Coat of Arms Pub

Coat of Arms PubCoat of Arms Pub
Coat of Arms PubCoat of Arms Pub
Bar, Eatery

174 Fleet St
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 03801-4021
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.84
Reviews:
37
Ratings:
47
pDev:
10.68%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by WunderLlama:
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Reviewed by WunderLlama from Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.5
Late night found me looking for a place to dine in Portsmouth. Found the Coat of Arms to be lively on a midweek night. Second floor walk up , the entrance doesn't impress. Upstairs the bar looks inviting with tables all over and darts boards in the back. I grab a bar stool and check out the menu. Old speckled hen iPa cream flow draft is delicious . Would definitely repeat this beer here. Order the cottage pie from the decidedly British menu. Second beer is a twisted thistle iPa. Good but liked the hen better. Decent service, food is good. Nice place, worthy of a repeat.
Oct 13, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of Faxmesomehalibut
Reviewed by Faxmesomehalibut from New Hampshire

4.06/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4.25
Authentically British in style, this is an awesome spot in Portsmouth if you want to grab a pint, or one of their amazingly selected casks and watch a soccer match!
Jun 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.16 by TBonez477 from Vermont

Apr 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by CTFalcon from Connecticut

Apr 20, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by Ajburke10 from New Hampshire

Dec 16, 2014
Photo of Davepoolesque
Reviewed by Davepoolesque from Massachusetts

3.81/5  rDev -0.8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.75
It's what you'd expect from a British pub. Lots of wood and it's fairly dark. They always have soccer games on. Beer section isn't great, but it's the place you go fro a Guinness or the like. Skip the food and just go across the street to Giley's.
Oct 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by bowzer4birdie from Illinois

Jul 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Pwbres from Maine

Jul 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by mklisz from New Hampshire

May 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Rekrule from Massachusetts

Apr 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by BierBliss from New Hampshire

Apr 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Kelp from New Hampshire

Mar 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by TheRealPour from Illinois

Nov 01, 2013
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Reviewed by rjp217 from Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4.5
A very down to earth, dare I say "divey" English pub. I friggin love this place. If you want casual and a chill spot, this is it. Not a huge selection of beers but a good assortment on English/British brews and a few local guys like Shipyard, Throwback, etc.... They have an excellent assortment of casks which is awesome. No one's pretentious, the bartenders are cool and it's a good place to hang and/or catch some soccer. My #1 thing about this place is their beer battered fish and chips. Pair that with a Fullers ESB or any ESB they have for that matter and it'll be a kick ass meal. One of the very best fish and chips I've ever had and I am constantly coming back for it. They do trivia on Sundays which is pretty sweet to get together with people. This is my go to Portsmouth spot and I'm sure it's a favorite of many.
Aug 01, 2013
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Reviewed by bum732 from Lesotho

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3
Walked in a Monday at opening, first ones there. Walked up a staircase to and old, very "British" looking pub with a dart area, snooker table and a couple of TVs with many wooden tables throughout. Fairly dark in there with music blasting at the time. Very solid big English beer taps including strongbow, bass, old bombardier, guiness, London pride, old thistle, pbr, hoedaarden and 3 cask taps. The casks were all from a local brewery called throwback. I had the brown ale on cask dry hopped with citra in an imperial pint for 6.50. Lots of Irish and scotch whiskies.

Overall, I really enjoyed this place. Sure, it doesn't have 20 craft taps, but that's not what they're going for. A really nice change of pace and I loved their cask offering. Definitely check it out.
Jun 24, 2013
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Reviewed by Cavanaghty from Maine

4.23/5  rDev +10.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Tried out this little pub in Portsmouth, actually because I was an extra on an independent film at the bar. So I figured I would try it while I was there. Clean little place that has that typical English/Scottish/ Irish feel to it. Service was ok, no complaints. More imports from the Brittish Ilses, Germany and so on. Like Old Speckled Hen, Belhaven, Boddingtons. There were some local microbrews like Shipyard, Moat Mountain. I actually did not see any Buds or Millers or anything like that, in fact after asking they don't serve any of those at all, expect Corona and PBR. Overall nice little stop if you are in the area. I will be making a trip back very soon.
Sep 17, 2012
Photo of cbeer88
Reviewed by cbeer88 from Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Decided to nightcap here while spending the night in Portsmouth.

First appearance is a bit off-putting, as you honestly feel like you're about to walk into a strip club. Colored lighting on the entrance and you walk in on the first level, but need to take ratty old stairs up to a second level before you can see anything. Once inside, the room itself is simultaneously rather large but kind of cozy. Nice big bar and a good amount of tables. It definitely hasn't been updated in years, but it's not off-putting.

