BITE user comments - BobOs
Comments by BobOs
I hadn't visited this pub before so walked in as part of a 'tour' of Soho pubs. The tables were all kitted out in bright, but cheap-looking, red and white Gingham plastic tablecloths with the result that the pub resembled a poor pastiche of a transport cafe. The place was, quite unsurpisingly, completely empty and totally lacking in character - we walked straight out as there are far too many decent pubs within a two-minute stroll to waste any time here!
23 Mar 2012 15:00
Cracking little Soho pub and one of my favourites. Friendly welcome and great atmosphere full of character with interesting Victorian detailing still in evidence. Usually very busy but you can often find a seat upstairs or, as we did yesterday, visit around noon to get a choice of seats. Always a decent range of ales on, invariably in fine condition - I've never had a bad pint here. Well above average and well worth a visit.
23 Mar 2012 14:55
Revisited yesterday as part of a crawl through Soho - decent (albeit small) Nicholson's corner pub, mock Tudor exterior but little of merit inside. Decent welcome and a good range of six ales - I had the Hook Norton's Hooky Bitter which was a very nice and well-kept ale.
23 Mar 2012 14:53
The only remaining Oxford Street pub boasts a superb brick and stone front elevation above the ground floor dating to the 1892 rebuild. Inside the well-preserved Victorian interior enjoys a wealth of carved wood, tiles, mirrors and murals as well as a lantern to the rear with post-WW2 glass. The welcome was warm but the pub was almost empty (mid-afternoon on a Thursday). Five ales on - London Pride for me at this stop, delicious and well kept without being too cold.
23 Mar 2012 14:52
The Marquis of Granby, Fitzrovia
The huge crowd of drinkers outside this pub yesterday afternoon promised a good session within as part of our 'tour' of Soho. Thinking we would have to fight to get to the bar it came as something of a surprise to find the interior almost empty. But then, on taking in the dullness of the spartan interior coupled with the most miserable looking barmaid (not the pretty one in glasses), it dawned on us that perhaps standing outside was a better bet! Although the ale was OK the whole experience was distinctly average.
23 Mar 2012 14:48
Clearly a village pub, well used by the regulars (who completely ignored us strangers) but a peculiar welcome from the landlord whose sense of humour appears to be an unsubtle mix of country yokel combined with schoolboy repartee plus a hint of village idiot. Nevertheless the ales, both local brews, were spot on and well kept; Will's Neck from the Quantock Brewery and M.G.B. from the Cottage Brewing Co. Apart from a good range of steaks the menu is pedestrian and limited to pub grub, all with chips and peas - the menu actually states that fresh vegetables are only served on Sundays or with large pre-booked parties! However the food was well-cooked, the portions generous and the value very good. On the upside - a small pair of scissors were provided to cut the packets of various sauces, on the downside the various sauces were in packets. Overall just what you'd expect to find in a no-frills village pub - therefore an average 5/10.
25 Feb 2012 15:07
Excellent country pub with a warm, friendly welcome and excellent waiter service. Well kept ales; London Pride, Butcombe Bitter and Butcombe Rare Breed. The menu is quite extensive, the portions generous and the value very good. Millions of extra Brownie points for the wonderful hand-cut chips - it seems most places aren't able to cook a decent chip these days, but these were exceptionally good. Other Brownie points awarded for linen napkins, sauces in individual dishes (not those dreadful sachets!) and salt and pepper in grinders. �35 for scampi and gammon meals, two separate side salads, two pints and two large glasses of wine = excellent value.
25 Feb 2012 15:05
The Carpenters Arms, Chilthorne Domer
It re-opened this years and last evening we finally got around to paying a re-visit. The interior has been completely revamped and is now very smart and contemporary. The welcome was very warm and the service of both bar staff and waiting staff was excellent. Two ales on offer - Otter Bitter and Doom Bar, at �2.90 a pint is not bad for these parts. The pub is trying desperately hard to be a gastro-pub but although the food quality is good and is fair value for money, sadly the menu is quite pedestrian and uninspired. Nevertheless well above average and a good 7/10.
29 Sep 2011 12:32
The Salisbury, Leicester Square
An important Victorian pub. The exterior with its etched and polished glass and carved woodwork to the window frames gives some idea of what to expect inside - an abundance of etched and polished glass which creates a glittering atmosphere. There is an original central island bar, partly with a white marble top, and some particularly elegant art nouveau lamp statues of nymphs. The building dates from 1898 and was named after the Prime Minister of the time. On my most recent visit I was unfortunate enough to be there at the same time as the east European barmaid who was intent on chatting to her mate. After several minutes waiting, and this being early afternoon with me the only other customer, I had to attract her attention by banging on the bar. It also turns out that she is completely unaware of the cute English custom of paying for a full measure of ale and expecting to get said full measure. Similarly, that other cute English custom of 'topping up' appeared to be completely alien to this alien. Despite the shoddy and cavalier service, I still rate the building 8/10 simply for its wonderful interior.
28 Sep 2011 11:58
Famous for its remarkable and important Victorian interior with a most sumptuous display of tiling and mirrors. Two entrances on each corner, each with two doors; one leading in to the front bar, the other giving entrance to a corridor at each side of the pub that runs alongside the bar to open out to a room at the rear. Access from the corridor leads to three small �snug� bars with screens of carved wood and ornately etched and gilded glass. Warm enough welcome but, as has been said before, Sam Smith's ale range is less than inspiring!
28 Sep 2011 11:45
The Argyll Arms, Oxford Circus
Built in 1742 but remodelled in 1895. the Argyll Arms is just around the corner from Oxford Circus and has one of the most important late Victorian interiors in London with a long, straight servery and a series of screened-off drinking areas, or snugs (the divisions are partitions, NOT snob screens - see previous comment - for actual snob screens visit the Lamb in Bloomsbury). Sumptuous cut and etched glass and mirrors abound - a sheer delight! The welcome was warm and efficient and the ale is very well kept - bonus!
28 Sep 2011 11:11
The ales are very well kept and the welcome was warm and attentive but the magic of this Victorian gem is its amazing, glittering interior. Built in 1821 (although the frontage was rebuilt in 1871) the Red Lion is a tiny pub appearing much bigger inside by the fabulous glittering cut glass and gilded mirrors lining the walls. It is a wonderful Victorian treasure hidden down a backstreet in St James, just off Piccadilly. Part of my �Victorian Splendour� pub crawl - see link below.
28 Sep 2011 11:04
Popped in last night for the first time in 40+ years (as well as the Crown & Horseshoes next door) and another pleasant surprise! The Cricketers is now a very welcoming pub with a good atmosphere. Service was quick and efficient and my pint of McMullens AK was very good indeed. The clientele on my visit was almost exclusively drinkers. Menu is standard pub fare and appears to be good value - we's already eaten, so perhaps next time. Better than average and because of its warm atmosphere plus it is out of the town centre, I think it is worth searching out.
13 Aug 2011 20:38
Popped in last night for the first time in 40+ years (as well as the Cricketers next door) and what a surprise! The place has definately gone up market and is now a very comfortable and welcoming pub with a warm atmosphere. Excellent friendly service and well kept ales. The menu is normal pub fare but looks to be very good value for money - may well sample it next time we're in Enfield.
13 Aug 2011 20:38
A large Victorian pub opposite Hammersmith underground / bus station. It is very impressive on the outside and equally impressive on the inside with high ceilings, copious amounts of polished wood, etc. Remanants of (original?) partitions divide the space into various seating areas and there is a fine upstairs bar / dining area reached by a superb winding staircase. Most impressive, from my perspective, are the ten handpumps dispensing a range of standard Nicholson's regulars - Pride, Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Adnam's Broadside, Sharp's Doom Bar, etc. as well as guests. With this pub on the corner, why on earth would you go to the dingy William Morris 'spoons just along the road?
5 Aug 2011 21:09
The Marquess of Anglesey, Covent Garden
To be honest I don't like the interior decor of this pub - I think it's cheap, tacky and over-reminiscent of the 1970's. We managed to get a table (late afternoon) but it does tend to get dreadfully busy with theatre-goers in the evening. The food is pretty standard pub grub and the beers were pretty nondescript as I recall (mind you, I'd had a fair few pints by this stage of our crawl!)
5 Aug 2011 19:38
With seven well-kept ales usually on, the Wellington often features in our London crawls. Indeed on more than one occasion we've stayed all evening and worked our way along the pumps. Never actually eaten here so can't comment although the menu doesn't look that spectacular. Well above average.
5 Aug 2011 15:08
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street
An historic rambling, low-ceilinged tavern built behind Fleet Street in the wake of the Great Fire in 1666, and still has an historic atmosphere about it helped by the strange lack of natural lighting that adds its own gloomy charm. There are six drinking rooms including a courtyard converted for the purpose in recent times. It was frequented by Dr Johnson, Oliver Goldsmith, Mark Twain, Alfred Tennyson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Yeats, Wilde, Voltaire and Thackeray. Oh, and by me and my buddy Mike. Charles Dickens, known to use the establishment frequently, referred to it in A Tale of Two Cities. Not a huge range of beers but, at around �2.20 a pint, who's arguing? The food is simple pub grub but well cooked and very reasonably priced. A little gem well worth seeking out especially during the day as it gets packed once the offices start to turn out in the early evening.
5 Aug 2011 14:50
The William Morris, Hammersmith
I find this place really depressing - it's dingy, grubby and needs a bloody good clean and is probably one of the gloomiest 'spoons I've ever visited. On the good side, of course, is the normal decent range of well-kept ales of the chain. Overall, however, well below average.
5 Aug 2011 12:19
A justifiably popular small, quirky Fuller's pub located in a small alleyway (easiest to find by entering between numbers 8 and 9 Hatton Garden - marked by a sign in the shape of a Bishop's mitre). The pub dates back to 1546 but the present fabric dates to 1772 and is, apparently, technically still part of the County of Cambridgeshire. There are two entrances, that to the left leads to 'The Closet', a semi-private partially-enclosed 'snug' while the entrance to the right gives access to the main bar areas - containing the remains of a cherry tree that Queen Elizabeth the First danced around.
As a Fuller's house you will always find a good pint of London Pride and Seafarers alongside Deuchars IPA and Adnam's Broadside. Also on offer yesterday were Fuller's Discovery, Rudgate Brewery's Ruby Mild and Copper Dragon's Black Gold. Prices are good considering the location and the pub's 'olde worlde' appeal and light snacks are available.
5 Aug 2011 09:33
The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell
The Jerusalem Tavern is like stepping back in time, we visited yesterday lunchtime and it was an oasis of tranquility in an otherwise hectic London. The small interior is split into various drinking rooms and at different levels; it is atmospherically dingy and maintains a feeling of antiquity in its wooden furniture that many would have condemned to the skip years ago. The Jerusalme is tied to the St Peter's Brewery of Bungay, Suffolk and has seven ales on stillage and a sixteen in bottles - alas, on our crawl we only had time for one pint and the porter was fantastic and very well priced. The welcome was warm, the ale well-kept and very reasonably priced. All in all a fantastic experience of a pub and well worth seeking out.
5 Aug 2011 09:01
Currently CLOSED for a refurb - due to re-open 17th August.
4 Aug 2011 21:48
I've added this review after dining here last evening - the first time in a few years. My Doom Bar (�3.10) was well kept and really good (last week I had equally good Tribute (�3.30). The choice of wines could never be accused of being extensive; but I plumped for a bottle of Shiraz at �14.50 and my wife had a bottle of Freixenet Cava at �18.50, both of which I think were good value.
