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New pub visits 2025 with ETA
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Image posted by Quinno _
Submitted on Friday, 18th July 2025
With picture contributions to 5687 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (8 more images)
Detail Pages
The Bowling Green, Leicester
Leicester
LE1 5XW
Served areas
Reviews of The Bowling Green (Average Rating: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Bowling Green
Re-opened after a period of closure. Whilst looking nice from the outside, inside is a fairly dire student pub with a cream and snot green colour scheme over a long and narrow interior. Four naked pumps, only keg of interest was Brixton Low Voltage which delivered what it promised. Thudding modern music but I suppose it was a Saturday night and the desired clientele are not my demographic. No WiFi, so the students unlikely to be impressed either way.
On 2nd October 2025
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5754 recommendations about 5735 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Bowling Green
The Bowling Green is a long and thin pub with armchairs in a small seating area to the left of the entrance and a pool table that is looked upon by an inglenook to the right. Through to the wooden floor bar area there is a serving counter on the right wall and a carpeted seating area to the left. Further towards the rear are some high tables and at the very rear is a raised seating area. Televisions are located throughout, FA Cup football via BBC was being shown during a recent midweek evening visit. The bar supports standard and premium keg alongside an offering from Beavertown. Only one of the four hand pumps was in operation, drawing Sharp’s Atlantic. Breakfast and lunch are served daily and on Sundays is a carvery. I found this to be a run-of-the-mill chain pub so don’t plan on returning.
On 6th March 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 6274 recommendations about 6237 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Bowling Green
Previously a student friendly Scream pub called The Polar Bear, this Grade II listed pub - one of the oldest in the city - was recently taken over by the Stonegate pub company who have made a move back to a more traditional pub format. The place looks like a fairly standard sized boozer on initial approach, but it runs a surprising way back, allowing it to comfortably cater for a sizeable crowd early on a Saturday evening. The widest part of the pub is to the front, where a lounge area of sorts can be found, offering comfortable seating options under pastel shaded walls with various local pictures on show. Two fireplaces, recently uncovered as part of the refurbishment, can be seen to either side and there were a couple of TV screens showing muted live football. The servery is in the pub's mid-section, running along the right hand wall with a dark wood counter and spiral-design pillars, plus a couple of 'Bowling Green' mirrors on the bar back. A couple of high tables and stools stand directly opposite whilst to the left there is a recessed area with some comfier seats arranged under modern floral wallpaper, another TV screen and some random breweriana. Notably, the pub's name has been spelled out in over-sized Scrabble letters across one of the ceiling beams here. Further back, the pub narrows into a long seating area with most of the options being arranged down the left hand side. High tables and benches give way to pews and standard chairs in a raised rear, carpeted section. Lots more local photos and TV screens can be found and at the very back of the room there is a pool table.
Part of the pub's new direction is based around a commitment to providing a good range of real ales and the hand pumps on this visit offered Titanic Cappuccino and Black Berry Gold, Sharp's Doom Bar, Marstons Pedigree, Magpie Hoppily Ever After and a house beer badged as Stonegate Hoof Hearted. Two real ciders rounded out the range. I enjoyed a good pint of the Black Berry Gold served to me by one of the chipper bar team.
I didn't know this pub in it's Scream days, but I can only assume this is a significant improvement on its previous incarnation. Whilst the refit certainly makes the place feel very contemporary, much has been done to try and bring back some of this old building's character and over time I suspect this will become increasingly apparent. A good option when touring the city centre and a solid gain for the Leicester drinking scene.
On 9th February 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3387 recommendations about 3387 pubs]
View more reviews of The Bowling Green (5)
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Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Function Room : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Live Music : Yes last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Real Ale : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : No last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 09 February 2016 by Pub SignMan
- WiFi : Yes last updated 02 October 2025 by Quinno _
