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The Goat & Tricycle, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
BH2 5PF
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Goat & Tricycle
The Goat & Tricycle was originally 2 pubs (the Pembroke Arms and the Pembroke Shades), both of which I gather suffered from a less than glowing reputation and were eventually closed down before being knocked together and emerging under its unique, if slightly bizarre, new name.
The two buildings are still very apparent both internally and externally with the main bar situated in what was the Pembroke Shades. The furnishings are quite basic with a long bench down one side and a couple of high back settles.. Behind the bar is a large Wadworths mirror and hanging from the ceiling, a collection of walking sticks. Through the arch at the rear and up a couple of steps you will find yourself in what was the Pembroke Arms. This has a loungey area with a couple of sofas and a front section housing a pool table and TV’s. A large display unit houses various jugs, urns and willow pattern plates and there are several old photos of town dotted about. Other nick nacks include canal themed brass plates, calling bells and fireman’s helmets. A side exit leads to the an outside patio with some covered seating.
Although the pub is a Wadworths tie, it is pretty much the flagship place in town for ale drinkers with 11 ales available that include 5 or 6 from Wadworths with the remainder a good selection of guests although the choice was a bit disappointing on my visit with several of the guest ales mirroring those that were concurrently available in the ‘Spoons Festival. A large blackboard in the main bar lists all the available ales. On the food front there were burgers priced between £5 and £7 with other main courses around £8 to £10.
It was fairly quiet during my visit (a late Friday afternoon) and lacking a bit in atmosphere with a bit of bland but unobtrusive background music being virtually the sole distraction from silence. The barmaid‘s continuous cleaning and polishing the pumps ritual was quite impressive and it is always good to see staff who show a bit of pride in their place of work.
The G&T is a fine, but not unique, example of how a struggling pub (or in this case 2 pubs) can be turned around into an award winning enterprise and full credit is due to all concerned at the transformation. In a town that is hardly glowing with quality pubs, it certainly stands out head and shoulders above the competition.
On 8th June 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Goat & Tricycle
This is probably Bournemouth's best pub in terms of serving a decent range of beer and certainly the best bet for a decent pint at this end of town. The interior is dominated by dark wood flooring and wall panels, with some rather bright, pink wallpaper offsetting it in places. The entrance takes you into a medium sized room with the bar along the left hand side and some padded bench seating opposite. Beyond the end of the bar there is a doorway to a second room which has some standard seating as well as a large leather sofa. There is a large shelving unit here filled with various pots, plates, jugs and books, which seems to fit in nicely and helps create quite a homely feel in this area. A TV screen is mounted above the sofa and this was showing the cup final to a small number of punters when I recently visited. An archway leads you back towards the front of the pub where there is a rather smart pool room. A simple beer patio can be accessed from the rear room.
This is a Wadworth house, so their beers took up the majority of the handpumps with 6X, Henry's IPA, Horizon, Strong in the Arm and Bishop's Tipple all on alongside guests in the shape of Brewster's Hop a Doodle Do (£3.35), Wooden Hand Cornish Mutiny, Bakehouse Bakers Dozen and Rudgate Ruby Mild. The beer is generally kept very well and the guest policy ensures good choice if you're fed up with the Wadworth brews. Food is also available with main meals around the £9 mark and baguettes or jacket potatoes at a fiver.
Bournemouth is a terrible town for finding good beer (unless you like Ringwood Best or Wetherspoons), so the Goat stands out as being by far the best ale pub in the town centre. Given the dominance of drinking barns throughout the rest of the town, it's well worth setting yourself up for a long evening in here, as you're unlikely to do better anywhere else.
On 22nd May 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3387 recommendations about 3387 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Goat & Tricycle
A good traditional pub serving up to 11 real ales.The bar is at the front with a raised drinking/eating area and pool room at the side.There is also a patio garden area.Well worth the short journey from the city centre.
On 29th October 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nigel Sheppard left this review about The Goat & Tricycle
11 Real ales (although some aren't as fresh as they could be), but that aside this has to be the best real ale pub in Bournemouth serving great food.
On 3rd August 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 192 recommendations about 192 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Goat & Tricycle
One of my regular haunts when I'm on a training course. Our training centre is just around the corner and I'm usually in Bournemouth 2 or 3 times a year. Always a well kept pint as long as you like Wadworth beers as sometimes that's all that is available, although the odd guest ale makes an appearance. Lots of wood flooring and panelling. It's two rooms that used to be 2 separate businesses. The left hand room is always quieter. I called in here one Sunday early evening to find Chas & Dave in here in their stage clothes. It turned out that they'd done the matinee and decided they'd like a couple of pints and had come up here before the evening slot. They do roast lunches on a Sunday and when they've finished they cook loads of roasted potatoes in the fat from the joints and pass them out in the pub for free. It's a very good pub and long may it prosper.
On 11th July 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3414 recommendations about 3320 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
JAMES BLAKE left this review about The Goat & Tricycle
11 real ales, You can see why this pub is the Morning Advertisers cask real ale pub for 2007.
This is bournemouths only real pub with real ale. I mean 11 hand pumps on all the time.
every time me and my friends go in there, theres all ways loads to choose from.
You start at one end and work your way to the other, in the mean time 2 or 3 of them would have gone and diffrent beers are put on.
no wonder it's bournemouth's no1 pub
On 22nd August 2007
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]