please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Second pub of a seven pub crawl of Brentford after starting at the Magpie & Crown, was the Weir. It's a fairly upmarket place that enjoys a lovely location. Two handpulls looked promising. But, the Landlord clip was turned and it was soon revealed that the London Pride was off too. So, the selection was Amstel, Punk IPA, Aspall's, Curious Brew, Guinness, Pilsner Urquell, Camdel Hells & Hophouse Lager. There was a large and noisy party in one area, with a few other drinkers scattered around. The pub has a large garden. The most disappointing pub of last night's crawl.
|
After a brief visit to the nearby Magpie & Crown, we headed to the Weir Bar & Dining Room. Of 7 pubs we visited in Brentford on a Wednesday night, this was the worst. There were a couple of handpulls. One had London Pride and the other had Landlord with the clip turned round. However, it turned out that the Pride was also off. As such, the selection was Amstel, Punk IPA, Aspall's, Curious Brew, Guinness, Pilsner Urquell, Camden Hells & Hophouse Lager. There was a large and noisy party in one area. There is also a large garden area. But overall this is a disappointing place. Nice location though.
|
Tried to visit but was closed for 2 weeks over Christmas and New year
|
Well it's alright innit - I mean they have carpets and that, but this site is called 'BEER in the evening'.com not 'sitting down with my embarrassing yuppie boyfriend and braying loudly like an excited donkey over a bottle of supermarket grade piny gringo while another little piece of old Brentford dies'.com. There are some beers and the Belgian selection tasted fine to me, but the priority here is expensive pretentious cookery served on stripped pine furniture and wolfed down on the trendy huge plates by the whole Guardian reading goatee wearing sandal and shorts brigade. Nothing against them personally, even if they do push those enormous child buggies all the way down Chiswick High Road, mowing people down in their search for a pavement cafe where their insipid progeny can enjoy a skinny decaff soy milk latte frappucino and a trip to Baby Gap. No really nothing against them, them and their towering canal side homes each worth the price of a small hospital ward, polluting the view like a row of medieval castles. Absolutely nothing. It's just that I like beer and in the Weir, for all its cosy walled garden and views over the canal, isn't about friendly welcomes, amusing locals and decent pints of fine froth British beer. It's about those people and their baggy shorts and their thick black glasses and their spiky hair chatting on their phones. Nothing against them though as I mentioned before.
|
great pub
|
I start a new job in a office in Brentford and found this place ,informed by a colleague who is going there quite often.
Food was absolutely delicious and above all fresh.
I will definitely go back during my lunch break.
anonymous - 19 Jan 2007 14:22 |
was my first visit at the weir..i was looking for somewhere nice and relaxing in the brentford area...and there it was!!on my doorstep(just moved in the area with my boyfriend)the atmosphere was warm and friendly ...we had a lovely bottle of italian wine (pinot bianco) which was recommended by our waiter.i love my wines and i have to say the weir offers a wonderful variety from all over the world.food was great ..really tasty..we had had such a great time ,and we will tell all our friends.
|
I'm new to the area and have tried this place 3 times. On my last visit I couldn't drink my pint of Pride as it didn't taste right and the bar staff said 'so?'. It didn't help that it had been through a cooler, I suppose. On the same night one of the friends was drinking lager and also said it tasted bad - it isn't often you hear that! Finally, while I think that the area is lacking in choice when it comes to food I wonder if they really expect people to pay these kind of prices for any length of time.
|
my brother and i went in for the first time since it changed its name, ordered a pint of london pride nice but a bit cold. wanted some pork scrachings no luck, asked for crisps to be told they no longer sell them the only snack is olives at �3.50. any pub that no longer sells crisps because they gone up market no longer gets my money
|
Ended up venturing in here Friday night after sampling the mixed delights of the Magpie and Crown (just finished reviewing it earlier).
Had a pint of London Pride in the garden and it was ok, but was the only beer on tap. Still, the whole sitting outside in a beer garden with a pint and with the canal in background was a nice way to start Friday night.
I'm not sure that I'd eat there though....
|
Pretty nice, i'd be wary of the Magpie Mafia who like to defame this place. food is crap and the outdoor seating is wonky but the scenery is nice and hoegaarden always goes down a treat.
anonymous - 18 Mar 2006 22:57 |
Anyone who rates this pub highly simply has more money than sense and is more interested in appearance than content. Granted the pub is attractive but it always was even when it was the old White Horse. The food is overrated and overpriced as is the wine. When it first re-opened as the Weir the food was better than average and their chips were divine, Sunday lunch was however a serious disappointment. I eat there quite regularly a couple of years ago but the standards dropped even below average whilst the prices increased. The last meal I had there was appalling and I believe they now even charge service charge. It's still only a pub for goodness sake.
