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The Navigator (JD Wetherspoon), Liverpool
Old Swan
Postal town: Liverpool
L13 5UH
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about The Navigator (JD Wetherspoon)
As Aqualung has noted, this is a smaller than average Spoons with just a single bank of six hand pulls for cask ale. I visited this afternoon and thankfully there was a better selection of ales on. IPA by Beer Brothers, Gold by Beer Brothers, Centurion Pale Ale by Parker Brewery, Morast by Big Bog, Ruddles, and the Abbot Ale pump was off (no great loss I'm sure).
Beer Brothers are based at Preston, Parker at Southport and Big Bog at Liverpool, so a fair bit of representation from regional breweries.
I went for the Beer Brothers IPA at £1.99 for the pint, so on the cheap side of average even for a Spoons.
Service was slow - there was nobody at the bar but someone did appear after what felt like an eternity but was probably in reality only two minutes. Either the young barmaid was not very experienced in pulling cask ale or the pump was playing up, as it took a while to half fill the pint glass which then had to be left to settle while she served another customer, before being topped up. The pint itself was rather pleasant, but I felt a bit too warm really.
Since my last visit the gents seem to have been redone and the urinals are no longer separated by the floor to ceiling tiled partitions. In addition the tables in the window have been rearranged which works better now as it was a bit squashed before.
There is a sign at the bar saying you can request what guest ales come on next, but as far as I am aware all Wetherspoon pubs are given a list every few months from which they can choose, so how likely they are to meet your request if it's something specific or out of the ordinary is questionable.
This would be a 6.5 from me due to the warm pint, but as we can only rate in whole numbers I will keep it at a 7 and overlook the warm pint and hope it was a one off. I don't remember having any such problems on previous visits. Perhaps not the best Spoons in the world but it is what it is.
On 30th June 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Navigator (JD Wetherspoon)
This is apparently set in a former car showroom. It does look like one from the outside but inside is a fairly small bog standard Spoons consisting of a roughly square open plan room with a small bar area at the rear and a raised area to the immediate left.
Being a smaller Spoons there are only six hand pumps which had one unused, Doom Bore, Ruddles, Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger, Ringwood Fortyniner and DBC Flashman's Clout. Not a single locale beer and only one from the current non permanent guests. This poor choice became immaterial after the barmaid advised me that due to a problem the real ales were all coming up warm. I was happy to be saved from this mediocre choice and had a bottle of Green Devil IPA.
All in all I thought this one was poor.
On 11th September 2017
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Toby Jug left this review about The Navigator (JD Wetherspoon)
Service is very poor, too many staff wiping tables and hovering around kitchen door just watching the queue od customers waiting to be served. And I feel they should have a designated area to order food...nothing worse than waiting in a queue for a pint when the bod infront of you starts deciding what they and their family want to eat and drink....walked out headed to BlackHorse
On 22nd January 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 36 recommendations about 29 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Navigator (JD Wetherspoon)
A pretty much by the book Wethers. Open plan and nondescript. Was called The Garfield before it became a Wethers and isn't much different now as it was then.
On 19th February 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Toby Jug left this review about The Navigator (JD Wetherspoon)
Not really my type of establishment, Its a bit like being in a works canteen, very open and as such the noise levels are quite high. The drinks and food are fine but I prefer a more homely feel to my pubs with a hint more privacy, I also find the strong smell of food all day can be off putting particulary if you have just eaten elsewhere.
On 15th February 2015
- rating: 5
[User has posted 36 recommendations about 29 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
peter ashworth left this review about The Navigator (JD Wetherspoon)
Basic run of the mill Wetherspoons set up with the usual trimmings that is situated on the outskirts of Old Swan and just outside Knotty Ash.Called in early on a Wednesday morning and out of the 5 cask beers on offer opted for Brains Nut Brown which was quite fair.I noticed past the bar area there was a large selection of books on dsplay,and there was also a few posters strewn around plugging Champagne breakfasts for thr forthcoming Aintree Grand National.
On 8th April 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2318 recommendations about 2275 pubs]