The Anglers Retreat, Tring

Visited this pub on Saturday and chose a Tring beer but the quality was not too good. There were 2 Tring beers, Taylor Landlord and St Austell Tribute available. It is a friendly pub with decent garden area, and it does food. We were told conservatory lean to area was for diners, but the small bar area was comfortable enough. A parrot was sitting on top of his cage in an adjoining small room, and the garden contained a well stocked aviary.

After the sterile clean Gastro pub experience to be had at the Grand Junction further down the Union canal, the experience afforded by the Anglers Retreat is almost the polar opposite. Small , scruffy pub with two small drinking and seating sections either side of the front door as you enter, and then a plastic roofed lean-to which houses a dart board and TV and some additional seating . The pub refers to it as a conservatory on their accommodation site , but it is definitely more reminiscent of what my old man bolted on the back of our house without planning permission in the 60’s then anything Everest ever erected. Then the Gent’s is in a separate outhouse and you will share your ablution experience with several Arachnids. Then also outside is a well maintained patio and lawn garden area with a seriously large Aviary in the far corner with a good collection of budgies, finches, lovebirds and parakeets. Very dog friendly and definitely a locals pub, especially for those living in the permanent moorings on the canal and you will probably need to step over a resident hound and view the available beers and order over the top of White Van Man and “Eau de Wood Smoke” Long Boat dweller who will be in situ on the bar stools. They were all in for my visit but I found them a harmless bunch and happy to engage in conversation with a stranger. As mentioned a good range of Ales are offered and alongside the house ales of St Austell’s Tribute and Tring Side Pocket, Brainstorm Hopping Mad and Wychwood Blackwych Stout were available and the latter two were tried and found in good condition. The food menu is honest pub grub at a very reasonable price, but as others have mentioned the kitchen ventilation system is either non existent or got clogged up with chip fat years ago, because the deep fat frying smell does permeate the inside of the pub. This will not be to everyone’s cup of tea and I can well imagine the Raspberry Jus fraternity from down the canal would take one look and run a mile. Me , I loved it, and long may it remain in its current state. I’ll have to visit on my own next time though, because I won’t get the wife back in this one, not when her idea of a pub experience in the shape of the Red Lion and Grand Junction are so close.

An enticing building which slightly disappoints inside. I understand what Mr Train Man means when he says that the interior is bland and that there's a wall of deep frying. It's essentially a one room pub with a smokers area outside with little of note other than the many pictures of local scenes such as the canal and nearby reservoirs. There's a strong and inevitable fishy theme to all this. St. Austell Tribute was the only beer offered and it was ok without being outstanding but was served by an attractive barmaid. I'd rather head to The Red Lion for beer if in Marsworth.

St Austell Black Prince, Everards Tiger, Tring Side Pocket for a Toad. You really are greeted by a wall of deep fat frying which would probably put me off returning, although one of the boys ordered a couple of bowls of chips & they were very good. The interior was rather bland and the barmaid was disinterested – I offered £21 for a 5-pint £15.90 round & she gave me £4.20 change then corrected it on request but missing the point that I was after a note, rather than coins. The visit was rescued by the fact that we managed to commandeer the small room on the right which houses the dartboard and has its own bar access. It carries a local feel, but I wouldn’t go out of my way again.