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The New Inn, Canterbury
Canterbury
CT1 1NP
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about The New Inn
Cosy backstreet pub with a reputation for well-kept ale, situated on a quiet road just outside the city walls. You enter to a small front bar with scuffed floorboards, orange and cream painted walls and two fireplaces along the left-hand wall. The servery is along the right side of the room and has an angular dark wood counter with a smart canopy and rather unimaginative two-part bar back. Hard bench seating runs around the perimeter, boasting some spectacularly thin and threadbare upholstery, with plenty of basic chairs in support and a row of high stools along the bar. Décor is the usual traditional odds and ends, including plenty of old photos, a big collection of horse brasses above the brick fireplace and plenty of CAMRA certificates attesting to the pub’s ale credentials. Beyond the bar, you move through into a rear space with a bit of a conservatory feel. High tables and stools fill much of the space back here, separated by nice modern etched glass screens in plain wooden surrounds. From here, you can move out to a well-appointed beer garden that looks like it might be a bit of a sun trap.
There were five handpulls in operation when I arrived, dispensing Kent The Quiet American and Sunset, St Austell tribute, Musket Powder Burn and Nightjar Chosen. The latter was a very reasonable £3.60 for a pint and in good condition, served to me by a friendly enough landlord. I’d popped in at lunchtime on a Bank Holiday Monday and was a little surprised to find I was the only customer for the duration of my stay.
I liked this place and thought it was a proper drinker’s pub with a well-kept selection of ales, comfortable seating options and no-nonsense service. I clearly didn’t time my visit too well, as the place was a bit dead, but I get the impression it would be an enjoyable boozer if there was a bit of a crowd and I’d say it’s worth making the short walk out to.
Date of visit – 1st May 2023
On 29th November 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The New Inn
As described by others below this is a superb back street boozer with character and a warm welcome. We were included in the conversation from the start, having been recognised by two people who had previously seen us in the Phoenix just up the road. They even made room for us to sit at the bar so we could join the banter. Even the pub cat tolerated the presence of our dogs, unfazed by the presence of a curious Belgian Shepherd, though making it clear whose pub it was. The TV was switched off, so the focus was on conversation and good ale. The ales in question were Tribute, Canterbury Ales’s Kentish Best, Crackendale and Arbor Mosaic, the latter a new one on me, a gluten free beer in perfect condition. A definite for a crawl.
On 19th April 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3281 recommendations about 3246 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Cask Fan left this review about The New Inn
Traditional back street pub converted from a terraced house I guess, but plenty of room with a conservatory and substantial beer garden further back. JHB and Gilt Complex were on when we visited both in good condition.CAMRA branch pub of the year onany occasions, well worth a visit.
On 21st August 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 43 recommendations about 35 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The New Inn
I passed this likely looking back street local before opening time, and by coincidence had it recommended to me by the first person I talked to (we were waiting outside the Butchers Arms for it to open, but that's another story), so decided to call in for a last beer later that day. It's a fairly narrow room with bare boards, bench seating around the walls and stools at the bar. A group of locals were gathered around the landlady at the bar, partly obscuring the seven real ales on the hand pumps at the part of the bar where they were sat. I went for the Musket Flintlock 4.2% (brewed in Maidstone) and settled down away from the bar. The other beers were from Brockley, Blackjack, Red Willow, Otter, Gadds and Padstow.
As Ian says below, the landlady really knows her job - her husband pours the drinks and she entertains the customers. She has a knack of keeping the conversation flowing and even brought me into a discussion about vegan food, having no idea that I was a vegetarian: it was just the way she draws her customers together. I left promising to return if I'm ever in Canterbury again.
On 12th May 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The New Inn
GBG 2019 Entry. Back Street Terraced locals boozer just out the City Walls. You have to go looking for it.
Lovely greeting from the landlady. So easy to provide but so rare.
Six or so real ales on. Played safe with a decent Adnams Ghost Ship.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2NZ78v5
On 11th March 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1337 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The New Inn
A good traditional pub, which luckily enough was open on our Monday lunchtime visit. We were greeted by a friendly and bubbly landlady/owner who made us most welcome and we were soon included in the banter with the locals. The owner, Katrina, told us that she has drank in the pub from the days when she was a young student and quoted back then to the previous owners that if they ever sold the pub could she buy it, well here she is the new owner.
The pub did have a lot of nationals on handpump, where she explained that her regular ale drinkers choose what beers they want each week. Unfortunately for us, we missed out on two from the Old Dairy Brewery, which were on last week. Seven ales on pump, so we went for Oakham Helter Skelter and Skinners Big Knocker, which got some laughs from the locals.
On 13th November 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The New Inn
The New Inn is set in a terraced street and to me looked from the outside just like any of the other houses. It's been around for a while as it's listed as a Free House in my old Kent beer guide from over 20 years ago.
Inside it's a small wooden floored L shaped room with a long conservatory and a further small area off it at the rear. It looked like there was some sort of garden behind that.
I saw seven hand pumps of which two were unused (it was a Tuesday afternoon) so the five beers were Oakham JHB, Woodforde Wherry, Adnam's Ghost Ship & Cashmere IPA and Purity UBU. This seemed a bit mainstream but I suspect that was just the luck of the draw.
The old school governor was cheerful, friendly and enthusiastic about his beer. He insisted I try the Oakham JHB which had just come on so I did (£3.10) and it was fine as well as being a reasonable price compared to some Canterbury pubs. It was closing soon after I arrived but I had to move on anyway.
I really liked this back street pub.
On 17th October 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The New Inn
Old-fashioned side-street local of the sort the has almost vanished in many parts of the country. Narrow terraced frontage, leading to two small rooms (that once housed a school apparently) and a conservatory to the rear. Suitably traditional furniture and decor. Usually has about seven real ales on handpump, but I was lucky to find a beer festival underway when I visited with 16 beers on stillage in the rear patio beer garden (including Gadds Rye Pale Ale and Hop Studio XP). Recommended.
On 24th August 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]