Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Random news of the day with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Barrels, Hereford
Hereford
HR1 2JQ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Barrels
A quickish revisit before the train, after a day at the local attractions. Seems a bit different to how I recall – less basic than I remember but still a lovely place for great beer. Were the stained glass windows there before? Five of the Wye Valley on the go alongside two ciders. I inevitably went for the Wholesome Stout, which was excellent (NBSS 4). Deciding I had time to spare, I knocked-back a Hopfather which was also in great shape (4). Fab, time for a 10.
June 2012
Lucky me got a revisit in-between trains at Hereford. Very little has changed from my visit in 2009, except that the gents have had a well-deserved upgrade and are now quite pleasant. Just time for a swift pint of Dorothy Goodbody's Golden Ale which went down a treat. Rated 9
March 2009
My first visit to the legendary Barrels last month and was well-worth the 2 hour journey from Reading. The interior is very old-skool, with a working-man's back-street boozer feel from the 70's. The pub is divvied up into four separate bar areas which each feel a little different to the other. There's a TV in the far bar, which gets used for sports. But the star of course is the beer - this is the Wye Valley brewery tap. If you think you've had a good pint of Wye Valley elsewhere, you should come here for the real deal - a great range of their beers in amazingly good condition. The prices, as noted elsewhere, are around 5 years out of date so you can have a great session in here for under £15. Magic. The punters were mainly older males when we first stepped in, but the average age lowered and the lady count increased in the build-up to Wales-England rugby. The place was heaving at kick-off time. Staff were friendly and very efficient - barrels were changed over in under 10 minutes - loved the communication between the bar and cellar of banging the floor/ceiling, with one knock for yes, two knocks for no. The only small gripe was that the toilets, whilst clean, were a bit on the dark and grim side. Some new tiles and strip-lights wouldn't go amiss.
All in all, one of the best town boozers you're likely to find. Well done.
On 22nd March 2024
- rating: 10
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Barrels
Fully justifying its reputation and easily the best pub in the city. Don't take my word for it - I think 95% of the city's drinkers were there on a Sunday night as I checked out as many as possible. Some had just given up and closed early.
Multi roomed inside, with a central bar. Patio out the back is large, and hosting entertainment. Former wye valley brewery building still obvious, although they have moved out to Stoke Lacey many moons ago.
Terrific and varied clientelle, friendly bar staff and excellent beer.
One of the best pubs in the land.
On 22nd March 2022
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Barrels
Finally managed a visit to this semi-legendary ale pub, albeit under the strange post-pandemic circumstances. The traditional multi-room, slightly split-level interior was fairly quiet on this late afternoon visit, but the rear patio area was almost at capacity. Not all the handpumps were operational, but four Wye Valley beers were available including the rarely-seen Wholesome Stout.
On 22nd July 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Barrels
I first came to this pub at around the turn of the century when the area at the rear was still the brewery but even then they were talking about finding larger premises. After forty years Wye Valley is more of a major regional brewer for Mid Wales & Borders than a micro but their old school beers are still well worth seeking out. This is the obvious place to do that although they do now have six other tied outlets including two others in Hereford.
It is a multi-room pub with a central bar. One area has darts and a match was completing on my Monday evening visit. One of the back rooms is taken up by a pool table. The area at the rear where the brewery was now hosts a pleasant outdoor drinking area and there seems to be some sort of function room.
They serve six Wye Valley beers and I had a couple of HPAs which were excellent value at just £2.50.
Definitely a "must visit" pub in Hereford.
On 15th June 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Barrels
Service with a smile and a choice of six Wye Valley ales. On the bar were their three core ales, Butty Bach, HPA, Wye Valley Bitter, plus a Golden Ale, a Stout and this month's special Dorothy Silver Lining. A good traditional pub with a great atmosphere.
On 25th March 2014
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Barrels
Lovely popular pub with a fantastic buzzing atmosphere and plenty of staff behind the bar to serve from the front and back bars, so although busy, waiting was minimal. It is possible to walk round the pub through various rooms back to the front bar. There is a room on the side with pool table. Outside area fantastic and so difficult to find a seat in any of the areas under cover or outside in the sun. All the beer from Wye Valley, and all the beers tried were excellent.
On 4th August 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Barrels
Only time for a swift half when I called in here recently, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was happy hour*, so my Wye Valley Bitter was only 85p instead of £1.10. Others available were stout, golden, HPA, and Butty Bach. Surprisingly, when I had a further half later on at the Grapes, it was in better condition than the one I had here, which was too lively and unfinished.
*(For those interested in happy hour, I was here on a Tuesday at about 6:15pm.)
On 7th November 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Barrels
One of the UK’s must visit pubs of course and tremendously popular with locals and beer tourists alike. A four room layout, one has a pool table the others are fairly similar sitting rooms with a counter in each of the front rooms and a popular patio out back. The front windows are very different with modern scenes in stained glass rather than boring old frosting. National kegs plus a range of Wye Valley beers in excellent condition as you would expect, there may also be occasional guest beers available judging by one of the blackboards above the counter. Not much to say about the décor, a few posters of Herefordshire heroes are well worth perusing otherwise it’s got bog standard pub décor. There’s a fairly comprehensive juke box and a wide mix of clientele, although the oldies stayed inside while the younger ones went outside. It may be heresy but I wouldn’t actually put it that far up the list of must visit pubs in the UK, having said that it’s definitely the best pub in Hereford.
On 16th September 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Barrels
Called in for some great Wye Valley Butty Bach and it was superb. Love this pub and agree with the descriptions below. There is a good feel to the place that welcomes you. Pool table in one of the rooms and there is a tv for sporting events. The beer here is the thing though, and it is certainly the flagship for it and deserves its 2011 Good Beer Guide entry. Lovely courtyard area large enough for both smokers and non smokers to enjoy.
On 24th October 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Barrels
Superb pub for the Wye Valley ales. A must visit pub when in Hereford. This pub is always busy when we visit but still manage to find spare tables to sit at. Agree with much of the review below. However, the toilets have been upgraded.
On 9th September 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]