please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
just no. expensive and souless. you can tell the interior was designed by a marketing team. outside its technically a lovely building in a pretty, but posh area. inside absolutly souless.
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Horrible. How unfriendly. We came in for food and drink, but they were so rude we left before the food. When my boyfriend got served for drinks he was told, rudely , to remove his hat, as if it was offensive! It was a plain black flat cap. Why? And why be so rude? Very very expensive too. The staff were even rude to the other staff!
tippy - 26 May 2011 19:34 |
Well, in typical M&B fashion, I waited nearly 10 minutes to get served in here yesterday afternoon. The place was reasonably busy, so WHY was there only ONE person behind the bar?! At least the service element was consistent as is the norm for Mitchells & Butler establishments as it was slow as hell. I was so pissed off with the (lack of) interest emanating from the the (lack of) staff, I ordered 2 pints when eventually she got round to me, drunk them (average condition), and promptly left. I'm not going to be in any great rush to go back here, as I will die of thirst waiting! 1/10
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Expensive to the extreme. Same round of drinks at the Old White Swan �8 something, at this pretentious establishment �13 something. No pub can justify a fiver extra for a round of drinks!
Souless, no character place. Service was quick and efficient. Quiet gravel area outside which must have been a driveway to sit in.
Now the worst experience - I visited this place with my wife and two friends. We are all retirees and over 60. When we go out to pubs we dress smart casual. One of the bar staff obviously took offense to the fact that I was wearing a baseball cap (with a 5 star Mexican hotel named on it, I might add). Although I was already being served by another member of staff, he asked me to remove my cap, to my embarrassment in front of all the customers at the bar. On asking him why, he said we have a dress code!
That's a first! It was also the first and last time we will visit The Saracens Head. Now I can understand dress codes if you wish to keep out a certain clientele, but to apply such a code with out commonsense and bit of flexibility is down right offensive.
Visit again or recommend? not on your life. All the other pubs we visted in Beaconsfield were better and more welcoming than this place. Our advise - go elsewhere - we will.
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More of a palace than a pub, luckily we turned up before the food really got going and so got the full attention of the staff. Was impressed with the three ales - the ubiquitous Pride, Landlord and the must have Purity UBU which was pretty good. A bit too posh for me but they made amends with the beer.
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Most definitely open, large cavernous pub, comfortable, bit posh but it is Beaconsfield. 3 real ales on, Pride, TT Landlord & the very excellent UBU from purity. Bit foody but a likeable place.
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Remember this place as a Beefeater a few years back. This is definately a better incarnation than back then. But still can't help feeling that it is still a bit of a waste of a superb 18th Century Coaching Inn.
As reported below now more of a modern bistro restaurant with a 'posh nosh' menu for the well heeled of Beaconsfield. Did have TT Landlord but felt totally out of place supping that amongst all the Pinot Grigio chuggers..
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great wine list and nice setting, but could do with some music or something, but hey there's some hot guys there!!
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Food is overpriced (but then I suppose this is Beaconsfield), and the menu just annoyingly pretentions (leaves? Belgian Frites? 'zippy' wine?). I'm not sure how the Belgians would view a portion of about 15 of (what appeared to be) frozen fry chips with a huge lump of mayonnaise being called "Belgian Frites".
I didn't know this place before it changed hands and refurbed, but the lager can be hit and miss - sometimes a good pint of import, but all too often a watery, weak pint.
Gets very busy at weekends, so there's clearly something for some people, but as Toolman says it does feel more like a bar than a pub.
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They ruined this place with the refurb. Feel like I should be drinking a martini in this place now, versus a beer. Catering to the upscale Beaconsfield crowd now I presume. Feels like a girly place now....purple chairs. Yikes.
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Just heard the pub is now closed, Can't wait for it to re-open. Had a chat with the new manager and was told it's going to be a fresh food pub/restaurant and their serving breakfast in the mornings.yummee
anonymous - 17 Feb 2007 10:26 |
Just visited the gate,one of their sisters sites in Chorleywood. If this pub is anything to go by, I can't wait until it re-opens. Looking forward to seeing the new changes. Great food, Great service, Amazing atmosphere.
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Thought you might like to know that this pub is currently having a �700k refurb and will be re-opening with a new General Manager as a stylish pub and restaurant on Saturday 10 March 2007.
