BITE user comments - AndySk
Comments by AndySk
Hey, I'm as pissed off as everbody else and normally would say the quality of the beer makes the pub but....in this case the landlady, staff and customers make the pub. Look on the bright side eventually Greene King (like Whitbreads, Bass, Trumans and so on) will go the way of all flesh and Harveys will rule the world.!!
22 Dec 2006 22:49
Liked this one. The Deuchars was extremely good, friendly welcome, and a good atmosphere inside. Pubs this size suit me fine.
22 Dec 2006 22:39
Seriously good old brewery bitter from Sam Smiths at �1.72p a pint. For godssake this is London. Only spoilt by service slowing due to suits without cash having to pay by card and boring types who think pubs are for eating in. Still a sprinkling of all ages who seemed to be enjoying the cask conditioned fare. Given the area a fine pub as described below.
22 Dec 2006 22:34
The Crown and Sceptre, South Croydon
Called in Friday before xmas. No sign of managers and the two staff working flat out. Good to see the old landlady has departed but shame she hasn't taken some of the regulars with her. As ever if your idea of a good night out is listening to South Croydon's intellectuals effing and blinding this is the pub for you. If not stay away. Women are a rare breed in these parts. Pride mediocre.
22 Dec 2006 22:22
A fine, friendly, small traditional pub handy for Charing Cross Station. Excellent pint of Landlord. Also Black Sheep on. By far the best pub in the area. Smoking allowed (yes!) but for the weaker bretheren non smoking room upstairs.
20 Dec 2006 16:52
Not sure how or why I ended up in here as from the outside it's nothing special to look at. But I'm really glad I did. The Adnams beer was excellent and the staff were really friendly. The place was packed at lunchtime with people seemingly really enjoying the food. The clincher though was the pub architecture. Reminded me of a 1950s pub but with a serious Art Deco bent. Anyone know if its real? Overall a really pleasent surprise.
17 Dec 2006 00:58
Seriously good beer here. Been using the pub for years when in this part of london. Good place to go for a relaxing quality pint.
17 Dec 2006 00:52
Very fine old pub owned by a truly great brewer. Multi roomed oozing character. The old Courage Brewery Tap with prints indicating the history of the brewery and area adorning the walls. Really friendly staff and incredibly cheap beer -�1.72 for a pint of Old Brewery Bitter. But what is it with Sam Smith's? No mention of them owning it anywhere outside and why not serve cask conditioned beer? Other Sam's pubs in London do. Lower rating given totally because of the beer.
16 Dec 2006 21:14
The Old Pack Horse, Loughborough
Small comunity pub harking from the late 18th century. Hardy Hansons beer plus Greene King IPA. Excellently kept beers. Food at lunch time. Very friendly landlord Dave and good staff. A traditional pub, bizarrely ignored by camra, which is a bedrock of the Loughborough drinking scene.
3 Dec 2006 02:06
The Bunch of Grapes, London Bridge
Visited early evening for a couple of hours and found the Young's ordinary beer really fine. Good atmosphere in the place and pretty full. Staff friendly and worked hard to keep the place tidy. Sadly too cold to go outside into one the more unusual beer gardens in London.
12 Nov 2006 22:04
This is a serious pub in a beautiful part of Witney. Certainly old witha bar, lounge and a separate area for the health fascists. Does bar snacks at lunchtime and the London Pride was excellently kept. Very freindly landlord, landlady and barmaid. Chatty customers created a really good atmosphere. A fine example of how to maintain a traditional pub. Once again another fine fine pub not in the Camra Beer Guide. What's going on?
11 Nov 2006 20:02
Popped in in the early afternoon and found it to be a very freindly, old pub with a restaurant at the back. Nicely kept and a pub I would go (indeed did) back to again. Range of real ales. Had the White Horse bitter which might have been stood in the pipes for a bit too long. Nonetheless a good pub.
11 Nov 2006 19:56
The Red Horse, Shipton under Wychwood
Within walking distance of Shipton station, I pooped in one luchtime in search of transport to Burford. Friendly local with nice conservatory at the back. Beers from Hook Norton were very well kept. One of the locals then offerred to take me on my journey. Fantastic.
11 Nov 2006 19:53
Sadly closed. I worked here in the mid 70s to early 80s for one Frank Bullock and was a rocking comumity pub. Went down hill later and suffered the consequences.
1 Nov 2006 18:59
Really good traditional pub. Young's "new" ordinary bitter seemed fine to me but I wouldn't expect any other in here. Fine pub garden (no grass but plenty of plants) and lots of seating outside. One other major plus.....the pub still serves a variety of rolls, wrapped in foil and kept under a plastic container. This is traditional food at its best..... A truly fine pub....
1 Nov 2006 18:32
Visited this lunchtime after a gap of about 15 years and was pleasently surprised. St. Austell's Tribute was very good as was the beef and mustard sandwich with chips. Freindly staff and customers. Got quite a bit of info from a couple of the regulars on the drinking scene in Brum, most of which consisted of Broad Street and swear words. Great theatre posters.
1 Nov 2006 18:13
The Saracens Head Hotel, Highworth
I stayed here. A really really good old coaching inn. The accomodation was fine and reasonably priced. The food was excellent. As for the beers Arkells straight from the barrel. Heaven beckons.
26 Oct 2006 02:29
I knew the Old Kings Arms. What more can I say. The beer is good, the clientele crap.
