BITE user comments - qualityhound
Comments by qualityhound
Had a very good Sunday lunch here last week, top notch friendly service and even when my pal complained abouth a very small piece of pork belly, they brought him another complete one..with a smile...excellent all round good ales and wines, but I do agree about the accoustics, very noisy, especially on the Sunday what with all the crouch end newbies and yummy mummies out displaying their brats to all...
But overall...a good place, worth a detour
21 Jan 2014 18:20
The Bottle House has always had a strange attraction for people of a certain age who don't mind eating previously frozen fish and chips ( perhaps the war ! ) and thinking "oh how wonderful, a real country pub"...it's a blonde wooded kit pub or Harvester for god's sake under another guise with no proper management...the bloke who pretends to manage is a wet blanket with a very suspect week handshake...hmmm...must do better...The Spotted Dog around the corner is the real deal...except for the grumpy Aussie manageress....but still miles better.
29 Mar 2011 22:49
Royal Oak Inn, Staffhurst Wood
On the of the great things about the Royal Oak is that it's miles from anywhere and consistantly busy..surely that tells you something. It's a terrific pub with great ales, ciders and food thats a notch up from the competition...OK the old locals bar is gone, mistake... and the staff can be a bit dim if the owner Julian is not around to chivvy them up...but overall a great British country pub that deserves a visit and we need more like it.
6 Feb 2011 21:40
The King and Queen, Edenbridge
Unfriendly locals in Chav Central
You can spot them a mile away, HE... thin white pasty faced, fag hanging, baseball cap, tatty sportswear SHE...16, fat, pushing pram, bawling brats, has a fag and coke outside Three Cooks Bakery ( how come a bakery that doesn't sell bread !! ) then over the road to Post Office to collect child benefit, then a kebab and a jumbo bag of crisps as a salad from Tesco. This Edenbridge lot make the local pikeys look hollywood gliteratti.
The King & Queen is an OK pub in an otherwise depressing town.
9 Jul 2010 12:07
The Wheatsheaf Inn, Marsh Green
Has many ales and cider, arguably the best range for miles.
But the pub looks mucky and the empty beer barrels and crud lying around outside for years puts off most people from stopping.
Only for the real ale anoraks, otherwise avoid.
9 Jul 2010 11:46
Nice friendly couple who run the place...very dog friendly...good place to stop off after a country walk, beer reasonably well kept.
The food though is terrible and is losing them custom. This part of the world has many good pubs now serving decent food.
Pity !
9 Jul 2010 11:34
Walked in,
Was ignored by the staff,
Observed the usual Weatherspoons pre-midday crowd, a few crutches here, a neckbrace there and a couple of black eye's to complete the cosmopolitan, sophisticated ambience.
Walked out.
9 Jul 2010 11:07
Strange place Edwards ! It's neither Gastro or Pub.
Decor is redolescent of a 1970's care home with hundreds of lights giving off an incredible heat, even on a hot summers day...would love to see the electricity bill.
That said, they serve a decent pint of London Pride, but I haven't tried the food recently as the grub on the plate looks a bit dated and institutionalised.
Do these people who own places like this ever visit other pubs to see what's happening out there. Could do with a major makeover !
9 Jul 2010 10:56
Popped back to The Castle Inn and yes it's still better than it was, but the new owners have do much more to make the real difference that this potential gem of a pub needs to thrive. The drinks list fall woefully short of inspired choices, which for a free house is a real shame. The food menu needs to up the ante and to change daily to justify the high prices. Shepherds Pie at �12.50 was tasty but more like Shepherds Soup, that said the do very nice bit of game pie at the bar for �2.50.
More decent local and national ales ( Timothy Taylors etc ) and ciders please, plus a changing lunchtime special menu at around �8.95 would see more locals and visitors alike start to populate the place. The chefs are there to cook, but if the place is empty then, you still have to pay them..so a well priced lunch menu is a must.
2 Jul 2010 13:20
The new young tenants are a great improvement to a lovely old pub, I agree with TWG below about the grumpy old landlord, he put everybody off for years and I don't understand why he was left to run the place, when quite clearly he should not have been in the "hospitality" industry.
Good food, well priced, but the new couple need to focus on up grading the drinks offering, local ciders on draft would be a good start.
Well worth a visit
13 Apr 2010 13:06
The King Henry VIII Inn, Hever
The new tenants have moved in since my last missive below...what an improvement ! The place is now run by two young guys, one in the kitchen and one, David, out front...he is excellent. They have changed the lighting and have lit candles, so it now has a nice welcoming atmosphere and the food is well prepared and priced accordingly. Nice hand made Beef & Ale pies for �8.95 with all the trimmings.
Low point is the range of drinks offered by Shepherd Neame, with their usual dismal ales, no local ciders and a wine range that needs binning. The two guys will make it work, but Shep's need to support good young tenants like this with an expanded dynamic drinks range. Sheps' management take note !!
13 Apr 2010 12:54
The Castle Inn has definitely improved since the new landlord moved in. The food has improved greatly although limited in choice and expensive for the standard served, it's London prices for basic decent pub food and a bar menu would be welcome. The morose and un-communicative locals still haunt the public bar, but elsewhere has seen newcomers moving in to eat and drink, bringing a new lease of life to this lovely old pub. The drinks range is still limited, one local beer, no local ciders and a very limited wine list...but I'm assured that this will change as the new owner gets to grips with running a quality pub. Many other pubs in the area have seen management changes for the better recently and The Castle Inn needs to be on it's toes to come out ahead of the pack.
13 Apr 2010 12:44
The Castle Inn is potentially a great pub, lovely old building in a wonderful old village. It has been a bit tired for a few years but the pub has a new management team with a definite emphasis on serving quality food whilst retaining the pubby atmosphere. Whilst the food has improved it is still very expensive for what it is and the beer offering is very limited. I'm sure that the pub will improve gradually without alienating the locals and visitors alike. WORTH A VISIT
25 Feb 2010 17:55
Nice pub on the outskirts of the pretty Hever village.
Decent ales with Taylors Landlord on draught, although a very limited bottled range from half empty fridges. Food was reasonably priced and plentiful, if unremarkable. Very friendly front of house manager, but don't expect to bring your dogs into the bar...garden only...quite unusual in a country pub and one rule that must deter dozens of dog owners from frequenting this otherwise decent pub.
8 Feb 2010 11:53
Very attractive old pub, blazing Inglenook fire, decent draught ciders, local ales from Westerham, and Harveys, if a tad pricey. Young friendly staff so a pretty good stop off. The food is more of a challenge if you are looking for real high quality country cooking, then it needs to sharpen up it's act. More local fresh food and less of the Brake Bros factory food delivery van please. Pubs these days are fighting for survival and the best will always do well no matter where the location, the poor one's will go to the wall, even in the best locations. The Wheatsheaf looks fine for the moment, good location, lovely interior, but in an increasingly quality oriented pub food culture...it needs to wake up to the opportunity for a high quality food offering.
8 Feb 2010 11:45
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Devonshire House, Crouch End
Popped in here a few times recently when staying across the road on business, typical Spoons joint, lots of all day older punters with crutches and neck braces...are they a Spoons fashion statement or what...but you know, I actually really liked it...great beers and ciders at prices that must make the competition weep with envy...also decent good cheap pub grub served with grace and a smile.
Will be back.
21 Jan 2014 18:27