please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Decent enough pub which I suspect focuses more on being a restaurant nowadays. Beer is always ok service is decent.
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Popped in today just after Midday on Sunday for a quick pint and a packet of crisps. I haven't been here for 20 years. Owned by Chef and Brewer chain. Large Car Park to side, smart enough interior with old beams etc. The bar was deserted apart from a couple at a table. Lunchtime diners were gathering in the back area for Sunday lunch. I asked a young lady laying tables in the bar for service. A fairly indifferent response resulted in a further wait before i was served by a fairly expressionless barman who turned up and charged me £5.22 for a very nice pint of Yardbird IPA and a bag of crisps. A good range of other Real Ales were available. I only had the one. Go here if you've loads of money, my wallet is still recovering.
Beer 10/10. Value for money 1/10. Overall experience 3/10.
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I have just joined BITE was a regular few years ago but got a bit fed up with all the false postings, took another look and seems to have improved, The Bell is clean, Staff are efficient, Good Beer, nice enough atmosphere but its not really a Pub more of an eatery but pleasant enough even if not my type of place.
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Visited here and had Surf & Turf - 4 scraps of fillet (giving it a fancy name of medallions doesn't make offcuts any better), two prawns, one mushroom, and half a tomato. Dear at �16.99, and why are all the starters and mains dearer than the Plough in Bletchingley, which is part of the same chain. We could have saved �11.90 by going to the Plough, which is where we are heading next time.Had Chef & Brewer not removed the fillet steak from their new menu that would have been my choice. It has always been a nice steak in the past.The staff also need to learn that you don't just serve the main course and disappear without asking whether any condiments are required. On a previous visit it took a while to get the waitress's attention. This time, we had to get up and go and ask her for mustard and vinegar. Is vinegar a too expensive commodity to be placed on each table??
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Chef and Brewer. Doom Bar, Bombardier and Harveys Sussex Best (�3.09). Harveys was decent. Set up as a restaurant but no problem with sitting at a table having a drink. No sign outside, had to check inside the pub to see which it was. Low beams, attractive looking pub. Ok.
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Nice Ferret
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Appears to have changed hands again. First visit a couple of weeks ago left good impressions. Food prices are excellent value. Good portions and good food. Same lovely olde worlde charm, beams, candles etc. Lovely ambience. Good mix of clientele. No oiks. Would like to see a few more beers, but great to see notice at the bar saying they are happy to top up after beer has settled. Beer remains in reliably good condition. Big thumbs up continues from me - have been using for a few years now.
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Attended their first quiz and thoroughly enjoyed it (even though we came last). Food was excellent. Staff were friendly and helpful. Good atmosphere, well worth a visit. Quiz Master dressed to impress. Love the place, will definitely return.
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More of a restaurant than a pub but charming enough nonetheless.
Worth a visit I would say. Can't comment on the food as not had any...
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Nice food pub, but has a bit of a chain feel about it. Most of the time it's reasonable, but if you catch it on an off day then you might never go back. Largely relies on generic beers, but usually has a decent guest ale on, if it's Greene King IPA give it a miss and go straight to the Crown.
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a lovely pub on the outside as well as the inside. greeted by friendly staff on arrival and were seated quickly and efficiently. full table service was offered, and everything came out perfectly with minimal waiting time. a lovely place to have a nice drink and a good meal.
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Had a smashing meal with my daughter, food really good and I am a vegetarian, the wine was lovely, and the happy friendly service made a great evening, we have booked a meal for eight of us at Christmas.
anonymous - 3 Dec 2006 21:35 |
I would have agreed about the unhappy staff until I met the new manager this evening, she was very pleasent and the whole atmosphere in the pub had changed. The beer was very good but I can't comment on the food as I did not eat there. We even got served at our table with drinks, a nice evening out. The Beer in the Evening site must be working if the change is this immediate, well done.
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On the face of it looks like a nice old country pub. However when you walk in, you are greeted by the most miserable bar staff going! They are rude, they have no idea how to pour drinks and didn't even acknowledge me when I arrived or left. The pub was pretty empty for a Thursday night, probably something to do with the staff.
definitively wont be going back. One to avoid!
anonymous - 19 May 2006 09:31 |
The best thing about this pub is the large well lit car park, use it to visit The Crown just down the road, recently taken over by a chain who employ staff who hate working in the trade, but I expect their cheap.
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Was served a dismal pint of bitter, and my mate got vigourously foaming lager. This pub seems very much aimed for people who want food, rather than some decent beer. If you're not eating I suggest giving this place a miss and heading for The George just down the road.
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Reasonable food and Prices have certainly fallen since the last time we visited. Sunday roasts seem to be fresher with proper roasts instead of microwave meals.
Beer is reasonable and surroundings are OK. Service was standard for this size of pub, nothing excellent and nothing really bad.
I believe it's part of the Chef and Brewer chain!
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Pros:
Smart pub with large car park. Extensive food menu.
Cons:
Unadventurous beer selection with no guest ales. Always served much too cold. While the menu would appear to be impressive it never changes. The food is not freshly prepared, merely microwaved stuff from the freezer.
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Once deserted but resurrected a couple of years back as something of a gastro-pub this historic building is now as much about food as beer. The food is not cheap but not bad value considering the excellent quality and extremely good range. The pub is extremely large but can still get very busy at peak times (esp. Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch). Great spot for dinner a few beers if you can get a table but one complaint would be the occasionally excessive wait at the bar for drinks service - getting your pint can take an age even if there are only two other people waiting. One more person behind the bar would improve things immensely.
Simon - 14 Sep 2004 14:17 |
