BITE user comments - Fiendishgames
Comments by Fiendishgames
Bay Horse, Stourport on Severn
I am not sure I would travel any great distance to visit this pub but I was up the road in the hotel and fancied a pint, so I popped in.
Ales on offer were Banks's bitter and Hobgoblin.
Staff were very friendly and helpful.
It's basically divided into two halves: one half is food led, and the other half is the saloon bit, though you can also eat food in here.
The food on offer is fairly standard pub grub, but cooked well and reasonably priced.
Furnishings are tired (should you care about such things) and the lighting a bit bright, but the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed.
Shame about the TV being on all the time (BBC News 24) but at least the sound was muted so I could eavesdrop on the locals' conversations.
16 Apr 2017 20:52
This is now known as The Maltings. I've not been in since it had the name change, but went in at the beginning of summer for a quiet read on a Sunday afternoon. My intention was thwarted by a handful of Chelsea supporters good naturedly watching the footie on the telly. I went out the front where the beer patio is, but it was in the shade, so I ended up leaning on a traffic bollard to get a bit of sun, with book in hand and pint in the other.
Barman seemed a cheery sort but the pub lacked for customers and atmosphere.
7 Nov 2016 12:48
Under new ownership, specialising in Pie Minister pies. Three or four hand-drawn ales available, albeit one was the widely-available and decidedly middling Greene King IPA.
Two gardens and a conservatory.
Locals are mostly Moslem, I would guess, so this tends to be a pub for office workers, though with lots of high rise residential blocks being built that may soon change.
Pies are expensive but the beers are reasonably priced for the area and the staff are friendly and enthusiastic.
16 Apr 2016 17:39
My high opinion of this pub may be coloured by the sunny weather on both occasions that I visited. The first time I sat outside drinking a pint of Twtichell from the (relatively) local Buntingford brewery (the ubiquitous Doom Bar is also available), and the second time I sat outside having a very nice Sunday lunch - a nice slab of rump roast beef, cooked to perfection.
Parking may be a bit of a problem when the pub gets busy, and it seems more of a food-led pub than some might prefer, but generally it was a very friendly atmosphere in a pleasant locale.
7 Jun 2015 16:37
In case you could not deduce it from the other most recent comment, this pub is closed, and it ain't reopening,
16 May 2015 08:39
The pub is closed but the car park remains open for commuters. Expect a block of flats or similar on this location before the year is out.
26 Apr 2015 15:50
The Princess Alice, Whitechapel
Now called the Culpepper, and is a gastropub. It IS still a pub, though, with a large selection of craft (i.e. expensive bottled) beers, and some proper ales on draught.
17 Nov 2014 11:49
Splendid pub.
Please note the post code is LE9 4AG, according to the Everards web site (not 5AG as listed here).
18 Jul 2014 08:06
This has been massively refurbished and is more of a restaurant than a pub these days, with the focus on burgers. They've finally made something decent out of the patio area overlooking the river, while there is an absolutely massive snooker-table sized ... er ... table inside for those group celebrations. Much as I like traditional boozers, I applaud this conversion. The food is fine and reasonably priced (remember to take the cocktail stick out of the burger before tucking in). The vanilla milk shakes are excellent, and I usually have one in preference to the beer. Air conditioning is frighteningly good, which makes the pub a good choice on a hot summer's day; after frying yourself on the patio you can come inside and cool down. Has a good range of McMullen ales on tap: four if memory serves. Then again, the brewery is right next door, so it should have plenty of variety.
6 Dec 2013 15:29
Reopened. Now called the Dog & Whistle and, presumably, run by the people who ran the retro deli/cafe/haberdashery/artefactory down the road of the same name.
Still a McMullen's pub, I believe.
27 Nov 2013 15:49
The Old Dispensary, Whitechapel
I do not visit this place that often because I have got it in my head that is more of a dining room than a pub. Having spoken to the landlady, she says that dining is more of a feature at lunchtime.
She certainly takes the beer side seriously, as the pub always has a broad selection and takes care not to offer anything that is on offer in any of the other local pubs. She almost had a fit when I told her the Oliver Conquest down the road had Harvey's on tap, but the OC offers Sussex Best while the Dispensary offers Harvey's IPA.
