The Roland Arms, Sheffield

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Will Larter left this review about The Roland Arms

The last remaining pub in Swallownest is not really in Swallownest, it's in Aston. But I was here to watch Hallam FC play at Swallownest FC, so in my mind it was in Swallownest. Not a particularly attractive pub, and looking a little rough from the outside, but at least the presence of a few cars in the car park told me it was open. The door on the right is not in use, with a paper notice stuck on the glass, and an arrow pointing to the side entrance. This gives access to the room on the left, which is marginally the smarter of the two rooms, the one on the right being more of a public bar, with louder music, more sports TV screens and a pool table (though the darts board is in the room on the left). The lounge is smartly decorated, with bench seating around the walls having new-looking leatherette in two different colours. Customers were lively and friendly, as was a dobermann pinscher belonging to one of them.

On the bar were a couple of hand pumps, with a Wainwright pump clip on one, and the threat of Theakstons Best Bitter on a blackboard behind. The young lad pulled me a pint, which was half froth. He left it to settle and tried again. After the third or fourth it was still short, so I suggested just giving me another glass with enough in to make it right - this turned out to be more like half a pint, so I ended up with rather more beer than I bargained for. All this for £3.35, which is not cheap for the area. To be honest, the beer was not in the best of nick, with a slight banana-ish flavour. I watched a race from Cheltenham on TV and picked the first and second, though in the absence of a bookmaker no actual money changed hands. I'm not sure I can see myself coming here again, but I wouldn't want to put anyone else off.

On 4^th February 2022 - rating: 5
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