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Whitefriars Olde Alehouse, Coventry

114-115 Gosford Street
Coventry
CV1 5DL

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


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Whitefriars Olde Alehouse

I really quite enjoyed my previous visit some seven years ago, but certainly not this time... It was cold (with a back door inexplicably propped partly open), initially deserted and only four of nine handpumps in operation on a Sunday evening - meaning that the choice was just Doom Bar, Brentwood Maple Leaf Mild, Twisted Ale Rider (£3.00) and a cider. On the plus side, the interesting old interior didn't seem to have changed one bit. Rating reduced by a couple of notches, but I may just have caught it on a particularly bad day so I will doubtless give it another go at some stage.

On 12th March 2016 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


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Aqualung . left this review about Whitefriars Olde Alehouse

This is a very old building as is obvious from both inside and out. As noted below it stands out in a street full of more modern buildings most with a connection of some sort to Coventry University. I turned up here early on a Thursday afternoon to find it fairly quiet, presumably the students were all at lectures or still in bed. It's basically one long room with the bar area in the middle and the bar itself to the right, a snug to the immediate right as you enter and a more modern looking extension at the rear leading to a patio. There is an assortment of benches tables and chairs with a fair bit of standing room around the bar. There was no sign of a TV or posters advertising boring sports.
I failed to spot an entrance to upstairs so assume it was closed. I took a seat in the bar area and noticed that some of the beams in this area are so old they look as though they are rotten.
The bar has nine hand pumps four devoted to cider but with one unused. The five beers on included no mainstream rubbish and were mostly Locale. They were Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Lionheart Dark Ruby, Slaughterhouse Stout Snout & Pacific Pale and a Three Tuns beer that I can't identify. I went for the Dark Ruby and Pacific Pale both of which were faultless and good value at £3.00 reduced to £2.80 with the CAMRA discount.
I thought this place was superb and the only thing stopping me giving it a 10 is the thought of it being rammed with raucous students so it's a very strong 9.

On 14th October 2015 - rating: 9
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Thuck Phat left this review about Whitefriars Olde Ale House

The myriad attributes of this stunning historic building are well described below and I can add little other than to say it is remarkably atmospheric place for a pint.
Being located so close to the university, students inevitably make up a fair proportion of the customers and it does have something of the feel of a civilised students union. On our visit there was a guitar playing barman, a folk band practising in one of the upstairs rooms with a backgammon evening taking place in another and the room downstairs with the fireplace was full of student types playing dungeons and dragons. Not quite like walking into the Young Ones house but not far off. It was also chilly with just the odd fan heater around the place and the fire not lit. It is a big space which I'm sure is plenty warm enough on a busy weekend evening but it takes a lot of bodies to fill the pub.
Beer: The advantage of the student custom is plenty of ale turnover and there were 9 beers offered across a range of styles, although nothing strong. A good start but we didn't manage to find one beer which tempted us into a second which made me wonder if the beers are selected more on price than quality. All we tried was in good nick though.
The list on our visit was: Doom Bar, Ilkley Gold, Green Duck Drunken Duck, Tring Old Icknield Gold and Colly Dog, Mighty Oak Dry Bones, Warwickshire Beer Co Moustache Beer, Goffs Camelot and Blue Bear Morning Glory.
The Whitefriars is certainly a 'must visit' pub if in Coventry on the basis of the building alone but whilst I'd always put my head around the door, it wouldn't be in the expectation of a long session sampling various beers or even staying for one.

On 13th November 2012 - rating: 7
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]


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Bucking Fastard left this review about Whitefriars Olde Ale House

ORIGINAL REVIEW August 2010
This is the real ale emporium in Coventry and one of the most interesting building which survived the horrors inflicted by the Luftwaffe.Elizabethan throughout with a traditional exterior,the interior is worth close inspection.Through the front door there is a drinking area immediately to the left with a very low ceiling and not much light while to the right is a raised room with a large fireplace and a cubby hole in brick work large enough for a small table and two chairs with its own light.Great for a private chat with your nearest and dearest or any alternative.The rest of this room has a few tables and chairs and bar access in the corner.The main counter is in the middle of the pub to the right with a few bar stool around the wood panneled walls.Nine handpumps ,with seven dispensing an array of mainly microbrewery output,the only national brand I spied was Doombar.This is a lively drinkers pub very close to Coventry University and no sign of food in the evening,but deservedly popular and correctly featured in the GBG.Too many ales on to note but my pint of Razamataz from the Elland Brewery was spot on and just one of three quite strong pale ales.Other beer styles are always available making this a top ale house.Open mic night on Wednesday,with other musical events this is a must visit in Cov .Makes you wonder how beautiful the original city must have been before WW II,sadly the post war rebuilding achieved little of note but at least this place has remained intact.