It probably is a bit full of "suits" in the early evening. I shall take care change into casual wear in future before popping into this pub after work; that will make me a completely different person... :)
2 Oct 2013 11:14
The Zeppelin Shelter, Whitechapel
Further to my recent review, this pub has now started doing food. This mainly consists of huge home-made pizzas, plus the usual pizza-parlour accompaniments, such as garlic bread and ice cream.
The pizzas may seem costly - about £7 for a Margherita - but are a good size and of good quality, and are ideal for sharing.
I can't fault Jules (the manager) for effort, and although this is not my choice of pub for a quiet conversation, I have often found myself here towards the end of a Friday night when the music volume goes up and an outbreak of toe-tapping among the clientele has been observed.
When the plethora of residential towers sprouting up along Leman Street open for business, expect this place to be heaving.
2 Oct 2013 11:06
The Zeppelin Shelter, Whitechapel
Now called the Black Horse. the presence of the sun terrace is still the main selling point of this boozer.
The new landlord, who I think is French, has been making a big effort to revive the fortunes of the place, but I am not sure if his efforts have been well directed.
The upstairs bar, which is all sofas, coffee tables and the aforementioned sun terrace, is lovely and relaxing, and very female friendly. It should be downstairs, if you see what I mean.
The downstairs bit is full of shaven bullet-headed geezers. The TV shows a succession of pop music videos while the sound system plays an unrelated succession of songs - just loud enough to make conversation difficult, not loud enough to attract the clubbers who can't afford to go clubbing.
The presence of a dart board and the high-stools and tables are not especially female friendly, and the result is that this has become a bit of a middle-aged blokes' hang-out.
Luckily, I am a middle-aged bloke ...
Usually has a couple of Greene King ales on the go and a guest, and the landlord takes good care of them. The range is augmented by five bottled ales - a legacy of the days when the new landlord could not find any brewer prepared to offer him barrels on a trial basis.
Lager offerings include Estrella and Stella, so no chance there of any confusion in a noisy pub. Every time the landlord gets the order wrong, he drinks the unwanted beer himself.
On a sunny day this pub is a 7, otherwise a 5 but heading higher. Bar staff are very friendly.
6 Aug 2013 12:14
Looks a bit worn from the outside - the sign looks really faded - but is is clean and modern inside. Young's and Wells's beers on offer, which is a bit of a rarity in these parts.
I think this pub majors as much on food as booze, as there is a full blown restaurant attached.
We only tried the bar food - ham, eggs & chips was excellent, with top notch ingredients.
Definitely one worth driving 10 miles gor, as we did.
19 May 2013 18:53
If this is truly a hotel I may well sell the house and move in. Went in on Sunday after discovering the Brunswick is virtually the only pub on the planet that does food every day of the week except Sunday. The Alex does not do hot food on a Sunday either but its rolls - OK, "cobs" in local dialect - were excellent quality and good value while one of my companions, who could eat a horse of Trojan proportions, said the cold pie he had was the best cold pie he had ever tasted.
Nothing wrong with the beer selection, either, with the Castle Rock brews supplemented by some other local brews (e.g. Burton Bridge). Coming from London I was naturally pleasantly surprised at the prices. The pub actually does take-aways in milk-carton style containers or you can buy bottles of Castle Rock ale.
The pub also does a dynamite - as in "blow your head off" - range of chocolate, including Scorpion death chili flavour.
The public bar has a lot of railway memorabilia, including an intrusive and vaguely disconcerting giant platform clock (you know the sort: red frame, yellow digital numbers). The saloon bar has a rabbit. A live rabbit in a rabbit run. I presume it lives in the beer garden in the summer.
A real find. I will be back, but sadly only once a year on my annual visit to Derby.
14 Nov 2012 10:28
Blimey. Did I say Leicester to Derby (next review)? We weren't that disorientated; I meant Leicester to Hertford.
23 Jul 2012 19:05
Popped into this place on the way from Leicester to Derby hoping for an afternoon snack at about 4pm. Alas, the cook had just knocked off, so the landlord directed us to another pub nearby which he thought might still be doing food in the later afternoon, and even allowed us to leave our car parked in his car park. I was very impressed with his helpfulness and although on this occasion we did not have time for a pint, the next time we are travelling by we shall definitely drop in. So, I can't say much else about the pub except it had a wide if somewhat predictable beer selection - Adnams, Doom Bar, London Pride, Young's Ordinary - the usual suspects. Would have liked to have seen one ale from a smaller local brewery on offer, but that really is nit picking on my part. Beer garden looked very inviting on a hot summer day.
