Latest news with #RoyalVictoriaPavilion
The Sun
03-07-2025
- The Sun
I went to the world's biggest Wetherspoons with a rooftop bar overlooking a sandy beach – it rivals Ibiza in the summer
I'M peering out over a golden sandy beach, a palm plant tickling my arms as I enjoy the 32C heat with my beer. If you're guessing I'm somewhere in Ibiza or Majorca, you'd be wrong by just over a thousands miles. 4 Just a short train away from my hometown (or from London, around 75 minutes) is the Royal Victoria Pavilion Wetherspoons. But this isn't any old Spoons - it 's the biggest in the UK, therefore also the world's biggest (seeing as they are yet to branch out to anywhere abroad). The 11,000sqft space can now fit up to 1,500 punters after a £750,000 renovation last year. So there was no better place to spend the afternoon during the scorching weather trailing across the UK. From the outside it looks just as impressive, complete with a silver mermaid on the roof and Grade II listed features. And while it looks huge on the inside, with a central winding staircase taking you to the top mezanine, its the outside space that is the star of the show. The outdoor rooftop terrace wraps around the entire building, with enough tables and chairs to fit hundreds. The best views are found at the very back, with pub backing onto Ramsgate's artificial sandy beach. I managed to secure a prime table in the middle, with views of the huge stretch dotted with sandcastle builders and sea swimmers. An older couple were even a few tables away facing the sun, sleeves and shorts rolled up with their eyes closed as they tried to tan alongside their pints. One of the UK's prettiest Wetherspoons is in an up-and-coming seaside town 4 A commitment, when the beach was just steps away. And despite barely being lunch time, the place definitely was already picking up with it already more than half full of people getting their orders in. Littered with palm plants and metal tables, it certainly felt like I was abroad rather than in a Kent town. Especially when I could just about hear the baseline of some music from someones speakers at the beach... If you prefer doing some boat window shopping, you can grab a table on the right side overlooking the harbour. Or the front side of the roof terrace which overlooks the streets - certainly the lesser of the spots to grab. Don't worry if you can't handle the heat either. Downstairs is a smaller beach terrace that is fully shaded, but still with views of the beach. You'll have to go around to get to the beach however, with no direct access but instead via an entry point next to the Wetherspoons. But if you want that cheap beach club vibe without having to hop on a plane or buy an expensive drink - the Royal Victorian Pavilion is your best bet. Here is everything else you need to do in Ramsgate. And we've rounded up some of the best rooftop bars in London as well.
Daily Mirror
01-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Secrets of Britain's biggest Wetherspoons - carpet rule and visitor warning
Wetherspoon pubs can be the perfect choice if you're looking for a quick bite and a cheap pint but be warned - even Britain's biggest Wetherspoons comes with a warning Love 'em or hate 'em, 'Spoons pubs have a special place in British culture and some of them like the Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate, Kent don't just offer affordable food and drink but are also in stunning locations. This one right on the beach is the largest of all the 795 pubs operated by JD Wetherspoon, the company set up by Sir Tim Martin, and has two floors offering up to 1,400 customers 100 separate beer and wine options. Not only is it right on the beach, the Royal Victoria is a grade II-listed Edwardian seaside pavilion and over half its 353 tables overlook the sea. But while it might be in a beautiful spot, the venue's manager, Chris Whitbourn, 41, who has run the pub since it opened in the summer of 2017, says its location can cause problems. Because it's situated right on the beach, the sandy feet of customers means they need to replace the carpet every five years, rather than once a decade. And Mirror writer Amber O'Connor who lives in Ramsgate says although she is a regular, it should come with a warning. 'The world's largest Wetherspoons just so happens to be my local pub,' she says. 'It's the place I go to enjoy a cheap drink with my hometown friends, and the spot to grab a quick bite after a busy day out. 'But I always warn visitors to manage their expectations if they plan to trek halfway across the country, keen to visit the one-of-a-kind boozer. 'Let's start with the good stuff. When you approach the 11,000sq ft pub from the royal harbour, it's hard not to be impressed. The sheer size of the eatery is attention grabbing, as is the wraparound balcony. 'Thanks to a £4.5million renovation, it is equally jaw-dropping inside the former concert hall. While the venue can hold up to 1,400 people, it feels light and airy even during busier nights. I remember I felt like I'd walked inside a cruise ship on my first visit, perhaps inspired by the Titanic-esque staircase. 'I had a nice evening, don't get me wrong. But it was nothing to write home about. The service was fast, the drinks were cheap, and the atmosphere was fine, but the food left us wanting more.' That said, most 'Spoons fans love it because of the cheap food and drinks and don't expect a Michelin star experience when eating at a chain pub. 'Nobody has any serious complaints,' Amber adds. 'But it's nothing radically new, even though the view always goes down a treat. Come and enjoy the 'Super Spoons' for what it is - and be charmed by our little corner of Kent. 'The giant boozer certainly isn't our only attraction - we've got a wealth of independent businesses to champion and plenty of seaside charm. But it is one of the fixtures of our lovely town, a familiar sight among the seagulls, chippies, and little boats in the harbour.'
