Courtesy of The Lady Luck website

It is also the new home of Canterbury’s only 100% metal night, Stone Cold Crazy (formerly of the Beer Cart Arms), and an excellent Sunday night pub quiz (never have I cursed the Eurovision song contest quite so loudly). The pub also transforms a few times a year for its legendary Pirate Nights, and a pool table that has provided me and my cohorts many minutes of entertainment. Mainly because I can’t play, and most of the people I’m with are worse, but the beau is sort of alright. Therefore the varying levels of shitness tend to average out to a dull ache of mediocrity…I’m rambling.

Lager lovers have Red Stripe, Kronenbourg 1664 and Grolsch on tap, as well as Guinness and Westons Stowford cider. The resident cask ale is Doom Bar, with rotating guest beers including recent visits from Wantsum, Hopdaemon, Gadds, Adnams, and the Old Dairy Brewery. In addition, they have a good stock of bottled beers, and can do you two for £6.50. 

And thanks to The Lady Luck’s strict rules, the braying lager louts and blind-drunk brides stay away and everyone inside is a generally jovial mood. There is a reason why the pub recently won an award for being the safest pub (more on this at the end); the Luck looks after its customers, and expects them to behave in return, which they do.

By day, the pub prides itself on its homemade food and it is worth a lunchtime visit. The menu is brimming with tasty classics, with very good vegan options and daily specials. The chefs make many of the dishes and sauces on the premises, including their slow cooked chilli, pies, beer batter, vegan sausages, Thai chilli marinade, and Cajun seasoning. Meat comes from The Good Shed down the road, and their cheeses from the Cheesemakers of Canterbury, also available at The Good Shed.

This write up was longer coming than I intended as I wanted to sample the food they so proudly promote, so the beau and I visited one Sunday afternoon. He took on the Texas burger, which he remarked was succulent and flavourful, and one could taste the quality of the meat. In fact, I overheard the couple at the table next to us saying the same thing.

I was feeling pious and opted for ‘Ellie’s goats cheese and black olive’ salad. And some Cajun battered prawns on the side because, PRAWNS. Could not fault the dish – generous portions, excellent seasoning, light batter. The beau could not resist the decadent rocky road sundae, which was an oozing delight. The meal was just under £23 for the two of us; damned reasonable, if you ask me (and by reading this, you clearly are). I will be taking more people there to gorge in future.

But all this aside, that initial niggle may still be worrying your collar – it’s a rock pub. I won’t fit in there, and they won’t accept me.

The Essentials

The Lady Luck, 18 St Peter’s Street, CT1 2BQ

Tel: 01227 763298.Open 12noon to 1am Mon to Thurs, 12noon to 2am Fri & Sat, 12noon to 11pm Sun.
Food served 12noon to 7pm Mon to Sat, and 12noon to 3pm Sundays.
Regular live acts and DJ nights, quiz every Sunday. Students get 10% on food and drink (T&Cs apply). Beer garden open until 9pm in summer, 7pm in winter.
Excellent Facebook and Twitter pages.