The Lymestone Vaults in Newcastle-under-Lyme

My family and I came here for a light lunch and beverage and it didn't disappoint. The place was clean, staff very welcoming and friendly and the food and drinks were great and brilliant value for money. The fact it was also dog friendly was even more of a bonus for us. We would highly recommend.

good choice of ales and gin, but always packed over weekend so no where to sit and chat. nice yard at back for summer time

Just love this pub - great beer , friendly atmosphere , great publicans and bar staff and a short walk from home 😊

Decided to start our Friday night at The Lymestone Vaults, as the pub happened to be my friend's choice. What an excellent place, with plenty of beverages to choose from and very helpful bar staff. I sampled a pale ale 'Einstein' recommended by previous reviews, and it certainly hit the spot! I'll definitely be returning soon...

cosy atmosphere accompanied by a selection of ales and spirits. Very nice place to go for a relaxed evning

This used to be myself and my husband's favourite drinking establishment, it had always been a friendly place. I aren't quite sure what has happened but over the past year it seems to have gone downhill. We went for a drink over the Christmas period and found an atmosphere that was less than friendly, and that the warm welcome you used to recieve seems to have disappeared, especially from the chap who I believe is the manager, who is not at all customer focused, and could do with addressing his people skills or finding a new role more suitable to his demeanour. Sorry to say we will be taking our custom elsewhere, where there is a friendly face waiting to pour us a drink!

Love this place, great beers and selection of gins, vodkas etc Great friendly and attentive staff always helps!

As part of a lads night out we called here not quite knowing what to expect. The place had been recommended as a place not to miss out on. Real ale a plenty, well kept with varying strengiand tastes, I didn't want to leave.

I am a regular once a week customer of the Lymestone Vaults and have been now for some time. I find the food and service consistantly great. Last week I tried the new sweet on the menu, raspberry creme brulee with italian meringue and strawberries. I had my daughter photograph it, it was a little work of art. My point, more importantly, is that a chef that takes the trouble to present his food so carefully, takes as much trouble in cooking it. I can`t recommend the place highly enough. Roy G.

Been in here loads of times and it is a great little pub with a nice relaxed atmosphere. Staff om hand to help with beer choice for those of us not in the know!

A warm cosy pub slightly off the main thorough fare. Lots of continental larger to choose from alongside traditional draught bears and ciders. lite bite meals served most of the day....and a lovely log fire in winter.

Newcastle is lucky to have Lymestone vaults as a venue. Fabulous choice of drinks, and of course, it is home to Lymestone brewery! The introduction of a new menu has been greatly received, with a small but well cooked choice of delicious food and snacks. I would recommend a visit to the vaults! X

Tucked away down an alley way this is a treat. No pretensions. A small bar area and then a big sitting area with sofas and a roaring fire. Great beers and a great attitude from the staff. Just fabulous.

Good pub serving a very good selection of ales and gin, in a very relaxed atmosphere. Dogs allowed too.

We were fed up of having the same expensive, low grade food from the same cafe in town that accepts our dogs. So we looked around for somewhere else. We never expected to find such a lovely place. The food is fresh and well cooked, the beer is traditional and the fire warm. we always hate to move. We could just fall asleep on the sofa. The only low points is no treats for the dogs. This is our new lunch pub. ;-)

Since our first visit to the vaults last year, my daughter and I have continued to have lunch once a week. The standard of the service provided by Bella, Isaac and Tom remains first class, their attitude toward customers friendly and their product knowledge right up to date.

Called in for first time in a long time with my wife and baby for a quick one whilst out doing some last minute shopping. The bar person was unable to tell me which of their beers were pales other than to than to point at all of them?? Ordered what looked pale but it had gone and no offer to change the barrel, so tried another and it tasted awful so ended up having a lager which I don't expect to have to resort to in a 'real ale' pub.

We loved this place. Lots of selective real ales for the discerning drinker and a great selection of gins too make this an enjoyable venue for us.

Came in for lunch and was not disappointed. Never been a fan of chilli in the past but this has now changed. This was absolutely lovely and a great addition to the already established menu .Bella ,Terry and her team provide excellent service to match their offer. Well worth a visit and well done

Not much really to say except that there is a wide range of proper, unique beer to go with a large and unexpected variety of gins and accompaniments.

Por desgracia ir downbank encantador pub debido a nivel de limpieza, especialmente en los aseos de señoras y el suelo de piedra caliza preciosa ahora muy sucia.

