The Railway, Doncaster: Real ales, good wine and little bites in this transformed pub

But a solid cash investment, and some innovative thinking have worked wonders, and here’s the game old girl, refreshed and, yes, back in business of offering refreshment, despite a multitude of problems around it. For the start, it’s in the middle of a development site, hidden from view on three of four sides, and that on-going development won’t be finished for many a month yet. Is it worth negotiating all the signs, the wheelbarrows and the complex one-way system? Very much so because the owners are going for the niche market with plenty of real ales, a good wine list, and quality snacks and little bites in the food department. The place, since they got the builders and the architects in, has been more of an archaeological dig than a mere refurb. They’ve discovered the original tiled floor and many other features besides, and they’ve conserved them perfectly. The layout of the bars isn’t that much changed, but it has been transformed from the small and somewhat dingy into the light and airy without any sacrifice of character, and much lighter paint and subtle fittings. There are far less old-style banquettes, and more space.