BITE user comments - mankybadger
Comments by mankybadger
What a shame... the owners clearly are putting in a load of effort... and sitting outside are a bunch of teenagers pissed out of their skulls seeing who can shout swear word the loudest.
I won't be going back; won't be recommending anyone else does...
31 Aug 2014 20:47
Seven years since I reviewed the place - time to revisit. The ale was sour and the bar staff didn't seem bothered. They were more interested in short-changing. Pay with a twenty quid note; get the change from a tenner...
Will be another seven years until I go back...
20 Jul 2014 08:02
Friendly pub with a decent selection of the Shep's ales. Only Shep's ales, but that's the brewery's policy
18 Apr 2014 18:21
The Rose and Crown, Old Romney
Was walking by; had intended to pop in. Turned out they don't want passers by only having a pint; we take up valuable space that more profitable diners might use.
You can guess the score they get...
18 Apr 2014 18:19
Was out walking with a group of people today. We got to this pub and the garden and pub were empty. That's not "not many people" - that's "completely empty - no one there at all". I went to get a couple of pints (etc) to have with our sandwiches which we were planning to eat at the far end of the garden. The sour harridan behind the bar told me they were running a pub, not a picnic site. I could undersdtand that if they were busy they wouldn't want us taking up space that paying punters would use, but when you have no custom whatsoever do you really turn people away?
12 Oct 2013 17:25
The Park Gate Inn, Hollingbourne
Today was the family reunion. We had organised the bash this year. Bearing in mind the good experiences we'd had at the Park Gate Hotel in the past, and also bearing in mind the place's location we felt that it would make the ideal venue.
If nothing else today served as an example of how fast pubs can change. With sour ale and a two hour wait for rather small portions of frankly average food I felt embarrassed to have suggested we used the place. We complained about the wait and was politely told that the problem was we ordered after other people; the implication being that if you order atfer mid day you expect to wait for two hours.
8 Sep 2012 21:05
The Globe and Rainbow, Kilndown
The beer was surprisingly good. Surprisingly in that I would have though that the bar staff's attitude was enough to sour anything. It's quite plain they don't want the custom; their attitude is somewhere between rude and arrogant.
I would not go back again, and would not advise anyone else to do so...
20 Aug 2012 17:51
Can't really rate the pub..... a dozen of us parked up outside the place an hour before opening time with a plan to go for a walk and come back for a pint. A grouchy looking bloke shouited at us from inside the pub that we can't park in a pub's car park.
So we took our money elsewhere.....
5 May 2012 15:27
The Hooden On The Hill, Willesborough
The Hooden on the Hill has been a favourite pub of mine: last Xmas it hosted the works Xmas ‎bash. It seemed the ideal venue for a leaving meal for one of my colleagues. Bearing in mind ‎the vagaries of our late shift we gave them the orders for our meals at 7pm on the ‎understanding that we would be eating at 8.20pm. At 7.30pm they told us that certain menu ‎choices weren�t available, and so we re-ordered way before 7.45pm. Our starters eventually ‎arrived at 9.15pm, and at 10.15pm we told them we weren�t prepared to wait any longer.‎
A very threatening landlord was found who tried to claim that we�d booked for 6pm (not true), ‎and that we�d not ordered until 8.45pm (not true). In the end it was rather embarrassing in that ‎we thought it only fair we should pay for what we�d eaten, and the most drunk of our party ‎‎(me) ended up shaking hands with an equally pissed-up barman.‎
For myself it was a memorable evening � I wouldn�t have missed it for the world. But as I said ‎‎(very loudly) at the time, if you are going to put your pub on Facebook, don�t piss off your so-‎called friends�.‎
28 Jul 2011 23:43
Thoroughly dreadful noisy hole with a (frankly) piss-poor drink selection.
1 May 2011 06:47
Before today I was last there three years ago, and in the meantime the place has closed down and been ‎bought up by a consortium of locals. My first impressions on today's visit were good: the place has its own ‎brewery and I had a pint of their stout and a pint of their best bitter. Very nice.
But then I saw ‎the menu. This place seems to cater for people who like to ‎spend way over the going rate on their food. Don�t get me wrong � there are people who ‎enjoy spending far too much on their food, and if that�s what people want to do, then I respect ‎their choice.
I think I can sum the Farrier�s Arms up with one observation. In my entire life I have only ever ‎seen two people smoke a cigarette through a cigarette holder. One of them was in the ‎Farrier�s Arms garden this afternoon, and the other was Lady Penelope (out of Thunderbirds). ‎And bearing in mind that Lady Penelope was a puppet, I don�t think she counts.‎
2 Apr 2011 21:16
For some inexplicable reason, when I'm thinking of a pub to go to, I never think of this place. And I don't know why. With four ales on the hand pumps, really good reasonable priced food and welcoming staff it�s a great pub. ‎
2 Apr 2011 21:06
Greene King IPA & Abbot on the hand pump. But we didn't try the stuff.
We couldn�t get near the bar because of the hordes of people attempting (and failing) to pay their bills by credit card. The problem being the staff were unable to operate the credit card apparatus.
In the twenty-first century this should surely be a straightforward operation?
27 Feb 2011 16:24
There's two ways of looking at this pub. One can take the traditional method of dismissing it entirely out of hand simply because it's a Wetherspoons, and everyone knows that Wetherspoons are totally crap.
Or one might actually go into the place and try the food and beer and find that one might be mistaken in one's preconceptions.
I won't say it's the best pub in Folkestone, because it isn't. But it is far from being the worst.
20 Feb 2011 20:18
The Bohemian is the sort of hidden gem that you�d walk straight past without giving it a second glance, unless you knew what was inside. And I�m glad we�ve found it � helpful friendly staff and an excellent ale selection.
Gets 8/10, and I don't give that very often these days...
20 Feb 2011 10:46
Had an excellent meal today, but was disappointed by the ale selection. On my last visit in Dec 2008 there were five ales on.
Today there were only two, and they were rather uninspiring - the ubiquitous Harveys and London Pride.
I'm afraid the rating goes down a notch..... 6/10
(Having said that, this remains the best pub in Battle by a long way)
16 Jan 2011 18:41
The Smugglers, St Margarets at Cliffe
I�d heard about the Coastguard some time ago, and this pub has been on my list of �pubs to visit� for quite a while. I suppose I should really have booked in advance
The food was excellent, not cheap, but not as expensive as some places I�ve been to.
But it�s not really a pub � more of a restaurant with a good bar. Having said that, I�d certainly go back.
27 Dec 2010 22:21
The Hoodener's Horse, Great Chart
Popped in for lunch in the snow today. I've done that before. Two ales & two ciders on the hand pump. Service excellent, and friendly locals unlike the pub next door.
5 Dec 2010 10:47
It�s eighteen months since I last reviewed this pub here, but I have been passing the pub from time to time. And in that time nothing about the place has changed my opinion of it.
It may well be the most wonderful pub in the world. It may well serve the world�s finest food, accompanied by the world�s finest ales in the company of the world�s finest people. But I will never know.
Take yesterday�s visit for example. Despite freezing temperatures and snow on the ground, at 1.30pm the beer garden had a dozen assorted thugs and thug-ettes standing around in it. They were all obviously drunk on lager and were shouting abuse at passers-by. In the past they�ve been content to be screeching at each other. Now they�ve turned on the general public.
So there I was, faced with two pubs within ten yards of each other. One has a garden filled with yobs screaming abuse at the world, one does not. I suppose this pub fills a useful niche for those who like to shout whilst necking lager by the gallon.
5 Dec 2010 10:45
There are those people who relish paying vastly over the odds for a plate of dinner accompanied by very average ales. And the Mermaid caters to this market admirably.
Were this website called "food in the evening", it would probably score highly. But not that highly because no matter how good the food, it's not worth the price.
But this website is "beer in the evening", and a choice of Harveys Sussex, London Pride and Speckled Hen is very uninspired compared with what else is available in Rye.
4/10 - could do better.
9 Nov 2010 22:51
Popped in for food. Which was good, as was the ale.
Were this pub in my home town it would be streets ahead of the competition, but in Rye I'm afraid it's just another very good pub.
9 Nov 2010 22:43
In the past Rye has been a venue for many pub crawls, and the Queens Head has never once featured on any crawls.
Now under new management it has friendly bar staff, a wonderful beer selection, and is the only place I�ve ever seen (apart from the FILO) that has beer from the FILO brewery.
Will certainly go back!
9 Nov 2010 22:34
Two years ago I visited Blakes of Dover and wasn�t impressed. I would so dearly love to have this place in my top ten list of pubs. It has everything I rate in a pub. It�s off the beaten track. It�s downstairs in an obscure basement. It has decent ale � and the ale is from the barrel. It has pickled eggs.
One of it's main problems however is that it also has bar staff who also know how marvellous their pub is.
And it's other main problem is that rather than having clientele or regulars, it has an �in-crowd� who make a point of staring at the newcomer.
On my last visit I rather slated the place in my review, and today�s visit gave me no reason to change my opinion of the place. In fact my opinion has gone down as the barrels of beer have gone.
8 Nov 2010 20:04
A year and a half later, and the place has improved. It's had the lick of paint, and the third ale is back on. Friendly helpful staff and good food have put this place to the forefront of pubs in the immediate area of Ashford.
19 Sep 2010 22:02
Update - the rumour mill says new management will be in place at the end of September.
And I've just noticed that captainelmo can't spell wonderful either...
26 Aug 2010 08:04
Ship Centurion Arminius, Whitstable
Two years ago I said about this place:
"Whilst obviously a �local pub for local people�, our group of four were made to feel very welcome. With four decent ales on, it�s definitely a good pub.
But �Kent Pub of the Year� ? Sorry, no! It�s a good pub, but I can name half a dozen other pubs in Kent that are better."
Two years on, it's still the same. A good pub, but you're intruding.
10 Aug 2010 23:02
The word on the street is that this pub is about to change hands again, which can only be for the best. Surely the fact that the place is being "bigged up" on this site by posters who've never reviewed any other pubs in BITE speaks volumes. It may well be worth a visit in a month or two, but at the moment, it's not good.
