BITE user comments - SteveinLondon
Comments by SteveinLondon
The years roll by, but fortunately this pub never changes. All the standards are maintained: a fantastic range of ale, which now seems to take in a wider range beyond the offerings of Harvey's. The venerable Fullers London Porter was on last night, a pump clip that always calls for celebration. The food is still terrific, although I never stray further than their Steak & Ale pie that I would count as my favourite dish served throughout the whole city. Some outdoor seating has been added to help with the overspill, although last night was a reasonably quiet affair. I'm leaving the UK this year and can honestly say that the Royal Oak is one of the things I will miss the most. It adds to the enjoyment of life & is in my mind, the finest pub in the UK.
17 Aug 2010 09:44
The Southampton Arms, Gospel Oak
Was there on Monday 9th and caught the tail end of their quiz - it may as well been Saturday night it was so raucious and lively an atmosphere. Beer range was extremely interesting & everything appears to be served in traditional jars. Wines were well chosen, music was on vinyl - this is a very good pub. Easy to find if coming from Gospel Oak Overground too - just turn left under the bridge and walk up to the first junction.
17 Aug 2010 09:28
The Check Inn, North Wroughton
Being new to the area, I never appreciated this pub in its previous incarnation, but have to say that this is an enjoyable place to drop in. The complete Fullers range is complimented by a selection of changing guests. Normally this would be a reasonable motivation to visit, but there is a greater temptation; the food. The steak and kidney & game pies have to be seen to be believed. Suet crust, high quality meat & piping hot. And go hungry!
24 Nov 2007 10:25
Had a couple of good quality Fullers ales here last night with the lads after a game of football. Discovery & HSB were on form and enjoyed all round. Busy, but not overwhelming atmosphere.
27 Sep 2007 09:22
A very congenial and civilised pub off the drag with a good range of Badger beers to choose from. Surprisingly roomy too with a separate dining area, big fire and a decent sized telly for sport. Far superior to the dross round corner.
27 Sep 2007 09:18
Good choice of interesting beers, regular regional festivals & apparently 40+ milds on sale in May. Nethergate Old Growler & Hogsback TEA currently resides, but probably not for long. Last night, the food seemed to be from a selection of cold meets under cellophane, but the beer is the draw here. Definitely worth a visit.
4 Apr 2007 13:58
The highlight of our Wandsworth crawl last Friday. Despite my mates jaded experience of service and his aversion to real ale, even he was touched by the warm welcome and kind cheerio from the landlord that top and tailed our visit that evening. In between there was an excellent pint of Ordinary to enjoy each and plenty of local characters to watch over. A proper London boozer.
26 Jan 2007 00:04
It�s always amazing to stumble on somewhere seemingly hidden for decades for the first time. Hidden down a quiet road surrounded by new Wandsworth apartments, a pub with an unusual mixture of faded superstars pictures and family holiday snaps on the walls awaits. Its contents a constant surprise, this made for a strange backdrop for a rare (for London) drop of Slater�s bitter tonight.
25 Jan 2007 23:45
Winter Warmer was really on the money on Wednesday night which seems to be especially difficult to find in Young's houses this year since the brewery took up sticks to bedfordshire. Still a strong alternative to the WH.
25 Jan 2007 23:33
Have to agree with other comments here about the quality of service and the rude way that customers are ejected prior to 11pm. Last night I was offered two halves of murky barrel dregs of Caledonian Deuchars followed by a failed attempt to get any London Pride out of the barrel. The alternative was a competatively priced three pound Guinness instead.
Here's a tip for the manager and staff at the JG: when the pub is quieter during the daytime, instead of just chatting to your mates, why not check the casks over to see if there is sufficient stock available for your evening rush of customers and take action accordingly.
31 Oct 2006 23:20
The Globe on the Lake, Alresford
Fantastic private garden looking over a large tranquil pond to sup some high quality Itchen Valley ales. You have to take your pint for a little walk out of the pub,down a side road and through a gate to get to it.
30 Oct 2006 00:47
Came in here by mistake looking for the Railway Arms. Courage Best was acceptable, but the locals put that scene in mind where Michael Caine pulls up in that boozer near the start of Get Carter.
30 Oct 2006 00:41
Stream trains and brilliant ales within a whistle away from each other. Never had any Triple F beers before, but having tried Moondance I'll be back for more.
30 Oct 2006 00:35
I thought that Battersea Dogs Home had been relocated further west there were so many grating Jeremy�s and Tamara�s with their minute mutts looking puzzled & anxious at their owners screeching about daddies latest investments. When a dog is a must have accessory, you know that you are in the wrong pub.
