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Detail Pages
Golden Heart, Gloucester
Birdlip
Postal town: Gloucester
GL4 8LA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Golden Heart
Attractive pub set in a dip of the A417 and one which I must have passed several times before without ever noticing. Primarily a food-led pub, it seems to have unpredictable opening hours. We'd read that it closed at 3pm and had made it our first stop, considering many other pubs we wanted to visit in Gloucestershire weren't opening until later in the day. However, we passed again later in the day at almost 6pm, only to see that the front door was open. One final trip past at around 10pm saw the pub in darkness however, signifying that there is little local trade here. Most of their business presumably comes from passing trade.
With all tables reserved for diners, we secured a couple of seats next to the bar in the left-hand room (as you enter). I think this was what Blackthorn described as "a sort of bench built into the wall". A shelf behind it did at least contain copies of the local CAMRA magazine for us to peruse. A real fire gave the pub a cosy feel.
The solitary real ale here was Brakspear Gravity, which hardly merits the pub's inclusion in the Good Beer Guide. It didn't bode well for our remaining pubs. But as it turned out, this proved to be the worst pub of the day, with all other pubs stocking multiple real ales. Nice location, despite being on a busy road. But failed to hit the spot.
On 31st December 2021
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Golden Heart
A traditional looking stone built pub located on the main A417, it consists of a number of rooms internally split across different levels, and was presumably at one time a row of cottages which has been knocked in to one.
There are three rooms on the lower level, with the central one probably being the most atmospheric. This had quarry tiles on the floor at the front with a massive fireplace to the right, and piles of logs stocked up ready for the colder weather as well as an old bread oven tucked away at the rear and a few horse brasses on the lintel above. Walls were mostly a shade of pale blue whilst the front wall was all exposed stonework with a bunch of hops strung up above the window. The area at the rear which included the bar counter was really quite small with nothing in the way of any seating other than a sort of bench built in to the wall. This had flagstones on the floor and a small window giving views of the garden and the attractive rolling hills beyond.
A smaller room to the left was broadly similar in décor, although with carpet on the floor, salmon paintwork and a small, tiled fireplace. The room to the right was again carpeted, with a large fireplace although this looked to be unused with just some large copper urns in the hearth. Dark wood panelling was on the lower part of the walls. There is probably quite a strong food emphasis at here with most of the tables laid up and a large blackboard above the fireplace, and indeed, something of a fishy smell when I entered. I didn’t study the menu, but most of the main courses looked to be somewhere around the £12 mark, with the specials being slightly more.
Beers on tap were Gloucester Cascade, Brakspear Bitter, Wainwright Ale and Mighty Monk. Ciders meanwhile were Stowford Press and Aspall’s Suffolk. Overall, I thought this was a lovely old pub and would certainly return to check out the food if I lived a little nearer.
On 30th August 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Komakino . left this review about Golden Heart
1st December 2016
A freehouse located in a dip on the A417, this is a Marston's pub in disguise as the offerings were all Wychwood-related (Brakspear Bitter, Hobgoblin, Hobgoblin Gold and Wickerman) but internally it's a good'un, with bags of character. Entrance is down a step with a small area to the right and a larger, flagstoned area to the left, both dominated by a large, central stone fireplace and both of which are served by the small bar which sits behind the fireplace. A further, carpeted dining area extends to the left, with a doorway blocked off in the corner (there was scaffolding out front, so some work is in progress in there). This would have scored higher if the beer offering were a little more adventurous, although the quality of the Wickerman was very good indeed.
On 29th December 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1075 recommendations about 1075 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
kay mulley left this review about Golden Heart
A lovely old place, friendly staff, great food, highly recommended. Well worth a visit.
On 6th August 2009
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]