The Hop Inn, Bournemouth

Official site of The Hop Inn - www.thehopinn.co.uk

Official site of The Hop Inn - www.thehopinn.co.uk

Large pub and hotel. We called in at around 10 on a Sunday morning and the place was already filling up with a few breakfasts being served. 2 ales on including Wayward Son IPA which was just about OK. Had a quick game of pool and moved on.

A large Victorian pub with dining facilities, sited in Bournemouth's low-budget residential area, surrounded by B&Bs and piles of litter. The pub is rather bland: there is little by way of atmosphere, a pool table providing the sole source of entertainment during the day. There are occasional live music acts and open mic nights, a welcome relief, one suspects, from the dated drudgery of the area. There is plenty of outside seating though the views aren't that great. The staff were pleasant enough, and the clientele were a mix of locals and elderly tourists. There was no real ale on draft and nothing bottled: they had ‘run out' and weren't expecting replenishment for another 3 days. I couldn't be bothered to wait that long so decided to hop off.

A lot more modern in the inside than the outside might suggest. Internally it’s an island bar with ‘shades of mocha’ colour scheme and contemporary furnishings. Not a huge amount else beyond loudish music via Smooth Radio and a pool table. Two ales on, GK OSH and an unlabelled Youngs Winter Warmer, both of which were decidedly average. The Four Horsemen and G&T are only a few minutes away and much better bets.