The barmaids offered a new level of vagueness in customer service. The first beer was a murky brown & clearly off, although I was advised that it �always looks like this�. The substitute ale was a foam bath having looked like the barmaid had dropped a packet of detergent into the pint. This was served with a straight face as its contents spumed all over the bar.
The place may well serve interesting food, but I am dammed if I�ll be hanging around to find out.
8 Sep 2006 18:05
Have to admit that I didn�t think much of the place last year on its opening, but the management here have really turned this pub around. The full Timothy Taylor range is served impeccably, including the Dark Mild which I enjoy even more for the fact that it is retrieved form the bowels of the cellar each time without so much as a raised eyebrow from the staff. The locals are very chatty, although you can escape to the side garden for a little peace if required. This pub has been well spoken of in recent editions of Camra's London Drinker magazine, including a cover feature, so its stock should rise even further if it starts appearing in various 2007 good beer/pub guides.
With the exception of Landlord, these beers are mostly un-available outside of West Yorkshire, so if you have even the slightest interest in good beer, you should definitely pay a visit.
25 Aug 2006 14:17
The Angel and Crown, Leicester Square
Better than it has any right to be. Nice pint of Landlord too.
25 Aug 2006 14:01
What a big surprise; a terrific pub in theatreland that not only has a changing range of real ale, but a warm and friendly atmosphere to enjoy them in. I feel mortified that I bypassed this little pub for the Marquis of Granby for so many years or settled for hot, ugly, crowded places like the Chandos round the corner.
25 Aug 2006 14:00
The Sekforde Arms, Clerkenwell
Havent't been for some time but glad to read good things about the Sekforde. Anyone know whether the photographs of Michelle Collins still adorn the walls?
Good locals pub and friendly to boot.
17 May 2006 18:30
Having checked out all the alternatives for a weekend 30th birthday party, this was easily the best pub in Lyme Regis. Great location with an enjoyable range of Palmers beers and some great offerings from the kitchen. Sunday seemed like a quiet night compared to all the events chalked up on the boards and on a more pleasant evening, sitting outside on the Cobb would have been a must. Only downer was the video jukebox, with an expensive selection of crud.
8 May 2006 19:10
Closed on Sunday evening whilst the nearby Royal Standard & Cobb Arms stole all the trade. Real shame.
8 May 2006 19:02
The Pilot Boat Inn, Lyme Regis
We raised the volume with a vocal card game in this quiet seafront pub, but nobody battered an eyelid. Nice pint of Palmers Best.
8 May 2006 18:57
Received a friendly welcome and a nice drop of Otter Ale after the huge exertion required to climb Silver Street. Inside looks more than a little tired but the view of Lyme bay out from the rear garden is very rewarding.
8 May 2006 18:49
The Bridge of Orchy Hotel, Bridge Of Orchy
Terrific hotel in the middle of Rannoch Moor. I had the pleasure of staying here this week and was treated to a warm welcome, comfortable room, superb food and a great pint of Deuchars IPA. Remote, but accessible being next door to the small railway station and right on the A82. A welcome retreat for any walkers exploring the majestic surroundings, but seemingly extremely popular to boot. The phone kept ringing incessantly on Monday evening from inquiring customers. Hire a car or take the Caledonian Sleeper direct to the station and visit this extraordinarily beautiful part of the world.
26 Jan 2006 00:12
Reliable Putney boozer that dispenses a fine pint of Special from the main bar (the lounge bar ale can be a little too warm for my taste). Nicely worn out floor and interior reinforces the fact that many, many people have spent their time wisely here. Sports appear to be shown only in the cramped public bar, leaving plenty of space for the diners to watch the Thames rush by from a comfortable main lounge.
The pub has been graced with the mini beer festival of which Burton Beer, a stronger 1960's predecessor to Winter Warmer is about to be unleashed today for a very limited period. This beer has long been regarded as one of the lost ale classics of London and hasn't been seen on a pump for over 40 years. So what the hell are you waiting for?
12 Oct 2005 19:30
Had the most delicious roast here on Sunday, washed down by that most suspect of real ales, Greene King IPA. I'm happy to report that it was one of the best drops of GK I�ve ever tasted, especially as it was gravity dispensed rather than having the flavour strained out of it through a swan neck which seems prevalent throughout this brewer's houses.
Delightful countryside and only a short drive away from the A1, the Cock has much to crow about.
12 Oct 2005 19:19
The Duke is now a much, much better place to spend some quality time. I went in last Saturday afternoon for a pint and the papers and the place was sparkling since its recent refit. Not only that, but the original tiling has been buffed up in the main bar and now looks magnificent.
