the station, the Crown is a smart hotel bar that offers a more modern take on the traditional pub format. Entry is via a central corridor, with a bland seating area off to the right and access to the bar through a door to the left. The main bar area is housed in a bare boarded room, with the servery running along the left-hand wall and featuring a brick-fronted counter topped with chunky timber, beneath dark wooden beams that stretch across the ceiling. High tables and stools dominate the front section opposite the bar, while more traditional tables and chairs are found to the right and in a raised dining area towards the rear. A small brick fireplace with a disused, oversized TV screen above it sits at the front of the room, while potted plants and framed old photos attempt to add character to what is otherwise a slightly bland interior. The rear area is much brighter, feeling more like a dining room, but still shares the same basic decor. Quiet background music was playing, and I was surprised with how many people had chosen the place for their Saturday night out - it must be doing something right.
The cask ale range comprised St Austell Tribute (£4.90 a pint), Taylors Landlord and Dark Star Hophead, with my pint of Tribute turning out to be on the cusp of acceptability. Whilst the service was polite enough, the barmaid who served me proceeded to do absolutely nothing throughout the rest of my time here, leaving all the customers to her two overworked colleagues - I almost felt honoured that she'd made the effort to pour my pint.
Overall, the pub felt clean and efficiently run, but a lack of atmosphere despite the crowd and the fairly indifferent service mean it's unlikely to become a regular stop-off. As hotel bars go, I thought this was a decent enough example, and three cask ales certainly aren't to be taken for granted in such venues, but it lacks that proper pub feel and paled compared to other pubs I visited around the town.

Date of visit: 4th January 2025

On 28^th April 2025 - rating: 6
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