The Gunmakers, Clerkenwell

OMG - NO CHIPS IN A PUB!

11 Mar 2010 23:53

The Valiant Trooper, Aldbury

Without the restaurant extension on the back this old country pub is quite small with low beams, an inglenook at either end of the bar and not a straight wall in sight. The extension is large and stretches up the beer garden at the rear which is a good size and well kept. There are even some small climbing apparatus at the back to keep the kids amused on a summer�s day.

My Guinness was very nice and although there was only a limited standard draught selection available there was a good ale offering of Pride, Skinner�s Best, Brakspear and Trooper Ale.

I thought that the helpful woman behind the bar was friendly and apologetic when explaining that my choice of lunch was off the menu. I ended up with a nice substitute and the wife was happy with hers, it was a shame though that my daughter�s pasta was inedible and the sauce looked like the liquid that is found at the top of a ketchup bottle that hasn�t been shaken. Unsurprisingly it didn�t taste very nice either and I wondered why it ever left the kitchen.

On the whole I liked this place as it made a change from the London boozers that I usually find myself in, but I wouldn�t make another special trip to visit again.

2 Feb 2010 13:57

The Greyhound, Aldbury

This pub has a small bar at the front with an inglenook that had a nice fire burning giving a cosy atmosphere. Unfortunately the larger rear of the pub feels more like a restaurant and I was offered a menu whilst ordering my pint of Guinness, which was on good form. The usual Hall and Woodhouse draught selection was available along with Badger, Tanglefoot, Pickled Partridge and Sussex.

There is a large courtyard out the back which I�d imagine being nice in the summer and there are also three picnic tables out the front with views of the duck pond, it�s just a shame that there are a few parking spaces allocated directly in front of the pub.

I thought that the barmaid that served me was pleasant enough, but I wouldn�t make a special trip to this small village again just to visit its pubs.

2 Feb 2010 13:31