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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Hop Pole, Lower Weston, Bath
Bath
BA1 3AR
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Hop Pole
My third of three in a quick tour of Bath after getting off the train and before it became totally dark. Beer quality was good, as all three are in the Good Beer Guide, but my half of Abbey Bell Ringer was a clear winner (NBSS 4). I wasn't quite so enamoured of the background music, with Pink Floyd followed by Chuck Berry and Bill Haley. Nevertheless, this one is well worth the short walk out from the city centre, and buses seem to be frequent.
On 4th November 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Hop Pole
The layout is as described by others, below. They’ve recently had some electrical issues in the kitchen so were closed for a few weeks, now opening times are unreliable. The young barman didn’t seem to know what he was doing, and there was no real ale available. Two pumps on the bar clipped Gem and Tribute, but both were off. Cubit was offered as an alternative. There were no other customers, no atmosphere and nothing approaching intelligent conversation from the staff so we fuggled off, unlikely to return.
On 26th May 2022
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3516 recommendations about 3480 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Hop Pole
A very pleasing exterior ,yet the inside has had a modern refurb which has taken way a lot of pub character despite the liberal use of Farrow & Ball paint.The bar is to the right,with fitted bench seating below the high front window and high tables at the other end.To the left is a section more focussed on diners and the cooking smells were wafting around the interior.It's in the GBG but owned by Bath Ales so dont expect anything spectacular from the 6 handpumps which were drawing on my trip St Austell Hop Pole Best (3.5% rebadged),Bath SPA,Gem and Prophecy (decent) plus a real cider.
The muzak was just too loud,and despite a friendly welcome it wasn't offering enough to warrant a revisit although the food may have been decent,I was only here for the beer.
On 25th June 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 Hop Pole
This is a very well kept pub and is similar in style and décor to the Salamander in the centre of town. The front of the pub has a decent selection of seating areas and each area felt as private as the next. The bar is situated in the right hand room, faces you as you enter. They had the full range of Bath Ales, plus one guest. I went for the Bath Spa, which was excellent. Surprisingly there was another large rear room which used to be the skittles room and is now a large dining room with a small adjoining garden, which gets extremely busy in the summer. The staff here were also friendly and chatty. The pub also serves food and offers daily specials.
On 16th October 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Hop Pole
This Bath Ales pub is just a short stroll from the city centre opposite Royal Victoria Park. The pub seems to have more of a reputation for its food than its beer although it was the latter that was specific to our visit.
The building appears to have been extended one way or the other and now incorporates two separate internal rooms and a restaurant extension to the rear. The décor has been revamped in a modernish way but without detracting too much from its character with plenty of subdued tones, tongue and grooved walls, bare floors and basic furnishinmgs. To the rear is a pleasant garden with a small shelter and overhead trellises. I didn’t spot any TV’s or note any music and the laid on entertainment appeared to limited to a few newspapers racked by the front door.
There were 4 Baths Ales on show (Barnstormer, Gem, Golden Hare and Spa) as well as a guest (Titanic Full Steam Ahead) with a 6th pump unused. Prices were pretty reasonable with the Barnstormer at £3. Food was very much in gastropub territory but was quite reasonably priced for what was on the menu with main courses around £10-12.
This was our first pub of a crawl (following an abandoned attempt to get into the Royal Oak) and a decent enough kick start to the day’s proceedings.
On 4th March 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Hop Pole
Bath Ales first tied pub, opposite the lovely Royal Victoria Park. Four Bath ales and a guest from Titanic at £3pp; both my Barnstormer and SPA were in good nick. Budvar also available. This is a popular pub and was pretty busy on our 12:30 visit, the customers a mix of Mums, students and drinkers with plenty of them chowing down on the food. The interior - painted in dark orange and battleship grey - is a bit boho but retains some traditional touches. A real draw in the summer months in the lovely outside garden. The bogs were in excellent shape. Daily papers available. A tidy pub overall and one I’d happily spend 10 minutes walking out of the city centre for.
On 6th February 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about The Hop Pole
One of those pubs that just isn't quite as good as you'd hoped. It's a bit out of town, so maybe what was missing was a crowd - I was there early evening. Maybe it was the beer - it's a Bath Ales pub - in good nick, but the pint I had was just brown and boring. Overall, it's worth popping into if you're headed that way (maybe aiming for a pub a little further out?), but probably not worth the 20-minute stroll from the centre of Bath otherwise.
On 16th November 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 554 recommendations about 516 pubs]