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Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

Criterion, Leicester

44 Millstone Lane
Leicester
LE1 5JN

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


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Alex Conway left this review about Criterion

The Criterion is quite an ugly50’s/60’s building located at the end of the best congregation of Leicester’s inner city pub. A long standing entrant in the good beer guide I was optimistic of a good pint in here especially knowing that the Landlady at the best kept beer pub in inner city Leicester in my opinion (Broood) used to have this place. I visited on a Saturday evening and the place way dead. A long bar round across the back wall with seating on the right hand side. The insides is very old and warn and looked completely void of care bordering on shabby, I like old fashion boozers but this was just old and pretty naff. Everything said that This pub was just ticking over from the lack of custom to the almost empty bar with a sparse few bottles in the fridges and a few optics. The pubs of which there were many were only half filled with half Market Harborough beers and half guests from unexciting breweries such as Nobbys which all ranged between £3.20-3.40. I had a pint of the MH Bitter and this was disgusting! Warm, flat, murky and tasting like soup! This was swapped for the mild which was just as bad...we left ¾ and walked out. How this pace gets in the Good Beer Guide I will never know. And can only assume there has been a drastic change of fortune since the previous landlady went to brood. Even Market Harborough Brewery has dumped this off to Dhillon's Brewery of Coventry. This was a pretty dire pub and if this gets into the guide this year then I’m afraid this is hard evidence furthering the argument against the credibility of the good beer guide. I hope the new brewery can make the appropriate changes because god help me this place was awful.

On 19th September 2018 - rating: 4
[User has posted 455 recommendations about 455 pubs]


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Gill Smith left this review about Criterion

It is a while since we have been to this pub, and we found an impressive display of beers available. We chose a beer from Market Harborough brewery which did not impress those of us drinking it, but the ones from Pig Pub and Oakham were a bit better. Very quiet for a Friday we thought.

On 16th July 2016 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]


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ROB Camra left this review about The Criterion

Well described below by my fellow PuG crawlers. I must admit that I didn't take too much notice of the decor myself as I was involved in conversation. I do remember that my pint of Great Heck Citra was as good as anywhere I've ever had it and I've had a few along the way. It's a good solid pub.

On 5th June 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3216 recommendations about 3127 pubs]


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Pub SignMan left this review about The Criterion

This is a fairly unattractive pub set in one of the city’s less aesthetically pleasing areas, but don’t let the looks put you off, as inside is a decent, two room ale house. The front door takes you into a corridor, with a front bar accessed through a door to the left. This room has a bit of a public bar feel to it, with some smart settles along the front wall, a covered pool table at the far end, a dartboard and a TV screen showing a 24h hour news channel. Numerous pump clips line the wall, hinting at the delights to be found on the bar, but the room was deserted when we arrived, so we retreated to the rear bar instead. This room has been carpeted, with a drinking ledge opposite the servery with some books and CAMRA literature on it and a juke box to one side. The room opens out to the right and some standard chairs and a few pews provide adequate seating options. The walls are decorated with various items of brewerania, much of which is from the Low Countries, amidst which hangs a map of the Netherlands. A few unusual spirit bottles have been arranged in one of the window sills.
The ale range covered most styles, with the options on our visit being Oakwell Barnsley Bitter, Muirhouse Ruby Jewel, Black Iris Great Eastern Transatlantic Porter, Great Heck Citra and Blonde, Hop Bomb Explosive, Potton Gold and Hilden’s Barney’s Brew, with two real ciders tying up the final hand pumps. I gave the Transatlantic Porter a try and found it to be well kept.
Aside from the decent ale policy, there’s not much that really stands out about this pub, yet I still really enjoyed our visit. It has the feel of a welcoming community based local’s pub in the middle of the city and I thought it was well worth including on any crawl around Leicester.

