Decor : Smart, fairly modern
Crowd : 20s & 30s, packed at weekends
Ales : Poor selection
Good pub with a couple of sofas for relaxing on and friendly staff. Always seems to make it into my evening's itinery at some point.
Pubs & Clubs
Leamington Spa Pubs
What are your favourite pubs in Leamington? Which would you avoid like the plague? Let us know your opinions, click on the link below each pub listed in this section to post your own review.
If you know of any pubs which are missing from the list, add them by following the link below.
Click here for a map of the locations of the pubs listed below.
Just to update, the wig and pen is now Bar Citrus - which is absolutely fabulous. Far better that the yuppie places - it looks good, it is good, and you don't need a BMW to feel at home! Very underated. Lovely bar during the day - with absolutely fantastic fresh food - pumping night out after 8pm. A true change - suits all who believe in top quality Bar.
The Other Place is now known as Bar Cuba. It is a poorly managed establishment with little atmosphere. Sometimes it can take longer than 10 minutes to get a drink even if the place is dead. It is classed as an "old persons" bar amoungst Leamingtons youth which is strange considering the place is managed by an incompetent teenager. most of the staff appear to have been employed on the basis of good looks rather than bar skills. Overall Bar Cuba is a no go for persons seeking a good night out in Leamington Spa.
The best bar in leamington spa is BAR KASA, 27 Augusta Place. Playing the best Funky House you've ever heard.. I'm not joking.
Decor : Standard J.D. Wetherspoons
Crowd : 20s and 30s - packed at weekends
Ales : Good selection including guest ales
Good JD Wetherspoons pub (no music, lively crowds, good pub food at lunch). One unusual feature is the bookcase with several hundred books (although the best ones don't tend to stay very long).
Crowd : 20s and 30s - packed at weekends
Ales : Good selection including guest ales
Good JD Wetherspoons pub (no music, lively crowds, good pub food at lunch). One unusual feature is the bookcase with several hundred books (although the best ones don't tend to stay very long).
Quiet back street pub with great staff. Sunday lunch times is the time to visit when the Westlea boys are in!!! Pop in and see Big Fat Tread aka the Curry Monster and have a go on the 100 club with a chance to win monthly prizes. Lyn and Phil run a nice well run pub with several guest ales on. Friday and saturday nights get lively!!! Reasonable price beer but ultimately a well kept pint!!
Been there 3 times on a Sunday night and the whole pub has ended up singing along to "Johny-Vic" and his guitar. Quality ales, friendly staff and chilled out happy atmosphere. A pub that is about to explode.
Directions : Go east along Warwick Street, past Bar 44 and over the crossroads into Willes Road. Turn left into Lansdowne Road, then first right and first left.
I'm very suprised to read that no one has mentioned the cask and bottle!! great beer great people and great atmosphere.
I'm very suprised to read that no one has mentioned the cask and bottle!! great beer great people and great atmosphere.
The Cricketer's Arms is a traditional pub located opposite the bowling club near Victoria Park. The best thing about this pub is its beer. The choice of real ales is Bombardier, London Pride and Abbott ale, and I have never had a bad pint here.
It is usually quite busy with people of a mixture of ages. There is a pool table, a beer garden and they serve food. What more could you want from a pub?
It is usually quite busy with people of a mixture of ages. There is a pool table, a beer garden and they serve food. What more could you want from a pub?
Decor : Lots of wood
Crowd : 20s+
Beer : Wide selection of ales and lagers
Another pub that I always seem to pass through. Took the brave decision to have nothing to do with the world cup last year and spent two weeks with no customers! Always a good mid-evening pub (whilst you still appreciate the drinks) though probably not much cop for pulling (having said that, two of our friends got off there). Bouncers are friendly.