The menu is nothing to shout about - it's still basically pub grub, albeit well-cooked and with good sized portions - I had a mixed grill which was very good and my wife had Surf and Turf - on the good side she asked for the scampi to be replaced with king prawns, which they were with no quibble. On the bad side, her steak was cold. Fortunately for the Pen Mill she doesn't mind cold food and doesn't like to make a fuss. (Good job my food was hot - that's all I can say!). Another plus is that the food was served on piping hot plates, something that is often overlooked by some restaurants. Overall, the food is good value although the menu remains generally quite uninspired considering the pretentious owner claims it to be Yeovil's favourite independant restaurant! A highlighted part of their menu speaks volumes and quotes the Pen Mill's favourite main course as "ham, egg and chips" - fine dining this isn't and reading that on a menu immediately makes me think that this is not going to be a memorable epicurean repast. The feeling that you are dining in an upgraded transport cafe rather than an haute cuisine restaurant is not helped by plastic flowers on the table and the feeling is reinforced by vinegar still in its Sarson's bottle and those annoying little packets of sauces in a pot. You're not likely to find home-made sauce tartare, or the like, here! Finally, when will so-called restaurants learn that it is almost a sin to have ordinary white pepper on the table rather than pepper grinders?
31 Jul 2011 09:58
Massive Brewers Fayre plastic-Tudor pub catering for families visiting Epping Forest / Chingford Plain / Connaught Water consequently, more often than not, full of uncontrolled noisy chav kids running amok. Only one pump, which was off at my last visit. Food may be described as mediocre at best. although relatively inexpensive. You certainly wouldn't come here for more than a pint (if you can get one!). Well below average.
26 Jul 2011 09:55
Made a quick visit one afternoon this week. Firstly - and loads of Brownie points - it is open all day. Secondly, there were none of the normal regulars in, knuckle-draggers or otherwise - I was the only customer. I received a warm welcome from the landlady and I plumped for a pint of Theakston's XB (�3.10), which was very good. In fact I had little option as the other two pumps weren't being used. The pub, split into three main bar areas, is quite light, airy and pleasant these days with wooden furniture throughout . As I sat in the main central bar area I couldn't help notice the large TV screen - playing sport? no, Jeremy Kyle! (not really a surprise there then!). The menu, chalked above the bar, looked extensive and quite reasonably priced. Then I began reading it in detail and noticed that 10 dishes offered came with chips while the remaining four came with mash. None of your haute cuisine stuff here then! All in all a great improvement since my last visit a couple of years ago. Unfortunately it still needs a bit of work - another ale or two and a much more adventurous menu for a start. Just below average, but let's hope it picks up.
16 Jul 2011 08:46
The Queens Arms, Corton Denham
Visited last evening and it appears to be a pub of extremes; there is no doubt that the food was extremely well cooked and the range of ales excellent - Cheddar Ales' Gorge Best, which was absolutely delightful, and several offerings from the local Moor Beer Company including Revival, Somerland Gold (I think) and Peat Porter (stored in a fridge? as it was far, far too cold and at �4 a pint - yes, �4 a pint - was the most over-priced beer I'd ever had.
After that it was downhill all the way. So, where to start? Well firstly parking is extremely limited and usually occupied by sports cars and bloody great 4x4's - indicative of the regular clientele. From the outside the pub is quite unpreposessing and inside it is less so, the bar area being functional rather than comfortable and obviously geared to diners. There is a separate dining room with old wooden furniture but it is extremely cramped. The service was, well, cavalier to say the least, certainly at the bar. The food, as I said, was extremely well cooked nouvelle cuisine but the portions are extremely small - I'd had a long day and as soon as I got home I had two pasties as I was still so hungry! The menu is ridiculously limited - just pork loin, cod, chicken or risotto on offer - and horrendously over-priced. OK I was in a party of about 20 but to take two hours to serve us a two-course meal was, in my opinion, far too long. Overall the pub is far too pretentious for me and the whole experience left a lot to be desired. From now on I'll leave this place to the fools who like to be parted with their money on the grand scale. I won't be back.
15 Jul 2011 09:55
So-so pub on the main A303 to the West Country. Food and beers OK but something of a captured audience of passing trade so eveything is a pound more expensive than anywhere else.
11 Jul 2011 14:44
Always features heavily in our regular Sherborne crawls - which have, more than once, started here and stayed here for the whole session! Always a good and varying selection of ales to be had and, even though it gets manic on Friday and Saturday evenings, you rarely have to wait to get served as the bar staff are so efficient. Brilliant pub.
10 Jul 2011 16:09
A rambling country pub on the edge of the village. Warm welcome and efficient service, a good range of well-kept beers (I was on Butcombe Bitter) and decent pub grub at reasonable prices. Above average.
10 Jul 2011 15:43
Please to report that the Pen Mill has improved tremendously over the last couple of years now has attentive staff, much better menu (although I didn't eat this time as it was Sunday lunchtime and the over-piled plates of the obviously revenous clientele put me off somewhat - Sunday lunchtime is patently the time for shovelling food down your throat, not for fine dining!). Best of all the beers have improved out of all recognition - Doom Bar and Tribute (�3.30) were well kept and really good. Above average.
p.s. - note to mickeymouse
Of course you can't work out what I like - you havene't yet worked out that the shift key on your computer allows you to use uppercase, nor have you yet discovered the niceties of the English language!
10 Jul 2011 12:38
Sham Irish is not my sort of pub - I much preferred it in olden days when it was The Prince Albert. Still known by locals (including my 90-year old Mum) as "Doc Maynard's" after a former landlord. My alcoholic great grandad actually died standing at the bar in 1937!
9 Jul 2011 21:02
Now 'The Green Room' restaurant - and not a very good one at that.
8 Jul 2011 14:05
Boat and Anchor Inn, Bridgwater
Called in for a pint while walking the canal towpath - beer was average, didn't eat so can't comment, service was so-so. It may not be the most impressive establishment but I really don't think it warrants the PMT rantings of some of the previous posts, that surely isn't what this site is supposed to be about.
8 Jul 2011 11:42
The Plume of Feathers, Sherborne
Called in just after lunchtime for a swift pint while Mrs Os was shopping. Of the four ale pumps, one wasn't being used, the Bishop's Tipple and Henry's IPA had just finished so I was left with a pint of 6X - which was spot-on. The normal friendly service in this 'proper' pub, nice and quiet for a read of the papers this afternoon but it will undoubtedly liven up tonight.
7 Jul 2011 16:08
The Masons Arms, Lower Odcombe
Called in last night and pleased to report that the microbrewery is back in style - there are three pumps on with Drew's own brews, but the Odcombe No 1 was so perfect that I stayed on it all night. The welcome and service is, as always, very friendly and efficient and the food is the normal high standard for the pub - my steak was the best I've had in ages.
7 Jul 2011 09:39
On the Good Side -
1. After failing miserably as the horrendously overpriced "La Olivia" restaurant, the Yew Tree is a pub once again.
2. There are two pumps currently serving Doom Bar and Yeovil Ale's Stargazer - both of which are among my favourite ales.
On the Bad Side -
1. They have retained the cheap-looking wooden tables and chairs of the failed restaurant and the pub now has the ambience of a roadside caf�.
2. Other than this, there is no atmosphere at all.
3.Horror of horrors (and sadly all too common in Somerset) my Doom Bar tasted overwhelmingly of cider - a complete bloody waste of �3.15. PLEASE clean your glasses properly, or your pipes, or both!
Oh, another good thing is the terrific view looking across Yeovil. There again, this view may be appreciated equally as well by walking straight past the Yew Tree - something I'd really recommend!.
5 Jul 2011 19:40
Popped in a couple of weeks ago to find a decent small town pub. Very friendly welcome from staff and locals. Didn't try the food but had a couple of pints which were very good and well kept.
5 Jul 2011 18:00
Was probably a fine establishment in its time, today however it looks a bit run-down and feels like its trying to be a Wetherspoons but without the cheap prices.
5 Jul 2011 17:44
TheSherrif has got to one of the two!
So-so town pub at the bottom of the hill but nothing special, still a bit grubby round the edges and not much atmosphere. Didn't eat and the ale was only just adequate. All in all probably much better to walk up the hill and try several of the other pubs in town.
5 Jul 2011 17:24
One of the few remaining Langport pubs - typical small town pub, clean and fairly comfortable but undoubtedly a locals' pub. Visited on a Thursday at noon and was only customer to start with. Warm welcome and a well kept pint more than made up for the lack of ambience.
5 Jul 2011 15:33
The Crown and Victoria Inn, Tintinhull
Another disappointing evening at the Crown & Vic with overpriced small portions - the only reason I return is for the ales, decent and well kept,but this is certainly not the friendly village pub it once was.
5 Jul 2011 14:42
Popped in again for a quick pint - big mistake as it was bloody undrinkable. Complained to the barmaid who did nothing except disappear and the landlord didn't want to know either. Left nearly a whole pint of dire muck - PLEASE clean your pipes!! I've knocked my rating right down and I shan't be back in a hurry.
5 Jul 2011 14:34
A bit grimy and certainly not an inspiring pub - as others have said, there are much better pubs in the area. I recently spent an hour in here to get out of the rain and the only saving grace was the Deuchars.
2 Jul 2011 10:27
Revisited yesterday on an afternoon crawl - my first return since the new management. Beers on were Directors (not kept too well and quite disappointing) and Courage Best (which was much better. Atmosphere still spoilt by noisy, self-opinionated regulars.
2 Jul 2011 09:57
Revisited again yesterday for the first time since 2008 as my previous experience (either lager or lager) put me off. At least they're doing ales now so I may frequent a bit more regularly.
2 Jul 2011 09:53
Visited last Saturday very early evening - warm welcome and decent pint but was amused by the sign "Hot food served here or bring in your own takeaway" - thinking it's not much of an advert for the chef. Then in walked half a dozen guys, all with takeaways. Chatting to one of them about the sign, he said "Food's bloody rubbish here, but the beer's bloody good". Just about sums it up!
9 Jul 2009 19:28
The Mandeville Arms, Hardington Mandeville
Now re-opened under new management. We called in early on a Wednesday evening and were the only customers (halfway through our drinks, we were the only people in the pub as the landlady went to sit outside in the sun). Tired of waiting to get served a second pint, we left. Shame because the Moor Beer Company's 'Revival' wasn't at all bad. The menu looked comprehensive and good value but the drinks were, I felt, badly overpriced - we're in the depths of Somerset here, not London! We then drove to nearby Sonny's in Hardington Moor, but it was so packed we couldn't get in - that tells you something.
9 Jul 2009 19:16
Very pleasant pub and an ideal stop while travelling. The beers are kept well - the Tanglefoot was spot-on and the Palmer's Lemony Cricket was, well, different. The food is very good and the menu quite extensive and a little bit different - however it is quite expensive and the portions are not generous.
21 Jun 2009 09:52
The Queen Victoria Inn, Priddy
Maintains a rural pub character and has a couple of well kept ales. Didn't try the food, but the menu looked nothing out of the ordinary. Very pleasant garden and overspill area.
18 Jun 2009 09:33
Warm welcome and a very good pint of Cheddar Ale's Potholer, with a couple of other ales on as well. Didn't try the food but the menu looked quite reasonable. Nice sitting outside facing the village green.