The management appear only to want the custom of the newcomers and their treatment of customers who do not fit the stereotypical yuppie leaves a lot to be desired. I am also interested to note that most of the positive comments on this pub come from anonymous posters.
|
While the service was friendly enough the food, when it eventually arrived, was appalling. The chef had ruined a beautiful piece of steak by leaving the Chateaubriand on the hot stone until the bottom was like charcoal, a rib-eye steak ordered medium-rare looked as if it had been microwaved and the pate was like sawdust.
Very poor for the excruciatingly high prices charged in Brentford. Yes, despite the pretensions of the idiots who I�m sure paid fortunes for a penthouse flat in one of the ugliest new buildings in the area, it is still only Brentford.
anonymous - 1 Feb 2006 19:01 |
Great pub. Brentford needs more like it. Great food and wine list. Nicely done out and somewhere for the new comers of Brentford to drink. PLenty of other pubs in the area for the Chavs to go.
|
I agree as I also live in those flats. In one of the penthouses, actually. I think the weir is a great pub and I am glad it is too pricey for those people who complained below because I wont have to look at them. Hopefully we can price them out of Brentford in a few years like we did in Chiswick.
|
I'm one of the newcomers to Brentford (in THOSE flats!) and I have to say The Weir is the best pub by far in Brentford. The other pubs may have 'atmosphere' but that includes coming out smelling like an ashtray. In response to another comment - yes, you *can* pay �15 for 2 glasses of wine, but you don't have to, as there's a wide choice available. Have eaten there several times, each time has been excellent. I recommend!
anonymous - 13 Sep 2005 16:02 |
The only good point about this "pub" (or should I say wine bar where you can pay up to �15 for two glasses of wine!!? (mindless!) is the beer garden.
I decided to go in there a few times and yes the beer is good, staff are ok but don't order food in there though - myself and other friends went for a meal a few weeks ago and an HOUR later, they completely forgot our two orders although they charged my card for it! (hence it was refunded)
And then, we were asked to "quiten down" as we were apparently too loud! What sort of pub does that??
Just go to the Magpie or the Coach and Horses and spare yourselves the toff talk at least!
|
Great food and service from all the staff,
will definately return and recommend to others.
anonymous - 17 Mar 2005 20:44 |
What a silly comment. This person obviously has an axe to grind and wouldn't know a nice establishment if they fell into one! They obviously the type of "riff raff" that The Weir trying to discourage. This is one of the best places to go locally and has the best food and friendliest staff around which is why they are always busy, even early in the week. They also appear to have a loyal bunch of regulars and it lovely to see the same friendly faces every time I visit
anonymous - 8 Mar 2005 18:07 |
This is by far the best pub and restaurant for miles around. Good music, nice range of wine and beers, excellent food and atmosphere. Made a refreshing change to find original and tasty vegetarian options available amongst the excellent menu. Friendly staff too. What more could you want!
anonymous - 24 Feb 2005 21:46 |
Went there on Wednesday and it was very busy. Food was excellent and staff were friendly and polite. Even though they were fully booked, it wasn't packed or noisy and we had a truly enjoyable evening. Great food, wine and beer selection and fairly priced. Can't understand other postings that say it expensive?? This is in a different league to the other places in Brentford and about time too.
anonymous - 13 Feb 2005 10:11 |
Expensive and not very friendly
|
Pubs not too bad, not that yuppiofied, but the bber prices keep on going up 3 times since it opened.
Magpies got a better range of foriegn bears.
anonymous - 19 Jan 2005 19:41 |
A typical yuppies paradise.( Yes, they've come to Brentford, I'm afraid ).
Normal people - go in at your peril !
John - 18 Nov 2004 13:16 |
Used to Brentford's best pub (I think it was the White Horse) when I lived there c1996. That said, made another visit as part of a pub crawl and whilst its now a P&P type place its alright.