I found an enjoyable menu, tasty Ordinary, friendly service, comfortable sofa's, welcome air con and a batch of the day�s newspapers to leisurely work through. The lack of a TV, a fruit machine and the usual kegged suspects is more likely to tempt the White Horse clientele across the green rather than the oiks that regularly made up a small number of its customers in its previous incarnation. My experience was on a non matchday, so I cannot guarantee that peace breaks out here every other Saturday when the blues play at home, but its worth jumping on the District Line to find out.
5 Sep 2005 18:15
The Windsor Castle, Marylebone
Just started up, refurbished bar at the top of Marylebone with a changing selection of real ales, Czech & Belgium beers. A food menu is promised for the end of August and evening entertainment is planned in the near future.
The ale could do with a bit of better cellar management, but as it is early days for this bar I'd recommend this as the northern most stop off for anyone taking the marylebone/baker street crawl.
9 Aug 2005 09:30
Quite a revelation having drank there in its previous incarnation. Lots of European beers and three real ales (with a delicious Wild Hare from the Bath Brewery on at the moment). Although expensive, its very pleasant to drink in a bar that treats its beer with so much respect and having seen all the micro brewery pump clips dotted around the bar, there's obviously been some great nights recently. This was number two on a five bar pub crawl last night - we never moved on.
9 Aug 2005 09:10
If only I had a local like this; top sounds, teriffic grub and some of the finest ales served in the UK. Brighton's Belle.
17 May 2005 00:00
The Basketmakers Arms, Brighton
Festival Mild & their house burger - does life get any sweeter? Still, it's difficult to decide between this and the Star. Just make sure you stop at both sometime on your next dirty weekend.
16 May 2005 23:56
Usually only write good things on this site where I have had an enjoyable evening - but for this place i'll make an exception! Last year an extremely rude and ignorant barmaid took my money for a couple of pints, but when challenged for the said pints of beer, it became apparant tha she had served them another chap at the bar. When pointed out that chap & beer had departed into the masses, was told that I should have paid more attention to where she was serving. When I demanded the pints from the landlord, the reaction I received was a shrug and told that I should pay more attention and cough up for a further two pints. There was no offer to provide a beer let alone an acknowlegement of error. Go for the cheap beers if you must, but dont expect an ounce of customer service. Actually do yourselves a favour and stroll down Vauxhall Bridge Road to the Jugged Hare.
3 Apr 2005 21:39
Had a decent pint of Fuller's London Porter today. Try to sneak the sofa's in the (no smoking) back room for a quieter life.
3 Apr 2005 21:18
This is now trading again as a yet un-named public house, strangely enough, selling very well conditioned Timothy Taylor Landlord on tap. However, as the next door estate & football away fans seem to make up the clientele, expect the Fosters brigade to be accompanying you at the bar.
3 Apr 2005 16:59
The White Horse, Parsons Green
I support anon. This pub is all about the quality of the beer, not the colour of the rugby shirts worn by the punters. I�ve just spent an enjoyable afternoon supping some quality stouts and porters in order to 'support' the Easter beer festival and what a well spent hat trick of hours it was . The question that puzzles me is this; why is it that despite the plethora of beer and ale choice do great unenlightened repeatedly turn up at this place of all the London pubs available and ask for Stella or Guinness? Either see the light, or take flight guys �cos otherwise there's nothing here for you to see!
28 Mar 2005 18:20
The White Horse, Parsons Green
A premier league pub in London. An enormous range of international bottled beers and well kept real ales should tempt even the least inquisitive of identikit larger drinkers. Whether dining in the courtyard restaurant or supping outside in the front garden overlooking the green attacking the seemingly year round burgers on the bbq, this place is difficult to beat. Exceptionally good are the seasonal Real Ale weekend festivals which seems to attract people from the far reaches of the capital, all enjoying the splendid selection of unusual beers (many never usually found inside the M25). Coming here can be an addiction that is very hard to shake off.
24 Dec 2004 09:54
Terrific busy little gastro with a changing menu and interesting selection of wines and easily the best near West Brompton tube. Caledonian IPA is consistently well kept and you will always find something delicious to eat. It�s closed over Christmas, so make it your New Year resolution to pay this great little pub a visit.
24 Dec 2004 09:41
The Porterhouse, Covent Garden
I cannot agree with some of the comments on this site. The place always seems desperately understaffed, the beer variety is kegged so any flavour has been well and truly pasteurised out, the food is predictable and you need a king�s ransom to get a round in.
For a proper beer house, try the Market Porter in Borough or the Wenlock Arms near Old Street.
18 Dec 2004 14:20
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The Seven Stars, Bristol
Fabulous pub with a cracking range of ales and ciders. Always seems to be something going on (a weekend music fest when i was last there in August). There's some good pubs in Bristol and surrounds, but none touch this place.
7 Sep 2010 11:38