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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
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The Raven, Wigan
Wigan
WN1 1LD
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Raven
A characterful pub inside and out, mildly surprised it isn’t CAMRA Inventory listed (I read elsewhere that it was renovated around 2012 so perhaps a chunk of the fittings aren’t original?). Edwardian feel - dark wood and stained glass gantry, original mosaic flooring and tiling, plus a fine wooden staircase and curved banquettes. Impressive display of old bottles and jugs. The nice surrounds were somewhat undermined it by being freezing cold – so cold in fact that even the locals were moaning. Three localish casks on, I went for the house bitter by Moorhouse which was GBG standard (NBSS 3.5) as befitting its 2024 entry. I didn’t note any cider, though I was on a tight turnaround before my train so might have missed it. I’d be happy to try it again on a warmer day but if they can’t be arsed to warm the place up during a bitter winter’s day then it’s a no from me for 4 months of the year. 6.5
On 20th February 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Raven
The Raven is centrally located, being on Wallgate. The interior is traditional with a few different rooms and spaces off the central corridor. It was quiet on our Monday afternoon visit, with just a handful of other customers accompanying us.
4 real ales are served. There was a house beer, which was a re-badged Moorhouse's Premier, Abbeydale Absolution & Dry Bones & Porteresque from Wigan Brewhouse. Another handpull was clipped with Thistly Cross Whisky Cask cider.
Still in the latest Good Beer Guide, it is worth a visit if you're in Wigan town centre. Little has changed since my last visit over 8 years ago.
On 20th February 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Raven
The Raven has a bar counter on the right wall and booth seating under the front windows. At the rear is more seating with a couple of fireplaces and beyond is a large seating area that looked primed for dining. The pub inside and out has original features that will be of interest to fans of history. The bar supports seven handpumps that were drawing Bank Top’s Port O’Call, Tetleys Original, Marston’s EPA, Coach House Brewing’s Blueberry and Black Dragon Cider. Two handpumps were unused and a standard and premium keg range was available. Out the back is a cobbled beer garden with picnic tables and three covered booths. The service was friendly, I’d revisit here if in the area.
On 15th September 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Raven
A fine looking pub both externally and internally,there are quite a number of good features worth inspecting.The mosaic tiled main corridor and fine wooden staircase are matched by an impressive bar back.Columns break up the interior space around the bar which runs along the right wall.At the rear is a restaurant area with dining tables and sofas,although you can pitch down here just to drink.
However the heavy hand of a pubco is never far away ,which is reflected in a mundane ale selection.On my trip the 7 handpumps were offering Marston's Lancaster Bomber,Tetleys and Wainwright (ok but dull),Phoenix Monkey Town Mild and Robinson's Dizzy Blonde (passable) with 2 real ciders,but being Wednesday there was a massive real ale discount to £2.25pp which might explain the unexciting range.
The barmaid was pushy and actually critised my decision to buy a Wainwright,while there were a few shabby and oderous folk inhabiting the interior some with offspring in tow.
It could all be so much better if anyone cared but as it stands this is no more that a cheap place to drink and eat. How this warrants a GBG entry,god only knows.
On 10th July 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Raven
Very attractive-looking pub when viewed from the street, and - for once - the interior certainly doesn't disappoint. Yes, the corridor may have been partly opened-out to provide access to the bar on the right-hand side, but the place still looks fantastic and any non-original features here and in the rear dining room (apart from a couple of unobtrusive TV screens and a slot machine) seem to fit right in. A few small tables can also be found out on the pavement at the front. The choice of five real ales in a wide range of styles - including the regular Tetley's cask and an excellent Moorhouses Penhul (£2.95) - a cider and a perry from the seven handpumps would be difficult to fault.
On 6th July 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Raven
you'll walk into the bar which is medium sized and cosy and the pub expands a fair bit behind. this is a characterful Wigan pub with some interesting characters on a Tuesday night. beautiful traditional interior and deserving of its place in the GBG from the ale i tried.
On 10th July 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Raven
An Edwardian sort of interior with various wood, glass and tiling, which somehow feels right for drinking in. At time of visit there were 5 good ales on pump plus a cider.
On 12th April 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Raven Hotel
This is a fairly typical old Northern boozer that has by and large been knocked into a single bar. There are a mix of tiles and carpeted areas with a room extending away at the back that I didn't look into.
The bar has six hand pumps of which one was devoted to cider. I noted four beers, Tetley Bitter, Well's Bombardier, a Moorhouse beer and Phoenix Arizona. I thought that two national brands and two beers from long established local breweries was a disappointing choice. I went for the Phoenix Arizona (£2.65) which was in excellent condition. I hope I was just unlucky with the beer selection and what I found wasn't a typical choice.
On 26th November 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Raven Hotel
A very good pub and its pointless trying to follow Mr SignMan's review. So I won't.
On 24th September 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Raven Hotel
This attractive early 1900's hotel was refurbished in 2012, revealing a lot of the building's original splendour and adopting a good ale policy in the process, making it a worthy destination pub. A porch with an etched glass 'Raven Hotel' pane in the door leads you into a mosaic floored corridor which runs down the left hand side of the room, despite the fact that much of the partitioning wall has now been removed, allowing freer access to the bar area to the right. There are beautiful green glazed tiles in this corridor area, with modern wallpaper covering the upper part of the walls, whilst an upright piano and single high table are pressed up against the left hand wall. The bar area is carpeted and bordered by a lovely stained glass canopy with a beer bottle collection running around it. Curved banquettes stand under the front windows which have large integral lamps on their sills and there was a TV screen in the front corner showing the late Premier League kick-off. The servery runs along the right hand wall and has a large pub mirror on the bar back and some nice bits of breweriana dotted around. There is a large fireplace beyond the bar which serves a small, compact seating area which has been decorated with lots of French advertisement posters and has another TV showing the football. Opposite, there is a long U-shaped banquette with more interesting adverts on show above it and another attractive fireplace. The pub extends some way further to the rear, where a well appointed lounge can be found, with bare floorboards, Chesterfield sofas and standard chairs. Another TV screen was notable here, as well as a smaller fireplace and access to the rear garden. Modern wallpaper can be found in most rooms, but it doesn't detract from the overall traditional aesthetic and it is the pub's original features that are the more immediately eye-catching.
A good row of handpulls was dispensing Moorhouse White Witch, Blakemere Rum Porter, Tetley's Cask, Lancashire Brewhouse Blueberry Ale and Blackedge American Pale Ale, with one real cider also available. I enjoyed an excellent pint of the American Pale Ale, served to me by one of the very friendly and efficient bar team.
The rejuvenation of this fine venue is a real bonus for the town's drinking scene and it seemed to be very popular on my recent Saturday evening visit. The pub is worth a visit for the fine interior alone, but the strong ale range means that it is also the sort of place you could settle down for a decent session. I really enjoyed exploring this place and look forward to a revisit the next time I'm in town.
On 11th March 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]