please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Pub has now re-opened after much-needed refurbishment. Rather limited range of beers, but good food and a warm welcome. Also quite a nice garden area, despite being by main road. A useful place for walkers.
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CLOSED (learn Gam, simple - no need to review a dead pub)
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Seems to be on the market again - the only pub left in Westcott.
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Changing hands this weekend.
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18 months since my last visit and I'm pleased to see they've dropped the "hot rock" meals and are now purveyors of "Pieminister" pies. Fullers house so Pride & ESB only on this time. Pride was fine, pie was excellent.
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I have popped in a couple of time (I don't live in the village) and frankly I feel there's been a change for the better. Standard FST beer offered - and in good condition. Warm welcome. Haven't tried the food yet, but I will!
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Very nice - good service and great food
8 of us popped in for Sunday lunch
Good helpings, nicely cooked and presented and to top it all....
Traditional baked apple for dessert (just like mum used to make)
Recommended
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The Prince of Wales is a case where change wasn't for the better. Although some people don't care for "gastro pubs", I prefer a pub with a menu a notch above the average. I thoroughly enjoyed the menu and food (except the burgers) under the previous owners. I liked that there was a quality dining establishment in Westcott. Unfortunately, I will not return after my first experience since the change in ownership. The PoW now lacks a lot of the homeyness and warmth it once had. There has also been a decline in standards with regard to cleanliness and presentation. Our table was sticky and had not been cleaned after the previous guests. A paper table cloth was placed on the table after our order. We were presented with a very unprofessional looking and limited menu of "hot rock" options, but was told if we didn't like what we saw we'd be given another menu. I suggest there should only be one menu with the "hot rock" options included in it. After ordering the ribs from the other menu I can now understand why they're pushing the meals that you cook yourself on a hot rock. The ribs were very, very disappointing. They weren't tender in the least. Quite the contrary, it seemed very little care was taken in making them. They were cooked tough and smeared with barbecue sauce. The veg was overcooked, and the jacket potato was chalky. I suspect it was baked much, much earlier in the day. Westcott really had a gem in the Prince of Wales, but no longer. What a shame.
MPW31 - 25 Sep 2011 20:45 |
The new owners have only been there for a couple of weeks. Nice clean place with bare wooden floors. Quite roomy and with a beer garden at the side and a restaurant out back. Full range of Fullers beers on but I tried the York brewery's "Guzzler" which was fine. Very cheap & basic menu or Tapas at the moment but I think they're still getting things in order. Worrying signs of pretentiousness on the horizon with adverts for "hot rock" meals (i.e. cook at your table) around the place. A pleasant lunchtime spoilt by an obnoxious brat that screamed pretty much the whole time.
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GREAT news. The Crown across the road is changing as well......
Westcott moves on....at last.
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It has already changed hands and reopened today September 2: will it be another attempt at a gastro-pub?
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ALL CHANGE SEPTEMBER 11 2011
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Pride and ESB. Looks more like a restaurant. Large screen showing sport. Prefer the Crown.
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This is a bit expensive for food and drink. Please listen to your customers for what their needs are. Tall guy behind the bar a bit stand offish
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I live in the village of Westcott, and the Prince of Wales is one of 2 pubs there (the other being The Crown).
The PofW is the pub where I'd go if I wanted to go to a 'restaurant' rather than a pub, but this is as a direct comparison to The Crown which is more of a drinking pub.
The PofW's bar is small and lacks seating (2 sofas + 2 chairs + a couple of bar-stools), and the main room has more of a restaurant feel to it (or maybe gastropub) with tables and chairs for what feels like it should be dining.
That said, it's a nice clean, bright room with pleasant decor and no overbearing music, so it's certainly no hardship to drink there.
It's a Fullers pub, so they have the usual stuff, from Chiswick upwards in Alcohol.
We've eaten there a couple of times and it was good. Not 'great', but certainly not worthy of any sort of complaint.
There's ample seating inside (in the main room and an eating annex), and it has a fair sized garden on the A25. Parking is plentiful (car-park).
Clientele (that I've seen) is a mixture of locals and pass-throughs. Cyclists and walkers seem to make up a fair portion of the weekend trade.
All in all a decent pub for a pint and meal. I would visit The Crown for a session though, if I'm honest.
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I have now visited this pub on 4 recent occasions. The staff including the chef are always attentive and helpful. I agree with other reviewers that the beer is overpriced and not served at it's best, they could cure this if they had the mind to. It does not have a pub atmosphere more a restaurant come hotel, but the food was very good on all my visits, but a �1 off each course would help. It is clean and comfortable, and plenty of extra space for a group.
Am I going again when in the area Yes. Would I suggest it to others looking around there Yes. Easy Parking.
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Have been here a few times since new landlord took over, much improvement to say the least !!
Food is great and priced respectively, this is 2009 people Whetherspoons and the company/atmosphere that comes with it is probably what you are looking for if that's a problem (or maybe get a job) .. try Epsom or Leatherhead .....
for those that are not on the dole this is one of many lovely surrey pubs still worth a visit ....