18 Jun 2009 09:30
A bit dingy and grubby and full of very loud (and half-pissed - at lunchtime) locals who like to dominate the room. Beers were OK but the lasting impression is that it's a bit of a dive.
18 Apr 2009 18:50
The Rock Point Inn, Lyme Regis
Sit at one end and you can watch the tourists and shoppers go by, sit at the other end and a large window overlooks the bay towards Charmouth. It is a bit of a local's bar but we had a warm welcome.The best part of this pub? - it's not a Palmers house (like most of Lyme Regis) - the Sharp's IPA and Cornish Coaster were spot-on.
18 Apr 2009 12:16
Not a bad pub, but trying to be a gastro pub and has lost some of the cosy charm it once had. Having said that, the ales are OK and the food was good value although the menu could do with a bit of livening up.
17 Apr 2009 10:58
Quaint atmosphere for the upstairs fish 'n' chip eatery with a bar in one corner. The ambience is terrific (despite the place being completely furnished from a range of skips), the F&C are outstanding, only fault is that the "two meals and a bottle of wine" offer must be upgraded to a better wine. Best of all, mein host occasionally brews his own ale - 257 - named after the house number and a bloody fine brew it is too.
14 Apr 2009 13:28
Well, sometimes you just have to pull out of the busy Easter Sunday traffic and visit a nice quiet little pub - The Riverhouse Inn at Upwey was today's refuge from the mass of day trippers clogging up the road to Weymouth!
And very nice it was too - their own Riverside Ale (brewed by Courage) wasn't bad at all and sitting in the large garden was a very pleasant experience. The pub itself, on the other hand, is geared up for diners and as others have mentioned, you feel in the way if you go in just for a drink. We didn't eat but the menu appeared ordinary but somewhat expensive.
P.S. shame about the seriously tacky signage.
12 Apr 2009 18:33
Not particularly good - even for a 'spoons! Beers kept OK but the place needs a bit of a clean. Some of the staff could do with a bit of waking up as well.
12 Apr 2009 00:23
Not been in since just after Christmas but it is a really nasty pub catering for down-and-outs, chavs, and other assorted low lifes of Taunton. No ales. Didn't stay as the threatening atmosphere was too unfriendly.
31 Mar 2009 13:12
Not a bad pub, far enough away from the main touristy bit of Torquay to escape many of the tourists so quite easy to get a seat even during the summer. Good welcome, friendly atmosphere and efficient staff. Beers are kept OK but, from memory, were nothing special. Food was reasonbly priced, decent portion sizes and quite tasty although the menu is nothing more than traditional pub grub.
31 Mar 2009 13:03
The Royal Lion Hotel, Lyme Regis
A follow up to my last review - just spent a long weekend here. Overall impression was very good indeed and can't see why it's only got two AA stars. The beer (Brunel) is still excellent and our room was first class. All the staff were very efficient, very friendly and went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. The hotel restaurant menu changes daily and was excellent quality and value for money. We ate in the bar on arrival and my only complaint for the whole stay was that the seafood platter to share at �32 was horrendously overpriced - so we won't have that when we return for another break later in the year!
15 Mar 2009 17:08
Even though it's a Palmers house, this is a decent little backstreet boozer - not at all grubby but it does have bare floorboards and old tables and chairs which may be off-putting for those of a more delicate disposition. It is filled with locals but with a good welcome for strangers. Copper Pot and 200 were both very well kept. (There were no flies apparent during my visit.)
15 Mar 2009 16:53
The Pilot Boat Inn, Lyme Regis
A pub that appears to have turned itself into a characterless pastiche of a 1970's seaside caf� (that just happens to have a bar in it). The only good thing about it is that the seats are fairly comfortable. On the downside - locals seem to get served first regardless of how many are in front of them, it's a Palmers house (as are most Lyme Regis pubs), the food looked OK but is very expensive as, indeed, are the bar prices. Everywhere else would need to be shut before I visit again.
15 Mar 2009 16:43
Not visited before so walked in today with no preconceptions but almost immediately turned round and walked out. The Lantokay 'spoons down the road has all the visiting chavs, but this is where all the local yokel chavs congregate. Just walking in the door was not a pleasant experience.
28 Feb 2009 19:29
An excellent small country town pub with a warm welcome, good ales and a good, reasonably priced menu.
27 Feb 2009 13:50
Appears to cater for itinerant builders' mates. Probably best avoided (unless, of course, you are a builder's mate!).
27 Feb 2009 12:50
The Market Bar and Bistro, Somerton
Small, clean and fairly comfortable but pretentious and with a menu that is pedestrian and very overpriced. If you are looking for a decent drink and bite to eat, be advised to try one of the many pubs in the town.
27 Feb 2009 12:44
Alas, nowhere near as good as it used to be - now a wannabe gastro pub where you are made to feel uncomfortable if you only want a drink. Certainly not worth detouring off the main roads to find.
27 Feb 2009 12:38
Quite a comfortable pub for a small town - at least it's clean and offers a warm welcome. Ales are nothing special and the menu is just ordinary pub grub.
27 Feb 2009 12:35
Suffered somewhat when the bypass was built but seems to have survived quite well. Comfortable and clean village pub with reasonable welcome and well kept ales (Cotleigh Harrier and Sharp's Doom Bar were on today). Didn't eat but menu is very limited and very ordinary.
24 Feb 2009 14:10
The Garrick Arms, Trafalgar Square
Gave it another chance this weekend and must say it wasn't such a dire experience as other occasions. Had a pint of Abstinence Ale which was actually quite good. Also on offer was Old Speckled Hen, GK IPA and Abbot.
22 Feb 2009 22:00
I spent many a happy hour here back in the early 'seventies but it slowly slid downhill. Good, sympathetic refurb and an excellent restaurant will hopefully revive its fortunes.
22 Feb 2009 19:37
Another of the grubby Portobello Road tourist traps with disinterested staff, mediocre beer and poor food - avoid.
22 Feb 2009 18:43
The Duke Of Wellington, Portobello Road
Dirty pub with a dingy atmosphere and filled to the brim with tourists. Walked in, turned around and walked straight out again.
22 Feb 2009 18:31
The Sun In Splendour, Notting Hill
Very overpriced tourist trap. Surprisingly dirty and grubby inside and, according to my wife, the ladies loos are disgusting with the floors awash with some 2" of (we hope) water. Had a pint of Hydes Brewery's Finders Keepers (the only ale) which was pretty good. The place this Saturday lunchtime was full of young , mostly female 'student' types who were occupying all the available seating but nearly all had empty glasses and none were eating. While I was standing there drinking my pint at least 20 people came in, looked at the menus, looked around at all the occupied seats and turned and walked out again - the management of this place must be mad!
22 Feb 2009 18:25
Not a bad pub at the cheaper end of the market but gets busy when QPR are at home, even so the staff were on the ball (sorry for the pun) even if they were trying to serve while watching the game. Beers are well kept - this weekend saw London Pride, Bass, GK IPA and Bombardier. The food is OK and possibly a tad cheaper than 'spoons.
22 Feb 2009 18:12
Certainly one of the best of the Shpherds Bush pubs by far. A warm welcome, nice relaxed atmosphere, decent wel-kept ales (the TT Landlord, Deuchers IPA and London Pride were all 10/10). The food is excellent, very good value for money and the more 'ethnic' menu reflects the make-up of the local population - the Moroccan meatballs and Jamaican jerk chicken were both very good indeed.
22 Feb 2009 18:05
A better than average country pub with a good friendly welcome. Interior is comfortable 'rural' as one would expect, but clean, tidy and welcoming. Three ales on - only had time for a pint of Teignworthy's Neap Tide, which was in fine condition. The only other customers during my visit this lunchtime were three old-timers who spent a good twenty minutes at least talking very knowledgably (apparently, it turns out, from watching a lot of TV) about World War 2 - bless! Poor young barmaid didn't know what had hit her.
19 Feb 2009 13:27
Visited again this lunchtime - it was quite busy and we were greeted with a very warm welcome. Ringwood Best and Fortniner were both in excellent condition. Third ale was Pedigree. My wife and I both had ploughman's lunches - which were huge and excellent value for money. We'll certainly be back.
Oh, by the way jeffdaff, either dogs are allowed in the bar or a couple of bloody great big ones had snuck in. Shame really, 'cause I don't like 'em where I'm eating.
14 Feb 2009 23:29
Nice 'olde worlde' village pub with a reputation for good food. Very warm welcome even though it was very busy tonight (Valentine's Day). Only one ale on this evening - Badger - well kept, if not my favourite. The food was better than average (but not outstanding) and extra Brownie points for the menu which is more adventurous than general pub grub fare. The stilton and pear starter could have done with more than a few small crumbs of stilton. The bream was very nice if a tad overcooked, but the accompanying risotto would have been far better cooked with arborio or carnaroli rice rather than quick cook long grain. Nevertheless an overall 6/10 and we'll probably be back.
14 Feb 2009 23:13
Used to be very nice with good ales and good food. Last time I visited it had changed hands and gone very rapidly downhill - beers ony average, food appeared to be very basic 'chips with everything'. Sad. I won't be back.
10 Feb 2009 12:00
Hmmm... just visited again for lunch - not a good experience. Firstly, when I ordered a carafe of Pino Grigiot for my wife I was told there was no 'pumped' wine so I couldn't have a carafe. Fair enough. Then the stupid landlady / older barmaid tried to tell me that a (500ml) carafe was the same as a (750ml) bottle and got really rude and snotty when I pointed out the difference. I had a pint of Abbot - which was not particularly good. I then had a pint of IPA - which was worse. Finally, after a long wait, the food arrived and was, to say the least, disappointing. My 10oz gammon must have had 5oz of fat and gristle and my wife's roast beef dinner had half the vegetables missing, replaced by a huge pile of mashy undercooked roast spuds. All in all a 3/10 experience and we certainly won't be back, especially since the brilliant (by comparison) Airfield Tavern is just round the corner.
9 Feb 2009 00:42
OK typical large city pub, retaining much of its Victorian interior, on a corner site. Visited on Saturday lunchtime. No welcome from the barman to speak of and the atmosphere was distinctly flat but at least managed to get a couple of seats after escaping the Portobello Road crowds. London Pride was in good condition if a tad expensive.
5 Feb 2009 13:42
According to the February 2009 edition of 'the Visitor', the Crown is now open again.
4 Feb 2009 14:03
The Farmers Arms, Combe Florey
The staff must have read the reviews on BITE as we called in this weekend and had a completely different experience - a very warm welcome and were served both ales and food in a very efficient and friendly manner - so felt compelled to add this update to my last post. The St Austell's HSD was in fine condition and the food was very good although the menu is a little pedestrian for a pub that is trying to be a restaurant.
2 Feb 2009 13:51
It was certainly open this weekend. We called in for a couple of pints and had a very warm welcome. The Doom Bar and Tribute were both in top condition and so, according to my wife, was her pot of tea. Didn't try the food but the menu looked like typical pub grub.
2 Feb 2009 13:38
The Duke of Wellington, Minehead
Having just called in again I must say this is the best 'spoons I've visited. Not your usual converted aircraft hangar but half a dozen good size rooms and a couple of bars that retain the character of the hotel that was. Very well run by Andy (ex Yeovil 'spoons and sadly missed there) and his friendly and efficient team. Good range of ales on including Exmoor Gold, Exmoor Ale, Butcombe Brunel (all of which were in excellent condition) as well as all the usual suspects. Normal pub grub of the chain.
