PLAU Gin and Beer house in Preston

Food was well received although the service was definitely lacking in both speed and delivery.

Good place to visit with friends

Delicious food, excellent real ales, and stunning interior.

What a lovely find on a Sunday morning, welcomed in to a lovely table in the window . Beautiful bar , insence burning just a lovely cool vibe …. Cocktails….. paloma was actually one of the best ive had and it was lovely that the bar man ( mixologist) checked in to actually see if we enjoyed our cocktails … great to see someone so enthusiastic about his work … loved it , will deffo return and recommend ❤️

Good place for a beer and bar lunch. 9 beers available when we were in. Good food to be had at a reasonable price. There is also a fantastic cellar pop up bar from Rivington Brewing. The wow venue matches the wow beers.

Popped in for a drink and tapas for a post Christmas family celebration. Wonderful food and service. Will definitely be returning.

Great selection of drinks, great atmosphere

Fabulous coctails and attentive knowledgeable bar staff. Love the spin on old classics.

Lovely building and great staff

Booked in Fino months ago, table crammed into the middle of the floor.asked to be moved but head waiter declined and really rude.food average and expensive, will not be going back.

Worst service ever, maybe invest in more staff

Stumblen in by accident. Dont often venture that side of town. Excellent bar, superb building. Great barman. Range of beers is good. Have a wander down to the cellar area ,very interesting indeed.

The business has 2 parts to it the Gin and beer downstairs and upstairs the restaurant Fina. A very good Spanish tapas bar. Excellent choice on the menu and the food is amazing.

A sign of a good bar is when something goes wrong and then rectified with grace and aplomb. The first ale ( Beak brewery, Sussex) was wrong so had a Lancaster brewery Blonde. Three real ales plus a real cider. Jorvic and Madge shared a Sorbetto cocktail. Decided to have a snack, a cassoulet plus gujarati spiced chips. Very good, generous portions. Lovely decor. Very cosy. Bar food downstairs. There is an upstairs dining room...Fino. Downstairs to the rear is Rivington Vaults, which seems to open late afternoon. Check interweb for opening.

This is a favourite place of my wife's. The atmosphere is wonderful and the service even better. The bartenders were attentive and skilled at making their signature cocktails. The tapas they offer are delicious. If you go, see if the basement bar is open so you can check out the well beneath. Highly recommend this establishment.

Remarkable restoration of this unusual building...check the well out !

The food, service and atmosphere all good. The only slight downside was a delay in serving coffee which was luke warm. I raised this when paying the bill which resulted in an apology and an adjustment to the bill. All told a very enjoyable evening and a thoroughly recommendable venue

Went in for a drink with friends. The bar itself is very nice and comfortable, however and this is just my experience but we were made to feel quiet unwelcome by the person serving behind the bar, the drinks order was wrong but TOLD that that was what we had ordered and then when coming to pay one of the parties cards would not connect to the terminal. This was met with eye rolls and alot of huffing and puffing from the server. It was very unprofessional for a customer service related industry. I could understand it to a point had we been rowdy but we were very polite and patient. I'm sure this probably wasn't the experience of most but for us it was a big disappointment for what was meant to be a nice bar.

Such a shame the Rivington Brewery pop up bar in the vaults does not open Monday to Wednesday; the four Cask options in the main bar is an eclectic collection and are retailing amazingly at less than £4 a pint with 10% CAMRA discount.

Daniel is an absolute star. Awesome Espresso Martinis. Thanks mate!!

Nice bar, only 1 real ale which was on its last legs

Posted lunchtime tapas menu very good only second time I've had tapas

Didn't have food but lovely bar and quirky in the vaults, drinks were great

Lovely building & interior design, It looks fabulous all through. All in all Only slightly above average food though (we tried Alioli potato's chorizo meetballs to name a few) we tried 2 dishes each. Service was pretty poor (the food arrived over a 20min period, one of our party's food arrived 5 mins after the rest of us had already finished, no idea why?) On the bill the tip was already added. Guys this always looks poor etticate/Unconfident on the pubs part. You can easily fix that. We knocked of 2 stars for that. Would we return? Not just at the moment sorry.

