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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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The Ostrich, Peterborough
Peterborough
PE1 2RA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Ostrich
Locals’ music and ale pub behind the shopping centre. Opened-out with an island bar (though service is only at the rear) and decorated in Rasta colours. Tidy rear patio garden. GBG listed; six ales with an eclectic set, sadly neither of mine convinced and both were below GBG standard - St Ives Zennor NBSS 2 and Fauna Meadow Maker NBSS 1.5. Amusement provided by the barmaid negotiating the purchase of 2nd hand sofa with one of the regulars, she wouldn’t survive long in a souk. I’m assured that this place is supposedly one of Peterborough’s best, but I left thoroughly unconvinced of that claim. 5.5
On 2nd May 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Ostrich
The Ostrich is a U-shaped pub with beer shelves and high stools up the right and standard seating the left were a television sits on the front wall. The central bar counter faces the rear where a door leads to a well-tended beer garden full of benches and plentiful greenery. In the front right window is a stage area and regular live music is advertised. This isn’t the biggest place, so I bet it gets very cosy in here at the weekend. The walls are busy with framed pictures and posters and there’s a small exposed HVAC unit on the ceiling, I imagine to extract the weekend sweat clouds.
The five cask ales available were a very nice Titanic Cherry Porter alongside Tydd Steam Brewery’s Snake Eyes, Woodforde’s Wherry, Stewart’s 80 Shilling and Rooster’s Echo Chamber. A choice of premium and craft keg lagers and ciders were also available. There was only a handful of people in late afternoon, but there was a good atmosphere. I would have no issues revisiting here when next in Peterborough.
On 5th December 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5971 recommendations about 5937 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Ostrich
Nice old building a bit messed about inside but not without some charm, there are various spaces and the counter is sort of back to front, 6 pulls with one for cider, with beers from far and wide, they had a bit of a Yorkshire thing with North Riding and Saltaire in evidence on my visit, the beer mats were from Ilkley and the beer engines from Angram. Good number of interesting kegs as well. Fairly raucous clientele but fortunately the back garden attracted the noisier element but sadly left some bar blockers in situ. Beer ok but I had a poor mild so maybe that's not popular in these parts, and perhaps it does deserve its GBG entry.
On 3rd April 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3599 recommendations about 3279 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Ostrich
Tidy, nicely refurbed pub near the Shopping Centre. Back street local, modernised but still retaining a nice feel. Two bars have been opened up around central server facing the rear. Small patio area.
Beer quality was excellent
On 11th April 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1542 recommendations about 1519 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about The Ostrich
We were a bit disappointed with the Ostrich. Of the 6 pulls on the bar, a couple were off and of those served, a couple had to go back as they were undrinkable. I'm hoping that this was just a glitch in what looks like has been a stellar beer career at this establishment.
On 30th January 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Ostrich
This is a pleasing street corner town centre boozer,with an interior which winds around to the bar facing the courtyard .Further around the interior is a section with a darts board,and there is a mix of furniture,with some sofas below a front window,a few high tables,some bar stools and traditional wooden furniture near the darts.
The guv'nor is a real ale fanatic and promotes a lot of Locale on the 6 handpumps,plus there are 10 keg taps with a mix of craft beer.On my visit the real ale options were Kings Cliffe Drunken Angel,Nene Valley DXB,Tydd Steam Neandertal,Old Dairy Blue Top Bitter and Hopshackle ESB (fairly good but a malty brew) with a real cider on the remaining pump.
There was a good amount of well natured banter among the regulars,and there is occasional live music.It's a laid back sort of place with the type of beer selection that will appeal to tickers,and it's worth including on a crawl to see what is on.
On 25th January 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Ostrich
Sister pub to the Palmerston over the river. This is a traditional pub in style and was moderately busy on our Saturday afternoon visit. As Gills mentions below, the bar area was cluttered with bar stools and drinkers were sitting along the counter, so trying to see what was on handpump was awkward. I found with the added conservatory at the back made the pub too hot and sticky. My Grainstore beer was warm and not at its best. I heard a slight rough element had moved in here from hearsay, they were certainly right there. This is not a true ale drinkers pub now.
On 16th July 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Smith left this review about The Ostrich
The review by ETA below is a good summary of this pub. Without a doubt the most traditional pub in central Peterborough and a good selection of well kept unusual ales. When we called there was live Formula One on one screen and live football on another on the other side of the pub. A must visit for all ale and good pub fans.
On 24th September 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 47 recommendations about 44 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Ostrich
One of Peterborough City Centre's last remaining proper pubs, the Ostrich is a GBG regular, and deservedly so. The interior is unspoiled, though it has been kept fairly current with its laminate floors; the pub has not buried its head in the sand and has moved with the times, not been overrun by them. The bar has been knocked through, the yard at the back has been formed into an outside seating terrace, the wooden panels have remained but complemented by new, sober paint on the walls. The welcome from staff and regulars is genuine and warm. There are tv screens, but these were thankfully mute when we visited. There were 5 ales on draft, and I managed two of them. The Theakstone's Bitter was superb, possibly the best I've had. I also tried Tydd Steam's Golden Kiwi, but although it was a good beer, it wasn't to my taste. In fairness, some of the locals rated it highly. This pub is an absolute must for a crawl, and if you can brave the backstreets, it's worth the expedition to find for its beer, congeniality and relief from the surrounding mediocrity.
On 18th June 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3517 recommendations about 3481 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Ostrich
We called here as it was a new pub for us in the 2012 Good Beer Guide. Once in we realised we had been here quite a few years ago when it was Bogart's. It was ever so dark inside then as far as I remember, but it was now quite light and airy. 5 handpulls for real ale, and 4 beers were on at our visit. We chose Smiles Blond and Thwaites Lancaster Bomber. I asked the barman about the Smiles beer as to who was brewing it now as there were no clues at all on the pumpclip which appeared to be a proper one, and he just turned it round and said Smiles. Beers not brilliant, but we were early customers. Lovely outside seating area. Description below is still current.
Above was April 2012 and we called in yesterday. Beer quality of the Tydd Steam and Cottage beers fine, but how I hate it when the only bar stools in the place were in front of the 5 handpulls despite the fact there was loads of room they could have placed them so we struggled to see them to choose our beers, and the board just had the beer names and ABV without the brewery names. Pub is in the 2013 Good Beer Guide and is clean and well laid out.
On 16th March 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]