Secret Drinker reviews The Oakes Barn in Bury St Edmunds
Welcome to the latest in our series of pub reviews by SuffolkNews' Secret Drinker, who will make their way round the county's watering holes and give you their honest opinion.
To describe it as modern would be a touch too generous, but rustic and old fashioned would be too harsh. As Goldilocks once said, it was just right.
Take a gentle stroll away from Bury St Edmunds town centre and you will find The Oakes Barn rather easily.
As soon as you walk in through the main door towards your left, you are greeted with a well-stocked bar. I counted five ales on tap, plus a wide-range of lager on offer.
In keeping with the attempt to broaden tastebuds, I opted for a new selection with the four per cent Blondie. For £3.40 - which is exceptional value - you could not go wrong.
The 'Blondie', did everything it said it would, leaving a crisp and refreshing taste lingering on the tongue.
Further research post-pint suggested there was supposed to be a more pronounced fruity feel. While there was definitely a citrus-like flavour, it wasn't overpowering, but you can definitely argue it should have required more.
The two ladies behind the bar were friendly with all customers, regardless of whether they were a familiar face.
A mix-up in communication earned me a taster of my beverage choice before I tapped away on the card machine. I was too embarrassed to correct myself, but nice touches in customer service are always remembered.
There was plenty of space to find my seat as it wasn't an overly busy evening. Oak tables and flooring maintained the core of the barn conversion, showing its roots had not been forgotten.
As locals chatted, including one pondering a hangover from the previous evening's antics, I took in the decor even further and sampled the prints that lined the walls.
Unlike other places I had been to, these seemed to be centred more on art rather than celebrating the local area. Art lovers would call it post-modernism, which is a fancy term for saying it looks nice.
The decor was clean and well-looked after. Tables were sparse of dirt marks and stains of spilt drink after spilt drink.
Food menus stationed at every table were full to the brim of choices. I liked the look of Tandoori Chicken Salad or the BBQ Black Bean burger, but I was on a strict time schedule, so couldn't afford to enjoy the menu.
Advertisements for various events showed there was plenty coming up to entertain punters.
Quiz night sounded competitive (I was only a couple of days out from being able to attend), while there was a long list of Platinum Jubilee events to take part in.
The entertainment replaced the usual TV with Sky Sports, darts board and pool table galore, which I remain fond of. Maybe people actually talk to each other and look up from their screens here?
A pit stop at the gents rounded off my visit before I parted ways with Oakes Barn through their patio garden. They were clean, although James Oakes watching over you did feel strange.
The scores:
Decor: There are hints of modernisation dotted around the place, but the character of the old building and barn conversion remains. ****
Drink: It was refreshing and well-needed, but the taste lingered on the tongue too long for my liking. ***
Price: Anything under £4 I will always be impressed with, so £3.40 left me filled with delight. *****
Staff: Attentive and friendly. Good moods and being chatty with customers will always go a long way. ****
Food: Plenty of options on the menu which looked appealing, but I opted not to eat. ***
