please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I used to pop in here prior to a beer tasting evening at the local Westerham Brewery so I haven't visited for a few years. The pub remains very welcoming and I enjoyed a warm pork and apple sandwich washed down by a couple of pints of Westerham's finest, in this instance a single hop Ahtanum and the Grasshopper.
Dogs were welcome in the area to the right of the small bar and there is a more formal 'restaurant' area to the left.
Well worth a visit if you are walking in the area or just passing by. The pub is shut 3pm to 5pm Monday to Friday.
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Very pleasant experience last weekend and a great ploughman's lunch. Small but enjoyable beer garden, swapping seats to stay in the few beams of sunlight that get through. Wanted to stay longer
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Have been playing Cricket all season here and have regularly adjourned post-match to commiserate each other and congratulate the opposition over a few pints of Westerham's finest. Beer garden now tidied up and the pub is very friendly.
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Went here with a Ramblers group.
Excellent range of well kept beers.
Great Service & the food is exceptional.Beautiful granary bread with a selection of ham beef chicken all served with a fresh side salad with a lovely dressing drizzled over.Compare this with most of the competition of blotting paper supermarket bread filled with plasic meat & a bit of dead lettuce.
WE SHALL RETURN
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Our walking group finished up here at lunchtime and met the new licensee, a very friendly lady who clearly wants to make the place a success. We are Westerham fans and we know the beer is well kept here but we commented that it would be nice to see more of the brewery's special ales showcased here, rather than the usual (but eminently drinkable) Finchcocks etc. Impeccable service from attentive staff. Good to hear that she's open on Sundays again.
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New owners took over six weeks ago and the atmosphere here is much improved since my last visit. Walking groups seemed to be pretty much despised before, now they're welcomed, there's now a bare tile floor on the right hand side of the bar so a few bits of mud don't cause any problems. Several Westerham beers on pump, the Finchcocks was particularly good. Slightly chaotic service, I don't think they'd quite got themselves sorted out yet but food was all good when it arrived. It's turned into a nice little pub.
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I visited this pub on Sunday 15/4/12. My two companions and I were all seated at the bar enjoying our beers when the landlady asked us if more cyclists were coming and said, "We don't encourage large groups of cyclists on Sunday lunchtimes." It was obvious from our clothing that we were cyclists.
My question is simple - why should cyclists be any different than other paying customers? I can only assume it was because we were not buying meals. One of our group did buy a meal after which we were invited to a table with four chairs. Finally a sixth cyclist arrived upon which the landlady made a second comment, "we don't want customers to be seated too close to each other" which was directed at the standing gentleman before we found another chair for him.
As the meals cost about �10 each I estimate that our group spent an equal amount to say four diners who might have used our table.
The landlady was rude and treated us as if we should not have been there. This attitude was amplified by her serving the 'locals' first even though my friend was already waiting to be served at the bar.
I would not recommend this pub purely because of the rank attitude and rudeness extended to paying customers. If you want to run a restaurant with a tiny space for beer-drinkers then this is the place to go. If you arrive by bike with the clothes to match don't bother.
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Booked the pub for a party (18 people), and it was a great success. The Westerham beers were on very fine form (especially the Bulldog). We also had some excellent red wines. The food was extremely tasty, and the staff were all wonderful. I can't compliment them enough.
Always worth a visit for the beer anyway.
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Excellent pub. Friendly welcome, good beer, good food & a nice ambience (fires, settees etc)
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A fine village Pub selling four Westerham beers and an above average range of wines by the glass. I was driving so only tried the Finchcocks which was in good form and drank well for its 3.5% strength. The Pub was full of ramblers when we called in on Wednesday lunch time, so I would advise booking if you want to try the offerings from the Royal Oak's extensive menu. If you are interested in visiting the Westerham Brewery itself, take the road opposite the Pub and follow for about half a mil until you come to a right hand bend, and the brewery is on the left. The shops sells bottled and beers in small five litre casks.
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Very nice food and beer, very friendly staff and the 'bar area' has a good authentic feel and an open fire. My only criticism would be, in line with previous posters, that the restaurant area risks feeling a little sterile. Nevertheless, well worth a visit if you're in the area and I'd certainly return.
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Not a huge place, quite a nice 'pub' style bar on the right and a more sterile, restaurant type room on the right. Westerham brewery beers on pump, I had the SPA which was fine. Food was good the "pie of the day" [steak&stilton] was excellent and just the right size for lunchtime.
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Good pub this, pity it's a good drive from home otherwise I'd be here a lot more. I like the feel of this pub, its homely, welcoming and cosy, the bar staff very helpful and friendly too.