The Sun
22-05-2025
- The Sun
UK's largest Wetherspoons with beachfront pub garden that was inspired by Versailles
DESPITE the bad weather set to plague the bank holiday weekend, I've found the best spot to hole up in. The Wetherspoons pub in Ramsgate is one of my favourite places to go when the weather is miserable - and its the largest of its kind in the UK. 4 The Royal Victoria Pavilion, now a Grade-II listed building, was originally a concert hall and assembly room when built in 1903. It was said to have been inspired by the Little Theatre in Versailles. A newspaper article stated: "Marie Antoinette's Little Theatre at Versailles inspired the original interior of the Royal Victoria Pavilion." It then into a nightclub, then a casino, before closing in 2008. Nearly 10 years later, it was bought by Wetherspoons who opened it as a pub in 2017 after a £4.5million renovation. It is right on the beach so if the rain eases up at all, it makes a great spot to walk up and down after a big lunch. Living down the road in Folkestone, I'll always stop in at the pub when I've over in Ramsgate - especially when its one of the few places you can get a glass of wine for under a fiver these days. But even without the pub garden right on the sand, the huge pub has more than enough space. Spread across two floors, there are 907 tables which means a huge 1,500 people can visit at one time. And the best views line the walls of the pub, which overlook the harbour. World's BIGGEST Wetherspoons has secret weapon that gives it an edge, say punters at pub with room for hundreds 4 There are even two bars - one upstairs and one downstairs - so you don't have to go too far. Last year it underwent a £750,000 renovation which includes new carpets and tables, as well as a new tea bar and more plants. Manager Chris Whitbourn said: "It was important that we did the external redecorations to keep it looking good for the whole of the town. "Doing the garden has been something we wanted to do for a long time and just with the timing of it, we could do it all at once. Here are some other beautiful Wetherspoons in the UK. Wetherspoons opened its first pub in 1979 with a branch in north London and now it has 809 branches across the UK. There are also plans for planning to make up to 50 new " Super Spoons", like the pub in Ramsgate.
Scotsman
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Giant Edinburgh Wetherspoon pub crowned one of the best in the UK - see the top 10
New data has revealed the UK's top 10 best-rated Wetherspoons – and one of Edinburgh's own 'Spoons' has made the list. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A team of experts at Q.R. Code Generator analysed a list from the Wetherspoons website of 869 of the chain's pubs and hotels across the country to establish which ones are the best rated by the average total percentage of excellent reviews on Google Reviews. In first place on the list is The Bishop Blazier in Manchester, followed by Royal Victoria Pavilion in Kent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Caley Picture, located on Lothian Road in Edinburgh, has claimed third place on the list. The giant city centre watering hole is the only Wetherspoons in the Capital to make the cut. You can see the full list below. The top 10 Wetherspoons in the UK, according to percentage of 5-star reviews: 1. The Bishop Blazier, Manchester - 60.34; 2. Royal Victoria Pavilion, Kent - 58.48; 3. The Caley Picture, Edinburgh - 57.82; 4. The Greenwood Hotel, London - 57.80; 5. Stick or Twist, Leeds - 57.13; 6. The Golden Beam, Leeds - 56.71; 7. The William Adams, Norfolk - 55.53; 8. The Prense Well, Merseyside - 55.40; 9. The Velvet Coaster, Lancashire - 55.07; 10. The Buck Inn, North Yorkshire - 54.97. While we may be disappointed to only have one of our 'Spoons' in the top 10, we can be happy that we also haven't made it into the bottom 10. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad These are the 10 Wetherspoons pubs with the lowest percentage of 5-star ratings in the UK: 1. The Atrium, Birmingham - 20.19; 2. The Albany Palace, Wiltshire - 31.76; 3. The White Swan, London - 31.86; 4. Grover & Allen, Suffolk - 31.91; 5. The William Aylmer, Essex - 32.09; 6. The Flying Horse, West Sussex - 32.38; 7. The Three Fishes, West Sussex - 32.63; 8. The Lord Wimborne, Dorset - 33.12; 9. The Elizabeth of York, West Midlands - 33.16; 10. The Standing Order, Hertfordshire - 33.21.