UPDATE
The upstairs area was open this time,via a door next to the entrance to the front room which is locked at quiet times.It's worth ascending the rickety staircase with two excellent front rooms with ancient exposed timbers,coloured plasterwork and wall painting decoration.The third room was a jumble of chairs, tables,amps and detritus so not usable.There is also a store room which used to be a bar,the handpumps are still visible but the bar partitioned off.Downstairs the well is at the far end of the pub by the exit doors to the beer garden .
There is something going on every night with general knowledge and music quizes,backgammon night,open mic,live music,etc which ensures solid foot fall.Even the barman would strum away on his acoustic guitar when the bar was quiet,thankfully it was busy on our midweek visit.
Nine handpumps with only Doom Bar as a regular,the selection on my visit was dominated by obscure micros with little track record of excellence.I had sympathy with one punter who after walking in studiously studied each pump clip before swiftly walking out again.My pints were also impacted by liberal use of line chillers.
There is a problem keeping this old building warm on a cold evening,although the presence of sweaty students on popular night may offset this.This pub is a must visit for the interior but like the local Sky Blues the ale selection has drifted from the Premiership to League 1 ,hence the downgrade

On 10th November 2012 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


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Pub SignMan left this review about Whitefriars Olde Ale House

Parts of this wonderfully restored timber framed building date back as far as the 14th century and represent a style of building that was once commonplace in Coventry. The premises was used as a butchers shop until 1976, at which point it fell into a state of disrepair. A lengthy restoration project saw the building re-open as Whitefriars Olde Ale House in late 2000, thereby preserving this piece of the city’s history for the foreseeable future.
You enter into a corridor which leads you past a seating area to the left with muted lighting and mixed seating options. To the right, a doorway leads into a small room with benches around the edge, a large fireplace, some stained glass windows and a small serving hatch to the bar. These two front areas were quieter than the rest of the pub and seemed like the ideal spot to relax over a quiet pint. The pub opens out a bit past these rooms, with the servery in a recessed space to the right and some seating on the left hand side that runs all the way down to the back of the room. The servery has been decorated with countless pump clips and some photo collages, whilst there are a few interesting objects in the rest of the room, including a nice old clock and an antique cash register. The historic feel is enhanced by a mixture of stone and wooden flooring, loads of ancient looking beams and struts and plenty of crumbling brickwork, especially towards the front. Music was playing quietly throughout my stay and there was a diverse crowd in, including students from the nearby university buildings (the pub is at the end of a road lined with depressing student orientated bars and theme pubs).
If you’re going to call yourself an ‘Olde Ale House’ you need to back it up with a good range of beers, so I was pleased to find Bakehouse Liquid Bread, Wood Farm No 8 and Union, Blindmans Joker, Clarks Traditional Bitter, Warwickshire Kingmaker and Wytchwood Hobgoblin on the bar. I tried a pint of the Union (£2.80), which was in good condition and served by a cheerful barman.
This pub will impress the ale drinker and pub traditionalist alike and it should be the first pub on your list when planning a visit to Coventry. I would have preferred a bit more time to fully appreciate the place (like Quinno, I also failed to notice a well or an upstairs room), but train times meant I had to make the 10-15 minute walk back to the station after just the one pint. Definitely one for a revisit.

On 19th October 2012 - rating: 8
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Spinko Spinko left this review about Whitefriars Olde Ale House

Great ale house, doesn't seem like it can stand its own feet as the roof is warped to buggery! The food at lunch is extraordinarily good. I had double egg, double chips, double bread for £4.10. Three and a half pints too which were all acceptable if a little cold. The only beer place to go in Coventry.

On 26th January 2012 - rating: 9
[User has posted 44 recommendations about 44 pubs]


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Quinno _ left this review about Whitefriars Olde Ale House

An ancient historical building (Elizabethan?), sited by the University campus and within a short stroll of the Cathedral. The interior is as delightful as you’d expect, dark and multi-roomed, hulking beams aplenty with a number of interesting knick-knacks to peruse. There is apparently a well in the corner of the bar but I somehow contrived to miss that on my brief stop. Apparently the upstairs is also worth a look (missed that too!). There’s a bigger bonus in the eight ales that are available, many of which are locally sourced. I plumped for the Wild Gold, which was spot-on. There were also home-made cobs available, which is a classic Midlands touch. The people running the place seemed to be a rock/alternative crowd and the barmaid reminded me rather of Vod from the student-based TV programme Fresh Meat. Most of the nearby pubs are aimed squarely at the student population and I imagine this place is a blessed relief and probably full of lecturers in the evening.

This one ticks plenty of boxes and is a ‘must-do’ in Coventry.

On 24th November 2011 - rating: 9
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]


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john mcgraw left this review about Whitefriars Olde Ale House

A very good old fashioned pub that is obviously steeped in history.A very good range of real ales served from a tiny bar.The only thing that spoiled it was the playing of very loud music which really doesn't suit this sort of pub.

On 4th July 2011 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]


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Gill Smith left this review about Whitefriars Olde Ale House

Just uploaded some photos of this pub taken in April 2007 when I visited the Good Beer Guide pub. It is still in the 2010 GBG. The beer range and quality was fine, and it is worth having a look round, especially the rooms upstairs.

On 9th July 2010 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]