From sinner

Restaurants & Takeaways

Name
caption
Contact information
Address	170 South Street St Andrews KY16 9EG
Phone	01334 473186
Opening Hours	Mon - Sun: xx-xx
This box: view • talk • edit

Few pubs in St Andrews are as capable of dividing student opinion as is the Westport. But more of that later. The Westport is, strangely enough, situated next to the West Port on South Street. Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a quiet and unassuming pub called the "Britannia Hotel" which did not open till 8 o'clock and closed before it got too late. (It was run by two old ladies.) Somehow, this quiet pub turned into one of the busiest places in St Andrews. A couple of years ago it was one of the places to be seen. Now, thankfully, the numbers of poseurs seem to have fallen away.

Anyway, the decor of the Westport is sort of minimalist with a twist. The twist being that it's not really minimalist. How do roaring open fires fit into minimalism? Answer: they do not. Despite these attempts at "style", the pub is surprisingly welcoming. There are a few nice, comfy sofas but these always seem to be occupied. The rest of us have to make do with the ordinary chairs. One criticism: what is it with the barstools? Has anyone ever managed to achieve a level of comfort, or even safety, on them?

The pub is surprisingly spacious with a large "cellar" area downstairs and a larger seating area at the back of the building. There is also, I am informed, a garden. I have never ventured that far. They also have a good selection of newspapers, both national and international, available to read. They also have the local papers but no one actually ever reads these. Do they? You could perhaps read them while enjoying a cup of coffee and a nice cake.

The Westport does a wide range of snacks and light meals throughout the day and these are one of its strengths. If eating is your thing, then the Westport also has a restaurant which is located in the building next door.

Now for the most important considerations. What is the beer like, and how expensive is it? The Westport is well stocked with a wide range of beers and spirits including the usual suspects together with more unusual offerings. The prices? Well, it is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a cheap pub. Prices are quite high even allowing for St Andrews. The high prices do not seem to have much effect on the popularity of the pub, though. It is always busy and at weekends can get uncomfortably so. However, the staff are friendly and pleasingly efficient. It is rare to have to wait too long to be served except at the above mentioned busiest periods.

Now to turn to the "debate" about the Westport. Some people love this pub. Others hate it with a deadly passion. The reasons for their antipathy seem to be based on the prices and the clientele. They say the prices are too high and the clientele have too high an opinion of themselves. I can't agree. I like the Westport. Many people do. Others don't. Give it a try for yourself. Who knows, you might never want to drink anywhere else.