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Detail Pages
The Galway Arms, Retford
Retford
DN22 7UZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Strongers . left this review about The Galway Arms
I popped into the Galway for a last beer while my kebab was being cooked at a take-away a few doors along, what an athlete! Two of the three hand pumps were in use drawing Farmer’s Belgian Blue and Black Sheep’s Respire. The service from the young girl behind the counter was very friendly and I noted a dartboard before stumbling out to collect my food. Opens late in the week, so being the closest pub to my hotel, it ended up being the last port of call after a decent crawl of the town.
On 20th February 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6560 recommendations about 6522 pubs]
Old Boots left this review about The Galway Arms
A solid victorian brick built pub a little away from the centre of town over the river Idle. It’s a multi space kind of place with a long room on the right, counter and bar in the middle and more snug seating to the left in a separate room. The middle section has no less than three dart boards even a stool topped with a dart board and a screen on sport as well as banquette seating. There’s a few trophies and a collection of pump clips, there’s a selection of books possibly to answer pub arguments The counter supports two quad T-Bars if usual suspects plus John Smiths Smooth, a few latin lagers on solos and three pulls. London Pride on one which was weird, a distinctly average Robbo’s Dizzy Blonde and a reversed clip on number three, possibly the JW Lees version of Boddingtons. Definitely a locals pub, the dart playing type. A further space with a keg only counter lurks at the back. It is apparently grade II listed although I saw little evidence of why. Apart from the beer its the kind of pub I like.
On 12th February 2026
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3929 recommendations about 3593 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Lester Ford left this review about The Galway Arms
This was the very last pub of a very long day in Gainsborough and Retford.
It was my last tick from the 2017 GBG and by the time I arrived I was shattered and slightly drunk so this review is short due to my hazy memory.
A couple of ales on but I went for the safe option which was Black Sheep best, it was decent and enjoyed in pleasant surroundings. The pub from memory was fairly quiet (7.45pm on a Saturday) save for the band warming up in the back area.
Carpeted throughout with friendly bar staff and doorman who had nothing to do during this short visit. Nice enough pub and good ale, maybe I should of come here earlier to fully experience it.
On 13th April 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 80 recommendations about 78 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Galway Arms
The Galway Arms is a lot bigger inside that it looks from the outside,once inside there was a very smart area close to the door this area was carpeted and had comfortable bench seating,the bar was round the corner from the first area,there was a pool table in a small area opposite the bar and there was what looked like a large seperate dining room to the rear left which was up a couple of steps,there was an unused area to the rear right which looked a bit messy.
There were four pumps on the bar but only one in use this was Black Sheep bitter which came from one of those new fangled pumps this drink was far too warm so probably the first pulled of the day even though it was around 2.00,the pub was empty on my visit which was a shame as this is quite a smart and comfortable pub to sit and have a drink in.
Pub visited 2/6/2012
On 2nd June 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Galway Arms
We included this on a recent pub crawl on the strength of its appearance in the Good Beer Guide 2010, though we discovered from talking to people in the Rum Runner later that it had only recently reopened. This may be why there was only one ale on hand pump when we visited. It's an old-fashioned pub with an interesting snug, separated from the rest of the pub by wooden partitions.
On 23rd September 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4671 recommendations about 4280 pubs]