Beer selection is decent. Quite a few taps but lots of un-interesting stuff. A few common British taps like Fuller's and Wells. The highlight was probably the 3 Shipyard casks. Bottle selection does a good job of filling in the gaps, ranging from Brewdog Tokyo to Smuttynose locals.

Service was fine - the place wasn't that busy so the bartender was attentive and friendly. Didn't get food, but the fish and chips looked pretty good.

Prices seemed ok - $12 for a hearty pour from a Shipyard Barleywine cask and a Smuttynose Porter.

Overall, not a bad stop if you want to watch a game or you're burned out from Portsmouth Brewery. But definitely not a must-visit.
Jan 02, 2012
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Reviewed by pburland23 from Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -14.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3
Popped into the Coat of Arms for a nightcap last weekend in Portsmouth.

2nd floor bar with a slightly worn look and youthful crowd. Having lived in the UK, I thought they did a pretty good job making the bar setup look like a typical English pub. The taps were of a British fashion as were the measured hard alcohol dispensers. The rest of the pub looked like there wasn't much of a theme. Tables, chairs and beer posters.

The selection was pretty weak: Guinness, Harping, Carlsberg, Stella. I was able to get a pint of Fuller's London Pride which made me happy. Bonus points for using imperial pints...always a nice touch.

All in all, with the other options available in Portsmouth, I'm not sure I'll be checking in at the Coat of Arms again anytime soon.
Mar 15, 2011
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Reviewed by Hibernator from Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
I went to Coat of Arms this past weekend. It was pretty easy to find, located in the downtown Portsmouth area and close to music store favorites Oracle and Odyssey & Bull Moose Music.

You go up up the worn staircase and you're greeted with a good sized bar area with tables and chairs. A cool red painted phone booth too. This place goes for an authentic English Pub feel. It was fairly empty while I was there during lunch time and our service was attentive.

In terms of beer selection, you can expect about 15 draft selections with two of those being cask drafts. I ordered a cask beer that was really tasty. They were offering Shipyard Old Thumper and Prelude. Regular draft beers included Carlsberg, Belhaven Scottish Ale & Twisted Thistle IPA, Fuller's London Pride, Hoegaarden, Shipyard Old Thumper, Guinness, Newcastle, Smithwicks and Boddingtons.

Bottled beer highlights were Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout, Unibroue Maudite & La Fin Du Mod.

This place has a comfortable and casual atmosphere with board games, pool, dart boards and a cool Ms. Pac Man set up. Worth checking out for an English or Irish beer or a good stop on a pub crawl in this town.
Jan 18, 2011
Photo of Gosox8787
Reviewed by Gosox8787 from New Hampshire

2.4/5  rDev -37.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 1.5 | selection: 2.5 | food: 2
I've been to this place a couple times and each time I left pretty unimpressed. The last time I went was the final straw for me though. The service was completely unprofessional IMO.

I ordered two Guiness (one for me, one for my friend) and the bartender proceeded to pour half of each and to give them a minute to let the foam settle. Well a minute turned into forty five minutes of the bartenders ignoring me, even when I attempted to get their attention. Well, forty five minutes later, I got the beers and got to hang out with my friends. Also, the two Guiness were a total of $12. One of the worst experiences at a bar I've ever had.

The selection wasn't the best there either. SOme nice English brews, but nothing deviating too much from bitters and some brown ales. There was Shipyard's XXXX IPA on tap, but I'm not a huge fan.

I avoid here now, even though I always hear good things. This is the only place I have ever given a subpar tip (I left $1 for the two Guiness) to a bartender to. If you're in Portsmouth, the Blue Mermaind (Great service) and the Portsmouth Brewery are the places to go.
Jun 25, 2010
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Reviewed by SevaTse from New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 5
On any given day you can find on tap a good mix of standard imports from the British Isles, as well as a couple of local items, usually from Shipyard. There are usually two cask offerings, as well as ciders and a wider selection of Euro imports, such as Franziskaner or Lindemans, in bottles. Tables also have lists of beer mixes, such as Irish warrior. TVs show soccer, though the screens aren't particularly imposing, so if you have Fox Soccer Channel at home, don't come just for the watching part.

The food quality is among the best in the area for the price range. Lots of British pub favorites, as well as American standard fare.

There's a dart board, a snooker table, and board games.