23 Jul 2012 19:03
Tucked down a back street, with paved yard areas front and back where you can sit to enjoy a pint in the sun/rain/smoke. Has a lounge type area to the front with individual chairs and tables for those that want to get away from the TV. The back bar has a large TV and a pool table, and a number of friendly locals. Bar snack food was fine, and reasonably priced, and the pint of Old Hooky I had was excellent. Ads for the pub team's charity footie match and a forthcoming charity darts event with John Lowe suggests this is a well-supported local, but possibly a bit of the blokey side.
23 Jul 2012 18:53
I can only assume this is under new management. After a few teething problems early on (see my review on 7/3/11) this developed into a decent alternative to the College Arms in the summer of 2011.
Armed with a Tastecard we have tried to eat here several times this year but have been driven out on most occasions by the presence of loud, sweary types. We did actually manage to eat there one evening after Wayne & Waynetta were asked to tone it down and keep an eye on little Spudulike (it was close to 10pm) and the waitress apologised for the boisterousness of certain elements who were, apparently, friends of the bar staff and "in here most evenings".
Our most recent visit will be our last. Place was nearly empty at 3pm on a Sunday - albeit after a busy Sunday lunch session - and I guess the bar staff must have been whacked out because they did not seem in a hurry to serve us.
It must be tough to turn away regular customers but when they, in turn, are discouraging occasional visitors, it becomes a difficult equation for the management.
Maybe Hertford is just getting more sweary? We've had the same problems at the White Horse in Castle Street, with my Scouse friend saying they would never tolerate this sort of leery behaviour in any pub in Liverpool.
I may be turning into Colonel Buffington-Tuffington-Smyth but I can't say I moved to Hertford to be patronised by Scouse mates on levels of decorum. :)
15 Jun 2012 13:41
Oops. Just checked their Facebook site. "All 5 plasmas ready for the big game ," it screams. Looks like I was wrong about most of the TV screens having gone (see my earlier review).
18 Apr 2012 17:24
This is not a pub I normally go into, as last time I went in - back in about 2007 - it was full of TV screens, had no real ale, and seemed to be catering for people half ... make that one third ... my age. However, I was intrigued by a blackboard outside advertising real ales and a cask marque sticker on the door, so I ventured in at about 5pm on a drab April Thursday. Most of the TV screens have gone, so it no longer comes across as catering for the Sky Sports fans. There are lots of sofas, none of which match (as is the modern fashion), some vaguely Addams Family-style netting scattered around to give the place a bit of edgy ambiance, plus there are some tables and chairs for people who want to eat. There are a couple of quiz machines, and some heavily advertised evening events so it is probably not a place for a quiet pint in the evening, but off peak it is worth the occasional visit for a change of pace. I saw the barman from the White Horse in there, and seeing as the ale is about a pound a pint cheaper than the White Horse, who can blame him? They offer two real ales. When I visited it was Brentwood Brewery's Easter seasonal special, Hot XXX Buns, and Brain's Rev James. The former cost �2.30, plus they are operating a loyalty scheme during April and May: buy five ales, get the sixth one free (as per CoffeeSucks and JDW, you get a little loyalty booklet on which the pub keeps track of how many pints you have bought). Barman was friendly and informative. Locals were ... er ... local, and seemed to know each other. I asked about the retro music night and it is mainly 80s and 90s stuff, apparently. I regard that as modern ...
18 Apr 2012 17:15
Good points: Decent selection of ales (Marston's EPA, Timothy Taylor's Landlord and Fuller's London Pride). Cheap - especially whatever is currently on offer (e.g. steak pie, chips, peas and a pint of EPA for �4.99). You can take your beer upstairs and sit and look at the Monument.
Bad points: Less atmosphere than a vacuum flask. Incredibly noisy music on a Friday night. Dingy basement.
I've not had a problem with the bar staff. None of them are British natives and bonhomie is in short supply, but they've not been rude - just a bit harassed. Food seems to be a major selling point; it's reasonably priced Wetherspoon fare rather than gastropub stuff.
We pop down there after 2pm when it is quiet for some "team meetings". Lots of booths and tables available at that time so it is an ideal meeting room.
