BITE user comments - bertrude
Comments by bertrude
I managed to book a table for 4 in the restaurant for this evening; got there early to try out the bar.
This place is great - a reason not to head into Bristol!
Now, I'm going to try not to gush because it's a first visit, and things can change, but tonight was one of the best nights out I've had in a long time. To be fair, the bulk of my and my companions' praise is for the restaurant side of things, because essentially we went there for a meal, but I think that still counts for a revue. Got there for pre-dinner drinks and was reasonably happy with the choice of beers - standard draughts, cider (think it was Thatchers) and three hand-pumps: Doom Bar, Bath Gem and a guest, which was Severn Vale "Session" - I had the latter, and it was *perfectly* kept - fresh and just under room-temp. My friends had the Doom Bar which was also in top condition.
The bar area is modern but very cosy and is split into multiple little areas. When the weather is fine there are tables out front and in the reasonably sized beer garden to the rear.
When we arrived, it was very busy (as seems to be the case on every night), but the staff are very efficient and a barman/waiter enquired if we were OK and invited us to the end of the bar to get drinks and said to come back and ask when we were ready to dine.
When we were ready to eat, we were taken to the restaurant area, which is equally cosy - they have the atmosphere setup just right. From the a la carte menu (choice of 7 starters and about 12 mains), we had the mushroom-stuffed half chicken with saffron rice, the mediterranean fish stew, the swordfish in a creamy curried sauce and the Somerset pork. All were very high quality, beautifully presented, and very reasonably priced @ �9.95 each. For dessert we opted for chocolate brownie with rasberry and mango jus and ice cream, the winter-berry Eton mess and red-wine poached pear with berries and cinnamon ice cream. Again, all amazing for the �4.95 price.
The staff were all so nice (I've never noticed these people in Downend before - I'm sure they've bussed in the beautiful people from somewhere else!) and we left with nothing really bad to say and plans to return soon. If there is to be a gripe, it's that if you're driving there, there is very limited parking in the carpark in front of the pub and you might have to park some way away.
I'm going to have to try it out as a Saturday afternoon drinking joint!
19 May 2010 23:14
Does anyone know what is happening with this place at the moment? It seems to be getting a very heavy makeover - i.e. they've gutted the place and are putting in new windows etc. Green Dragon sign is still the old one outside!
6 Feb 2010 17:16
Absolutely amazing little pub - very friendly and a good stock of well-kepy local ales! Been there a few times with some friends who call it their local, and always felt like I've been at home.
Even better if you're in when Daisy is in. Daisy being the lovely Jack Russell who kips in front of the fire and fishes for compliments until 10:50pm, when she earns her living, jumps onto the bar and rings the bell for last orders.....without prompting!
30 Dec 2009 22:02
The Old Mail House, Staple Hill
I was half expecting a refurb of this place having seen scaffolding outside it for a couple of months. Went in last night, and wasn't sure if they'd touched it at all!
This has the potential to be a very nice pub, it has a lovely bar, friendly staff, high ceilings, bags of space....unfortunately, it's all kind of let down by a) the decor and b) the lack of good ales (Butcombe was the only handpump). They've painted the ceilings white and put in high-wattage low-energy bulbs, so it seems a bit stark. Add to that, they'd made the common mistake of getting some crooner in doing 60s hits,we only stayed for one.
22 Jun 2008 09:50
Popped in here briefly after a walk around Rowberrow/Black Down. It's a very cosy, and seemingly friendly Butcombe pub. It's been decorated to look like a very old wooden-beam pub, but closer scrutiny shows that it's more modern than it pretends - I noticed a few RSJs clad in black wood!
That shouldn't really detract from the fact that it is a lovely place with a jovial pub dog, smiling, friendly bar staff and a nice selection of beers - mostly Butcombe (original, Gold & Blonde), but at least one local guest ale, plus the standard lagers (Fosters, 1664 etc.) Didn't try the food but the menu looked tasty and varied.
Overall, a great pub from what we experienced of it, and plenty of the Shipham locals were there or walking to the place as we were leaving, so it can't be bad at all!
21 Mar 2008 23:44
Definitely more lively at the weekend. And what friendly people they are in there! Could have done without the 1950s-style crooner running a karaoke, but I guess it rocks some boats...
5 Mar 2008 08:29
Small, brightly lit and not the most welcoming place. One for the locals I think (except me, it seems!)
5 Mar 2008 08:26
The Staple Hill Oak, Staple Hill
It's a Whetherspoons, so you know what you're getting. Stays open until 1am on Fri/Sat with a generally younger crowd then. Range of ales are well kept.
5 Mar 2008 08:25
We started a Cheltenham pub crawl at this establishment on a Friday afternoon. As Cheltenham railway station is about a mile away (the name of the pub alludes to the fact that it is on the old Honeybourne line, which is now a cycle path), we were left quite eager to down our first ale after the walk. Unfortunately, when we got there, the only thing they had left on pump was Pedigree, so we asked for four pints of that. The pump nearest to us didn't work so the barmaid had to go round the back to pour the beer and fetch it back.....one pint at a time! It took about 10 minutes to get served in all, by which time a small queue was forming behind us.
In mitigation, this was just after Christmas, so it may have been that they'd had a busy period and had under-estimated on their pre-Christmas order. The barmaid did apologise several times (for which she got some unwanted M&S mince pies for her troubles!). The beer we had was actually very nice and fresh, and we really liked the pub itself - it looks like it has been recently refurbished in a fairly modern style, but it is classy and looks really good. The atmosphere felt just right despite the lashing rain outside, and it was slowly starting to fill up with friendly 30-somethings at about 5pm.
