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Detail Pages
Crystal Palace, Berkhamsted
Berkhamsted
HP4 2EZ
Pub Type
Punch TavernsReviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Crystal Palace
ORIGINAL REVIEW September 2010.
Two very seperate rooms in this small pub.Front bar with pool table and TV ,definately the public bar while the rear lounge is now set up with tables for dining,although you can just drink in here if you wish.Food is always available and there is now chinese and other asian dishes available both within and to take out,in a joint venture.English pub food(the landlady's description) is available until 3pm and on Sundays only a carvery operates until 4pm.Three handpumps with GK IPA,Old Speckled Hen and Spitfire as a guest ,at £3.20 a little pricey for the ambiance on offer.Functional but not the best of the three canalside pubs in Berko.
UPDATE
My first revisit after the takeover by Big Smoke and what a difference.Gone is the two room layout ,and the front door is locked so enter at either side.The interior is now open plan,with the front below the fine windows devoted to dinking,while the section around the bar has a mix of furniture for drinkers.The outside space has been hugely increased both along the canal towpath and also at a large rear garden.The exterior has been repainted and now looks very smart.
When inside the West Coast mainline trains do thunder past quite close on the embankment,but it is a smart place to dine ,and although the pub is the closest to the station ,it doesnt suffer a transient customer base of waifs and strays.
There are six handpumps offering just house Big Smoke Solaris along with guests Oakham Citre,Harvey's Sussex Best,Tring Sidepocket and Moongazing (NBSS 2.5,a little warm) with another Tring clip reversed and finally a Lilly's real cider.The 10 wall mounted keg taps offers Flensburger lager,Guiness and 10 Big Smoke keg beers of various styles and strengths.
A decent enough real ale option,would have been better if some Big Smoke kegged beers had been offered as real ale but worth a visit when in town.Rating raised.
On 23rd September 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about Crystal Palace
First time here since Big Smoke took over and I'm quite impressed with the refurb. Here for a beer festival, 12 ales on gravity (and a load of craft taps) in a marquee at the side with open views of the canal. Pleasantly surprised to find the 10% CAMRA discount being applied to festival beers.
Revisiting this pub on PuG I was reminded that it featured in my Great Inter County pub crawl 12 years ago. 1 day, 1 train ticket, 8 counties and 12 pubs (plus a he'll of a lot of planning and luck)
On 21st May 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 697 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace is now part of the ever-expanding Big Smoke chain of pubs. I know I've been before, but I don't recall when and I don't recall the pub itself. It enjoys a nice location next to the canal. Although the high speed train line into Euston is also just across the road. So, it's not exactly peaceful.
Despite being a Big Smoke pub, it seems to be less aimed for the drinker, with more inclination towards the food market. On a rainy spring afternoon, there were only a handful of customers in what appears to be a circular room, with different areas.
Big Smoke Solaris is the regular beer. Big Smoke Ceremony was also on, along with Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter. The cider was Lilley's Mango Cider.
Not as good as other Big Smoke pubs, but an improvement on what was here before.
On 13th May 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Crystal Palace
Now an independent and refurbished beer house, with a much improved food and drink offers. The canal-side location remains a draw, but on an otherwise cold, wet and windy day, it was doing great business in its own right (with all tables in use or booked for later in the afternoon). There are now six handpumps on the counter, offering a pair of Big Smoke real ales - Solaris (£3.96, with a 10% Camra discount) and Underworld - a rare 'northern' excursion for Harvey's, Momento from Siren and a Lilley's cider. There are also ten craft keg taps on the bar-back, dispensing seven more Big Smoke beers, the German Flensburger lager, something from Deya and Guinness.
On 21st February 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Crystal Palace
Two bar locals pub with a public and saloon bar set up. Bit of an old style decor but comfortable and friendly enough.
Public bar is dominated by a pool table and TV, and lounge is more set to tables
Its a GK house with the usual OSH and IPA, but also had a guest ale on at the time of my visit.
But the top thing about this pub is the location next to the canal. And a few outside benches provide a great place for sitting outside and watching the wildlife float by.
On 13th October 2008
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about Crystal Palace
An attractive two bar pub with a canal side location and a few tables out on the tow path. The bars have comfortable seating and the pub is well presented both inside and out. Pool table in public bar, games and books are available and the lounge bar is laid out with tables for the English or Chinese food which is available all day. Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen and one other. Friendly and efficient service.
On 23rd February 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 697 pubs]