please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Was in the Rutland Arms on Friday October 12th. It's a nice pub in a great location although my visit was marred by the monosyllabic barman. It's really not hard to smile, be polite and say 'please' is it? If you don't want to deal with the general public then bar work probably isn't for you.
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The best way to drink outside this pub on a summer evening, is to buy the beer/lager/wine of your choice from a supermarket.
Bring a pint /wine glass with you and stand along the riverbank all the way down to the Dove.
Only the tourists put up with the expensive booze , and the naff service.
and as for the gents........phew !!
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Was in here a few weeks ago and had a couple of surprisingly good ales, and a very good steak & ale pie.
An odd drinking policy - all drinks served in plastic cups despite us drinking indoors... at 4pm... on a Tuesday. Apparently this is "the river policy". Bollox.
Bar staff range from decent to highly incompetent, i.e. can't print a recent, wrong drinks orders, one says no tab only for another to contradict, dried blood under the barman's fingernails etc. Plenty of better choices in Hammersmith.
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My female friend and I - and her 9 months old daughter - visited this pub got lunch yesterday, 23 June. Been here a couple of times before. Never had any bad food here, and although the drinks are a bit pricey, you pay more for a better clientele and surroundings. The red headed barmaid was lovely - really nice, pleasant and helpful. When I asked for a few slices of orange - which normally go in the drinks - for the 9 month old, she was happy to help. Food was good: I had steak which was cooked just right and my friend had the chicken and chorizo, which she really enjoyed. With a few pints of Guinness inside me, all in all a lovely three hour lunch!!!
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Very pricey: 1 pint beer (London Pride), one apple juice (small bottle), half a pint of Peroni on pump, total £9.50. No price list visible to be able to verify whether we had paid the correct amount. No receipt given.
If those were the prices for self-service beer and drinks from the bar counter, then I would expect to find a high quality loo. No, it was about category D.
This pub does not seem to employ serving people: one barman on a bank holiday monday afternoon, quite insufficient.
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Last of the night before heading to the Apollo. Probably the least special of all the pubs that we visited in the area - but we have been rather spoiled.
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Fairly large corner pub by the river. The main bar is found at the front of the pub. But further eating and drinking areas continue around the U-shaped bar. At the rear was a large party of elderly people having a Christmas meal and seemingly having a good time. Marstons EPA & Sharps Doom Bar were the 2 ales on. Westons Traditional Scrumpy was the cider.
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Vastly superior to the nearby Blue Anchor, although another pub which has been ruined by somebody�s (in this case the owners Scottish and Newcastle) idea of what they think the yuppies expect these days; failing to appreciate that a nice pub with decent drinks and atmosphere actually works for some people.
In its heyday the pub was cavernous and atmospheric with it�s small booths, but more groups-friendly and better lit open area at the back. However, things went downhill when the whole pub was renovated into one big open space, although at least some exceptions (such as the bar billiards table) did manage to hang on for quite a while.
The pub now seems to be renovated approximately every two years, and I really fail to see the point in this. For all that they�ve gained in the yuppie trade, they�ve now completely lost the business of those who live on the nearby moorings who used to keep the pub going during the winter, and so if you visit in December you will probably now have the pub to yourself.
Remains far better than it�s local rival though, in terms of drinks, friendliness of staff, and overall atmosphere and experience.
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Didn't used to like this place that much compared to other nearby riverside pubs but think it is better now. I still prefer The Blue Anchor next door but with its location and decent service it's well worth a visit.
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Enjoyed this pub on a stunning Sunday afternoon. Beer in excellent condition. My pal had a very good meal. The staff were friendly.
All in all I enjoyed it and will be back.
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Agree with people who've said the Blue Anchor is better but not sure the Rutland deserves such a low rating, it's still good.
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Another pub with a great location on the riverside in Hammersmith. It's got more room for seating inside than the nearby Blue Anchor and also has a good selection of food and drink, but I prefer the Blue Anchor for the layout, decor and service (and the food is also quite a bit better if you're going for a meal as well as drinks). However with its setting, the Rutland is worth a visit if the Blue Anchor is packed, as it often is.
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Lovely staff! Lovely beer. Lovely location. Lovely!
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was going to meet a group of mates here the other night after work.
5pm sunny evening and lack of staff to serve a busy bar.
not a real ale pub lager was average so we went next door to the blue anchor.
I guess pub chains don't really care
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Visited this pub today during a walk along the Thames from Putney to Barnes Bridge and back. Service was excellent. I wanted to sit outside but didn't notice the tables had numbers prior to going to the bar to place my order. This wasn't a problem. Food wasn't gourmet, just standard pub grub, which is what I'm looking for in a pub. Nice pint of Doom Bar too.