More info to follow....
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*****NOW CLOSED DOWN****** (Thank God!)
Alain - 12 Jan 2007 10:00 |
Thanks for that. It seems clear to me there are a few on here who hold grudges, so it's easy to determine whose points are valid for me.
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Fabulous news - the Dump closes as a Beefeater in January!! It will become yet another Pizza/Pasta Restaurant, which is just what the Old Town needs, as we only have 7 places to eat Junk.
With any luck, the local Chav 'Hoodies', such as Birdy22, will take their unwanted Alcopop procurement towards that other blot on the landscape, the Kings Head at Holtspur.
Whilst some may mourn the fact the Beaconsfield has lost YET another Pub, in retrospect this couldn't have happened soon enough. Now if we can just get the Swan's Owners to leave Town........
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my comment was directed at mooch who works in the charles dick ens, great respect he seems to show for people working in the same trade, or not
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I am not the same person as Moochy.
I don't know who Moochy is or where he works. I was pointing out that my dislike of the Saracens is based on my hatred of it rather than any interest in any of the other pubs. Having lived within spitting distance of it for many years, and all the problems it and it's customers bring, I think I am more than qualified to knock it.
As you can see from my other pub ratings, had you bothered to check, I have many other legitimate ratings for good pubs around the area, in London and abroad. Showing that I am infact a legitmate rater. You on the other hand throw weak insults from behind the anonymous function, showing the absolute cretin that you clearly are.
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I do not and never have worked in any of the pubs in the Old Town.
However I can say with some authority as an expert of everything in the world ever that this is not a very good pub. I live locally and have seen drunk customers (but they are absolutely not under 18, I cannot stress that enough!!!!) coming out, fighting, vomitting, pissing against doors and even crapping in the street. The Saracens staff NEVER clean these things up, they have patches of vomit outside their doors that have been there for months.
I don't know about you, but I wouldn't drink or eat anything in a place that can't even be bothered to clean the things you can see - the path outside. Can they be trusted to keep a clean kitchen or clean the lines through? I think not....
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its always great to see guys who work in bars in the same town slagging of the competition, mooch is the grumpy one stood behing the bar in the charles dickens how low can you go
IDIOT
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Awful place, full of Teenage idiots like Birdy22 spoiling for a fight after half a Stella. Avoid like the plague, and let the Kiddies have it, at least we know where they all are. 0/10
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I have to admit that the sarries can be a bit overwhelming for the OLD FOLK, which is probably why you will see that they all love the charles dickens. But for me;
THE CHARLES DICKENS- no atmosphere
OLD WHITE SWAN- too small but garden good for summer
WHITE HART- just plain crap
RED LION KNOTTY GREEN- you'll probably be the only guys in there.
SARACENS HEAD- standard pub, nothing good
RED LION WOOBURN GREEN-best pub near beaconsfield without question!
Is a chav someone who wears Lonsdale, or who acts like a thug. None of the chavs act like thugs in the saracens and I have never witnessed violence, even though i have been going there for over a year. More of a restaurant than a pub though.
GO RED LION WOOBURN GREEN!
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Quote: I don't have a problem except the fact you keep putting quotes in the comments, we can all read each others comments no need to quote its annoying,
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QUOTE:Calling the sarries rough is a bit extreme, calling any pub in beaconsfield rough is a bit extreme, its about as rough as a girl fight in a nursery school, obviously need to get out of beaconsfield.
I meant rough as in a horrible place to be, as
Gueuzefan has indicated, not dangerous. I frequent plenty of pubs in London with genuinely hard (for want of a better word) patrons and they are all a far nicer place to be than the Saracens Head.
Oh, I did leave. I live in Central London.
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The absolute worst of the Beaconsfield pubs. Where to start? The place is very grubby, the toilets are rarely cleaned, covered in effluent and flooded with urine. Vomit lines the pavement outside, thanks to the inebriated patrons and it is never cleaned up by the staff. During the day the pub is frequented by alcoholic pensioners, taking advantage of the cheap bottles of Whitbread Gold Label on offer, during the evening the place is full of chavs (most of them looking amazingly baby faced and dressed in Lonsdale) drinking pints of overpriced lager and alcopops. Of course Beaconsfield is for the most part a quite town, but there is occasional trouble with drunken youths and this is the only pub to generate such trouble. Living so locally I have given the pub many chances but on every visit I have found the real ale on offer to be old to the point of being rotten, absolutely disgusting!
