The Criterion, Weston Central, Weston Super Mare

Comfortable community pub with good beers and appears to be active on the pub games front with darts, bar billiards and table skittles. Hadn't a clue how to play the bar billiards which always fascinates me so had a go just trying to pot the balls without knocking the mushrooms over. Landlord came over to explain things to me. Enjoyed the Cotswold Spring Old English Rose from handpull, and Wells & Young Courage Directors from one of the 4 on stillage behind the bar.

Not immediately obvious this pub, it seemed rather dark from the outside and on first impressions I thought it may have been shut. It's not until you get right outside you realise it's open, and by then you're probably more drawn to the Raglan Arms opposite. It's worth popping in though, with a friendly landlord and a good choice of beers and ciders. Beers were Sharp's 6-hop (makes a change from the omnipresent Doom Bar), Pot Holer and Theakston's Old Peculiar. Ciders were Blackthorn, Thatcher's Dry, Thatcher's Traditional and Thatcher's Gold.

One bar local,and one of the few weston pubs using local brewerys for there real ale supplys. Beers on hand pump and straight form the cask.