That Was My Favourite Pub, You Know

That Was My Favourite Pub, You Know

 (As David Gedge might say)

It was the annual trip to Belfast with the lads last weekend.

After 13 years of travelling over to visit a relocated pal, we’ve got to know the city’s pubs fairly well and a conversation on a group chat a few weeks before we travelled this year discussed which were our favourites.

I probably pondered this longer than the others and the reason for this wasn’t because I was desperately trying to figure out which was my favourite, but rather I was trying to work out why a certain pub wasn’t.

For many years after visiting The Crown Liquor Saloon for the first time nearly 20 yeas ago, if asked “what’s your favourite pub?”, I would’ve automatically given it as the answer, whether being asked the question in relation to Belfast or overall. But now, as I took time to think about it, I not only started to consider things that I thought prevented it from being my favourite, but also, I started to contemplate what actually makes a pub the best.

Firstly, I wasn’t now dismissing The Crown as a bad pub; there’s a lot to love about it and I still do. For example, it serves cask ale, which is as rare as rocking horse droppings in Belfast, and being a cask drinker, this is a big plus when rating The Crown. But although that would give it a boost on the list of Belfast favourites, it’s not going to severely impact its ranking against pubs on the mainland.

It would be hard for anyone to argue that The Crown isn’t beautiful; it is stunning inside and out. This beauty pushes it’s rating ahead of other pubs and, although I wasn’t now questioning its aesthetic, I was deliberating whether some of these features actually prevented it from being chosen as the best.

Let’s talk about its booths. These almost define The Crown, and commandeering one of these is a top priority for the many visitors who want to have the proper Crown experience. But, if you don’t get a booth then you aren’t sitting down and as I continue this rapid acceleration into my 50s, getting a seat is important and therefore it’s going to be a factor when I’m rating my favourite pub!

Over the years we’ve had some fantastic sessions whilst comfortably tucked in a booth but, is that what you want from your favourite pub? The pub is meant to be a social space where people mix and being cocooned away with your mates, partitioned from the other patrons, doesn’t endear itself to a proper pub experience.

The booths also dictate that the rest of the space in The Crown is limited to a moderately sized central standing area between the front door, the bar, and the booths, which provides another issue for this ageing drinker. Having to fight though a crowd to get a beer and then stand shoulder to shoulder whilst trying to drink it doesn’t tick any boxes for me when I’m looking to rate my favourite pub.

This point then generated further thought – If a pub had all the things that convinced me it was the best, would I ultimately downgrade it if it were too packed! Does a favourite pub also need an ideal time to visit so it can be the best!?

And so, it dawned on me. The best pub isn’t about how it looks, or even what beer it serves, it’s also about the experience you have in it. And that’s not a fixed variable – It could be different on each visit and therefore the choice of best pub could constantly change.

At the end of the day, I know what factors make me like a pub, so do I really need to establish a favourite? As long as a place has most of the things that I like in a pub, and if the experience is right, then I’ll be an incredibly happy drinker anyway!

The Crown Liquor Saloon may not be my favourite pub, but it’s still my favourite fridge magnet.