Craven Arms, Appletreewick

The Yorkshire Dales are peppered with good pubs and not a few good breweries. In the mid to upper reaches of Wharfedale lies the village of Appletreewick which has two pubs and one church which speaks volumes for the villagers' priorities. When I am in the area I make a point of calling in to the Craven Arms.

Inside it is like stepping back in time. Open fires and nicknacks are the order of the day.

There are two bars with an array of localish beers including Cruck Barn Bitter brewed in Hetton which is about six miles from the pub.

Food served is of a good standard pub-food and the portions are liberal. On the menu when we called in were: Belly pork with black pudding (my choice), roast lambshank, brisket of beef and whole roast Camembert. Service is prompt and friendly, just as you would expect. 

Having strolled down to Burnsall and back before we ate the food did not last very long but the general feeling was that it was good value at £10.95 for a main course.

So with nice beer and good food (locally sourced wherever possible) the Craven Arms is an absolute gem of a pub and we recommend it as a great stopping off point if you are in the area.

http://www.craven-cruckbarn.co.uk/index.htm

The Crown Posada, Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle is a city famous for its nightlife - brash,exciting and loud. There is a pub, close to the quayside which is the antithesis of all this. The Crown Posada, situated on a cobbled street known as Side is certainly exciting but never brash and, when we were in there, certainly not loud.

 The facade of the pub is very deceptive. Behind this narrow unassuming frontage lies a wonderful interior which goes way back into the building.

The decor is sumptious - lots of dark wood and stained glass with soft lighting which, along with the shape of the pub, gives it a cosy feel.

Once you have taken in the ambience of the Crown Posada you then come to the main event - the beer. Lovely ale from local breweries is the order of the day - Haddon & Tynemouth to name but two - well kept and superbly presented.

I commented to the barman after an hour that we had been in a Quayside pub for an hour and had not seen a fight! His reply: "We haven't had a fight in here since Montgomery was a corporal" It made me chuckle. If you are in Newcastle and want a good pint in nice surroundings then go no further than the Crown Posada.





Mr Foley's Cask Alehouse, Leeds

If you are out for a drink in the centre of Leeds you could do a lot worse than calling in to Mr Foleys. Situated in the old Pearl Assurance building on the Headrow this pub, as the name suggests, is a haven for lovers of cask-conditioned ale.

The first time you call in at Mr Foleys your attention is drawn to the splendid bar to your left, with it's shelves of bottles stretching high up the wall behind.

Thirsty travellers like ourselves can then take a closer look at the wide range of beers on offer. The pub is run by York Brewery and there is a range of it's beers on tap as well as guest ales.

Having selected a pint of Terrier, a lovely session ale, I went "upstairs" to join our group in a very comfortable lounge, resplendent with leather sofas. The atmosphere here and around the whole pub was of people enjoying a quiet drink. Remarkable considering this was Leeds city centre on a Saturday night.

My fellow reviewer regularly uses this pub as a lunchtime meet-up pub with his mates and assured me that the atmosphere was equally pleasant then. As Mr Foleys is ideally situated for the fine shopping to be found in the centre of Leeds I would not hesitate to recommend it as an oasis of calm and fine ales where weary shoppers can relax over a decent glass of beer. Enjoy!