Cornwall's

Hibernator

Massachusetts

3.64/5  rDev -3.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

I went to Cornwall's on Friday night before the Red Sox vs. Mariners game. I've been meaning to come here for a long time now, but I usually find myself at Lower Depths before a sox game.

Anyways, Cornwall's has that English pub feel and has some good english draft beers to support it. An ample sized bar lines the right side when you enter showcasing some pretty cool beer steins and other decorative stuff behind the bar.

Expect about 24 drafts that include Fuller's ESB & London Pride, Tetley's Bitter, Old Speckled Hen, Newcastle, BBC Steel Rail Ale, Geary's Hampshire Ale, Harpoon IPA, Wachusett and a Cambridge Brewing Company seasonal offering.

The bottles available also offer some pretty nice selections like Ommegang Three Philosphers, Stoudt's Fat Dog, Victory Storm King and a bunch of the Samuel Smith's beers. in total there are 30+ bottles on the list.

I liked it here - no complaints. Obviously it's gonna get crowded before game time, but not nearly as packed as some of the other bars closer to the ballpark and the selection here will clearly be better.

07-06-2009 13:00:27 | More by Hibernator

Liverpool08

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

This is a great place to go before a Sox game. Its out of the way enough not to get to crowded.
Great selection of English and American brews.
Usually 14 good selections on tap. Also has pool tables. Food is better than average pub fare. Burgers are excellent. And overall good value for being right in the middle of Kenmore Square.
A lot of good English beers you can't always find on tap in other places. Good specials offered each week. Fish and chips and Sheperds pie are great choices. Bar staff is very friendly.

04-08-2009 03:12:42 | More by Liverpool08

Kahuna

Rhode Island

4.4/5  rDev +17%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Ah Cornwalls.

Back in the day, it used to be across the street and down a half level. The bar ran along the left side with high tables in front, low in the back and John visible in the kitchen in the way back.

Brass plaques from patrons adorned the walls alongside posters of Tuckerman's ravine and the wooden cricket player. Games lined the wall in front and filled the tables. Everyone knew each other, or soon would. Bartenders would sit at the bar on their days off, and on their work days, they would start pulling your pint as soon as you walked in the door and have it in front of your stool the second you sat down.

It was a second (or first) living room for many of us; a real British pub in Kenmore Square.

With the move across the street, Cornwalls got bigger and less personal. It is still a great place for a pint and dinner. The beer selection is mostly English and American with great variety in the English Ales.

John and Pam still work the kitchen and produce standard pub fare. Go on an off night and look for the specials--this is where John really shines.

They also still hire extremely personable and efficient staff.

12-20-2008 02:25:08 | More by Kahuna

IBUnit63

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

Cornwall's is our go-to before a Sox game. It's a couple blocks from Fenway so it doesn't get jam-packed as does the Beer Works or the Cask 'n' Flagon.

Good, English pub vibe that's busy and loud, with big screes placed well throughout the bar for all to see.

Quality offerings on tap - plenty of Irish, English and Scottish taps with several locals as well. About 15 taps, maybe? Something for everyone.

Service is usually very prompt in this place, which is no small order.

Food is decent - burgers, fish & chips, standard fare but consistency is the key.

Haven't been floored by the prices and I keep coming back so they must be reasonable.

This is a good place to meet up with your group before the game - there's plenty of room and even when crowded sightlines throughout are solid to spot your posse. Not bad for a pint when in the neighborhood otherwise, either.

09-13-2008 11:55:39 | More by IBUnit63

TrevorGW

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +23.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3 | $$

A surprisingly great bar. One block from my place, so we go there usually once a week. Great selection of English and American beers. It is family-run, and the bartenders are the best. Very passionate about the beer on tap. Usually drink Wachussett Country Ale in the spring, Sunset Wheat in the summer, Cambridge Pumpkin in the fall, Young's Chocolate Stout in the winter.

The perfect place to go after a red sox game, or just to hang out on a weeknight. They have board games, darts, pool.

We don't usually eat there, but they have outstanding burgers.

07-10-2008 19:51:06 | More by TrevorGW

shaebs99

New York

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

English pub feel, but I don't recall seeing darts. They do have pool tables on the other side of the bar. The only problems may be that it gets crowded when the Red Sox are playing and on weekends tends to fill up with BU students. Which I found more annoying than other people because I am a BU student. Most of the times I have come here I was able to get a couple seats at the bar or a table with no problem. Couple of big tv's behind the bar.
Selection of taps are mostly British Imports like Fuller's, Old Speckled Hen, Tetley's, etc. They also have craft beers like Cambridge and Geary's. I didn't really look at the bottle selection, but I do remember they had Victory Storm King.
Had the food a couple of times. The waiters and bartenders provide good service. One of the bartenders was helpful in pointing out to me that they just added a Cambridge seasonal that wasn't on the beer list.

