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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck on the Pub Forum

Nelson Hotel, Rochdale

Drake Street
Rochdale
OL16 1QB

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about Nelson Hotel

Downmarket and scruffy ‘salt of the earth’ Sam Smith’s pub. The pretty tiling in the porch is the highlight. Inside has three rooms in various states of neglect. Characters included a local character selling hooky gear (washing capsules and liquids today) and a barmaid who wouldn’t have passed a breathalyser test in 1983, let alone 2023. The Man in a Box was pretty metallic, so the cleaning regime clearly isn’t up to much. I enjoyed the comedy value of the locals (they don’t see people like me in there very often) but frankly it was a bit of a dump. Like ROB says below, it isn’t a pub for the faint-hearted but isn't without a minimal amount of charm. 4.5

On 18th March 2023 - rating: 5
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about Nelson Hotel

During a recent Monday visit to Rochdale the, Samuel Smiths run, Nelson Hotel was the first pub I visited. A tiled floor leads from the entrance to a bar on the back wall which is stocked with the usual SS keg range. I plumped for half an Old Brewery Bitter which set me back a whole pound. In the left hand-side of the pub are front and rear seating areas and to the right is a pool room with dartboard at the front and some seating with a dartboard at the rear. Out the back are a few picnic tables that were being used by the Tourettes Appreciation Society mentioned by the previous reviewer. As usual for Sam Smiths there is no television or music and communication devices such as phones and laptops are banned.
For early on a Monday evening I thought that it was very busy in here. I later discovered that the Corporation Inn, an SS pub around the corner, was closed for refurbishment which may explain the popularity of the Nelson. I’m not a big fan of these pubs, but the OBB was good and cheap so I see the attraction.

On 4th September 2019 - rating: 4
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


ROB Camra left this review about Nelson Hotel

I called in here on a Friday night and the pub was apparently holding the AGM for the Tourettes Appreciation Society. Three rooms and a bar area, two of which had a real fire roaring away in the grate. The front room was full of English blokes swearing at each other in a friendly sort of way and the rear room was full of Asian blokes swearing at each other. I bought myself a pint of Sam Smiths Dark Mild which was something ridiculous like £1.34 and went to sit in the rear room just for the craic. Within about 3 minutes I was being involved in the conversation. I sat and chatted with the locals for about 20 minutes before making my way into town. It's a proper local, but it's certainly not for the faint hearted.

On 21st December 2014 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3223 recommendations about 3134 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Wynne Route left this review about Nelson Hotel

Usual warm welcome !
Following apparent recent changes in Sam Smiths policy allowing catering at their pubs, Dave said he'd like to have music again.

On 20th February 2014 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 350 recommendations about 335 pubs]