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Fair enough, that's your opinion. As I said, these old men thinking they are hard keep themselves to themselves, and never interact with anyone outside of their own little group. Bman is dead right, Beaconsfield is full of so many elderly people, it is almost impossible to get rough. A little rough is wycombe on a friday night but then again, there are lots of police so it cant get that bad. Bucks is probably one of the safest counties in England, you can't really go wrong in terms of safety. Beaconsfield is a great example of Bucks.
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Calling the sarries rough is a bit extreme, calling any pub in beaconsfield rough is a bit extreme, its about as rough as a girl fight in a nursery school, obviously need to get out of beaconsfield
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QUOTE: What?! It's an excellent pub! This guy has obviously had a problem with someone from the pub and wants everyone to think negatively about it.
I don't have a problem with anyone in the pub, or indeed anyone from Beaconsfield. Nor do I want anyone to think negatively about it. If you like this sort of place that is fine, I don't. The review I gave is true and if I may quote your statement,
"I do agree that there are a lot of old men thinking they are hard"
you tend to agree but find this acceptable as a place to spend your time, which is fine. I however do not, therefor I chose to drink elsewhere, but the fact remains, it is more than a little rough.
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I'd have to agree about the red lion good pub, never had a bad night in there usually bad hangovers the day after
happy days
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I was actually talking about f90x. I didnt look close enough and thought all three were the same review and it was anonymous. Mate, I dont need a job in a kitchen when I'm training in marketing and sales for BMW, I just think everyone has been a bit harsh about it. I do know what a chav is i was just trying to make a point, not all chavs are hooligans. I do agree that there are a lot of old men thinking they are hard but they keep themselves to themselves and, honestly, do not have any kind of affect on whether I have a good time at the pub or not. Anyway, at least there is an atmosphere which I can't say for any other pub in Beaconsfield. The best drinking pub in the area, I would say, is the Red Lion in Wooburn Green. Five big T.Vs all playing football, two big pool tables, music and an excellent atmosphere. I'm sure you've got a lot to say about that as well!
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A true man would stand by his words instead of calling them selves anonymous!!!!!!!!!! and as for being a moody old man what a load of ................ I have been drinking in the sarries for 11 years since i was 16 yrs old(16 plus 11 = 27) and there are alot of chavs, if you dont know what it is try google, there, i never commented on the food which i happen to like, good steaks, so get off your soap box or are you after your old job back. Although i agree with you about the old world of the charlie dicks where entry is reserved for those with ration books and oap bus passes
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What?! It's an excellent pub! This guy has obviously had a problem with someone from the pub and wants everyone to think negatively about it. You should try the Charles Dickens, you need I.D to be over 60!!! Seriously though I know everyone who works and drinks there. The chefs are very experienced and the staff are as friendly as you can get. I worked in the kitchen a few years back and can tell you first hand that the food is fresh and properly prepared. It's more of a restaurant than a pub, and has been rated the best beefeater in a bigger area than just the county on several occasions, so that must say something! The beer is good as well which is a major factor! I don't know what a 'chav' is, but since this guy is classing and stereotyping people for the way they look, then i guess i can stereotype him as the moody old man that has had a previous grudge, therefore doing his best to ruin their business! Don't worry, we all have our classes!
If you're in the area, that is the only pub that has the slightest bit of liveliness, as opposed to the dreary and 'dying in the corner' pubs! Great for birthday meals.
anonymous - 6 Apr 2006 13:31 |
chav central,
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Dreadfull, and has been for the last 20 yrs. I moved to London 5 yrs ago after having to endure this dump as a local pub (not my local, but A local) from age 18-35. I visited my brother who still lives in the area a few weeks ago and it's worse than ever. Full of 30-40yr old blokes being hard and a handfull of vile chav 15 yr old girls. We got 5 steps in, turned on our heels and left immediately. It was alright as I recall in 1982-3. There has been a pub on this site since the 13th century, Dick Turpin is reputed to have been a regular and this is it's destiny... disgracefull.
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A Dump. Avoid if you are over 15 and NOT a Chav!!!
anonymous - 7 Nov 2005 19:21 |