2 Feb 2009 13:14
Returned for the Wednesday evening "2 steaks for �9.99" deal - both steaks were excellent. Kept away from the Banks's this time and settled for a couple of pints of Hobgoblin which was spot-on.
29 Jan 2009 14:26
Average small town pub, quite comfortable but with a somewhat 'quaint' atmosphere. I called in for a swift pint this Saturday lunchtime to find myself surrounded by little old ladies 'taking tea' - I thought I'd been wafted back to the 'thirties! Three pumps but only one on - Badger. Say no more.
24 Jan 2009 14:05
Called in yesterday for lunch. Good to see four local ales on - the Summa That (Branscombe Brewery) and Norman's Conquest (Cottage Brewing) were both excellent. Also on were Otter Ale and Otter Bitter. The food was enjoyable although the menu is not extensive, the portions are not over-generous and the prices are very steep.
18 Jan 2009 12:10
The Royal Lion Hotel, Lyme Regis
Called in for a swift pint yesterday - Butcombe Brunel - which was excellent and well kept. Good atmosphere and a friendly welcome with efficient staff. The menus (bar menu and restaurant menu) are extensive, featuring locally-caught seafood, and is quite reasonably priced. We were shown around some rooms by the receptionist, as well as some of the other hotel facilities (indoor swimming pool, gym, snooker room, etc) and have booked for a short break in the Spring on the strength of it.
18 Jan 2009 12:01
Popped in a couple of weeks before Christmas and found the whole place painted out - including all the lovely extensive wood panelling - in what appeared to be cream undercoat. Returned after Christmas and, alas, it isn't undercoat, it's topcoat! A real shame and an opportunity missed, as the place has now completely lost any character it once had and, because of the new 'paint job', looks more run-down than ever.
10 Jan 2009 18:13
The Royal George Inn, West Coker
A Palmers' house with almost the complete range on offer - Dorset Gold, 200, Best Bitter and Copper Ale (only Tally Ho missing). Certainly less pretentious than the Castle up the road, but primarily a local's watering hole.
3 Jan 2009 11:12
So-so village pub with curt welcome from the elderly barlady (landlady?) who seemed particularly confused, inefficient and unhelpful. Only one ale on (Butcombe) which was only average. We ate from the mid-day menu and the food was adequate. The specials board, while venturesome, seemed inordinately expensive. We won't be hurrying back.
3 Jan 2009 11:01
Excellent country village inn with a warm welcome, pleasant ambience and comfortable bar areas. Only one ale on, but it least it was Doom Bar - so worth the visit. My wife gave the place extra Brownie points because they have individual bottles of sparkling wine. We didn't eat, but menu looks OK if a little pedestrian and slightly overpriced.
28 Dec 2008 17:45
Very cosy country pub with a warm welcome, nice atmosphere and comfortable surroundings with dining areas either side of the central bar. Had an excellent pint of Sneck Lifter. Hoboblin was also on but, alas, I didn't try it. Instead, not having tried it before, I unfortunately opted for a so-so pint of Banks's Bitter (tasted like the glass had been used for cider, although I actually think it was just a cruddy beer - whichever, it wasn't to my palate). The menu is nothing special - just ordinary pub grub but appeared to be good value for money. We didn't eat on this occasion but will probably return for a meal and a couple of pints sometime soon - two steak meals for under a tenner seems worth a try and I won't let the previous review put me off, I'll make my own mind up.
27 Dec 2008 22:11
One of Yeovil's classier restaurants/bar with a friendly welcome and very efficient staff. The menu is quite extensive, high quality and very reasonably priced - their 2-for-1 meal deal is only a couple of pounds more expensive than 'spoons but there's a world of difference in quality, value for money and ambience. The comfortable bar, alas, only has one ale (Abbot) but there is a good wine list.
27 Dec 2008 00:01
NOT CLOSED as currently (Dec 08) cited on BITE but now open, reverted back to its original name 'The George' and under the new management of 'Welcome Freehouses' - consequently the overall rating score should probably be ignored. OK for a town centre pub although nothing special in the way of atmosphere however on the plus side the rough clientele noted on my last visit was absent this time and made quite a difference. Had a pint of Rosey Nosey and Sleighbell - both of which were in very good condition. The menu is fairly extensive (for a chain), reasonably priced and the quality was quite good. All in all, a fairly good experience and we'll probably return next time we're in Enfield.
22 Dec 2008 19:09
The Moon Under Water, Leicester Square
Called in for a final couple of pints Saturday evening and, as you might imagine for this location, the place was jam-packed. They had a couple of the Christmas specials on - Elf Esteem and Santi-Freeze - both of which were spot on and well worth the fight to the bar - where, despite the crowd, the bar staff were working very efficiently and with great speed.
22 Dec 2008 17:33
The Shakespeare's Head, Holborn
Average sort of 'spoons, no welcome as such but at least I got served fairly competently. Had a couple of pints of Itchen Valley's Fagins which was well kept and went down a treat. Food is normal microwave pre-packs of the chain.
22 Dec 2008 17:19
The Tea Clipper, Knightsbridge
OK sort of place but nothing special. The staff were indifferent and treated everyone with the same contempt they apply to passing trade. The Doom Bar was pretty good but we didn't bother staying to sample the cuisine.
22 Dec 2008 17:11
Went in last Friday night but walked out again straight away as there was absolutely no atmosphere and only one customer who appeared to be chatting up the barmaid. Went to the Turkey 'round the corner and it was extremely lively in comparison.
22 Dec 2008 11:23
A very good 'community' pub with a warm welcome and friendly locals. A very lively atmosphere - the landlord and his team are obviously putting a lot of effort into the place which is clearly appreciated by the regulars. Only drawback from my point of view - no ales, so another session on Guinness (not really a hardship). Came in here after leaving the Sun and Woolpack down the road and the difference in ambience was very noticeable after the emptiness of the S&W.
22 Dec 2008 11:20
A proper little no-frills boozer with a warm welcome and a good atmosphere. No food offered - shame, because I was hungry. Worse still, and hence the deduction of a million brownie points - no ales! - although I can't say I'm surprised since the pub doesn't have an ale-house clientele. It appears that this neck of the woods (including the Sun and Woolpack, the Turkey, etc.) are only populated by Guinness drinkers and lager drinkers.
22 Dec 2008 11:13
My last review was based on a visit in August '08 (and the eagle-eyed among you will realise that they'd renamed it the Ordnance - just so we know what dump we are talking about) and on returning this weekend - oh joy of joys - the bloody place has closed down. Now, I know in this day and age with pubs closing at a rate of four or five a week that the closure of a pub is not to be celebrated, nevertheless the world can only be a better place without shitholes like this! If anyone thinks "oh, you shouldn't think that because a pub is a pub and won't be replaced", may I just remind you that generally speaking we don't actually regret the demise of the likes of Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot - equally we should not actually regret the passing of this hellhole. Please demolish it and put up a block of flats in its place so it can never be reopened!
22 Dec 2008 11:07
For a Brewers Fayre it's not at all bad although the food, as you might expect, can be a bit hit and miss. I've had some really good meals here but I've also had a couple of really crappy ones that were enough to stop me visiting for several months. The staff are OK - just - the attitude to customer service often borders on the cavalier. Beers are nothing exceptional.
18 Dec 2008 10:28
Good pub with a warm welcome and usually a good range of ales. Well known for its good menu of home-cooked food albeit a tad expensive.
18 Dec 2008 10:21
Average sort of estate pub - not really worth a visit unless you live on the estate as there are much better pubs in town.
18 Dec 2008 10:15
Lanes Hotel and Bar, West Coker
Lanes is my first 9/10 rating. This is my 226th review on BITE and so far I have never rated any pub, bar or restaurant higher than 7.
This is our favourite bar and restaurant and my wife and I come here about once every six weeks or so. We always eat out at least twice a week and always compare wherever we are to Lanes - and Lanes always comes out as superior! The ambience is superb - contemporary style with structural glass walls melded within an Edwardian Rectory and the welcome is always warm and friendly. The bar only has one ale but, much to my wife's delight, sells champagne by the glass (�6 a time). The food, cooked to order, is superb and nothing is too much trouble for the chefs or waiting staff. The only downside is that the menu could be a shade more extensive and the range of extras a little more varied and exciting.
This is the only place locally that you are able to dress for dinner and not feel out of place. Unfortunately, in this day and age, dressing for dinner for most people seems to imply denim jeans - we even saw one diner wear a stetson throughout his meal without the excuse of being American - this place really should have a dress code!
As far as value goes, I consider it excellent value for money - typically our evening comprises a pint of ale, 2 glasses of champagne, a shared bottle of wine, two three-course meals and coffees for about �80.
Lanes would have scored 10/10 but for only having one ale and a menu that could be a shade more extensive.
17 Dec 2008 15:47
Prince of Wales Ham Hill Country Park, Stoke-Sub-Hamdon
Very pleasant pub on the top of Ham Hill which has panoramic views across the wonderful Somerset countryside and plenty of walking in the Country Park and environs. The pub is a haven for tourists in the summer and is consequently far more attractive out of season. A friendly welcome, good range of ales and a fairly reasonable menu make it well worth seeking out.
17 Dec 2008 15:18
One of those typical rougher estate pubs populated by a regular clientele who appear to cast a watchful eye on any stranger crossing the threshold lest he be a police informant. Probably best to give this one a wide berth!
17 Dec 2008 14:16
Tried hard to become a gastro pub but couldn't quite pull it off. Has a fair few live music acts but is not worth climbing Hendford Hill for. Food is OK but a shade overpriced and I can't comment on the ales as I was on Guinness.
17 Dec 2008 14:08
Dave and Gill of the previous post are now replaced by Gordon and Sue. Food is averagely priced and quite good value but very pedestrian - they love their chips! Can't comment on the beer as I was on Guinness.
17 Dec 2008 14:04
A haunt of the late Friday and Saturday night crowd. OK town centre bar but quite overpriced and the beer, alas, leaves a lot to be desired.
17 Dec 2008 13:47
I worked behind the bar here for a short while many moons ago - it was a dive then and hasn't improved since. A true local bar for local people in the best tradition of Royston Vasey!
17 Dec 2008 13:44
Haunt of the young and trendy - alas I no longer fit either category so have only entered once. I wasn't over-impressed.
17 Dec 2008 13:39
One of the better 'spoons by far which only opened in August 2008. Comfortable upper bar, good selection of well-kept ales and standard food menu of the chain. More open and feels less crowded than the other Weymouth 'spoons, the Swan.
15 Dec 2008 17:33
Excellent pub with excellent ales and a warm welcome. The pub stands opposite the old brewery which is now Brewers Quay (where the welcome isn't as warm, or the beers as well-kept). I had a pint each of the Bombardier, FortyNiner, JD1742 and Chesil - all of which were top notch. The food was good value with decent portions and reasonably priced, although the menu consists of ordinary pub grub and could do with a bit of inspiration.
15 Dec 2008 17:26
Rest and Be Thankful Inn, Minehead
Nice country hotel at the main crossroads in the village of Wheddon Cross, in the heart of Exmoor National Park. We stayed for a very nice long weekend and can recommend the warm welcome, excellent menu and well kept ales. Our room was excellent and we had a good view of Dunkery Beacon.
15 Dec 2008 17:04
Tends to get packed out with chavs in the Summer (but where in Minehead doesn't?) but out of season is far nicer. Food is pedestrian and, alas, not inexpensive but at least the ales (Exmoor and St Austell) are well kept.
