The Sun, Lancaster

This is a good sized, historic pub and hotel with a handy location near the bus station and quite close to the castle. The main bar is in the left-hand part of the building, occupying a spacious room, with seating limited to the perimeter, leaving a big empty space in the centre. The bar is in the rear-right corner and has a dark wood panelled counter and matching bar back with a small beer bottle collection across the top. Padded benches can be found to the front, with high tables ans stools elsewhere. There's lots of exposed stone throughout room, including in a small fireplace to the right and a much bigger one to the left of the bar. A few old pictures have been put on display as well as numerous local history plaques detailing the building's history and some of the famous folk who used to drink here. Turn through a door to the right for the hotel lobby and a dining room which opens early for breakfast, although alcohol isn't served until 11:00. A weird soundtrack was playing quietly in the background on my Monday morning visit and perhaps unsurprisingly, I was the only visitor at such an hour. Local beers from the Lancaster Brewery dominate the bar, with Lancaster Black, Red, Amber, IPA, Cascade and Blonde all available alongside four guests - Thwaites Wainwright, Bowland Hen Harrier and Titanic Iceberg and White Star. A few Lancaster beers were available on keg dispense too, although I stuck with the cask and enjoyed a reasonable drop of the IPA at £2.25 for a half pint. This is quite an attractive old building that doesn't quite fall into the trap of feeling like a bland hotel bar, but didn't feel all that much like a proper pub either. The extensive ale range will be a draw for some and it looked like a nice place to come for a bite to eat, but I was content enough with my flying visit and would probably skip it the next time I'm in town. Date of visit - 15th January 2024

Two-room pub / hotel bar, created from two adjoining buildings, with a slightly upmarket yet rustic appearance (if that isn't too big a contradiction), plain wooden furniture, exposed stonework walls, etc. As a Lancaster Brewery outlet, one of the five-handpump banks was dedicated to its beers, from which selection I went went for the Amber (£3.50). The other row featured three Titanic ales, Wainwright and Hobgoblin.