Now as far as the friendliness of the staff goes, that is one area I can't rate this place too highly. There's a doorman/bartender Bart, who is a hell of a friendly and professional guy, and if everyone was like him I would give this place a 5, but through the years we've had a couple of waiters/waitresses that were not really all that friendly, and unfortunately those bad apples stick in your memory, especially 'cos there have been a few. Most of the staff is decent enough, so def. check it out if you are in the neighbourhood.
Jan 23, 2010
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Reviewed by ElGallo from New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This is my favorite place to start a Portsmouth pub crawl (if you're wondering - you always finish at The Portsmouth Brewery). I have loved this place since it opened more than a decade ago, and I love it more now that it's smoke-free. Staff knows their beers and is very friendly. Food is quite good if you like traditional British pub fare. There is always a cask offering (though I wish it wasn't always a Shipyard brew), and they frequently have Old Peculier in the bottle (only place in Portsmouth, I believe). Draft selection is what you would expect for a British pub - it's not off-the-charts, but it's good IMO. Not a place to hang out all night, but great for a few pints and some good conversation.
Jan 14, 2010
Photo of alkchrios
Reviewed by alkchrios from New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +30.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
To the kid below me... the page is right around the corner... they have all the bud light, fat chicks, and frat bros you could ask for

The Coat of Arms is a great place to hang out and drink fine imports as well as locals. Apparently the kid below me went there maybe once or else he would know that the coat as not forgotten about local beer and serves a few great shipyard brews. The coat is the only bar that ive been to in this city that offers cask beer at the correct temperature.

The food is great...the beer is great... the bartenders are extremely educated as ive talked beer with almost all of them on many occasions.

cheers.
Jan 04, 2010
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Reviewed by FrankLloydMike from Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -18.5%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | food: 4
I have friends who love this place. They love the bouncer you meet when you arrive on the second floor, they love the British and Irish beer selection, they love the grimy floors, they love the video game table, and they love the vibe. I don't get it.

This place is a real dump, and maybe that's what they're looking for in a night out. It certainly is a place where you can find a table and settle in for the night, but that's about it. That's not what I'm looking for in a bar, though. And certainly not a dingy carpeted stairway with a defunct fountain when you walk in.

The beer list does nothing for me. There are so many bars in town featuring a fine selection of New Hampshire and Maine beers, I don't know why someone would go to one of the few bars that seems to have forgotten the city's fine beers.

I've split some snacks with people, and they are tasty. I'll give them that, plus the place has the advantage of being across the street from the ultimate post-bar greasy spoon, Gilly's.

I'll go here with friends who love it, but not without first trying to talk them into going elsewhere.

edit: to the guy above me: where did you get the idea I'm looking for Bud Light or frat boys? I'm looking for New England craft brews in a city with one brewery for every 6,000 residents and there's hardly any to be found at the Coat of Arms. The Coat has its place, and maybe I was a bit hard on it as it can be an enjoyable place to stop by, but it's not a destination for me.
Sep 23, 2009
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Reviewed by roopy40 from Rhode Island

4.18/5  rDev +8.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Awesome place. I walked in to see a huge mural on the wall of Austin Powers and a woman wearing underwear (appropriate) with the pattern of the Great Britain flag on them...awesome. Next you see a huge red phone booth, very cool. As you look across the room, there is a fireplace on the right, you are greeted by the host and are asked if you need a table or are just going to sit at the bar. The bar was full of patrons, drinking and conversing. The bar offered a wide variety of UK beers on tap, nitro and cask, wonderful. All the workers wore sports jerseys, games (footy, rugbee, etc) were on wide screen HD screens all over. Pool and darts were available to entertain you as well.

On to the beer. I went to the bar during the first short visit. I had Shipyard Prelude (review here - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/139/288/?ba=roopy40) on cask. I then had a Beamish nitro just to round off the day and to go with the theme of the bar.

Later, we went back for dinner and it was even more warm and inviting and populated with patrons eager to sample the wonderful ales and food. We sat right across from the fireplace and under a Newcastle jersey. Not my favorite Premier League team, but I wasn't going to offend anyone by saying so. I ordered the bangers and mash and had a Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout. Delicious!

Overall, I loved this pub and would suggest that anyone around the Portsmouth area check it out. The prices are reasonable, the food is plentiful and delicious and the beers are a plenty with a good selection available.