Tom es un crédito a la cervecería/pub confianza bien informados y dispuestos a ayudar, bien hecho. El formulario está en crows y mi esposa es estar contenta con su latte 👏

Somos clientes habituales, de hecho, rara vez beber en otro lugar. Aunque nos falta la libertad 4 un poco estamos bastante impresionados con lymestones nueva adición a su gama. Es inusual para una fábrica pequeña para hacer una lager especialmente uno hecho por una señora...

Han sido aquí un par de veces y siempre me parece agradable, limpio y completo, depende de cuando vayas. Hay algunos asientos dentro y parece ser un buen ambiente.

Es muy difícil encontrar algún lugar en Newcastle para un bocadillo y una taza de té con dos perros pequeños. El Lymestone cumple todos los requisitos. Es perro asientos amable muy cómodas, la comida es muy buena y a un precio razonable. El personal es amable a nuestros dos perros poco nos dieron agua fresca y caprichos! ! Sin duda nos volveremos muy pronto.

Llamado en la primera vez un viernes por la tarde. Bien vale la pena. Una gran selección de sus propios, y cerveza local. Lástima que no pude quedarme más tiempo. El único inconveniente era que dudaba si me he encontrado, ya que está escondido en una calle lateral.

Popped in for a pre-dinner drink (Art of Siam next door), and then popped back after for another few! Great place, the Borehole in Stone is a semi-regular haunt, so I knew (I liked) the beer but I'd never got round to visiting the Vaults. Fantastic place, great atmosphere, we were in on a Saturday night and there was everybody in there from old rockers to well dressed young ladies (my wife included - got to say that!). Hopefully I'll visit again and try the food!

I understand that as a people, we are all different and are often sceptical about such reviews as the one I`m about to write. So let me first of all say that we have no financial interest in the place, nor are we related to any of the staff involved. I have eaten lunch there with my daughter, once a week for the last couple of months. We find the bar staff to be bright, professional and friendly and interested in seeing that we enjoy our time there.Perhaps unusually for such a place they have a chef who is experienced at the best levels of the restaurant trade and has worked at home and abroad for every level of customer. Whether I`m having three oatcakes or the fishcake sandwich, the food is prepared with care and attention and an eye to presentation. As for the sweets, I`ve had most of them, but can recommend the brandy snap with ice cream, raspberries and sauce.The place itself is warm, clean and bright and the music is from a playlist put together for all tastes.What I enjoy most is the fact that the staff WORK at their jobs. We`ve all been in places where the bar staff aren`t paying attention to what you`re ordering and are simply not customer focused, and how often does a chef leave his kitchen for a few minutes, to spend time at a table to chat. What I least like about the place is when I`ve finished my brandy snap. I could easily go a second.If you try it, I think you`ll enjoy it.Roy and Lucy Gerard.

Lymestone brewery is up-and-coming .this as yet is there only pub but I believe there's another one in the making in Stone close to the brewery itself .they deserve to do well ,the pub is well laid out and comfortable .a good range of beers and ciders plus plenty of guest brews .good staff ,knowledgeable and always ready to offer a taste .interesting snacks available but I don't think they do "food" .well worth a visit .

Visited Lymestone yesterday early evening and ordered a gin with slim line tonic. My husband had a beer which he always enjoys there, Einstein. First time I'd tried Hennessey's gin so looking forward to it. My husband sat down with the drinks so I didn't see mine at the bar but it had enough ice in it for at least three more glasses!! Why would you ruin a good gin like that!? All I could taste was the tonic. I queried this at the bar and although the barman saw my point, all he could say was that was how they'd been trained, no apology. That was how it came! Why would they not ask the customer first if they even wanted ice. I was so disappointed and it's soured my love of the place somewhat!

Thus is a regular venue for us and it never disappoints. The always changing real ales make fir an interesting debate when trying to select.There's also a wide range of gins availab, mush to the joy of my other half.Try it, you'll be glad you did.

Popped in for beer and panini Most tables full of empty glassesBar person came over to tell me they were short staffed,panini would be 30, minutes!!(One table of two waiting) On way back to the bar she made no attempt to clear tables Was very eager to carry on chatting up customer (hope you pulled)Food eventually arrived after 30 minutes WOT AN INSULT please put some filling in !,When I sent the panini back NO apology Waited for 10 minutes young youth came out to tell me manager had told chef to do job properly next timeLeft very disappointed and out of pocketWent to the cappello lounge FANTASTICSat 18 march

Called into Lymestone for a drink after a trip to the cinema.Drinks are extremely cheap in comparison to other pubs, with the atmosphere so much nicer than a wetherspoon! I've not been for a while, so was excited to see prosecco on tap!

