BITE user comments - ChrisBass
Comments by ChrisBass
The beer here is kept excellently and the pub manages to maintain a great background chatter whilst never being loud. When on a crawl of the nearby pubs this is where I appreciated the pint and soaked up the atmosphere the most.
9 Nov 2012 18:59
Just moved to the area. I think the landlord is new too. Decent pub though: shows live sport without being a "sports bar". It is still very much a pub. The Morlands was a well kept pint. It does seem like a "locals" place though and it doesn't have that background buzz some places have. Definitely worth a visit for a couple of quiet pints.
9 Nov 2012 18:51
The Grape and Grain, Crystal Palace
Like the two reviewers below I was staggered to see the rating for this place! While it doesn't look stunning from the outside, it is very welcoming inside. A good range of beers, immaculately kept and served by attentive staff who seem to know their beer.
A decent pub quiz and a bar billiards table adds to the appeal, as does the decent mix of clientele: not just bearded CAMRA types, but younger folk too.
24 Feb 2012 09:01
Really liked this little pub. Good beer, the chips were cheap as ... well, chips and the girl behind the bar insisted on helping me take the beers outside even though I'd only ordered three! How lovely. I'll be back.
30 Apr 2009 17:45
My favourite pub in Ealing - and one I'd frequent more often it wasn't quite as long a walk from my place (especially the walk back!).
A pub called The Red Lion really has no right to be this good, but thankfully it is! I've sampled most of the beers here and found them all to be excellent and finally managed to get in one of the church pew "booths" the other week.
Never got round to ordering food here, but last time I was there something smelt delicious. I would have ordered some but I wasn't ready to incur too much wrath when I got home. That didn't stop us from saying "one more pint before we go?" more than once.
Its location (opposite Ealing Studios) means the clientele are eclectic and non-cliquey.
Thoroughly recommended.
7 Apr 2009 17:25
Maybe it was a mistake to have stopped in here back in November wearing a poppy - from some of the looks I got you'd have thought I'd just skinned a kitten!
The bar staff were friendly and quick to serve, but you get the immediate impression that it is very much a "locals" pub.
The previous comment about "rough looking punters" is charitable to say the least. One guy in particular can be regularly seen on the steps outside, mumbling incoherently and picking fights (sometimes with real people too!).
7 Apr 2009 17:19
Decent pub for all (or most) occasions. I've popped down here to meet mates after work, watch live sport, check my e-mails or do the pub quiz, which is always good fun - even if we rarely cover ourselves in glory.
The beer is well kept (as you'd expect from Fullers - Pride is tough to get wrong) and I've never had a problem with the food - I tend to stick to the pub basics (burgers etc) and found them to be of high quality. I can't say I've tried the chiken & liver pate but don't think I'd ever order one in a pub!
7 Apr 2009 17:14
One of the few good boozers in Ealing (I also frequent the Red Lion and Wheatsheaf and won't be entering the debate - they serve different purposes).
The clientele: a good mix. From the rough and ready (while still friendly) to the students and people popping in for a quick pint after a day at the office. You get people drinking at the bar socially and there are tables for small groups who want to mind their own business.
The beer: solid, if unspectacular - if we're talking ales. I think the last pint I had there was an Old Speckled Hen, which was kept well.
The place itself: unpretentious and unspoilt by the dreaded "pub makeover". You probably wouldn't take someone here on your first date, but you'd definitely meet a few mates down there. A "pub dog" - a friendly dalmation - adds to the down-to-earth feel.
Well recommended!
7 Apr 2009 17:09
I have to side with punkpete. Being a Chelsea fan (and a punk rocker to boot!) I checked it out before the Juventus game. An almost identical round was almost twice as expensive as The Goose. The Youngs was apparently in good nick (as it should be in a Youngs pub!) but the Guinness had a metallic taste that stuck in the throat.
The place was clean, warm and the service was quick and friendly. The place did lack atmosphere though, and the background music (which was steadily turned up to annoying levels) did nothing to create an atmosphere in a pub dominated by tiny tables for two (perhaps tables were taken away in anticipation of an onslaught of Chelsea fans, although this never arrived).
I'm sure it will be popular with the trendy Fulham crowd, but as someone looking for reasonably priced drinks in non-clinical surroundings, I'm afraid its just not for me.
5 Mar 2009 17:58
Tacky, rubbish and unwelcoming. Imagine a Red Lion "English" pub in Ibiza and you're getting close.
30 Aug 2007 16:52
Just a comment regarding the reviews slating this place: They make it sound like a prison riot has broken out in the bog of eternal stench. The reality is much, much worse!
30 Aug 2007 16:42
Went in here before the Chelsea v Birmingham game. For football atmosphere, the old Maltster magic has gone. On the plus side they still show live sport, still have wooden tables and the Black Sheep Ale went down a treat.
22 Aug 2007 11:53
You Rangers lad showed us a great time here. Was here on Friday afternoon and Saturday evening. Great stuff.
2 Aug 2007 15:59
Popped into the place on Friday after work and pointed to the Timmy Taylors tap when ordering. Unbeknownst to me it was "Ram Tam", which I'd never had before. Thankfully it was top drawer. My young lady wasn't sure what to have so the barman made a suggestion and let her have a taste before buying a pint. She loved it. We'll be back. In fact I may pop in tonight and try some of their Berkshire ales!