Cheers,

Roop
Mar 20, 2009
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Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

2.94/5  rDev -23.4%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3
Second stop on our Saturday Portsmouth pub crawl. When you first walk in, you walk up this set of stairs that are just covered with a dirty and torn carpet. Not a nice greeting. My wife almost wanted to bail on this joint. Kinda nasty looking entrance. Upstairs, it's pretty much a replica British pub. Everything you'd expect to see cluttering the walls. While they had a lot of beers, nothing really stood out. Lots of Brit and Irish beers, a load of Sam Smith stuff, a sprinkling of standard imports like Leffe and Frazizkaner, etc. Hardly any local stuff. Pretty boring list. I went with the only decent choice I could find: the Old Thumper on cask. Pretty smooth. The wife just gave up and ordered a Guinness. Prices seemed reasonable for most beers. In the end, this place didn't offer me any reasons to recommend it.
Feb 24, 2009
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Reviewed by abartke from New Hampshire

3.24/5  rDev -15.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 1 | selection: 4
I went here last night with three friends, and was severely disappointed. The atmosphere is actually great. Very unique, especially for the area. The beer selection was well above average. A lot of European brews, many of which I haven't had the opportunity to try previously. However, the service was unbelievably bad. I was a few minutes behind my friends, and while they had drinks when I came in, it took me about 20 minutes to track down our waitress to order a drink for myself. She seemed more occupied with talking to people at the bar than providing us service. The next round we ordered took about 20 minutes to come in full. I don't know if she was having a bad night, or what, but it was actually only the second time I didn't leave much of a tip. After all this, she had the courage to call us out for not leaving a tip to my friend's girlfriend. I was extremely surprised.

Overall, I think I would go back. However, I would make an effort to sit at the bar in order to avoid the horrible service that I hope was an aberration.
Feb 22, 2009
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Reviewed by cdmastro from Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
My wife and I stopped in during a recent visit to Portsmouth. We had visited several years ago and remembered it mostly for the level of smoke. Given its upstairs, windowlwss location, it's still dark and a bit stuffy, but the overpowering smoke presence has dissipated.

Thurday evening is "$2.95 Pint Night" from 6 or 7 until 9. We got there just in time and our first pint was at the bargain price. Together, we had a Old Thumper (cask), Newcastle, Fullers ESB, and Shipyard Pumpkin. All were fresh and served by a pleasant, if not overly friendly staff.

The place was busy from 8:45 - 10:15. There were a total of 10-12 taps, all UK except for the Shipyard.
Nov 10, 2008
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Reviewed by irishtjb11 from Maine

2.95/5  rDev -23.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 1.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
the coat is a great place to go if youre looking for some authentic english food, great draught beers, or to feel as though you've been transported to liverpool. the entire feel is something different than any other place youll find in portsmouth, upstairs, very low key, all the staff is wearing soccer/futbol jerseys, with soccer/futbol playing on all the screens. the only issue i have with the service is they seem to be a bit uptight, and at times condescending. i've been there with people not so familiar with english ales or anything straying from newcastle and guinness; when they ask about ales they recieve cold, sometimes rude responses. also being young everytime i go for a beer i am grilled next to my id as if i was attemping to extract government secrets.

the food is great, very english and well portioned and priced. ive had the nachos which seem to deviate a bit from the english feel, but were well done; as well as the chicken pot pie which was great. also have heard the burgers are great.

the draughts are what truly make this place. they have a great line up of draughts ranging from newcastle, to guinness, to bass, to old speckeled hen, to boddingtons. the mixed pints are great as well; many people ive talked to have only encountered a black and tan, while the coat has black and browns, black and whites, tons of great draught combos. overall the coat is a great place to get a few great beers or to get some unique food otherwise not found in the average bar on this side of the atlantic.
Aug 28, 2008
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Reviewed by graveRacker from Maine

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Good English Pub, tries to keep the best of what the U.K. can offer.
Also one of the few places that you can catch MLS, FIFA soccer/futbal games.

Come in around the fall and have a "Sleepy Hollow" : Pumpkin Ale, and Hard Cider...

Flip over the menu and find the rule to the snooker table. For all the 100% Americans: it's like a pool table with narrower, pockets and diffrent rules, anthor English standard.
Casks, large amount of on tap selections, good choice on bottle rareities and specials, distilled spirts, and very awesome English inspired, New England food.
j.f.
j.f.
Nov 30, 2007
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Reviewed by bird18 from Maine

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
We are local to the Portsmouth area but before the smoking ban hadn't been here for years because of how smokey it was. We tried it right after the ban and it is now our fav, excellent selection of english brews with a couple cask conditioned at all times. (I'm talking drafts not bottles) the huntsman's caesar salad is most excellent and they have a good selection of sandwiches for reasonable money. We used to be regulars at Portsmouth Brewery and while I still love their beer, they have changed the menu one too many times for me and hubby and since we aren't into free range ostrich or $25 entrees when we go out for a bite to eat and a couple beers, the Coat of Arms is where you will find us.

