🍻 Blend your Great Yarmouth Beer Festival weekend with a visit to our award-winning pub, just a 5-min walk away! Our selection of 8 real ales on at any one time and 18 real ciders perfectly enriches your beer festival journey. With home-cooked pies and thrice-cooked chips to pair, it’s the ultimate weekend brew experience! 🍻A quick look at what’s on now, and there’s much more to come over the weekend.
Experience the ultimate beer garden delight, where the forecasted 13 degrees Celsius melts away into a sensational 22.78 degrees of blissful comfort. Step into our haven, where the perfect temperature meets your thirst for relaxation. Embrace the warmth, raise your glass, and savor every moment in our extraordinary courtyard paradise…
We apologise for the inconvenience, but we shall be closed all day on Wednesday 17th May 2023, but we will be open as normal from noon on Thursday 18th May. We hope to see you soon.
Our award-winning Real Ale, Real Cider and Belgian Beer pub, The Blackfriars Tavern in Great Yarmouth, is thrilled to announce the addition of a bar billiard table.
The bar billiards game is a traditional and fun way to spend time with friends over a few drinks. It is a game that has been enjoyed for decades and now it is available to our customers.
Our bar billiard table is crafted with the highest quality materials and designed to enhance your gaming experience. It features a beautiful and sturdy frame, and a smooth playing surface which was recovered yesterday.
We believe that the addition of our bar billiard table will create a unique and exciting experience for our customers. It is perfect for those who enjoy a relaxed and social atmosphere while having a few drinks.
So come down to the Blackfrairs Tavern in Great Yarmouth and try out our bar billiard table which is on freeplay this weekend. We can’t wait to see you there!
Dear Customer, we are open as normal from noon until 6pm on Saturday 15th April 2023, and you are encouraged to visit as normal during the day.
From 6pm, we shall only be open to members of the Yare Sailing Club, who will be here having their rigging supper. (This is for reason of capacity and in the interests of providing a quality service to both them and to you.)
We apologise if you were intending on visiting after 6pm on Saturday 15th April 2023, and hope that you can manage to visit either on Friday or before, before 6pm on Saturday, or on Sunday or after when we shall be open as normal.
As a pub in Great Yarmouth, we are incredibly proud to have been named runner up in two prestigious awards from East Norfolk CAMRA: Pub of the Year and also Cider Pub of the Year.
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While we offer our congratulations to the two different establishments which won each respective category, we believe that our status as the runner up in both categories speaks volumes about the quality of the service, atmosphere, and drinks selection that we offer.
As a pub, we take great pride in our ability to cater to a wide range of customers. Whether you’re a fan of traditional ales or ciders, or you’re looking for more modern and adventurous interpretations, if you are looking for choices like Belgian beers, cocktails, teas, coffee or regular lagers, we have something to offer you. We also pride ourselves on creating a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, where everyone can feel comfortable and at home.
We believe that our success in both categories is a testament to our commitment to excellence across the board. We have worked hard to create a pub experience that is truly unique, and we are delighted that our efforts have been recognized by these prestigious awards. We may not be the absolute best in either category, but when you take them together, we believe that we offer something truly special.
So if you’re looking for a pub in Great Yarmouth that offers a little bit of everything – great drinks, a friendly atmosphere, and a commitment to excellence – look no further than Blackfriars Tavern.
A great review from Julian White who visited in February 2023.
“Firstly, my apologies that I wasn’t intending to write up the day that Nathan I spent visiting all the Good Beer Guide pubs in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. This means that I didn’t burden myself with taking many photos, so my extensive readership of two will just have to use their imagination a bit more than usual. I am slowly, but very surely, visiting every pub in the Good Beer Guide which is an impossible project but that doesn’t stop me. This pub in Great Yarmouth (94 Blackfriars’ Road, NR30 3BZ) is just a little out of the way, so credit once again to the Good Beer Guide for listing this venue.
Let me start by writing up-front that this is a very good pub and I was absolutely unable to fault it. The warmth of the welcome, the engagement from who I am guessing is the landlord, the range of the beers and the inviting nature of the environment. This is going to be one of those feel good posts where just everything went well. As a pre-cursor to the below, the landlord mentioned to us that he had just written a blog post that day about the beer Nathan ordered, so for some extra context have a read of https://www.blackfriarstavern.co.uk/the-story-of-the-starry-night-stout-and-the-three-wise-men/. That web-site is a work of art on its own with the width of their offering being clearly evident.”
“I went for the Recessive Red from the reliable Mr Winter’s and this was a well kept quite punchy 6% red ale. There were two darker beers with Nathan going for the Starry Night Stout from Tindall Brewing and checking through his Untappd he was happy with it and its smoothness. He probably told me at the time, but I doubt I was listening. We were on one of our random days out with occasional shots (it’s a long story, but we should probably be supervised by a responsible adult if I’m being honest), which is why there’s a delicious shot sitting next to my real ale. I don’t actually want to focus on the beer choice for too long, but it was excellent for a venue of this size with five real ales and an extensive Belgian beer selection. And the pub wasn’t just offering beers, the landlord was positively enthusing about them. This is a landlord that cares about his beer.
The reason that I don’t want to linger on the beer is that this wasn’t the highlight of the visit, and in many ways, it shouldn’t be. The star of the show was the friendly landlord, engaging and welcoming. He also didn’t demur about our random shot and just slightly odd behaviour, he positively embraced it and so no criticisms there. There were plenty of board games and Nathan rushed over with chess as he’s from a chess winning family. Privately I suspect that’s as he didn’t want to play monopoly for four hours which is what I would have ended up doing. Although he quite rightly mentioned that it would have been no hardship staying here for several hours. Incidentally, he won at chess, but I like letting him win as it cheers him up.