The barman happily talked me through the range of gins, encouraging me to smell them, I was very happy with my choice

I was really looking forward to visiting this pub, as I haven't tried their ales before. I ordered 3 different halves for my friends and myself, fully intending to try them all before we left. The other two beers were very good, but mine had a distinct vinegary smell and taste which is not good, so I took it back. The barmaid informed me that there was nothing wrong with it and she had been serving it all afternoon without complaint and would not change it. I really was gobsmacked. When I have taken beer back (and that is very rare - probably only once every few years) I have never had to argue the toss before and have always had it changed. Well it wasn't fit to drink so I left the beer and we left the pub, not to return I think. The only reason I have given this a 2 marking is that my friends beers were good.

We joined friends on a birthday bash in the town centre and this was one of the pubs visited. A proper real ale pub meant to be enjoyed as a place to sit or stand with friends. We did not have food during our stay but lots were and the food looked and smelt wonderful, basic grub. And the beer well I had Einstein -wow- and what a beer and with a name like that must be good for the brain! I wish lol. It is so refreshing to enter premises that are just 'plastic pubs' or recreations of what they should be like. This is the genuine article and will be happy to revisit when next in Newcastle.

Cold boozer body temp drops...No internet sat afternoon...Hence..THE CAVE.im a big fan of this pub but you've got to keep working on your game.

Popped into The Lymestone Vaults with my partner and our dog. Nice welcome and a much appreciated roaring fire to help us get warm after coming in from the icy cold! Our only criticism of the place was that the kitchen was closed when we went (approx. 3pm on a Friday afternoon) which was a shame as the menu looked lovely and we would've liked a sandwich each. However, the drinks were excellent and our dog was treated like visiting royalty by the barmaid, who very kindly brought him a bowl of water and a biscuit to enjoy by the fire. We'll definitely be visiting again next time we're passing through Newcastle-under-Lyme!

Always surprisingly empty during the day. An excellent selection of beers and food.Dogs are allowed to take their well behaved owners in.

Went to visit some friends and popped into the Lymestone Vaults. A truly lovely pub, the likes of which you don't really see very much of any more thanks to all the big chain groups. The staff were very friendly and the pub had a really nice relaxed feel to it. A friend was a little unsure when ordering their drinks as they wanted to try something outside of the usual, due to the wide selection of 'small brand' alcohol that the Vaults offer. This uncertainty was no issue however, as the staff are not just blindly selling you anything. The staff were very knowledgeable about their products and were very helpful. I did not have a single bad recommendation from them. I felt like I was in the Manchester Northern Quarter not Stoke-on-Trent. Will happily visit the Vaults again.

Went with a group of friends, those who liked real ales loved the place, those who preferred lagers or mainstream beers were not so keen. Either way the atmosphere was good, staff friendly and prices not too bad.

Visited The Lymestone Vaults numerous times with friends and my partner. Excellent choice of drinks to suit all tastes, though most visit here for the ale!There is a small food menu, I've never eaten here.Can get very crowded on a Friday/Saturday night.

Visited here because it seemed to be the only place open at 10.30am when a group of us were meeting for a drink before our company Christmas party. Good decision as it has a good feel inside and a great choice of beers.

I have been coming here for weekend lunches for more than 2 years. Always pleasant always heartwarming. Today though was different. Staff miserable many items in the menu not available brought me a chicken curry without chicken. Something has changed either management or the chef. Pity i hope is only today and things get bette

Customer service is that not allowed in here? Miserable staff, nice place but not welcoming. Doorstaff look dopey and miserable and echoes into the staff inside

I'm a regular at the pub, and have been on the brewery tour. I have always found the staff extremely polite and a welcoming environment, that is until the recent change in management! I have been to the pub several times in the last few weeks and never seen the manager smile, nor been friendly! This is such a shame as the pub really was very welcoming previously and was a pleasure to go into for a drink or two, I do hope this change in management does not effect the business, as it has the potential. I am beginning to think it's not worth going back now as I feel so unwelcome when I go in and as stated previously it was very welcoming but the purpose of attending pubs is to enjoy, feel relaxed and comfortable which unfortunately I do not no more.

