Stags Head, South Shields

When in a town that frankly is a wash with dire pubs one that would be considered ordinary anywhere else suddenly becomes good in comparison, thats how i would describe the stages head. A one roomed pub that reminds me a lot of a small London boozer with the bar running down the main corridor. the pub has nice decor and old fashioned char although a bit warn and in need of a bit of restoration in my opinion. On the bar was only Bass with the other pump unused but was a nice well kept pint at £3, they also did keg black sheep. there where numberous GBG stickers in the window showcasing how many times it has been in which really says something about the state of the competition, this would never get in anywhere else i know. although not a world beater if i ever find myself stranded in south shields again I know I can get a well kept pint in here.

This is a nice traditional pub in amongst the main retail area of South Shields. A superbly tiled front porch with some bright stained glass leads you into a simple bare boarded rectangular room with the servery along the right hand wall. The room is half panelled and has some nice etched glass in the front windows, with the pub's name clearly picked out. The bar has a dark wood counter and a rather grand bar back with some finely worked pillars topped off by a clock, all set underneath an unusual wide arch. There are some button backed banquettes under the front windows and some similar options along the left hand wall where you'll also find a rather nice tiled fireplace. Further back is a separate space with a mix of banquette and low stool seating and the walls have been sparsely decorated with local photographs and a few beer related items of variable interest. Stairs lead up to the toilets, which, in the case of the gents, boasted some mighty fine tile work, and from here you can also access the function room, which has its own original servery, although this room was sadly closed, so I was unable to inspect it properly. Music played quietly throughout my visit and there were some bowls on the end of the bar full of some unidentified foodstuffs. On the bar I noted three hand pumps, one of which was out of action, leaving a choice of Caledonian Deuchars IPA and Bass (£3.00). Black Sheep Bitter was available on keg. The landlady was outside having a fag when I arrived and so one of the customers initially offered to pour my pint before the landlady returned and served me an acceptable pint of Bass. This place was notably quieter than any of the other pubs I called in on my crawl around South Shields and as a result I found my stay here rather flat. The pub is clearly a nice old building with plenty of eye-catching features, but I agree with ROB's assessment that it all feels a bit faded and probably needs a bit of a rethink to get the punters back through the doors. Worth a look for the nice interior but this isn't somewhere I'd be likely to loiter.