There’s also a very decent refurbishment that has gone on here, it’s traditional but yet on-trend which is a hard thing to achieve. There’s nothing formulaic about this pub, it’s laid-back, it’s slightly quirky and it does the welcoming thing well. I’ve mentioned before that one of the key measures of a pub is that someone coming in on their own, perhaps new to the area, feels like it’s a venue they’re part of and a community to which they feel they can join. I absolutely got that feeling here, this is absolutely right to be in the Good Beer Guide, it’s glorious. Anyone coming to Great Yarmouth who likes pubs should pop in and linger here for some time.”
Looking for a refreshing drink to enjoy on a sunny day in Great Yarmouth? Look no further than the Blackfriars Tavern, a charming pub a few minutes from the seafront that offers a wide selection of real ciders.
As a cider enthusiast, you will be excited to discover that the Blackfriars Tavern boasts an impressive selection of ciders from CAMRA accredited Real Cider producers. With 14 ciders on offer, there is something for every taste preference. And with its convenient location near the seafront, the pub is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a refreshing drink after a day at the beach.
One of the standout ciders on offer is the award-winning Normal 4 Norfolk. This sweet cider is locally produced and has a fruity apple flavor that is sure to please. The Weavers Way and Norfolk Hawker ciders are also produced just a few miles away, making them a great option for those looking to try a truly local drink.
For those seeking a more unique flavor, The Devils Device is a must-try. This 8.4% scrumpy cider has a clear and golden appearance and a full-bodied smell. The first taste reveals the nutty, earthy flavors of the russet apple, which is dominant in this cider. With a rich and deep body, a medium taste, and a dryish finish, this cider is sure to satisfy even the most discerning cider drinker.
Another delicious option is the Rhubarb Cider, which offers a perfect balance of tart and sweet. The Damson Cider, with its tangy and fruity taste, is also a popular choice among patrons. And for those looking for something truly unique, the Pig Squeal cider offers a rich, fruity taste that is sure to delight.
But the selection doesn’t stop there. The Blackfriars Tavern also offers a Gooseberry Fool cider, which blends tart stewed gooseberries with sweet vanilla to create a perfectly balanced drink.
And let’s not forget about the local producers. In addition to the Normal for Norfolk, Weavers Way, and Norfolk Hawker ciders from Scratby, the pub also offers 3 ciders from Village Green Cider, another award winning local producer that is based in mid-norfolk.
With so many delicious options to choose from, it’s easy to see why the Blackfriars Tavern is a favorite spot among cider lovers in Great Yarmouth. Whether you’re a local or just visiting the area, be sure to stop by and try some of the amazing ciders on offer. Your taste buds will thank you.
We now know that the Three Wise Men didn’t make it to Bethlehem until about April because the star they were following couldn’t have been seen over Bethlehem until then, and at the Blackfriars Tavern, we have been saving the Starry Night Stout for the right time.
So, on to the story of the Three Wise Men and the Starry night Stout:
Once upon a time, many years ago, there were three wise men who were traveling from the East to see the newborn king, Jesus. They had been following a bright star that shone in the sky, leading them to their destination. As they traveled through unfamiliar lands, they grew weary and longed for a moment of respite.
One day, as they journeyed through the land of England, they came across a quaint sea-side town called Great Yarmouth. They were drawn to a cozy pub on the outskirts of town, and the sign above the door caught their eye – “The Blackfriars Tavern.” Intrigued, they ventured inside to find a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with some visitors gathered around the bar chatting with locals and other visitors playing Jenga or one of the other table games.
The Three Wise Men took a seat at the bar and ordered a pint of the local famous brew – Starry Night Stout from Tindall Ales Brewery. As they drank, they marvelled at the rich, velvety taste of the beer and the delicate lacing down the partially emptied glass. They could not help but feel a sense of wonder and awe, as if the stars were speaking to them.
As they finished their drinks and prepared to continue on their journey, the wise men could not help but feel that there was something special about the Blackfriars Tavern. They left the pub feeling refreshed and renewed, ready to continue their quest to see the newborn king.
Years later, as they retold the story of their journey to see Jesus, the Three Wise Men fondly remembered their brief stop in Great Yarmouth and the pint of Starry Night Stout that had rejuvenated their spirits. They felt that perhaps the stars had led them to the Blackfriars Tavern for a reason, and that the warmth and hospitality they experienced there had been a small glimpse of the divine.
Of course, we all know that the truth of the matter is that occasionally you may find one wise man in Great Yarmouth, but seldom do you find three wise men together.
Starry Night Stout, available now at The Blackfriars Tavern. See you soon.
Quench your thirst with the finest real ales in town and indulge in the ultimate comfort food experience with our mouth-watering homemade pies at our pub, where every visit is a celebration of life’s simple pleasures.
6 Real Ales On Today
A whole wall of Belgian Bottled Beers,
13 Still Ciders from CAMRA accredited makers,
A range of Keg Lagers and Sparking Ciders
Large range of Spirits including Gin Bar, Rum and Whisky shelves.
Loyalty card, available against all Still Ciders, Real Ales on handpump, Lagers, Guiness and Sparking Ciders and house doubles; buy 8 get 1 free!
Don’t forget you can use your CAMRA vouchers too, don’t save them for use in Spoons, we want you to come here and use them! (Sorry, not usuable at same time as loyalty card.)
