please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
'Open again later in the year' - will not happen! The renovation/refurbished work has ground to a halt, and the building is now in a sorry state. Reopening would need considerable funding, for this closed/former pub - in a rural location.
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Drove past earlier today for the first time in a few years and was intending to grab a swifty - plan derailed. Closed.
A good few steel constructor's cabins in the car park which is all fenced off.
Happily, a sign outside said, "...back open again later in the year..." Having checked the website, this is indeed the case and will reopen at the backend of the year. Given the ancient age of the place I expect its more of a sympathetic restoration rather than mad refurb; the place is over seven hundred years old in parts so I'd be amazed if it wasn't listed.
Its privately owned so I wish them lots of luck. I will pay a visit when it reopens. In the meantime have scored it 'one', purely on the basis that its shut!
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Big old place, more restaurant than pub. Food was fine but quite expensive and there's no real cheap options, even simple baguettes were a bit pricey. Adnams ghostship and Westerham "gods wallop" on.
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Much better than it was in the '90's, and seemingly better than it was in 2011. Constantly improving then, but a shame you can't sneak out through the back of the garden anymore and reenact Blake 7 in the nearby quarry.
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went for lunch recently with the wife she wanted to go here i didnt as i know what the pub was like years ago well what a change the food was ok the beers good and the barman very friendly and attentive it was quiet though
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Went to the Grasshopper inn its Changed a lot recently now has a Hotel as well as good food. The whole place has been through some transformation this last year. New bar new decoration etc. Great service from the Bar guy. Would recomend coming for a meal and a drink.
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Came here recently with a group of us and was quite impressed.
Never been in here even though i live in the area as heard bad reports but i really liked it.
Think i will drag the other half here for a meal if i can get him away from the football for long enough.
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We booked all the hotel rooms at this venue in Feb 2011, the rooms were being refurbished at the time so once complete in May we payed our deposit for all the rooms. This booking was for the night before our wedding and the night of our wedding in a venue close by to the grasshopper inn.
On the 2nd of November we received an email stating that our booking was being cancelled due to there now being a wedding held at the venue on one of the dates we had reserved.
We called the venue straight away to ask what this email was about, surely we were thinking an error on their behalf. The 'Events Manager' informed us that the wedding booking was a priority compared to our booking so ours was now cancelled! We were also informed that the wedding was booked after we had paid our deposit. Not once during this conversation were we apologised to or offered alternative accommodation, as their terms & conditions state they must find us.
We then emailed to ask what was going to happen in regard to this , with no response. We chased this orginal email, again with no response.
We visited the venue to speak to the managers, before going we worked out that due to this cancellation not only would we have to find new accommodation for our wedding night but we would have to get additional wedding cars, pay more for our current car as it would have to travel further, and also print part of our wedding invite again as the brunch we were going to have the day after our wedding would now be at a different address.
We met the manageress and was straight away met with a very defensive abrupt attitude. We where told that they had given us enough notification to find another venue and it wasnt their issue. When we argued that it was their issue and informed them of the extra costs and how upsetting this was they basically argued that we hadn't accepted any help they had offered ( not at one stage had an alternative accommodation been offered) and it wasn't their fault. We didn't receive an apology until we were getting back our deposit and still with a very rude attitude!
After reading another review on this hotel we have noticed this isn't the first time this has happened and I doubt it will be the last...
I would urge people not to book this venue as given what has happened to us, and to others, they would not hesitate in cancelling future bookings at the last minute, if it meant an extra pound in their back pocket !
We have never in our lifetimes been subject to such appalling customer service and by writing this hope others won't have to.
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A good "food" pub made better by friendly, attentive staff (see Croxall1 comment). We had a family do here with ages from 1 to 80 and were treated really well (by Dena, in our case).
Only note of caution is that the beer (from the Westerham Brewery) isn't always kept as well as you might wish - or maybe I was unlucky.
This pub is well worth a visit especially for the excellent carvery.
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Not been to the place in years, but the meal and service was excellent, the lady that looked after us was called Lara and she beats the service at any other resturant that we have been to in years!!!!! and should get a raise as to get the service that we had is not as common any more (my daughter of five loved her). Would most definatley go back again as the food was great, (for all those who hate frozen roast potatoes they cook lovely fresh ones!!!!) and all in all we had a fab family evening and would highly recomend a visit.
Only bad points were no baby changing facilities and no yorkshire pudding.
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I'm amazed at the comments below! I had a carvery here recently and couldn't have been more impressed. It was busy and we had to wait a few minutes to get seated, but the food was top notch and only �8. The barman said there is a new manager in so maybe he's doing the do.
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The service in the restaurant was never that good, and since the change of management it is now appalling. One meal served with the wrong veg, one steak returned twice as it was dripping with blood, even though the order was for a medium steak. Had to wait 10 minutes after asking 3 staff members for condiments, by which time the food was not exactly hot. The portions of vegetables were so small I resorted to cutting the chips in half to make them last for the steak. Reminds me of Key West, where the steak was accompanied by 14 chips.
This used to be a decent restaurant but I would never return there now.
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i don't know what was happening with the management last time i was here but it seemed like the runners were more in control and knowing what they were doing more then anyone else. the food was ok but the place looked grubby and had rubbish christmas posters up that ruined the atmosfear of the pub. this is otherwise a nice place to go just get you drinks off a runner and avoid the posters
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What a refreshing change from the hussle & bussle of city life. Set out in the sticks in the country side, it makes a really pleasant day out on a sunny day. Good food and lovely to sit outside.
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Took Mum here for Mother's day and we all had a great time. Food was delicious and although it was packed, we really didn't have to wait long to be served. We'll definatley come here again.
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I ate in the restaurant recently and it was without doubt one of the worst meals I've ever had out. The waiting staff were pleasant and did their best, but whoever runs the kitchen needs to learn how to source decent produce and then how to cook it. The steak and chips I had (for �13 pounds) could've been from a Wetherspoons. In fact, it probably would've been nicer in a Wetherspoons. The Old Peculiar I had was fine though, so the bar is obviously well-looked after.
Mobey - 25 Feb 2008 11:42 |
Exactly as Trequites says.
We visited for lunch - Carvery every Satuirday and Sunday. Very good meal. Didn't see much of the bar - which looks rather small, but fully equipped. The Grasshopper Inn Ale is light and pleasant, according to my good lady wife, and preferable to the Spitfire.
Very civilized, with a varied clientele for the Carvery lunch [there is also a proper restaurant].
Good seven.
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Tradditional Inn with modern facilities. Resaurant & Carvery.
Good for Weddings, functions and Christmas parties too!
Alan Barnes - 28 Sep 2004 22:08 |
