BITE user comments - Pompeybelle
Comments by Pompeybelle
This and the Tom Cobley at Spreyton are my two favourite pubs in Devon. Devon has some good pubs - but these two stand head and shoulders above the rest. Here at the Bridge, the beer is always in superb condition, and though the menu maybe limited, the portions are generous and everything is fresh. I particularly like the smoked chicken sandwiches. And as for the interior of the Bridge - it's like stepping back into the past. The old Malthouse at the back is full of mysterious relics from a bygone age, and sitting in the main bar is like being in a cottage living room. Pubs like this are so rare, it's no wonder it's the only pub to which the Queen has ever made an official visit. It's well worth following in her footsteps.
11 Jun 2011 20:26
This pub gets better and better since coming under community control. Food is excellent and if you want restaurant ambiance, you can have it in the rooms at the back. But the bar is still very much a pub bar. Started off with a few local real ales, and now it has won the local CAMRA Country Pub of the Year, all the staff seem really interested, offering tasters, and wanting to know what you think of the beers. Well worth the trip.
21 Nov 2010 17:05
Sadly, this has had planning permission for four flats granted and is now up for auction. What is worse, Hall and Woodhouse have slapped a covenant on it to stop it being reopened as a pub, but it is likely that this would not be upheld in court, as the conditions for lagally imposing such a covenant do not apply. Furthermore, they would not, I am told, sell the freehold to the previous landlord, so determined are they it shall not reopen as a pub.
14 Oct 2009 22:16
The Winchester Gate, Salisbury
Enjoyed this pub very much. The beer was good and well-kept - I tried all three although it would have been easy to stick with the Tettnag Red. Friendly landlord and chatty locals plus one excited gent who had, as he informed as all, just seen a 747 doing a u-turn. As Roger B says, both locals and landlord were happy to tell us what were other good pubs and we followed their advice. If you want your pubs to have plush carpets and trendy furniture - well, it may not be for you, but anyone who likes a good honest local will enjoy this one.
14 Oct 2009 22:09
Brilliant pub. Friendly and knowledgable young lady behind the bar gave us good advice on the beers. I love the so-called junk on the walls - it is fascinating. Helpful locals told us a short cut back to the station. One of Salisbury's top pubs as far as we were concerned. This, Deacon's and the Winchester made up for a disastrous experience at the Haunch of Venison.
14 Oct 2009 22:02
The Haunch of Venison, Salisbury
Having eaten here yesterday and also visited some other pubs which, sadly, did not do food, I feel I must, as a matter of urgency, put up this review. DO NOT GO HERE. Yes, it is astonishingly quaint, but the locals in the downstairs bar surpass even the regulars in the Old Spot in Dursley for rudeness to visitors. When we called, two went on at the tops of their voices about the dreadful disease that the barmaid was suffering from, that they hoped she didn't spit in our beer, and that everyone should be wearing masks. This they appeared to find screamingly funny apparently unaware that it merely showed them up as total prats. We ignored this, and decided to eat here as Salisbury is notoriously short of decent places to eat. Don't. It's not good. My husband's scampi was at best ordinary and my Cajun chicken - well, I would have done better eating the place mat. In fairness to the (perfectly healthy) barmaid, the beer wasn't bad, but Salisbury has some brilliant pubs for those who know their beer - The Wyndham Arms, The Winchester Gate, Deacons and the Village Freehouse to name but four. Some of these do food in the evening or at weekends, so I suggest you time your visit for then. The Rai D'Or is also in the GBG and does Thai food but not unti the evening. But avoid the Haunch of Venison at all costs.
14 Oct 2009 14:48
My husband brought me here for my birthday and it was indeed a treat! What an absolute gem this place is. There can't be many pubs with baskets of tiny but incredibly sweet plums on the table with a sign saying "Eat the plums." If you don't like plums there are walnuts. The fresh flowers on the tables - and on sale at the door - come from the garden at the back. The food is superb, and comes in enormous helpings. I would have liked the treacle tart but after my bacon, egg and cheese flan, and my husband's generous ham ploughman's there simply wasn't room for another crumb.
But what about the beer? Well, there were two on the day we went, both excellently kept. The Ringwood I had was definitely a 4 on the CAMRA scale.
Don't miss reading the pub's own paper, The Harrowing Times.
I note that one visitor has taken against the lady who served him. Being a CAMRA member myself, I'm afraid I can guess the attitude that possibly irritated her. Any fool can see that in a pub this tiny, a large and probably noisy group turning up is not going to be the most welcome sight of the day. Anyone who thinks this pub should be leaping to grasp "business opportunities" isn't very sharp. We arrived at just before 12.30 and the garden was full by 1.00 pm. The whole joy of its atmosphere is that it is a home from home for families, not chavs, lager-drinkers or even a CAMRA group out on a pub crawl. It's about as far from Wetherspoons as you possibly imagine. This has just made its way into my very short list of England's top pubs.
12 Aug 2009 19:26
If the Bell is going to keep the good reputation it has earned and hitherto deserved, it really is going to have do something about the staff. Most of them are SOOOooo slow unless you happen to be a friend, and now they seem to be very reluctant to change barrels at busy times despite the fact that there are enough of them there to more than cover one person changing a barrel. Two Sundays now, the real ales have been going down fast, and today, by the time the band had finished, about all that was left was a very strong beer. The bands are still great, the beer, when it's on, is well kept - but.... A general kick up the backside is urgently required to keep this otherwise excellent pub on track.