Service is always very good and attentive and we love their Tues night reduced price on drafts!!
Nov 28, 2007
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Reviewed by rbowser from New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
If you are in Portsmouth, this is the best beer bar in town. It is on a side street, up a flight of stairs, so it tends to be just locals.

The focus is on English and Irish styles with a couple of cast beers and a host of English and Irish imports (Fullers ESB, Fullers IPA, Green King IPA, Smithwicks, Guinness...). I recommend the Green King IPA, one of my favorites. They carry the British theme through with a snooker table; a couple of dartboards, and free copies of the US based English press.

The crowd tends to be young and "alt" for Portsmouth, which is a nice, break from the "party" weekend crowds in Portsmouth. It has a welcoming, live and let live vibe.

During the day they often play Sirius Garage channel and at night they switch to their Juke Box, which has a decent selection of garage and low-fi rock. Very enjoyable.

A nice pint, some decent music, and a good crowd. Their pub grub is decent as well.

Although I know that some at the Coat of Arms took it hard, now that NH has gone smoke free, the last reason for some people to not go to the Coat of Arms (crazy level of smoke haze), has been removed. Although, it will be years before it all clears.
Nov 04, 2007
Photo of joepais
Reviewed by joepais from Maine

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Me and the wife finaly went in last friday .I figured that By now some of the smoke might have finaly cleared out of the place. Since New Hampshire is finaly smoke free in restarants. Nothing aganst smokers but this place was overly smoke filled . Belive it or not it still smelled like smoke. It may Take a year or more to clear it out LOL The place is great tho lots of atomesphere.They even have some Free board games there if you want to spend some time . I had the fish and chips ,the fish portion was huge and great tasting , even had a british ESB on tap to go along with it .They have a nice selection of ales on tap as well as some out of the ordiary bottle's to chose from. My wife got the fish sandwich with the onion rings it was great as well (she was unable to finish her portion either ) We will definatly be back ( I have to try the real shepard pie made with ground lamb )
Oct 14, 2007
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Reviewed by tboom29 from Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +8.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Second stop on our recent NH beer tour for my wife Sara and I. Basically, we fell in love with this English style pub when we got there. Definite non descript sign out front. Up the steps opens up into the bar area. The L-shaped bar allows is in the middle, with seating to the left and right. To the right is also a snooker table, and to the left in back are dartboards.

The decor is darker, but with lots of posters advertising special nights and other beerania on the walls, all very cool. Above the bar were christmas lights, and behind it were various English nicknacks. On the back of the bar are 2 clocks, one with Greenwich Mean Time on it, which was kind of cool but also messes with you after a few pints. Again, as at Redhook, it did not quite meet Sara's bar specification, being the no hooks below the bar for her belongings.

We sat in front of the pickled eggs, however Sara declined my dare to eat one. There were probably about 12 different beers on tap, nice line up of English beers you don't often see in the US, and also 2!! casks. All pints served in the proper English pint glass.

Service was very good, the bartenders definitely knew what they were talking about. One even discussed NERAX and the ringwood yeast strain with us. We shared an appetizer, sausages wrapped in puff pastry with spicy mustard, which was quite good. I do recommend, however, going across to the caboose diner, named Gilleys afterwards, for a hot dog and cheese fries.

After 2 pints each we didn't want to leave, but we knew we'd have to if we ever wanted to hit any other places that night. A definite must stop on any return trip to Portsmouth.
Apr 19, 2007
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Reviewed by JimFalzone from Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
I like this place. You go up some twisty steps and enter a cool little pub on the second floor. This is New Hampshire, so it can get pretty smokey. They have a long line of taps which plenty of yummy beers to choose from. I was focussed on the Fuller's, but if I remember correctly they had all the favorites of an English pub: Boddingtons, Guiness, Harp, etc. Plus some hard cider on tap.

There are darts and pool tables to occupy your time. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The wear Eurpean Football (Soccer) jerseys to help set the mood.

I know we are supposed to concentrate on the beer, but I should mention the bartenders also have a flair for mixed drinks. If you happen to be with a person who doesn't like beer (yet), they will be happy with the alternatives. Maybe because it's a college town but i saw a lot of flourescent colored mixed drinks.

