BITE user comments - keepthechange
Comments by keepthechange
The Royal Victoria and Bull, Dartford
Within days of RogerB pleading for this pub to be renovated (see review, below) the builders arrived, erected scaffolding and began work on the restoration. Some may call it a co-incidence, but I prefer the idea that the owners of the pub read BITE and took Rogers comments on board!
It's obvious that a huge sum of money has been spent on restoring this building and overall, it's quite a transformation. Visually at least, the Bull & Vic is now an impressive pub. With more seating and the odd leather sofa dotted around, it feels a far more inviting place to sit down with a pint. The extra seating would also suggest that they're trying to attract more diners - on my visit most people had ordered food.
Unfortunately, the beer selection has remained the same, with only Guinness and John Smiths offered as an alternative to the various lagers. That decision does seem at odds with the country pub feel of the place. The Guinness I ordered was perfectly acceptable.
Its a shame the budget didn't stretch to the bar staff because on my visit, the two who served me weren't the cheeriest and seemed rather bored. Typical pub chain apathy.
I noticed that the disco lighting and massive speakers have survived the refurbishment so it will continue to act as a night club come the weekend. And this might be one of the biggest problems for the Bull & Vic. Is it an 'olde world' pub or is it a nightclub? Even the website for the owners list this place under their "party bars" section as opposed to the "traditional pubs" section.
It's great to see this place restored and is definitely worth a visit, if only to appreciate the grandeur and history. Just don't expect any real ales or overly friendly bar staff.
4 Nov 2009 11:28
The Royal Victoria and Bull, Dartford
Within days of RogerB pleading for this pub to be renovated (see review, below) the builders arrived, erected scaffolding and began work on the restoration. Some may call it a co-incidence, but I prefer the idea that the owners of the pub read BITE and took Rogers comments on board!
It's obvious that a huge sum of money has been spent on restoring this building and overall, it's quite a transformation. Visually at least, the Bull & Vic is now an impressive pub. With more seating and the odd leather sofa dotted around, it feels a far more inviting place to sit down with a pint. The extra seating would also suggest that they're trying to attract more diners - on my visit most people had ordered food.
Unfortunately, the beer selection has remained the same, with only Guinness and John Smiths offered as an alternative to the various lagers. That decision does seem at odds with the country pub feel of the place. The Guinness I ordered was perfectly accpetable.
Its a shame the budget didn't stretch to the bar staff because on my visit, the two who served me weren't the cheeriest and seemed rather bored. Typical pub chain apathy.
I noticed that the disco lighting and massive speakers have survived the refurbishment so it will continue to act as a night club come the weekend. And this might be one of the biggest problems for the Bull & Vic. Is it an 'olde world' pub or is it a nightclub? Even the website for the owners list this place under their "party bars" section as opposed to the "traditional pubs" section.
It's great to see this place restored and is definitely worth a visit, if only to appreciate the grandeur and history. Just don't expect any real ales or overly friendly bar staff.
2 Nov 2009 17:20
Closed. It would appear that most of the other RSVP's listed on BITE have turned into a Slug & Lettuce. Somehow, I cant see that happening with this venue. For now, it remains empty.
27 Jul 2009 16:58
Love them or hate them, you can't fault JD Wetherspoon for restoring some wonderful old buildings across the UK and The Flying Boat is another example. Stepping inside this pub for the first time you'd have to be a hardened cynic not to be impressed by the amount of money and care lavished on the re-furb.
Thick carpets, ornate light fixtures, bespoke chandeliers...it has a very luxurious feel. Even the toilets look like they're from a 5 star hotel. How this luxury will stand the test of time is anybody's guess, but I'll enjoy it while it lasts.
The beer & ale selection is what you'd expect from a JDW and the guest ales have already been rotated less than a month after the pub opened. The Abbot Ale and Ruddles I tried at the weekend were excellent as was my pint of Caledonian Top Banana (if you like beer that tastes of bananas of course). For those who enjoy the fizzy stuff, there's the normal range of lagers, although I did notice a Coors Light being served in its own branded glass - which is an unusual option, for around here anyway.
Food is clearly seen as an important part of this particular Spoons future and based on the dishes I've sampled so far, they seem to be making more of an effort than some of the other JDW's I've tried in the past. Being asked "is everything ok with your meal?" is a new experience for me in a Wetherspoons. Again, time will tell if they can keep this level of attentiveness up.
The Flying Boat won't be for everyone. Despite its expensive makeover the cheap beer still attracts the odd unsavoury character and the presence of so many families with their kids on a Saturday afternoon will no doubt horrify many seasoned drinkers.
Thankfully, JDW have already thought of this and have cunningly refurbished their other local pub, The Paper Moon, to try and keep everyone happy.
