The Lumsden Free House Review – Pub with a big beer selection
Pizza and pints hit the spot in Newmarket’s ‘The Lumsden Free House’.
In Brief
Food
Pizza was good, sides just OK; solid accompaniment to the beer list
Drink
Winning, wide-ranging selection of local craft beer on tap; international in bottles. Wine & spirits list dull.
Ambience
We visited during an energetic Wednesday evening pub quiz – lots of banter and laughs.
Value
Pricey beers, but it’s Newmarket. A fair price for a good night out.
Visiting The Lumsden
We headed along to the Lumsden with friends to take part in the Tuesday pub quiz hosted by the energetic and sometimes quirky Mike Nahu – a New Zealand pub quiz champion himself.
We sat outside at a high table, and were surprised at how easy it was to talk with each other and also hear the quiz questions and banter, despite being on a busy intersection. We ordered drinks and food through a QR code on the table, with staff also coming up to check if everything was alright and if we needed refreshed drinks.
The Lumsden menu has a lot of standard pub fare, with pizzas and chicken wings given stand-out attention. It is casual dining, but definitely toned more towards adults than children.
There is a weak wine list, but bubbles are available. We polished off a bottle of Verve Cliquot to celebrate somebody graduating from their Masters program with distinction!
Beer is what it’s all about here: it’s local craft beer, it’s fresh from the keg, and it’s a bit expensive – but you get an amazing range without pretentious wait staff. And that’s worth a lot. The beer changes multiple times a day, so The Lumsden forgoes a printed beer menu and keeps big screens up to date with the Untappd app. You can also scout what beers they have available before you go 🙂
