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The Goat, St. Albans
St. Albans
AL1 1RN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Goat
A characterful old building, with furnishings and atmosphere to match. There are four hand pumps on the bar, serving Youngs Winter Warmer, Wells Eagle IPA, St Austell Tribute and Redemption Big Chief. I didn't fancy the latter, with its NZ hops and 5.5%, and ended up with anonymous Eagle, at a suitable strength for a pub crawl. My notes made at the time say that this was not as good a beer as I'd had at the nearby Garibaldi, but then it is Charles Wells Eagle, after all. There's a nice homely, scruffy feel to this pub, with (slightly) battered sofas near the (gas) fire and piles of board games for anyone who feels unable to make conversation.
On 26th February 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3751 recommendations about 3486 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Goat Inn
I spotted five hand pumps on the bar at the Goat during my recent Saturday evening visit and these were drawing Titanic Iceberg, Eagle, Youngs Special, Tribute and Old Rosie Cider. There were also four draught lagers available alongside Guinness and Stowford Press cider. To the right of the bar is a fireplace surrounded with sofas and there is also a plasma screen for showing Sky Sports. The larger left hand side contains another fireplace along with a dartboard, bar billiards, a second plasma screen and more board games than I could count. The front bar is duplicated behind were the same drinks are available, but this faces a large area that is used for dining. The food looked and smelt good and it doesn’t break the bank coming in between £6 and £12. There is a stairwell to the left of the pub that is mainly used by smokers, but there is an advertised beer garden that I did not visit.
I liked it in here and would have no problem returning, but I will allow myself more time on the next visit as this corner off the London Road and Holywell Hill is where the quality St Albans pubs are (that I’ve visited anyway).
On 25th May 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5268 recommendations about 5236 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Goat Inn
Visited in May 2010
Situated slightly further up the road from The White Lion is The Goat, a pub which, externally at least, with its white washed exterior, looks similar in style to that pub.
The pub has a large single bar, but with distinct areas. The small central bar area has old beams, with hops hanging down and several sofas to one side by a large inglenook. The main area on the left looks like it could be an extension to the original building and which, despite the presence of a bar billiards table, dartboard and largish TV, has a rather traditional drawing room feel to it. Notably, there's several old West Ham 1960's team photos and a seriously large collection of board games.
The pub is much larger than it looks from the outside and extends back a long way into a food orientated area, but still with a pleasant and traditional feel.
On my recent lunchtime visit, beers on were Bombardier, Wells Eagle IPA, Youngs London Gold, St Austell Tribute plus Elgoods Snake Slayer - a range which might be considered disappointing by today's standards, but which did at least give me an opportunity to sample Wells IPA, a beer that seems somewhat difficult to find nowadays. It seems to be a beer that divides opinion, but I like it and it was in splendid form . This pub is also a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular.
I didn't like this pub as much as The White Lion down the road, but it's a fine pub in its own right and, given their close proximity, it seems daft to visit one without at least popping in to the other.
On 21st October 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Goat Inn
This former coaching inn dating back to 1587 is tucked away in a quiet back street but is just a short walk from the City centre. It originally boasted the largest stabling in St Albans accommodating up to 72 horses even though there was only room for 10 people to stay at the inn itself. The rambling and quite spacious interior is roughly split into 4 areas around a central bar, all having plenty of character with open fires and numerous old pictures. One section contains a bar billiards table and dart board as well as a huge selection of traditional board games. Despite being a Young’s pub, they do have a rotating selection of guest beers although on our visit there were only 3 ales (Ordinary, Special and Everard’s Tiger) and a cider (Old Rosie) across the 9 hand pumps. Sport is shown although the source of the broadcast may not be totally above board. To the rear is a patio although as beer gardens go, it isn’t anything special. They have a good reputation for its food although the restaurant side of things was quite underplayed and, unlike some pubs, there were not huge swathes of tables laid out for diners. A pretty decent pub and one I would certainly recommend although the ale choice on my visit was a bit limited.
On 18th March 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Goat Inn
The entrance leads to the bar area, left to another room with a bar billiards table, panelled walls and books on a high shelf, a TV also sits high up in the corner. A large selection of board games are available. Beyond are two further drinking areas off the back of the bar, very comfortable and traditional with hops entwined along the picture rail. A great welcoming pub with a good atmosphere, justifiably busy last night. The traditional looking food menu includes the like of beef stew, pie of the day, gammon egg & chips and a curry, generally around 9 quid.
St Austell Tribute, Spitfire, Deuchars IPA and Tring Colleys Dog on offer; tasters offered by the staff. First rate!
On 9th November 2008
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about The Goat
Deserves a fuller review than I am able to provide from yesterday's visit (hic!), but I enjoyed the Doombar & a joker was declared when Tribute was added to the available selection before we left. Nice large room to rear of central bar with hop adorned beams & good furniture; space was being made for evening music, no idea what style, hopefully we assisted rather than hindered the moving of a heavy table. Had to laugh at the picture, in the gents, of a formidable group of temperance ladies with the annotation that ‘Lips that touch liquor shall never touch ours!'; couldn't help but think that this motley collection may want to consider hedging their bets on that, haha!
9 April 2007
Good looking bar area although it probably gets a bit clogged when busy, chesterfield style sofas in room to the left and seems to open up to the rear with lots more room, possibly for eating. The St.Austell Tribute swings it for me though, it was first rate.
On 13th July 2008
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Michael Douglas left this review about The Goat Inn
The Goat Inn is a family run pub, close to the heart of St Albans, and very close to the Cathedral. The Goat Inn offers home cooked food, real ales, and bed & breakfast. It hosts St Albans most popular quiz on a Sunday evening - starting at 9.30pm, and live music.
On 11th April 2008
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]