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Chat about:
Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Freshfield, Liverpool
Formby
Postal town: Liverpool
L37 7BD
Pub Type
Greene KingReviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Freshfield
well this is the kind of pub anyone would want as their local, but alas we're not all lucky enough to live in Freshfield. the regulars here are something to behold, in my visit I met a charming elderly Scottish ex-cyclist and a renowned former London marathon athlete. Jurgen Klopp and Steven Gerrard are also regulars here. but besides that, it's a really pleasant pub with friendly young staff and an almost excessive choice of ale. it's a little modern and foodie for me but far more charming than i expected.
On 27th June 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Freshfield
This large pub in a fairly well to do neighbourhood made it into the final four of CAMRA's national pub of the year a few years ago, so I was expecting a typical backstreet alehouse when I visited recently. I was therefore a little surprised to instead find a large dining-style pub set in a rather imposing former hotel. The pub has a very wide and long U-shaped layout with the main bar in the front section which has scuffed floorboards. The main part of the servery runs along the back wall with a dark wood counter and rough bare brick bar back sporting a nicely detailed carved wood feature in the centre with some mirrors set into it. An old punch card clock with a rack of cards next to it can be seen at one end of the bar and there is also an acoustic guitar on display. Some lovely curved banquettes with tub chairs in support fill the front window bays and a barrel next to the front door holds a selection of the day's papers. To the left is a smart fireplace with a decoratively framed mirror above and the room extends some way back on this side, with the bar following it for the first section. There are lots of comfy chairs and sofas down this side under plain mirrors and old photos on walls decorated with modern wallpaper. This runs on through to the rear restaurant which is full of lots of standard tables and chairs and was pretty much bereft of any pub feel. To the right of the bar, a doorway leads past another nice fireplace with a TV screen above, into a smart room with bare brick walls, long benches and standard chairs, decorated with lots more black and white photos. Surprisingly, there is a dartboard to the front and I noticed an upright piano and a bookcase full of old Good Beer Guides towards the rear. Some decent indie music played quietly throughout my visit and the only other customers on a Thursday lunchtime were young mums and their kids and a few retired couples - almost all here for some food.
The pub's alehouse credentials come from the extensive range of beers across fourteen handpulls. The options on this visit were Oakham Citra and JHB, Greene King IPA, London Glory and Abbott Ale, Milton Nero and Minerva, Ruddles Best, Taylor Landlord, Acorn Blonde, Pier 59 Oceanic, Lancaster Centennial, Milestone Aegir and Empire Porter. A great range to go at, but you have to wonder how, on a quiet day such as when I visited, they manage to maintain quality across fourteen casks. Thankfully my pint of the Acorn Blonde was in decent enough shape, so perhaps they really can support such a selection.
This is definitely a destination pub for anyone looking for a wide selection of ales comprised of well known national brands and slightly obscurer brews. The pub itself wasn't quite as expected given the gastro feel through parts of it and the large open spaces, but perhaps things are very different when its busier and it was certainly very clean and well presented. Overall, the place just about won me over and I'm glad I took the train out here to give it a try.
On 22nd May 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Freshfield
Substantial pub / restaurant somewhat hidden away in a residential area located some distance back from Formby beach and its sand dunes. 'L'-shaped interior, with the bar along the front, with a small seating area on one side and a much larger dining area stretching backwards on the other. Refurbished with attractive, semi-modern decor throughout. I found ten of the 14 handpumps in operation, and you would never know that this is a Greene King house apart from the IPA clip since this supplemented by a variety of more interesting beers from local and regional breweries, e.g. George Wright Black Swan (£3.15). Well worth hopping of the train at the eponymous station nearby.
On 9th April 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Freshfield Hotel
Very large and very good pub a short walk from the station. As pointed out it has an excellent variety of real ales to choose from and as such is a good place to spot the Strokey-chin Bird nestling amongst the pumps.
On 21st April 2015
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Freshfield Hotel
This large traditional pub is extremely good for cask ales. There were 14 ales on handpump on this visit. This is an L-shaped pub and if you enter the pub from the main entrance, you see the main bar in front of you displaying some interesting ales. On this visit, we met one of the locals who pops down for a drink, with his pony and trap. He gets himself a pint of ale and shares it with the pony outside. I went for the Bowland Sky Dancer and Burscough Priory Gold, Mrs Ale loves this pub.
On 23rd June 2013
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]