BITE user comments - chris_g
Comments by chris_g
This pub looks great and serves some decent beer. The outdoor area is good enough for summer but it can get very busy.
I've had a couple of dodgy Hobgoblins in here before - cloudy and overly bitter - but generally it's ok. Bar staff are a mixed bag but generally ok. The food isn't bad either.
I remember some really great nights testing the bar staff with their internet jukebox - they routinely censored what could be played and you had to really battle it out to get your quid back. I don't know if it's still there, but try Sleep's "Jerusalem" and count the seconds. They must have some pretty strict rules in there. Either that or they don't like Sleep, I guess...
Very studenty, but all in all you get a wide mix of people and it's a decent pub. Much better than some other local alternatives, and it's close to the station, taxis, restaurants, etc.
25 Jan 2010 16:43
Ugh. Well, this is one of those places that you're going to find yourself at some point. It's ok. I mean, it's too small, the toilets a... I don't know, maybe there's a word that can describe them but it escapes me.
The thing I like about this bar is that it plays rock and metal. Everything else about it is totally rubbish. The drinks are overpriced and, come on, Red Stripe in a bloody can?!
Every time I've been in at least one of the bar staff has been in a right strop, I've spent the whole time either suffling past people or shuffling for them to get past, and then you're not allowed to take your drink outside when the smell of stale hippy gets too much.
Good music, open late.
Crap bar, crap toilets, crap booze.
I'm torn...
25 Jan 2010 16:34
I've been here a few times and it's a fairly decent little boozer, with the emphasis on "little" - it can get quite cramped on busy nights.
Bar staff are friendly and know how to pour a pint (last time I checked). The plucky little manager got right in the middle of a group of complete arseholes for smoking in the side area and generally being nasty idiots. After a short while the heavies came in and scared them off, but it's good to see bar managers taking pride in their work and looking after customers.
Food is pretty standard; basically, if you take anything on the menu and imagine it bought from Tesco and cooked by your Mum, that's pretty much it. It's pretty reasonable, as I remember.
25 Jan 2010 16:28
I used to come here in my college days and a couple of years following that. How can I put this...
The Star used to be great in a shit way.
Now, The Star is shit in a good way.
I'm not surprised to hear the gents is still looking like it was air-lifted out of Beirut. The rest of the pub used to follow suit, but it was this that gave it character. If this kind of character is unappealing to some, I can understand! I liked this pub when it had a mix of local crims, rockers and folkies; when the carpet was soaked with beer and the nicotine hung of the ceilings. The beer was ok and the whisky was cheap. It was just a varied place in the middle of Guildford that, a) wasn't full of chavs, and b) wasn't hideously overpriced. I have no idea if Guildford has that anymore, but as I remember the only comparable pub was the little place next to the little graveyard off the highstreet. That was a fantastic little pub.
Anyway, my review and rating is based on the current state of the pub!
22 Jan 2010 16:20
Not a bad pub. The beer is a bit pricey for what it is and the selection isn't great. The food, however, was excellent and it has a really relaxed vibe. Sure, it's a bit of a student haunt but then most places in this area are because of Goldsmiths. The whole quirky bohemian thing does get on my tits but the guys behind the bar are nice, so who cares.
One gripe I have is the "beer garden" they opened. It really feels like it's not a part of the pub, especially if you're unlucky enough to be sat right next to the road. I don't really understand why they did it, to be honest.
Other than that, worth a go!
22 Jan 2010 16:09
I moved to Greenwich in early 2009. I like this pub - they always serve decent beer, the food is great and the beer garden always has a spare seat which is brilliant in Summer time.
I must have been lucky enough to avoid the landlady mentioned in other posts as I've always found the service to be fantastic; everyone who served me was chatty and friendly and knew how to pour a pint - in this case, some well-kept Youngs beers. The food is really nice and while it's a little pricier than your usual pub fare, it's damn tasty and you get decent portions!
Great place to go for a relaxed night out.
22 Jan 2010 16:02
Another soulless station bar; passable beer and turns into a meat market on a Friday. As the other reviewer noted, try somewhere in Greenwich centre if you want a hint of character. Even when you're not waiting for a train, it feels like you are...
22 Jan 2010 15:54
On the night I went to this pub, it was pretty much all locals (or perhaps people staying at the hotel)... and very quiet. The lady behind the bar was friendly but there really isn't much to say about this place. It doesn't have any character, although I suppose if you're looking for somewhere cheap to hold a party, it would do.
22 Jan 2010 15:50
Having frequented this pub for over four years, my opinion on it has gone through peaks a troughs.
As with many pubs in Central London, the turnover of staff is relatively swift and I have found that many of the staff seem to work there as a means to an end, which is perfectly fine if you're good at dealing with people, although I have to agree with the last reviewer that many of the staff are a little surly at times. The other problem that, again, isn't isolated to this pub, is that the staff seem to have a problem with the following:
1. Keeping tabs on who is waiting for a beer, often serving the first person they see
2. Not knowing how to pour a pint; I dread to think how much beer is wasted because they over-pour the stout (which always seems to have numerous these days). A lot of the staff simply overflow the glass until the head goes down.
However, the beer is generally ok and very reasonable (Old Brewery Bitter is still under �2). The place is well-kept and its proximity to Holborn/Chancery Lane tube stations makes it relatively easy to get home (depending on where you live).
I still go to this pub, but I'd choose the Princess Louise over this any days of the week. It's much busier (probably due to the updated "Gin Palace" layout) but the landlord is fantastic and always very friendly.
As another alternative, the Glasshouse Stores on Brewer Street is worth a go. It has two bars (one up, one down) with plenty of seating and service is quick (although, they, too, have issues with pouring stout!).
I'm happy with the Cittie of Yorke, especially now that the little shouty man who used to turf everyone out rather unceremoniously has gone!
22 Jan 2010 15:41
I only ever drink Guinness in here since they got rid of the Tanglefoot but this is just down the road so it suits me fine! Good for an after-work pint and everyone in there is really friendly. The clientelle are a little poncey but its got a decent atmosphere when the bar staff aren't subjecting us to Bob Dillon's greatest hits on full blast!
11 Dec 2007 13:14
This is a decent pub for a quick drink. Great barman, friendly locals and the beer is always good.
Bit pokey so I wouldn't stop in for a big session but well worth a visit if you're in the area.
11 Dec 2007 13:06
This is a really great pub with a decent busy atmosphere most (recent) weekends and awesome decor! Second only to the Princess Louise for Sam Smiths pubs in this area, its nicely tucked away from the busy high-street and, as usualy, the beer is great. Bar staff can be a bit miserable at times but they warm up after a few trips.
Food is decent pub grub but my only gripe is this... these have to be the most expensive chips at �4.25 a bowl! Tasty, but this is not difficult to acheive with slices of potato!
The usual selection of SS stouts, bitters, lagers and cider is on offer and they all taste superb so no gripes on the booze front.
11 Dec 2007 13:00
The Grapes, Limehouse
The one thing about this pub that disappointed me - after reading some very favourable reviews - was the trumped up little waitress who deemed it necessary to shout at me and my girlfriend for smoking outside. When we agreed to stub out she then stared at us while we walked in, like some overbearing mother! Anyway, just hope you get her on a good day otherwise she's a moody little trout.
Everything else is great! The bar staff are fantastic, the feel of the place is perfect for a pub of that size, and they do a lovely Sunday roast. The beer is kept very well and, while it has that "classy" pub vibe, I didn't feel any snobbery directed at me.
Perhaps not a pub to go out of your way for, but worth a visit if you're close by.
25 Jan 2010 16:50