Lord Raglan, Staplehurstback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Quite small and dark, not particularly cheap, however the food and ales are very good. Just take a map so you can find it......
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The Raglan continues to maintain a high standard of excellence; there aren't many places to compare with it in this neck of the woods. The beer's unfailingly in excellent condition - I'm a Goachers fan, where I can find it, but the Harveys is good too, and they're both still very reasonably priced by local standards.
The food here is really first rate; they run a small and fairly unchanging menu, it's all cooked to order, and that may sometimes mean a wait - but when it arrives you know it'll be worth eating. The simpler lunchtime menu is excellent too.
There's a regular local clientele, but I've never found it cliquey; the only problem is that if you're not eating you may have difficulty in finding somewhere to sit.
Overall, absolutely first-rate.
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ate here sat night, 2nd visit and it was fantastic....the food is fresh and very very big portions....had a really lovely night..only set back their wine list is very limited..i will de be visiting again
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We ate here on 20 May. Harveys excellent ,in very good condition and at proper temperature. The food is good pub fare,well cooked and tasty,however be aware they serve large portions so a main is enough. The locals order the meat and share chips and side salads.
Lots of Range Rovers and this is obviously the HQ of the local well heeled.
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A pub set in a great location where there is plenty of hop growing. Interestingly, the garden is an orchard. The pub itself is small and got fairly busy on our Saturday evening visit. Three real ales were on offer - Westerham British Bulldog, Goachers Fine Light Ale and Harveys Best Bitter. Double Vision cider is also on handpump, but there was no sign of a perry. Clearly a popular local with mainly a middle to upper class clientele. Service was not the quickest. But this was still an enjoyable experience.
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We�d planned to go to the Swan In Sutton Valence, but the village seemed to be in the throes of some New Year�s Day celebration, so we moved on through the flooded Weald to this pub. I�m sure I haven�t been here since I was in Young Farmers, but I have happy memories of it.
An old cottage type building, with a curiously shaped bar opposite the front door, decorated with hopbines, this being still a hopgrowing area.Two open fires, glowing rather fitfully at either end of the bar added to the rural atmosphere. There was a pleasantly busy lunchtime trade, with both diners and drinkers.
I was gratified to see Goachers Fine Light Ale, together with Harveys Sussex Best. The Goachers was on top form, and I will be ecstatic if every pint I drink in 2010 is as good as this. In addition, they had Double Vision Cider and a Perry both on handpump.
There�s an interesting looking menu on chalk board behind the bar: we had the likes of hamburgers, sandwiches and sausage, egg �n�chips: all good hearty fare and good value.
I�m sure that the pub is a picture in the spring, set as it is amongst orchards. We liked it: a fine start to the new year. 8/10
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Visited again during the 11th annual onion festival on the August bank holiday Monday - not sure why the onions, but it was a very pleasant community event with the Weald of Kent morris side, a folk duo, hot food served in the orchard garden, etc. The usual Goachers and Harveys plus a guest ale (which was a very pleasant light summer beer whose name now escapes me). Top notch, but take note that it does not open on Sundays!
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Visited today lunchtime after a fruitless (or to be more correct - real ale less) visit to the Bull at Linton.
The Harveys and Goachers were in fine fettle, service was good, food arrived pretty quickly and an enjoyable time was had by all in the garden.
Also Double Vision Cider on hand pump.
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I used to think this was a wonderful pub until a visit last night...
I arrived with a friend just before opening time and whilst we awaited the opening of the doors, a few locals congregated outside. The pub opened 10 minutes late and the locals all rushed in (despite my friend and I clearly being the first there). The landlord seemed more concerned with ensuring that his locals were all happy before we were served.
When we were eventually attended to (approximately 10 minutes after entering the pub) we ordered some food, which to be fair was good and arrived fairly quickly. It was unfortunately served with little grace by a waitress who, short of throwing the plates onto our table, made it clear she was less than enthusiasatic about her job.
However, the absolute biscuit was taken when went up the bar to pay the bill. A couple were standing in front of me being served and i waited behind them awaiting my turn. At this point, three people (locals, I assume) came in and to my absolute disgust, the barmaid elected to see to them first and ignored me totally! What irritated me more than anything was that the three who entered could see quite clearly that I was awaiting service at the bar, but chose to disregard it.
So, to sum up: lovely old pub, great setting, good food, satisfactory beer, but locals with absolutely ZERO manners and indifferent bar staff.
I'm really hoping this experience is a one-off, but sadly I shall not be in a hurry to go back there. So, I apologise to fans of this pub if I appear to be describing it in a less than complimentary way but I am simply going by my experience yesterday.
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Dinner for 4 on 6FEB08. Great food and good value. Excellent open fire. Good service. I was driving, so couldn't sample the beer, but I was told that the Harvey's was spot on.
Terrific place.
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A great country pub. Normally Harveys and Goachers available plus a guest ale - always been in fine fettle when I've been in the pub. Food is obviously good as the restaurant area appears to be very busy in the evenings.
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A real hidden gem - a 'proper' rural pub serving good food and decent beer, all at reasonable prices. Has a very pleasant garden if the weather suits. Well worth seeking out.
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I'm amazed so few people have posted reviews of this pub. Whenever I'm in, either at lunchtime or in the evening , it's always pleasantly busy, with a great atmosphere of comfortable conversation, undisturbed by background music or other distractions. The beer remains consistently good, and the food (which admittedly I haven't sampled very frequently) is, as Anon. says, excellent. A real pub, well worth a detour.
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I agree with the last comment, particularly as regards the food. We had a meal here recently and it was quite outstanding, comparable with any pub or restaurant meal I've had in this part of the world. The steak is superb and the guinea fowl equally good. Strongly recommended
anonymous - 29 Nov 2006 12:44 |
Excellent proof that you can serve food without turning a traditional pub into a restaurant. The food here is excellent - some of the best pub meals in Kent -but it remains a genuine drinkers' 'local' as well, with(usually) excellent Harvey's, Goacher's plus changing guest beers. Well worth a visit.
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its amazing
Richard Parkin - 15 Sep 2004 19:47 |
Unspoilt pub a few hundred yards off the main A229 between Staplehurst and Maidstone. Hops adorn the bar and there are two log fires to keep you warm in the winter.
Lunchtime and evening meals are served, as is real ale.
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