The wife and I are on our way up to Durham.
Are there any recommendations for pubs selling decent beer in the city centre, please?
TIA

#1: http://www.victoriainn-durhamcity.co.uk/bed-and-breakfast/

The Vic for sure. Bit out of the town centre but worth a visit, great ales, coal fire, proper old snugs, and like stepping back in time.

For a bit of local life, the Shakespeare on Saddler Street particularly in the front bar. Nothing glamorous but see the long suffering husbands escaping their wives shopping trip in the kind of pub that doesn’t really exist any more.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186267-d9810377-Reviews-Shakespeare_Tavern-County_Durham_England.html

For a more cultured experience – the Head of Steam tucked down a little side street off North Road.

http://www.theheadofsteam.co.uk/pub?pub=5

My favourite is the Dun Cow by the Prison and Sports ground – again likely to be busy with locals on a saturday afternoon, but they’re friendly enough. If Paddy’s in there (landlord of the Shakey) ask him why he’s not in his own pub.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g190832-d3475886-Reviews-The_Dun_Cow-Durham_County_Durham_England.html

Elm Tree, Court Inn, Swan & 3 Cygnets,

Chucked the bags off in the room at the city centre Premier Inn, Swan and Three Cygnets, a pint of stout and a pint of bitter, £4. Cheers.

Try The Station House, near the station (funny that). Recently opened by a guy I know – seems to be doing well, and not surprising since he really knows his beer and how to keep it.

http://www.stationhousedurham.co.uk/

Cheers, TNW, we’ll try that on Sunday lunchtime, before the train back.

Over the bridge, turn left and the Shakey’s your next stop.

Then carry on up the hill to get a look at the castle and cathedral – hopefully the sun’s out so you can see the golden stone. Book in for a Castle tour tomorrow and see if you can find my old room on Hall Stairs (YES! I lived in the Castle for two years and ate hundreds of meals in the Great Hall).

Go down the little cobbled lane at the corner of Palace green (if you stood in the middle of the green it’s on the left corner as you look at the Cathedral). Turn back and look at the big rose window in the east elevation – my Grandad helped restore that – and then continue down Bow Lane to cross Kingsgate Bridge. Blank out the hideous student union building. Cross at the traffic lights and turn right on the farthest road and that’ll take you to the Vic.

Post again about 6-ish and we’ll tell you where to go next 😉

We’ve had a couple in the Shakespeare, back at the digs, now, getting the breath back. 🙂
According to the taxi driver, Tango’s is a good feed. So we’ll be in there, later.
We’ll be having a walk round tomorrow, Jon, so we’ll see what we can fit in, before the thirst hits. 😀

How were the toilets? Closest thing you’ll get to an outside netty nowadays – apart from the Dun Cow which still does have an outside netty!!

The toilets were fine.
Our digs’ receptionist said it’d been refurbished and it’d lost some of its charm, it seemed OK to us.

We drink mostly in the Elm Tree, and consider it our local even though we’ve got several pubs much closer. Would rather do the 30 minute walk down there, usually have good ales on. Get the odd period where none of the ales take my fancy but not often.

Head of Steam is good for foreign beers, the Colpitts is alright for a cheap pint if you don’t mind Sam Smiths beer and is a proper old pub.

Blank out the hideous student union building.

Students union building is the only decent thing built in Durham since medieval times.

Well, thanks for the info, folks.
We had a couple in the Victoria yesterday afternoon, down to the Shakespeare to meet friends, ate in Tango at teatime. Then it got fuzzy.
I remember getting 2 bottles of champagne in the Champagne Bar. £80!!! 8)
I must’ve been very fuzzy!
Just called in The Station House for a couple.
Might be back for the Miner’s Gala. 😀

glad they were good!