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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Looking Glass, Warrington
Warrington
WA1 2LY
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Looking Glass (JD Wetherspoon)
A patio runs around the exterior of the Looking Glass where high and normal patio furniture is in situ. This is a Wetherspoons with a large curved bar that supports two banks of five hand pumps as well as a large keg range. The long bar faces different seating areas that run around the exterior walls. For a JDW pub this place has a very small footprint, but the drinking space is maximised by an upstairs seating area that overlooks the main bar. For those who do not want to keep walking up and down the stairs there is a small bar in the left hand corner. This bar supports an additional three handpumps. The usual food menu is available. It was busy in here during my visit on Tuesday evening last week so I am a little surprised to see that it has been closed and sold.
On 22nd March 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5228 recommendations about 5196 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Looking Glass (JD Wetherspoon)
This Spoons is housed in a very interesting looking building, the exterior is quite Colonial in style on approach. The main feature being the upper corner veranda. I also liked the upper Mezzanine first floor, if you fancy a bit of peace and quiet. Ten pumps split across the bar, I was lucky to spot Peerless Oatmeal Stout at £1.99 a pint, which was class.
On 20th February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Looking Glass (JD Wetherspoon)
this place now has a huge ‘for sale’ sign outside, so it probably isn’t much longer for this world. On a Saturday afternoon it was a typical rough and ready town centre Spoons, local alcoholics in the bar and dining families upstairs. Five or six interesting guest beers on and I was being pestered by local ‘characters’ as I tried to order a pint. It will be a loss to Warrington town centre, I always found it a characterful Spoons and I hope Tim has a change of heart.
On 21st November 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Looking Glass (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a spacious, modern looking Wetherspoons in the middle of Warrington’s retail district, occupying the site of a former Odeon Cinema. You enter the pub via a nice raised front patio area which has a good deal of seating and would no doubt make an ideal people-watching spot in warmer months, as it overlooks the pedestrianised street below. You emerge into a large ground floor room which is carpeted throughout and has the servery down the left-hand wall. A sizeable seating area to the right of the entrance offers plenty of high stool and tub chair options under the long row of front windows, whilst a few more seats can be found on a raised platform to the left, in a space notable for its dark wood panelling and plain mirrors, which give it more of a traditional pub feel. More high tables and stools can be found in a recessed area opposite the bar, although this space seemed rather dark and dingy, populated with what appeared to be the all-day drinking brigade – better to keep going beyond the bar, where a final open space appears full of standard tables and chairs. The servery has a traditional dark wood panelled counter front with polished stone top, whilst the glazed tile and mirrored bar back is set in a huge dark wood frame with some nice carved pediments and topped by a couple of old paintings. The walls throughout the room are a mix of old-fashioned panels, dark painted sections and fancy modern wallpaper. Stairs lead up to the first-floor area which describes a wide U-shape and has a sturdy looking balustrade that allows you to look down into the main ground floor bar area. There are a lot of tables and chairs up here, plus another servery which had just three ‘Spoons regulars on handpull. The usual information boards, including those detailing the pub’s Lewis Carroll links, can be found around the walls here, offering the main source of visual distraction.
The main bar had a pretty good ratio of six guest ales, two ‘Spoons regulars and one real cider, with a final pump unused. I tried the Coach House Jabberwocky, which was perhaps a bit past its prime but still drinkable. A bloke next to me at the bar ordered one of the bag-in-a-box ciders from the fridge and watched in horror as the staff found they couldn’t get the cider to pour from the box, causing them to rip it open and squeeze the last dregs from the bag into his pint glass. However, his shock soon turned to joy when they charged him just £1.69 for the resulting gloop!
I thought this was quite a nice ‘Spoons with some good, comfortable seating areas, a nice mezzanine level and a decent beer selection, although question marks have to be raised in terms of quality. On the whole, I felt the positives outweighed the few drawbacks and if I thought the quality issues had been fully ironed out, I’d happily call back here again.