30 Dec 2007 10:00
Great pub for an early drink. They have huge comfy booths which overlook the whole pub for people-watching. Nice decor, nice atmosphere (no blaring music when I was there) and very well kept beer at good prices (4 pints of St. Austell Tribute - �8.20).
Pretty good for a chain pub!
30 Dec 2007 09:46
Hmm, maybe they've gone down hill very rapidly from the other comments, but I was last there about 7 months ago and it was as good as it used to be when I lived in Bolton. It's a really cosy pub with good ales and good wines, the food certainly used to be fantastic, and the views across Greater Manchester out as far as Jodrell Bank and Mersyside on a clear day are awesome.
9 Dec 2007 23:50
Now, this pub was dire until recently. It was (still is in theory) a "Hungry Horse" branded establishment, which is Greene King's budget family food range of pubs. It was bright, kitch and plasticky with large portions of bland, artery-clogging food at cheap prices.
However, the place has just undergone a refurbishment and it looks like they've all but completely lost the "Hungry Horse" brand. Some colleagues and I were actually invited there for the pre-re-opening trial night (which to be fair meant we got free food and no doubt undue attention lavished on us!). I was actually really impressed!
The pub as a whole as gone much more relaxed, the lighting is much cosier and the decor is fab - kind of a bold, contemporary victoriana, with flocked wallpaper and big, comfy cubicles. There's now a full bar near the front of the pub, with normal pub seating - it feels a lot less like a restaurant holding area than it used to. There are the usual Greene King and other ales on handpump which were well kept, but maybe not surprising if they were all new lines / kegs.
The food was probably the best bit though - I had sizzling BBQ duck and it was lovely - big portions which came with lots of roast vegetables, caramelised onion and spiced fries, and would have cost me about �9 if we were paying.
I'll try and visit again on a normal night before long, but there is a definite improvement.
9 Dec 2007 12:41
Being on a business park, it's geared up mostly for brisk lunchtime trade as a result of which the food is a bit canteen-y, but as a pub it's actually got quite a lot of character. The Thwaites is OK for draught ale and there's a good selection of other beers, so I've visited here a few times on a summers evening - it's generally quiet, mostly with people escaping the neighbouring Aztec Hotel (and presumably the new budget hotel that's going up right next to the pub!), but its friendly enough.
9 Dec 2007 12:26
Seems to have lost its way over the last year or so. We used to go a lot on Friday lunchtime because it's got a nice beer garden with big tables. However, the menu has shrunk, the prices have gone up and the service leaves a little to be desired (they seem to have a habit of getting the orders wrong). That said, I had a `rustic mediterranean platter' there last time, which was absolutely delicious!
Would go again if they could sort out the few niggling issues.
Greene King IPA is the standard ale, with guests on pump or in firkins.
8 Dec 2007 17:46
The Bradley Stoke, Bradley Stoke
It's been a few months since I've been in here, but of all the Bradley Stoke pubs, this is definitely the `Next' shirt brigade hangout on Friday/Saturday nights. A good pub if you're 18 and after some eye candy ;-)
8 Dec 2007 17:39
Fairly decent pub from the Ember Inns stable. Often has beer festivals with free beers on collecting enough stamps. Atmosphere is laid back and there is plenty of comfy seating.
Food is pretty good chain-pub fayre, but don't expect haute cuisine.
Quiz on Tuesday nights (~�25 first prize), but the quiz mistress has a tendency to make your ears bleed!
8 Dec 2007 17:34
Great little street-corner pub with a selection of three real ales - I think it was Deuchar's, Doom Bar, and Speckled Hen when I was there - It was on a tuesday night so it was fairly quiet other than the bowling game which was going on at the rear of the pub (a league game by the looks of it), but it's half way between Downend and Fishponds so I guess it never get that busy. It had a very cosy feel.
8 Dec 2007 17:23
Lovely village pub on a hill. The hand-pumped Badger ales are seasonal and very well kept - served just perfect and in their own unique glasses. The "Pickled Partridge" was particularly nice.
Not sure if the food lives up to the prices they had posted though!
8 Dec 2007 13:31
Seems an OK place. Has a good selection of well-kept beers and cider. I went in on a Wednesday night and it seemed a bit quiet, other than some local yooves, who seemed to be on pretty good behaviour. The decor gives the place a strangely mediterranean feel (warm lighting).
8 Dec 2007 13:11
Having just moved into the area, I thought I'd try this pub with some friends as it's the nearest one to me.
The exterior somehow makes this place seem a bit uninviting, but actually it's not that bad. The bar staff and landlord are friendly and the clientelle seem friendly enough so far! There's a lounge and a separate gamesroom (darts, pool & poker) with jukebox.
The choice of beers is not that great - Bass being the only ale I noted. The rest are lagers (Stella, Fosters, Carling) and draught cider (Blackthorn). The interior also needs a bit of updating, but it's at least honest.
I'll have to make a few more visits, I think...
8 Dec 2007 12:50
Crown Inn, Cerney Wick
Nice pub, if a little tired in the decor. Landlord is very interesting and friendly as are the staff. We always use this pub as a base for getting to the Air Tattoo at Fairford - they do camping for a tenner. There is always a selection of well-kept ales and the food is basic pub food but tasty and plentiful. As a nice surprise, there was a live band playing when we were dining who were excellent.
18 Jul 2010 11:09