The Eagle - Newmarket Road

The Eagle on Newmarket Road is a pub which I have always had a problem with. It has never been a pub for real drinkers, a lack of ales and more of a 'foody' feel have detered me from venturing there too often. However, the pub used to get away with it by having an outstanding restaurant but in the last few years it has undergone serious change. I'm not sure if it is because of new owners or just a change around from the managers but it has changed into one of these 'gastro pubs' where you will find middle aged women eating olives, thinking they are extremley cultured. The food has gone massivley downhill and the wine selction is poor. There is no ales on tap and only two lagers to choose from. The pubs attracts customers with a large garde, ample parking and new interior decoration, which I feel has taken away some of the charm that the building used to have. It is expensive and better for a coffee than any alcoholic drink. Not one I would recommend.

The Trafford Arms

The Trafford Arms is one of those pubs which unfortunately I fear for. Currently it is doing good business with a strong customer base and loyal, local, regulars. They serve a good range of ales, a good range of lagers and also home cooked food. There is a pool table and darts and some live sport. However, the pub is unappealing to younger people, it is a little out of the way and the decoration makes you feel like you are in someones living room. Don't get me wrong, I like this pub. The Woodfordes Wherry is perfectly served and the food is well priced and generously served but I just feel that this pub could die out over the next five years. It is lively at lunch times and at the weekends with a friendly atmosphere so I would recommend it for a visit.

 

The beer is well priced with most ales still under £3 and most lagers under £3.50. Although it is not a city centre pub I feel that more could be done with it to maximise the profit and the customer experience. It does feel a little dated, which in some circumstances can add to a pubs character, but this is not one of those circumstnaces.

The Kings Arms

An old fashioned, traditional pub with wooden benchs surrounding the bar and a conservatory/dining area towards the back. Shows a lot of live sport and ALL of Norwich Citys Premiership games. There are usually between 6 and 10 ales on tap along with the standard lagers and Guiness etc. A real drinkers pub and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice pint. On my visit they had Fat Cat Honey Ale, previously discussed and enjoyed in this blog. They also had a selection of Adnams Ales and some Blue Moon Ales which were particularly nice. Very light and perfect for an afternoon session.

 

There are a couple of downsides to this pub. Number one - The atmosphere. It is never really too busy and because of this can seem a bit boring on some days. Number two - The area. The pub is on Hall Road in Lakenham and can occasionally attract one or two unsocial characters which is off putting.

However, this pub is a definite on my pub crawl list.