Poison Inn, Basingstoke

Official site of Poison - www.poisonthebar.co.uk

Official site of Poison - www.poisonthebar.co.uk

My initial impressions of this place were good – a pretty building and a large but cosy-looking 70's interior, all burgundy and dark wood. Some Southampton FC paraphernalia on the walls and load of comedy framed Britpop-era match tickets. However the bar was taken up by (the only other customers) a small collection of loudly braying low-grade office workers and their little estuary-English assistants (one of whom was loudly describing how she had been sexually harassed by her boss earlier in the day, but quite enjoyed it). Would expect more people around on Wednesday evening, perhaps they all went to the Queens Arms instead. Or were scared off by the keyboard chimps. One ale (Adnams Broadside) was way past its best. Chugged it and left disappointed. A shame as the inside looks like it's perfectly preserved from an episode of Life on Mars – the jukey even played Children of the Revolution, right on cue. Perhaps I'll give it another go sometime. It has potential.