13 Jul 2009 13:22
As most Bexleyheath residents will know, The Furze was once a Lloyds Bar that had its licence revoked by the council due to persistent trouble & under age drinking. To retain the (obviously profitable) venue, Wetherspoon's hastily refitted the place out in standard 'Spoons decor in an attempt to appeal to the more "mature" drinker and this move, by and large, has been successful. Indeed, it's always rammed whenever I visit.
Essentially a pub within a shop unit, there's zero character to this place and the cavernous interior has an odd atmosphere, even when it's packed. Picking the wrong place at the fairly long bar can be disastrous and the bar staff can appear a little dis-interested.
That said, I've never had any complaints about the beer and due to the size of the bar there's generally a fair selection of ales on offer at any one time. The food is standard JDW quality - not amazing, but acceptable.
Given it's location there's a lot of passing trade and it's very popular with parents and their offspring - thankfully, it has it's own
"family area" at one end of the pub which works quite well and doesn't interfere with those just looking for a quiet pint.
A competent, if slightly dull JDW pub that in my opinion, is better than The Wrong 'Un at the other end of town.
17 Jun 2009 16:39
The Prince Albert, Bexleyheath
Used to be my local when I lived round here and I still visit every few weeks. Events haven't been kind to The Albert in the last couple of years - first the smoking ban hit trade badly (the only outside area is bang on the busy main road) and then The Woolwich Head Office closed across the road - destroying the once lucrative lunchtime food market. A real shame, as this is easily one of the best pubs in Bexleyheath. Whilst unremarkable from the outside, the interior has bags of character and is very well maintained. There's the standard selection of Neame beers (nothing wrong with that) which are always well kept. It's not the cheapest pub in the area, which tends to keep the rubbish out, and as mentioned, there's nowhere to sit outside so not ideal for a summers afternoon.
That said, now miserable Matt has left (who was never good for business) the new owner is doing all he can to try recoup some of the lost trade and from what I've seen, it seems to be working.
4 Jun 2009 15:35
Spotted this place during a long weekend in Whitstable and it looked very appealing from the outside. An old timber framed building that's a little off the beaten track, I was expecting great things when I walked in.
Alas, the interior is a huge let down. Whoever decided to modernise this place has made a grave error (in my humble opinion). I can only describe it as looking like the bar area in a Travelodge hotel. For such an old building it's all just wrong - Garish carpets, plasma TV's everywhere, modern fixtures....you get the idea. None of this is helped by a slightly tense atmosphere - locals shouting across the pub at each other, trying to be heard over the blaring TV's.
I can't even tell you what the beer is like as I never got that far - when my wife noticed that the only wine on offer was out of a tap at the bar (always a bad sign) that was the final straw, we made our excuses and left.
With so many decent pubs in the area there's little for me to recommend about this place I'm afraid.
3 Jun 2009 17:25
The Duke Of Cumberland Hotel, Whitstable
Spent a couple of hours here last Friday afternoon and as Neame pubs go, it's ok...if nothing spectacular. Alongside the normal Shep beers I noticed Asahi lager on tap which is unusual. I opted for the Whitstable Bay (when in Rome and all that) and a good choice it was too. The barmaid serving was very knowledgeable and courteous and the place seems to be well managed. Unfortunately, it does feel a little run down inside and due to its central location, it didn't seem to have many regulars (which is what I normally associate with Neame pubs).
1 Jun 2009 12:50
It's a Harvester restaurant, so as HTM69 has pointed out - it shouldn't really be on BITE. However, as Harvesters go, it's a pretty good example and I've never had a bad meal in here. The staff are always efficient and the place is always busy.
I doubt I'd ever pop in just for a drink though.
30 Apr 2009 13:00
As someone else has mentioned, The Tollgate is a pretty soulless place. It reminds me of The Furze Wren in Bexleyheath, just without the hundreds of customers. Whilst I dont think it's awful, it doesn't do anything particularly well - it's just very middle of the road. The bar staff always seem bored, the punters always seem bored the drink selection is boring and the food is always "just ok".
I don't want to give it a bad review, but I cant really find anything to say that's particularly good either.
Distinctly average. Sorry.
24 Apr 2009 17:50
As a "thirty-something" I've been in this bar on a couple of Friday nights and felt very old indeed. It's definitely one for the 16-25 year olds so I'll leave it to them. From what I saw it had the standard ingredients required for this type of venue: Loud music, a dance-floor of sorts, queuing at the bar to get served, scantily clad ladies and a load of young blokes plucking up the courage to speak to the aforementioned ladies. That said, the atmosphere wasn't too bad and light years away from the awful Litten Tree over the road (which has thankfully now closed)
However, I often pop in here on a Saturday afternoon with the missus (once she's finished dragging me round the shops) and it's actually a decent enough place during the day.
Whilst the beer selection is limited to lager, lager and erm, lager, the food menu is impressive with tapas style grazing dishes that you'd expect to find in trendier parts of London. Service is prompt and the food is very, very good.
