The Railway Hotel, Dartford

Closed to make way for a new car park as part of the station upgrade

18 Jul 2012 17:24

The Royal Victoria and Bull, Dartford

Within days of RogerB pleading for this pub to be renovated (see review, below) the builders arrived, erected scaffolding and began work on the restoration. Some may call it a co-incidence, but I prefer the idea that the owners of the pub read BITE and took Rogers comments on board!

It's obvious that a huge sum of money has been spent on restoring this building and overall, it's quite a transformation. Visually at least, the Bull & Vic is now an impressive pub. With more seating and the odd leather sofa dotted around, it feels a far more inviting place to sit down with a pint. The extra seating would also suggest that they're trying to attract more diners - on my visit most people had ordered food.

Unfortunately, the beer selection has remained the same, with only Guinness and John Smiths offered as an alternative to the various lagers. That decision does seem at odds with the country pub feel of the place. The Guinness I ordered was perfectly acceptable.

Its a shame the budget didn't stretch to the bar staff because on my visit, the two who served me weren't the cheeriest and seemed rather bored. Typical pub chain apathy.

I noticed that the disco lighting and massive speakers have survived the refurbishment so it will continue to act as a night club come the weekend. And this might be one of the biggest problems for the Bull & Vic. Is it an 'olde world' pub or is it a nightclub? Even the website for the owners list this place under their "party bars" section as opposed to the "traditional pubs" section.

It's great to see this place restored and is definitely worth a visit, if only to appreciate the grandeur and history. Just don't expect any real ales or overly friendly bar staff.

4 Nov 2009 11:28

The Royal Victoria and Bull, Dartford

Within days of RogerB pleading for this pub to be renovated (see review, below) the builders arrived, erected scaffolding and began work on the restoration. Some may call it a co-incidence, but I prefer the idea that the owners of the pub read BITE and took Rogers comments on board!

It's obvious that a huge sum of money has been spent on restoring this building and overall, it's quite a transformation. Visually at least, the Bull & Vic is now an impressive pub. With more seating and the odd leather sofa dotted around, it feels a far more inviting place to sit down with a pint. The extra seating would also suggest that they're trying to attract more diners - on my visit most people had ordered food.

Unfortunately, the beer selection has remained the same, with only Guinness and John Smiths offered as an alternative to the various lagers. That decision does seem at odds with the country pub feel of the place. The Guinness I ordered was perfectly accpetable.

Its a shame the budget didn't stretch to the bar staff because on my visit, the two who served me weren't the cheeriest and seemed rather bored. Typical pub chain apathy.

I noticed that the disco lighting and massive speakers have survived the refurbishment so it will continue to act as a night club come the weekend. And this might be one of the biggest problems for the Bull & Vic. Is it an 'olde world' pub or is it a nightclub? Even the website for the owners list this place under their "party bars" section as opposed to the "traditional pubs" section.

It's great to see this place restored and is definitely worth a visit, if only to appreciate the grandeur and history. Just don't expect any real ales or overly friendly bar staff.

2 Nov 2009 17:20