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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
The Salamander, Bath
Bath
BA1 2JL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Salamander
A Bath Ales pub which apparently is an Old Victorian chop house, with four ales on from said brewery. Whilst my first visit a year back found a good pint of SPA, my most recent trip found poor quality across the board and a fuss to get it sorted. The small interior has a stripped, modern feel with not much atmosphere and I find it rather unwelcoming, not helped by the cool air conditioning always being on even in cold weather. It’s also a mobile phone blackspot. To quote from elsewhere, this place is “not as good as it thinks it is, or as good as it ought to be.”
On 6th February 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Salamander
Malden Man is correct, this pub has recently been refurbished although apart from a lick of paint giving it a lighter, airier feel I didn’t really notice too much difference. It’s a pleasant enough pub, even though from the outside it looks more like a shop with a selection of items from Bath Ales displayed in the window. It was quite quiet on a recent Monday evening with only a couple of other punters in there, besides a few who had gone upstairs to eat.
It’s a single room bar with two smaller areas at the rear and opening out to a larger room at the front with some big windows out on to the street. There’s a mixture of bench seating with green wood panelling behind, and a few tables and chairs scattered around. There was a fireplace at the rear, but unfortunately this was not lit. That would have made the whole place a lot cosier seeing as it was well below freezing outside. There is also another room upstairs, although I believe this may be more geared up for eating. Barman seemed friendly enough.
Beers on tap were all from the Bath Ales stable with their Ginger Hare, Jem, Festivity, Spa and Barnstormer. The solitary cider was (naturally their own) Bounders.
On 7th December 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2060 recommendations about 1962 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Salamander
The pub has possibly been refurbished since ROBC's review below. Most of the woodwork is now painted a dark/olive green colour. The flooring is wooden, seating still includes high backed wooden settles and benches. A long narrow room with the bar in the middle. The room opens out each end beyond the bar, and although busy, one end was populated mainly by a younger studenty set with the front end having a quieter more mature group. I sat at the bar in the middle.
A Bath Ales house with lots of bottles, large cans and other brewery related merchandise heavily advertised and displayed shop style in the front window. Six handpumps, Bath Ales Gem x2, SPA, Barnstormer, Festivity and Ginger Hare. Various others on sale in bottled form. I also noticed a few bottles of Belgian stuff and a reasonable selection of malts. Bath Ales Bounders cider and Dark Side stout on draught/keg.
Framed displays of old pennies in date order, clay pipes and a sign "The Original Coffee House and Steak and Chop House" although I have no idea if this has any relevance to the pub.
A nice enough spot, and yet again a friendly Bath pub.
On 20th November 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1710 recommendations about 1683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Salamander
This is a fine little pub with dark wood panelling, some good bits of glass around the place and wooden settles and stools. It’s a long thin bar with 6 handpumps serving the Bath brewery range. I had a pint of the Gem which was pretty good. It’s no longer in the GBG (2010) but it’s still a decent pint. We called in on a Wednesday early evening and it was busy but the one girl behind the bar was coping. We tried again on Thursday evening and the place was rammed, there was still only the one girl behind the bar and no-one was getting any beer. We left.
On 27th April 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3286 recommendations about 3196 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nigel Sheppard left this review about The Salamander
Serving a good selection of Bath Ales in great condition (no other beers available) this is a nicely decorated pub inside although there is not much atmosphere and it is not very welcoming. A must if you like Bath Ales though!
On 27th January 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 192 recommendations about 192 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about The Salamander
Visited at a quiet time but was meeting old friends so it was ideal to sit and chat over a few decent beers. The whole Bath range, both draught and bottled, seemed to be available and in good condition. They also have an organic lager. I imagine it can get a bit claustrophobic when it's packed but for a long afternoon beer it was ideal.
On 8th October 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 780 recommendations about 697 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Salamander
Decent Bath Ales pub conveniently located just behind Milsom Street. Fairly traditional interior with lots of wooden benches and flooring, and some decent rustic grub.
Usual range of Bath Ales beers, plus their new Bounders cider, which was much better than last time I tried it at The Hare on the Hill.
On 26th July 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2060 recommendations about 1962 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Salamander
Small side street pub selling the full range of Bath Ales, and the Wild hare was Supreme and served by very friendly staff. Also does mini-Keg takeaways. good lunchtime food with a restaurant upstairs. well worth a visit
On 30th June 2007
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]