Sorry, I know this isn't a restaurant review site - but the menu/food is probably the best thing about this place during the day - so I think it's worth mentioning.
The drinks can be a little expensive and the bar staff aren't always the happiest, but minor quibbles aside, I think this is a well laid out and modern bar. If you're over 25 then avoid Friday and Saturday nights and if you're after a traditional boozer then walk along to the Royal Oak.
24 Apr 2009 17:32
Every time I go in here, I'm confused as to why there are "regulars" - it's so off the beaten track I don't understand who'd go there just for a drink (if you're not actually getting on/off a train). If it was the only pub within a couple of miles then fair enough, but there's loads of pubs (some good, some bad) just a couple of minutes away.
I've had vastly different experiences of this place when I've visited - so it's a bit of a lottery.
At best, it's been "average". The staff were efficient, if lacking in personality and the customers weren't too annoying.
At worst, its a hell hole. Miserable staff (actually, "defeated" is probably a better expression) and full of gobby chavs who think they're the funniest geezers in the world.
In summary: Cheap beer = cheap clientele.
Not exactly the jewel of Dartfords watering holes.
20 Apr 2009 16:51
I've always by-passed this place because it's never looked too appealing from the outside (not helped by the tatty road it's in, opposite the derelict Co-op)
Looks, in this case, can be deceptive. Once you're inside it's a far more welcoming affair. The bar staff are friendly and welcoming, the Shepherd Neame beers seem to be of a comparable standard to The Royal Oak and the home cooked food is also of a high (but affordable) standard.
As others have mentioned, the interior does feel a little tired and it could do with brightening up a little. The signed photos dotted along the walls of "stars" who have performed at The Orchard are intriguing, if nothing else. If you're interested in TV comedians from the 1970's then you've struck gold in this place.
Overall, a decent town centre pub that does the basics well enough: good beer, good food, friendly staff, pleasant enough regulars and a surprisingly impressive beer garden for those who enjoy drinking their beer al fresco.
20 Apr 2009 15:19
I think I've been lucky on my visits to this place. Whilst I kind of agree with most of the comments, I genuinely don't think it's one of the worst Wetherspoons around. I used to live in Bexleyheath and the Spoons up there was awful. Seriously, spend a couple of nights at The Wrong 'Un and The Paper Moon will seem like luxury in comparison.
I'll admit - if you've picked the wrong place at the bar then you can wait all night to be served in this place and yes, it always has its fair share of losers dotted around. But there always seems to be enough "normal" people in here to balance that out. And as for the comments about students - I'll take them any day over the 15 year old chavs that drink at the Bexleyheath Wetherspoons.
1 Apr 2009 16:35
This pub seems to get a lot of favourable reviews and obviously has a strong local following. Maybe I've just been unlucky, but I really can't see what's appealing about the place. For a start, the decor is straight from the 1970's (despite a recent facelift) which isn't helped by the U-shaped bar (formica tables anyone?). And whilst the staff have always been friendly when I've visited, it always feels like a proper "locals" pub with a distinctly downmarket feel. This would be fine if the beer was good - but the London Pride I ordered on my last visit was shockingly bad.
I think this place is missing a trick - with the new West Hill Development on its doorstep they could make a killing...but it would mean alienating the Millwall crowd. Is the landlord (a staunch Millwall fan) prepared to take the plunge? Watch this space....
25 Oct 2008 23:52
I can only agree with the other reviews on this site - The Royal Oak is easily the best pub in Dartford. The Shepherd Neame beers are always excellent, the landlord is wonderful: a larger than life, cheery character who greets everyone with a smile. Refreshingly, he knows how to run a pub and this filters down to his staff as well. The pub itself has a real rustic charm (yes, even stuck on the edge of Dartford town centre) and it always attracts a decent crowd. If I have friends visiting, this is the place I'll always take them.
25 Oct 2008 22:50
I've been to this pub a few times now and my general impression is positive. It has a sparse, minimalist interior which won't be for everyone and the beer selection is aimed squarely at the lager drinkers out there (don't expect much in the way of real ales or bitters). That said, the staff are always friendly and efficient and the food is always of a good standard. The beer garden is a good size and the regulars seem friendly enough. A decent local pub and worth a visit if you're within walking distance.
25 Oct 2008 22:23
Having moved to the area a few months ago, I would say that The Malt Shovel is one of the better pubs in Dartford. My wife and I had a Sunday Roast there last weekend and I couldn't fault the food at all. The meat was perfectly cooked and the rest of the food had a home cooked quality that you rarely find these days. With a decent selection of beers to wash it down with, it's definitely somewhere we will be returning to. My only (very minor) gripe is the lack of variety. If you don't fancy a Roast, then there's nothing else to choose from.
30 Jun 2008 14:16
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The Railway Hotel, Dartford
Closed to make way for a new car park as part of the station upgrade
18 Jul 2012 17:24