Just an observation - captainelmo spelt the words "pieces" and "category" incorrectly, and his capitalization leaves much to be desired.
1 Aug 2010 11:03
Please disregard my review from 3-10-09. In reply to Sandys, that review was made when different people were running the pub. The place is now under new management and is quite frankly the biggest rip-off in Kent. When I visited last October, the place was full, Today, all but empty.
When one pays nearly ten quid for scallops, one expects more than two of the things. When one orders a cesar salad, one expects more than a few lettuce leaves smeared with salad cream.
We exchanged a few words with fellow customers who were equally disgusted, and we went elsewhere. We will go back, because I can't see the current management keeping the place going for long. I shall return in a few months to see who takes over... And no matter who takes over couldn't do a worse job....
5 Jun 2010 19:56
Just to pick up on Isabella's comments, none of our party were asked to leave.
The problem that I had with the place was that one of our party was drinking barcardi and coke. The barmaid flatly refused to serve single shots of bararci, and demanded and insisted our friend had double shots of a cheaper rum.
After two or three drinks the barmaid came over to our table (whilst the rum drinker was in the toilet) and informed us rather rudely that she would not be serving any more rum.
It was the bar staff's insistence that we had teh stuff in double measures, and if the person in question was in any way unruly (I don't think she was), then perhaps dealing with her directly might have been the best way forward?
I wonder if Isabella has a vested interest here? Click on our names - I've reviewed over 180 pubs over three years on this site. Isabella has commented on one pub. Draw your own conclusions.
7 Mar 2010 16:44
Thoroughly awful hole full of students drinking lager.
I�ll be generous and give the place 3/10
25 Feb 2010 23:21
The Pride of Spitalfields, Shoreditch
Four ales on, and very busy at lunch time. By far the best pub we visited locally. Friendly bar staff, only too happy to help.
Will certainly go back when next in the area.
25 Feb 2010 23:16
The Old Dispensary, Whitechapel
It had a good ale selection, and had been voted CAMRA local pub of the year. But in all honesty I found it to be a rather pretentious pub which would probably far rather be a wine bar.
7/10 for the ales.
25 Feb 2010 23:12
The Railway Tavern, Liverpool Street
Thoroughly awful youth club where students shout at Sky Sports
At first sight they seemed to have four ales on. Two went off as soon as I asked. 4/10 is generous.
25 Feb 2010 23:03
For the ale selection alone this pub this pub would have scored 9/10.
BUT...
Because of the attitude of the barmaid, it gets 0/10
I would not go back to this place because of the attitude of the arrogant bar staff, and I would in all honesty advise everyone to give this place a miss.
If you want to be spoken down to by your inferiors, then this is the place to be.
Me - I shall take my money elsewhere.
22 Feb 2010 22:59
The Hoodener's Horse, Great Chart
Popped in for lunch in the snow today. Two ales & two ciders on the hand pump. Service excellent, and friendly locals.
9 Jan 2010 16:30
I'd asked fellow contributors to "Beer in the Evening" for recommendations for a family friendly pub in the Hever Castle area. This was one of four places recommended. We chose this one over the other three because we found it first.
The bar staff were welcoming, the food good, and the beer well kept. Larkin's "Traditional" which I've never seen before, and Harvey's Best (seen everywhere).
I must admit I was a tad put off by the swarm of smokers blocking the door to the place, but they were friendly enough.
All things considered, 7/10. Above average, but it needs a wider ale selection.
28 Dec 2009 19:21
Very good beer selection, but definite vibes of "Royston Vasey".
I was glad that my brother knew one of the locals because otherwise I am sure that they would have eaten us.
I'll give the place 8/10. It would get 9/10, but for the scary locals.
20 Dec 2009 23:00
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
Popped in for the Xmas beer festival - still the best pub, not only in Hastings, but for miles around.
20 Dec 2009 22:55
The Pride of Kent, Staplehurst
Let�s just say that if Kent is proud of this grot-hole, I�d hate to see something of which Kent is ashamed.
I'll be generous and give the place 3/10, which will actually bring it's score up.
28 Nov 2009 18:48
I sat by their fire whilst enjoying a pint of the �Late Red�.
There was a telly for those who feel the need to shout at sport whilst having a pint, and whilst the telly was tucked away round the corner, after a few minutes the noise of the three telly-watching thugs rather spoiled the ambience for the two dozen people who chose to be away from the telly.
Without the sport it would have scored a lot higher. As it is, I can't in all honesty go over 6/10. Average.
28 Nov 2009 18:46
Two ales on � Westerham�s �Finchcock� (rather obscure), and �Falcon� (very obscure). We were offered tasters of each, which is something you don�t often get, and then we were taken to our table where the waitress took our orders, and then dropped the beer all over the floor. Bless....
The food arrived, taking a little longer than I would have liked, but it was worth the wait.
How would I rate the place?
I can�t help but feel that were we sitting in the cosy bar near the open fire I would have liked it better. But the restaurant bit was rather clinical, and very cold. People were not taking coats off, and were wearing scarves.
For the obscure ales it gets 7/10.
28 Nov 2009 18:45
The problem with SHepherd Neame pubs is that hey are tied to the output of the Shepherd Neame brewery. Which wouldn't be a problem if the pubs realised that Sheps do more ales than Masterbrew and Spitfire. If you can find a Sheps pub that's realised this, then you're onto a good thing.
The Swan is one such pub. Four ales on, all good. Friendly barman who knows how to look after the beer. I'll knock them up to 7/10 for the ale selection.
Mind you, what's the telly all about? There's a huge wide screen telly, and the barman boasted of it being a plus that they don't have Sky Sports....
21 Nov 2009 07:37
Three porters on. Three. How good is that? And it's handy for the station.
My visit was slightly marred by the hooligan in football shirt element, but on a Saturday lunchtime, you really have to expect that.
15 Nov 2009 13:10
Despite having the best ale selection in Rye, from the reviews I�ve read of the place this pub seems to be suffering from a bad landlord. Whilst I didn�t see the chap myself, the place didn�t seem anywhere near as busy as you�d expect it to be on bonfire parade night. Which probably speaks volumes. I'll put the place back to 6/10 (until I'm personally insulted by the landlord)
15 Nov 2009 11:42
Friendly service (which is lacking in many Rye pubs), and beer straight from the barrel too.
15 Nov 2009 11:36
This was once a good pub with a selection of ales, but on my last visits, they�d just had London Pride and Harveys. Dull. Another chap on Beer in the Evening described the place as having �a feel like the parents had gone away and left their son in charge�. I must agree with that sentiment. It did come over as something of a �youth club�.
We downed a pint of London Pride, which wasn�t bad, but was the worst pint of a day spent in several pubs in the town.
15 Nov 2009 11:28
The Standard is somewhere I�ve always included on my Rye pub crawls. Whilst on my last visit, I branded them as average, this time I�m going to knock them up to 7/10, if only for the fact that they (usually) have an obscure ale on, and that the epically bosomed young ladies behind the bar don�t do much to conceal their charms (!)
15 Nov 2009 11:17
Two years ago I rated this place as 6/10 (average). It�s gone downhill. Whilst we were not made unwelcome, it is clearly a �locals� pub, and the landlord doesn�t seem to actually have the ability to speak. At all. Which wasn�t overly welcoming.
We stayed long enough for the rain shower to pass, and chatted with one of the locals about his drink of lager & light ale (never seen that one before) before moving on, having scored it 4/10 � could do better.
15 Nov 2009 11:12
The Flying Horse, Boughton Lees
Now under new management and refurbished. Four ales on the hand pumps, and friendly service. It's one of those places I've been popping into on the odd occasion for some years, and it looks like I will be continuing to do so.
7 Nov 2009 19:15
The Blacksmiths Arms, Willesborough
Under new management - and wasn't what it was six months ago. Food took an age to arrive, and when it did it wasn't what was ordered. Staff friendly enough, but in this competitive pub scene, there's better out there.
Sorry.
Keeps the 7/10 rating for the ale selection.
7 Nov 2009 19:06
Popped in whilst cycling past with half a dozen mates. We all ate excellent meals (thirty quid for the lot of us) the food was good, and the ales on top form. Would certainly go back.
3 Oct 2009 19:28
IT's been a year since my last review of the place, and in that time standards have been maintained. Four ales on the hand pump, good food reasonable priced. Friendly service, and cyclist & child friendly too.
I've increased my rating from 7/10 to 8/10.
23 Aug 2009 09:20
Popped back - the landlord remembered us from our visit of five months ago. Now has three ales on, and the food also is top notch. And the service is friendly, welcoming. It's the sort of place you want to go back to.
Were this a food-reviewing web site, we'd be talking 11/10. But with only three ales, I can't in all honesty go over 8/10.
22 Aug 2009 22:42
Popped in during a cycle ride. Very pleased to see that in the two years since I last visited, standards have been maintained. Five ales on, and a cider. And the food was excellent, served by friendly helpful staff.
I shan't leave the next visit so long...
22 Aug 2009 22:39
Popped in for a crafty lunchtime half on my way to the station.
This place has got the widest ale selection I have ever seen outside of a JDW.
Barman friendly and helpful - must go back soon.
27 Jul 2009 17:26
I'd received a message from the new owner asking me to reconsider my review of last year, so a group of us cycled down. Quite a long journey to find the kitchen was closed - everyone had gone to a wedding. What are pub websites for if not to impart that information?
The ale (Adnam's Green thingy) ran out after three quarters was pulled, and the backup (Broadside) wasn't all that.
And as you walk in, you are still confronted with the locals on the pool table.
I stand by my review of a year ago - it's a pleasant enough place, but there are a lot of more welcoming places nearby.
25 Jul 2009 16:30
I detest pubs who feel that because there are no other pubs in the location they have a monopoly and can act as arrogantly as they please toward the customers..
I suppose these people make their money from the tourist trade, and don�t expect people to return. But if you're in the area, you've either driven there or arrived on the lame steam train. And you'd be well advised to use either method of transport to find another pub. There's plently around that don't have the arrogance.
