Surrey - 3 picks
Where to drink in Staines
The Baroosh guide to Staines-upon-Thames bars and pubs. Thames-side drinking, honest local pubs, and a craft beer scene steadily growing along the riverbank.
On the water
The Thames bends sharply at Staines, and the town has always arranged itself around that bend. The Bridge, which marks the division between Surrey and Middlesex, is the natural focal point, and The Thames Court occupies the most prominent position near it - a gastropub that has made serious use of the river location without becoming a tourist trap. The terrace is the reason to go in summer; the interior, properly maintained and warm, is the reason to go in winter.
The local pubs
Away from the river, Staines has a core of neighbourhood pubs along Church Street and Clarence Street that serve the town as working locals rather than destination venues. The Bells on Church Street is the most traditional of these - a Victorian pub with a straight-backed bar and a cask ale range that has been reliably kept for decades. It does not court attention and is better for it.
The newer direction
The Packhorse on Clarence Street represents the town’s more recent direction - a craft beer venue that arrived in the late 2010s and has held its ground. It serves a rotating keg list alongside a small can and bottle range, and has become the natural meeting point for the section of the local population that has moved past the standard lager-and-bitter division.
Our picks
The places to drink in Staines.
The craft beer bar that Staines needed and that has quietly built a reputation without needing to shout about it.
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The Thames Court has the best riverside terrace in Staines and the sense to not let the view do all the work.
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The locals' pub in Staines - not the most interesting, but the most dependably correct, and sometimes that is exactly what you need.
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