Beautiful spot in the heart of Preston for lovely food and a nice selection of drinks, very polite staff and gorgeous venue :) definitely recommend

I used to love coming here for a drink, what has happened to the staff, young staff that were so rude we ended up walking out, if I was the owners I’d be extremely worried, saturday afternoon and it was empty, I was shocked, but then after being on the receiving end of two bar staff, who were extremely rude, we walked out, after their patronising comments. So shocked.

I can’t comment on the food as we walked out after only five minutes due to extremely rude staff. This place is going downhill extremely fast and hopefully something can be done about it before it goes completely to pot.

The guy behind the bar was exceptional. Really attentive and happy to discuss the beers for sale. I can’t think of a better place for an afternoon beer or two. Thanks for having us. 8/9/2023

Quality service from Iggy, I asked for a custom drink and it was perfect. Will be back to check out the food!

Visited at 3PM on a weekday with my wife and dog. As soon as we walked in we were told quite abruptly that ‘anywhere other than the ground floor with the dog was a no go’. We sat down and waited 10 minutes for menus which did not arrive. I had to go to the bar to ask for menus and drinks. The menus arrived and after 30 minutes nobody came to take our order. I paid for the drinks and told the bartender that nobody came to take our order even when the place was empty. To be fair, he was very apologetic but I just told him we would be taking our busyness elsewhere and that the service was appalling. The beer choice isn’t even what it used to be. Plau used to be great. Great service, drinks and food. It is now a shadow of its former self. I won’t be returning and by the looks of many of the recent reviews, most other people won’t either.

Won't answer the phone? Message states memory full. Is this place still operating?

We used to love the brunch here but have turned up twice in the last month and been told they're not serving it. It's so unreliable that we've just stopped trying now. It was so good before it was taken over by Fino tapas. Such a shame as it was a lovely place and now always looks empty.

Hmm...A lovely pub which has been well and truly messed with. The decor has been lightened and a cocktail bar installed..all of which take away the previous excellent 'atmosphere'. The bar staff were disinterested and the real ale line up was supremely underwhelming. I foresee the Plau slowly going downhill and I am not at all keen on returning. Very sad 😟.

A lot quieter than it used to be but the beer menu is excellent and it's a very comfortable place for a drink.

First time being here. I loved it.

Very disappointing and will not eat there again. One of my tapas dishes was fillet steak which I have cooked myself on many occasions and eaten in numerous restaurants. It was chewy and stringy and unlike any fillet steak I have ever had. On complaining, I was assured it was definitely fillet steak to which I replied that the chef has a unique way of cooking it!

Stunning building. Friendly staff and good selection of drinks. No wait time either even though they were busy.

My favourite bar in Preston! Fantastic building with a great ambience day and night. Had an amazing cocktail brunch! Staff attentive.Highly recommended!

Really upset to see the character from this place has gone. Tables shoved up against the main bar so you can’t sit there and the nice comfortable furniture replaced with cheaper alternatives. The wine list that was previously eclectic is now basic boring bottom of the range. Food is now average at best, tastes precooked. Such a shame a beautiful establishment has fallen into ignorant and unable hands.

A good range of beers from which to choose, served by a very friendly barman when I visited. My only criticism is that it's a little dark and lacking in atmosphere, but that won't stop me keeping it on my list of places to visit whenever I'm wobbling around Preston on an ale quest.

If ou are over certain age bring your reading classes. Menu font for bar and restaurant menus is tiny.

All I will say is… go downstairs and have a drink over the top of a well! The atmosphere is stunning. Adore this bar! A must.

Disappointed to receive an email cancelling my long awaited meal with friends.I had told them how excellent the resteraunt was. Just phoned and told it is due to staff shortages on a Wednesday. Unfortunate as my family and I have been longstanding visitors to this once great place.

