If it didn’t have the name plastered across the side of building, you’d never guess that the Porchester is a Young’s pub. An excellent example of what this pub group can do.

The Venue
The Porchester is a sprawling corner-positioned building, with an all-black colourscheme and vibrant gold lettering. Inside, the decor is borderline beautiful with an airy feeling created by the large windows and high ceilings, a space that's made cosy thanks to some clever decorative flourishes. Pillars break up the expanse of space and the large bar acts as a centrepiece. Orange feature lighting casts a warm glow over the room and the dark woods of the tables and chairs fit the whole scene well. This is all given a trendy edge courtesy of Paul Smith-style stripy stools, feature patterned wallpaper and a collection of ornate mirrors. Nicely done.

The Atmosphere
The Porchester attracts a mix of tourists, locals and office workers dropping by for a spot of Dutch courage before the dog-eat-dog commute home. It makes for an upbeat collection, especially as 6pm comes and goes and the crowds descend. The staff are particularly friendly and efficient, particularly when it comes to the wait for food at peak times.

The Food
As well as a mix of typical Young’s dishes like fish and chips, sausage and mash, and pies, the main focus of the menu at The Porchester is on the burger selection. A choice of almost 15 burgers priced at just under a tenner is impressive and the quality is good. For example, the Kiwi burger comes with a large cooked-to-specification beef patty and is served with a runny fried egg and vinegary beetroot - an unusual combination that works well in acting as a stomach-liner ahead of a few drinks. The rustic chips it come with have a pleasant homemade appeal that brings it all together nicely. Alternatively, the Caribbean burger packs a spicy punch thanks to the now iconic Reggae Reggae sauce, which works surprisingly well with the melted gooey cheese. So wrong, it's got to be right.

The Drink
With just over a dozen wines on offer, divided by tasting notes and flavour and covering a range of regions and grapes, you’d be forgiven for thinking that The Porchester focuses on the grape. In actual fact, it’s the grain. There’s a lengthy and good quality selection of draught beer on offer, too, and this seems to be the drink of choice here. The options include Young’s Special, Young’s Bitter, Deuchars, Bombardier, Peroni, Fosters, Heineken, Kronenbourg, Pilsner Urquell, Guinness, Erdinger and Addlestones cider. The choice is rounded up with a few classic cocktails, well priced at less than £6.

The Last Word
The Porchester is a great example of what Young’s pubs can do when they set their mind to it. A good all-round pub with a nice choice of burgers and beer. Ideal.

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