Crowd : 20s+
Beer : Wide selection of ales and lagers
Another pub that I always seem to pass through. Took the brave decision to have nothing to do with the world cup last year and spent two weeks with no customers! Always a good mid-evening pub (whilst you still appreciate the drinks) though probably not much cop for pulling (having said that, two of our friends got off there). Bouncers are friendly.
The Hope Tavern down on Court Street. Although it is a very local/blokey pub, on Sunday evenings they have live bands - OK so some are crap but some are actually decent, well known bands. And they have the footy on Sky too! I am a 20 year old female, but I much rather the Hope Tavern to any of the "up town" meat markets (excluding Murpheys!).
To get to the Hope Tavern, go down Clemens Street (at the bottom of the map below) until you reach the railway bridge crossroads. Turn left into High Street then fourth right into Court Street.
To get to the Hope Tavern, go down Clemens Street (at the bottom of the map below) until you reach the railway bridge crossroads. Turn left into High Street then fourth right into Court Street.
Average Rating:
Location: Tachbrook Road, Leamington Spa.
Tel: 1926 831214
Traditional Country Style Restaurant. Serving students and senior citizens of Leamington Spa.
Fish, Pork, Chiken and vegetarian dishes also available. Prices affordable.
Fish, Pork, Chiken and vegetarian dishes also available. Prices affordable.
Decor : Great : old posters, money and all sorts on the walls and ceiling. The gents toilet has directions of which urinal to use depending on which type of beer you've been drinking.
Crowd : 20s & 30s
Beer : Reasonable range. Currently selling one of my favourites : Ultimate Curry Beer (UCB).
This pub is worth not just one but several visits. A good meeting point if you want to go on for a curry as the Leamington "curry belt" is all around. Good for the nightclubs as well.
Crowd : 20s & 30s
Beer : Reasonable range. Currently selling one of my favourites : Ultimate Curry Beer (UCB).
This pub is worth not just one but several visits. A good meeting point if you want to go on for a curry as the Leamington "curry belt" is all around. Good for the nightclubs as well.
Average Rating:
Location: Prince of Wales, 116 Warwick Street, Leamington Spa
Tel: 01926 426661
Great atmosphere in tasteful surroundings. Coctails are a must to try. Crepes for quick lunches.First Fondue restaurant in Midlands and it is claimed that it is one of only 3 fondue restaurants in England.Must be tried to experience.
Average Rating:
Location: Prince of Wales, 116 Warwick Street, Leamington Spa
Tel: 01926 426661
Great atmosphere in tasteful surroundings. Coctails are a must to try. Crepes for quick lunches.First Fondue restaurant in Midlands and it is claimed that it is one of only 3 fondue restaurants in England.Must be tried to experience.
Mumbai Bluu is the ponsy arrogant new pub of Leamington. It hosts a variety of obnoxious "well-dressed" people who turn nose up at everyone and everything. It also takes about 3 hours to get a drink on a busy evening which can leave thristy and mildly annoyed. When it first opened people were unaware of the poor service because they were blinded by the fresh paint, but now they have time to become accustomed they no longer want to spend their time or money in this poor excuse for a bar,
Murphy's is a friendly pub with a feel of a local in the middle of Leamington. If your expecting another Irish theme pub you'll be disappointed and if you want somewhere where the trendy young things strut their stuff, Murphy's isn't the place for you. If, however, you are looking for a small pub with a geniunely local feel and friendly (if none too sober some of the time) patrons and bar staff, then look no further.
There's a fashion in a lot of pubs and restaurants to put up fairly racy pictures of naked or near naked men (in the ladies) and of women (in the gents). I don't know about the ladies (perhaps someone can let us know) but in the gents, the pictures in Murphys are a step above and beyond the usual, so maybe worth a vist for that alone.
There's a fashion in a lot of pubs and restaurants to put up fairly racy pictures of naked or near naked men (in the ladies) and of women (in the gents). I don't know about the ladies (perhaps someone can let us know) but in the gents, the pictures in Murphys are a step above and beyond the usual, so maybe worth a vist for that alone.