My wife and I ate here both times we visited, and the food was consistently excellent. The steak and ale pie was a monster, with a huge pile of chunky fresh veg - delicious! I recall that my wife was envious and wished she'd ordered it instead of what she had, although she enjoyed whatever that was too. It isn't what you'd call cheap, but you get what you pay for and everything is prepared to a high standard.
I'm perhaps a little biased with this place, as I'm a big fan of Westerham beers and when faced with a nice choice of them, I'm always going to be a happy chappy. The beers I've tried here (BB and SPA) were both perfectly kept and pulled.
Our last visit was Christmas Eve 2009, when we went to collect a polypin of SPA and Finchcocks I'd previously ordered. As I stood at the bar to place my food order, I noticed I was stood next to a familiar face... it was the Westerham Brewery's owner, Robert Wicks, who I recognised from Oz and James' Drink To Britain! We had a little chat which was a nice addition to the day's proceedings - a very nice man he was too. By the way, if you're thinking of ordering a polypin in for the Christmas season, I can recommend the SPA - served me well for getting on for two weeks without loss of quality!
I'll definitely be going back again for another this Christmas!
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I like this pub a lot. My wife and I, with a couple of friends had a thoroughly
enjoyable mid-week dinner there two weeks back. It is a welcoming, traditional country pub with a range of excellent beers from the local Westerham Brewery and a selection of hearty 'home-cooked' dishes on the menu. It is nice to go into a pub and not have the distraction of piped music, fruit machines etc..just the gentle background buzz of conversation and laughter. On our visit, the staff could not have been more helpful and the food was excellent and came in very generous portions. Three super pints of Westerham's SPA topped off a great evening. We will be going back soon.
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It's a little while since I have ventured in here, but now it is a Westerham Brewery tied pub, I thought it worth a look. It was OK, but not a place I would want to become a regular in. Although not unfriendly, it was lacking a certian something. The beer was fine though.
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A maiden visit to the Westerham pride and joy on Sunday afternoon. Although a quiet spell, it was a) open and b) friendly, on both sides of the bar. A very efficient barmaid served up some Finchcocks and BB in good nick, and I availed myself of a few bottled offerings too. It is surprising that there seems to be a discernable bar atmosphere, as the decor is decidedly restaurant-orientated and one would assume it is going for gastro rather than pitching the pint-pot. The menu looked interesting, if not original, and I would be keen to sample it some day (I have heard comments of disappointment but I shan't let that dampen my enthusiasm).
Perhaps not what one would expect from the outside appearance, but provided the fine balance between a good dining area and a thriving bar element continues to be at the heart of this place, then I'm all for it.
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I don't have the inside track knowledge or apparent prejudices about this pub that other bloggers appear to have (below). All I can say is that 4 of us called in on Friday lunchtime and enjoyed really good beer and excellent food. Fiona, if that is who it was, was absolutely charming and helpful and made us so welcome we will definitely be back. There are so many mediocre pubs around that locals here don't seem to appreciate this place is well above average.
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Dropped in as I spotted this was owned by a small brewery. Imagine what you would wish from a pub owned by a new brewery's "flagship".....a range of interesting products...well thought out to give the other local pubs some real competition? Eclectic interior maybe reflecting the idiosyncrasies of the new owners, possibly? Food range promoting local produce?...Kent is after all the "Garden of England", surely. No, what you have here is an example of old thinking: own a pub so it can sell the brewery beers...throw in a bit of food which is a bit better than average, maybe. Sadly the people at Westerham Brewery are missing a great opportunity here. Why?....Because it is probably still tied to the owners for the vast majority of products. Shepherd Neame. And the Westerham beer...perfectly OK if a bit bland....and,please, let the barstaff know why the beer is called Perle....glass of house Sauv Blanc...great for etching the teeth! Oh and please get some furniture that has not come from the great pub furniture warehouse.......this therefore is a pub which happens to sell Westerham beer and not a Westerham Brewery pub. More of a tugboat than a flagship!
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Wayne and Mark left the pub 2nd July dismayed at the prospect of the pub's interior about to be ripped out to satisfy the whim of the the Westerham Brewery owner ( Robert Wicks) who thinks he can modernise a 15thC building. Can only hope they will take notice of the opinion of the locals (who am I kidding?)
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Seems to me that this pub has a new manager. Beer still the same though (two Westerham ales in good condition) and the menu too. Pies always exceptionally good. But the barman and the kitchen operator were different. Very friendly and polite. Great pub; worth a visit.