26 Oct 2006 02:27
The Three Horseshoes, Hernhill
Sadly I live over a hundred miles away fron this pub but I've managed to get here twice now. In its shape and size I guess its a left over from a different era. It's small but when brilliantly run as this pub is the size adds to the charm of the place. I'm so taken with the place that it would be one of my ten pubs I would take to heaven with me. The beer was immaculate and as said below from the barrel (an increasing rarity). The food is home made (not homecooked) and was quite beautiful. We were invited to take part in the pop quiz and made to feel really welcome. If you are ever driving back from Canterbury or dover or staying in one of the lodges at Dunkirk give this rural gem a go. They even forgave me for dropping a glass.
26 Oct 2006 02:24
This is a nightmare. Greene King should get stuffed. An even better idea would be to sell the pub to the landlady (obviously at a knock down price due to the trauma caused) who has created a truly memorable pub from whichever perspective you take. I can say hand on heart this is the only Greene King pub I go in as I don't have to drink products from the arch wrecker of local heritage. Problem is on my rare visits I'll have to carry on going in as in this instance the pub is far more deserving the the brewery.
26 Oct 2006 02:00
Can't disagree with any of the below. On my too rare visits to Canterbury I always carve out time to visit the Unicorn. The quality of the beer is always excellent. The beer garden is beautiful fromv which I can see how old this pub really is? 16thC?
26 Oct 2006 01:53
I'm not a regular and was forced into the pub by bad weather. Thank god it rained. The beer was excellent and the welcome fantastic. Great history on the walls and my sort of pub. Just groups of people sat around chatting. Thanks a lot.
26 Oct 2006 01:44
Another fine pub. Definitely a rugger bugger pub and all the better for it. You can buy cobs (the East Midlanders will know what I'm talking about) but also have more substantial meals. Like the layout of the pub and another place where conversation is supreme. Fullers ales which in passing can never be faulted are excellent here. Never blame the brewery only the people who sell it.
26 Oct 2006 01:38
This is a tricky one. Freindly welcome, beeer's good - Youngs - and the food is fine. What more could you want? Dunno really. Would I go back? That's the problem as I wouldn't. The only thing I can think of is that it isn't really a pub but it's loads better than most new wave bars. Phew, I'm confused.
26 Oct 2006 01:32
Like this pub a lot. Saturday lunch time packed with foootie fans watching the screen and tipsters continually going to the bookies across the road. During the week a godd mix of ages and people. The beer is very good and you get real food, er like chips and white bread and butter. Probably not for the Richmond jackets and thongs brigade but a really good place for inter generational conversation!!
26 Oct 2006 01:28
The Slug and Lettuce, Richmond
What a boring pub this is. The sort of pub you want to doze off in while you work out what the most offensive plastic beer to drink. God its awful. Go next door to the White Cross to get your anger out your system.
26 Oct 2006 01:22
Great pub, the type of which is being swept away by the chains. Sound oh so sound Youngs beer and a really good landlord and landlady. Come next year where am I going to smoke in Richmond? Love to see the garden back in action to the side.
26 Oct 2006 01:20
Vibrant pub without a doubt. A mate of mine lives close by so we often meet here. Don't stay long as the draught beer can be bordering on undrinkable. The last pint I had was the worst I can remember in years. Still the atmosphere is good so I could drink bottles i suppose.
26 Oct 2006 01:14
Yep, Very fine pub. Bar and tiny lounge (snug). Good place for a good natter and serious amounts of quality kimberley ales. Friendly welcome and seems to harbour the old fashioned (and welcome) notion that beer is important. A true locals pub. Get there quick before the new owners, Greene King - the arch destroyer of local breweries, gets to work.
26 Oct 2006 01:11
Crap food and crap beer. Why would you expect anything less for a �1 a pint. By the way I like students.
26 Oct 2006 01:00
One of the great pubs left in Croydon steadfastly refusing to compromise to the wave of crap bars that make up the drinking scene in central croydon. Excellent landlord serving very well kept Fullers beers. Serves one of the best known pints of Chiswick known to man woman and donkey. As befits a fine pub a mix of ages professions and gender. Very sound pub.
26 Oct 2006 00:55
Travelling down from London to Gatwick I managed to carve out time to wander round Redhill and visit The Home Cottage. Like the place a lot. Good "ordinary", good food, and a good selection of papers to read. Gave me chance to wonder how many pubs were lost when the heart of Redhill was ripped out to provide space for a load of chain shops?
20 Oct 2006 01:45
Hey yet another great Harvey's pub. Freindly landlord, landlady and bar staff. In terms of the range of Harvey's beer probably better than the Royal Oak in Tabard Street near London Bridge. Another bonus was they sold mild. Fantastic. A traditional boozer well kept and well run.
20 Oct 2006 01:34
Enjoyed it. The Chiswick was excellent and remarkably for London pubs the there was a landlady and she gave us a warm welcome. Great to see a locals pub in these parts.
20 Oct 2006 01:28
This is a seriously, seriously good pub. Timothy Taylor - nectar. Welcome received - very fine.
20 Oct 2006 01:22
Great location on a summers day. Service good and the Black Sheep bitter of Masham really fine. No crisps though and whatever happened to the smallest ever bar in Britain. Although quite a few people in there seemed a cathedral type hush in the place. Good place to watch people though - the slacks, jumpers and upmarket thongs brigade looking intently into each others eyes and marvelling at another banality.
15 Oct 2006 22:06
Great position by the river and the london Pride quality. But the service...soooo slow gave up in the end and went to the Bell and Crown along the towpath. Far, far better.......
14 Oct 2006 19:24
The Royal Oak, Guildford
Excellent. Fullers pub with Okells as a guest beer. Really friendly with customers ranging across the generations. Beer quality superb.
15 Aug 2011 16:47