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The Star Inn, Bath
Bath
BA1 5NA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Star Inn
Our final pub of the day. The pub has an impressive exterior and an even more impressive interior with multiple small rooms. There are 4 rooms in all, a snug to the left of the entrance door, a small area with a bench next to the bar which is apparently known as death row due to the elderly regulars who take up residence there. There was indeed one elderly gent on the bench for our visit. We sat in the furthest of the rooms to the right-hand side.
Abbey Ales Bath Bellringer & Bass are the 2 regular ales. Guests were Sharp's Sea Fury, Frome RA & Tiny Rebel Cwtch Gold. I've never been a particular fan of Cwtch itself, but the Cwtch Gold was quite enjoyable. I didn't spot any ciders, but may well have missed it/them.
Nevertheless, I thought this was the finest interior of any of the Bath pubs we sampled yesterday and was certainly one of the highlights of a decent day out.
On 26th August 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2454 recommendations about 2453 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Star Inn
The classic interior was a welcome relief from the grim modernism of the Brewed Boy. Another one where little has changed in the intervening years and my description from below can pretty much be re-printed. A pint of stillage Bass (NBSS 3.5) did the job for me whilst the other two enjoyed their pints of Goffs Porter and Abbey Bellringer. It’s GBG’22 and a must-visit in Bath – it lives-up to its name.
Feb 2011
Apparently the oldest pub in Bath (1760), this another little heritage gem, refitted in 1928. The relatively plain exterior gives way to four different rooms with oodles of dark wood panelling and real fires. Five ales; Bass (from the barrel via a jug), two Abbey ales in Bellringer and Mild, Marstons Pedigree and Jennings Snecklifter alongside a real cider (Hells Bells). The Abbey beers were in good nick, even if I discovered they really aren’t to my taste. We got a warm welcome, which befitted a pub free of music, fruit machines and TVs. Cockles and filled rolls available at the bar and, more intriguingly, complimentary snuff! The wild west-style swing doors on the toilets made me smile. Visitors beware, it closes in the afternoons. Another Bath gem, well-worth the plod up the hill for. Rated 8
On 12th November 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Star Inn
Lovely multi-room traditional pub set on an attractive terraced road to the North of the city centre. From the lobby, you can head right towards the bar, via two small seating areas, or left for a pleasant lounge. Most rooms have their own fireplace and a mix of traditional seating options, as well as plenty of smart three-quarter height wood panelling and appropriate decor, including lots of paintings and a selection of interesting breweriana. The lounge is a particularly nice spot, with a parquet floor covered by a couple of rugs, a lit gas fireplace under a plain mirror, and an upright piano to one side. A well stocked trophy cabinet attests to the pub’s sporting prowess and the walls are decorated with items of local interest.
For such a great looking alehouse, there’s an appropriately strong ale selection, comprising Bath Best Bitter and Bellringer, Sharps Sea Fury, Milestone Raspberry Wheat Beer and Draught Bass plus one real cider. The barmaid was very friendly and welcoming and my pint of the Bellringer was in tip-top condition.
This is an outstanding pub that rewards on the heritage, beer and service fronts. The multi room layout means there’s plenty to explore, making return visits a welcome prospect, and the place has that warm, welcoming feel that lends itself to an extended session.
On 12th October 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Star Inn
Well described by others, below, and certainly a ‘must visit’ pub, both for its historic interior and its excellent beer quality. The only disappointment was the attitude of the barmaid who was dismissive and a little cold towards us and to other customers who asked for Bass, which had gone off – maybe she was having a bad hair day. That said, it wouldn’t put me off coming back for the beer alone and spending time enjoying the ales. The other ales on during this visit were Bath Bellringer, Rev James Original, Otter Bitter and Whitefriar. Stan’s Cider was also on draft. Definitely deserving of its GBG status.
On 14th March 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3286 recommendations about 3251 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Star Inn
Another wonderful multi- roomed Bath pub, deserving of its heritage status. Beers were Bath Bellringer and Maximus IPA, Spitfire,Titanic Plum Porter and Bass, the Cider was Stans Cheddar Valley. A must visit in Bath.
