newark bars: the best pubs in newark
Welcome to the Drink in the Sights guide to the best pubs in Newark.
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I spent the first 18 years of my drinking life travelling through Newark to Nottingham on the train from Lincoln to visit some of the great Nottingham pubs and it never crossed my mind to jump off a few stops early and check out Newark. How I regret it now. Sure Newark doesn't have the sheer number of pubs Nottingham, or even Lincoln has but it has 4-5 truly excellent bars and a few more that are well worth a visit including a multi-award winning micro pub, a floating barge, and even a wonderfully quirky Monty Python themed pub. Newark deserves to be considered by anyone looking for a new place for a few drinks, and with two train stations it's not exactly difficult to get to so lets explore the best bars in Newark.
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Best Pubs in Newark
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The Flying Circus
Who doesn't love Monty Python? And who wouldn't love a Monty Python themed bar with live music, four hand pull beers, plus more on tap and a huge array of craft cans and bottles? The Flying Circus isn't just one of my favourite bars in Newark, or in Nottinghamshire, it's just one of my favourite bars full stop. The interior is beautiful, it's quirky, it's got wood everywhere, which for some reason I see as essential for a bar, and it's got Monty Python references a plenty. Plus it's huge.
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And that doesn't even take into account the massive beer garden. Honestly I'm convinced if you took an aerial shot of Newark this building would cover a fair chunk. Even if you ignore the aesthetic joys of The Flying Circus, the quality music, and the fun atmosphere you'd still come for the beer and the wonderful bar staff who clearly know their stuff and are more than happy to advise. This is just one of those unique pubs you have to visit at some point in your drinking life, and beyond any doubt it's one of the best pubs in Newark. I should just quickly add they usually have at least one gluten free option available too.
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Just Beers
I love micro pubs, and I especially love Just Beer. It's not just me either. Since opening in 2010 this wonderful little bar has won Newark CAMRA pub of the year 7 times, Nottinghamshire pub of the year 3 times, and even East Midlands pub of the year twice which is just incredible for a tiny little bar down a small street in Newark. So what makes it so good? Well the beer selection for a start. You'll always find at least 8 hand pull beers/ciders, and they'll always have a mixture of styles. As a dark beer drinker this is a huge bonus as there's nothing worse than going to a bar with 6-7 taps all serving nothing but IPA's.
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There's also a reasonable selection of bottled beers if there's nothing on tap you fancy and the owner/barman absolutely loves beer and well and truly knows his stuff. With proper pub seats, a cosy welcoming atmosphere and the taps been perched on top of a brick bar the pub is also gorgeously designed. It really isn't difficult to see why Just Beer is so popular, and so successful. Really anyone taking a train journey through Newark should consider jumping off for a quick pint in one of the best pubs in the country let alone one of the best bars in Newark.
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The Organ Grinder
I love the Organ Grinder, and I love Blue Monkey pubs, plus they do Guerilla Stout which is a genuinely high quality ale. You'll have to travel far and wide to find a more traditional looking bar than this. It just ticks every box. Wide selection of beers, tick, wooden bar and floorboards, tick, proper comfy pub chairs, tick, nice artwork on the walls, tick, bar staff who know their stuff, tick. Serving locally brewed beer, tick.
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They even have an award winning gin if you want something different and a piano in one of the rooms and nothing says proper old traditional pub like a piano. There really is just so much to love about the Organ Grinder so you'll just have to go see it. It's really difficult to say which is the best pub in Newark out of this, Just Beers, and The Flying Circus so lets just say don't miss any of them. Just for the record Blue Monkey is a Nottinghamshire brewery and there's another Organ Grinder that's well worth visiting in Nottingham itself.
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The Prince Rupert
Firstly how cool and traditional does The Prince Rupert look from the outside? Honestly when it comes to Ye Olde pub exteriors this is genuinely up there with the best of them. It really should look old though given that the building dates back to 1452 and forms part of the Newark Civil War Trail. Fortunately the interior is just as interesting as the exterior with a truly eclectic mix of lovely paintings, old signs and even bicycles hanging from the ceiling.
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You'll also find an array of lovely unique rooms with comfy seating and a nice little beer garden. Don't worry though there's also a good beer selection with 4 cask ales on so The Prince Rupert isn't all looks and no substance. I really have fallen in love with this bar over the last few years of visiting Newark and if the Organ Grinder, Flying Circus and Just Beers make up the holy trinity of best pubs in Newark this one well and truly makes up the perfect quartet of best bars in Newark.
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Best Bars in Newark
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The Castle Barge
Just up from Newark Castle station you'll find The Castle Barge which became a pub after years of ferrying grain between Gainsborough and Hull. It's always a nice experience to drink in a boat and this is no exception, and it's certainly a big step up from The Barge in Lincoln which is very much a cocktail bar, yuck. You'll usually find a couple of ales on tap and they'll usually be from Pheasantry, Castle Rock or Lincoln Green who are all good local brewers so that's a nice touch.
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There's a nice beer garden on dryland next to The Castle Barge but really you want to go in and sit around all the old naval memorabilia which really give this bar something a little something extra special. Traditionally this is the first bar I go to in Newark so it's difficult to comment on how lively it gets later in the day, but there's usually a nice steady stream of customers heading in. This is certainly a bar that belongs in any list of the best pubs in Newark.
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The Old Post Office
This is almost certainly the biggest bar in Newark and it features a similarly expansive beer garden. The inside is impressive and comfy, and there's TV's near pretty much every table making it the ideal pub to watch sport in Newark. Unfortunately the one thing The Old Post Office lacks is a decent beer selection so don't get your hopes up for a good ale if you're visiting here, but if you want a big, lively bar on match day you'll be in the right place.
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The Queens Head
If you love Tudor architecture with your pint The Queens Head is an absolute must see. It really is one of the best looking buildings you could ever hope to have a pint in and the staff are lovely. If they just put a couple of real ales or craft beers on here it'd be right up with the best pubs on this list but really you're going to be settling for a Guinness or lager for the most part. On the plus side the building is right on the main square so the outdoor seating is a really nice chance to sit back and watch the world go by.
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The Sir John Arderne
What can I say about the Sir John Arderne? It's a Wetherspoon's pub so you know what you're going to get 2-3 decent beers on tap and a cheap meal, but it's a Wetherspoon's. For what it's worth the building is nice and it does exactly what you'd expect, plus like the Queens head it's right on the main square.
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I hope you enjoyed my guide to the best pubs in Newark it really is a great place to visit for a few pints due to the rich variety of pubs available. Please also check out my guides to the best pubs in Lincoln and the best pubs in Nottingham each of which is only half an hour away from Newark by train. And so ends the Drink in the Sights guide to the best bars in Newark