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Beer of the Week (w/e 5th May 2024) with Mobyduck
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The Globe, Dunstable
Dunstable
LU6 1LS
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Globe
My first visit for several years, and despite having been forewarned that the pub is quieter than it was, it still came as a bit of a shock to find only a dozen people in at 6pm on a night when Luton Town had a home game - it used to be three or four times as many. OK, it was a miserable wet evening of heavy drizzle, but the presence of only four beers and a cider on the bar which used to have eight or 10 seems to suggest that this is the normal state of affairs. Banks & Taylor, who own the pub, have contracted out their brewing to 3 Brewers of St Albans, but in fact no B&T beers were on the bar, local Tring and Vale beers being joined by Milestone and Butcome from further afield. My pint of Tring Ridgeway and half of Vale Gravitas were both in very good condition - the Tring bordering excellent - but only four other people in the pub were also drinking real ale, most being on lager and (keg) cider. My review of 2014 makes it clear how enthusiastic I was then, and though the beer is still well kept, it feels like the stuffing has been knocked out of this pub. As well as the friend whose 2013 death I mentioned in that review, three others I knew who used to drink here have also died, and no doubt there are more I didn't know. It was good to be here again, but my visit was tinged with sadness.
On 24th March 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3752 recommendations about 3487 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Globe
Corner pub in the backstreets of Dunstable. This is a good, traditional alehouse with plenty of character, along with a friendly barmaid and some chatty customers.
It has an L-shaped interior. I sat just to the side of the entrance in one quiet corner of the pub.
The ale range has gone downhill if anything since the last review. Just 3 handpulls were clipped - Shefford Dunstable Giant, Brains The Rev James & Lister's American Pale Ale. Another handpull was dispensing Thistly Cross Whisky Cask cider, which I chose.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the atmosphere of this pub and it is certainly the kind of place that I prefer frequenting. The lack of ales on this occasion has prevented me scoring any higher.
On 29th September 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2501 recommendations about 2500 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Globe
I made a post-work, midweek trip out to Dunstable specifically to check out this pub after it made it into the Top 50 pubs as voted for by Pubs Galore forum users a couple of years ago, so hopes were high, despite the potential for the ongoing pandemic restrictions to spoil the pub-going experience. Thankfully, such fears were unfounded as I found a classic back street ale house in full operation, although perhaps the modest turnout reflected on wider problems caused by the pandemic. The pub has a simple two room interior, with most of the action taking place in the much larger main bar area to the front and left. The room would no doubt have been formed into two or three separate rooms in the past but has now been opened out into a long space with the servery along the right-hand wall, close to the entrance. The bar has a traditional dark wood counter front and a matching bar back adorned with various odds and ends accumulated over the years, whilst the canopy and various high shelves around the room have been lined with an extensive beer bottle collection with various pump clips also affixed along its length. The pub has a nice Banks & Taylor branded pub sign and matching etched glass windows, but I didn’t see this branding extend inside the pub, so I’m not sure if the link with the brewery is still in place. To the right of the entrance there is a small seating area with some basic seating options around a nice fireplace on the end wall. The room is bare boarded and has half panelled walls with low stool seating to the front and opposite the bar and standard tables and chairs further back past the end of the bar counter. In the rear left corner, a couple of leather sofas round out the seating options, each serving two small upturned barrels that have been made into tables. The walls have been decorated with the usual breweriana, mirrors, posters, paintings and the like, typical of such a back street boozer, whilst a small bookcase stands at one end of the bar and has been stuffed full of old Good Beer Guides and other such appropriate pub reading materials. To the rear right, a door leads through to a side room which was closed on this visit, but had a couple of blackboards on the wall, with scores written on them in scruffy chalk handwriting, suggesting that dartboards might normally be hung here, although the room was now being used to store some excess furniture. An upright piano can be found in the rear right corner and a back door leads out to a concrete floored garden that boasted plenty of greenery and the usual garden furniture.
The long run of handpulls included a great many that were unclipped, but four ales and one real cider were still available, with the ale options comprising Brains rev James, Skinners Kickov, Shefford Dunstable Giant and Vale Black Beauty. I ordered a pint of the latter from the friendly barmaid and received a luscious pint of porter that slipped down very nicely and underlined the pub’s credentials as a real ale destination.
I really liked this place, which I found to be a homely, welcoming little pub with some interesting and excellently kept beer. Despite not quite finding the place fully back up to speed, there was plenty here to suggest that this is the ‘go-to’ place in Dunstable for cask ale drinkers and somewhere I would be more than happy to return to for an extended session.
On 17th August 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Globe
Side-street alehouse with an elongated bar, an attractive side lounge and another side room at the back. Run by Banks & Taylor, although I couldn't see any of its beers on the eight of 12 operational handpumps. Having said that, the choice of guest ales in a range of styles was excellent, with a couple from Mallinson's and others from smaller breweries elsewhere around the country (e.g. Massey's Golden Bitter from the Heritage Brewing Company in Burton, £3.50). Also has a draught cider and a range of bottled beers (examples of which are on display around the bar, along with a fine display of pump clips and other breweriana).
On 21st July 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Globe
Called into this 2019 Good Beer Guide pub, and what a sight along the bar with an array of cask beers. It is a B&T pub and there were 3 of their beers on, plus Clearwater Mariners, Trumans Zephyr, Oxford Craft Beer (Shotover) Triploid, Brunswick Offilers Nut Brown, Bath Frosty Hare. Colchester Brass Monkey and Everards Tiger. It is a true locals pub too, and would be great to live close to. Lovely atmosphere and good service for the 20 of us that turned up. We sampled and enjoyed 5 of the beers on offer.
