Pat returns to hotel next to river and bar (8)
I believe the answer is:
taphouse
'bar' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are singular nouns.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
'pat returns to hotel next to river' is the wordplay.
'returns' is a reversal indicator.
'to hotel' becomes 'h' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'next to' says to put letters next to each other.
'river' becomes 'ouse' (Yorkshire river).
'pat' reversed gives 'tap'.
'tap'+'h'+'ouse'='TAPHOUSE'
'and' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for taphouse that I've seen before include "Inn" , "Place to drink" , "pub" .)