On 13th December 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about The Looking Glass (JD Wetherspoon)
Visited just after 5pm yesterday (Tuesday) and the place was quite busy. A mixed crowd in, also seems popular with students. Unfortunately I did have to squeeze my way in past the smokers who were hogging the doorway - I have no idea why they feel the need to do this.
At the bar are two banks of five hand pulls, one with the Spoons usual suspects plus Moorhouse's Witchfinder, and the other bank had a cider and the other guest ales. I went for International Orange by Roosters which was pleasant, though the head was a little on the generous side and there was a lipstick mark on my glass. I'm not sure how much the beer set me back, on reflection I don't think I was actually told the price, the lass behind the bar just took my note and gave me my change. In any event it was £1 or under for half a pint, so excellent value.
Jabberwocky by Coach House is apparently brewed for this pub and has a regular place on the bar. I had it on my previous visit to this pub and wasn't that taken by it.
There is a small bar upstairs and this has three hand pulls offering the Spoons usuals (no guests).
On 5th June 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Looking Glass (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a former Yates but there seems to be no reference as to what the building was before that. It's not that large for a JDW although there is another area upstairs that I didn't look into. I arrive here on the afternoon of the Thursday before Easter and it was very busy.
The ten hand pumps were all in use with no available soon, doubling up or spurious ciders. The beers were the JDW Trio Of Doom, Kelham Island Imperial Stout, Thornbridge Seaforth, a beer from the not so recent festival, Peerless Bunny Hop, Coach House Rabbits Punch, Old Peculier and a house Jaberwocky by the Coach House brewery. I went for the Kelham Island Stout which I forgot to write the price of but was reasonable and in excellent condition. I thought this was a top Spoons and is deservedly GBG 2017 listed.
On 17th April 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Looking Glass (JD Wetherspoon)
Large, nicely laid out Wetherspoons, a large bar with tables overlooking the street. There is a grand upstairs balcony area with its own bar, again with views over the street.
Some standard Wetherspoons fittings but overall a good place. Real ales on my visit, the usual plus two Rudgate & two Coach House of ok quality.
On 7th October 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Looking Glass (JD Wetherspoon)
A modern, possibly new and purpose built pub on the edge of a pedestrianized shopping centre. The name comes via association with the former local children's author Lewis Carroll from nearby Daresbury, there are the usual potted histories around including a framed set of drawings of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Additionally, and unusually, high above the bar are a couple of paintings of the local area out of town, one including a set of rather fetching cooling towers.
A nice interior with nooks and crannies plus a mezzanine which was a more civilised and pleasant spot on Friday evening, the JDW festival was in full swing and all pumps were clipped with no "coming soons" which may be a first for me. I did have to have a bit of a moan initially when three staff were working the same third of bar but my gentle art of persuasion got someone down the end I was at pdq. Plenty of bar blockers drinking lager in front of the handpumps too but in fairness, Friday night and the place rammed.
Our food came quickly and was fine although the missing and reprompted tartare sauce arrived solo, long after the fish was consumed, never mind, I probably owe them from the days they did sachets of sauces.
There is another 'spoons in town not far away, I'm yet to visit but the consensus locally is this is the nicer pub. Not arguing, as decent a general run of the mill one of the brand I've been in.
On 26th October 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
peter ashworth left this review about The Looking Glass (JD Wetherspoon)
A compact 2 tiered JDW pub and with smart furnishings and friendly barstaff.Tried a couple of pints of Moorhouse's Black Panther which was top drawer.
On 31st May 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2318 recommendations about 2275 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Looking Glass (JD Wetherspoon)
For a modern building, it has an unusual amount of architectural features and detailing on the exterior. The interior decor is more routine, with various seating areas and a sizeable mezzanine offering a quieter space to sit. Reasonable selection from ten handpumps, including Triple fff's Jabberwocky splendidly priced at £1.70.
On 2nd March 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]