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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Polka Hop
ORIGINAL REVIEW July 2014
An earthy boozer,but one not to be missed on any real ale tour of Wakefield.You enter up a few steps with a front lounge to your left and a small stage in front of the right hand window in the tap room.The wooden floor is all very ale house,and the slightly worn leather seating extends into an alcove where there is a darts board and large drop down screen,where we settled to watch a World Cup match.Towards the rear,up another step is a rear alcove with an upright piano but without any windows.Music is a big part of the pub scene here and as the band were setting up,the atmosphere became more bohemian,but the pub still retained it's friendly drinking den atmosphere.The barman was friendly and chatty.
The six handpumps will always feature a number of Great Heck ales,on our trip Golden Bull and an outstanding Simcoe,with guests in the shape of Bob's Brewing White Lion,Stroud Budding and Lytham Stout with one pump unused.A definite for the revisit list,everything we tried on the ale front was in good nick and the GBG entry is most warranted.
UPDATE
After a period of closure this pub has reopened as Polka Hop.The long stairway to the front door remains but the interior has changed.To the left is a front room with it's own window while to the right is the main tap room with the bar now to the rear left side directly above the cellar.Artwork adorns the wall,yet the interior has a minimalist feel.Bench seating,oblong tables and wooden chairs complete the scene.Given the pub is located away from the Westgate Run it's a calm and studious place with an emphasis on real ale from 4 handpumps and some craft keg.My Durham Liquid Amber was on good form NBSS 3.5,the other choices were from small regional brewers including two from Wishbone.
Worth including on any real ale tour of Wakey.
On 15th July 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Polka Hop
The latest name for this place is the Polka Hop. The room on the left is still there but the bar has switched sides from right to left. The back room is also still there. Four hand pumps, all working. Not as good as the Bull and Fairhouse was, but adequate enough.
On 24th September 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
aleand hearty left this review about The Polka Hop
The Bull & Fairhouse, as was, has reopened as The Polka Hop.
On 17th September 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 582 recommendations about 564 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Bull & Fairhouse
This is the Great Heck brewery tap. There's a small room to the left as you enter and a stage to the right. There also a dartboard. 6 handpumps, all on, my pint was in very good nick. All in all a nice rock pub, right up until some prat who couldn't play started practising on the stage. We left.
On 9th September 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Bull & Fairhouse
We enjoyed our visit here as the beer was excellent, the barmaid friendly and other drinkers friendly and chatty. We went for the Bob's Brewing Co, White Lion, Rising Sun and Animal Brewing Co Buzz. Six ales on handpump on our Friday eve visit.
On 17th May 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Bull and Fairhouse
My first impression when entering this pub was of a simple, single room set-up with minimal seating, but having ordered our drinks and found somewhere to sit, it soon became apparent that this is actually a smart and well looked after multiple roomed pub with much going for it.
The main room sees the bar run along the right hand wall, with a drinking shelf opposite and a few comfy looking leather chairs under the front window. Past the bar, the room opens out somewhat and there are some standard tables and chairs as well as some nice banquettes in a sizable space that extends out from the left hand side. A lit fireplace and a bit of background music created a nice, relaxing atmosphere and I can imagine whiling away many an hour in here over a good pint. At the back there is a fairly basic room with a few more tables and an upright piano, whilst the decision to move the toilets from the front to the back of the building has resulted in the creation a lounge near the front door, with floral wallpaper and some smart looking bench seating.
The pub is run by the Great Heck Brewery and their Golden Bull and Stormin' Norman ales were available alongside Brew Co Enigma Stout, Itchen Valley Fagin’s and Bob's Brewing Golden Lion. The Golden Bull seemed to be nice enough, although we didn't think much of the Enigma Stout.
I liked the feel of this place and thought the brewery had done a good job in creating a place that would appeal to a much wider audience than your average wet-led pub. A must when in Wakefield.
On 19th January 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
david hammill left this review about The Bull and Fairhouse
not been in this pub for quite some time in fact it was 0`donoghues then,and at 8 pm on a sat night it was very quiet about 5 or 6 people i had pint of bob`s red lion white lion witch was not on form will be long time before i go again
On 6th November 2011
- rating: 3
[User has posted 96 recommendations about 86 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
aleand hearty left this review about The Bull and Fairhouse
O’Donoghue’s is now under the ownership of Great Heck Brewery and change is already in the air. The pub has reverted back to its 19th century name The Bull & Fairhouse and the interior is to undergo some modification. A new bar is to be installed, the toilet block is to be moved to create a new quieter drinking area and a couple of previously covered windows are to be opened up again. There’s even talk of the ‘c’ word – carpet, in some areas!
On the beer front, the pub will feature two Great Heck beers. ‘Golden Bull’ will be the house ale, plus a constantly changing second choice. Four other beers will be drawn from micros far and wide. (Some adventurous choices from my experiences so far). A couple of decent lagers and a respectable cider are also promised.
In a nutshell, the idea is to enhance the character of the place, without completely changing it. Will do a full review when things are more settled.
On 26th July 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 582 recommendations about 564 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
James Joines left this review about The Bull and Fairhouse
Wakefield CAMRA Pub of the Season Winter 2009 winner.
House beer id East Coast SSB and upto 5 other Ales available.
A live music on Fri & Sat.
Great Heck Brewery now own this pub (there first)
On 18th July 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 841 recommendations about 835 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about O'Donoghues
With a name like O’Donoghues, you would expect a to come across a stereotypical Irish theme bar complete with inflatable Guinness glasses, toucan posters, tricolours and a bar conversation that inevitably ends with “would you like extra cold” before pouring what they will tell you is the best Guinness outside Dublin.
Fortunately O'Donoghues rises above the plastic theme pub game and concentrates on being one of Wakefield’s finer ale houses as well as being a regular outlet for live rock and blues music. The simple interior consists of bare floors and basic furnishings apart from the raised sofa area at the front that doubles up as a stage for the weekend live music sessions. The main body of the pub is quite open but there can be a bit of a bottleneck at the bar when there is a band on. There is a small recess on one side containing a not very accessible dartboard and a few upright empty barrels to rest your pint on. At the rear is a small room that offers a bit of intimacy and also houses an old piano if you fancy sneaking in a few numbers.
The 6 hand pumps offer a good selection of ales, mainly Micro’s and many locally sourced. Over my 2 visits I noted Newby Wyke Kingston Topaz, Rudgate Well Blathered, Bobs Brewery Co White Lion, Mauldons Mid Winter Gold, Batemans Miss Scotland and East Coast SSB. There is also the now obligatory pump clip collection that gives a good idea of what passes through the pumps.
The customer base was quite mature and friendly as were the staff but if you aren’t into the live music side of things then the pub is best avoided on event nights. Definitely one of Wakefields must do pubs but locating the place has thrown a few people into a spin - the trick is to find the Graziers and it is next door round the corner.
On 1st March 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]