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Bobinman you must have said something out of line. Wayne doesn't suffer fools gladly and has sorted out a lot bad custom to make this a very good pub. Get to know him and he's a gem.
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Many an enjoyable, memorable lunch, afternoon and evening has been spent in this pub. The staff are fantastic and the stress of the day just drains away as you set foot in the door. For a beautiful old village pub with good ale, food, fun and friendship you need look no further. Every village needs one of these. Don't change a thing!
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Superb village pub with a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere. Always drop in after fishing in the area with friends and enjoy the ambience, the beer, the food and the friendship. Could not fault the place. Highly recommend a visit.
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I go here quite a lot and I find all the staff really friendly and helpful so I dont really know what Bobinmans on about.
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With the recent change to become a Westerham Brewery house I had high hopes for a pleasant visit. What a shame that the landlord is as welcome as an Arctic winter!! Shame, could be a great boozer. I gave the pub a 10 for the good quality ale and minus 9 for Mr Frosty the landlord. Sorry Mr Wicks, your beers deserve a hell of a lot better!!!
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Such a tonic these days to find a pub "on the up". Called in on a Friday lunchtime at 12.30 and by 1.15 it was full. Mixed crowd all enjoying a light bite and excellent Westerham ales. The SPA was so good, tasty, hoppy and only 38% - a purrfect lunchtime quaff. Nice pub (they were painting the cellar today!) and the staff made us feel very welcome. Will have to go back. Seek it out. Deserves support.
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Westerham Brewery now supplies the beer - excellent news
Coshy - 22 Feb 2009 08:13 |
Apparently its all change at this pub. It seems Shepherd Neame have sold out to up and coming Westerham Brewery and their great beers like Finchcoks and Bulldog are going to be on tap. Can't wait. The staff and management are all staying so the same good old pub but better beer!
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Really super guys, such a welcoming and friendly village pub. The vegetarian food is amazing, as was the other food. I have not seen such a variety of veggie food in a pub ever. A lovely atmosphere, a charming old public house and just a perfect way to spend a spring evening. Or indeed any evening.
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This is a welcoming pub for walkers in this area. The pub owners have left an uncarpeted area at one end for walkers and tasty lighter hot meals are served quickly. The beer is from the Kentish Shepherd Neame brewery and seemed to be kept well. The Westerham brewery is nearby, but this pub did not feature a uest beer.
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This is my second review of this pub because of the change of landlord. It is now one of the best pubs in the Westerham/Edenbridge area due to a change in the way the beer is kept and the menu, which is more comprehensive now. Further changes are due March'08 to the interior to provide more seating, better toilets etc. Booking for Sunday lunch is essential as it is so popular now. Well done Wayne and Mark!
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The change in this pub - my local - has been remarkable since the new landlords took over 3 months ago. The atmosphere is very friendly and all are welcomed, local or not. The beer is good, all the staff are friendly and experienced and decent pub food is available most nights.
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what a difference a couple of months can make.was in this pub with friends in march and did not want to be there,came back as no other watering hole to go to and the change is unbelievable,the barman smiles and gives yo the correct drink, this really is amust pub to go to, dont believe me try it p.s the food is great but you must book in advance ,friday night is a no no as the restaurant is packed 100 would be the real score. good luck lads (as if you need it ) very satisfied cutomer see you both very soon xxx
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wonderful,was invited to wine tasting evening,all free of charge,free food and good company. THIS IS A REAL COUNTRY PUB WITH REAL COUNTRY VALUES .
a real big thank you to mine hosts
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NICE FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE,SEEMED TO BE USED MAINLY BY LOCALS,BUT WAS MADE WELCOME.GOOD REAL ALE AND SERVED WITH A SMILE.
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Pub now under new management since end of May. Quite a turnaround.Good beer and food and friendly welcome. Well worth a visit.
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sorry but not my kind of pub. Beer was lousy (OK Shepheard Neame aint my tipple but this was grim) - zero welcome from mine host, zero atmosphere and about as close to a village pub as Tonbridge Weatherspoons is. Wont go back.
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Small pub, smaller car park, good food, large portions well cooked. Worth a visit. Average beer.
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Last in here about 9 months ago. Busy (it was a Friday night) but good service and great bar snacks.
Drinks all fine - would recommend to anyone passing by !!
Only problem - the Car Park is very small
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Good village pub - one bar is No Smoking and has unique gallery of cartoons. Good pub grub most lunches and evenings.
Paul C - 5 Mar 2005 07:53 |
