Old Fort

It was the cumdrizzle of dusk I was sat on a bus stop bench blissfully watching people pass me by, when suddenly out of the corner of my eye I noticed a young Chinese man wearing a matching ice cream print tracksuit carrying a box of premium granola cereal pass by a smartly dressed business man in his 40s, all I could think of was them wearing each other as leg warmers while I watch over them dominantly knife in hand and lust in heart. At this point I snapped back into my consciousness and suddenly became aware of the thirst I had deep within me, at that point I spotted this wonderful little pub and had a wonderful pint of Guinness. 5 stars

Being situated across the road from the monolithic greyness of the Royal Hospital meant the Old Fort was once the haunt of shuffling in-​patients who had snuck out for a pint, with no other company but their drips. It’s thankfully not like that anymore, the barmaid I met once made it quite clear they don’t allow anybody in with a drip.
The pub was surprisingly attractive inside, especially compared to the dumps further down London Road. I was expecting a grubby dinge-​pit of brawling paramedics and sober colleagues waiting to drag them over the road but instead I found a place of polished furniture and soothing décor.
Two immediate downsides made themselves apparent, however. The drink was pretty darn-​tooting expensive (four quid for a Magner’s!) and the level of conversation makes it too depressing to eaves-​drop. Seriously, every snippet of conversation I heard revolved around phrases like «I’m just waiting for some positivity to come out of the whole thing» and «There were complications, that’s all they told me.»
It turns out having a pub right next to a hospital isn’t as jolly as I first thought.

What a pity it is that this place is so far away from town to be more accesible as part of a regular night out — of course it could be part of The Old Fort’s charm that it has managed to resist trying to please a baying city centre crowd to concentrate on being a more charming and down to earth public house.
Maybe it was because I have been used to the pubs along nearby London Rd that I was expecting something more down trodden than what I got. I found The Old Fort to be more modern and very comfortable than others in the area and with friendly, smiley staff making the visit worthwhile.
It’s probably not somewhere I would go so far out of my way to visit again unfortunately — unless a stay in the Royal Hospital over the road forces an escape for alcohol!

The Old Fort does its’ job well, it is a small and compact pub with a friendly atmosphere and is in a decent location on Prescot Road sanwiched inbetween the Kensington area and the city centre.
There is nothing particularly special about The Old Fort and the drinks could be considered a little bit pricey for what it is, the best word to describe the place is pleasant.
The décor is modern and looks smart so you feel comfortable when you enter and the staff always seem happy to help and have a smile ready with your drink. I’d recommend The Old Fort for sport it seems to constantly show sport on various screens and is a nice little drinking hole in which to view the big events.
Overall nothing spectacular but at the same time nothing pretentious so if your in the area it is well worth checking out.

The old fort is a well presented small pub opposite the royal hospital on Prescot road. With several student halls nearby and lots of passing trade too and from the hospital it would be fair to assume that the old fort would have a lively atmosphere in the evenings. However, whilst the old fort is a genuinely inviting pub, it falls down on a total lack of atmosphere and patrons.
The old fort is great for a quiet drink with a few friends, if only because there will probably be only one or two other customers and although the staff are friendly they remain somewhat distant through boredom at having little to do.
The student deals on a Saturday night have done somewhat to promote some kind of atmosphere, although drinks prices are still that bit more over what I would expect to pay elsewhere in this area.
The only time it is really worth heading to the old fort is on match day, when it is advisable to get in early for a good seat as it will be busy. Even then this is only appropriate when one of the local liverpool or manchester teams are playing, for any other sporting fixture you should easily get a seat!

Opposite the ‘Royal’ it was often that you could see a patientcrossing over for a swift one complete with drip trolley!!! Those were the days when the pub was a run down local, now after a long and sympathetic refurbishment it’s a wonderful clean and bright emporium of fine ales and also serves an excellent bar luch or if you’re about early even breakfast!!!
Well kept ale and good conversation, it’s a local with attitude.