Gary - 7 Oct 2004 13:11 |
If, like me, you really enjoy a good roast beef lunch then this is definitely the place to eat. Quality food ( clearly freshly prepared ), excellent service and lovely location with the local weir just metres away from the beer garden. Highly recommended. (By the way, I'm not a yuppy and I consider the prices to be very reasonable for the excellent quality of service and food )
Andy Sullivan - 26 Sep 2004 15:20 |
Just had lunch at the Weir and enjoyed the service, the quality wines, and the very high-quality cuisine. No its not cheap but for what it is, it is very good value and a welcome addition to Brentford.
|
The Weir is definately more of a restaurent than a pub in the traditional sense so if you are going for the traditional pub experience then you may be disappointed. That is not to say that the beer is not of excellent quality and they clearly take pride in what they pour. But go for a meal and try the food. The menu has a great deal of varity and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring it. When the food turned up none of us were disappointed. I found it reasonably priced and the service was excellent. I look forward to going back.
If 'The Weir' reflects the future for Brentford then things are looking up.
Michael - 23 Aug 2004 15:41 |
Wier is now great, beer and food top notch. Plenty of other places for Brentford chavs to go instead.
Dave - 20 Aug 2004 19:42 |
Oh dear, yet another pub that has followed the trend of "yuppiness" for the masses of them moving into the new flats in the Island!
I've visited the pub a few times and apart from it being overpriced, dull and lacking in atmosphere especially... my overall opinion on this place is that it is a total waste of space and good for the Brentford toffs and good luck to you!
|
Great food, great Ales, friendly staff and different to most of the "rougher" Brentford pubs. I think there is definitely room for such a pub in Brentford as I cant think of an equivalent style of pub in the vicinity. Well worth a visit, unless you want to watch footy on TV and drink Stella while eating pie and chips of course ;)
As for Yupies - well they need to drink and eat somewhere too, and they are an ever increasing demographic in this neighborhood given the average house prices this is unavoidable. I'd say the edge was more on quality than pretentiousness.
cheers
Nick
|
nice food but very very over priced allright not the best though
bill - 20 Jul 2004 20:32 |
The Weir lands smack in the middle of Brentford like a huge pine decorated alien spaceship, its mission: to cater for the growing number of affluent yuppies greedily buying up canal side properties for the price of new hospital wings. Incongruous and insensitive to its surroundings and marking a dull new era in the social life of Brentford, his is a soulless and pretentious place that is naturally over priced and pointless, catering to those many people who feel that bland atmosphere and a lack of character are necessary for a good night out, and those that feel meals are somehow incomplete without focaccia and rocket. The beer garden which was the best feature now seems like an unwanted relic of the past, offering drinkers a view of their new penthouse suites. Not a pub to drink or relax in, not a pub to unwind or socialise in, this is a place to bellow into your mobile phone for all to hear, read the broadsheet papers over a mug of cappuccino, parade around in your Gap shorts and designer flip flops as you feed your precocious toddlers macrobiotic wholemeal salad leaves. A bad approximation of what actually passse for sophistication and styl these days.
Agnes - 8 Jun 2004 10:00 |
Not pretentious, just a little different! Beer was good, really tasty nibbles (no crisps or peanuts here), food menu looked tasty and the atmosphere felt comfortably airy. There was also a big garden right next to the canal. Depends what kind of pub you like - but definitely one I'd visit again.
Deni - 6 Jun 2004 16:51 |
Well, it's not like Brentfords short on pubs now is it. I haven't been there since the refurb but intend to soon. Why is it 'pretentious' exactly?
|
totaly agree with Dave C. Pretentious. seems to have been done for local yupies that are moving into Brentford.
Bungle - 18 May 2004 16:53 |
Pretentious.
Dave C. - 17 Apr 2004 03:43 |
What a transformation! Great atmosphere and surroundings with a mouthwatering menu. Good selection of wines and beers. A credit to the new management.
|
Has re-opened. Bare boards chic with extensive (and expensive!) menu.
Winston - 6 Apr 2004 00:05 |
Closed at present - Will re-open with new management as a pub/wine bar in a couple of months.
Winston - 10 Feb 2004 18:14 |
West Brentfords saving grace. Great beer garden which really should be more fully appreciated. A decent pub although it lacks atmosphere somewhat.
Good for: Going with a large group of people
|
This is the perfect pub if you feel like a relaxing drink and no fuss! Very friendly bar staff and the boss is (scary at 1st) fantastic! Although it is a quiet pub when its disco night it rocks!
All in all its a quiet little pub no trouble no fuss!!!
Tim - 14 Mar 2003 18:43 |
