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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Bridge Inn, Exeter
Topsham
Postal town: Exeter
EX3 0QQ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about Bridge Inn
Otter Head, Branscombe Branoc & Summa That, Palmers Copper Ale, Yeovil Summerset, Adnams Broadside, Cottleigh Honey Buzzard (went), all served from stillage in ‘cellar' beyond the small lounge which forms the servery & is a private area, albeit not obviously so, & one should not enter unless, as we were jovially told, ‘you want to do the washing up'. The next room on the right is the small bar/snug area with a hatch to the servery, and where you will find a list of the available beers (also listed in corridor & lounge), this snug has old flintlock rifles & swords hanging above an old fireplace with wood burning stove, pewter tankards haning at servery, assorted seating for ~15, little standing room, which would make queuing for the bar rather awkward. When I borrowed a pen to make some notes here, the landlady suddenly asked me to stop writing & brought over a clipboard, explaining that the table was 300yrs old, & even indentations of praise would be rather ruinous. The corridor (where one can also be a little awkwardly served) has a plaque mentioned the Queen's visit in '98. The room to the left of the corridor has an unchanged décor & something of the atmosphere of yer gran's lounge, albeit with seating for ~20, an old clock (hopefully with an audible tick when quieter), selection of books, a great photo of the pub, a notice by the then proprietor WJ Cibbings, stating ‘This room is prohibited from all amusments (sic) on Sunday', and a small notice re mobiles – ‘The Bridge is a place of conversation between people, not machines', some picnic sets outside and, although it was too dark to see the water, I can see this is a good riverside location & note mention of a serving hatch direct to garden, which must relieve a great deal of congestion on a fine day.
On arrival, a local had been recommending Otter Head (at 5.8%) but an hour later staggered off advising us not to touch the stuff – I wonder if that's what HerMaj. went for? ‘One will try a pint of your finest Otter Head…'
On 15th October 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gerald Scrivens left this review about The Bridge Inn
I Have read the other reviews and can add that this wonderful old world pub is in a time warp.
For those of you who cannot find the ' pulls' STOP LOOKING - beer is tapped straight from the barrel!
On 14th October 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 47 recommendations about 45 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Bridge Inn
Large detached corner pub, half pink rendered, half pink painted brick, with large car park and beer garden, situated by the river and bridge (amazing that) heading into Topsham from Clyst St George.
The interior is a nesting of little rooms, one of which was full of morris dancers, that jingled to look at the new entrant. There is a small bar room, with hatch, which you can walk behind and find yourself in another small sitting area - where were the handpulls i quizzed myself?. I got lost. There is lots of old memorabilia, muskets and such like, as they play on the history of the building - fair play to them. The service was ok, the place was bursting with a mixed clientele - i went to the beer garden where the wife and kids were - i made it out!
Beer, well amazingly i cant tell you. There were several real ales, but i had to find a list with them on - i had a decent Ohanlons stout. Its bad enough writing down whats on the handpulls - but copying off a list is too much!
Great place, really enjoyed it, however, the Exeter Inn in the town is a slightly better place for an all round experience as far as i am concerned
On 7th September 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]