19 Apr 2011 16:36
This place reopened on 1 March as a gastro-pub. I had Sunday lunch in there on the first Sunday after they opened and it is fair to say that in terms of service, they still have not got the system right (slow and shambolic - e.g. no warning about red hot dessert plate fresh from the oven). Food was nice though, with the missus commending these things called "vegetables", which were lightly cooked and flavoursome compared to the overcooked stuff you often get in pubs.
Typical price was �11.50 for meat, pots, Yorkshire puds and the aformentioned things called vegetables. In terms of value, not a patch on the Galley Hall a bit further up the road, where you are likely to get twice the portions for �5 cheaper, but the Townshend Arms is clearly going for a more upmarket crowd, and the cooking is better.
Can't comment much on the pub side of it, as we did not stay for a drink. The conservatory where we dined was a bit taters for early March so I was keen to return to the warmth of the car. The pub bit does have two coal fires which apparently caused a few problems with smoke every time the front door opened. They had two ales on tap: the ubiquitous Adnams and another I did not recognise and now can't remember (Golden Brewer? Sounds more like a race horse)
A previous restaurant on this site went out of business, I believe, and I fear this might go the same way unless they raise the level of service to match the prices. Local competition is fierce. The aforementioned Galley Hall is a wonderfully efficient cheap and cheerful pub/restaurant while the nearby College Arms is going for the same mid-market gastropub space and doing it much better at the moment. Having said that, they had a bloke going around seeking constructive feedback so maybe they will improve.
7 Mar 2011 15:16
Spent a good three hours in this place on Wednesday 20 October before popping off to a gig at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. If this place is closed then I shall have to redefine my understanding of the term...
Grecian has described the pub well, it is a bit trendified, but I liked it. It's quite a large pub. Lots of settee space and a few tables and chairs, none of which seem to match. Subdued lighting. Interesting pictures and posters on the wall behind the bar - a bit of a retro sixties feel going on here.
Disappointingly (to me) they did not have any real ale on when I arrived despite having three pumps on show. Later on, after I had blasted my way through three pints of Guinness, I noticed that the Adnams pump was up and running,
Clientele did not look like real ale drinkers so I imagine that despite having three pumps for ale they probably only have one on the go at any one time.
On the subject of the patrons, it was a late twenties - thirties crowd, mostly. Quite a few female couples, so I would judge it female friendly.
Bar staff were great and brought the beers over to our table. Probably would have done table service too (i.e. taken orders at the table), but we were drinking up and had to move on.
Food was standard pub fare. Hot, well cooked - it did the job, but it's not a gastronome's pub.
7/10 - would have been 8 if the ale had been on when I arrived at 5:45pm on a Wednesday.
22 Oct 2010 18:01
Speaking as a City idiot (actually it is just outside the Square Mile but it is close enough) I can think of other watering holes in the area that are a lot worse than this.
It was originally a Finch�s, Young�s attempt to compete in the All Bar One market. Surprisingly they ditched the �drinking in IKEA look� and refurbed to a more traditional pub look. It is still female friendly with lots of sofas and seating, and it places a heavy emphasis on food. The food has always been OK when I have eaten there, if a little overpriced. Beer is probably also a bit overpriced but at least they do a decent range and they do not give you your change on a little dish in expectation that you will tip them for the pleasure of being charged over the odds (go to The Worshio bar in Worship Street if you want that level of bare faced cheek).
For a more �local� experience I�d recommend the Artillery Arms round the corner, a poky but atmospheric Fuller�s pub that is frequented by locals as well as City idiots.
14 Jul 2009 13:42
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The Blackbirds, Hertford
Has had a major refurb and though it has lost some of its "punk" character it now works as a family-orientated food-let place in the day and a dance around the handbags outing on a Friday or Saturday night.
I was in there on Friday and although I enjoyed the stream of 1980s disco music I did wonder what the under 25s made of it - they made up just over half the clientele, whereas the rest ran the gamut from 30-somethings to the Saga crowd.
A decent selection of ales, including the omnipresent Doom Bar, and they've still got the Brains SA from the old days. Behind the bar are a load of taps for trendy overpriced flowery craft ales, but each to their own.
I went back on Sunday for Sunday lunch and it was decent, clocking in at just under a tenner for roast beef etc.
24 Apr 2017 12:48