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Baron's Bar @ Scarisbrick Hotel, Southport
Southport
PR8 1NZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about Baron's Bar @ Scarisbrick Hotel
This really doesn't look much from the outside and almost gives off that Working Mens Club vibe with its Tetley sign and darkness emanating through the frosted windows. I have to admit I entered with some trepidation and double checked I had the right place before braving the entrance door. I earned my reward once inside, there are nine hand pulls at the bar, all of which were clipped and seemed to be on, including Tetley's Original Cask and a couple by Moorhouse's for starters, with the other beers being less well known. I had the Dark Stout by Three Castles which was decent enough. Most of the real ales seemed to be priced at £2.10 a pint (£1.05 for a half), which is an absolute bargain of course.
Mainly an older crowd in at lunch time, presumably drawn in the cheap real ale, and indeed most punters seemed to be drinking real ale rather than lagers or smoothflow keg bitters.
The arched sections of the bar mentioned by ROB Camra are still a bit of an issue as there was a crowd of chaps sat at the bar in front of the pump clips blocking the main arch, so I had to go to the side to order.
As has been noted, this is part of the Scarisbrick Hotel but it does not feel like a hotel bar, as it does have its own separate entrance and is not slap bang in the middle of a hotel lobby. It feels like an old traditional pub. It also seems to be linked to Maloney's Bar next door. I did notice the place still has its Christmas decorations up, and there was an occasional slight odour of urine, which was a bit offputting.
Worth a visit, in my opinion.
On 8th January 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Baron's Bar @ Scarisbrick Hotel
Called in again after a nine year gap. The place has been tidied up a bit as has the clientele. It was fine for quick pint on a Tuesday evening. The beer range was still pedestrian, but my pint was in good nick. A bit of an improvement.
10/06/2009
A real ale bar in a hotel is quite unusual, but this one has won several awards. I've no idea why judging by our visit. The decor is very shabby and the clientele not much better. The ale range was somewhat pedestrian with a couple of Moorhouse's beers, Tetley bitter and a couple of beer from the Southport brewery. My pint was in decent nick, but not top notch and it took ages to get served due to the strange bar layout with arches along it and loads of barstools which attracted people to sit in them all along the bar. Not my idea of an award winning pub.
On 14th May 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Baron's Bar (Scarisbrick Hotel)
Famous elegant baronial style hotel bar reached either by its own side entrance or through the hotel. A fairly lacklustre range from Moorhouses and Lancaster, not in good condition and the service was pretty poor too. Perhaps a case of living on its reputation at work here.
On 29th October 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Baron's Bar (Scarisbrick Hotel)
I suppose this hotel bar does have a hint of the baronial, but the effect is spoiled somewhat by the competing background music and non-silent TV. However, its reputation is based on the real ale; and - despite some suggestions from some locals I had met earlier that things weren't as good as they had been - I found a pretty decent selection of real ales from eight of nine handpumps. My pint of Lancaster Brewhouse No 2 American Hop was also in good form and excellent value at just £2.10.
On 9th April 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Baron's Bar (Scarisbrick Hotel)
A big disappointment this one. I was slightly dubious on visiting here, after one of the locals elsewhere told us that Baron's Bar now serves all of their drinks in plastic glasses. This came about after some trouble last year in one of the adjoining bars housed in the Scarisbrick. There were nine handpumps in operation on our visit, with a reasonable choice of ales. We went for the Southport Brewery Dark Knight, which was ok. The Allgates Mesnes Pale Ale was undrinkable.
Baron's bar consisted of a large room with the bar area situated along the facing wall, with two arches in front of it.
The themed deco in here was very tired and dated, in fact quite depressing, I've been in better junk shops.
On 21st February 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Baron's Bar (Scarisbrick Hotel)
Nice formal hotel bar accessed off the side street, has the feel of a gentlemens club in a British seaside town, a square room, formal with dimmed lighting and leather seats, though not posh in that way, more eccentric, its a nice fit.
Nine real ales and very good prices (£1.99) its a nice place for a visit.
On 27th March 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Baron's Bar (Scarisbrick Hotel)
Nice pub. Good selection of ales as previous reviewer points out. Can get full of strokey-beard real ale Camra bores prattling on about how good the Rangoons Double-crested Stout was at Twickers last season. Worth a visit nonetheless.
On 9th February 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Baron's Bar (Scarisbrick Hotel)
A celebrated real ale oasis with nine hand pumps squeezed onto the bar between two pillars. All were priced at £2.40 a pint, with one on special offer at £1.90. Breweries represented included Tetleys, Mauldons, Moorhouses, Bank Top, Lancaster and the local Southport brewery.
If you're not particularly looking for it, Barons would come as a surprise, tucked away as it is down a side alley just off the Lord Street boulevard. The unusual décor includes fake baronial hall panelling, miniature suits of armour, chandeliers and some truly eccentric leather chairs.
On 30th March 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3740 recommendations about 3477 pubs]