I'm becoming attracted to this place more and more. Good beers served well and at the right price. We have plenty of choice for a nice pint but this is very nice, I've not tried the food simply because its opposite my favourite restaurant. Smashing.

I have been a few times for a drink, and my partner comes here often with the dog (the pub is very dog friendly.) We came yesterday with the intention of ordering some lunch. We weren't expecting much, just a basic sandwich, but the food was absolutely delicious. Proper baguettes and served with a lovely side salad. The mug of chips were lovely and hot. My partner enjoyed his oatcakes (I love that they serve oatcakes!) The fruit beer on tap was a great touch, as in most places I have been, I have had to buy it by the bottle. It's much nicer on tap! My partner enjoyed choosing from the wide selection of real ales they have on offer. Great place.

Called in as too early to go to local restaurant, but surprised by how friendly and fab this place is.. A proper grown ups pub for people who want a nice evening out without being annoyed by idiots. Love the no swearing notice and dress code..

Come here for real ales and ciders. Fire in winter. Nice snack food.friendly service. Cool pub. Clean.

Simply, this is just a really good pub, free of gimmicks. I wasn't offered anything lurid & neon to drink and nothing was served in a teapot. Everything was reassuringly on the brown spectrum.A friend recently commented that in a town where some places you can make you feel like you don't fit in, the Lymestone Vaults you feel safe and you feel welcomed irrespective of age or gender.It's not a location to preload or end the night with shots, it's a destination in itself.The Vaults offers an exceptional range of drinks, from cask ales to interesting lagers and ciders. The staff appear to take pride in their pub and a great interest in the various drinks they serve. They have a interesting range of bar snacks, and although we haven't eaten here yet I'm fairly sure anything they do offer would be good.Let's have more places like the Lymestone Vaults.

Lovely town centre pub situated off an alleyway known as Pepper Street. This used to be part of the old Wine Vaults pub. The interior is tastefully decorated and there is a friendly, helpful atmosphere with knowledgeable staff. The best thing though is the beer. Lovely beers from their own Lymestone Brewery and a great selection of other British and continental beers, including my favourite St. Bernadus.

Lovely staff who create a good atmosphere in a comfortable and friendly pub. Needs a better variety of Diet drinks as only Pepsi, tonic and bitter lemon are available and if you're a designated driver n need low calorie drinks it can get boring with little choice .

Been going The Lymestone since it's been open. Fantastic pub and in my opinion the best of a very good choice in Newcastle. There is always a pleasant atmosphere and all staff are friendly. Great selection of beers, (Foundation Stone is the best!) with all the prices reasonable. Only suggestion would be a more open invite to sample beers / ciders as friends i've been with have not had a clue what to order with such a wide selection available. P.S more Duvel glass offers please!

Been here many times, great selection of local beers, relaxed and friendly. There's a few snacks available as well if your peckish, pork pie looked good.

real ale in abundance, this boozer is a must try. locally brewed beer with loads of specials, a friendly atmosphere with the most friendly of staff having good knowledge of the ales...

It feels like the type of pub you'd be in in the countryside somewhere, it's cute and dainty with a vintage feel. Always been in when it was quiet for a couple of drinks with my partner or a nice catchup with friends. I had trouble with them accepting my ID once, and the service could be improved slightly, but I'll let them off. Overall, a lovely place to relax, by the fire on the comfy seats with a nice, well presented drink.

Having had a busy Christmas, rushing here there and everywhere, my husband and I went to Newcastle for a few drinks and a curry. ( Without the children!)We expected everywhere to be quiet but were pleasantly surprised in the Lymestone Vaults. Lovely welcoming staff, fantastic draft beer and atmosphere.

This is a good little frendly independent brewery pub with a fine selection of beers ciders and lagers changed weekly and with a wonderful frendly atmosphere and a roaring log fire in winter with god honest food

We visited on a busy Friday night . There was a good choice of real ales available ( even better for you if you like light beers) Nice friendly atmosphere - with good service from pleasant staff. I aren't a fan of Lymestone ales but I tried a pint of Stone the Crows and enjoyed it. Will definitely visit here again.

Tend to visit here any time we are drinking in Newcastle, usually at lunch time, always a great choice of ales and also the bar service is always top notch, we also must try there menu as the food does look really nice, will be back next time we are in Castle.

