Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, St Albans Central, St. Albans

A return visit since a while to this fine old historic pub and good to find it functioning a bit less restaurant and a bit more traditional pub since my last visits a couple of years ago. The food focus is still there but the focus on decent beers has certainly improved and a much better choice is now provided from double the number of pumps available before and the varied choice for this visit has been well reported below. Also went for a very decent pint of Mad Squirrels Milk Stout, and as we were in late afternoon and most of the lunchtime diners had departed the main section I was able to enjoy it looking down at the original cock fighting pit area as I used to in my student days. Very happy to find it in better form and be able to up the rating for the old girl.

Very characterful old pub, but whether it can really substantiate its claim to be "Britain's oldest pub according to the Guinness Book of Records" I somewhat doubt (given the pedigree of some of the other candidates for this accolade). Formed from several adjoining buildings, including the main octagonal structure at the front which was once a dovecot and contains a small seating area in what is supposed to be the original cock-fighting pit. A few patio tables out the front but a much larger beer garden to the rear. Eight real ales from a bank of four handpumps in each of the two bars, including a decent pint of Mad Squirrels Milk Stout (£4.10). Worth a visit if in the area.

A lovely old pub in a nice setting, I cant add anything to the descriptions below but found the range of beer available to be very good and my beer of choice on this leg of our extensive pub crawl was My Darling Lemontime from Glamorgan, and like Malden man found it to be top notch. Well worth a visit this one.