15 Dec 2008 16:55
The Duke of Wellington, Minehead
So-so hotel and bar straight from the 1930's - quite twee and genteel - but it was a nice place to take my mum for Sunday lunch.
15 Dec 2008 16:47
OK small town pub, nothing special (but this is, after all, Ilminster), with a friendly welcome from staff and locals. Only one ale on - Otter Ale - but well kept and a very nice pint.
15 Dec 2008 16:36
Called in for a swift pint with my lad after playing with the tanks at Bovington. Quite a comfortable pub on the main drag from Dorchester with friendly atmosphere and well kept Hall & Woodhouse ales. Didn't try the food.
10 Dec 2008 17:51
Called in for a pint while on a 'tour' of several Sherborne pubs but I'm not likely to return. Still a bland place with little or no atmosphere. The beer wasn't particularly good either. All in all, why would you come here for an ale when the Digby Tap is just across the road?
10 Dec 2008 14:12
Average roadside country pub. Friendly welcome, ales OK but nothing special, food basic pub grub but reasonably priced.
10 Dec 2008 13:46
The Royal Oak, Hardington Moor
Known locally as Sonny's, this is a cracking little country pub well worth finding for its range of well-kept ales. Food is basic pub grub but very good value.
10 Dec 2008 13:19
Excellent country village pub with lounge bar / restaurant and 'village' bar. Very warm welcome and friendly staff. Ales in tip-top condition - Otter Ale and Butcombe - and a very good menu at very reasonable prices.
10 Dec 2008 13:08
The Greyhound Inn, Sydling St Nicholas
Excellent country pub in tranquil, out-of-the-way location. Very friendly welcome, efficient staff, well-kept beers (Speckled Hen was spot-on) and good menu at fairly reasonable prices.
10 Dec 2008 12:03
Typical Brewers Fayre and could do with a heavy injection of cash to bring it up to scratch as the decoration looks excessively tired and is rather off-putting. Having said that, the staff were welcoming and efficient and the beers (of limited range) were well kept. Didn't try the food but it lokked to be the typical grub of the chain. Big drawback for me was the screaming kids allowed to run around at will - but then, you seem to get ignorant parents everywhere these days.
9 Dec 2008 16:16
Nothing out of the ordinary as a pub, but they trade on their location - seething with tourists in the summer apparently means that the staff don't have to take an interest in customer relations and can ponce about trying to look busy while avoiding serving customers at the bar. They also charge ridiculous prices for what are, after all, only Palmers beers - so nothing really to recommend the place.
9 Dec 2008 16:02
Not a bad pub at all - friendly welcome and well-kept ales (Branscombe). Atmosphere was only spoilt by a few half-drunk yobs - I won't let them put me off returning (unless I find they are regulars).
9 Dec 2008 15:40
Not a bad little pub - tucked out of the way but worth seeking out for a friendly welcome and well-kept ales.
9 Dec 2008 15:35
Appears to be a newish pub, refurbed earlier this year with new restaurant and bar area. Large garden with play area. Friendly welcome and OK beers but didn't try the food.
9 Dec 2008 15:28
A place best avoided during the summer months when it is packed with tourists who can't be bothered to explore more than 100 yards from the shoreline. In the winter it is better - but not by much - as it is an average place at best - average staff, average beer, average food.
9 Dec 2008 15:24
Bland establishment with no character or atmosphere. Staff extremely indifferent, beers very average, food below average. Cross the road to 'spoons for better value for money or any of the many, many better Weymouth pubs in close proximity.
9 Dec 2008 14:56
The Halfway House Inn, Chilthorne Domer
On the good side the Old Hooky (the only ale) was 10/10, as were the staff. The ambience was good, with a nice seating area with comfortable leather chairs - spoiled only by the seriously chav clientele complete with their own acrid smell of smoke. We had been led to believe that the food portions here were very large and, judging by the very high cost they should have been. My curry, listed as medium hot, was seriously bland and the portion was seriously small. We eat out two or three times every week and this is the only time I've gone home and had a pasty and half a packet of biscuits because I was still so hungry! All in all - 3/10 if only for the Old Hooky and the sfaff. Will we be back - certainly not.
7 Dec 2008 00:21
A below average pub, usually packed with tourists. Service leaves a lot to be desired and food is pretty poor. Beers are OK but nothing special. Overall - go elsewhere as you'll undoubtedly do better.
6 Dec 2008 17:48
Called in for a quick pint tonight. Bad move. Below average estate pub (one of Marston's HJ Wellfed chain - enough said!) with little or no character; chav's bar at one end, dining room at the other and a dismal bar area between the two. Three pumps - offering Palmer's Copper Ale, Copper Ale and, er... Copper Ale (which, to be fair, wasn't bad at all). Not a single word from the miserable barmaid when I entered the pub, asked for my pint, paid for it or left the pub! So, what is the worst thing about this place? It's my bloody local for God's sake! - no wonder I don't frequent it!
4 Dec 2008 20:45
A very average country pub that appears to have had the traditional heart ripped out of it during a 1960's refit and has received little in the way of TLC since. Surly barmaid did nothing to make us welcome and the Butcombe was not particularly well kept. The place badly needs a strong injection of enthusiasm - shame because it could be a lot better.
30 Nov 2008 01:05
Back in Ilminster for a few more days so stayed on late at work just to visit the Crown - I certainly won't bother again. A boringly nondescript interior poorly furnished and a mediocre welcome. Worse yet, only one ale on. Now, when Butcombe Bitter is well kept it is a quality ale but when it is poorly kept - as here - it is bloody awful. Please, please clean your pipes!!
27 Nov 2008 18:50
Undoubtedly one of the less impressive 'spoons although it's not excessively bad during daylight hours. After dark however, when the dross of Chard come out to play, it's a different matter - but, then, Chard itself after dark is a place best avoided.
25 Nov 2008 19:12
The White Horse Hotel, Wincanton
Not a bad town pub, but there are several better in close proximity. Ordinary looking from the outside new "olde worlde" inside - false beams, beaten copper bar, you know the sort of thing. Only one ale on - but Codrington Codger at �1.80 a pint made the visit wothwhile.
25 Nov 2008 18:53
Yes, as has been said before, shame about the inside. Shame too about the huge sour-faced barman with matching demeanour who spent most of the time we were in there bemoaning how busy he was, while allowing glasses and bottles to mount up on every table simply because the area of the bar reserved for dirties was stacked about a foot high with absolute shed-loads of dirty dinner plates. Only saving grace of the place was the pleasant young barmaid and the beers (Abbot Reserve, Abbot Ale, Otter Ale and Old Speckled Hen) - so not a complete waste of a visit!
23 Nov 2008 10:50
OK for Saturday lunch - a bit rough around the edges and the seating arrangements could be rationalised to their advantage but a very friendly welcome and efficient bar staff. Food is very good value - even cheaper than 'spoons - and of a good quality. Two ales on - Sharp's Doom Bar (one of my favourites - so they get extra Brownie points for that) and Bay's Best Bitter. I knocked off many, many Brownie points as both beers were served far too cold, but Mrs Os added 'em back because her wine glass had been chilled in a freezer and her vino shipped in via the Arctic - so she was happy too (for a change!).
23 Nov 2008 10:42
Walked past last night - CLOSED and planning notices for relicensing on the door and windows.
13 Nov 2008 13:36
The Lamb and Lark Inn, Limington
Gave the place another chance last night and have to say it was a really enjoyable experience - the food was excellent and very good value and the ales - St Austell's 'Tribute' and Box Steam's 'Tunnel Vision' were both 10/10. All it needs now is an occasional smile from the dour landlady and this could be a cracking little pub.
9 Nov 2008 09:40
Part of the 'Table Table' group - new(ish) estate pub but more up-market than most. Very welcoming staff and very good modern atmosphere with lots of nooks and crannies catering pretty much for all occasions. Extensive and reasonably priced menu. Well kept ales - St Austell Tribute and Butcombe Bitter were spot on, the guest beer (London Pride) had just finished - bummer!
6 Nov 2008 20:48
Pleasant pub - obviously a "locals" pub but we nevertheless got a very warm welcome. Well kept beer (McMullen) but food appears to be limited to hot pies.
5 Nov 2008 15:03
Good town pub with a warm welcome, nice atmosphere and well kept beers.
5 Nov 2008 14:45
Excellent small town pub with a warm welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff. Extensive pub grub menu at reasonable prices and four well-kept ales (the FortyNiner and Butcombe Bitter were both excellent).
4 Nov 2008 13:12
Not at all bad for a 'spoons - friendly welcome and efficient staff, good range of well-kept beers (6 regular 'guest' ales and 6 beerfestival ales). Normal range of food.
3 Nov 2008 00:47
Cracking little Soho pub - friendly welcome and great atmosphere. Always busy but you can often find a seat upstairs. Enjoyed fine pints of Hobgoblin and Halloween Surprise (well, it was October 31st!).
3 Nov 2008 00:18
Good London pub that can get very packed with tourists due to location. This Friday early afternoon saw plenty of empty tables for a change (didn't last long). Enjoyed well kept pints of McMullen's AK and Cask Ale.
3 Nov 2008 00:14
The Cottage Inn, Nether Stowey
Good 'olde worlde' pub with a friendly welcome, well-kept beers and a good menu at reasonable prices.
30 Oct 2008 13:47
Decent little pub with a warm welcome. Well kept ales and food served every day - didn't eat but menu looked OK regular pub grub at reasonable prices.
30 Oct 2008 13:23
The Beachcomber Inn, Burnham on Sea
OK, so it's actually a bar in the Warren Farm Holiday & Touring Centre, but if you're on the beach for the day it's a handy place to pop into. Nothing special but it saves an otherwise long trek to the nearest pubs at Uphill.
30 Oct 2008 12:15
The Sedgemoor Inn, Westonzoyland
Nice country pub with welcoming staff and pleasant atmosphere. Well kept ales but didn't try the food.
29 Oct 2008 17:43
Quirky small town pub - locals' (public) bar to the right, 'saloon' to the left. Quite an experience - you have to go into the locals' bar to see the pump clips and the quietly raucous bonhomie ceases immediately as you cross the threshold while all eyes focus on you. You order your pint and beat a hasty retreat to the 'other' bar and the hubub resumes. That apart, you can't fault the local beers - the excellent Merlin's Magic (Moor Brewery, Ashcott) the equally excellent Ruby (Yeovil Brewery) and Butcombe Bitter.
28 Oct 2008 13:07
The Masons Arms, Lower Odcombe
Excellent village pub with its own microbrewery - Winter's Tail (a most excellent pint) and Half Jack (probably not to everyone's taste) and Yeovil Ale's Stargazer on offer. Warm welcome and very good bar menu and restaurant menu - very good food at reasonable prices.
25 Oct 2008 14:10
Good little town centre pub - cosy and welcoming with lots of little nooks and crannies. Friendly staff and well kept ales (Sharp's Doom Bar, Exmoor Ale and Dawlish Ale were on today). Didn't eat but menu is a good range of normal pub grub at reasonable prices.
21 Oct 2008 12:58
The Volunteer Riflemans Arms, Bath
Good small pub with friendly staff and well kept ales. Good place for a break in the middle of the morning shopping session (if you can get away with it!).
21 Oct 2008 12:11
The beers are kept OK, the food is quite reasonable, the staff leave a lot to be desired. At the end of the day, the pub is OK, it's the seriously rough clientele that's the problem.