Strange and quirky place with good ales

One of the best eateries in Preston..Food is always 10/10

Quirky place, abit dark but a nice atmosphere

Taken my sister and partner out for her birthday meal I had booked 3 weeks in advanced , When we arrived was told 2 things of the menu had been sold out of a very limited menu when we reordered was told most of the menu was sold out this was 8.00pm on a Saturday day before mothers day Could of expected it day after. they should ask when booking if you would like to order what food you would like. Manager very rude Food was ok 5 tables complained that night . Need to put more veg on menu . Waitress very good, again can not believe had bad the manager behaved to us and other tables

Very disappointed with the service and food in the restaurant. Was expecting higher standards from the reviews. We booked for 8pm and they had already run out of one of the mains I wanted (lamb shoulder) The bottle of white wine took 15 mins to arrive at our table and it was warm not cooled at all. After just over another 15 mins we had to ask where the wine was! My fish skin was burnt black! I had to scrape it off it was like charcoal. The starter was disappointing also, asparagus with an overcooked fried egg on top. The dessert was the only saving grace. The table of four next to us ordered three mains that they had run out of! The manager offered no compensation or reason for why the service and food was so poor. There were only 3 tables dinning the whole time we were there. It is not fine dining. You pay £30 for 2 courses and £35 for 3 course, but then pay for the side dishes an extra £5 and they didn't match the mains very well. Just random dishes. The bar itself is amazing just a shame the restaurant doesn't match it

Atmospheric old pub with quirky features. Food menu a bit small. Food when it came was better than expected from menu description.

We came to Plau on a Wednesday night and the food was sensationally good. Particular highlights were the quail starter and the pear soufflé dessert. We absolutely loved all 6 of the dishes we ordered and would encourage anyone to come here and enjoy superb food at reasonable prices.

Really pleasant sitting under the windows in the sun. Lovely old atmospheric place and very well kept beer

8 of us wanted to go for Sunday roast, we booked Plau. The Sunday menu is just roasts, £25 for 2 courses, £30 for 3. Not cheap, but delicious! Our veggie contingent loved the celeriac, the pork was amazing, the beef was more of a steak ( served rare, heads up for those who don’t like blood), fab. A chicken was brought to us due to a mix up, that looked great too. Roast spuds were crispy, Yorkshire puds huge, carrots and cabbage really tasty. Puddings were delicious too. Staff were lovely and the dining room is beautiful. I will go again, but for us it is special occasion prices.

The building itself is extremely beautiful and evocative, with a feeling of ancient history and even magic - check out the well in the basement. They really care about gin as well. But as a non-gin drinker, the vegetarian options are inadequate. Dishes are so thick with garlic that they stick to the inside of your mouth for days.

Travelled to Preston specifically on a recommendation of a friend about how good the Plau was but find it’s closed on Saturday afternoon with no note about the fact they were closed either on the Website or on the door really poor

Amazing food and beer, incredible setting.

Beautiful, historic setting for a beautiful meal. Highly recommend the hanger steak starter. I had the hake main and it was gorgeous. The gentleman serving us was the perfect waiter, attentive yet demure.

Lovely place for a quiet drink, no tvs or music, so if you are wish to ha e a catch up with friends this is the place to be. It also has a few of its very own unique charms, as when you head down to the lower level, the original well is exposed, along with the bare brickwork, and low lighting it is a very nice and different place to go for a drink.

Went here for a drink over the weekend. Spot on place! Love the underground area with the well etc,. Will be going back to try the food :)

Food was ace. Staff were brilliant. Definitely go again. Beautiful quirky building. Loved the well in the vault.

Nice town centre bar offering 4 real ales. Friendly staff and customers. I will visit again!

Food delicious and excellent service from Ella our waitress however the ambience was spoilt by a banging door to the bar area.

This has been our favourite place to eat for some time. We loved the tapas style food, all arriving at different times with some great flavours and foods. Sadly the menu has changed to something more normal. The service is still great and the food was very good but the excitement we felt when eating there has disappeared. I did ask if the old menu might return but unfortunately, it won’t be. Still a good place to eat but not the same magic.

