Hare & Hounds, Bishop Auckland

Blue Scrumpy left this review about Hare & Hounds

Another pub with limited opening hours - just 17 hours a week, by my calculations. We arrived for 6:30pm opening on a Saturday evening. Another couple were already sat outside waiting for the doors to open but gates to the car park were closed.

This is the brewery tap for the Weard'ale Brewery. Both their Gold & Dark Nights were available on cask. A third handpull was unclipped. The cider was Aspall's.

I ordered a half of the Dark Nights and enquired as to whether they offered a CAMRA discount. Apparently they do, if you have a couple of pints with a meal! The landlord came across as quite grumpy, except for his interactions with locals. My beer was pretty awful, perhaps affected by the heat of the previous few days.

The pub is mainly carpeted, except for an area of flagstone flooring off to the right of the entrance. Pictures of local scenes can be found on the walls. In fact, the room is nicely decorated. There is a dartboard to the left, as you enter. A wifi code is provided and pop music was playing. There is also a large dining room to the rear right, which must be used for Sunday lunches.

Nice location and nice pub but poor service and terrible beer mean a return visit is not on the cards.

On 3^rd June 2026 - rating: 5
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