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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th June 2025) with Tris39
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The Saracens Head, Southwell
Southwell
NG25 0HE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Saracens Head
An attractive old timbered coaching inn in the centre of Southwell, this is reputedly one of the oldest pubs in the country, although you really wouldn’t know that from the interior, some of which is really quite modern. First impressions weren’t great, with all of the real ales off, and about half the keg options as well. Apparently there was some unspecified problem in the cellar, which only Johnny knew how to fix, and Johnny wasn’t back in until Monday. And this was Friday evening!
The décor was really a bit of a mix match, with different areas having totally different styles. The main bar area just looked a little dated rather than “olde worlde” with one or two token black beams on the ceiling, red patterned carpet on much of the floor with quarry style tiling at the rear with the walls being predominantly khaki green in colour. A small fireplace was off to one sided, there were some gilded mirrors on the floor and it did perhaps have an understated elegance if I were being generous. The dining room was a little more impressive, with extensive oak wood panelling on many of the walls, old pictures on the walls, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and heavy drape curtains at the windows. A little dated in style certainly, but quite elegant. The star of the show though was the adjacent front room which is perhaps the only surviving original part. This had plenty of old beams on the ceiling, further inlaid timberwork in the wall which may have been the structure for a staircase, old wooden boards on the floor and old oil paintings on the walls. It really was very attractive, although much more in a hotel drawing room sort of way as opposed to your traditional pub.
The menu offered a decent choice of pub grub style dishes, with options including fish & chips, scampi & chips, lasagne, etc. My Penang Curry wasn’t at all bad, although it could have done with a touch more heat and it was a little on the small side. A steak & ale pie across the table was well received with tender chunks of well cooked beef and a decent mash, although again, it could have been a more generous portion.
As previously mentioned, no real ales available on my visit, with two pumps having their clips reversed and one appearing unused. Of the reversed clips, I could see that one was Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. Ciders meanwhile were two from Stowford Press, both the original and the mixed fruit. Not entirely unsurprisingly, the bar was completely deserted when we left at about 8:30 on a Friday evening. I think most of the diners we had seen in the restaurant were hotel residents and clearly none of the locals were going to bother venturing in.
On 10th June 2025
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2070 recommendations about 1970 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alex Conway left this review about Saracens Head Hotel
The Saracens Head is set in a former Elizabethan coach house on the main high street in Southwell’s village centre. It is very striking from the outside with Tudor style black and white panelling. This is actually a fully functioning Hotel with a large restaurant/dining area and many rooms. The pub/bar is actually the bar to the hotel but has entrances for visitors and acts as a pub in its own right. Inside it is very small with a one oblong shaped room with tables and chairs running along the side and a larger space at the bottom with more seating. The smallish bar houses for hand pulls that are unfortunately from the Greene king stable with speckled hen Abbot and GK IPA available on my last visit. Because it was a scorcher of a day at it was at5 the hottest point of the day I Had a pint of Guinness at an unbelievably expensive £4.05 which was lovely and refreshing, my friend had the speckled hen and said it was ok. There is also a really nice patio garden along the outside of the pub with lots of lager tables and sun umbrellas as this is a sun trap. Although a bit over priced and a little small I thought this pub/bar had a lot of character as it doesn’t take a deal to fill it up. It is a good addition to a crawl around Southwell and aside from the poor GK ales this is a place I rather liked and would recommend stopping off if ever around the area.
On 22nd February 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 459 recommendations about 459 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Saracens Head Hotel
This elizabethan coaching house was well worth a visit for it's comfortable and relaxing atmosphere and good food. The interior is full of nostalgia and two of their rooms have ghosts. Have to say the bar could do with a bit of haunting to liven it up. Not really much goin on there GK IPA and Abbott.
On 9th December 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3684 recommendations about 3684 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Saracens Head Hotel
The Saracens Head is a really nice looking black and white pub that is quite old.
The pub still has its old coaching entrance and there is a nice courtyard through this entrance,we went in a bar to the left,this room was quite nice with an olde worlde feel to it,there were other rooms but we did'nt look in these.
This pub is now a Greene King tied house and there were two real ales on the bar we had a drink of GK IPA which was decent enough,the other beer was Gk Abbot.
This is a nice old pub that is worth a visit but it is let down with its beers on the bar.
Pub visited 18/6/2005
On 18th June 2005
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]