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Pub Of The Month - October 2025 with ROBCamra on the Pub Forum

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Submitted on Wednesday, 21^st February 2024
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The Kings Head, Carlisle

Fisher Street
Carlisle
CA3 8RF

Correct details

Served areas

Carlisle Central

Reviews of The Kings Head (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Strongers . left this review about The Kings Head

The Kings Head has a wooden floored front area with a couple of high tables by the entrance and two long tables against the left-hand wall opposite. The serving counter runs up the right where it faces a beer shelf up the left, and at the rear is a raised carpeted seating area with banquettes and a small booth in the left rear corner. Out the back is a comfortable enclosed bicoloured decked area with retractable screens overhead to shield from the elements. During a recent Monday afternoon visit some background music was playing out back, but not in the pub itself. The keg was limited with just Fosters, Birra Moretti, Gamma Ray, Guinness and John Smiths being available. Three of the five hand pumps were in use drawing Esthwaite Bitter, Loweswater Gold and Pictish Brewers Gold. I found the governor to be very friendly, and I liked the vibe even though it was a quiet time of the week.

On 10^th October 2025 - rating: 7
[User has posted 6277 recommendations about 6240 pubs]

Will Larter left this review about The Kings Head

I couldn't believe I'd never been to the King's Head before, but search my memory banks and my notebooks and there's nary a mention. There I was in the Crown & Thistle in Stanwix with an hour to kill before my train, thinking "what shall I do next?" And so I found myself in the KH with a very good pint of Cumbrian Esthwaite Bitter, a beer that had never really been on my radar, given the ubiquity of the same brewery's Loweswater Gold, but this knocks the Gold for six (NBSS 4). Really good bitter finish, and only £3.80 for a pint after paying £5 for a crap Thwaites Smooth in local CAMRA's Winter Pub of the Season yesterday. (How you can win a CAMRA prize for real ale in winter and not put any on for a Monday in summer is beyond me. But I digress.)

The Kings Head is one of those oddities: an old pub with an established history that feels the need to put in fake old beams, joists and doors and paint them sloppily. Just stop it.

Service was brilliant, but the smell of the unseasoned wood in the bench seats was causing an allergic reaction. So, a mixed bag: I think a 6 is reasonable.

On 29^th August 2025 - rating: 6
[User has posted 4491 recommendations about 4122 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Quinno _ left this review about The Kings Head

Carlisle's main town centre is deathly quiet during the week but there's some life here after Tuesday. Located in the narrow pedestrianised area and the building looks tidy. Relatively nice place though the dreaded snot green paint has been glooped over the 70’s style beams and trim. At the far end is a cosy upper level with banquettes. A very nice Cumbrian Esthwaite Bitter (NBSS 3.5) offset by a horrendously pitted glass and the epilepsy inducing flashing of the fruit machine. GBG listed. Almost a classic, and could be with a couple of small changes for the better.

On 16^th February 2024 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5754 recommendations about 5735 pubs]

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