On 18th February 2019
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Globe
A rather unprepossessing looking place on approaching, situated on a backstreet corner and with the pub sign missing from its bracket although the Banks and Taylor signage give some clue as to what lies within.
Once inside there is an elongated L-shaped space with boarded flooring, a partially deep red ceiling, wainscoted walls and a front wood burning stove set in an old fireplace. The bar is in the front corner, stretching along to the side. At first you see three pumps but several more are to be found along the side offering an exceptional range. Yesterday found Everard's Tiger, Rockhopper Pale, from B&T there were Little Sheff, Black Squirrel, Shefford Bitter and Shefford Pale Ale, additionally Evan Evans Jester, Batemans XXXB, Bude Summerleaze Golden Ale, something called Blazing Saddles, couldn't read the brewery plus a couple more I didn't record as well as a perry from Cornish Orchards and a cider. Milton Cyclops had appeared when we returned for a last one before the journey home. A very good line up indeed and most beers enjoyed by our group of four. One turned up vinegary but was changed without any fuss or question, always a good sign.
The bar has a huge number of CAMRA awards displayed above the gantry and throughout the pub high shelves display beer bottles and hundreds of pump clips. Shelves contain beer related books including various editions of the GBG.
There is a bit of a beaten up sofa down the far end but generally seating is traditional with cushioned benches and chairs at tables for four with some larger reclaimed dining tables too. Decor includes plenty of breweriana such as mirrors and old brewery advertisements, Fremlins, Bass, Greenalls amongst others. A shelf has a range of trophies with ironically placed clips beneath for the likes of Fosters, Guinness Extra Cold, John Smith's Smooth and more.
There is a usable dartboard right at the far end beyond a recessed area which may be a storage space or may be part of the pub, unsure on that one. An outdoor area to the rear remains unvisited. The gents' facilities have framed short jokey phrases and ditties above the urinals.
Easily the best of the pubs we visited in Dunstable and certainly deserving of the title "Destination Pub", do not miss this one if in town.
On 2nd October 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Globe
Impossible to fault this excellent pub with its great atmosphere, friendly service and stupendous beer selection. The décor is not the smartest, but it's in keeping with the informal feel of the place. There's ordinary pub furniture, supplemented by a slightly battered leather sofa and a few upturned barrels, bare floorboards and plenty of breweriana on the walls - I noted a Batemans map, a Wethered's mirror and a Simonds tin sign - and there's a huge collection of beer bottles on a high shelf that seems to run endlessly round the whole pub, and more used pump clips than you could count. The Banks & Taylor beers are on the short side of the bar which is the first thing you see on entering, the guest ales being spread along the longer side. B&T Shefford Bitter is just £2.80 a pint and there are filled rolls available for just £1. A good friend of mine died last year and we held his wake in the Globe - a fitting send off that he would have heartily approved.
On 23rd March 2014
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3752 recommendations about 3487 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about The Globe
B&T Shefford Bitter, Dragonslayer, Midsummer Ale, Two Brewers Bitter, Edwin Taylor's Extra Stout, plus ‘Shefford Brewery' (still B&T) Dark Mild & Dunstable Giant, also Hooky Bitter, Everards Tiger, Whitstable Native, Summerskills IKB 1859, Old Rosie, Herefordshire Perry. Good number of beers but, as with Bedford's Wellington (with which a direct comparison may be made), not really much of great excitement from beyond the B&T stable. Long L-shaped pub and bar, a sort of open snug to the rt of entrance, nice cushioned free-standing settles & matching chairs, more settles opp bar, tables, stools & some barstools (seated regulars moved to allow view of pumpclips). Nice old dark boards throughout, and a high shelf winds around the whole sporting bottles and old pumpclips, walls carry some breweriana, nice pictures, mirrors, half-glass partition doors separate the rear of the pub from the bar area, and it is here that the dartboard has its own space, and a rare decent sized chalkboard. Outside to a small enlcosed concrete area, prettified by hanging baskets, some planted tubs, and a small lean-to with climbers growing on trellis side. Not busy Mon eve, but good banter and atmosphere around the bar and the young barman greeted us on arrival & was a pleasant lad, offering me a taster of a just-changed barrel while I was pondering. Yes it's good, but some micro offerings might better justify the journey over.
On 16th July 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Castro-Garcia left this review about The Globe
The Globe in its first year won the Most Improved Pub of the Year 2006 and then won South Beds Pub of the year in 2007, 2008 and now 2009. It also holds a twice yearly beer festival. It's now won Bedfordshire Pub of the Year for the first time, and is up for the Regional award. If it wins that, then it's National...
If I could give this award-winning real ale pub more stars, I would! It's exclusively ale, cider and blonde beers, they have regular beer festivals and have a great offer of 5x thirds of a pint for just over £4.50 (so try this twice and you can try all their ales in one go for less than a tenner)
Fantastic, friendly atmosphere and staff, the decor is interesting and it's honestly my favourite pub in the whole world!!
On 13th June 2009
- rating: 10
[User has posted 22 recommendations about 22 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Adam Croft left this review about The Globe
An almost exclusively real ale-only pub (they have Staropramen and Leffe on tap, with various Belgian beers available in bottles).
No music, no jukebox, and no pool table - just a busy, friendly, sociable atmosphere with no 16-year-old chavs trying to start fights every five minutes! A place to go to enjoy your drink and have a chat with your friends rather than shouting at them across a dancefloor.
On 29th January 2009
- rating: 10
[User has posted 30 recommendations about 30 pubs]