20 Oct 2008 23:18
The Carpenters Arms, Chilthorne Domer
A couple of years ago this country pub, known locally as the Chippies, was renowned for its excellent 'silver service' restaurant - I used to eat here two or three times a week. However a couple of years down the line and a couple of changes of landlord later we popped in again today. Very warm welcome and the beers were in excellent condition - St Austell's Tribute was a cracking pint and also on offer were 6X and Otter Bitter. The menu is now nowhere near as adventurous as before, indeed it was simple pedestrian pub grub, but quite expensive.
18 Oct 2008 15:59
The Crown and Victoria Inn, Tintinhull
It used to be a superb village pub that always had an excellent reputation for its ales and food, however it's now another wannabe gastro pub and has simply crammed as many tables as possible in to increase the number of dining covers without leaving much space for drinkers. The welcome left a lot to be desired - a surly "Have you booked?". The menu is above average albeit wordy and pretentious and, I would suggest, overpriced and portions we observed were not over-generous. Something like �14.95 for what is, after all, pie and chips despite the flowery description seems expensive to me. Having said that, I certainly couldn't fault the beers - local brews like Yeovil Ales' Ruby (an excellent red bitter) and Cheddar Ales' Potholer as well as 6X, Butcombe Blonde and Butcombe Bitter - if only there was somewhere comfortable to enjoy it without feeling awkward because you aren't dining.
18 Oct 2008 15:49
Good pub just outside of Yeovil. Friendly staff and well kept beers. Menu is modest but inexpensive and good value.
16 Oct 2008 18:06
Half Moon Inn and Country Lodge, Mudford
I have rated this place with a zero simply because I haven't been able to get in. Apparently the food is quite good but the problem is that they don't take bookings for tables. We tried to get in a couple of times on the offchance but were turned away because the place was full. At 8.30 in the evening we've discovered it's almost impossible to get in anywhere else. I then heard a rumour that they are taking bookings so, last Saturday, I phoned to book a table to be told in a VERY rude manner that they still don't take bookings. So, unless they change their booking policy, I won't change my rating.
15 Oct 2008 15:57
"Very strong links to the nearby Naval air station" is pretentious-speak for "often frequented by pissed Naval ratings looking for a fight".
14 Oct 2008 13:44
Just been in for the first time for a swift lunchtime pint - very pleasant 'olde worlde' town pub that is clean and comfortable. Very friendly bar staff. Menu isn't pretentious and offers normal pub grub and an extensive range of bar snacks all at very reasonable prices. The Ringwood Best was in tip-top condition. Also on offer was Abbot and Toby - blimey, I haven't seen Toby for several years now (must be the sheltered life I lead!).
14 Oct 2008 12:43
Good little quayside pub with superb views outside and plenty of little nooks and crannies inside. Friendly staff, but a tad disappointed to find only Courage Best and Directors on - albeit in excellent condition.
12 Oct 2008 10:11
Unwisely ventured in to what appears to be a haunt of the knuckle-dragging proto-simian Hominid population of Yeovil. Not a very nice place these days and I didn't even approach the bar - I wasn't THAT thirsty!
10 Oct 2008 13:38
The Railway Tavern, Liverpool Street
OK railway pub but nothing special - handy to while away a few minutes before the train. Staff friendly and beers OK if a tad expensive, even for London.
8 Oct 2008 16:02
OK for a 'spoons, but nothing special. Staff seemed very disinterested in customer service and preferred to chat among themselves. Beer was OK but, again, nothing special.
6 Oct 2008 00:50
The Hamilton Hall, Liverpool Street
Below average 'spoons - you've got to be thirsty to wait here for a drink. Service poor and beer below average.
6 Oct 2008 00:46
Quite a nice pub. The coachloads of chavs buying 'seconds' from the conglomeration of 'factory outlets' down the road tend to congregate in the Lantokay 'spoons, so the Bear often (but not always) attracts a quieter, dining clientelle during the day. The menu is very good and reasonably priced and the beers are well kept. Staff can be friendly or offish - I think it depends on pot luck as to who you get to serve you.
4 Oct 2008 11:09
The Greyhound Inn and Hotel, Honiton
A lovely thatched pub, large and spaceous, just off the new A30 dual carriageway 2 miles west of Honiton and well worth seeking out if you need a quick refresher while travelling twixt Honiton and Exeter. Friendly welcome, a good range of well-kept ales and reasonably priced menu.
4 Oct 2008 10:42
Now a Thai restaurant but they've kept the Royal Oak pub bar at the front - really strange atmosphere if you're expecting a pub, ditto if you're expecting a Thai restaurant, but overall well worth a visit. Otter Ale and Otter Bitter on stillage. I've popped in a couple of lunchtimes for a quick pint and the pub part was fine. As for the restaurant, the Sunday "all you can eat for �7.95 buffet" must take some beating - it was delicious! and goes really well with the Ale.
1 Oct 2008 18:27
OK but a tad grubby around the edges. Seems like a locals only establishment judging by the brusque welcome I received. I shan't hurry back.
1 Oct 2008 18:21
A good place (just off J25 of the M5) to avoid the pubs in the centre of Taunton - although it does get packed Sunday lunchtime for the 'Sunday Roast' crowd. Friendly enough welcome although the staff were a tad rushed. Menu average but good value and beers OK.
1 Oct 2008 18:16
Fiddleford Inn, Sturminster Newton
Very pleasant country inn with a very good, if somewhat expensive, menu. Ales well kept and favours local breweries (the Hopback Brewery's 'Crop Circle' was delightful). Regular excellent Friday music evenings focus on blues, folk, jazz and country music.
1 Oct 2008 18:12
Have often stopped here for a 'swift one' on the way to Exeter but it was beginning to get run down. What a difference new owners and a lick of paint make! Friendly welcome and well kept beer, didn't eat but the menu looked good albeit nothing unusual.
1 Oct 2008 18:02
Good local village pub primarily for "local people" but friendly enough welcome and well kept beers.
1 Oct 2008 17:59
Decent, unpretentious country pub a bit in the middle of nowhere. I was on Guinness so can't comment on the ale.
1 Oct 2008 17:56
Pleasant enough large new (2 years?) estate pub (Marston's). Tidy and clean with a friendly welcome - didn't eat but menu looked average for the chain. Had a pint of Cumberland Ale which was spot-on.
1 Oct 2008 17:49
Spaniards Inn, Hampstead Heath
Visited again recently after a gap of several years - while OK it isn't what it was. Staff seemed a bit preoccupied and beer wasn't particularly good.
24 Sep 2008 23:40
It used to be a seriously trendy place in the late 60's and early 70's - I can remember propping up the bar while a Coca Cola advert was filmed outside with a load of young girls running up and down the Passage - what a lunchtime that was, me and my mate even ended up in the advert and were on telly for weeks! Today, however, it's a different place - run down and really tatty around the edges. The staff are totally disinterested and the beer is poorly kept. Shame.
24 Sep 2008 23:33
Fortunately we dined here - those that just popped in for a quick pint while we were there didn't appear to have a particularly good welcome. Definitely likes to think of itself as an haute cuisine establishment but the food was nothing special and the menu was somewhat ordinary despite all the hype. The bar staff all seemed to be rushing around like headless chickens rather than serve me a pint on arrival. All in all it was OK but we're not going to rush back.
22 Sep 2008 18:55
Eaten here a couple of times recently on the way in to Minehead - friendly staff, beers kept OK and good pub food at reasonable prices.
22 Sep 2008 18:33
Changed little over the years - still a chav dive! Avoid at all costs.
21 Sep 2008 21:04
For a 'station' pub it ain't half bad - well worth falling out of the train and falling in here. Friendly staff and well kept beer but, like the man said, you wouldn't want to have a session here as there's better pubs down the road.
17 Sep 2008 18:19
Calling the place mediocre would be doing it a favour - relies on passing trade visiting Kew Gardens and has consequently stopped making any effort at customer relations - ignorant and downright bloody rude staff (directed at someone in the queue in front of me) was enough to put me off completely!
17 Sep 2008 18:08
Not been in for many years but quite surprised to find it little changed other than the staff. Still a friendly pub with good beer and a modest menu.
14 Sep 2008 01:18
Decent enough little back-street boozer. Beers kept well (I only had time for a pint of Ringwood's FortyNiner - which was spot-on). We didn't eat but the food looked really good with generous helpings and seemed good value, although the menu is just typical pub grub.
13 Sep 2008 21:08
What a dive! Just been in - no ale on at all and scabby barmaid didn't even acknowledge us, just kept chatting to her bloke (the ONLY other person our side of the bar). Walked out in disgust and, with such a wealth of good pubs in Weymouth, we certainly won't be back to this hole.
13 Sep 2008 21:02
I'm working in Ilminster for a couple of days and so far this pub (and the Bell a few doors along) doesn't appear to open lunchtimes - and, let's face it, you wouldn't come to Ilminster for its nightlife!
10 Sep 2008 13:44
I'm working in Ilminster for a couple of days and so far this pub (and the Crown a few doors along) doesn't appear to open lunchtimes - and, let's face it, you wouldn't come to Ilminster for its nightlife!
10 Sep 2008 13:43
Pleasant enough place but geared up for diners rather than drinkers. Only one guest ale on when I visited - menu is nothing out of the ordinary for a pub that thinks it's a restaurant.
10 Sep 2008 12:28
The Rising Sun Inn, West Bagborough
I made the mistake (not my first and it certainly won't be my last) of having a beer here at the start of my walk to West Quantoxhead and back. Well, actually, because the beer was so good the mistake was to have a second pint before tackling the almost vertical footpath at the side of the pub which climbs to the top of the hills. Still, it was nice to have another couple of pints on my return several hours later! Will certainly call back when I'm next walking in the area.
9 Sep 2008 23:11
Average sort of country town pub - not a lot going for it. I've just (Tuesday lunchtime) been in for a pint of 6X which was very well kept. Barman had the longest, most miserable looking face I'd seen in a long time but turned out to be amiable enough. Very sombre ambience - a couple of teenage chav families with babies at one end of the bar, a 'regular' at the bar and a couple eating at the other end. Didn't try the food but appeared to be typical pub fare. Oh, and another thing, there was a very strange smell in the place.
All in all, I should have tried the George 'round the corner - it was heaving as I walked by and looked very lively indeed.
9 Sep 2008 14:13
The Junction Hotel, Dorchester
Called in for a pint as I was passing by chance. I wish I'd carried straight on - service was cavalier to say the least, beer was dreadful and left unfinished.
8 Sep 2008 19:19
King's Harold Head, Nazeing Common
I think "dating back to 1032" is a bit of wishful thinking and proof that you shouldn't believe everything you read on the interweb! Nevertheless it's a very nice country pub with good food, good ales and a friendly welcome.
8 Sep 2008 18:15
OK sort of place - beers kept OK and friendly enough welcome, but not the best place to drink in the area. Presumably YoYo came here to toast the future of his best friend and Mrs YoYo?
7 Sep 2008 21:48
The Exmoor White Horse Inn, Exford
OK pub if you stumble across it or happen to be camping down the road, but you wouldn't make a special trip to get here. When I stayed locally I visited here once then invariably drove in to Minehead for an ale.
7 Sep 2008 21:24
Just read some of the other reviews after my last posting and noted Adrian_Charles mentioned "can really splash out and not find you're out of pocket much more than �40 for the whole evening" - I thought I'd better warn others that our evening for two cost over �120. This was for two pints of ale, two bottles of wine (the moderately priced ones at around �15 each), two three course meals (we, to quote the above-mentioned A_C, "splashed out" on two fillet steaks which, on their own, equalled his evening's expenditure) and two coffees.
