The Tap and Tankard is on Cambridge Street where The Sportsman was and the rock bar has shifted t`other side of John Lewis to the former premises of the Lion`s Lair, I think. Not penguins at least. The T `n T has been refurbed and opended by Kelham Island Brewery in an area that is set to be completely redeveloped. Allegedly. Soon. Ish.
Inside, this place is very nice. Newly furnished and it is decorated with Sheffy stuff such as the fireplace which is plastered with `wallpaper` made up of old Stars depicting Steel City heroes like ar Jess, the Monkeys, etc. Nice. Comfy too on a chilly December day.
Beer-wise, it`s pretty much as you`d expect. Mostly dependable Kelham Island ales, 4 or 5 of them and my Pale Rider (5.2%) was in decent form at £2.90, I think. Amongst 2 or 3 guests there was Thornbridge`s minty brew Baize (5.5%) but little on keg.
A fair few folk were in on its first full day opening with a mixture of clientele and I reckon it`ll do well. Meanwhile Sheffield`s first micro-pub, The Beer House was about to open on Eccy Road or thereabouts (not to be confused with the Ale House). Nice little pub crawl around this area now up towards Division Street and mebbe finishing with a beer in the Bath. Gotta be better than supermarket sups, eh?! Cheers!
Tap and Tankard: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly.
ReplyDeleteWe thought it might be a pleasure to go to a pub that has replaced a rather lack lustre rock bar serving mediocre beer, but it is not really deserving of some of the glowing revues it has received.
Firstly, it has not been refurnished, merely cleaned and tidied up a little, with the old dark wooden bench seating, still there from the days when I used to frequent the pub in the eighties, re-cushioned and a new carpet on the floor.
The walls have had a lick of emulsion paint and the chimney breast plastered with old copies of The Star to read - which for me was a good job.
On entry, I ordered three pints of Kelham Island’s Pale Rider for myself and my two companions, which at £2.90 a throw is at least 10% more expensive than the £2.60 I normally pay in another pub that is only a ten minute walk away.
The bar person said that the beer had gone off and would change the barrel, and then bring three pints over to our table.
Twenty minutes later, and with the chimney breast thoroughly read from top to bottom, we had to remind the bar person that we were very thirsty and waiting for our drinks, because he had forgotten about us.
When the three pints of beer finally came to the table, they had an unpleasant aroma to them, and a slightly bitter aftertaste and they definitely did not taste like the Pale Rider we have all quaffed so many times before. So, either the glassware or the pipes were tainted in some way.
Yes, we should have complained, but after waiting twenty minutes for three overpriced beers, we decided it might not be worth the hassle, and we were moving on to the Museum. (Excellent choice of well kept beers at sensible prices, by the way)
Then I paid a visit to the facilities at the back and was transported back to the nineteen eighties once more, because very little has changed.
Same crappy tiles, same communal urinal trough and the same hand dryer that was out of action…crap, crap, crappetty crap.
It was horrible and smelly, with no decent soap and no hot water.
Unless things improve drastically, we will definitely not return to it.
Disappointingly lack lustre is about the best I can say about it.
Interesting points there. We reckon it`s ok and I`d say worth another look as it settles down. Also I`d point out that they`d be daft to make drastic costly changes with the whole area still imminently going to be redeveloped, allegedly.
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