18 Jul 2009 16:02
The Bishops Finger, Canterbury
It's not a bad place. Three ales - all Sheps, but well kept.
Probably the best of the pubs you'd pop into on the way back to the railway station, but there's not a very high standard between the west gate and the railway
18 Jul 2009 10:28
oh dear.... yet another pub with a split personality.
The garden and the surroundings are up there with the best country pubs for miles around.
The inside is up there with the best council estate pubs for miles around.
The barman and the locals were friendly enough, but the beer was sour. Could do better...
1 Jul 2009 20:10
What a disappointment. A beer selection that you find everywhere, and it was full of louts shouting at the telly. Still, I will know better from now on, and not bother with the place again.
24 Jun 2009 18:12
It's a Wetherspoons. Within reason, you know what you're getting before you walk through the door. If you don't like JDW, go somewhere else...
It's not the best Wetherspoons I've been in, but it's a long way from being the worst.
18 Jun 2009 19:00
Agree with last reviewer that it was welcoming. However, something of a "youth club". And did they need to have the telly on quite so loud?
It probably competes with the Clarence for the best pub within walking distance (unless yu are prepared for a hike), but that's not saying much...
10 Jun 2009 07:54
I can see where the last reviewer is coming from - it's run in a way that people immediately love or hate. But for me, the Bowl at Hastingleigh is a brilliant pub. I�d never been there before today. Four of us cycled up, and two of us drove. Next time, I'll be a passenger in the car. It's a bit "up".
Four ales, and the landlord is quite a character � treating everyone as an old friend, even if he�s only just met you. The beer selection was fine, and I had a couple of pints of the aptly named �Full Steam Ahead�. A roast beef baguette, a bit of a laugh with the pub dog, all too soon it was time to leave.
Will certainly be back.
30 May 2009 17:48
A pleasant enough country pub somewhat off the beaten track, with ciders and perrys on tap along with the beer. The food looked good, albeit a tad pricey. But I suppose in this life you get what you pay for.
30 May 2009 17:44
The William Harvey Inn, Willesborough
There are some pubs that you walk in, and you know from the atmosphere that you're not welcome. This pub saves you the trouble of having to walk into the place to find it out. The thugs in the beer garden shout at you to tell you that you're not welcome.
And so this place joins that select band of pubs to which I've given a score of 0/10. It might be a tad harsh. If the publican doesn't like it, he can sort out his clientelle.
30 May 2009 17:43
A pleasant enough place, but only two ales on.
Not wishing to run the place down, but it's got nothing to distinguish it from any other pub, and there's lots of good ones in the area.
25 May 2009 18:11
A year later, we came back. A bank holiday, and the place was deserted. Could it be the attitude of the rotund chap behind the bar? It's certainly put me off going back.
25 May 2009 18:08
I'm told they have won awards for the food, but for the beer, typical Shep's offerings. I had a pint there this evening, sitting outside watching the world go by.
A pleasant enough place, would cetainly go back. However, I would say that in many ways it's a typical Shepherd Neame country pub. If you like them, you'll like this one.
I think it warrants a higher score than it's currently got...
20 May 2009 20:46
A while has passed since my last visit. I've knocked my rating from 8/10 down to 5/10. Food & beer excellent, but I wasn't impressed with the landlord's attitude. Customers got in the way of his conversation with his mates, and he made it plain that he wasn't going to give up talking to his mates to serve those who pay for the priviliedge of going to his pub.
16 May 2009 18:04
The dinner I had a couple of weeks ago was one of the best meals I've ever eaten in a pub. The waitress was polite, attentive and helpful, and the chef was taking care to see that all was going well. The menu range was huge, food excellent. As a resturant, top marks 11/10. I'm certainly going back
However, this is "BEER in the evening", not food. Three ales, one of which is the ubiquitous Harveys which seems to appear in most pubs in the South East these days regardless of who owns the pub. And the other two were old reliables - beer you can (and do) get everywhere. The Rother Valley Brewery can't be more than five miles away. Goachers isn't far. Sanhurst Vineyards make two beers. Why not try half as hard on the beer as they did the food?
Much as it pains me to say anything against this place, as a pub, it's no great shakes and in that regard I can't go higher than 7/10.
If you're planning to be in the area and eat, this is THE place to go. But if you want a pint, try somewhere else. It's a top restaurant with a half-way decent bar.
And as the previous reviewer commented - Cranbrook? No. Not Cranbrook.
12 May 2009 07:52
At the risk of getting into a petty "oh yes it is - oh no it isn't" squabble....
A group of us cycled into Great Chart on Sunday afternoon. Now I don't doubt that the people in the beer garden are decent folk. I expect every one of them is a stirling chap, someone with whom I would quite happily share a pint or two, were I to meet them socially.
However they looked and acted scary. Sorry - they did. And when you are faced with half a dozen on one table in the garden, and another half a dozen on another, all screaming abuse at each other, you don't stop. You just keep going ten yards down the road to a place which doesn't look anywhere near as scary.
I don't deny for one minute that the pub down the road might very well be filled with axe-murderers, but the pub down the road looks safe to enter.
And that's what I for one look for in a pub. Sorry.
6 May 2009 18:30
With a Shepherd Neame pub you usually know what you're getting before you walk through the door.
This place is typical Shepherd Neame. Not bad, buy any means, but nothing special. A typical Shepherd Neame pub in a town full of the things.
4 May 2009 21:24
As a previous reviewer says, being Shepherd Neame, the ale selection is somewhat limited. (TyronW - if you want to see Master Brew in another pub, try pretty much every pub in Kent).
But it's in a good location, very scenic, the food's good - it's the sort of place you could take the family for a meal.
If only it didn't have sport on the telly....
26 Apr 2009 17:48
Lighthouse Inn and Restaurant, Capel le Ferne
Didn't like it. Sorry.
It's a soulless "tries to be posh" hotel bar. When we visited the place was snowed out with squawking pikeys all obviously out on a jolly. And I got the distinct impression that this is where this place specialises - being somewhere posh for the lower orders to go on special occassions. There's a lot of places like this - they deliberately look posh to impress the impressionable.
Didn't impress me....
19 Apr 2009 21:29
Perhaps I'm over-sensitive about "local pubs for local people", but I got definite vibes of �Royston Vasey�. Especially when �Jack� came in. I don�t know who Jack was, but everyone else in the pub did, and made great show of welcoming him. We felt embarrassed that we didn't know him ! Whilst the locals were very welcoming, I did feel an intruder there.
It's a strange place. The clientele were all well over sixty and the juke box was playing stuff from the 80s far too loud. The vibe just didn't seem right. Ideal for the locals, but not a place to pop in to whilst passing.
But the food was OK. Two Sunday roasts, and drinks for thirteen quid. Can�t be bad. The place had a meat raffle for those who like that sort of thing, and three decent ales can't be bad.
However, after all is weighed up, it's just another Kentish pub. A good pub - there are some stinkers in Kent. But in all honesty it's just another good pub. And so it scores 7/10 - average
19 Apr 2009 21:24
I can't work out why it's taken me so long to find this place - an absolute gem. From the outside it looks like someone's house. Inside it's surprisingly spacious, and whilst only two ales on, Incubus and something obscure from Whitstable slipped down well. Definately one to visit if you're in the area.
(This now gives Folkestone five must-visit pubs.....)
11 Apr 2009 07:50
A Neame pub, but with a decent selection of bottled ales. However the name is spot on � �Barn�. Oh the place was noisy. The slightest sound echoed, and after only a few minutes I had the sort of headache you only get from the noisiest youth clubs.
7 Apr 2009 23:07
The Welcome Stranger, St Leonards on Sea
I think the previous reviewer is spot on. The place should be called "Welcome Stranger IF and only IF you are a Chelsea FC supporter".
I thought that football team specific pubs went out years ago. But then, this is St Leonards, after all.....
Rating - 3/10. And that will bring the average up.
4 Apr 2009 23:52
The Old Court House, Westfield
Scoring highly on Beer in the Evening, this is somewhere I�ve wanted to visit for a while. But it�s yet another of those pubs that I�ve been driving past for years, and will continue to keep driving past in future.
The ale selection was good, with two beers I�ve never heard of before, but the food wasn�t anything special.
The place was very much for the locals. The pub was not at all busy, but the locals were all at the bar and made sure that no one else could get to the bar. Quite plain that they don't want anyone else there. Their loss, really.
I'll be generous and give it 6/10 - average.
4 Apr 2009 23:47
The Clarence, St Leonards on Sea
Popped in whilst taking my brother's dog for a walk. I didn't like the vibe - it seemed the sort of place that attracted the weirdoes and the friendless. I could be wrong and I could have misjudged the place, but I didn't like it.
Having said that, there's probably no better pubs within striking distance of this place.
1 Apr 2009 18:00
On reflection, I�m never happy to judge a pub harshly. But the beer selection was rubbish � there�s no getting away from that. Six hand pumps � only one working. And that serving Harvey�s Best. Not a bad beer, but Harvey�s Best is to Sussex what MasterBrew is to Kent. You get it everywhere.
The landlord simply couldn�t care less � that much was obvious. But the food was OK. It�s just that having become something of an aficionado of pub grub lately, I have had a lot of pub meals which have been a lot better. This place is a victim of the rising standards of pubs in general � it�s got a bit of a mountain to climb to reach the standard of the rest.
It could do better, and so in my book that rates 4/10. Sorry.
29 Mar 2009 21:34
Now renamed the Windmill. A rather average beer selection, but a friendly enough welcome, and a pleasant enough place for a crafty pint.
21 Mar 2009 19:50
The Hooden On The Hill, Willesborough
A (potentially) really good pub with a decent selection of ales � and a mild � but spoiled by sport on the TV. This place has put a TV projector into an outside area so the smokers can scream at the TV and upset everyone in the garden whilst having their fags.
It seems odd that the people who own the pub have spent so much time and money making such a lovely beer garden only to spoil it in this way, but what do I know?