5 Sep 2008 11:33
Visited again last night for a meal - ales were spot-on and the service was very friendly and extremely efficient. Meal was excellent - only fault with the food being the fillet steak (at �20 a time) was so large it wasn't cooked at all in the middle, but this was dealt with immediately. On the strength of this experience I would have bumped my rating from 8 to 9. However I was actually tempted to lower my rating to a 7 because of the begging pub dog that is allowed to wander at will through the restaurant. Lovely though he undoubtedly is, I am not a dog person, especially when I'm trying to enjoy a meal. On balance therefore, my rating stays at an 8.
5 Sep 2008 11:20
Not a bad 'spoons at all - friendly and efficient staff, decent beers and the food was palatable. Could, perhaps, do with a lick of paint (at least where I was sitting by the side alley).
2 Sep 2008 13:53
Reasonable enough boozer with decent ales but invariably too busy - (see my notes for the Marquis of Granby) so I've given up visiting here.
1 Sep 2008 10:33
The Marquis of Granby, Cambridge Circus
Fine pub but no good if you are in a hurry. I've only managed to have a few pints here as it's usually heaving, no matter what time of day or night. More than once I've given up waiting at the bar to be served and gone elsewhere - my life isn't long enough to waste in bars without a drink!
1 Sep 2008 10:28
The Queens Arms, Corton Denham
Good country pub, but overpriced and the would-be 'County' clientele can become irritating.
30 Aug 2008 19:01
Quite a good town pub (for Sherborne) - we usually kick off here when touring the town's pubs and have been known to stay for several pints when the Firsty Ferret has been in tip-top form. Food is reasonably priced and good pub grub but the menu is a bit pedestrian.
30 Aug 2008 18:52
Funny how a pretty good pub can be turned into a rough dive in a few years. I've been in a couple of times recently but the place now seems like an overflow of druggies and yobs from the Cross Keys down the road. The beer was awful as well - it won't get a third chance from me!
30 Aug 2008 18:48
Perhaps it was the wrong time of day, perhaps it was the wrong day, perhaps it was me - I found the staff a bit distant and the beer was distinctly average.
30 Aug 2008 18:42
The Portman Arms, East Chinnock
Used to be a good pub but it's gone downhill of late. Last time I went in it seemed to be the hangout of the village teenagers.
30 Aug 2008 18:04
Good village pub - always a friendly welcome and well kept beers - what more do you need?
30 Aug 2008 17:57
A very good village pub with friendly staff and good, well kept beers. Modest menu of typical pub grub at reasonable prices.
30 Aug 2008 17:50
Good village pub in good location with good beer and good food spoilt only by the poncy landlord who seems to think he's doing you a favour by letting you into his establishment. Try the Phelips Arms just up the road for a far better and friendlier reception.
30 Aug 2008 17:47
Good estate pub where you are not made to feel uneasy if you aren't a regular. Modest range of beers and modest menu but reasonable prices.
30 Aug 2008 17:27
The Fox Public House, Palmers Green
It's been a pub since 1716 - can't say I remember it then but I used to come here a lot in the late 1960's and early 1970's when it really wasn't too special. Came here again recently and it hasn't improved - still no real ale!
30 Aug 2008 14:04
Excellent little boozer (with the emphasis on little) with good ales and friendly staff - a good choice if the Carpenter's is full, and vice versa.
30 Aug 2008 13:35
The Carpenters Arms, Marble Arch
Excellent pub with fine selection of ales - I've never had a bad one here. Well worth seeking out if you've had enough of being dragged around the Oxford Street shops - she can always call you on your mobile when she's had enough of shopping! (Well, that's what I do!).
30 Aug 2008 13:31
I certainly agree with the foregoing about how to ruin a perfectly good pub in three easy lessons or one hard one! Add to that disinterested staff and mediocre beer it simply means I'll have to go further afield when visiting the Tate from now on.
30 Aug 2008 13:24
OK country pub but nothing special - certainly not as special as the pretentious "mein host" would have you believe!
28 Aug 2008 14:15
The Montagu Pyke, Charing Cross Road
OK for a quiet pint if you manage to get a seat upstairs, otherwise it tends to be a bit chaotic. Normal beer and food of the chain.
28 Aug 2008 14:04
Not a bad 'spoons - typical cavernous interior often full of the dregs of Islington but at least you can usually escape them by going to the upstairs area! Beer and food typical of the chain.
28 Aug 2008 14:00
The Famous Cock Tavern, Islington
I've always liked this pub - OK so it's a bit rough around the edges and some of the clientele leave a lot to be desired but the beer is OK and the food isn't bad. But if you are passing, get a seat by the window and you can watch the world go by.
28 Aug 2008 13:57
The Plough and Harrow, Hammersmith
OK on the outside but dingy and grubby around the edges inside. Usual range of beers and cheap microwave pre-pack food at cheap prices.
28 Aug 2008 13:44
Good town pub just far enough away from the town centre to avoid being filled with shoppers at lunchtime and oiks in the evening. Friendly staff, good atmosphere, good ales (the Henry's IPA and 6X were spot-on) and a fairly wide menu of reasonably priced pub food.
27 Aug 2008 13:46
The Farmers Arms, Combe Florey
We often stop here for a pint and a bite when travelling to friends in Minehead - food and ales are OK, service is a bit slow and the staff seem to think they are doing you a favour by taking your money. Nevertheless, if you ignore the staff it's a convenient stop.
27 Aug 2008 00:27
Good country pub in the middle of nowhere but well worth seeking out - friendly staff, OK beers and good food.
27 Aug 2008 00:21
Used to be relatively OK but now full of chavs and other low-lifes. Service is seriously shoddy and beers poorly kept. I won't be back.
27 Aug 2008 00:04
Not too bad for a 'spoons - typical slow service but ales were really quite good when I visited.
27 Aug 2008 00:01
Well despite previous reviews I found this pub OK. Saturday lunchtime wasn't too crowded and everyone seemed pleasant enough. Staff were friendly, beer was kept well - I'll certainly be returning.
26 Aug 2008 23:59
The George and Pilgrim, Glastonbury
Fine town pub of great historical and architectural interest - not to mention friendly staff, some well kept ales and decent food at reasonable prices.
26 Aug 2008 20:56
Pretty poor, even for a 'spoons. Nevertheless it keeps the chavs who come in coaches to buy 'seconds' from the 'factory outlets' away from the Bear down the road.
26 Aug 2008 20:49
The Exmoor Forest Hotel, Simonsbath
Very good country inn with well kept ales but rather expensive menu. Walker friendly.
26 Aug 2008 00:04
Good pub in pleasant setting by the quay and far enough away from the main drag to put of the majority of tourists. Beers well kept.
26 Aug 2008 00:01
The Cat Head Inn, Chiselborough
Good modernised country village pub (although I preferred the old Cat Head when it had uneven flag floors, a tap room and was run by the two old sisters). Worth calling in if passing as beer kept OK but I didn't try the food. I called in mid-week lunchtime and it was a bit quiet - well, actually I was the only customer!
25 Aug 2008 23:26
Following a complete refit after two mystery fires last year, the Pen Mill has lost a good chance and remains pretty much what it was before - an ordinary pub next to a railway station. Average pub with no atmosphere, average beers averagely kept, average menu, disinterested staff. Only call in if you have ten minutes before your train. If you have twenty minutes before your train call in to the Royal Marine just around the corner!
25 Aug 2008 23:16
Get there early and go straight to the bar before it gets packed and you have the choisest views of Dublin. Then do the tour!
25 Aug 2008 18:47
It hasn't improved any since the last time I visited - a real local's pub with an unpleasant atmosphere as soon as a stranger crosses the threshold!
24 Aug 2008 18:36
Very nice after the recent refit - adults only bar area and adults area eating area at least means you can have a quiet pint without the local estate chav kids running around your table screaming and hollering! Food still good value for money (Hungry Horse) but only one ale (Greene King IPA) was on.
24 Aug 2008 17:20
A nondescript bar with a very small range of poorly kept beer in a leisure complex populated primarily by noisy chav teenagers. Only had a drink here because I was in a bowling party - certainly wouldn't give it a second though as a watering hole.
24 Aug 2008 12:10
Nasty chav pub with poorly kept beer and nondescript staff. Have eaten here in the past when it was so-so but walked in last week and thought better of eating because it is such a dive.
24 Aug 2008 12:01
The Rose and Crown, Huish Episcopi
Gorgeous old traditional country village pub with excellent ales from a tap room no less! A bit like drinking in your gran's front parlour, but what character this pub has - a real gem!
24 Aug 2008 11:48
Seems like chav heaven with all their uncontrolled, irksome little kids running wild.
23 Aug 2008 11:51
The Eight Bells, Saffron Walden
The restaurant area is somewhat characterless - difficult for what could be a lovely building, but they manage it. Bar area is OK but felt cramped. Food, frankly, was average and over-priced. Similarly beers were average. Probably won't be back in a hurry.
23 Aug 2008 11:43
Nice enough country pub with friendly staff. Beer seemed a little tired but the food was OK. This was mid-week lunchtime, we were the only ones eating and there were a couple of locals at the bar, consequently the atmosphere was a little flat.
23 Aug 2008 11:27
Good place (well, actually the only place) to unwind after slogging around all the nurseries and before going home to plant 'em all. Staff are friendly (waitress was a bit dippy) and beers kept well. Menu is average and a tad expensive.
23 Aug 2008 10:46
Nice country pub in semi-rural setting, ideal if you've just had a stroll through Whitewebbs Park. Friendly staff and well kept beers.
23 Aug 2008 10:36
Good country-style pub, well kept beers but staff were a bit off. Didn't eat and didn't hang around.
23 Aug 2008 10:31
The Garrick Arms, Trafalgar Square
When I went it was full of tourists who, unfortunately, must have the impression that all London pubs are as bad as this - how unfortunate for them! It really should be avoided.
23 Aug 2008 10:22
The Brewmaster, Leicester Square
Average city pub, beer average, food average, staff average. OK for a quick pint if everywhere else is full, but you wouldn't want to have a session there.
23 Aug 2008 10:18
Average city pub - seems to be either empty or heaving regardless of time of day. Beer kept well and staff friendly enough but, overall, the pub is nothing special.
23 Aug 2008 10:12
One of the nicer 'spoons with outstanding quayside views. Just visited (Friday afternoon) and it was almost empty.
22 Aug 2008 20:57
Good city pub with range of beers (Fullers ESB, London Pride, Discovery, Honey Dew and Butcombe's Bitter). I had ESB, Discovery and Honey Dew and all three were in tip top condition.
22 Aug 2008 20:17
OK for food - better value than 'spoons. Beers kept well but range a bit limited with only Old Speckled Hen and Courage Best.
22 Aug 2008 20:03
Griffins Head Inn, Nether Compton
Nice, small village pub with a bit of rural charm but, considering it's in the latest CAMRA guide, I was a tad disappointed to find only one ale on - Dartmoor Brewery's "Dartmoor IPA" - which seemed a little tired to my palate - thank heavens for the Rose and Crown at Trent just down the road!
21 Aug 2008 17:20
Good village pub, clean, nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Ales well kept (Downton Brewery's Crop Circle and Quadhop). Didn't try the food but appears to be typical pub grub.
