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Submitted on Friday, 5^th May 2023
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The Dolphin Hotel, Plymouth

14 The Barbican
Plymouth
PL1 2LS

Phone: 01752660876

Correct details

Served areas

Barbican, Hoe

Reviews of The Dolphin Hotel (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Dolphin Hotel

The Dolphin felt a bit more rough around the edges than other places on the Barbican. Flooring is slate tiles with a chequerboard skirt around the bar. Walls and the bar are painted blue. World Cup buntings were up with a TV above a fireplace presumably showing World Cup games. There are a few black and white pictures of Plymouth in the section to the right of the entrance with paintings from a local artist on the left-hand wall. A large dolphin can be found hanging from the ceiling behind the bar. Music was playing for my visit and there was at least one games machine. Further seating can be found to the front of the pub on the pavement.

The pub features in the Good Beer Guide but the range seemed to be a bit pedestrian when I arrived - Proper Job, Tribute, Doom Bar, Atlantic, Jail Ale & Bass. Ciders were Thatcher's Stan's Big Apple & Cheddar Valley. Whilst there are handpulls on the bar, I'm not sure they are in active use. Having seen the Jail Ale in many pubs throughout the day, I decided to have one, as I'd not tried it for several years. The barmaid fetched it from the cellar and it was in perfect condition, making it my favourite beer of the day.

Rough and ready it may be, but this was probably my favourite pub in Plymouth. Although, I still have many more to get to!

On 26^th June 2026 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3569 recommendations about 3567 pubs]

E TA left this review about The Dolphin Hotel

Easily the best bet among Plymouth’s harbourside pubs, the Dolphin is well described by others, below. We were very pleasantly surprised by the welcome, the convivial atmosphere and the helpful young bar staff. Ales on were Jail Ale, Tribute, Landlord, Atlantic, Proper Job and Doombar. The non-cask ale drinkers could choose from John Smith’s, Amstel, Fosters, Thatcher’s Gold and Haze, Guinness and Bass. Definitely worth a visit or inclusion in a crawl, and I’ll be back next time I’m passing through.

On 19^th September 2025 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3816 recommendations about 3774 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Quinno _ left this review about The Dolphin Hotel

Classic basic alehouse. Less rammed on this visit (though still very busy) so I got a better feel for it. Opened-out a little but retains bags of character. Blue and white colours, coal fire, leaded front windows. Bulges in the ceiling betray a problem with water ingress. Six cask (five local) and two ciders. I only had eyes for the stillaged Bass which was exemplary (NBSS 4.5) - I now realised I missed it last time as there's no PoS pump but a jumbo sign behind the bar instead. Detractions are the piped music (pub doesn't need it) and a large screen showing nothing in particular. It's a quality pub though and probably the best in the ‘Muff. GBG’23 listed, as standard. 8.5

December 2016
Basic but popular drinkers pub with slate flooring, whitewashed walls, Octagon Brewery stained glass windows, ale direct from the cask, bar blockers, disgusting slush green ceiling and faintly chaotic service. Knocked-about inside but retains a harbourside character. Ales on were all regional staples – 2x St Austell (Tribute and a good drop of Proper Job), 2x Sharps (Doom Bar and Atlantic), Dartmoor Jail Ale and Skinners Betty Stogs – no sign of the Bass mentioned copiously elsewhere. The busiest pub we did on Saturday night, with a mixed clientele and a raucous atmosphere. Whilst the ale choice wasn’t much to get excited about, it’s certainly one of Plymouth’s more distinguished watering holes. Rated 7.5

On 21^st June 2023 - rating: 9
[User has posted 6249 recommendations about 6228 pubs]

View more reviews of The Dolphin Hotel (8)

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