21 Mar 2009 19:47
The White Horse, Willesborough
Despite it being the second closest pub to my place of work, in twenty five years I�d never been there before. And to be honest I don�t intend to go back.
It was a frankly average pub which was spoiled by the sport on the wide screen TV. I suppose the people who run pubs have done their research, and there must be more people who want to scream at a telly than don�t, but they won�t see me back again.
21 Mar 2009 19:43
It's gone downhill since the last reviewer visited - the Masterbrew has gone. It's an odd pub � the old boys at one end, the youth club at the other. The place looks shoddy - it needs a lick of paint.
It's (quite frankly) a poor pub, but its saving grace is that it is in an area well equipped with worse pubs.
9 Mar 2009 23:14
Now under new management. The landlord seems to be quite a character, and couldn't be more welcoming. A party of seven of us had a smashing meal today. The service was a tad slow - but the food is clearly home made and worth the wait.
It's a village pub and so has a "locals" element, but we were made very welcome. There's a pool table, but it lacks the "youth club" feel that so many pub pool tables have.
Two ales were on - Doom Bar is a regular. Today's guest was Pride of Pendle - the landlord takes pride in rotating his selection of guest ales. This is somewhere I shall be adding to my list of places to recommend.
7 Mar 2009 15:47
Some things never change, and the Locomotive is one of them. A "locals" pub, but everyone is welcomed. And a decent serlection of bottled ales too.
28 Feb 2009 19:30
What a difference a year makes - what was once the #1 pub in Ashford is now little more than a youth club where the volume of Sky Sports is increasingly raised to drown out the racket of the juke box.
I went in planning to have an evening meal there - I couldn't get out quick enough to avoid a headache. Last year this place warranted 8/10. Today - 4/10 � could do better.
28 Feb 2009 19:29
Very welcoming barman, and although a locals pub, they seem quite sympathetic to those who are visiting the prison over the road. A Shepherd Neame pub with guest ales � you don�t see that very often.
But to counteract that, they�d gone to the trouble of putting out a billboard advertising a mouth-watering spread when the kitchen was closed for refurbishment. What was that all about? I�ll give them 6/10 - average
28 Feb 2009 19:26
Normally I can be somewhat scathing about Shepherd Neame pubs. The reason being their beer selection is tied to the output of the Shepherd Neame brewery, and so few of their pubs serve anything more than Masterbrew and Spitfire (if you�re lucky).
The Anchor did three Shepherd Neame lagers and four Shepherd Neame ales. We stopped off for a pint on the way back to the railway station � I had three.
And their jukebox is probably the best for miles around. thisd place warrants a well deserved 8/10.
26 Feb 2009 20:43
The Jenny Lind is somewhere we normally walk straight past on the way to and from the FILO, but today we popped in for a pint. A pint � we could have had half a gallon here. Five hand pumps is more than you'll see in very few places outside London.
This is a pub which will certainly be added to the Hastings list for future visits.
And it�s got two separate and distinct gents toilets. Two � I counted them. How posh is that?
26 Feb 2009 20:41
The place is a victim of its own success. Whilst a good twenty metres long, it can�t be more than three metres wide at most � and that includes the space taken up by the bar. There isn�t room to move, and it was heaving when I visited. And hot. Far too hot. There was a small upstairs room where a group of us found a table, but the stairs were a tad steep, and none of us fancied the fight back to the bar for a second pint, even though they had six hand pumps, all serving different ales.
Six � You don't often see that many. They offered tasters, so I sampled the three beers I�d never heard of before. All in exceptional condition. The Harp is somewhere I�ve been meaning to visit for ages. It has a reputation of benig one of those �Holy Grails� for the ale drinker. Unfortunately, very few things in life live up to their reputation, and in my honest opinion this pub isn�t one of them. (Sorry)
22 Feb 2009 17:21
The Lifeboat is somewhere of which I�d heard good reports, but was closed the last time I visited. It was open today. Five hand pumps were in operation, all with rather obscure ales. As we walked in I thought it odd that absolutely everyone was eating a plate of Spaghetti Bolognese. As I ordered our beers, the landlady asked if we too would like a dish of spaghetti. A complimentary dish � on the house � free !! With unusual beers and free food I�m going to score the place 8/10 with the proviso that I will visit again soon with the intention of upgrading the place to 9/10.
7 Feb 2009 21:44
It�s a wonderful place to drink � the only drawback is that the people behind the bar know it. Perhaps I�m being over-sensitive, but I wasn�t impressed by the condescending attitude of the staff. What might possibly have rated a score of 9/10 was lucky to score 7/10.
7 Feb 2009 21:34
The Walnut Tree Inn, Aldington
Well, this is one of only three pubs in which I've seen Shepherd Neame's porter. One of my favourite beers. Shame it was sour.
A minor contretemps with the pub's technology not working and so we weren't able to pay by credit card. Fortunately I had enough cash on me.
The food took nearly half an hour to arrive, and when it did.... I can best describe it as "variable". With six of us in our party the food varied from excellent (the lamb) through average (the fish) to frankly disappointing (the sausages).
For no adequately explained reason half way through the meal a small portable TV was switched on and the volume set to "deafening" level. And the toilets were a tad feral.
This pub has a reputation as being a good pub because a certain TV celebrity is rumoured to drink in there. All I can think is that they are relying on that reputation to pull in the punters. I won't be going back in a hurry. If you're a local, you're welcome to it. If you're visiting the area, the Good Intent is only a mile up the road amd has this place beat on all counts.
As the previous reviewer said, this place had promise. But failed to live up to it. A pub that could do a lot better, and so in my book that warrants 4/10.
31 Jan 2009 17:05
I went back.....
A mate's 40th birthday - home cooked food (NOT microwaved), and an ale brewed especially for the pub, poured out of the barrel. And staff that are genuinely interested in the customers. I will keep on going back.
20 Jan 2009 22:59
Earlier in the year I said about this pub " if I had to choose one pub in Battle, this is the place", and today I had to chose one pub in Battle, so we came here. A good beer selection, and the food was good.
However I can sympathise with a previous reviewer - I didn't see, but heard the "braying donkey clientelle" only too clearly. And like so many places it does need to choose between "pub" and "restaurant".
Oh - and if you're going for the up-market restaurant trade, you ban the dogs. Fido isn't welcome. Nuff said ?
28 Dec 2008 22:01
A "rather posh" pub in a pretentiously posh town. But they had a decent range of ales on, including the Shepherd Neame porter which is something you don't see in many places. The food was good, and bar staff friendly. Will be going back in a few months to try the next seasonal beer.
20 Dec 2008 21:44
The Park Gate Inn, Hollingbourne
Food good. Beer kept well, but very ubiquitous selection.
29 Nov 2008 20:04
The White Horse, Bearsted Green
A very pretenious wine bar.
If you like this sort of thing, and a lot of people do, then it's done very well.
It's not for me.
29 Nov 2008 20:02
The Oak On The Green, Bearsted
Was probably a pub once, but now is best described as a restaurant with an extremely good bar.
29 Nov 2008 20:00
I must admit my heart fell when I saw the Shepherd Neame sign. But this was truly a pub in a million. A Shepherd Neame pub with a guest ale on. I have never seen that before. And the barman said that he has two other guests to try.
I wonder if the brewery know......
22 Nov 2008 20:31
Since my first visit eighteen months ago this place has really improved. Good ales, and straight out of the barrel for the bonfire parade. Whilst I've not weaten there myself, I've seen other people being very happy with the food.
This is a place to visit, and it's in a town with some seriously good pubs.
9 Nov 2008 11:00
A pub bursting with character in a beautiful location. This place once warranted a score of 9/10 from me, and someone else mentions on this website that within the last couple of years it was in BITE's top 40 pubs.
It's somewhere I have visited intermittently since I was a child in the beer garden in the 1960s. I last visited this place eighteen months ago when I griped about the beer selection. It's improved - three "standard" ales and one obscure one (Willy Warmer). It's improved a tad in the last year or so, it's not a youth club (like so many pubs are these days) but... the service behind the bar is slow - painfully so.
But what hacked me off on last night's visit was the potman. I have never seen such an efficient glass collection in a pub.Tt be fair to them, you were actually allowed to raise the glass to your lips befoire he tried to take the glass away, but you had to be quick about it. Several times we had to tell him to shove off - the half pint still in the glass wasn't to be thrown away as we'd only got the beers minutes before.
It's the sort of pub that could do better if it tried. Which is my criterion for awarding 4/10. How the place has fallen over the years.
8 Nov 2008 10:02
This place is .... rather difficult to describe - too many contradictions. It's beautifully located in a very rural setting. So where do all the lager louts come from? It's obviously only a short hop from being a five-star restaruant, so why have the pool table? There's five hand pumps in a row, so why have two serving the same ale, and another two serving another identical ale?
And very commonly availbale ales too.
For pretty much everyone, it's the sort of place you'd have to get a friend to drive you to. If you're after a fine meal and don't mind raucous lager louts in the background, this is the place to be. If you DO mind raucous lager louts in the background while you're eating, try the Mundy Bois just up the road. If on the other hand you're after a quiet pint in the countryside, you're spoiled for choice in the area.
But if you want a pint of ale that you can get pretty much anywhere in the company of raucous lager louts, this is the place to be. But don't expect to find me there.
26 Oct 2008 10:04
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
Popped in today for a crafty half whilst on the way through. (OK - we took a ten mile detour to pop in). Smashing home brewed beer and an excellent bit of stilton soup. There's a beer festival there next weekend.
Oh - and Mr jgurney1 - the place now has three real ciders on tap :o)
11 Oct 2008 21:45
The Happy Frenchman, Folkestone
Has recently re-opened having been closed for a while. Shame. It was better closed
10 Oct 2008 20:34
Folkestone�s best pub, and (well deserved) CAMRA �s local branch pub of the year. Following a few visits to this place, it�s joined that hallowed group of hostelries that get 9/10.