21 Aug 2008 13:31
Fine higher class village pub - very welcoming landlord and efficient staff, excellent well-kept ales (Wadsworths - Bishop's Tipple, 6X, Horizon and Henry's IPA), extensive reasonably priced menu. My first 8/10 in 75 ratings and I've already booked our table for our next visit! By the way Pete_Alabaster, how much of a bloody great car park do you need - it's massive - or can't your legs manage 20 yards any more?
20 Aug 2008 22:01
Very good country village pub with excellent menu (just a shade over-priced) and well-kept ales. Friendly staff and good service.
20 Aug 2008 16:09
Ales well kept, but not as many as there used to be (or is it my poor memory?), food is average pub grub.
20 Aug 2008 15:09
Very good traditional thatched country pub with friendly staff, well kept beer (although limited range) and good pub grub.
20 Aug 2008 13:09
Not long ago was really nice and very popular - how times change! Has been allowed to steadily become a place to avoid.
20 Aug 2008 12:15
Decent enough pub but nothing to write home about - friendly service, nice atmosphere, beer OK, food average just about sums it up.
20 Aug 2008 10:26
Excellent village pub with equally excellent restaurant. Extensive, if a tad pricy, menu and excellent, well kept ale. Only complaint would be the limited range of ales - Sharp's Own (excellent), Butcombe and Greene King IPA - albeit enough for a good night out!
19 Aug 2008 19:50
What an excellent pub, a real find! Friendly landlord and the most welcoming regulars I've ever met. Add a brilliant pint of Sharp's 'Doom Bar' - perfect!
19 Aug 2008 19:46
Nice 'olde worlde' village pub with good beers and reasonable menu at reasonable prices.
19 Aug 2008 17:17
The Red Lion Hotel, Marston Magna
Great village pub with very good ales - only trouble is that it feels like you're drinking in your gran's front room.
19 Aug 2008 17:11
The Marston Inn, Marston Magna
Good, friendly village pub with good, well-kept beer. Sitting in the sun in the patio garden with a good pint - ideal!
19 Aug 2008 17:09
Best of the Ilchester pubs - efficient staff, friendly atmosphere and good beer.
19 Aug 2008 17:00
The Lord Nelson, Norton Sub Hamdon
Good village pub - friendly staff, well-kept beer and modest range of good food.
19 Aug 2008 16:50
The Royal Standard, Lyme Regis
Nice little pub, beers well kept (although limited range on offer), OK normal pub grub, staff friendly. I agree with GingerGeorge, it would make a nice local.
19 Aug 2008 14:13
Basic seaside pub - good in season but better out of season when all the tourists have gone. Staff friendly and efficient, food OK but basic, beers kept well but limited range.
19 Aug 2008 14:10
Typical lower-end 'spoons - good cheap beer, average microwaved food and mostly chav clientele. Perhaps we were just unlucky but had some young lad sit at our table and told us his whole life story - tough shit lad, but you just made me want to exit asap.
19 Aug 2008 11:52
Cheap (and nearly nasty) - local chav clientele really off-putting.
19 Aug 2008 10:57
Always had a decent experience here, but never great. Food and beer is average, staff can be a bit cavalier or really good - must depend on which way the wind blows.
19 Aug 2008 10:53
The Lamb and Lark Inn, Limington
OK pub but somewhat erratic - sometimes staff have been friendly, sometimes not - recently was enough to stop me going back for a while.
17 Aug 2008 14:24
Not bad for a 'spoons - it was non-smoking long before the ban - but it always feels very cramped. Having said that, the beer is well kept and I've never had more than a thirty second wait at the bar because of all the staff on duty - other 'spoons please note!
17 Aug 2008 00:39
Not a bad pub - beers OK but had to wait an age for food (which was distinctly average). Few holidaymakers though, which is always a plus!
17 Aug 2008 00:29
Nice setting, beers good if somewhat expensive. Didn't try the food.
17 Aug 2008 00:25
Worth a trip just for the interior designed by sculptors Nathaniel Hitch, Frederick T. Callcott and Henry Poole in 1904. The well kept Adnams and London Pride are also worth a visit as are the pies - I love pies - which is just as well as every dish offered is a pie of one sort or another - great!!
17 Aug 2008 00:09
Usually call in for a pint when in the area - friendly staff, well kept beer and you can usually find a seat - what more can you ask?
17 Aug 2008 00:00
Pleasant enough - well, actually, compared with the other town centre locations it's very pleasant - albeit somewhat expensive.
16 Aug 2008 23:52
Good pub with friendly staff. Beers nothing special, food cheap and cheerful, accommodation very good and reasonably priced.
16 Aug 2008 23:44
Caters for the younger, lager / nouveau cocktail crowd. Food is good but if you like beer try somewhere else as there is a very limited range of beers and they are not kept that well.
16 Aug 2008 23:40
Nice atmosphere for an estate pub but very limited range of beers (Pedigree is well kept) and menu is OK but prety bog standard and not at all exciting.
16 Aug 2008 23:32
Lively and comfortable bar, friendly staff but beer somewhat mediocre.
13 Aug 2008 23:29
OK 'spoons once you have fought your way through the chavs gathered around the front door for a smoke. Food surprisingly better than average but range of beers a bit disappointing.
13 Aug 2008 23:24
Good pub, visited at lunchtime but it was a bit quiet (see photo) but didn't fancy eating. Ales were good and well kept. Would certainly visit again.
13 Aug 2008 19:21
One of the better pubs in Yeovil - by far - and off the main drag just enough to detract the crowds who struggle to walk 100 yards! Very friendly staff and ales kept well but fairly limited range (Old Speckled Hen, Beachcomber and Ruddles). I would have ranked it higher but for the loud-mouthed, self-opinionated, bigotted 'regular' who wouldn't shut up whining on and on about alcoholics and drug addicts.
13 Aug 2008 19:04
I love the cosy section in the middle - it's like drinking in someone's posh library. We used to stop here often for a cheap breakfast and couple of pints on our way into London, but the breakfasts took longer and longer to arrive and were colder and colder when they did finally appear. We've now decided to give it a miss in future and eat in town.
13 Aug 2008 17:27
The Picture Palace, Ponders End
One of the blander 'spoons with absolutely no atmosphere at all.
13 Aug 2008 17:21
The Alfred Herring, Palmers Green
One of the better 'spoons if you pick your time right otherwise you'll wait an age to be served. I echo the comments about dippy staff and uncontrolled kids. Used to come here often because it was smoke free long before the ban, like its counterpart at Weymouth.
13 Aug 2008 17:19
Good, proper pub with friendly staff. Decent beers but didn't try the food.
13 Aug 2008 17:12
Decent enough pub with a fair range of good food and good beers. Barman was a bit offish - probably had enough of the horde of uncontrolled screaming chav kids running around, I know I had! Much better in the evening when the little sods had gone.
13 Aug 2008 17:10
A proper pub but a bit like the Tardis - deceptively small from the outside but large and spacious inside. Friendly and comfortable with helpful staff (albeit struggling a tad with colloquial English) with good beer and a limited range of cheap food.
13 Aug 2008 17:05
Staff friendly and very efficient (there was a huge birthday bash going on at the time we were there). Good range of beers and excellent food.
13 Aug 2008 15:24
Avoid like the plague - or risk catching it! Absolute hole filled with the dross of Yeovil and serving probably what has to be the worst beer in town.
13 Aug 2008 12:07
Visited many times, most recently last week - beer still good which makes up somewhat for the very mediocre and expensive food. The staff are a waste of time and prefer to natter than to serve customers.
13 Aug 2008 00:10
Duke of Wellington, High Beech
Have visited many times over the years as I find it better than the King's Oak at the top of the hill. Called in last week - staff friendly and beer is well kept but food is rather pedestrian and quite expensive.
13 Aug 2008 00:00
Popped in for a pint last week but found it had gone downhill a lot in the last couple of years. Staff friendly enough but I thought my pint wasn't really up to scratch.
12 Aug 2008 23:51
A proper pub! Back in the 'seventies "The German's" was my local (in the 'fifties and 'sixties my grandad even had his own chair at the bar - nobody else ever sat in it as he spent every hour of opening time in it!). Visited last week and the only thing that had really changed was the staff - but the new ones are just as friendly!
12 Aug 2008 23:46
Was very popular when I lived locally (many years ago) but visited last month at lunchtime on a Friday and was the only customer! Sad for a pub with such character and excellent AK.
12 Aug 2008 23:35
Pleasant 'olde worlde' pub with good range of beers and good (but expensive) food. Tucked out of the way means it is less crowded than the pubs in the main street.
12 Aug 2008 22:56
Good, comfortable pub with well-kept beers and friendly staff.
12 Aug 2008 22:49
Stayed for a very pleasant weekend - �80 for three nights = bargain! Lodge rooms very good, pub better than average 'spoons with good, well kept beers (a pint of Engine Oil goes well with the Farmhouse Breakfast at 9am!! - well, I wasn't driving that day).
12 Aug 2008 22:02
It's been pretty average for many years but seems to be getting grubbier and more expensive.
12 Aug 2008 21:34
The Punch And Judy, Covent Garden
Below average in all areas pretty well sums it up - will the tourists who pack it out never learn?
12 Aug 2008 21:29
The Plume of Feathers, Sherborne
Good, honest pub with well-kept beers. Excellent (mostly rock) music most Fridays.
12 Aug 2008 20:36
Mostly average - the beer and the food. Below average - the bar staff who always appear to be more interested in chatting between themselves than serving customers. Above average - the Plume of Feathers pub along the road!
12 Aug 2008 20:02
Once upon a time this was a really good pub. Now, alas, avoid it like the plague. Fortunately, Sherborne is blessed with far better pubs.
12 Aug 2008 19:55
Good, friendly pub with a reasonable and changing range of ales. Get there early on a Friday or Saturday night if you like to sit down as it gets pretty busy.
12 Aug 2008 19:51
The Moon and Cross, Waltham Cross
Better than the average 'spoons with good, friendly service. Food is always good (for microwaved frozen pre-packs) and beer is kept well.
12 Aug 2008 19:28
Typical 'spoons - a cavernous converted carpet shop (and, before that, a supermarket) with the atmosphere to match. Now a Lloyds bar (so they could up the prices) but still the cheapest beer in town. All too frequently understaffed at the bar with enormous queues, especially Friday and Saturday nights when the local chavs get overloaded. Food is variable - difficult for microwaved frozen pre-packs, but they manage it!
12 Aug 2008 19:23
Good small pub far enough away from the town centre to allow a quiet pint of decent beer.
12 Aug 2008 19:12
The 'in place' of the seventies and eighties is now much quieter and the restaurant's reputation is not what it was. Nevertheless still serves decent beer and good food at a reasonable price. One of the better pubs in Yeovil.
12 Aug 2008 19:09
A real 'local pub for local people' and offers a cool welcome for those who are not regulars.
12 Aug 2008 18:59
One of the few pubs in Yeovil with decent beer - but undoubtedly a 'blokes' pub.
12 Aug 2008 18:32
Not closed, but it ought to be - dirty, unfreindly and expensive (�7.50 for a beer and a wine!)
12 Aug 2008 15:03
The Clachan, Soho
Decent Nicholson's corner-site pub with fine Victorian exterior and many good Victorian fittings inside - carved wood, mirrors, tiles, etc. The original subdivisions have been removed to form a single, large room with a central bar retaining much of its carving. The normal decent range of well-kept ales you expect of the chain, together with its less impressive menu (although I must say that the scampi and chips was really good). Overall a decent experience of ale, food and ambience.
23 Mar 2012 15:19