retiredmartin

May 2026. Sibiu. Central Romania.

A couple of nights in one of Transylvania’s top tourist towns, which normally means you ensure you can visit all the best pubs.

But in this case it meant we left the highly recommended St Andrews Scottish pub till the Monday,

only to find it “closed !“, despite that wide open door and barman mopping the floor.

I reckon half a dozen potential tourist put there head round the door while we stood there cursing opening hours fails, thwarted in our quest for Tennents Oreal X Prearis Barleywine.

If you see a pub on your list, do it NOW ! Tomorrow never knows, as Phil Collins famously sange on “Face Value“.

That was the only slight dampener on a day when we mixed the sacred;

with the (pub) signs,

and the sausages.

That last plate of healthy pub grub came in the unpromisingly named “Ribs & Beer“, seemingly with signage bought cheap off closed Brew Dogs and an Alan Parsons track that Mrs RM disappointingly recognised, but with decent homebrew*.

But by a distance the standout “pub” was Butoiul de Aur (“Golden Barrel”) down beneath Saint Mary’s,

tap for Membeer, whose beers were a match for Hop Hooligans, One Two and the rest.

The interior was quirky,

but it was clear the staff were expecting you to drink your Draculina out on the cobbles in the sun,

listening to long-haired new-wave pop. I’ve had worse hours.

*_{I know !}