10 Oct 2008 20:33
Four ales on � two of which I�d never seen before. And chillied pickled eggs too. We stayed in this place for quite a while. Chatting to the barman it transpires this place co-ordinates it�s beer list with the Guildhall down the road to cater for those who visit the town for a pub crawl. Nice to know someone�s thinking of me�
10 Oct 2008 20:33
Four ales on. Whilst clearly a �locals pub�, you don�t feel unwelcome in there. The only thing I would say against the place is that it is only the second-best pub in Folkestone. I'll let you find the best one for yourself....
10 Oct 2008 20:32
No hand pumps, but Whitbread Best on tap. A smashing place at the end of Tontine Street, and a lovely terrace in which to sit and watch the world go by. But clearly somewhere that depends on the tourist trade. But despite the best efforts of the people that runs the place, it could do better.
10 Oct 2008 20:32
Found totally by chance down by the harbour, the place is a storming place to be. A wonderful view of the harbour, but I can imagine it heaving with tourists over the summer.
10 Oct 2008 20:31
Somewhere of which I�ve heard good reports, and the main reason for choosing Folkestone to be the town for our crawl today. The place was closed.
10 Oct 2008 20:30
The Richmond Tavern, Folkestone
Billed as the smallest pub in Folkestone, the place was closed when we visited.
10 Oct 2008 20:30
Havng lived within five miles of the place for twenty years, I had no idea it was there until a week ago. Friends who live nearby tell us it's known as "the wrinklies pub" as during the week it's frequesnted by the older diners. Me & "Mrs Badger" were taken there for a meal today by friends to celebrate our wedding anniversary. At the risk of disagreeing with a previous reviewer of the place, I think that today's dinner was the best meal I've ever eaten in a pub. The waitress was polite, attentive and helpful, and teh chef was taking care to swee that all was going well. As a resturant, top marks 11/10.
However, this is "BEER in the evening", not food. Only two ales, one of which is the ubiquitous MasterBrew which seems to appear in most Kent pubs these days regardless of who owns the pub. Much as it pains me to say anything against this place, as a pub, it's no great shakes and in that regard I can't go higher than 7/10.
If you're planning to be in the area and eat, this is THE place to go. But if you want a pint, try somewhere else. It's a top restaurant with a half-way decent bar.
4 Oct 2008 23:34
A good place for a pint, and if the weather was better the beer garden would be a smashing place to sit.
But in all honesty (and in no way running the place down at all) there's nothing about the place that puts it above the local competition. It's a good pub in an area of good pubs.
4 Oct 2008 23:24
Pleasant enough pub. However they seem to put far more emphasis on the food side of the business than on the pub side. Two very average ales on the hand pump.
It's not a bad pub, I'd go back. But there are better pubs withing five minutes drive.
21 Sep 2008 09:08
A lovely pub utterly spoiled by the clientelle.
Mind you, I suppose it fulfils a vital role in being "the country pub where people from the rough council estate go to". It's probably a wonderful place to visit *if* you come from that rough council estate.
But for everyone else, I'd keep on going. There's pleny better within a five minutes' drive
20 Sep 2008 23:32
A good garden and location. Five hand pumps, but only three beers. Very average beers as well.
It could be so good, but is actually soooooo average.
20 Sep 2008 23:26
OK, it�s a gastropub. But then, it makes no claims to be anything else. I have eaten there perhaps a dozen times over the last five years and have never been disappointed, let alone had cause to complain. And for all that it is a gastropub, it has three decent ales on the hand pump.
7 Sep 2008 22:30
Pleasant pub by the river, and being a stone�s throw from the railway makes it somewhere where you don�t need a designated driver. A really good beer garden, and they have five hand pumps � which is something you don�t often see.
They don�t close half way through Saturday afternoon, which is unusual in mid-Kent. Oh � and the food�s good too.
30 Aug 2008 22:20
Well, they had four hand pumps. Two served Masterbrew (It is Faversham, after all), and the other two were off. The background music was far too loud to the point of being deafening, and I must admit taking an instant dislike to any pub that has a bouncer. The pub dog was OK, if you like dogs. There are those that would see the mutt as a plus point for the place.
The locals � not many (four on a Friday night). Perhaps best described as having been chavs five years ago, but no one�s told them they are now too old to still dress in burberry.
It�s not a bad pub � it has potential, and could do a lot better if it tried. Which is pretty much my criteria for only giving a pub 4/10. So that�s what it scores � and will actually pull the place�s rating up a bit�
29 Aug 2008 22:41
Yet another Neame village pub utterly
indistinguishable from all the others.
Whilst it's very scenic inside and out, the bar area was rather spoiled on my visit by the aroma of last night�s vomit.
18 Aug 2008 20:45
A Neame pub with two Neame ales. It�s very obviously concentrating on the restaurant/food market. For that it can�t be faulted, but as a pub, nothing special.
17 Aug 2008 17:59
Six of us planned to pop in toiday as the village was having its annual village fayre. The area was heaving with people and traffic. The pub was closed.
17 Aug 2008 17:55
Oh dear. I remember this place in its heyday. I first visited the place in August 1981 and have been back several times over the years. For years it was a place to get good food and good beer. But now � disaster! It�s been taken over and is just another Shepherd Neame pub.
Don�t get me wrong, Shepherd Neame is good beer, and we had a smashing drop of the mild, but I tend to stay away from Neame pubs. They all do the same beer, and seem to have a corporate policy of not having a guest ale. The serious beer hunter will give a Neame pub a wide berth for this reason � probably half the pubs in the county are Neame pubs and they all do exactly the same half-dozen beers.
Whilst it�s in a very scenic location and has a really good garden, it�s not what it once was, and is now certainly in last place out of the three Smarden pubs.
16 Aug 2008 22:30
The Bell and Jorrocks, Frittenden
Four good ales, all well kept. Cheesy chips too. The place doubles up as being the local post office as well as the pub, so if funds are running short you don�t have to go far to top up the cash. They also do a decent cup of coffee, and usually have pickled eggs (but not today). And they stay open all day on a Saturday � something not many places do in the area.
Whilst there�s sport on the TV, the sound is off, so it�s unobtrusive. I can�t help but feel the place suffers from not having a beer garden, but that�s just me being picky.
16 Aug 2008 22:29
This is somewhere I�ve driven past so many times and have intended to visit for so many years. I walked in to dismay � no hand pumps. And then I realised. The beer comes straight out of the barrel. Heaven! Three ales and a cider. We had lunch � the stilton ploughman�s was very tasty. The beer garden is huge and we spent a pleasant two hours here.
The only negative is the fact that they close on a Saturday afternoon at 3pm. What�s that all about?
16 Aug 2008 22:28
Thought I'd give the place another chance... It's not so much a pub as a hotel. It probably does quite a bit of passing trade from its railway station location, and on the plus side it does have it�s own ale brewed especially for the place. On the other hand it has no other ales. Whilst the place is very picturesque from the outside, the beer garden is on the small side.
We didn�t stay long as they, like so many other local pubs, close at 3pm and we had other places to visit. It�s a good pub but it has nothing to put it above any of the other pubs locally. And it�s up against some pretty stiff competition. But I expect they don�t care � the place is primarily a hotel.
16 Aug 2008 22:28
Now under the name of "Parrots", this place has six hand pumps, each with a different ale. Six!!! Friendly staff, and a smashing beer garden.
20 Jul 2008 12:25
I've been there to watch bands play, and they have good bands on. It's just a shame that you can't actually see them as there's a great big chimney
breast in the way.
Located right by the river and the park you'd think they'd capitalise on the location for the tourist/family trade. They don't seem to.
And they have three hand pumps with rarely more than one ale on. It's a firm favourite of several of my drinking mates, but I can take or leave the place. As has been said before, it needs to decide what sort of pub it wants to be.
20 Jul 2008 12:22
This place has improved beyond all recognition over the last year. And is the only place I've ever seen two Wychwood beers on the hand pump.
20 Jul 2008 12:17
It's one of the better 'Spoons but in all honesty that's not saying much as there's some grim ones out there.
I've eaten here several times and the food's OK. Nothing great, but it's a 'spoons. To be fair to the place, you get what you pay for. The beer selection's usually good, but it does compete with the Phoenix to be the town's youth club at times.
20 Jul 2008 12:14
Decent ale,good food and really friendly bar staff. I'm going back !!!
5 Jul 2008 21:20
Four decent ales, friendly staff and a decent beer garden. the only place for miles around that does Deuchar's IPA
5 Jul 2008 21:19
A group of us have taken to popping in here once a month after a monthly social event in nearby Lenham. The beer's good - you don't see Ringwood in many places in Kent. The bar staff are friendly, and they do a good pickled egg.
But being in the middle of nowhere you'd not think it was a "locals pub" - you can always spot a "local pub for local people" because the requlars are sprawled all over the bar making it very difficult (if not physically impossible) for anyone else to get to the bar. I'll give it one more try, but I'm fed up with struggling to get near to the bar. There's never anyone else wanting to be served, just a seemingly constant heap of people propping up the bar so you can't get there.
29 Jun 2008 11:16
Popped in mid afternoon for a quick pint - You can always spot a "local pub for local people" because the requlars are sprawled all over the bar making it very difficult (if not physically impossible) for anyone else to get to the bar. One of our number navigated his way through the locals and we got served. The locals seemed a nice enough bunch, but I for one felt as though I was intruding, so we took our beers into the garden and watched the ducks.
It's a nice enough place, and a lovely garden, but if you're not a local there are other more welcoming places not very far away.
29 Jun 2008 11:06
Popped in for a swift half whlst walking from Rye to Hastings. Had slighly more than just the half (hic!)
As well as the ubiquitous Greene King IPA and London Pride they had Harveys (obligatory fo most Sussex pubs) and also the Dark Star mild. Very nice!
Whilst our party didn't eat here, plenty of people were eating, and the food looked smashing. It's somewhere I intend to come back to. If only it wasn't so inaccessible unless someone drives....
1 Jun 2008 12:31
OK pub somewhat off the beaten track.
Only got a couple of ales on, but there's a friendly barman and pickled eggs too.
