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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Steve C left this review about Major Tom's Social
After wandering around the downstairs second hand retro clothes shop for a while I realised that I was a drunk middle aged man wandering around a clothes shop looking for a drink on a Friday afternoon, a new low even for me. Major Tom’s Social is actually upstairs, housed in a large open plan space akin to a student union cum art studio with distressed décor and mix and match of reclaimed wooden furniture. The bar counter on the rear wall supports four hand pumps that were drawing Brass Castle’s Misfit and Northern Monk’s Eternal alongside a craft keg and can range. There was some 1970s music playing and I noted a single disco ball hanging in the middle of the ceiling. The service was polite, but I didn’t really get it.
On 28th July 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about Major Tom's Social
An unusual space,the ground floor is a retro second hand clothes store,all very 60's and 70's while upstairs is a large square bar with quite a basic feel,lots of refectory tables,music posters everywhere and a small side section which will be less hectic.It's dedicated to music with ephemera dotted about and a pizza oven kicking out some great smells.
I didn't visit the loos to discover whether this is a good place for a major tom.
The bar offers 7 craft keg taps and two real ales on my trip Northern Monk Eternal and Brass Castle Misfit (NBSS 3.5).
It's certainly different and I guess will get busy with a younger crowd during the evening,it's worth popping in if crawling the town.
On 8th July 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Major Tom's Social
Something of a contrast to the row of late night bars in which it stands, and the sundry new age junk and crafts retail has been banished to the ground floor leaving the upstairs as one large bar. The overwhelming feel is determined by the industrial wood used for the flooring and much else (Oriented Strand Board I am informed), brightened up by some strings of bunting and miscellaneous decorations. I particularly liked the use of the old school (literally) revolving blackboards for the beer list - I haven't seem one of those for decades! On which subject, there were 4 handpumps and a goodly range of craft keg, the cask being Turning Point Wavelength, Chevin Demotape, Harrogate Plum Porter and Marble Bitter. Happy to return, in fact probably will.
On 25th March 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about Major Tom's Social
Enjoyed our visit to this 2019 Good Beer Guide bar. It is upstairs which made it difficult for my disabled husband but we found it worth it when we got up there. It is like a cafe / bar style with mix of seating styles and all sorts around being for sale. There are cask and craft beers available and staff help you choose what you want. We chose Good Chemistry Fools Mate and Waen Eek a mouse both of which were fine.
On 12th August 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Major Tom's Social
Basically a first floor second hand shop with a real ale/craft bar inside. All the assorted lamps & pots & heaters etc in the centre area of the bar are all for sale and have price tickets on them. There's an eclectic mix of tables, chairs, benches, posters, paintings, cabinets etc all spread about the place. 4 handpumps on the bar with a good selection of ales. Pizza'a are the main food staple although a couple of other choices were available. Live music was due to feature later in the evening on our visit. They also have quiz nights & there was a stand up advertised. The enthusiastic and friendly staff are a definite bonus. A great addition to the Harrogate real ale scene.
On 11th December 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Major Tom's Social
Eclectic & very individual upsatirs cafe bar. Full of bric-a-brac, non specific decoration & variety of seating choices.
Certainly different, if a little tatty.
4 real ales
On 9th November 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Major Tom's Social
We enjoyed our Sunday afternoon visit here. The bar had a good atmosphere and my pint of Weird Beer Little Things That Kill, was superb. Also we had a very informative chat with the young barman, who is very passionate about his beer. They had four ales on handpump on this visit and an extensive range of bottled beers.
On 21st June 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 Major Tom's Social
Opened in early 2014, hot on the heels of the more traditional Harrogate Tap, this interesting first floor bar forms Harrogate's contribution to the 'craft beer' scene. Set in a former antiques shop, you climb up to the first floor, passing a strange plastic spaceman on the way (the titular Major Tom perhaps?), before emerging into a square shaped room with chipboard flooring and a part-chipboard, part-tile servery on the rear wall. The bar area has been decorated with a large Brooklyn Brewery flag and some particularly impressive large music posters, plus a pillar next to the bar is covered with old vinyl records, all of which suitably enhance the bar's hip credentials. There is a crazy mix of seating throughout, covering all bases from retro tub chairs, to rickety benches via well worn sofas, serving an equally varied range of tables. There is a strange space to the front of the room, which is seemingly fenced off by shelves displaying retro electronic equipment, large ewers and other random bits and bobs. The walls here also have some fine movie posters on show, but I couldn't figure out why this area was left unused. Elsewhere, the décor is as eclectic as you might have by now come to expect, including a large blackboard detailing the brewing process, funky modern art prints, gig posters and a shelving rack holding back issues of Mojo magazine. The windows all display the Major Tom spacemen logo and I would say roughly a quarter of the tables in the pub were hosting groups playing board games, which must be a first on a Saturday evening. Live music is pretty big here and a suitably trendy soundtrack was playing at a loud, but acceptable volume.
The bar supports four handpulls which were dispensing Brass Castle Snow Eater and Bad Kitty, Empire Colony 13 and Little Valley Cragg Vale Bitter. The friendly barman recommended an excellent pint of Snow Eater and chatted with great enthusiasm about the beers, live music and the pub in general. Some decent keg options were also available and the fridges were packed with all sorts of interesting bottles and cans.
I thought this was an excellent addition to Harrogate's drinking scene, offering something very different and doing so with a real sense of passion and fun. There is so much going on here that it practically demands repeat visits to take it all in and I would certainly be happy to oblige.
On 6th June 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Major Tom's Social
Interesting place, located at first-floor level and with what appears to be an open-plan shop in one corner (although not seeming open as such when we visited briefly). Eclectic mix of furniture and decor, and very much aimed at the young professional market. Well chosen selection from four handpumps, including Cragg Vale Bitter (£1.65, half) and two from Brass Castle. Worth a longer stop next time.
On 15th April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Major Tom's Social
Hipsters hit Harrogate. This is a recently-opened trendy boho bar that isn’t immediately obvious from the street - you need to go up a flight of stairs at the base of an antiques/oddities shop, then past a second-hand record stall before entering the pub proper. The mix of punters was actually fairly good, though of course the arty and alt types are in the majority. Décor consists of old film posters and various flyers, plus an eclectic mix of furnishings from Freegle. Live music is a big thing here, with various speakers and amps scattered round the place. Food is offered - the pizzas were surprisingly cheap and sounded delicious, next time I will try one. Four ales on and a fine choice; Marble, 2xRoosters and Brass Castle. My BC Bad Kitty was in impressive nick and slipped down a treat. Also a decent range of craft keg and foreign bottles available. Offbeat and enjoyable, give this one a go.
On 1st April 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]