Yes, really that is the name of the first establishment the Wirriallian has visited in 2011. I found it hard to believe that's what they called this revamped pub in the heart of Tranmere, but they have!!. It used to be called The Royal, and had been in disrepair for a while.
Rumour had it that a chef/owner from one of the other restaurants in the area had taken it on and was relaunching it as a gastro pub. So why not pop down to see.
Well, that rumour was clearly unfounded as we entered the 'parlour'. The unit has one bar, with a large pool table in the original public bar. The lounge bar had been tastefully decorated and festooned with old black and white pictures of the area from the late 1800s hundreds and early 1900s. The floor was newly laid too. imitation leather bench seating hugged the walls and the round traditional pub tables and chairs completed the look. Loud music played from the various speakers perched near the ceiling
It takes a brave man to open a pub which is going to major on wet sales, these days, and one of the problems for a relaunch, is how do you manage the clientele? This pub had previously been a blokes boozer and the current punters continued that stereotype. About ten people hung at the bar watching the racing from the all weather at Wolverhampton, drinking lager and Guinness while occasionally popping out for a roll-up in the porch.
They were all very pleasant, but not the sort the aristocrats and artistic types from Oxton would want to mingle with. That said, the bitter on view was an eclectic mixture of local microbrewery and St Austell from Cornwall so that might tempt a few in.
There seemed to be storehouse or stables outside which could easily embrace a kitchen and some outdoor seating for better climes, so I am going to put this one on the back burner at the moment and see how it gets on during the Spring and early Summer. Hopefully by then the place will be rocking.
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