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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
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The Kean's Head, Nottingham
Nottingham
NG1 1QA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Kean's Head
I've been to the Keans Head many times over the years, and I always recommend it when people ask me, but I still can't seem to warm to it. Maybe it's the smell of curry, maybe it's the plain rectangular room with tables set out like a school canteen, maybe it's the slightly offhand attitude of the staff, or a combination of all three. There's no denying the quality of the beer though, so maybe that's what keeps me coming back. At the time of my visit there were five cask beers on, though another was pulled through while I was there. There were also 10 keg options (their website says now up to 18) and three ciders. My half of Byatts Coventry Bitter in November 2021 was very good; in May 2022 I went for a porter from Deya called Hokum Stomp 5.6% at £5/pint but have no record or recollection of it - beers here are always in very good condition, though. This is still apparently a Castle Rock pub, but on my recent visits there was just one of their beers on.
Last visited 23rd November 2021 and 10th May 2022.
On 18th April 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about The Keans Head
March 2018. Still at it. Fantastic gin collection.
February 2016. Still here, still selling really good beer and food. Keep it up boys and girls.
I have been in here several times since 2012 and I can report no real change. Keep it up Castle Rock. Still my favourite wife friendly pub in the city, however competition is growing almost on a daily basis.
Original review 25/06/12.
My favourite city centre watering hole when out shopping with the Mrs. Small brick faced single room with a bar at the end. can get crowded at times but is off the beaten track for most shoppers and is great for lunch. Usually 3 Castle Rock brews on the bar, this time including Harvest Pale, Preservation and the special Diamond Reign. Couple of guests on the bar plus some fizzy lager on tap. I had the most excellent ham eggs and chips whilst the Mrs had a brie butty and chips. the food was excellent, as was the beer. Very attentive staff, only too happy to help. Good wine list for the ladies and I am told, a most acceptible new Zealand Sauv. Toilets are very clean as is the rest of the pub. Good disabled access, however, due to it's location, there is no parking to speak of. Real Ale Ray obviously had a bad experience but I will be back again and again.
On 15th March 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alex Conway left this review about The Keans Head
A castle rock pub usually stands for a fantastic pub experience but I have to say this is a rare example of theirs that I would brand as good but not great. Some reasons for this are the limited space available as it is simply one large square room with a bar that runs along the back wall meaning everything is open plan which I am not as keen on. Secondly being in the middle of town it is more hustle and bustle than their suburban pubs attraction night time weekend drinker types which is fine but as nice as the more chilled out clientele of their quieter pubs. Lastly the selection of beer is not as good as their other pubs. Baring that in mind there is still six hand pulls available as well as numerous keg craft beers and a decent whiskey selection. Their beer is also extremely well kept with there always available Harvest pale (£3.00) being one of the best examples of this beer I have had. However it must be said that this is probably the most expensive castle rock pub with the guests on my visit being all starting at £3.50 which is on the pricey side for Nottingham. On my visit Hardknot Brewery was heavily featured making me think they might have had a tap takeover. Beers available were Hardknot catalyst (£3.50) Dark energy (£4.00) and Newons Downfall (£4.50!!) as well as Urban Huntsmans the Islander (£3.60) and Castle Rocks Traffic Street Special Rat Race (£3.60). This pub is still worth a visit if in town as the beer quality is fantastic, just not the sort of place you would want to stay all night.
Update March 2017**
Was told by the snardiest bar man ever that I knew nothing about beer for requesting a sparkler with my beer (I personally like beer served with one) as all the pumps had no sparkler attached only to be told that i was wasting his beer as only beer that is not in perfect condition requires a sparkler. I think i laughed all the way to the next pub.
On 7th March 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 456 recommendations about 456 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Keans Head
This pub was opened about 21 years ago and it is in a nice setting opposite St Marys church.
This is a small pub with a squareish room and the bar facing you as you enter,it is a Castle Rock tied house and there are about 7 real ales on the bar with three or four from castle rock and the others guest micro brewery beers.
When we come in here we usually have a drink of Harvest Pale which is always very nice,seats are hard to come by because the pub is so small but if you do get a seat i think this is a really nice pub to have a few drinks in.
The pub also does food which looks very nice and not the microwave type food.
This pub is well worth a visit and its close to the gallerys of justice and about 4 mins walk from Lace Market tram stop.
This is a pub we visit whenever in Nottingham on our most recent visit we had a drink of Harvest Pale which was on top form as usual,the other beers on the bar were Castle Rock Snow White /Preservation,Traffic Street Guns of Naverone 10.3% £4 a half and one from Hop Craft.
Still one of my favourite Nottingham pubs that i will visit often.
Pub first visited 15/12/1995
Recent visit 7/5/2016
On 30th May 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Keans Head
Compact single-room pub, converted from part of a former lace factory. Would be quite plain inside, were it not for a display of pump clips on the ceiling beams and other pieces of breweriana about the walls. Very full on a Friday night, but I got the impression that it would be much more food-orientated earlier in the day. Six beers and ciders on handpump, including three from owners Castle Rock and Acorn Old Moor porter (£3.50).
