Hamilton’s Stone Tavern – We All Need More English Pub In Our Lives
Written By: The Gnarly Gnome
Photography By: The Gnarly Gnome
5/14/25
I long for atmosphere, call it “experience” if you want (that’s what all drinkers are looking for, right?) – but I want the warmth of an English pub. I don’t know if most English pubs are actually like that… but I crave it. My soul screams for dark wood bars, crackling fireplaces, the low hum of conversations across the room, and that’s increasingly harder to find around Cincinnati these days, it seems.
When I read about The Stone Tavern opening in Hamilton, I was pretty excited. The marketing behind it pushed the idea of an English Pub, the exact type of place that I’ve been searching for. It’s also less than 20 minutes from my house, which seems like the stars aligning just for me.
Your First Impression
I pulled up to the bar for the first time, and my heart started beating a little faster. This looks like the perfect embodiment of an English Pub. The large bay window in the front is framed by dark wood with gold accents. The building is grey stone, sitting right on the corner, begging to become the perfect neighborhood bar for the homes that surround it.
It was cold outside, in the dead of winter, as I walked up to the doors, and the promise of a warm pub lunch was exactly what I needed. Before my stop, I’d already scoped out the menu, of course – eyeing bangers and mash, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and plenty more. I should have noticed the proliferation of burgers and pizzas on the menu too.
Stepping into the door, you’re first hit with the identity crisis.
Who Are You, Really?
I don’t fault the Stone Tavern. You’re a neighborhood bar in Hamilton (not on the main drag of downtown’s exciting shopping district), and you’re pushing the idea of an English Pub uphill because of that. The big wooden bar is framed by stark white walls. It feels colder than it should. The beer list was missing anything local, and even worse… didn’t have anything English. (to note: you can now get a sad excuse of an English beer in the form of a Newcastle in a bottle) None of this was satisfying my craving for that experience.
It’s like someone tossed a light blanket of an English Pub on top of a normal neighborhood bar and called it a day… It left me feeling a little empty, a little unsatisfied, maybe.
That’s not to say it’s a bad bar, though. I actually sort of love it.
Redeeming Qualities
I mentioned that menu, which certainly is trying its hardest to represent a little piece of England. The original owner, who literally built the place (he was a woodworker), was from England, and you can certainly tell that the effort is there to let this space fill the gap that I can say without a doubt exists in the area for an English Pub.
The bar is clean, and it’s laid out perfectly. The staff has always been more than wonderful, attentive, and certainly helped warm up the space. By every measure of a bar, it’s been incredible. It’s quickly become one of my favorite places to stop and have a drink in Hamilton, Ohio (that isn’t a brewery).
I’m finding myself more and more often stopping into The Stone Tavern for a beer or three and a bite to eat – and loving it when I do.
Change?
Here’s the bigger question that I think I should be asking: Do I want things to change, and if they change… am I afraid they’ll shift in a direction that I don’t want them to?
It’s easy to add English beer to the menu. Warmth is accomplished by some more decoration on the walls. It might even be something that has to develop over time.
The fear is that it shifts too far in the other direction. The bar is in a little bit of a transitional phase after the original owner and founder, Jim Pickup, passed away recently. They hosted their first ‘Bike Night’. I’d be lying if I told you that I wasn’t a little apprehensive about what I think might be coming down the line for The Stone Tavern.
Maybe this is my call to the new ownership. Maybe a plea? Is Hamilton ready for an English Pub? Yes… It most certainly is. Is it the easiest path for a bar? No. Will I show up as much as I can to support it if you push in the right direction? For sure.
Hamilton needs it. I need it. It’d be Gnarly if we could make this happen.