The Bear. Oxshott
The Star, Malden Rushett
The Black Horse, Reigate
The Fox and Hounds and Blue Ball, Walton on The Hill
The Red Lion, Betchworth
a few to try ..
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A really nice pub which, as others have commented, doesn't know whether it's a pub or a dedicated food house - I suspect the landlord would really like to be running a restaurant. The fish and chips were good, but expensive and the same comment applies to the London Pride - �3.10 for a pint is bit rich in a Fuller Smith & Turner's pub: especially when up the road at a Mitchell & Butler pub (Wotton Hatch) it's �2.70 which is quite enough
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I came in here from the one across the road and the first thing that struck me - aprt from the pink armchairs in the entrance - was how light it is compared to previous visits. The whole place has been opened up and it now has the feel of someone's front room. I had two pints of Pride both of which wre full. The landlord (I assume) even topped one up without being prompted.This is, however, a venue that isn't quite sure what it wants to be. The restaurant seems to be the main focus with the 'holding area' comprising of two sofas. They were comfortable enough but not really pub like. There was a fruit machine in the corner but positioned in a way that suggests it is there for effect rather than use. On the whole this isn't a bad place but only for a swift half, not a session.
There are places that could do a lot worse than these two pubs in Westcott so instead of criticising and maoaning go out a support your local establishment - you'll miss them when they are gone.
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This is a good pub with an excellent new tenant who deserves support. One reviewer suggested they need to make sure they actually serve a pint and this is a fair point, until they start using lined glasses publicans and their staff need to remember that pint glasses need to be served filled to the top.
Aside from that the beer is excellent well kept Fullers, the food is very good, though lurching towards the pricey end of the scale for a pub.
Do make a visit, I'm pretty sure most people will enjoy the experience!
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Very nice pub. Obviously recently done up, we were only there for the beer but others were eating and the food looked good and good value.
Very attentive landlord. The Pride was very good, too. If only he'd fill the glasses to the brim...
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Drove past yesterday, there is a board outisde saying it has been refurbished.
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Currently having major refurbishment. Reopening date unknown.
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Nice location this pub, and great outdoor seating too. Drinks are ok, not sure how friendly all the locals are, but will give this country pub the benefit of the doubt. 8/10
anonymous - 29 Aug 2008 10:03 |
Raphaella. You pointedly said on The Crown site that the POW was closing and that its kitchens already had. You now fail to even mention this on the POW site. Why ? You have seriously damaged the reputation of two good pubs. Why ? (342 other sites are linked to BITE)
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With advance apologies to the POW for using their site to defend myself...sim,biker,leftfield,frosjadson et al, if you care to check back it was not me that dragged the POW into the Crown reviews. The POW was first mentioned in a 'knocking' review of the Crown, so please lets get our facts right and stop all this silly correspondence. Nothing that is being said at the moment is doing either us, or the pubs in question, any credit, and I think it is time to draw a line under this. I, for one, have better things to occupy my time than engaging any further in all this foolishness.
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POW management should be aware that Raphaella (staff member or regular at The Crown across the road) is making serious allegations about the POW - on The Crown BITE site. Seems unethical and underhanded.
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I used to go to this pub a lot when I was 17 years old with my friend Lucy, in the late 80's. We both worked as nannies at the time. Do any of the old locals remember us? I don't know what the pub is like now, but it was lovely then, and everyone was really friendly. I remember a barman called Rob? I even remember the guitarist from Hot Chocolate used to go there regularly! My name is Cathy if anyone does remember!
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After fourteen years, sadly the landlord has left this pub, another victim of high rents, high rates and high beer prices; I thought that Fullers were better landlords than that.
I have enjoyed many a good pint of ESB in here and have got to know many of the locals over the last twelve years.
The pub reopened 11th July and we visited last Saturday. We were served by a young uncharismatic barman who did his level best not to be engaged in conversation. I later found out that he was in fact the manager. Pub was stark and empty and no food at all served. Hardly surprising! The pint of ESB was drinkable, but far from the best. Flat, lifeless and slightly musty tasting, will not ensure my return. If you want a good pint of Fullers go to the Cricketers in Dorking. Come on Fullers, sharpen up your act, get some decent and knowledgeable staff in these pubs, or they will be lost for good.
The demise of the great British Boozer?
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Looks classier outside than it is. A group of old codgers sitting on bar stools but all the tables - laid up for dining - were deserted on a Friday lunchtime. No obvious reason for this as it's on a main road. Two real ales on. Food wasn't homemade; but was tasty, inexpensive and well presented. Nice looking barmaid.
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A large roadside tavern. No trouble getting a seat when I was in as there was only me and a local standing at the bar.
An OK pint of Fullers, but not the best. With so few customers it had maybe been sitting in the pipes for too long. Wasn't tempted to try another.
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Liked this place - friendly barman, good service, local and unthreatening feel. Recommended.
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