29 May 2008 22:27
Botolphs Bridge Inn, West Hythe
Beer good, and good selection.
However the place is seriously let down by the food - arty-farty bits of noveau cuisine. A fiver buys one mouthful. Literally. Two bits of black pudding with some mashedpotato in between (called a stirlingshire stack or somthing like that) - over a fiver and it went in one mouthful. Extortionate !!! If they are going to charge permouthful rather than perplateful theyt should say before the food is served.
29 May 2008 22:25
Beer good, but overpriced.You're paying for the surroundings, and whilst the area is rather posh, this place ain't nothing special.
29 May 2008 22:22
Pulled up at 4.10pm to see people drinking in the beer garden. Only to be (rather rudely) told the place was closed until 6pm. So either the people in the garden have eked out their drinks for over an hour, or I'm being lied to, or the barman doesn't like the look of me?
I'm tempted to give them 0/10 out of spite, but will withold rating until next time (when they will have a BIG hill to climb)
24 May 2008 18:09
OK pub in the back of beyond. Trouble is, in an area with some pretty storming pubs within ten minute's drive, it's merely OK.
I'm not saying it's bad - far from it. But there's nothing to put it above the competition.
24 May 2008 18:04
What was once the "rough pub" in the village is now the place to be. Good selection of beers and friendly service too.
I'm reliably informed the Sunday lunch is special !
24 May 2008 18:01
I must admit I've knocked this place down in my estimation from 7/10 to 6/10.
The beer selection isn't what it once was, and the seervice is slow, to say the least.
24 May 2008 17:59
Four local ales and friendly service. Beautiful surroundings, and just the right distance from the railway for a decent walk there and back.
19 May 2008 08:00
Oh dear.....
OK the ale's good, but it's a singles bar full of lonely people pretending they aren't lonely.
Suffice it to say I wouldn't go back.
11 May 2008 19:52
Outside are all the student-types, inside there's a restaurant.
Rather nondescript average pub.
11 May 2008 15:31
On a recent visit to Weymouth a group of us visited twenty-two pubs. There were three in which we had more than one pint. This was one of them.
Friendly barman, choice of local ales. All it needs is pickled eggs.....
11 May 2008 15:29
Decent enough pub serving 6X and London Pride.
But nothing to distinguish it from all the other "decent" pubs (and there's a LOT in Weymouth).
11 May 2008 15:25
The Old Castle Hotel, Weymouth
Really posh hotel & dining area. Bar is a bit of a "local pub for local people". Like so many places, it needs to decide to whom it wants to cater.
We had pints of a decent local ale and sat in the garden, feeling as though we'd be intruding by being in the bar.
11 May 2008 15:23
I LOVED this place.
In retrospect it's got all that I hate about bad pubs.
It�s been said I don�t like live music. That�s not quite true. I like live music in the same way I like beer. I like it lots, but I�m fussy about what I�ll have. There�s a lot of scabby beer that I won�t touch with a barge pole. The same is true of bands. So many try to cover up a lack of talent by increasing the volume. This place has decent music at a decent volume.
It's clearly a "local pub for local people" - we were there the day after two of the locals got married, but we were made veery welcome.
The ale selection mightn't be as much as in other pubs, but the two ales they had on were good.
It's a "must visit" pub if ever you're in Weymouth.
11 May 2008 15:07
Typical big chain pub. The excellent choice of ales is more than cancelled out by the noise of the many televisions.
11 May 2008 15:03
This place is suffering from a split personality. Upstairs is an haute cuisine steak house. Excellent food that can't be bettered. Not cheap, but you get your money's worrth, and then some. For that, top marks, but this web site is about pubs....
Downstairs thee's three decent badger ales on the pumps, but it's the sort of place where the pikeys attempt to out-scumbag the chavs whilst watching any of four huge TV screens. And the graffitti in the toilets..... oh dear!
I can't help but feel this place needs to choose which part of the market to aim for.
11 May 2008 15:00
The place was full of scary looking people. Scary enough to deter four of us from trying a second time.
11 May 2008 14:55
On the one hand they have got some decent ales and the food wasn't bad.
But.... 5pm on a Sunday evening. There is no one at all at the bar except me and three friends. There were (at least) three staff on. We weren't served for at least ten minutes. I wonder what it's like when they are busy.
11 May 2008 14:54
the place was empty, nothing on the hand pump. We turned round and walked back out.
11 May 2008 14:50
Having visited twenty two pubs in Weymouth, this was the one we went back to. Excellent beer, a friendly welcome. Five ales on the hand pump including a storming porter. The Cheddar Gorge cider looks like orange squash and is worth trying a pint.
The landlord was very welcoming, and they are one of only two pubs we found that does pickled eggs. 9/10!!
11 May 2008 14:48
Whilst very friendly, it's obviously "a local pub for loal people". Food good, and very reasonably priced. Beer quality OK, but only one ale on.
It's got a skittle alley - you don't see many of those !!
11 May 2008 14:44
I must admit to being a bit hacked off with this place.
If you run a pub at such a location as Portland Bill, then you are catering for the tourist trade. You must be - there's no locals. The local tea shop was swarming at 2.30pm on the Tuesday after a bank Holiday. This place was closed. Normally I'd not rate a place I've not been in, but I walked nine miles to find the pub was closed.
11 May 2008 14:42
Lovely location. Beer quality good, but the same selection you get anywhere in the country. There ARE other beers than London Pride and Greene King IPA !
11 May 2008 14:37
The place oozes charm and character. The view of the castle from the garden is second to none. The beer is poured straight out of the barrel.
Oh - it could be so good. But with so many local breweries to choose from, the beer is that which you can buy anywhere in the country. And it was sour.
I walked in thinking it might even rate 10/10. I came out feeling that 6/10 was generous.
11 May 2008 14:33
Billed on BITE as Battle�s premier pub, I found the place somewhat mediocre. Five hand pumps but only two beers didn�t impress me at all.
We struck up a conversation with the barman about the smoking ban in pubs, but at no point did he cotton on that the entire place was being gassed by the fumes from his dying open fire. Mind you, the same chap maintained the recent rise in beer prices was due to the brewery � he�d never heard of the budget or the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
13 Apr 2008 20:16
Four hand pumps and only one beer. But that beer was on offer at �2 per pint.
13 Apr 2008 20:15
Four ales and Biddenden cider and pickled eggs. And smiling bar staff. This would seem to be the number one place to visit in Battle. A pint of �Director�s� was swiftly followed by a pint of �Summer Lightning�. If I had to choose one pub in Battle, this is the place. Head and shoulders above the rest. But in Battle, that ain�t saying much�.
13 Apr 2008 20:15
The Senlac Inn & Restaurant, Battle
Billed on BITE as Battle�s worst pub, to my mind this place came in at Battle�s number two pub, if only for the Bowling Green next door, the choice of pub games, friendly bar staff and the wonderful Victorian toilets.
13 Apr 2008 20:14
The Hoodener's Horse, Great Chart
Quaint pub with five hand pumps and excellent menu. No pickled eggs, but you can't have everything.
11 Apr 2008 14:58
Having been told how wrong I was, I felt it only fair to re-visit the place.
I don't doubt the locals are a great bunch of guys, but they still look scary.
The place has had a full refurbishment - yes. And perhaps this is where me and my critic disagree on the place. To my mind, with this refurbishment it's turning away from being a pub and moving towards being a restaurant. Which is fine if that's what the place wants to be and that's what it's public wants. Reviewed as a restaurant this place scores 10/10.
But it's not what *I* am looking for in a pub. Nor is this website about reviewing resturants.
I'm afraid I stand by my previous review with the observation that the place is a wonderful restaurant with a very well supplied bar for the ale drinker. But it's not the *pub* it used to be.
8 Apr 2008 08:21
Good pub serving 3 - 4 ales and takes requests for what ales you want on. Nice garden and pond. Food good, but a tad pricey.
22 Mar 2008 22:19
If I wanted to take my children to watch a football match, I�d go to a football pitch. In Whitstable, the pikeys take their children to this place. And for those who wonder what pubs smelled like before the smoking ban, you have to walk through the smoking shelter filled with fragrant pikeys to get into the place.
With four hand pumps in the place, only one was working. And that had �London Pride� which you can get absolutely anywhere. In my years I�ve been in some pretty grim pubs, but this must rate amongst the grimmest.
15 Mar 2008 18:17
I�d heard good things about this place and as I was in the area I thought I�d give it a go. If you didn�t know better, this is the sort of pub that you would take one look at, cross the road and go somewhere else. From the outside it looks rough. As you walk in it you would be forgiven for thinking �local pub for local people�, and walking straight back out again. Very fast! The place looks scary
But the locals are actually quite welcoming. There�s five ales on, all well kept, and the bar staff are only too happy to give tasters. There�s a downstairs area for those who like to shout at sport on the telly, and an upstairs area for those who don�t. Apparently it�s the Thanet CAMRA �Pub of the Year�. It�s a good back street boozer � I�d certainly go back again, and will do when I�m next in Thanet.
15 Mar 2008 18:08
Bearing in mind it�s a free house and also bearing in mind 99% of the pubs in the county seem to be Shepherd Neame which sell nothing but Masterbrew, why is this chosen as one of the ales?
Perhaps the bar staff are new, but should it really take fifteen minutes to come up with five drinks and three bags of crisps when the pub is deserted?
Oh dear, that sounds so negative, doesn�t it? It�s a good pub � I�d certainly go again, but it�s a carbon copy of every other �standard country pub� you�ll ever see � there�s nothing to make it stand out from the crowd.
15 Mar 2008 17:55
The Hotel Continental, Whitstable
The hotel runs or is run by (don�t know which) the Whitstable Brewery, so you are sure of excellent beer. Or you would be if they didn�t insist on serving it ice cold on gas flow.
However, being a hotel, they charge hotel prices. Much as I like Oyster Stout, I can�t help but feel that �3.20 is a bit steep for a pint of the stuff.