Cracking local boozer. V friendly, good mix of people, live music occasionally (good old sing a long tunes). Excellent beer. Good value food. Try it out...
Don't be intimadated drop in
Age 22 +
Style Pre club warm up for Sugar
This is the offical "Pre-Club bar" for Sugar which plays some thumping tunns and is well off the beaten track for the average piss head, never crowded and fairly full, Sambuka, Jagermiseter and other interesting drunks a plenty.
Age 22 +
Style Pre club warm up for Sugar
This is the offical "Pre-Club bar" for Sugar which plays some thumping tunns and is well off the beaten track for the average piss head, never crowded and fairly full, Sambuka, Jagermiseter and other interesting drunks a plenty.
the pig and fiddle is down the bottom of town, near costcutters. It is a friendly irish pub full of old people, not really a place for the younger generation. Its a good laugh and the barman shieldy is fit!!
Now under new management, PJs (formerly the Newbold Comyn Inn) is a nice family pub as long as the weather is good. The beer is reasonable and there is a good selection of food, though we can't comment on teh quality yet as we haven't tried it.
Outside is a large beer garden with play equipment suitable for children up to about ten years.
To get there, follow the town centre signs to Newbold Comyn and turn right past the leisure centre. Newbold Comyn also has excellent golf, barbeque and older children's play area facilities as well as swimming, watersports and other activities so a visit to PJs may just be a part of the outing.
PJs is also reviewed on our child friendly Leamington page
Outside is a large beer garden with play equipment suitable for children up to about ten years.
To get there, follow the town centre signs to Newbold Comyn and turn right past the leisure centre. Newbold Comyn also has excellent golf, barbeque and older children's play area facilities as well as swimming, watersports and other activities so a visit to PJs may just be a part of the outing.
PJs is also reviewed on our child friendly Leamington page
Robbin's Well is reccommended by Pere in his guide to a night out in Leamington.
The Royal Exchange at the corner of High street and Tachbrook road is a quality local with friendly bar staff who greet strangers and not-so-locals with a friendliness that always encourages a return visit.
Decor : Trendy with a courtyard out the back
Crowd : Trendy - packed at weekends
Ales : They have some
The Sozzled Sausage has a bar in the centre of the pub you can walk right round. It also has a small courtyard out the back which is useful for recovering your breath : this is one of the few Leamington pubs which can have queues to get in at the weekend and not a bad one either.
Crowd : Trendy - packed at weekends
Ales : They have some
The Sozzled Sausage has a bar in the centre of the pub you can walk right round. It also has a small courtyard out the back which is useful for recovering your breath : this is one of the few Leamington pubs which can have queues to get in at the weekend and not a bad one either.
Friendly bar staff make up for the decor. Pool table, footie on the TV and a good jukebox. I once got some condoms from the machine and what did it give me? Curry flavoured condoms. I have never been able to use them.
Truly excellent quiet little pub.
Run by Hector, a caribbean gentleman who is Leamington's oldest-serving landlord.
Run by Hector, a caribbean gentleman who is Leamington's oldest-serving landlord.
Decor : Several beers too many
Crowd : 20s & 30s
Beer : Good
Fairly small pub seem to fit in more people that it should be able to. Good to stop for a pint and watch some footie.
Crowd : 20s & 30s
Beer : Good
Fairly small pub seem to fit in more people that it should be able to. Good to stop for a pint and watch some footie.
If you are after a good pint of ale and a relaxed atmosphere in a real pub then go to the Avenue. Always friendly have Enville on hand pump at 1.55 a pint and great place to meet for starting off your night. Recently redecorated, not one for the kids but well worth a cheeky one before Mirage, my pre Monroes hang-out for 3 years, every Thursday.
Average Rating:
Location: 66 Latchmere Rd
Battersea
London SW11 2JU
Battersea
London SW11 2JU
Tel: 02079245483
This place used to be an old boozer, now it looks to be filled most nights with people that know what they want. Good food, good wine and having a laugh with a pint or two!