I don't know if this place has food, but directly across the street is a legendary dinner that serves some of the best hamburgers and hotdogs you'll ever find. The place is so small, that most stuff is "to go". The Coat of Arms will gladly let you bring the food to their place, to enjoy with a beer.
Jan 08, 2007
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Reviewed by rousee from Massachusetts

3.86/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
This place is like a time warp. It reminds me of something from the 70's like the old Scotch and Sirloins we used to have in Boston or at least it looks like that on the outside. The Coat is off the beaten path so it is generally not as busy as some of the places on Market street. I go to this place every time I am in Porstmouth and I always enjoy it. Nothing real special to the layout although the British phone booth is cool when you walk up the stairs to enter the place.

Beer selection leans towards British beers and most of 'em are fairly easy to find. Marston's pedigree is kind of unusual on-tap but I tried it and it really doesn't seem much different on-tap versus bottle.They do have a couple beers on cask from Franconia notch brewing and one was great and the other was nothing special. I did have a Maudite from a 22oz bomber and they had the proper glassware for it. I also liked how the proper glasses were given to my friends also when I told the bartender I wanted to share it.
Mar 23, 2005
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Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

3.86/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Another nice pub located at just a 2minute walk from the 3 other nice pubs in this *Tiny* city/town. Atmosphere is good, the bar is up a flight of stairs, and the UK decorations (red phone box, etc) are a nice touch. The quality of my gral ale (franconia notch) were nice, and I felt like an idiot when I assumed the beer would be Middle Ages wonderful version. Service was fast and friendly and prices were fair. Selection was not great, but good for this area, with 3 locals on cask, and some decent UK taps as well as some decent bottles, including Unibroue. Another nice stop.
Mar 16, 2005
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Reviewed by Holden from Vermont

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
The Coat of Arms is a great beer bar which focuses on British & Irish beers, and regional craft beers. They usually have a couple of cask conditioned ales on tap. I have been going to "the Coat" for years as a Portsmouth resident and rate it as one of the best bars in town. They usually have several beers that can not be found anywhere else in the area, like Beamish Stout, one of my favorites. They know how to store their ales, and serve them at a more reasonable temp. than the ice cold ales you might get else where.

The Coat has a dark, British Pub atmosphere which I enjoy. The main drawback for my wife and I is the smoke. It has always been a smokey place, and despite putting in new smoke eaters, you still go home feeling like you bathed in ash. Still a great place to have a few.
Jan 21, 2005
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Reviewed by Truh from New Hampshire

3.71/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
I remember when this place was called the Toucan, a Mediterranean restaurant that accommodated family dining by using big scrolls of white paper as table cloths, and providing each table with a box of Crayons. Many a budding Picasso was introduced to his muse while munching on the daily pizzetta.

In its current incarnation, the Coat is most excellent. Outside of Boston, this is the only place aside from the British Beer Company chain that carries this many UK taps. Their bangers and mash are excellent, as is their ploughman's platter. The darts seem to be quite popular, and you can catch the occasional snooker game as well. Football (soccer) always seems to be on the idiot box. The service is somewhat surly, but always attentive.
Dec 19, 2004
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Reviewed by PatandDavid from Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
I'm a little surprised by some of the beerflys for this place, so I'll make this quick: unlike, say Maine, and now Massachusetts, smoking is still allowed in bars in NH.

Ok, now about the pub. Yes, it's dripping in Britishness, from the artwork on the walls (beer, cars, etc), to even the industrial tartan carpeting on the floor. But they had about 12 beers on tap, from John Courage, to McEwens, to Beamish, pretty much what you would expect. They also had three beer engines, two of which were operating with US Old Thumper, and Franconia Notch Grail Pale Ale...so guess which one we had to start? Yep, the Franconia, which was interesting and easy to drink. We did have 2 of the Brit tap offerings, the J. Courage, and the McEwens...er stick to the local cask (I reviewed the John Courage, The Franconia, and we still aren't sure about what was going on w/the McEwens, we think it was the wrong beer). All beers were served in proper 20 oz pints, a big plus. This was during the afternoon on a Saturday, and the place wasn't busy at all. Later we came back to eat with Jimbo and Co, and it was very busy. Stuck with the Franconia. I wasn't as impressed with my fish and chips, but David really liked his bangers and mashed. Would come back to see what they had on cask next time I'm in town.
Oct 11, 2004
Coat of Arms Pub in Portsmouth, NH
Place rating: 3.84 out of 5 with 47 ratings