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The Hovelling Boat Inn, Ramsgate
Ramsgate
CT11 9DS
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Hovelling Boat Inn
Decent enough Micro pub but I have to say I didn’t warm to it as much as others have on here.
There are several positives. It’s a comfortable one roomed space with decent wooden seating and a clean modern decor that I thought was more cafe than pub. Very good service levels from the barmaid providing table service delivering the beers from the cold room in the corridor. Good selection of well kept ales and ciders and wines for the non beer or apple juice drinkers. The chalk board named six beers, four available and two coming soon. The four available were Kent Brewery Prohibition, Mad Dog Brewery Little NEIPA, Walton’s English Pride and East London Brewery Pearly Queen. Tried the local Prohibition and then had to go for the Pearly Queen despite it coming from four miles from my home address because when served well it really is an excellent smokey Porter , thankful as it was here.
I think the slight downside for me was that I just didn’t find it that pubby. This may have been partially down to the fact that I visited on a fine summers day in Ramsgate and despite the spacious front windows it was still gloomy inside compared to the outside. Perhaps it will be very different on a cold Dark December evening.
On 4th October 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Hovelling Boat Inn
I really liked this proper micro pub, the beer choice was excellent, everyone was friendly and chatty. The service was impeccable and the décor had a warm and relaxed feel to it. This micro also opens daily and also opens early, so no waiting round till 4 or 5 like some I have encountered around the country. A choice of five ales on our Tuesday eve visit, which were Crate Brewery Hackney Wick Golden, Kent Brewery Birling Black Mirror, Mad Cat Platinum Blonde, Weltons Conker IPA and Southwark Bermondsey Best. I particularly liked the Weltons. They also had a huge selection of ciders, also glad we spent a bit of time in here.
On 18th November 2018
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Hovelling Boat Inn
Excellent micro-pub, with no pretentions whatsoever - just good beer, a few basic bar snacks (including a fine cheese and onion roll) and good-natured conversation. Five (mostly local) real ales on offer when I called in, e.g. a double-hopped pale ale from the Four Candles micro-brewery at nearby Broadstairs (£3.10).
On 12th May 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Hovelling Boat Inn
This is a proper micropub with no TVs or music. It's a typical size with mostly low furniture and a few bar stools, although there is no bar. A corridor at the rear leads to the two toilets and a small rear patio. Having opened in Spring 2013 this is now one of the older micropubs.
Four beers were available all from non local microbreweries that are fairly commonly found. These were Welton's Dreadnought, Bexley Bexley's Own Beer, Daleside Autumn Leaves and Box Steam Broad Gauge. I went for the Dreadnought (£3.50) and Bexley (£3.00) which were in good nick. Having learnt that the Conqueror was shut due to the owner being on holiday in India I also went for a local dry cider (£3.50) which was excellent.
The beer choice was a bit underwhelming but I still thought this was a good micropub.
On 9th October 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about The Hovelling Boat Inn
Well, I really didn't know this was one of those micropubs which are all the rage round East Kent, so my efforts to find the bar were in vain. The beer's kept in a temperature-controlled lobby just behind the main room. 4 ales (but only 1 from Kent when I visited) and 3 ciders comprised the draft offering, although there's also some wines and a selection of bottles.
There's clearly been a bit of money spent with lots of new furniture, polished wood and 6 tables. The glass shop-front ensures a bright airy feel.
The Hovelling Boat really didn't feel at all like the low-cost, grumpy old-man's drinking den that often comes across in the micropub manifesto. Indeed it struck me as having more of a future than some of the town's more traditional, though fading, pubs.
On 22nd May 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 453 recommendations about 425 pubs]