A coastal pub where drinkers are treated to a pint on a beer beach rather than a standard garden has topped the list of the best outdoor boozing spots in the country.
The Watering Hole in Perranporth, Cornwall is unlike most other pubs in the country.
The bar, restaurant and live music venue sit in the middle of the beach's golden sands, making it the UK’s only bar on the beach.
The venue has become famous for its various live music events featuring lineups from local emerging artists and big names like Jools Holland and The Sugarhill Gang.
This summer former Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles and Eurovision sweetheart Sam Ryder are performing at the bar.
Those who love the Watering Hole rave about how pleasant it can be to kick back in the sunshine with a pint glass full of beer and two feet surrounded by sand.
"We visit the Watering Hole every year we visit Cornwall, and can honestly say it’s one of our favourite places to go," one enthusiastic woman wrote.
"What more could you want…... Cracking drinks, lovely food, friendly service all on a stunning beach. You can spend several hours just relaxing, watching the world go by."
The bar has come in for a fair amount of criticism online however, with a score of four out of five on Tripadvisor a little lower than you might expect for a drinking hole with such a good location.
Many unhappy customers have commented on the cleanliness of the tables and toilets, and how long it can take to order a drink.
"The toilets are always shockingly awful as they are essentially publicly open to beach," one man recently wrote online.
"The staff are mainly quite young and either it’s long hours or pay but they are really grumpy on bar and some a little rude on the cafe/kitchen side.
"Been several times and this place is all about the location. Shame they could improve the venue a little and improve customer service."
Despite the relatively small amount of flack dolled out by some naysayers, the Watering Hole was voted the best beer garden in the country by Big 7 Travel.
The Rising Sun in Pensford, Somerset came second in the list, in no small part due to its excellent views and laid back atmosphere.
Sitting just 15 minutes away from Bristol’s city centre, it feels worlds away thanks to its idyllic countryside location, nestled at the foot of Pensford Viaduct by the River Chew.
Cornish brewery St Austell owns the pub, so there’s an excellent selection of beers and ales on tap, as well as wines, spirits and cocktails, while the menu is extensive and cheap.
The People’s Park Tavern in Victoria Park, London comes in third place.
"The chaotic capital isn’t short on excellent beer gardens, but the People’s Park Tavern comes up trumps," write Big 7.
"Overlooking East London’s beloved Victoria Park, the beer garden is one of the largest in London, with an indoor-outdoor greenhouse, seasonal barbecue kitchen, pop-up cocktail bar and tap wall.
"Plus, the pub has its very own microbrewery on site and more than 70 world beers on tap. There’s even a resident cat."
The top 25 beer gardens in the country
- The Watering Hole – Perranporth, Cornwall
- The Rising Sun – Pensford, Somerset
- The People’s Park Tavern – London
- The Jolly Fisherman – Craster, Northumberland
- The Drunken Duck Inn – Ambleside, Cumbria
- The Gardeners Rest – Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- The Wheatsheaf – Combe Hay/Bath, Somerset
- The Ship Inn – Mundesley, Norfolk
- The Canal House – Birmingham, West Midlands
- The Ferry Inn – Salcombe, Devon
- Prince Leopold Inn – Warminster, Wiltshire
- Water Lane Boathouse – Leeds, West Yorkshire
- The Perch Inn – Binsey, Oxford
- The Jolly Sportsman – Lewes, East Sussex
- Seven Stones Inn – St. Martin’s, Scilly Isles
- The Boathouse Inn – Shrewsbury, Shropshire
- Escape to Freight Island – Manchester
- Kazimier Garden – Liverpool, Merseyside
- The Pipe and Glass Inn – South Dalton, Yorkshire
- Canalhouse – Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
- Topsham Brewery & Taproom – Exeter, Devon
- Cholmondeley Arms – Malpas, Cheshire
- The George – Alstonefield, Staffordshire
- The Old Neptune – Whitstable, Kent
- Twice Brewed Inn – Hexham, Northumberland
What is your favourite beer garden? Let us know in the comments below.
