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The Tap on Tower Street, Harrogate

Tower Street
Harrogate
HG1 1HS
Phone: 01423526785

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Steve C left this review about The Tap on Tower Street

Tap on Tower Street has left and right bar areas that are served by a central serving counter that stretches across both. Ilkley Brewery’s Mary Jane, Ossett’s White Rat and Yorkshire Blonde, TT Boltmaker, Leed’s Pale and Rooster’s 30th Anniversary were the cask ales available alongside an extensive list of ciders from Lilleys, as well as Weston’s Old Rosie. Premium and Craft keg was also available and a fridge was stocked with craft cans. In the left rear is a separate seating area with the largest collection of board games I think I’ve ever seen. The service was polite and the surroundings comfortable with some character, so I’d certainly pop back in if passing.

On 27th July 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Bucking Fastard left this review about The Tap on Tower Street

A street corner pub opposite a Travelodge,it's worth wandering around the interior where the handpumps are spaced around two sides of the bar,and a corridor connects the two rooms round the back.Turn left for the wider selection of handpumps in a small are with some fridges for cans on display.The back lounge through an arch has a huge collection of games along one wall while the main room around the corridor has some exposed stonework,an interesting wall mounted range and other pleasing features together with very traditional furniture and a real pub feel.The muzak was gentle,the flatscreens were off and the welcome warm.
On my trip the ale range was Leeds Pale,Ossett White Rat (NBSS 4) and Yorkshire Blonde,TT Landlord and Boltmakers,Ilkley Mary Jane and Roosters 30th Anniversary Pale.A good cross section of Yorkshire quaffing ales,which would draw me back for a longer session.There are some craft keg taps too,and a real cider.
Pleasant to visit an actual pub as the town has many fine bars and micros which dominate the centre.I will be back

On 8th July 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Graham Coombs left this review about The Tap on Tower St

A surprising pub in a side street with something of a modern look but still feeling like a good drinkers' pub. It has two rooms, with a large outdoor area at the rear and a smaller patio at the front. Four handpumps in the bar I was in carried Ossett White Rat, TT Boltmaker, Helmsley Yorkshire Legend and Old Rosie cider with another half dozen craft taps and even a beer fridge. Good friendly staff too. I was only passing but will surely return.

On 15th January 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


ROB Camra left this review about The Tap on Tower St

Had a makeover since my last review over 10 years ago. The basic layout is still the same but it's all been painted in grey and pastel colours. The beer board has gone as has the pool table. There are more screens than I remember as well. We went into the right hand room as we usually do and Ms CAMRA promptly bagged a small table next to a radiator as it was pretty nippy outside. Four handpumps on in here with a fairly safe selection of Yorkshire beers on tap. Apparently TT Landlord was on in the other room, but we didn't visit as it was full of guys watching rugby. We both had Roosters Yankee which was in pretty good nick. Still a decent pub and we'll probably call in for one again as we often stay across the road, but a lot of the character and characters have been lost.

05/03/2010

Multi roomed pub with good selection of real ales. Has a blackboard up stating how many different reals ales they have had on since opening with an asterix next to any ales currently on tap that have added to the total. I can't remember exactly how many it is, but it's certainly in 4 figures. I've never had a bad pint in here and I've had quite a few. It's a nice place for a quiet chat. Molly, the pub dog is a little mercenary, buy a bag of crisps and you've got a friend for life, right up until someone buys some pork scratchings!! Just up the road from the Coach and Horses. Try both.

On 18th February 2022 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3216 recommendations about 3127 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about The Tap on Tower St

Now being run by new operators, the old Tap & Spile has had a complete modernising make over that will not be to everyone's taste. The three room layout remains, the public bar to the left, doubles as a bottle shop with fridges laden with bottles and cans. Seating here is generally at tall stools and there is a drinking shelf along the front wall. The former lounge now has tables and chairs and operates as a food and drink space for the all day food offer, with a choice of cheeses, pizzas, pies, meats and noodles. The former pool room is also laid out with tables and chairs and shelves groaning with various board games. Naturally a trendy grey paint job predominates, is it still trendy or a bit passé? Each bar has four hand pumps with the same beers sometimes in each bar, sadly the quality isn't as good as before on those occasions when it was right. The front patio area has seating reclaimed from wooden pallets, the rear garden has more conventional seating.