Nice food drinks are priced as you'd expect for this kind of place, generally nice atmosphere.

Absolutely beautiful premises, anyone looking for an alternative venue with good food, interesting and well presented drinks, great service - look no further. We had a wonderful meal today at lunchtime, served by Andra, she gave us a tour of the vaults and the impressive well in the cellars. We will be back soon, ready to sample some new ales and spirits. Thank you for a wonderful experience. Please thank her personally from us, a real credit to the venue.

Magical place to spend an evening

Wodacheck, This party of my, Explosion in the pants!

A day in Preston to check out the Uni for my daughter...I expected to find somewhere to eat just to do the job. We walked into the restaurant with zero expectations. It was empty too so not a good sign. First impressions were, however, positive. We were greeted in a very welcoming way and shown to our table on the top floor. A light, airy room. All good so far. The menu looked great. The food arrived in good time. I ordered the Sunday roast. Wow! Tasty, succulent roast chicken. Crisp roasties. Perfectly cooked veg, topped with tasty gravy. All piping hot and beautifully presented. Service was friendly and efficient and the prices very reasonable. I would have happily paid more for my meal. (I have paid more for considerably worse.) Highly recommend you give this little gem a try. And I can tell you, I am hard to please.

£96 (Inc 10 % service charge) and nowt to write home about. Think we'd finished our first 2 courses - prawns, spring rolls, duck and chicken - in less than an hr.... Abit wham bam which I hate...food okish, can't say awful but not fab...

Beautiful and original place, old Geneva factory, very good service, quite attentive, the food we ordered was very delicious

Travelled to Preston to try this place, Emailed in advance to discuss mu girlfriend's food intolerance (garlic and onions), and was told that they could definitely accommodate. We called to confirm. On arrival, the staff took our drinks orders and then dragged their feet on...

Always have a good selection of craft beer on offer

Ambience good, staff good however food okayish and pricey. Additionally, beer was expensive compared to others. And the bill comes with gratuity added... The staff tells us about it and also says to remove it if you want to... But it's kinda awkward to have to remove it. I think it would be best if we could voluntary add gratuity if we please not being pushed for it. Expensive experience lol.

Loved it. Great atmosphere. Great beer and a hidden gem. From the well in the ex gin cellar through the vast array of well kept real ales up to the roof terrace it's an experience. Well done to whomever sarted this venture and saw it through. Can't have been easy but looks like it's paying off

Was recommended this place by friends, menu looked very appealing, however was some of the worst service I have experienced in a restaurant. One of our parties starters didn’t arrive at all and upon informing the waiter we hadn’t received it and would like to...

Nice bar friendly staff good range of ales lagers and cocktails

I loved it here just been with fella, I have never been and been showed twice to well which was very interesting 🤔, very nice place, I will be back soon

Selection if real ales. Nice place

A great place with lovely staff

Wonderful lunch at Plau today! Great menu, executed beautifully, very good service and a lovely ambience. Couldn’t fault anything.

The food here was so good I should really downgrade anything else I gave five stars, everything was amazing right down to the coffee

It was the first time that my daughter and I had eaten at the Plau and all the recommendations were absolutely right. The menu was interesting and different with lots of things we both would have liked to try. The food was so tasty and...

Good service very good food lovely air conditioning.

Sunday roast was superb. Seasoning of the beef and the roasties were exceptional. Beer selection didn't seem great, but the rosé wine was one of the best we've had. Definitely sit up on the roof

Atmospheric, good beer, had an issue, sorted immediately highly recommend

Went to the plau for the second time and once again the food and drinks were outstanding! Lovely atmosphere, high quality dishes and excellent cocktails in a place full of history and character. Highly recommended.

Brilliant food with amazing service! The style of food choice felt a little limited but don't let it put you off as it was delicious. Chicken Pakora outstanding. Fillet steak and peppercorn sauce amazing in taste and cooked to perfection. Hake fish,queen scallop with nduja...