On 26th April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Keans Head
This pub is named after the famous 19th Century Shakespearean actor, although I don’t know his connection with Nottingham. It’s a fairly small one-room affair tucked away down an alleyway. As others have said this is a Castle Rock house, which had on four of their ales during my visit. I went for the Snow White (£3.20 a pint) which was pretty good. Also on were Oldershaw Volupta Blonde and Hopback Crop Circle, all helpfully listed on a chalkboard behind the bar (listing name, ABV and beer style) as it’s difficult to see all the clips due to those who like to clog up the bar counter. The commitment to changing real ales is indicated by the mass of pump clips displayed on the beams. There were more chalkboards on the walls advertising food – such as the local pork sausages (Lincolnshire) at £8.95 a pop.
The room itself is quite modern in appearance. It looks nothing like the traditional pubs that I generally like (a shop or house conversion possibly?). There’s plenty of exposed brickwork, bare boards, and the furnishings are a few stools at a ledge on the right, a bit of banquette seating and standard issue tables and chairs. When I was in at around 5.00 PM the place soon filled up with what looked like groups of workers having a swift after finishing work. The noise level was ratcheted up by a couple of groups having a good time. My companion and I were in early enough to get a seat, but by 6.00 PM it was standing room only.
But I liked this pub, even though it’s not the sort of pub I usually go for. The beer I had was top notch, and at a decent price. It was comfortable enough (as long as you can bag a seat). The food other punters were eating looked good as well. I would be happy to visit this one again the next time that I’m in Nottingham.
On 26th November 2012
- rating: 7
[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 Keans Head
I really like the pub's location and found it easy to find. Staff here seemed to be over stretched serving drinks plus waiting on tables. I asked for a pint of ale and waited a good while, then told the bar person that I didn't order any Irish stout, so you don't have to wait for it to settle - that you can serve up a pint of real ale striaght away, as she put down someone's dinner to hand me my beer. Might call again when there's only two customers.
On 4th December 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Keans Head
A plain brick end terraced pub and eatery, with a couple of string courses for decoration.
The interior is an open plan room with the serving bar faces you at the far end of the pub as you enter. The decor is a mix of white, wood panel, exposed brick and some burnt orange-ish coloured tiling, with a white ceiling and a wood floor, red seating and the usual tables and chairs for eating. We sat where there was once a fire place but is now a bench seat - mainly as the place was so full with a very mixed clientele, it was the only place to sit. There is plenty of beer memorabilia on the walls and a beer mat collection, along with photos. The service was functional, mainly i think due to the fact that is was rammed. The place does food, but i didn't eat so can't comment on that.
Beer; usual taps with Oyster Stour, Erdinger and Birra Moretti. It is a Castle Rock Brewery pub, but i couldn't see all the taps as it was busy, but noted; CR Harvest Pale Ale, Preservation and Gatekeeper's MILD (which looked flat but tasted fine). I also noted Derby Triple Hop as a guest.
I enjoyed this place more than i thought i would from first impressions and would definitely return. Review was written in May.
On 17th November 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Keans Head
Situated in the Lace Market part of town, opposite the rather impressive St Mary's church, this is a simple, single room Tynemill pub. The layout is very basic, with some bench seating along the left hand wall, a large sofa in the front window and standard tables and chairs covering the remaining floor space. Walls are half panelled with a strip of rather ugly orange tiles above. There are quite a lot of brewery signs on the walls from all over the world and the beams are decorated with the obligatory collection of pump clips. Each table had flowers on it, but rather than putting them in a vase, they were instead in old, Grolsch-style, swing-top cap beer bottles. On the right hand wall there is what appears to be an old fireplace, but this now houses a small bench seat, although I can't really imagine anyone wanting to sit in there unless the pub was very busy.
The bar counter is sited at the rear of the room and all beers are listed on a blackboard on the right hand wall. My visit saw a choice of Castle Rock Harvest Pale and Kiss Me Kate, Oldenshaw Regal Blonde and Brains Gold. As with most Tynemill pubs there was an excellent bottled beer range detailed in menus on each table, and some interesting, non-mainstream keg products. My pint of Oldenshaw Blonde was well kept and a refreshing pint to end the day on.
I quite liked this place and although it was a bit quiet, even on a Saturday evening, I thought there was a nice, relaxed atmosphere making it far more preferable to the row of drinking barn establishments just round the corner that we had to pass on our way here.
On 16th May 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Keans Head
Very small square pub that is very food oriented. It's a Tynemill pub so mainly Castle Rock beers. I had a pint of the Elsie Mo and a plateful of sausage and mash. Both were very good. It's well hidden away but worth finding. Not very pubby but it's still good.
On 23rd April 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3223 recommendations about 3134 pubs]