Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Please – Canterbury …

Experience The Nun’s Delight
There is some disagreement about the number of pubs in Canterbury. I have heard some people say that there are 258 pubs in Canterbury but then others plead the case for there being 365. The answer probably depends on where people think that Canterbury’s city limits end and where other towns begin. One certainty is that the Bishops’ Finger (13 St. Dunstans Street, +44 (0) 1227 768915) is one of the nicest pubs in Canterbury.

Crammed full with students and other young people during the weekends and evenings, it has made a name for itself in Canterbury by serving a huge range of flavoured vodkas and cocktails. Along with traditional cocktails such as Sex on the Beach, there is a wide range of cocktails that are only available in the Bishops’ Finger. The exclusive cocktails are changed every month and are traditionally inspired by the season. For example, the Frosty Todger was a big hit last winter. Flavoured vodkas are only £1 a shot on Sunday nights while Wednesday is a great night for cocktails with a jug of cocktails costing just £9. A 15% student discount on their great tasting food makes it a great place to have lunch and a few drinks when feet are tired and weary from the Canterbury streets.

Out of Your Tree
While some pubs seem to get their names for no apparent reason, The Cherry Tree (White Horse Lane, +44 (0) 1227 451266) actually has a cherry tree in the car park. Their ’strange’ license means that you may get to lean on it as you drink. As well as being able to drink inside the small, but usually very busy, pub you can drink while sitting down at one of the picnic tables outside. However, you are not allowed to stand and drink by the picnic tables. If they are full and the pub is really busy then the car park is your only option.

Despite all this craziness, it is a nice pub that not only serves absinthe but also seems to specialise in drink promotions. Happy Hour is from 4 till 7pm, seven days a week with draught lagers, Strongbow, IPA, and Boddingtons costing just £1.70 a pint. Tuesday night features cheap doubles and pints. The legendary Vodka Victims night is something that just has to be experienced. No one can predict the amount of fun that you can have on a Thursday night after drinking a few double vodkas for just £1.

Churn, Churn, Churn
The Old Buttermarket (38 Burgate, +44 (0) 1227 462170) is the closest pub to the Cathedral and is an example of how pubs change due to corporate buyouts. It used to be quite happy as a Firkin with its characteristically dark walls and signs that made far too much of the fact that Firkin sounds a little like something else. Now all that has gone and, as The Old Buttermarket, it is a much brighter place with light blue walls and chandelier-like light fittings. All of this change seems to have contributed to higher drink prices, less atmosphere, and less people in the place. However, it is still quite a nice place to get some decent pub food.

Wobblin’ at The ‘Goblin
The variety of people that you could meet on any one night at The Hobgoblin (40 St. Peters Street, +44 (0) 1227 455563) is just immense. It is always full of indie kids, punks, metallers, students, and general hobbit-like travellers. The variety of people and the great jukebox leads to a great atmosphere where strangers can become great friends. Do not forget to try the double vodka slush, a drink that I brought to The Hobgoblin in a flash of inspiration during my friend’s birthday in December 2000. Its popularity and great taste means that it has remained ever since.

Sausage, Beans, and Chips Challenge
The quality of food at The Thomas Becket (21 Best Lane, +44 (0) 1227 464384) is always astounding. With table service from the friendly staff, dishes ranging from traditional pub fare such sausage, beans, and chips, and chicken and chips to more extravagant dishes including salmon and other seafood are an absolute dream. The real fireplace and the timber beams add to the decor of this traditional country pub within the heart of Canterbury. You will also not be disappointed if you have only come for a quick drink. The prices are very reasonable and the staff and regulars are very friendly.

Chain Insane
Every town and city in England has its fair share of chain pubs. Canterbury is no exception to this rule. The West Gate Inn (1-3 North Lane, +44 (0) 1227 464329) is a Wetherspoons and is as similar to other Wetherspoons as Canterbury can manage. It has the same range of reasonably priced drinks and food, with no music or pub games, but it is slightly different. Unlike the ‘traditional’ converted-from-high-street-shops Wetherspoons, the West Gate Inn has been many things during its time. Consequently, it is unique in the family of Wetherspoons pubs, as it is full of brick columns and other unique attributes from days of old. Caseys (5 Butchery Lane, +44 (0) 1227 463252) is another chain pub that is touched by something different due to Canterbury’s history. While retaining many of the features of a fake Irish pub, the history of the building adds to the ambience.

Questions?
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