On 17th March 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Star Inn
A fantastic unspoilt pub located just a few minutes’ walk from the main shopping area, this has been a licenced preemies since 1760 and is listed on Camra’s National Inventory of Heritage Pubs. Now owned by Bath brewer Abbey Ales, it’s one of four pubs that they have in the central Bath area, and to my mind easily the best. In fact it’s probably the best pub in Bath, regardless of who owns it.
Internally it consists of several small rooms, all quite cosy and atmospheric. The central room is perhaps the cosiest of the lot, with old wooden boards on the floor and much wood panelling on the walls along with some small frosted windows along the top. Space is quite limited with the three or four tables packed in quite tightly. Various old pictures of the pub and local cricket team are on the walls, whilst a small wooden fireplace to one side had a coal fire blazing away which was a nice touch on a cold November evening. To the right in the next room is the bar counter, and this too was made of wood with a curved end. A stone fireplace was at the rear, and this also had a real fire going.
Beers on tap consisted of just Bellringer from the owners, and this was served directly from barrels racked up behind the bar. This was joined by Directors, Hobgoblin Gold and Bass, the latter of which were available in jugs which many punters seemed to be partaking of. Ciders were Thatcher’s Gold and Cheddar Valley. All in all, a great pub and well worth taking the walk from the centre to track it down.
On 30th November 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1949 recommendations about 1862 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Star Inn
A Star in more ways than one. The Star Inn is one of those very few pubs that have the definite "wow!" factor when you walk in. You have the feeling of stepping back a hundred years or more as you enter into the wood panelled interior, and meander through the different rooms that have remained unchanged for a long, long time. It's on CAMRA's National Inventory of pubs with unspoilt interiors, so I don't need to spell out the interior features in great detail - follow the WhatPub link on here to see the description as well as Mick Slaughter's excellent photographs of the interior.
But I do need to mention that this is one of the handful of pubs where ale is served into a glass jug from one of the casks on stillage at the back, and then poured into your pint glass. The two ales on stillage when I was in were Bass (as always), and Abbey Bellringer (it's an Abbey Ales pub). On handpump were Brain's Rev James Rye, Davenport's Red Baron, as well as an 8% Thatcher's cider called Stan's. Food was clingfilm wrapped cheese and ham rolls (£2 to £3 as I recall), with no sign of any buffalo mozzarella, aioli, wraps, or brioche buns.
This is destination pub, and a must for anyone visiting Bath.
On 23rd August 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Star Inn
A very interesting pub with its various seating areas, coal fires lit on our visit to add to the nostalgia. We entered the pub from the Guinea Lane side, walking down this steep hill and entering the pub via a small side door and down a couple of steps.
This led into a tiny lobby and snug opposite the bar, which gave an interesting view of the bar and back Servery, where we observed an extensive range of malt whiskeys and also packets of snuff for sale at £1.50. I gave that a miss and settled on a delicious cheese and onion cob from the fridge. The pub had four ales and one cider on handpump. So I went for my first try of the local brew, Abbey Brewery Bellringer, which was ok, but wouldn't be tempted back to the bar for a refill.
On 17th October 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Star Inn
Slightly out from the city centre, but well worth the walk to find this splendid old pub with its remarkably unspoilt interior. Very traditional furniture and decor, with several part-screened seating areas around the bar plus a small 'L'-shaped lounge to one side. Although described as the Abbey Brewery tap, only Bellringer (£3.30) was on but the other four handpumps did feature an interesting choices of ales from other small breweries. The regular Bass was also available on gravity from a stillage behind the narrow bar counter.
On 1st February 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Star Inn
Very traditional and old it fronts a busy road on the north of the centre. Its a bit like a museum piece inside in lots of small spaces. Rather dark & musky it all adds to the charm of yesteryear. Vary good beer quality.
I found this to be the best pub of all those visited in Bath.
On 30th June 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]