Went to Plau for a teatime catch up with friends. The waiting staff were friendly and the dining room was a nice environment. The food was really tasty, well presented and the portion was ample without being overbearing. We were all very impressed with the...

Room for improvement. Time and name of booking incorrect. Starters cold, long wait for replacement. Long wait between courses and not all served at the same time. Very pleasant waitress.

Lively place, the food was nice but not as Wow as the menu would suggest.

Amazing food, strong and lovely cocktails. We were sat in the new rooftop terrace and it looked gorgeous really intimate and well presented. The food was outstanding and now one of my favourite places in preston to eat.

Friendly customer service, staff even helped me when I needed a sanitary towel which was very kind, very nice cocktails, the duck was a little overcooked but the food was tasty, but took a while to arrive and when we asked the servers why the food was taking so long all we were told was that the chef is doing other food 🤷‍♀️ I mean that is obvious we are aware of that, but that should not mean you leave customets waiting in excess of 45 minutes for food. Downstairs, with the well that we were looking forward to see a lot was a closed event and we were unable to see

Great food in their new rooftop terrace. Well looked after. Will definitely be back.

(Rating as a restaurant) Having the opportunity for a couple of hours in Preston this Friday evening, we were looking for a restaurant serving vegetarian and vegan food. Google maps suggested Plau. Being described as a Gin & Beer House, we may well have skipped past the listing, but I happened to have come across the name the other day while looking at the website of Fieldwork, who seem to have done the branding and design for this establishment - and had seen photos of interesting-looking food. Externally, the venue really doesn't look at all food related but there are several storeys for dining and it's quite spacious. We were walk-ins at 6.30pm on a Friday. Luckily we were accommodated but I would probably recommend booking ahead. It's not a cheap establishment: drinks prices are relatively high for the area (paying, perhaps, for the aforementioned branding and design). Clientele were varied, but certainly the hipster type was strongly represented; I didn't feel I had quite the right type of beard. The decor is smart, dark wood, dark grey, muted gin-palace. BUT...the FOOD! The menu (apparently a new menu) contained not too many dishes, mains priced around £15 to £25, small (starter) dishes I think £7 to £9. (The precise menu isn't online yet, so I can't verify prices and dishes.) We chose one small dish and two mains. Quite a wait for food - not a bad sign. Service was attentive and friendly. Quality was top notch - probably the best food we have had in Preston. The starter - okra cooked with peanut and served with some beautiful mango chutney and garlic - was absolutely heavenly but we definitely should have gone for a starter each. Small does mean small. Our mains were two more vegan dishes. The first (koftas containing quinoa and sweet potato, served on a bed of salad containing mango, pomegranate, leaves and a light horseradish dressing) - savoury but light, satisfying. The second salt baked beetroot served on pearl barley with parsnip mash and a light slightly smokey chilli sauce - amazing: earthy but with a tang, not too salty, maybe a hint of vinegar and cinnamon were evident. Presentation good. We didn't have time for desserts this time but will leave a new review after the next visit.

Loved the ambience, the food and the service! Will definitely be returning soon 😌

The wait staff were good and the drinks were solid so decent if that’s what you’re looking for but definitely not for food. Food was shocking, freezing cold and totally wrong. 6 of us ate there and every plate was not up to Wetherspoons standards nevermind £14 (minimum) a pop. They served the wrong dish to two people, and microwaved food to everybody else. A lot of things were out of stock and they were understaffed, decent staff let down by poor produce and organisation from management. Definitely won’t be coming back

Tiny portions & food quite cold, bar staff unhelpful. Atmosphere nice though

Food and service were both fantastic. Will definitely be returning

I would recommend this place for tasty food, good prices, lovely atmosphere and friendly staff.

Friendly welcome and good service. Good range of drinks. Stylish decor. Well worth a visit. Interesting vaults bar and small courtyard.

Great place to meet up with friends and have drinks. Go all the way down to the bottom and check out the well.