9 Mar 2008 21:51
Ship Centurion Arminius, Whitstable
Whilst obviously a �local pub for local people�, our group of four were made to feel very welcome. With four decent ales on, it�s definitely a good pub.
But �Kent Pub of the Year� ? Sorry, no! It�s a good pub, but I can name half a dozen other pubs in Kent that are better.
9 Mar 2008 21:48
It's good for a band. That it, they have some good bands in. But the beer - AWFUL !! Carling black label is the best beer thay have!
24 Feb 2008 01:06
This place seems to be getting busier each time I visit, which must be a good sign.
23 Feb 2008 10:09
The South Eastern Tavern, Ashford
Thought I'd give the place another chance. They haven't even got masterbrew on the pump now.
But the chavs have gone.
23 Feb 2008 10:08
This was once a regular haunt. For the last four years I've popped in once a year on the way to another pub to see how bad it's got. It's under new management again.
This lot seem friendlier than the last. Let's hope for the best - it used to be a cracking place to be.
23 Feb 2008 10:07
It's only two stops on the train and a half-mile walk for me. The people I was chatting with yesterday came on a personal recommendation from 100+ miles away. Four ales straight from the barrel, proper cider, the place is how a pub used to be years ago. It's probably not *everybody's* cup of tea, but I like it !
But don't arrive between 3pm and 6pm - it's traditional opening hours too!
23 Feb 2008 10:05
This place used to be rough. It's been done up lately and is a lot better than what it was. The bare-footed chavs are still there, they've just got their pool table in their own bar so you can't see then from the posh bit of the pub.
The beer selection - it's Shepherd Neame, but that's not always a bad thing. But when asking for a bottle of a bottled conditioned ale you are given the option of having a glass or not. You might remind the barman that the ale is bottle conditioned, but this clearly means nothing to him.
It's not a bad place. It's probably among the best within a radius of a mile or so, but with the pubs in South Ashford I'm afraid that's not saying much.
20 Feb 2008 21:37
A much overlooked bar on Hastings sea front. So far ths has always ben the last port of call before going home after a day at the seaside, but with the beer selection this place has, next time I'm in town I'll just saty in this place.
18 Feb 2008 22:40
Four decent ales on the hand pump, including the Shepherd Neame porter which is excellent. Good food, friendly service. Will certainly be going back.
18 Feb 2008 22:38
The Old Pump House was always seen as the school�s youth club when I was an inmate at Hastings Grammar School.
Thirty years later I suspect little has changed. A mate and I had the Bishop�s Finger which was sour. two others in or party had the Spitfire which wasn�t any better.
It�s the sort of place which gives the Shepherd Neame brewery a bad name.
18 Feb 2008 22:36
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
Excellent beer, friendly service.
It takes over an hour to get there, and it's always well worth the trip.
18 Feb 2008 22:35
Out in the provinces you're lucky to find anywhere with more than three hand pumps working. This place regularly has five. And a couple of decent ciders too.
The food's good. And there's a beer festival over the Easter weekend.....
10 Feb 2008 10:30
Friendly service, good food that doesn't take for ever to arrive, and the ales are well looked after.
And they understand that those who walk cross country to the country pubs can't help but get a bit muddy.
6 Feb 2008 16:39
The Blacksmiths Arms, Willesborough
OK pub near the hospital which seems to have taken on the role of hospital social club (since the social club closed). Good beers, good food.
24 Dec 2007 14:46
I last visited this place during their 2005 winter ales festival when it was a charming, quaint village pub which served good food. Went back today to find the place has been refurbished and is now loads bigger than it was, complete with restaurant wing. As part of the refurbishment, they seem to have removed all the character this place had. I can best describe it as �coldly clinical�. It�s just it�s not what it was. Why do people destroy these �olde worlde� pubs in this way?
The bar is now too spacious, and was deserted apart from the half dozen locals all crowded at the bar, all cooing over the barmaid�s pet guinea pig, making it very difficult to get served. And as other reviewers of this place have pointed out, the locals do look scary. (I expect they are decent folk � they just look scary)
It�s a strange pub. Today they had three ales on hand pump, four ales straight from the barrel (including �Level Best�) and two real ciders. For me � that should be heaven on earth.
It�s been voted CAMRA pub of the year four times in the last six years, but I don�t like the place. It�s got all the ambience of a cold church hall, or the doctor�s waiting room. It speaks volumes that when I�m next in the area I�ll be going to the Shepherd Neame place up the road.
15 Dec 2007 17:03
The South Eastern Tavern, Ashford
Since the place burned down, it's been rebuilt as what I can only describe as a youth club for the local chavs. Friendly enough chavs, to be fair to the place. But chavs, none the less.
If you like Masterbrew, you're in luck. There's three hand pumps serving that stuff. Nothing else on the pump, though...
9 Dec 2007 12:09
The Whitstable Brewery Bar, Whitstable
Excellent surrounding, wonderful scenery, their own brewed beer on tap - could it be better?
Actually, yes. It could be better. They make some of the best beers I've ever tasted (I defy anyone to improve on the Oyster Stout or the Raspberry Wheat beer) and then they serve it all ice cold on gas flow....
This could have been a 10/10 bar.....
9 Dec 2007 12:08
Popped in for Sunday roast. As I've said before, the food's not cheap, but it's good, and there's four decent ales on the hand pump. And two of them aren't the ubiquitous "get everywhere" London Pride and Harvey's
25 Nov 2007 17:33
This place has traditional �pub� bars where you can sit and enjoy a pint, and a huge barn-type bar where those who like sport can watch the telly.
It's a good pub in Rye. I suppose this is a classic case of "everything's relative". Were in it my home town (Ashford, Kent), then this would be THE place to go to. However, in Rye there's some very good pubs and it's just another good pub in Rye.
20 Nov 2007 23:09
OK, it's a Shepherd Neame pub, but the ale's OK.
Whilst the restaurant was reasonably full, the bar had no one in it but me and my drinking pal. That's not "not many". That's "no one at all". We arrived at 9pm to an empty bar, and sat there for half an hour with just us two and the foxy barmaid.
I can't help but wonder how these places make their money�.
19 Nov 2007 20:42
When you're at the seaside and fancy a pint, how many of us would go into a hotel? Not many. Which is a shame. Hastings sea front is littered with so many grim pubs and this place gets overlooked. Four decent ales on the hand pumps, and over twenty local bottled ales behind the bar. With bar staff who know what they are doing, the place is welcoming and I for one will be going back.
19 Nov 2007 17:07
Grim. It's popular amongst those who like a grim pub. And they are welcome to it.
17 Nov 2007 23:39
�10 for two and a half pints of ale & a lemonade.
You're paying for the posh surroundings.
Paying too much, perhaps?
17 Nov 2007 16:15
Not a bad pub. But not a good one, either.
I use this place as a half way point on walks from Folkestone to Hythe and back. Purely beause it's the first pub in Hythe when you are walking from Folkestone. If there were other pubs close by, I'd walk to them.
17 Nov 2007 16:15
Something of a "local pub for local people", but as an ex-local I can get away with it.
Hasn't changed much in the last thirty years, and probably doesn't need to.
17 Nov 2007 16:14
Much overlooked back street pub.
It's very handy for the designer outlet centre in Ashford, and whilst the food might take a little while to arrive, it's worth the wait.
17 Nov 2007 16:13
Friendly country pub with decent choice of ales and good food. Pleasant gardens at front and rear.
17 Nov 2007 16:12
The Flying Horse, Boughton Lees
Pleasant country pub with decent choice of ales and good food. Good garden at rear, and patio at the front from where you can watch the cricket on the village green
17 Nov 2007 16:11
Pleasant country pub with decent choice of ales (albeit Shepherd Neame) and good food
17 Nov 2007 16:10
Good food reasonably priced. A shame that with four hand pumps, they only had one ale on.
17 Nov 2007 16:10
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
Looks nothing special from the outside, but looks can be deceptive. With four home-brewed beers on the hand pump, excellent food and friendly bar staff, I just keep going back to the place.
It's a shame it's thirty miles from home, but it makes for a good day out every so often.
17 Nov 2007 10:59
Six months ago I said I wouldn't be going back. Well, I did. What is it with this place?
It could be good - it's got half way decent decor, and three ales on. But when I'm playing tourist in Hastings in the mid afternoon there is never anyone in this place. That's not "not many people", that's no one at all. Not a single soul.
17 Nov 2007 10:56
The John Logie Baird, Hastings
The trouble with 'spoons is there is this perception that they are all the same. They aren't. This is in my experience one of the better 'spoons in the south east.
It's not particularly good compared with other local treasures, but compared with other 'spoons, it's OK
17 Nov 2007 10:53
When you're at the seaside and fancy a pint, how many of us would go into a hotel? Not many. Which is a shame. Hastings sea front is littered with so many grim pubs and this place gets overlooked. Four decent ales on the hand pumps, and over twenty local bottled ales behind the bar. With bar staff who know what they are doing, the place is welcoming and I for one will be going back.
17 Nov 2007 10:47
Well, it's not a bad pub. There's a good choice of ales.
But it's not *good* either. And bearing in mind you can see "The Bell" from the front door, and could throw a stone and hit the "Pipemakers", there's a lot better pubs very close by.
11 Nov 2007 20:08
It's not somewhere you'll find by accident - it's up an obscure track off of an obscure country lane.Ideal stopping off point on a hike for the walkers amongst us. It's rather small inside, but it's got a spacious garden.
The food's good and the beer's well kept, but then in all honesty I can say that about hundreds of Kent pubs, and apart from the surroundings, this is little different.
11 Nov 2007 18:19
It's not a pub. It's a restaurant. Reviewed as a restaurant it would do better, but as a pub, 5/10 is the best it will get.
10 Nov 2007 23:29
Rye bonfire parade - the busiest night of the year in town. This place decides to only admit those who've booked in advance. Stuff 'em!!!!
10 Nov 2007 23:24
Fantastic place to enjoy a beer. Welcoming as ever. Keep on coming back...
