The Clarendon

I’d passed here a few times on my way to get my haircut at The Spa, and it always looked like a cool hangout. A Saturday afternoon craft beer mission to Leamington Wines gave the perfect opportunity to take a peek inside this independent pub.
These days it’s become pretty commonplace for pubs to serve cocktails, and there’s a lot of lip-​service going on with unimaginative samey-​semeness to most place’s menus that makes you wonder why they bother. The Clarendon is a different beast with a ‘Drinks Trilogy’ of fine spirit-​based drinks.
First up are fruity jam jar cocktails including the Pomegranate Paloma. Then there’s a choice of seven different rum punches, with Jackie Brown at the head of the list. Completing the menu are The Seven Deadly Gins: Gin cocktails including Greed: William Chase Seville Orange Gin, Fever Tree Tonic and a dash of chocolate bitters. Happy Hour prices every day from 5pm-​7pm makes these drinks just £4 each.
Ales and porters are some of the quality beers on offer.
The surroundings are special too. Cartoon art prints of song lyric scenes adorn the walls in this naturally well-​lit pub. Come the evening there are regular acoustic and jam night, while weekends boast funk and soul nights presented by nearby Birminghammer Sam Redmore. With the sun streaming through the windows, this has to be the best place in Leamington to while away a weekend afternoon.

One of the busier evening pubs in Leamington Spa, good for nightlife. Food isn’t bad and there are plenty of quite corners for after work drinks.

Decent pub with good mix of sofas and tables. Staff always decent and food is very good (book for midweek but you will be ok for sunday roast). Live music is a bonus too

Really great pub — friendly staff, nice décor with a good mix between formal and informal areas and quirky furnishings, cheapish very high quality food.

Decent hot food, great atmosphere, especially on Thursday nights when the house band hosts a jam night.
They’re on the winter menu at the moment, so the food tends to be on the warming side (which is a good thing in winter!). Had the tomato soup the other night; freshly pureed tomato with a hint of basil, and crusty bread on the side — delicious.
They also make a distinction between chips and fries, which is great. I happen to prefer fries to chips, so being able to have fries with my lasagne is fantastic.