The Water Witch is one of the best real ale pubs in Lancaster, a town not known for great venues…read more It's located right next to the canal, with a generously designed outside seating area [Unfortunately, it was raining all the time I spent in Lancaster]. The pub itself isn't as big as it seems from outside, with much of the pub area divided into single-spaced, window-seated tables. On the plus side, that means it won't get too noisy when the placed is packed. The real ale selection is certainly adequate [I've seen better, and much worse, the latter more often], the staff generally nice and helpful, and the real ales being kept fresh. Recommended for Lancaster.

The Witch is a lovely big old rambling canalside pub/restaurant, just a few minute's walk from…read moreLancaster centre. It's a very pleasant pub to spend the afternoon in, looking over the canal boats outside, and it's spacious enough that you can find a quiet corner to yourself most of the time. They have a great selection of real ales to sample, and even offer special discounts for CAMRA members. Tthe food menu is a definite cut above the average and is easily comparable with the best restaurants in town. There's a cool, homely, welcoming ambience about the place that lifts your spirits as soon as you walk in the door. A perfect place to spend a relaxing couple of hours away from the bustle of city life.

Classic little pub. Good ales. Nowt fancy but nice. Loads of old nautical paraphanalia which must…read morehave been there for years. Friendly and welcoming which makes a pleasant change for morecambe.

My husband and I stopped by The Robert Gillow for a Sunday lunch after touring Lancaster Castle. It…read morewas a quiet day and we arrived just as the lunch service was starting. We sat at a high-top table near the bar. The food was good. We had cider, shared a meat/cheese plate, had lattes and Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert. We enjoyed it. However, the food was not my biggest impression. What made the experience so enjoyable was the staff, ambiance and live entertainment. Our server was very friendly, but even better, the super nice manager stopped by our table to chat and to make sure that everything was good. He was so welcoming that it immediately made me like the pub. The ambiance is warm and cozy. If we lived nearby, this would be our local place. It felt comfortable. We listened to a senior citizen Dixieland Jazz band while we ate. They were fantastic and just seemed to be having so much fun performing, that their joy was infectious. Our lunch at The Robert Gillow made me happy and I walked out with the "warm fuzzies".

Arguably the best pub in the area. Great beers, lots of live entertainment, free snacks, what is…read morethere not to Like? There should be more pubs like this.

Historic canalside pub with real character. The beer garden leads down to the canal and is very…read morepopular in summer. Good cask ales available including Wainwright and Black Sheep. Update I wrote a review over a year ago in which I said that the standard of the food had seriously declined, however we returned this week and decided to give it another go as the menu has changed and there appears to be a new enthusiastic chef at the helm in the kitchen. Well, I'm pleased to report that the standard of the food has returned to the high standards of a few years ago! My Steak frites was excellent and my husband's Sausages with Bubble & Squeak was lovely too excellent sausages! It is without doubt one of the best bar meals I've had for a long time. We will definitely be back. Highly recommended.

I have done reviews for wetherspoons before so I won't gush on as they are in essence the same…read moreplace.... We always pop in here to start the night off and for a good catch up with old friends. It's as friendly as a spoon's gets and normally has a great array of craft beers (however DB was not on when we came in, neither was 'this is lager' by brewdog which was a shame). The food and service here is great and will continue to come back for cheap eats and beer :) They also make a mean pimms!

Urgh. Wetherspoons. They are a pet hate of mine. And this one is no exception…read more it's not hard to find a decent local pub but it's being made harder by these huge chain pubs opening up offering cheap food and even cheaper beer Consequently the customers of Wetherspoons tend to be of the hard drinking variety. Well at a pound a pint what do you expect? There are always various food and drink offers on. I've been in here once and never again. I'd rather pay a bit more for my food and drink and go somewhere local like the Chieftain

I moved to the area in April and this was my new local. I have been there 3 or more times a week…read moresince and have eaten there on a regular basis as well and have always found it to be friendly, good prices, good food and good service. On the occasion I was not happy with part of my meal they gave a full refun d even though I had eaten everything else but usually the food is excellent. In fact I have paid over twice as much for a meal in other local pubs and it has not been as good. I have never seen any trouble there and have always felt comortable, even when I first moved here and new nobody. The age range is from families with small children (children only in a designated area and only if their parents are dining) to pensioners. I would reccomend this pub to anyone.

We really enjoyed this pub when we went as a couple the food was ok, reflecting the price. Do not…read morego with children, dispite there being a children's menu you will not be made to feel welcome. You will either be seated out of the way on one side of the pub or they will refuse to serve you full stop. The landlord was obviously never a child himself.Thanks for making us feel like valued customers! I do not appriciate being treated like a social outcast. Never again!!

From the outside you expect this pub to be quaint and full of history but somewhat disappointingly…read morewhen you go through the door you could be in any one of hundreds of pubs like it. It's decorated and laid out in that 'chain pub' style although I don't think it is part of a chain. There were three cask beers on when we visited, my Cumberland Ale was smashing and my husband's Coniston Bluebird got the thumbs up - Beacon was the other beer. There's a pool table and their sign says they have a 'Clatterbang Alley' though what or where that was I didn't find out :-) They're certainly working hard to woo trade with quiz nights, games nights, live music etc. and we got a warm welcome. All in all a pleasant enough pub that I'll happily return to.

From the owner: At the Victoria Inn we specialise in delivering a traditional country pub feel with exceptional…read morecustomer service, home cooked, hearty food and a great selection of real ales, wines spirits and soft drinks. We try to cater for everyones needs and if you have any special requirements please don't hesitate to get in touch so we can ensure we have everything in place. Everyone is welcome at the Vic and we aim to make each visit a memorable one.

Service is pretty slow and nonexistent. Be prepared to take the check up to the counter and settle…read morethere. Food is okay. The steak is a bit tough for the kids but they ate it. If you order mussels in a Guinness cream sauce, it's not served on the shell. It's pieces of mussels in a cup, marinating in a creamy beer "soup" and foam. Burrata and tomatoes are yummy. The bathroom is upstairs and relatively clean. There's a lot of history in this restaurant - interesting to read while waiting for food or service.

Bags of ambience and a select menu make this place a winner in the eating out stakes. Housed in a…read morecomplex of old wine cellars, it's a great intimate place for a nice quiet night out. The menu isn't all that extensive, but friendly and helpful staff go out of their way to make sure that any peculiar dietary requirements that you might have are taken care of. It has a nice bar area with a goodly selection of beers and wines a-plenty to choose from, and if I hadn't come in search of food I would have happily have hung out in the bar area all night. There's a nice outdoor area as well if you like to people-watch on the street. Top marks for location, the staff service and ambience - in fact I'm only deducting a star because I feel that they could do with a couple more choices on the menu for meat- and dairy-free eaters.