please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Yeah I know this is a beer website not a food one, but I thought I'd mention that yet again there's no food here at all. 'Staff shortages' apparently - but they don't tell you that till you've walked past all the signs advertising food, chosen what you want from the menus on the tables, and gone to the bar to order. Then they tell you! Poor show.
|
Fair comment, zagreb, but Beer In The Evening seems to have established itself as the best website to find out about pubs in general. For the record, the drinks at the Five Bells are what they always were, but the food selection had changed, so I thought I'd mention it in case anyone was interested.
|
Food is all very well and good, but please remember the name of this site is BEER in the evening, not food in the evenibg
|
All change again! In the last few years they've gone through (1) bought-in food that's over-microwaved (2) an excellent laminated traditional food menu (3) no food at all and sending everyone to the Golden Cross (4) Thai meals - but they didn't last very long at all! Now it's a more traditional menu again, including burgers, steaks, curries and pizzas. Very tasty, and very friendly service, ... but I wonder how long it'll last this time!
|
Currently no food available but they're redirecting people to the Golden Cross, which is run by the same people anyway.
|
Still is a pleasant venue to visit, ales kept in good condition, still Green King (not surprising for a Green King tied premises), well appointed wine list. Food is well prepared, basic home styled menus of generous proportions. Overall a pub with a friendly and warm atmosphere, catering for families and having a large car park and a garden for children to play.
|
Seemed a good place to me. Greene King, yes, but three ales on. Sunday roasts - and although they only start doing the roasts at 1, the chef was willing to start early when a group of 20 of us arrived (by bike) at 1230 or so. A nice pub decor also. I was very well surprised by this considering it is practically next door to Heathrow. Hoping this isn't one of the places that would be bulldozed if the ill-advised Terminal 6 and Third Runway are built.
|
This charming pub has changed hands again. The new tenants are trying very hard to create a village pub and they seem to be achieving it as customer numbers are on the rise.
Greene King beer on hand pump with a guest beer always to accompany IPA and Abbott
food is served lunch times and evenings except Monday evening.
quiz night is the last Thursday of each month.
Friendly bar staff, bit pricey but never had a bad pint
|
Reasonable place to come for at lunchtime if you're in the vicinity of Heathrow. There's plenty of seating and food is delivered fairly quickly. The beer is from Greene King.
|
This pub is in an area where a lot of travellers live and over the years it has fallen in and out of favour with them. Travellers tend to take over a pub and the atmosphere can get quite intimidating as quite often casual visitors become the object of in jokes and verbal ridicule. If a traveller gets barred then there can be a lot of fall out including revenge attacks on the pub. Over the years this pub has had its fair share of these sorts of problems.
The pub is under fairly new management and the landlord to his credit is trying to create a village pub, but it is an uphill struggle and shortly after moving in, his beer cellar was broken into and stock stolen. A perfect introduction to the area.
The pub has a wide screen TV at one end and Premiership football is generally on show. Some of the regulars treat the pub as a home from home and sit at the bar watching soaps. Thankfully the bar area is quite large and L shaped so it is quite easy to escape the TV.
Like all pubs, staffing is a problem and the landlord has to use the best that he can find. Sadly a lot of the staff give the impression that you are interrupting their conversation or when you try to order a drink. Customer facing skills aren't the highest that I have encountered.
The beer is well looked after, but the range of wines is very basic. Expect to order white or red.
A few years ago the road outside the pub had speed bumps installed and this had the effect of reducing the passing trade on the pub and it is now mainly regulars who use the pub. Some evenings the bar staff outnumber the customers. That said, there is a good atmosphere to be found on workdays between 5:30pm and 7pm as local office workers pop in on the way home. Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes are a nice time to visit. There is a generous sized beer garden at the rear for use on warm days and some play equipment for children.
There is food available, fairly basic fare and quite affordable but don't expect cordon bleu. The pub is clean and tidy and lie all pubs has benefited from the no smoking rules, although it does have a tent in the garden at the rear for smokers to use and a table with an ashtray outside the front door. The toilets are clean and well managed.
There is ample parking in the pub car park, but I suggest that you don't leave your car there overnight and on dark evenings, try to park your car outside the front where you can keep an eye on it. The area has a terrible record for vehicles being broken into.
|
If "Landlord is a real ale drinker" (per ColnResident) I'm a bit surprised he only does the Greene King range (IPA, Abbott and Speckled Hen). Food is pretty basic too. But it's a very well run pub with clearly indicated food serving times, attentive management, and a nice choice of background music. Also, for those who don't know, Horton's a charming village yet only 1 mile from J14 of the M25.
|
Yet another anonymous contribution from someone who cannot spell! Does anyone remember when this website used to be about rating pubs, not insulting other contributors?