First of all this is not a restaurant, it's a traditional style pub. I have no idea why it's listed as a restaurant? It offers 'real' ale from the pumps and a selection of wines. Quite cosy with friendly staff. I'm not a beer drinker so it's very limited if you like lagers. The lagers it sells taste more like beer. Not everyone likes beer so it would benefit from offering more choice in lagers. It is certainly a niche pub for hand pump beers that no one has heard of. If you are a woolly jumper bearded type man you will love this pub.Saying that, even though I'm not keen on beer it's quite a pleasant place to pop into and it's one of the few places in town that allows dogs.

Admittedly a cheesy title but the atmosphere and the beer are both title-worthy. This is a favorite of ours in town, so much so that we took a little bus trip down to Stone one weekend afternoon to visit the other Lymestone pub there called The Bore Hole. The comfy couches in the back room are a nice change of pace from the typical English pub decor. Oh and how we love the beer. Sigh. Stone the Crows is my favorite but they always have a nice selection to choose from. The location is tucked down an alley which adds to the charm. Across the alley is a nice Italian place called Bellini's which doesn't have a license to serve alcohol so we picked up a bottle of red wine from Lymestone and were very pleased to enjoy a very nice bottle at a reasonable price.

I visited here while in town for Newcastle Town v Coleshill Town in the FA Cup. Aftyer looking on the What Pub website, I noticed that there were several great options, but the best for cider drinkers appeared to be the Lymestone Vaults,I was not disappointed. There was around 15 choices in all if you took into account bottles and they were all reasonably priced. Service was excellent and they had free WiFi too. The only thing they lacked were meals but they did cakes and crisps.Well worth a visit if you are in town, I only wish I was lucky enough to have a place like this nearer home

The is a great real ale establishment that also serves a wide range of lagers and ciders. A good range of bar snacks including spicy pork scratching (highly recommend!). Staff always friendly and very knowledgable about the drinks on offer.

Called I one random Sunday afternoon to find an ale house with a continental twist if you like. The beer so. Offer were first class as were the bar staff. Very enjoyable with plenty of choice.

Great place and fantastic range of ales and spirits.we met here for few drinks and got great bar service, good seating and very good atmosphere.

We (group of 9 of us) visited the pub yesterday for some bank holiday drinks, firstly the pub was not busy at all, there was probably about 15 other people on the establishment. I have been here before but not for a good while and have had no problems whatsoever and it's a great atmosphere. However this time it was not the case. We aren't a loud or rowdy group, and this was the second pub we went to so nobody had had much to drink. Without warning the member of staff with thick glasses very rudely, came from behind the bar and asked us to leave because he'd heard someone swear. In shock we asked what the problem was and he stated very abruptly that he'd heard a swear word and would like us out of the pub that instant. Now I know the pub industry is not in a good state but clowns like this are nor helping it along. We unfortunately will not be rushing to go back anytime soon, our money is obviously better spent elsewhere in town.

This is always the first place we go to get a decent real ale - and it's locally brewed too! Homely atmosphere with comfy seating and a large selection of ales and ciders.

We always visit here for a drink when in Newcastle, my hubby's favourite ale being Ein Stein. Today we had lunch aswell, simple but delicious pub food and very reasonable prices. Staff are always very friendly and the service was spot on, even though it was full with a bum on every seat. We will continue to visit here, for the great ale and calming atmosphere. There needs to be more pubs like this around!!!

Really like this fantastic, real beer pub. Always a nice mix of people and pleasant and helpful bar staff. I enjoy trying different drinks but a firm favourite is Stone the Crows, like melted chocolate in a glass! There's always plenty of choice and the bar staff can always advise you if you're not too sure. Yet to eat here, but the meals always look nice and are very reasonably priced.

So good to be able to drink a locally made beer and in such a great location, always a nice chilled atmosphere and they sell Kwak. What more could you want?

I loved this place the minute I walked in, bright, friendly feel, music playing, welcoming and friendly staff. The bar looked really interesting with all the different beers and selections of spirits displayed properly, not like your typical pub with optics etc. we only had time for one drink, and as the only people in there (although the staff were more than happy to let us get a 'last order' in and stay til we were ready to leave) we decided to let them get off home!! I'll definitely be going back!

