Pint Sized Blonde

The Kings Head, Magdalen Street

Kings Head

27/01/17

Boudicca Brewery, Queen Of Hops

Sometimes I want to go to a bar with tattooed bar staff, retro yet trendy music, a wide selection of craft beers and some kind of mash-up, Tex-Mex tapas-pizza street-style food available. Other times (more and more frequently these days) I just want to sit in a pub with a few (preferably local) real ales to choose from and few (preferably local) old man drinkers in a (preferably local) local and a have a quiet evening catching up with friends. The Kings Head on Magdalen Street fits this desire perfectly. Wooden bar stools, traditional bar snacks, original bar billiards and at least one dog. Queen of Hops by locals Boudicca Brewing Co was exactly what I needed for this mid-week “can’t have a late one”. A 3.7% pale ale, made from organic (and vegan) ingredients, which kept me coming back all evening, despite the selection of decent beers on the board. It was a nice session ale with enough depth of flavour to be memorable and kept the hangover away. As my friend and I sat chatting about music, upcoming nights in Norwich and Thomas Edison (I kid you not), there was a billiards tournament on behind us. Lively but never raucous, they played and cheered and drank, and someone’s faithful old dog trotted about, sniffing for dropped crisps and stopping occasionally for a head rub. Blokes at the bar chatted about whatever old blokes chat about (mainly who’s round it was next) and before we knew it the clock showed midnight. So much for not having a late one.