Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Random news of the day with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Winchester Gate, Salisbury
Salisbury
SP1 1JA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Winchester Gate
Located on the fringes of the city centre, on the opposite side of the busy A36, this is an unusual pub and live music venue. You enter into a corridor with the main bar to the right, a separate seating area to the left and the venue and garden further towards the rear. The bar area is a fairly shallow but wide room that extends a long way to the right. The bar is along the rear wall and has a chequered tile floor around a modern tongue and groove counter with a simple bar back that incorporates what appears to be a former fireplace, now blocked off and with a small pump clip collection to one side. Hard bench and padded banquette seating runs around the rest of the room’s perimeter, with plenty of chairs in support. The room has low tongue and groove wall panels, with quite a dark colour scheme on the upper sections, which is offset by plenty of fairy lights and other muted light sources, helping to create a surprisingly warm feel. The walls are decorated with a series of brightly coloured, framed gig posters, plus a few scruffier flyers for upcoming shows at the pub. The side room was closed when I arrived shortly after opening, so I couldn’t explore properly. But a glimpse through the window suggested it offered quite a bit of additional table and chair seating. I was also unable to explore the garden or venue, but did catch sight of a large circus-style tent out the back which has been furnished to quite a high standard and acts as an outdoor venue and function room. A decent soundtrack was playing in the background throughout the course of my visit, and the bar staff were still busty with their Monday cleaning routine, which weirdly included drying the floor in the main bar by hand using what looked like kitchen roll!
Live music venues are never a great source of cask ale, but this place seems to buck the trend, with four operational handpulls dispensing Southbourne Headlander, Hattie Brown’s Sirius, and Yeovil Hop 242 and Stout Hearted, with three real ciders available from boxes stacked up on the bar back. My pint of the Stout Hearted felt like a Monday opening-time effort and was probably the most disappointing beer of the day.
I really wanted to like this place, as it seemed to have a lot of good things going for it, but I left feeling a little let-down, perhaps because of the dodgy pint, the inability to fully explore or the lack of any other customers. Bonus points for being a live music venue with an interesting ale range and for putting on a roster of interesting up and coming acts, but I’d want much better ale quality if I were to consider a return.
On 22nd February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about Winchester Gate
Called in while doing a trip round Salisbury area pubs and found a couple of Downton beers plus Sixpenny Cranbourne Chaser which we tried along with Cross Bay California Dreamin, both of which were good. Loved the beer garden at the rear.
On 12th May 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Winchester Gate
The outside has had another scrub since my last visit but not the interior which remains a fairly unappealing prospect (apparently there is a decent garden but I’ve never found it). Still, there were four ales on and my Hart Dark Maiden was very good. Also half a dozen ciders so I can see why it’s GBG but to be honest it doesn’t really appeal to me as a destination. Big on live music, if that’s your bag.
April 2012
Just the wrong side of the A36 ring road, we popped in after our usual stop-off at the Wyndham opposite. The exterior (two distinctly different buildings mashed together) had just had a fresh lick of paint and looked quite inviting. The interior was rather less impressive though. Two rooms, one of which was a scruffy games room with a dart board and pool. The lounge had a smattering of fairly friendly locals but also felt a quite tired décor-wise. Still there were three ales on and the one we had was in good nick (Goffs, if I remember rightly). If you like your beer this is worth the extra few minutes from the Wyndham but as a pub experience it doesn’t really stand out in any other way at present. Perhaps the freshly-painted exterior is a sign of greater things to come? Rated 6
On 1st April 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Winchester Gate
Five ales on handpump on our Friday lunchtime visit. Bowland Hen Harrier, Upham Best Mate, Flack Manor Flack's Double Drop, Downton Slovenian and the house beer was by Wadworth A Bit of O' Badger IPA. I went for the Upham Best Mate, which was a mistake as the beer wasn't to my taste, as it had a toffee flavour to it and no taste, at least I only bought a half. This pub is more of a night time venue with its permanent stage situated in a room on the left of entrance. The pub also has a large rear two tiered garden, which gets busy during the summer months at weekends, when they hold mini beer fests and BBQ'S.
On 20th May 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Winchester Gate
Another good pub as found by Malden Man a few days before my own visit,It was unfortunately empty apart from myself and my drinking partner for the day,it did however feel like a real pub and I felt immediately at home here.My pint of Itchen Valley QED was pretty decent as well, I did somehow manage to miss the well advertised CAMRA discount until it was to late, but never mind,another pub for the return list.
On 8th August 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Winchester Gate
Cut off rather from town by virtue of being the other side of the four lane A36 rumbling past, this pub is still worth the effort of getting to. In fact it isn't too difficult at all as there are occasional underpasses saving a long trek around and making the pub easy to double up with the ever excellent Wyndham Arms.
Once inside there are two rooms, the larger room having the bar and also a pool table down one end. The smaller side room has a stage, mixing decks and also a dartboard. Going by the posters all over the place, live music is big here.
The main bar has a carpeted floor and regular seating, décor is mostly gig flyers but there was also a couple of old maps and pictures of Stonehenge. Lower walls are wainscoted, there is a bit of beamed ceiling, board games on a shelf and newspapers in a rack.
A decent beer selection, Box Clever Soul Train, Sixpenny Brewery Jack Ale, Hop Back Crop Circle and Three Castles Vale Ale. A beer festival is advertised for the second week of August, I believe this may be set up in the rear garden which I didn't get round to having a look at. CAMRA card discount of 20p/10p. A sign written in biro advised tha.t the rolls were sold out, more tomorrow so I suppose this is the food option here, a simple quick and easy food fix. Worth heading under the road for especially if taking in The Wyndham.
On 3rd August 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Half Pint Davey left this review about Winchester Gate
Quite a well hidden pub in Salisbury, but well worth seeking out, good drinks and quite a nice atmosphere.
When I visited they had a good selection of beers at fairly reasonable prices.
On 12th January 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 4 recommendations about 4 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about Winchester Gate
Visited this pub for the first time in July 2010. Three good ales on tap and signs up advertising a beer festival at the pub. We visited mid afternoon and although quiet, there were a fair number of customers mainly drinking the ales.
definitely worth the walk across town from the railway station.
On 16th August 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about Winchester Gate
Although slightly frayed around the edges, this pub has, in the last two years, greatly improved through the phenomenal efforts of the landlord, Bill. The rough trade which previously haunted the pub has gone, and the quality of the ales is first class. The range of beers changes regularly - I've seen three pumps change on the same night before - and the beer festivals are set to become a regular feature. When I last went in the Plain Ales Innspiration was out of this world. In some ways it would be a pity to see the rather shabby interior change as this might alter the character of the pub altogether. This is another essential part of any Salisbury crawl, and is worth tying into a visit to the Wyndham which is just over the road.
On 5th February 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3277 recommendations about 3242 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Winchester Gate
Just across the Ring Road from the Wyndham Arms. Modern decor with sofas and some sad brewers tudor. Friendly, young and enthusiastic staff, offering a wide range of interesting well kept beers and Planet Rock as background music. All pretty good, a bit of a real ale mecca but a little different to the Village or the Wyndham, this being aimed at a generally younger age group. The customers on my visit were attracted by the beer, the pool table and included some yoghurt knitters.
On 21st November 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]