The Rose and Crown, Poole

A recent addition to GBG, this family-friendly village pub has been renovated and has gone from failing business to a modern local with a new lease of life. The pub stands in its own grounds on a main route through the village and has a small car park. Inside is a single L-shaped bar which is mostly carpeted and feels quite retro. The ambiance is pleasant, despite the annoying jukebox, and there is a dartboard, a gaming machine and a sweet dispenser at one end. Basic pub food is available at a reasonable price. The décor isn't anything special – apart from the carpet there is a very ordinary stone fireplace, and the décor is bland. There were 2 ales on – I had a pint of Plain Ales's Innspiration which was in excellent condition. Worth finding for its superb beer quality.

This former Hall and Woodhouse pub has had a rough time recently, with a succession of openings and closures including attempts to go down the gastro route and some sort of community run operation. Now I'm pleased to report that Hall and Woodhouse have sold up and the pub has reopened once again, but this time as a freehouse. The Rose and Crown has always been more of a local's pub than the nearby Chequers and has in the past been let down by some of the clientele it attracted, but with the Chequers seemingly undergoing a crisis of sorts recently, this seems like the perfect time for the new owners to make a good go of getting this pub running as the proper community local I remember it as during my childhood. Beer seems to be high on the list of attractions - the old Badger brews have been replaced by a more diverse choice which included Isle of Purbeck Fossil Fuel, Hop Back Summer Lightning, Sharp’s Doom Bar and Butcombe Bitter on my recent visit. Posters advertised beer tapas, whereby three third pints can be ordered to allow you to test the different ales. There were also three or four real ciders available. I've lost track of how often the partitioning wall has been knocked down and then replaced again, but at present, the pub has reverted to a two bar set up, with the smaller public bar to the right providing limited seating and what appeared to be a very popular dartboard. Double doors lead through to the lounge bar which is very nicely kept and has some plush leather seats and a bar billiards table of all things. Beyond the bar is the Vineyard dining area and although I didn't get to see the menu, the specials board sounded very nice and there were quite a few people eating when we arrived. Although it is certainly more food oriented than I remember from my days drinking here in the late 90's, they seem to have struck a good balance that should appeal to both drinkers and diners. I had a very enjoyable session in here and whilst some of the enjoyment was certainly derived from the nostalgia of drinking in an old haunt, I was also pleased to see the owners are building good bonds with the locals and seemingly heading in the right direction with the pub. This is now the pub of choice whenever I'm back in the village and I hope to see the place go from strength to strength.