A Local Leamington Pub (The Moorings, Leamington Spa)

Member Name: sweetpea01

Product:	The Moorings, Leamington Spa
Date:	26/08/09 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good honest food

Disadvantages: Could be a bit too local!

I work in Leamington Spa (well actually Warwick to be precise but Royal Mail don't seem to think so!) and one of my local eateries which I visit on my lunchtimes or even after work for a drink is The Moorings. Situated just outside Royal Leamington Spa town centre it is often a meeting place for most of the companies which work around the area, so generally lunchtimes are full of office works desperate to get out of the office!

The Moorings is split over two floors, the entrance however is in the middle of both floors! The ground floor is the main pub/ bar area where during lunch you can grab a drink or a meal and the first floor is mainly designated as the restaurant and is mainly used for private functions.

*~*~* Décor & Atmosphere *~*~*

The pub's décor is one of a typical pub! Yes there are leather sofas and bar stools but also a varied selection of tables and chairs. Unfortunately nothing seems to fit! The Moorings as a whole is quite a large place, it has a lovely (but small) beer garden which over looks the canal which is ideal for a nice summer's evening (if and when we get them) but even though the space is large they don't over fill the space with seating so there is enough room to sit and stand, you certainly don't feel crowded. The bar is large so your not forced to stand next to everybody else!

The pub has a lot of windows which gives it quite a light, roomy atmosphere and the walls are painted in a cream shade which brightens the place up, especially as it has a very dark wooden bar! The sofas are brown and black leather but the upholstered chairs tend to be quite a light coloured fabric, so all in all even though not all the furniture matches the colour scheme generally flows through the whole pub!

The atmosphere tends to be quite upbeat - I'm only basing this on at a lunchtime! Because at lunchtimes the majority of the people are office workers on their lunch it tends to have a light, joyful atmosphere of people enjoying themselves!

*~*~* Food & Drink *~*~*

In terms of the drinks available its pretty much standard pub drinks! They have quite a good selection of wines and beers (both bottle and draft) together with a wide selection of soft drinks. So there is a variety for everybody.

To give you a good idea of the menu I will give examples plus the prices of dishes from the starter and main courses. The full menu is downloadable off the website and has a great variety of dishes on there which gives you the full details and price of all dishes.

Starters:-

Pan fried tiger prawns with garlic butter - £4.75
Buffalo Mozzerella and Beef Tomato - £4.25

Mains:-

Grilled tuna steak with asparagus and water cress - £9.50
Homemade Beef & Guiness Pie - £7.75

Pasta & Salad:-

Smoked bacon macaroni cheese - £7.50
Chicken ceasar salas - £7.95

There is also a selection of wraps, paninis, baguettes and jacket potatoes which are available for lunch. For instance my usual dish that I have for lunch is a lovely bacon and brie Panini which comes with tortilla chips and a fresh salad as a side and normally costs around £4.00.

However, to my knowledge I don't know whether there is a children's menu but the pub is certainly child friendly. But I'm sure even without a menu the chef could prepare something small and simple.

*~*~* Staff *~*~*

Now this is the downside to the place. The managers who are always frequently around are fantastic, they offer a big welcoming smile and will treat you as if you have been friends with them for life, they really try and make your visit a good one! However, the other members of staff (and not saying all of them!) are generally quite unhappy and unhelpful! One barman who has been at work several times when I have visited as generally messed things up at the till which caused the manager to have to come and step in and deal with it and he has also turned up to work with black eyes and cuts and bruises which is certainly not a professional look in anyone's eyes! The girls that work there tend to be quite unhappy too and unfortunately they don't come complete with smiles!

*~*~* Address & Contact Details *~*~*

Myton Rd
Leamington Spa
Warwickshhire
CV31 3NY

Tel: 01926 425043
Fax: 01926 425060

Web: www.mooringsbarleamingtonspa.co.uk

The pub often has promotion nights which you can either look at online or they have plenty of leaflets in the pub itself.

*~*~* Overall Opinion *~*~*

In it's own way I quite like this pub, its not actually trying to be anything special, it doesn't proclaim to be a "gastro pub", its just simply a pub which does decent(ish) food at low cost. It's certainly not all singing and dancing but what you see is what you get!

For a lunchtime this pub offers everything I need and quickly as I only have 1 hour and 15 minutes for a lunch break. I always pre-order my food (has to be pre-ordered before 12.00pm) however sometimes they have claimed to have never received an order which is a bit suspicious! Food is always served piping hot so there really isn't anything to complain about!

However, this would certainly not be my choice for an evening meal, apart from that its slightly out my way as I live about 25 miles away but it just isn't my sort of place. I'm all for good pub food but when I go out I want a nicer, classier atmosphere rather than a beer infused one! And no before you say I'm not a snob but when I want to go out and spend money on food I want it to be wonderful not just "okay".

Now would I suggest this pub to anyone who is travelling to the area? Probably not as there are far more places to eat which will offer you a lot more and service with a smile! However, if you have to have a rushed lunch and can't quite make it to Leamington Spa town centre The Moorings is conveniently located and will give you a good, filling lunch at a good price.

Summary: Decent lunchtime food but dont expect too much