The menu changes twice daily and the food is exceptional as far as dining in a pub goes. The bar staff are friendly and are also the waiters, delivering the food.
If you go on a night when the spikey haired chef is working then I'm sure you won't be disappointed!
I think it's definitely worth a trip south of the river!
The menu changes twice daily and the food is exceptional as far as dining in a pub goes. The bar staff are friendly and are also the waiters, delivering the food.
If you go on a night when the spikey haired chef is working then I'm sure you won't be disappointed!
I think it's definitely worth a trip south of the river!
Average Rating:
Location: Chesterton Drive Leamington Spa CV31 1YJ (Next to Asda)
Tel: Tel: 01926 831034
The Grist Mill Pub and Restaurant Leamington is a great all round pub and restaurant, it caters for all ages and families - All the food is homemade and freshly prepared each day - It is a fantastic meeting place for young and old alike, friendly and relaxed atmosphere - Their Sunday carvery is the best I tasted for a long while - Well worth a visit totally family friendly pub with play areas for the kids. There website is http://www.leamingtonpubs.co.uk
Pool Table
Darts
Beer Garden
Childrens Play Area
Pool Table
Darts
Beer Garden
Childrens Play Area
I can't believe that noone has mentioned "The Lounge". Everyone seems to go for cheap cheap cheap but as a student who refuses to lower my standards I would say The Lounge is possibly the best pub in Leamington. Definitely during the day and quite possibly at nights and weekends.
The Oak is on the corner of Willes Road/Radford Road 15 - 20 mins walk from the Parade. A large pub with 2 pool tables, dartboard, jukeboxes, various fruit machines, huge television in the lounge and pull-down screen of excellent viewing quality in the bar. Large car park with benches outside. Stylish decor.
The Oak has a new menu offering some great tasting (and low priced) pub food. There is a non-smoking restaurant area which is separate to the main part of the lounge and bar. The pub has two pool tables which are free to use every Monday and Wednesday night from 5pm - closing. Karaoke every Friday and some Saturday nights. All sports shown on large screen in bar and huge television in lounge - very popular with sports fans. Great food, friendly atmosphere and stylish decor.
The Oak has a new menu offering some great tasting (and low priced) pub food. There is a non-smoking restaurant area which is separate to the main part of the lounge and bar. The pub has two pool tables which are free to use every Monday and Wednesday night from 5pm - closing. Karaoke every Friday and some Saturday nights. All sports shown on large screen in bar and huge television in lounge - very popular with sports fans. Great food, friendly atmosphere and stylish decor.
...or should that be "Wannabees". When it was first opened it was a welcome break from the trendy bars that now proliferate around Leamington, sadly it has now been facelifted and employs the formulaic, and now, boring format of most other pubs / bars in Leamington. Leather sofas and house DJ, wooden floors and spartan interior decor abounds where as character doesn't. If you like Moo, Voodoo, Cuba, Lounge, Pacific Grim, Bubbles, Baroque, Oxygen / O2, Sozzled Sausage or the Vodka Bar then you'll like this place... there again you'll like following the crowd and wearing designer gear because these pubs, like the clientele, lack individuality.
Definitely a place that lacks character, just like the patrons.
Definitely a place that lacks character, just like the patrons.
The Willoughby is a smart new pub with first floor external balcony. It serves food and appears at number nine in Iain's top 10 Leamington pubs in his night out in Leamington.
Average Rating:
Location: next to McDonalds at junction of Queensway & Europa Way by Shire's Retail Park (not on map)
The Tiller Pin is a good fine weather pub. On a warm summer day you can walk down the canal to reach it and then sit in the garden. They've got an adequate selection of beers (e.g. Bass, Brew XI, Caffreys). Inside the pub is large and feels roomy. The decor is pleasant enough without being anything special.