Excellent beers and ciders served in a relaxed atmosphere. Really good place to sit and chat and enjoy a good pint.

this is a great pub a nice mix of real ale type place and cool chill out bar,great selection of beers and huge choice of snacks as in nuts ,differant pickles ,pikcled eggs etc to go with your beer. very helpful and welcoming staff who are more than happy to provide a taster of an unknown beer for you

Nice qwerky place its the old Wine vaults place have to go down the Alley way - fine cask ales and beers nice friendly place - gets packed out some or most weekends sometime even In the day it gets very busy at the weekend - they also have a Great place in stone the Borehole and The Lymestone Brewrey is at the back .

We visited the pub as one of several stop offs on our Beer Day Britain (Monday 15th June) pub crawl. We were impressed with the wide range of ales available, which varied from light ales through to stouts and porters. We chose a selection of different ones and all were tasty and well-kept. We particularly recommend the Ein Stein and Stone the Crows. We also enjoyed Standing Stones, which is the June beer. The bar also offers bottles to take away, which we plan to enjoy fairly soon.

On entering this pub your are met with a bewildering range of beers, mostly from the Stone (Staffordshire) Brewery called Lymestone Brewery, which owns it. Lymestone beers are always good, but if you like a change it's worth trying a guest beer. I visit here fairly frequently, and have never had a bad beer. One of my particular likes in a pub is a nice high-backed, comfortable settee or armchair to sit in. This pub has plenty. The Lymestone Vaults can be quite difficult to find, as it is tucked away down an alley, behind a shop. But it's worth the effort.

the staff are amazing. one of them even played the piano for us. inside is beautiful. have to visit this place its a must and the drinks are a must try

Since I last visited , the pub has become an established venue in the town. It may not be the cheapest , but on a Friday night it was busy and although I am biased and don't tend to like light beers there was a dark beer I could have and plenty of choice for other drinkers. No one eating in the evening , but a busy town pub with efficient friendly staff. Traditional feel , clean and welcoming.

We've been to the Lymestone Vaults many times, they do a good outdoor bar for events, too. Lymestone ales are all most excellent and they always have a great choice on every time we've been into the Vaults, whether their own range or guest ales and ciders/perries. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about their well-kept alcoholic offerings. I like the puns involved with the names of the Lymestone brews too.So far, we've not tried the food at the pub, but will at some point in the future!The Vaults is a good venue to move onto after the Bridge St Ale House stops serving, if we can get in - Friday and Saturday nights get packed. The outside door staff those nights are always polite. We like the variety of seating areas and it's always good to sink into one of the sofas, if available, with an ale and dip into the reading material. Toilets are usually well looked after.

My partner and I visited the Lymestone Vaults a few times last week, while I was staying in ST5. The Lymestone Brewery's two lagers are amazing, I just wish that they were more widely available. They are very inexpensive too.I had De Koninck for the first time since 1996 - in Antwerp - and it was better than I remembered.The ambience, decor and layout are superb, the seats comfy, the vibe laid back. I must admit that I felt a little smug sitting there, purely because I knew that I was having a better time than 99.99999% of people drinking in pubs at that exact moment.I tried the pie - £1.75 - on Saturday night. It was delicious, but I wanted a sprinkle of salt to emphasise the flavours. Next time I might bring my own sachet.The staff are well-trained, welcoming, thoughtful, pleasant, hard-working and generally quite charming.There are many trendy real-ale pubs in my home city - Cardiff - but none come close to the Lymestone Vaults in terms of great beer and a good atmosphere.

For real ale fans and those wishing to find an environment conducive to conversation, this is your place although you may need to ask for directions as it's discreetly tucked away down an alley behind an estate agent's !

What a lovely couple of relaxing hours spent at the Lymestone Vaults in Newcastle on Sunday. We couldn't fault the service.... A special shout out to Nick! what a brilliant reflection of what customer service is at its best. Can't wait to visit again soon

Really nice selection of local beers and bottled craft and Belgian. Friendly staff, happy to recommend drinks to suit different tastes. I can see why it was so busy on a Saturday, something of a gem in Newcastle.Didn't eat, apart from the nuts, but pickled eggs looked good.Looking forward to next visit.Recommended ale: stone the crows

The Lymestone Vaults is a nice change from the usual in-town experience.Small, tucked away and friendly. It is one of those nice little places which, mercifully, attracts the kind of people who know how to behave themselves in a pub, if you know what I mean. The atmosphere is generally calm and pleasant without the "crescendo of shouting" that loud music forces you to take part in. Lots of nice little corners to tuck away in for a pint and conversation.Great open fire in Winter too.Great beer selection, good, small menu, freshly cooked.This is the kind of place town centres need more of.Recommended to the quieter pub customer. Definitely not for you if you like to spend your evenings bellowing over music you didn't choose!