On 5th October 2017 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3209 recommendations about 2920 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Tap & Spile

This is a charming back street pub easily reached from the town centre, but rather sleepy on my Saturday evening visit. The entrance has doors to either side, with the right hand option leading into a spacious lounge bar which is part carpeted and part bare boared. Standard tables and chairs make up the majority of seeing options here, although there is a decent looking L-shaped banquette in the rear corner. Bare stone walls to the front and a nice tiled fireplace to the rear with a pub mirror above, help give the pub an authentic traditional feel, further enhanced by a series of historic black and white photos throughout the room. There is also an upright piano, although the sombre atmosphere on my visit made me wonder how long it was since it was last used in anger. Meanwhile, the left entrance takes you into a simple front bar with limited seating options, a large TV screen and an encouraging pump clip collection. A blackboard on the end wall also listed the full ale range. A third room can be found to the rear left, housing a pool table and some subsequently cramped seating options as well as a serious continuation of the pump clip collection. Music played quietly throughout my visit and a docile pub dog wandered around looking lost before hiding under the banquette.
The ale range was pretty strong for a quiet back street pub, which made me wonder if I had happened to catch it at a bit of a bad time. The options available on this visit were Roosters Yankee, Exmouth Ale, Cottage Thunderbolt and Full Throttle, Brains The Awakening, Purity Mad Goose and something from Batemans. The Yankee couldn't really be faulted and it was served by a friendly enough landlord.
I really liked the look and feel of this classic traditional back street pub, especially the sharp contrast it provided to the Saturday night madness unfolding a short distance away on the town centre. It was a shame that the pub was virtually empty, as it struck me as the sort of place you could probably easily fall into conversation with the locals. A well kept pub and one that I would be keen to revisit at a busier time.

On 16th June 2015 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about The Tap & Spile

We really liked this proper traditional pub, with the friendly manager and the very likeable pub's dog named Molly, who had her bed in the bar under the TV and a pile of half eaten bones under the pool table. The pub consisted of the bar on the left of entrance, a rear pool room and a decent sized lounge with upright piano on the right.
There was eight ales on handpump, so I went for the Roosters Yankee, which was top class.

On 14th June 2015 - rating: 9
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about The Tap & Spile

Dedicated beer drinkers pub with eight constantly changing ales from micro, small and regional brewers all in excellent condition. Floorboards and exposed brickwork in the Lounge, stone flags, TV and gaming machine in the Public, and a pool table in the back room. Knowledgeable and efficient Guv'nor, friendly locals, one of the top three or four traditional pubs in Harrogate.


April 2011

The Guest Ale total is now up to 1960, I wonder if there will be a celebration for number 2000, perhaps he'll drop his prices! (temporarily of course)

On 2nd April 2011 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3209 recommendations about 2920 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blackthorn _ left this review about The Tap & Spile

Suprisingly nice inside as the exterior didn't look particularly inviting. Traditional stone walls and a courtyard which is a good spot for the evening sun, although the multitude of dogs running round spoiled it a bit.
Pool table in the bar and a good choice of beer on tap. Also Blackthorn cider which was an unexpected bonus in this part of the country, along with Weston's Scrumpy.

On 30th June 2009 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1937 recommendations about 1850 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Alan Winfield left this review about The Tap & Spile

This Tap and Spile is a medium sized pub and once inside here the pub was really nice with a good choice of real ales on the bar i had a drink of York Stonewall and this was a really nice drink the other beers were Roosters yankee, Hexamshire Devils Elbow, Theakston Old Peculiar and London Pride.
This was my favourite pub in Harrogate on my short visit.

Pub visited 16/7/2007

On 16th July 2007 - rating: 9
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]