Just a note. The 4 I gave for selection isn't based on Boston's selection, but based on all places I have been. On Long Island I would kill for a place within 10 minutes from me (I lived within a 10 minute walk from Kenmore) where I could get Fuller's ESB and London Porter as well as a quality local craft brewery like Cambridge. I went here a lot with people that were less adventurous about beer. I would be happy drinking the beer here and my friends could play pool. Definitely a lot of better beer bars in Boston. If you are in the area it might be the best place to stop into in Kenmore.

08-15-2007 16:38:13 | More by shaebs99

MMansfield

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$$

Finally found my journal for Boston road trip last year.

Searched for a good Boston pub on the net before driving from Nova Scotia down to see the Dropkick Murphys on St. Patricks Day. Tried to please everyone on board as we weren't all beer geeks, so this place was perfect. The atmosphere was a typical english themed dimly lit pub. Plenty of taps. I started off with an old favourite, Old Speckled Hen, which I had only had in a can previously. Can't get it on tap here, and it was far superior to the can. I ordered a "Beast" burger, and it truly was. Had everything but the kitchen sink on it. It was typical pub fare, but really good. One thing I couldn't figure out is that Americans can order their burgers rare! That's against the law in Canada. After the food arrived I ordered a Beamish stout. Again, only had the can in Nova Scotia until they stopped carrying that! The tap version was vastly superior.

Overall the selection was good, its accomodating to all, food was excellent, service was great. Pricey, but what do you expect for a pub in Lansdowne Sqaure.

05-02-2007 14:50:59 | More by MMansfield

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

I think that Cornwall's is a mainstay in the central Kenmore area. The atmosphere is pretty laid back (except on a Sox game night). I love the decorations on the walls, which are predominantly British beer themed. The service here has always been great. The food is pretty good, though some new items would be appreciated, as the menu hasn't changed in a long time. The beer selection is above average for the Kenmore area. There are many good British beers on tap, as well as several good American (and local) beers on tap and in bottles. Most pints are $4.95, while bottle range from $3.95 and up. If I am ever in the Fenway Park area, I am always up for stopping by and having a pint and some food.

12-07-2006 18:25:03 | More by morebeergood

Freshie

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

Last night my friends and I had a game plan to do something in Dorchester, but when we got there, we all realized we just didn't want to do it. Long story short, we drove downtown, and decided to go somewhere near Back Bay, like on Newbury St, or that neighborhood. However, we could not find a spot to park anywhere near there and ended up down by Kenmore Sq. Instead of walking the 2 or 3 blocks back that way in the cold, we popped in the first bar we saw, which as luck would have it, was Cornwalls.

The name says it all. This is an English-style pub. If your a fan of their imports, this is a place for you. While I somewhat adhere to the principle of many American Ale's being comparable to english ones at a better price, every once and awhile I like to indulge.

The atmosphere was nice, with the usual english-pub fare, low lighting, and complete with english bartender. Who was all too quick to yell at a customer ordering a Bloody Mary at 1:00am. That was very humorous.

Got there too late to try any food.

They serve many english favs, like Old-Speckled Hen, Boddingtons, John Courage, Beamish, Guiness, Smithwicks, Bellhaven, Tetley's, and a good deal more that escape my memory. They do serve everything cold though.

Plenty of seating with a wide selection of board games to play at your disposal. Also, a good dart set-up as per usual with a British pub.

We kind of stumbled upon this place, and I had a good time while I was there. It had a good vibe, and a great bartender and staff. I can imagine myself going back, after I try every other bar in Boston.

02-26-2006 17:50:51 | More by Freshie

bignick

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5 | $$$

This is a very decent bar. The atmostphere is like a chill English Pub. The food, while on the pricey side, is of good enough quality. The selection of beer is very British heavy (Old Speckled Hen, Bellhaven, Boddington's, etc). The beer is a bit pricey, although not outrageous (4.5-5 for a pint). Unfortunately, for a few pints of unexciting beer and a meal, it'll run around 30 bucks. On the whole, this is a fine place for a pint and some grub, although there is nothing rare or unexpected about it.

01-08-2006 06:32:05 | More by bignick