10 Nov 2007 23:22
A strange pub � whilst my son plays for their pool team, I felt far too old to be there. I got definite vibes of �local pub for local people�, but I live fifty yards away from the place, and have no idea who the �locals� were. In twenty years of living locally, I�d never seen any of them.
Also, being a free house in Kent, why choose a Shepherd Neame ale as your guest beer
8 Nov 2007 22:29
Four ales on, and a well kept beer garden. And handy for the station too... (if you know the back streets)
22 Oct 2007 23:21
The Shipwrights Arms, Faversham
Brilliant place to go - scenic walks around the place, picturesque garden and with beer strainght out of the barrel, what more could you ask for?
17 Oct 2007 22:21
The Victoria Inn, Milton Keynes
Claims are made in the local newspaper that this place serves beer from the local brewery. If you ask for this beer, the bar staff just answer with blank stares.
It's a scary place - you're far better advised to go to the pub over the road.
17 Oct 2007 08:34
The Dripping Spring, St Leonards on Sea
A strange place. With the selection of ales it offers and free pop to the children it really warrants 9/10. But then it's in one of the rougher parts of town, needs a good cleaning & a lick of paint, has a beer "yard" rather than "garden" and (I'm sorry to say) is painfully obviously a "local pub for local people". In all fairness, 6/10 is the best I can stretch to. Which is a shame.
17 Oct 2007 08:27
Always worth a visit when in Eastbourne - six ales on, all well kept. The food's good, and the service is friendly. the place is clean and spacious, and very convenient for the theatre (!) or the ice cream parlour.
13 Oct 2007 21:33
Takes an age to get served, even when you are the only one at the bar and there's two staff behind the bar. What looked like a wonderful selection of ale was 90% not on, and the small amount they had on was seved ice-cold (what's that all about?)
But in the real-ale desert that is central Milton Keynes, it's the best you're going to get. Which is a shame, because this is, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst Wetherspoons I've ever been in.
11 Oct 2007 15:34
The Countryman, Bradwell Common
Really friendly staff & clietelle. Good selection of well kept beer. And kare-oke on a Sunday too...
3 Oct 2007 17:19
It transpires a lot of people end up going in here because they've actually come to see the pub over the road, only to find it doesn't live up to it's reputation. this place is brill - good beer and friendly service. And really helpful to the pedestrian whose map reading isn't much good.
3 Oct 2007 17:16
Pleasant pub in "Winnie the Pooh" country. Good ales, good beer garden, the same round ten miles away was �2 cheaper...
4 Aug 2007 22:33
Popped in whilst passing on a Wednesday evening. Whilst it seemed a pleasant enough place, I definately picked up what I could only describe as "vibes of a local pub for local people".
Reading other reviews it would seem that the choice of ales, whilst good, hasn't changed in a year. It's not a bad pub, but in this age of ever-improving pubs I can only describe it as "average" at best.
26 Jul 2007 23:13
Good choice of ales. Popped in when passing on a Sunday lunchtime. The place was heaving, but we were found a table & served excellent food within five minutes of ordering. There's not many places where that happens.
24 Jun 2007 16:57
The ales (four) are good as is the food, but I've always sat outside. I get the strong vibe that the bar is "for locals".
The place can only improve after July 1st when the smoking ban comes in.
23 Jun 2007 20:38
Three ales on, but the chap behind the bar had a terrible time trying to take an order for five drinks, and other people seemed unhappy with the food being cold and delivered to (and eaten by) the wrong people.
23 Jun 2007 18:47
The place is closed until further notice. A sign on the door says this is because of flood damage.
23 Jun 2007 18:44
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
There's not many places that you can phone up and ask for a box of beer and they sort you out with one. This place goes from strength to strength.
7 Jun 2007 17:11
This once used to be a half-way decent pub. It�s still got the original bar, but the rest of the place.... � it looks as though it will be good once the builders have finished, but the builders have actually long since gone. No ales, but reasonably well kept continental lagers. It's better than the "Youth Club Pub" over the road, but not by much.
7 Jun 2007 17:05
If they were as quick to serve you at the bar as the waitresses are to demand you should be eating, then they might be on to something. The locals aren't overly welcoming either.
It's not THAT bad, it's just that there's a lot of pubs very close that are a lot better.
26 May 2007 22:18
Very posh, not cheap, but four ales on the pump and the food looks & smells good. Must try it next time.
26 May 2007 22:15
Good food, the place is clean, good selection of well-kept ales, always worth popping in when in Rye
26 May 2007 22:14
Been there a couple of times. If you like Euro-fizz, then it's passable.
On the plus side, it's clean. On the minus side the bouncers seem quite intimidating and the place... how can I best describe it? A futuristic youth club is perhaps the closetest I can get.
22 May 2007 10:12
Went back again today - the beer garden is fantastic, as is the beer, the setting, the pub - can't praise the place enough.
5 May 2007 21:23
This used to be a regular haunt until it changed hands a few years ago and went downhill. It's now under new management and seems to be on the up again. A shame that with three hand pumps there's only two ales on....
5 May 2007 21:22
Smashing pub half an hour's walk from the railway. Good beer and friendly service.
5 May 2007 21:20
Popped in for a quick pint this evening. I must say the welcome wasn't overly enthusiastic - luke warm at best. Perhaps I'm being unfair in remembering this place in it's heyday a few years ago. However, one of the good points of this place is that they have more hand pumps than any other pub in Rye. WIth that in mind it's a shame they have the same ales you get everywhere else.
Had I rated it on my last visit (admittedly some time ago) it would have got 9/10. Today it gets 6/10 - average.
4 May 2007 22:44
Quite nostalgic about the place - in 1981 I was a regular (aged 17!), and in the last 26 years the place hasn't changes an awful lot.
Would be better without the obligatory drunk celt at the bar, but most pubs seem to have one, don't they?
20 Apr 2007 22:30
The John Logie Baird, Hastings
It's a 'spoons, but it's quite good as 'spoons go. They had five ales on, and there's not many places that do that.
20 Apr 2007 22:28
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
Went back again today - every bit as good as my visit of a month ago. Excellent home brewed beers & excellent home cooked food. Will jsut keep coming back !
20 Apr 2007 22:24
Well, it's probably OK for the tourists in the summer, but the bar fixtures are loose and the beer (Harvey's best) was sour.
20 Apr 2007 22:23
Well, it's got a reputation, but it's not a bad place to go for a pint. The town has certainly got a lot worse places for a beer. the ale's OK, and the locals don't bite (even though many look as though they might)
20 Apr 2007 22:22
This is somewhere about which I�ve heard wonderful reports. The plan for today was to stop for a quick half (just to have a look) and then to crack on. We stayed two hours.
It�s not so much going into a pub as going into someone�s living room. The beer is poured straight out of the barrel. As the bar seemed a little crowded we wandered to a room at the back where we admired a really old pub game, �Toad in the Hole�, in which you have to toss brass counters into a hole on a table. But this wasn�t a museum exhibit. It was a working game. The little old lady who runs the place soon tootled over with a handful of brass counters and showed us how to do the game. I was afraid I might damage something � the counters were quite heavy. But Doris was insistent we enjoyed ourselves, and another visitor to the place joined us and we spent ages lobbing counters at the hole. A point is scored each time the counter lands on the table and two points when it goes down the hole. My son scored 31 to my 17.
I need to go back to practice!
13 Apr 2007 17:53
One of the better 'spoons in Kent. The beer is good - wide selection of ales. Does tend to move awawy from being a pub into being a youth club at times...
12 Apr 2007 07:55
Some people go to the pub to shout at the sport on the telly and they don't care what they drink. That's fine by me, and this is the pub for them.
Me - I prefer to go somewhere else
12 Apr 2007 07:52
The Park Inn Hotel, Folkestone
To be fair, the beer's well kept, and the menu looks good, but......
Perhaps I'm getting old but I don't like the place any more. Time was you could go there for a quiet pint whilst waiting for the train and it was a decent hotel bar with character. Nowadays it's a shining, gleaming youth club indistinguishable from all the other "wiiiiiiiiiiine bars".
8 Apr 2007 09:10
Friendly service - beer well kept - must go back to try the food
6 Apr 2007 23:03
There's always a really good selection of ales, and the food is excellent. Good friendly service. Will keep on going back
6 Apr 2007 23:02
Good food, good beer. However food service is a little on the slow side, and whilst the "olde worlde" ambience is excellent, the ceiling is just a little too low for comfort.
Having said that, would certainly go back - and intend to soon.
31 Mar 2007 09:41
What is it with Shepherd Neame pubs? They seem to share a bad reputation, but are in my experience clean, friendly, smart places serving excellent food and beer.
OK, they generally only serve Shepherd Neame ales, but they all have a choice of at least three ales (and good ones at that).
The Bull is no exception - friendly service, good food which is cooked (not microwaved), good beer - I�d certainly go back there.
24 Mar 2007 19:56
Very good pub serving (amongst other beers) Rother Valley's Level Best which is brewed only half a mile away. A welcoming atmosphere, family friendly and clean. Excellent food, not cheap, but then you get what you pay for. Have used the place for family Xmas dinners and family reunions in the past and have never been disappointed
17 Mar 2007 08:39
One to pop in to when on the way back to Charing Cross. Beer good, shame the bouncers seem to be there to provide an audience for the fights rather than to stop them.
14 Mar 2007 21:33
If you like luke warm food and sour beer served by arrogant schoolchildren, then this is the pub for you.
Me - I won't be going back.
12 Mar 2007 22:09
It's a good pub, but as one of very few Wychwood pubs ni Kent it's a shame they didn't fo more of their own beers, rather than concentrating on what you can get anywhere
12 Mar 2007 21:59
It was grim when I was a teenager in Hastings, and now twenty five years later, it's worse. I visited it out of a sense of nostalgia, but won't be going back.
12 Mar 2007 21:08
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
Visited it mid week lunchtime - the barman/brewer couldn't have been more friendly. Beer excellent, food really good. Will definatly be going back
12 Mar 2007 21:04
British Volunteer, Ashford
Has closed and been knocked down
20 Oct 2016 21:53