Unlike many of the town centre pubs, the Tiller Pin is a good place to take the kids. Although there's no play equipment, the garden is large enough and the McDonalds next door should keep them happy when it comes to food. The Tiller Pin also does its own very reasonable pub food.
As for how good it is in the evenings and in colder weather, we don't know so if you do, send in your comment.
Unlike many of the town centre pubs, the Tiller Pin is a good place to take the kids. Although there's no play equipment, the garden is large enough and the McDonalds next door should keep them happy when it comes to food. The Tiller Pin also does its own very reasonable pub food.
As for how good it is in the evenings and in colder weather, we don't know so if you do, send in your comment.
its a smart place at the bottom of town, great drink offers all week , near to night clubs, the leamington curry belt. must make it the first meeting place before heading into town .
Used to be the best kept secret in Leam, since Elvis left the building its now the worst...
Used to be the best kept secret in Leam, since Elvis left the building its now the worst...
Formerly the Shakespeare Inn, then renamed Town House in September 1995 and Green Tailed Dragon in November 2000 and back to Town House Tavern in November 2001.
Not as good as it used to be, but slowly getting better.
Not as good as it used to be, but slowly getting better.
Voodoo is a trendy bar with lots of gleaming metal, underlit flooring, voodoo-related wall murals and flashing lights. Its one of the bigger pubs with lots of room inside and out. Inside the pub has several rooms and a three-sided central bar.
The drinks are on the trendy side. If you like bitter or ale you'll be disappointed - Tetley's is the only choice. If lager, wine or club drinks are your thing, you'll be a lot happier. Wine comes in big glasses - drivers beware.
Voodoo comes highly recommended by Joe and Iain in their respective guides to a night out in Leamington. In fact, Iain rates it as Leamington's number one pub. Voodoo also features highly in our pub grub guide.
The drinks are on the trendy side. If you like bitter or ale you'll be disappointed - Tetley's is the only choice. If lager, wine or club drinks are your thing, you'll be a lot happier. Wine comes in big glasses - drivers beware.
Voodoo comes highly recommended by Joe and Iain in their respective guides to a night out in Leamington. In fact, Iain rates it as Leamington's number one pub. Voodoo also features highly in our pub grub guide.
good chose of drinks and tunes almost the last pub i go 2 before i go clubin in my veiw almost SPOT ON
Decor : World of pub
Crowd : Teens & early 20s
Beer : Drinkable
Real teenie pub so if seeing 18-year old girls (or younger) in short skirts and skimpy dresses is your thing, this is where you want to be. One of the few town centre pubs with a saloon bar as well as the main bar. The saloon bar is inhabited by 3 geriatrics. The main bar (and courtyard) is the place to be. They often do midweek deals (pay to get in, then get cheap drinks all night)
Crowd : Teens & early 20s
Beer : Drinkable
Real teenie pub so if seeing 18-year old girls (or younger) in short skirts and skimpy dresses is your thing, this is where you want to be. One of the few town centre pubs with a saloon bar as well as the main bar. The saloon bar is inhabited by 3 geriatrics. The main bar (and courtyard) is the place to be. They often do midweek deals (pay to get in, then get cheap drinks all night)
Town centre pub/bar, home of the infamous 'Winston's Wobbler.' Gone downhill since the change of management, but a free bar every wednesday night can't be bad. Tenner to get in though. Unlucky!!
Crowd : Packed at weekends
Beer : There seems to be general agreement that this isn't the place to go for a good pint.
Yates's is always packed at weekends but I've never worked out why. The drinks no good, there's not much talent and it doesn't have much else to recommend it. Still - if you like that sort of thing I suppose...
Beer : There seems to be general agreement that this isn't the place to go for a good pint.
Yates's is always packed at weekends but I've never worked out why. The drinks no good, there's not much talent and it doesn't have much else to recommend it. Still - if you like that sort of thing I suppose...