14 Dec 2008 18:00
Royal Oak folk and Beer festival 2008 - FANTASTIC! This pub gets better and better. An amazing choice of beers and great music of all varieties. You've missed it for this year so make a date for next year. Of course, they have other beer festivals too - I'm looking forward to the winter beerfest.
20 Jul 2008 20:02
I'm afraid I can't see why this won the National Pub of the Year award from CAMRA. The beer selection is good - but not as good as the Royal Oak Twerton or the Tom Cobley at Spreyton. The food is good although a bit pricey. Nevertheless it is still a pub I would recommend. The really downer is the attitude of the local boring old f***s who hang out at the bar. One was gratuitously rude before I had even found a table. He shut up when I gave a reply which even had his friends grinning. So sharpen your wits before you go. You have been warned. Oh yes, and the landlord thinks Dyson's hot air hand-dryers are wonderfully efficient. They aren't, so take your own paper towels.
18 Jul 2008 15:42
Sadly, this little pub is closed at the moment. The present owners are trying to say it is not viable - they want to turn it into a house. No attempt has been made to market it, and, given it is a free house with an enthusiastic village support not to mention passing trade with walkers - when they're allowed in - it ought to be a very attractive proposition. The local residents are fighting this proposal, and the Bath & Borders CAMRA Heritage Pub Officer is also on the case. Will keep people posted.
18 Jul 2008 15:32
We stayed here recently. Just the odd 23 real ales to choose from - superbly kept. Great homemade food, room excellent, a breakfast to keep you going all day, friendly atmosphere. Roger and his family are dedicated to making this pub a home from home - and how well they do it! But above all, the beers make this pub a must for all real ale enthusiasts.
2 Jun 2008 22:32
Get your act together, beerintheevening - this pub is very definitely open again, with a superb range of well kept Blindman's Beers plus the guest ales mentioned below. Two of the beers are brewed especially for the Lamb, of which Lamb Ale is my favourite. The food's good too - and if you're visiting Frome you can even stay there - it really is an inn!
15 Mar 2008 14:01
What is the matter with hamandeggs and an_ecumenical_matter? Far from getting it right, they have got it horribly wrong. And I speak as one who almost certainly goes there a lot more than they do. On the very rare occasion that I thought the beer was going, I've only had to say so, and it's been taken back, the pump clip promptly turned around, and I've been offered another one without any quibble, which is more than you can say for some pubs. Nor have I ever found the staff surly - but then, I'm polite to them. Make no mistake about it, for real ale drinkers, this pub is absolutely the tops, with the beer supply managed to perfection.
9 Mar 2008 16:22
Now run by the chap who used to have the Ram at Widcombe, this formerly grotty dive has been turned around, cleaned up and generally improved beyond measure. Haven't tried the food yet - it looks excellent - but the beer is well kept. Let's hope the landlord can persuade the pubco to let him stock guest beers. If they do, it might come down to the awful decision - which Royal Oak do we go to tonight -Widcombe or Twerton? At the moment the ten handpumps at Twerton are still proving irresistible.
15 Oct 2007 19:05
Ok it's a bit on the pricey side but it's the best Irish theme bar I've been in. And when the telly's off you can always watch the fish.
15 Oct 2007 18:54
Been under new management for a while now and even though all the beer is Wadworth's, if they keep it to the high standard they've set so far, it might even make it to the Good Beer guide. Friendly staff. Food just snacks - which fills a gap in the market in a slightly pricey area foodwise.
15 Oct 2007 18:47
Friendly pub and well kept beer. The landlord Ash is one of Bath's most cheerful landlords despite neighbours from hell who made trouble over his opening hours. Recommended.
15 Oct 2007 18:43
At present the Farmhouse is closed and needing new tenants. A sad end to an era.
15 Oct 2007 18:40
This is how pubs should be - good beer, friendly staff, and a real centre for the community. The landlady even gives computer classes which are much more user-friendly than those that treat the computer illiterate as dimwits. Well done, everyone at the White Horse!
11 Oct 2007 21:16
Don't know who the whingers are - mainly because most of them seem to be reluctant to be anything other than anonymous - but they can't know much about beer. This is just the best pub in Bath - despite some very good pubs among the competition. End of story.
21 Jun 2007 19:19
Royal Oak, Fritham
Simply the best in the Forest. This pub is superb. The beer is great - straight from the barrel. The food - all locally sourced - ranges from enormous ploughman's lunches to delicious homemade pies and quiches. For a pub which, according to one contributor, doesn't welcome children, there were a quite extraordinary number around on the several occasions we went. Only one set of parents walked out because QUOTE he's only four and won't eat what he hasn't seen before UNQUOTE. Clearly fresh salad vegetables and local cheese were not on his menu at home! Unlike those of a family of locals who packed out the table next to us. These is a real country pub in the way I remember it and very welcoming. and it must be one of the few pubs that has a pony park instead of a car park - but there is a large car park nearby. If you want to get the feel of the Forest - and I speak as one who comes from an old Forest family - then you must not miss this pub. But beware - it gets very busy at weekends.
3 Sep 2011 12:05