16 Jul 2007 09:37
But chrissyboy, if they gave it a refurb it probably would cease to be a good old fashioned boozer. Just look at what they did to the White Hart! Fulham has enough clinical, tasteless wine bars and I hope the George retains it's character.
The George has become my official matchday pub, full of genuine footy fans, good footy banter and an atmosphere you wouldn't be scared to bring the missus into! My only complaint is that they only seem to have one pump for real ale and I've never seen it in working order. That said, the Guinness is a fine and ample replacement.
16 May 2007 09:37
Nice pub, you walk down a couple of steps and it feels homely, not sanitized like most pubs have become. Had a few pints of the local Twickenham brew which went down nicely and played a few games of cards/poker from the small selection of games they keep out for customers' use. All the cards and pieces were where they should be! I guess it shows that if you put faith in your customers, more often than not they'll pay it back.
10 May 2007 16:14
Nice pub, good beer, evil fruit machine! Really well-kept Badger beer reminds me of home.
25 Nov 2006 10:20
Nice pub, beer has been good on almost all visits. It's also a good place to watch live sport without having the chavvy "sports bar" atmosphere.
25 Nov 2006 10:19
I've always made a point of avoiding the Walkabout but as a good mate of mine was going back to Perth I made a visit last Sunday. My first impression was even worse than expected, the smell of vomit (think the Bog of Eternal Stench from The Labyryth) hits you in the face and you'll be in serious danger of losing a shoe on the sticky floor. My girlfriend was followed to the toilet by a drunken man thrusting his hips (one of many).
Whilst waiting for a drink with a friend who had been waiting for 15 minutes to get served. He rolled his eyes at me when someone jumped infront of him and got served. The barmaid, noticing this, took exception and refused to serve him. When I did eventually get a few drinks down and the music was pumping I had a good time with my mates.
At the end of the day it's pretty obvious: if you want to have a good time here (or even tolerate it) you need to go with a group of mates and turn up steaming drunk. You could even end up having a memorable night. Not fro me though
7 Nov 2006 11:41
The Fox and Hounds, Carshalton
Had a couple of dodgy ales in here, but they were more than happy to change. More of a lager drinker's pub really. Noticed it had a Pro Evo tournament over the summer - wish I'd gone!
23 Aug 2006 16:44
Had a nice beer and a few games on the quiz machine here on Saturday. Much better than the Shakespeare's Head down the road which had no ales on at all
31 Jul 2006 10:51
I hope they still do music down there. Had a few good nights down at this place and hope to return, maybe for an open mic night!
25 Jul 2006 17:15
As a Chelsea (champions!) fan I pop in most matchdays. On the plus side you can get served quickly by pleasant staff, the beer is good (Pride, Adnams, 6X, Youngs) and you can often get a place to sit.
The food is OK (had a huge rack of ribs), but lose the skinny french fries and get some proper chips! The atmosphere is a little subdued, but friendly. I probably wouldn't drink there in the week, but the same can be said for practically every pub in the area!
25 Jul 2006 17:00
When the weather is like it is now I don't think there's a better place to have a beer. I have, however, had a few bad experiences here. Firstly, the food. A pair of us ordered potato wedges, one lot where burnt to a crisp, mine were raw. It can't be that difficult to get potatoes right! Also, it cost me �840 for two Kronenbourg Blancs! Thank God I'd won on the National otherwise I'd have fainted.
That said, the staff have been top notch to me.
12 May 2006 16:07
This pub is fine - obviously a little dear but I've enjoyed a few nights down there with workmates. Shame there's no ales but I can live with the odd lager. Can't say I've had any problems with the barstaff - one of the guys looks a bit depressed but the others are friendly and the two girls I've seen behind the bar have both been lovely (even though they couldn't help me on the pub quiz!)
27 Jan 2006 17:04
The Railway Tavern, Carshalton
Pleasant pub, always neat and clean. Hardly a buzzing atmosphere, but it's a nice place to have a quiet few pints. And the beer is absolutely top notch - had a fair few helpings of the ESB, Pride and some of the guest ales and they've never let me down. I can understand the "Master Cellarman" tag!
8 Dec 2005 17:28
The Artful Dodger, Kingston Upon Thames
I was pleasantly suprised when I actually went inside the place - barman was friendly, they DID have real ale when I was there (Adnams), an eclectic jukebox and pool table.
24 Jun 2005 18:19
Possibly the best pub in the world. The beer is well kept and well priced, the landlord and staff are as friendly as you'll ever find. If the fruit machine didn't suck in all my money I'd practically live there. Make sure you try the food and sit in the lovely garden too.
23 Jun 2005 15:45
Spacious, not too smokey, lovely bar staff and I've always been served fairly quickly - even on match days - which is more than I can say for some other pubs in the area!
29 Sep 2003 11:00
The Fighting Cocks, Kingston Upon Thames
Far and away the best pub in Kingston :).
Friendly staff, good beer, nice decor and its a pleasure to play or watch a gig there.
Its not exclusively an "alternative" pub either - with a good mix of drinkers. Keep it up :)
29 Sep 2003 10:56
The Freelands Tavern, Bromley
Now I've been in the area for a while I'm upping my review. There is a buzz there now and I'd say it was taking some business from the surrounding pubs. Definitely worth popping in for a few pints, a game of darts or somewhere to watch the game in a friendly environment, whoever you support.
13 Feb 2013 16:39