What they say

You can tell that this pub is in the university district. It is very warehousey in style, very open plan with a large area round the bar with no seats, yet seating to be had towards the edges. You can imagine it being packed of an evening. As it was though we went on a Friday afternoon, and there were plenty of seats available but enough seats to make it not seem dead. A mixed crowd, towards the young side, with the older people at the young end of middle age. However, there were quite a lot of people drinking round the bar, very rare for a Goose, and if that continues into the evening there could be problems.

Despite its warehousey nature the OVT does have its own unique features, again unusual for a Goose. In this case it is the decor and, particularly the designs on the tiling, harking back to its history as the Old Varsity Tavern. Perhaps an indication of the modern day student, or how pub chains percieve them, is the rubbish ale selection. Two ales were off, and the one they were serving was apparently far colder than it was supposed to be. A number of non-standard drinks are available, such as Banks Smooth, Tetley Extra Cold (ironically considering the real ale) and Gold Label. At least the service was quick, although it was disappointingly male behind the bar at the time of our visit.

What we think:
The goose is a nice enough place to go for a drink, it is made up of just one room, although this is oddly shaped, so does not seem too empty. They have all the drinks expected as well as some real ales. During the day the bar's clientel is an odd mixture of students and locals, old and young. There is a very chilled out atmosphere that gives the impression that most people have been sitting, drinking and reading a paper for hours. A nice place to sit and have a leisurely beer.