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Detail Pages
Pantiles Tap, Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells
TN2 5TE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Pantiles Tap
A below pavement level craft bar with sixteen taps along the rear wall, quite small inside and along the lines of a micropub. My Thornbridge Cocoa Wonderland was top class.
On 30th March 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Pantiles Tap
A bit larger than a micro-pub, although very much of that ilk, with a compact bar and one small seating area off to the right as you enter and a little lounge down a short corridor straight ahead of the door. Not much space for furniture, but there are also some basic benches outside for the better weather. Limited decor, but usually with plenty of friendly chat. Features a line of 16 plain taps on the back wall, just six of which were in use on this visit; five with craft beers in different styles and strengths - including the Gwei-Lo 'East / West' pale ale from Vocation (£5.00) - plus a cider to complement the 'wall' of boxed versions opposite. Other craft beers available from the fridges. NB - The 'keg' taps sometimes dispense real ale, so best to check first if that's important to you.
On 13th October 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Pantiles Tap
Set slightly below street level on the busy Pantiles, this is a relatively new craft beer bar that has sadly discontinued cask ale in recent months. The pub has a tiled floor, with the servery located along the rear wall of the right hand side of the building. The bar has a good wood panelled counter and stone bar back with all the keg taps lined along the back wall, in true craft beer bar style, although the lack of a beer board made it impossible to know what beers were on, as the taps are far too far away to be read. Opposite the bar, fridges full of bottles and cans as well as plenty of boxed ciders helped expand the range available. There’s a nice seating area to the right of the bar with pews and low stools around a pleasant brick fireplace. Wacky artwork, a cool clock and some more traditional pub knick-knacks have been put on display around the walls to good effect. To the left of the bar there are a few kegs, a single table with a couple of chairs and a drinking ledge with high stools under a mirror, with lots of local listings material stuffed on the ledge. This mixed use space leads on to an overspill drinking area, empty on my Friday night visit, where chairs and sofas combine to create an approximation of a lounge. More mirrors, some retro beer advertisements and a shelf with an extensive collection of beer bottles across three walls, were the main points of interest. There was a good soundtrack playing and with most punters being friendly locals, the place had a bit of a micropub feel to it.
With no ale available and the keg taps too far away to read, I had to enlist the help of the friendly barmaid to help me figure out what to pick from the 16 keg taps. I ended up with a half of Hammerton Crunch – a 5.4% peanut butter milk stout, which was a most unusual but surprisingly enjoyable drinking experience. Plenty of the taps have been set aside for cider and perry options to compliment those in the fridges.
This is a good addition to the pub scene at this end of town and I enjoyed my brief visit here, which was enhanced by the helpful service and interesting beer choice. Definitely worth a look when in town and perhaps if enough people enquire about the ale, they might bring some back eventually.
On 31st May 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about Pantiles Tap
I can see the attraction of the Tap, but it didn't do it for me. The selection of ale was large, but all similar with no brown beer in evidence. Along with another in our drinking clan, I decided to sit this one out. Give it a go and decide for yourself.
On 11th July 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Pantiles Tap
A semi-subterranean pub down half a flight of stairs from street level yet maintaining some natural light. The bar is directly ahead as you enter, all the taps are on the back wall and if you need to choose, the keg and cask offerings are not immediately obvious by distinction. They are marked above by beer mats or clips on an upper shelf. There is however a board listing the beers as you enter from outside.Bit of a skull theme going on with various gold painted examples around. Loads of exposed brickwork, a quarry tiled floor, fridge covered in gig tickets, the area meanders around to a small rear recess with sofas, through the bar to another inset area. Old inglenook fireplaces, one with fairy lights, low ceilings, a shelf of books on sale for 50p for charitable causes.
Back to the beers, cask offerings were Marble Pint plus award winning Chocolate Marble, Arbor The Devil Made me Brew it, Saltaire Stateside IPA and Wild Weather Ales Sundown.
"His" and "Hers" toilets a bit cheesy but I loved it in here and enjoyed my pint while being fussed by a friendly Jack Russell terrier.
On 26th February 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]