On 29th April 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


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Quinno _ left this review about The Criterion

A recent revisit found little changed here but in a way that was perhaps a problem, as since 2007 there’s a lot more competition and a few of the faults (the poor toilets, barflys blocking the bar, aspects of the interior décor) are maybe a bit more niggling now. It was very quiet on our Friday mid-afternoon visit (the barflys excepted). Seven ales were on and my Great Heck Citra was in very good nick but like Mr Fastard I thought the selection was overall rather pedestrian given the high bar set by previous experiences. If you like your beer, this is still a must-do in Leicester but I don’t think it’s quite top-of-tree in the same way it was five years ago.

July 2007
This is a fabulous pub for real ale, has a good selection of handpumps and a bulging fridge full of bottled imports in great condition. Tried 10 cracking brews last Wednesday and had a go at the fiendishly difficult quiz. The exterior looks a bit grim and the interior does indeed resemble that of a non-league football clubs function room, divided into two rooms (one for beer, the other for music/functions). But it is clean, airy and bright so that's really not too much of a bother once you're in. There’s also food (the pizzas have a good reputation), darts and regular live music. The jukebox isn’t bad either. You really could stay in here all day and with it being two minutes from the town centre, the stagger towards Leicester's excellent public transport system is straightforward.

On 25th April 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]


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Bucking Fastard left this review about The Criterion

ORIGINAL REVIEW April 2010
This is a must visit when in Leicester and is pure joy.Great selection of real ale ,the Rugby Brewery beers are inoffensive but the Oakham ales are top drawer,the Bishop's Farewell is normally ready for Friday and sells out by the end of that session so we had the 12 Monkeys instead,fantastic .Whenever you finish a pint ,it demands another.Live music,comedy,quiz nights and regular beer festivals add to the considerable attractions of this outstanding boozer.

UPDATE

A more recent visit on the PuG crawl was after a small refurb which has watered down the previously earth character of the pub.The green velour coverings to all the seating may be smarter but not necessarily an improvement.The ale range although still impressive in terms of numbers (the condition of my Great Heck Citra was good) ,but the selection didnt seem to feature as many top quality brewers as previously,so I feel the Criterion is back in the pack of the GBG city centre pubs and is no longer the shining beacon.

On 23rd March 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


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Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Criterion

Dull-looking building with a plain but comfortably furnished twin-room interior. Regular live music advertised. However, it is the beer (and cider) that is the draw here, with a decent selection from ten handpumps (including my pint of Potton Gold, £2.80, which was a bit hazy but tasted fine). Worth seeking out if in the area

On 22nd March 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


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Mark Davey left this review about The Criterion

Excellent beer pub but Ray is right, the toilets are a mess. We sampled a pint on our way round the city and only left when the very loud American style folk band started to play. there is really no need to amplify a fiddle in a bar with just 10 punters! Would call again for the excellent selection of brews but the music was just too loud.

On 28th May 2012 - rating: 8
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]


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Real Ale Ray left this review about The Criterion

Well worth a visit, serves some really good beers. I also enjoyed the lounge when it wasn't too busy. I was able to stand at the bar and use the coat hook on the bar front for my jacket, wow you don't see them too often. I enjoyed a few from Craddocks Brewery which were Stourbridge and Saxon Gold, also one from Sadlers. The staff were friendly and chatty. Will call again when they refurbish the toilets

On 11th May 2012 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


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Gill Smith left this review about The Criterion

This 2012 Good Beer Guide entry is one to visit in Leicester and has been well established for a number of years. A week long beer festival finishing this weekend, so was busy when we called yesterday, but managed to get seats and enjoy a couple of festival beers. They do bring beers up from the cellar as well. A good range of around 100 international bottled beers. Pizzas appear popular here. There are 2 rooms, and one of them hosts live music, while the bar is popular for darts and dominoes. Quizzes held on pop music Tues, and generasl knowledge Wednesdays so a good pub for the local community as well as visitors seeking ale.

On 20th November 2011 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]

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