The Old Dog, Herongate

One of the first real country pubs (in that it is in the middle of nowhere) as you leave Greater London on the A127. Nice welcoming atmosphere with a long bar with low tables for drinkers and a spacious area to the left for diners. Food can be very good even exceptional, but there is also some variabilty, though when I complained they treated me very well. As a pub the atmosphere is one that makes you want to linger, there is a nice choice of real ales and pretty good value wines if that is your thing. Overall the best country pub for both food and beer drinking i have found in the Brentwood area. You can take your mother or your mates.

4 Jul 2010 18:12

Four Seasons, Laindon

This was one of the worst pubs I have ever visited - and I have visited many I can tell you. The food was uneatable, the GK IPA was off, (after an argument they changed it) and the place felt very unkempt. I had never heard of the Hungry Horse chain before, as we normally avoid food pubs, but we have now and we know to avoid them like the plague. Perhaps the place just reflects the customers, surely they can do better than this?

4 Jul 2010 18:04

Moon On The Square, Basildon

If you are a real ale drinker in a slightly down at heel modern British town you have to venture into the Spoon's. Chances are you will get a decent real ale, however this can be at the price of seeing the worse of society. You read an article in your Sunday paper about Chavs or about excessive drinking and you thought it was all hype, but then you wander into a Spoon. This one was pretty friendly in many ways and we had a good time but one could sense trouble was only a Vodka and J2O away. The beer was nice, we bought the stressed bar man a drink and thereafter we had a friend for the evening. The sad thing is, for the real ale drinker, this is the best place in town.

4 Jul 2010 17:59