This kind of proves my point about the kind of people and conversation in the pub.
Do you really have nothing else to do but insult people?
Remember. I was asked to leave after uttering that immortal phrase: �Shit beer, shit staff and shit pub�.
Nothing changes.
colen - 11 Oct 2007 19:54 |
Just like to say I used to work at the bells and the person "colen" we know still has sour grapes. He was put out of the bells many years ago by the previous tenants 4 good reason, and has been put out by the new 1 probably 4 the same reason (he is rude, obnoxious to everyone not just the staff, and quite ugly). He is also barred from some of the other public houses around the area 4 the same reason. His personalty comes b4 him so anyone reading any of his comments should take then with a pinch of salt. The new guy is doing well, and trying hard to improve, at this public house and I wish him all the best
|
Warm friendly atmosphere, regulars are friendly, excellent food, real ales (3 usually available) are well kept. (Landlord is a real ale drinker). Large well maintained garden with childrens play area. New management since May 2007 and the change in the place is really kicking in now.
|
New people have recently taken over the pub and have improved it out of all recognition. Beers are now in stock at all times and the food is being improved daily. The new management welcome customers new and old and ask that you direct any criticisms to them so that theyy can react appropriately.
|
Nice pub, been here a couple of times, not for hay-fever sufferers though.
Good place to take the kids and spend an afternoon plane spotting as this place is right on the flight path from Heathrow most of the day
|
New owners.
Same old shit.
If you like manufactured food, manufactured people and manufactured conversation then I recommend this pub.
If you like real people in real conversation then drink elsewhere - like me!!
colen - 30 Mar 2007 14:38 |
It would appear that there are as many lies in the previous comments as there are spelling mistakes.
The beer was as rough as any I have had. Anywhere. Ever.
A steak knife was needed for my gammon steak - to cut the egg.
The ladies toilets were disgusting and I am informed the male toilets are just as bad.
Whilst service was not "bad" it was indifferent at best. I was overcharged for a round of drinks and when I brought this to the bar persons attention I was told it was my fault!
Please come and visit this pub. Once. You will not find a better pub anywhere. Not.
anonymous - 22 Nov 2005 18:28 |
Possibly one of the best pubs in the area, the pub itself is just short of 800 years old. Nice view of the 12th century church in the village. Good pub food at a reasonable price, the platter is to die for. The locals who frequent the pub are very friendly plus you do get alot of passing trade as well, appeals to alot of younf professionals. Great pub in the winter as well with the open fires sipping gluhwein. Good choice of wines and beers. Obviously I have seen the other comments on this site and the Landlord has got it absolutely right and kicked out the trash. Don't take my word for it, visit the pub yourself.
anonymous - 15 Oct 2005 02:43 |
Glad to see that only one comment is about the bar staff, but we all have our off days! maybe it was p.m.t on that particular day!! Does anyone elese think, like us, that some of the comments are quite malicious about the tennants?
Or do i sense sour grapes ...
anonymous - 28 Sep 2005 17:22 |
There is too much negativity about this pub. It's not all bad news..........it's got lovely front door!!!!
|
Sorry colen, can you just make it clear, did you post those first two comments or not?
anonymous - 6 Sep 2005 15:28 |
Many people think that the previous two anonymous comments were written by me. So I decided that I should post a comment.
I do agree with the first two comments.
I was "barred" from the pub five years ago for complaining about poor beer.
Over the last five years I have been joined by an ever growing number of Five Bells outlaws. This includes many neighbours and villagers. I can no longer comment on the quality of the pub from first hand experience however I gather there have been no improvements to the place since my exile began.
|
On the flight path to/from Heathrow nice beer garden, so great for plane spotters. Although the bar staff are snotty, its because they suffer from League of Gentlemen disease, ie they "Are a local pub, for local people", the rest of the passing trade can bugger off.
|
Personally I think the previous comment is a little bit reserved.
The recommendations are spot on though.
anonymous - 15 Jun 2005 13:28 |
This pub is run by the most anti-social tenants you have ever seen.
Your very presence is an inconvenience to them.
I would recommend that you avoid this pub at all costs.
anonymous - 3 Jan 2005 10:07 |