Thought I would give it another go, went in at lunchtime the place was empty. Ordered pork pie ,cheese and mushroom oatcakes ,cappuccino and a pint of Ruby beer .My wife said the cappuccino was just warm milk the pork pie was dry and tasteless.My beer was warm and cloudy ( perhaps it had been in the pipes for a while), the oatcakes were hot and tasty but greasy on the underside.I cant really say I have had a good experience on any of my previous 6 visits.

I visited the pub with a couple of friends on Monday. We found the bar staff charming and polite. The pub itself was relaxed friendly and warm. I highly recommend this little diamond of a pub.

As regulars we were really disappointed we weren't allowed entry on New Years Eve. We arrived at 9.45 pm but we were told it had already reached maximum capacity. Think next year regulars should be given some sort of priority because pubs are not just for Christmas and New Year and regulars keep the pub going 52 weeks. Taking our custom elsewhere 2015.

Popped in for a pint and coffee, 4 staff on 1 serving 1 emptying dishwasher 2 ?.waited 10 minutes while server still filling in log of I.D.s of young looking people.gave up and went to Fallons bar

A nice pub. Seems to attract a more mature set of customers, many of them real ale 'enthusiasts'! No swearing policy - I can't fault that.Big selection of real ales, ciders, perrys and lagers at realistic prices. If you ask, the bar staff will usually give some advice to the drinks on offer. Cute beer garden/smoking area at the rear of the pub.

Visited friends in this area during the summer. Absolutely loved this little bar . Inexpensive food which was home cooked and very tasty. Newspapers to sit back and flick through whilst you have a bite to eat and a drink. . .and an atmosphere that welcomes visitors like myself to this little town. . .I am really very envious as if there was a bar like this in my home town I would become a local. Sadly we don't so I will have to make do with the chain bars that frankly I feel this little gem could show the bigger chains how it should be done. I am looking forward to my next visit.

The staff are a little over-keen on the IDing, especially when you've already produced it once. Understandable though. Great atmosphere, often go here with friends. They've also got a piano - wonderful! Great selection of ales.

I've been going here for a while now and feel more people need to know about the hidden gem that is the Lymestone Vaults. The design is fantastic, the bar drinks menu exceptional and the staff are polite and professional to a level you won't see anywhere else in the town. Well worth the trip into town and it makes the town centre a place you'd happily go.

We recently visited this pub in a group of 12 as an engagement celebration after work one night. We are a group of 26-31 year old professionals and were challenged to the ID 25 which we were happy to oblige to, getting 12 id's out all in one go, which were scanned and then OUR DETAILS WRITTEN DOWN IN A BOOK (taking a lot of time) however, my 26 year old friend who was not buying a drink but just joining along for the celebration, was spoken to very rudey demanding his ID for being in the premises. I was under the assumption, that if you are not buying a drink, you do not have to present your ID and even if we did, the way we were spoken to was appalling. The tone of their voices and some of the things they said to us were just dam right rude and got all our backs ups and after we had all been ID and proved we were over 25 we did not feel like staying in the premises. I really think the staff need to be trained on politeness and use their common sense that when everyone in the group is over 25 and a man with wrinkles and a beard walks in in a suit, he probably isn't the 17 year old we are sneaking in for a drink. I understand the venue has lost its licence in the past, but as a group of professionals in suit jackets, we didn't really look like the most likely group of 17 year olds and well the brewery lost 12 peoples custom for the night. We instead when to another pub in the town, where no ID was asked of us and the staff were polite and friendly. Avoid until they calm down on the Gestapo like approach to Challenge 25.

This is a gem of a pub with a great range of locally brewed beers and is conveniently located opposite Amore restaurant which is also brilliant

Good beer. Not enough cleavage on bar staff - everyone loves a bit of a buxom lass. Also it would be nice if the bar staff responded to my racist jokes - they're pure gold.

Dropped in after a meal, first visit to the pub. I must say it is a fantastic place, geat decoration. The beers are really tasty. Cannot wait for my next visit.

Cozy bar offering great range of Lymestone and other beers, generally great atmosphere - nice on a cold winters afternoon in back room by the stove

My first trip to newcastle under lyme looked very gloomy until I found this bar tucked away!! Service was great beer was well kept and food fresh perfect!! If I ever come back I'll be sure to return.