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I struggle with the comments about poor service. This was Hoople-Central during the Mott the Hoople reunion gigs at the Odeon last October. Scores of MtH fans from all over the world descended on this pub for five nights last October and I have not seen a single criticism of beer or service on the Ian Hunter website. Great times.
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Well-located pub on the west side of Hammersmith Bridge, which has tended to suffer in recent years due to local competition (e.g. Blue Anchor and Dove). Still, that means you probably have a better chance of getting a table (both inside and out on the river terrace). Standard Punch Taverns 'Great Pub Food' menu, so the food prices are quite reasonable if you are looking for basic fare. Four handpumps - Pride, Youngs London Gold, Bath Gem and Rugby Spring Daze (not bad at �3.25). Worth a try.
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This is the worst riverside pub from Hammersmith to Chiswick. I see no reason why anyone would drink here when you have The Blue Anchor next door and other superior pubs a short walk westwards away. It somehow manages to be dull and dreary despite the location. The service ranges from poor to average. I avoid it.
Amy_J - 11 Sep 2009 11:24 |
Adding to the lazyness mentioned below, we popped in on a quiet lunchtime for a drink, my friend ordered a tea and the cup was dirty, when she went back to ask for a clean cup, the barmaids response was "well, they are all just a bit dirty" ever heard of washing up liquid and a scourer??
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The worst service I have ever had in a pub. What terrible lazy managment this pub has. I arrived at 930pm to an almost empty bar and a few drinkers outside by the river. I was served straight away and asked for a pint of Adnam's Bitter in a real glass as I could see that they were serving in plastic. I wrongly assumed this was for people drinking outside and I explained that I would be drinking inside. I was told that they don't serve beer in glasses because it's too much effort to collect and wash them!!! I thought they were joking. They call themselves an Ale House but they obviously take no care in what they serve. I can only assume that lazy attitude is applied to everything else they do. Don't waste your money in here. Go next door or further along the river. There are nicer places that deserve our custom.
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The worst service I have ever had in a pub. What terrible lazy managment this pub has. I arrived at 930pm to an almost empty bar and a few drinkers outside by the river. I was served straight away and asked for a pint of Adnam's Bitter in a real glass as I could see that they were serving in plastic. I wrongly assumed this was for people drinking outside and I explained that I would be drinking inside. I was told that they don't serve beer in glasses because it's too much effort to collect and wash them!!! I thought they were joking. They call themselves an Ale House but they obviously take no care in what they serve. I can only assume that lazy attitude is applied to everything else they do. Don't waste your money in here. Go next door or further along the river. There are nicer places that deserve our custom.
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Large and fairly well-appointed Pubco venue on the riverfront at Hammersmith. Service here was reasonable and to be honest I preferred it to the very gastro-ised Young's venues a bit further down the river, which I stuck my head round the door of but passed up. Not very exciting though.
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Riverside pub in prime location by Hammersmith Bridge, often v busy. Decent beer selection includes Spitfire, Old Speckled Hen, Ruddles County, London Pride. Food is standard pub fayre.
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Depressingly dull and lifeless. A pub somewhere like here should be so much more, but somehow just being in it ruins the location. Go to the Blue Anchor just down towards Hammersmith Bridge from it, much better and a proper pub.
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Was looking forward to a drink after a bracing 10 mile walk along the river in fairly wintry conditions. Opted for this place instead of the gastro-seeming establishment a few doors down (I hate gastro; pubs should be pubs in my opinion).
Anyway, the beer here was perfectly ok but I found the ambience slightly depressing and characterless. I had been hoping to find a more authentic, old-fashioned riverside pub, but this certainly wasn't it.
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sdavies was expecting "gastro pub style" food, (whatever that means) and was thus disappointed by the standard pub fare. Sadly, that�s what this is: a standard pub.
A walk around Central London would've given the game away: this pub is part a massive chain of virtually identical pubs - same signage, same menu, same everything.
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Good if not spectacular riverside pub. Reasonable range of beers but all of them pretty common, I opted for Speckled Hen and that was fine. Busy but not buzzing. Well worth going to but not worth going out of your way for.
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The dining room decor is really great - you wouldn't think there was a noraml pub downstairs. The velvet chairs and chandaliers are classy and not tacky.
However, the food does not match the surroundings. We went to 'test' the food out for my up and coming summer birthday as the setting is so nice. We were expecting it to be gastro pub style but the food was not any different to your standard pub fare.
There was only one vegetarian choice on the starters and on the mains. (Though to be fair, when I spoke to the manager a few weeks earlier, he had said if we let him know in advance, for my birthday, as 4 out of 6 of us would be vegetarian, they could put more choices on). As I didn't like the starter, I went without and had a gorgeous chocolate orange cheesecake for dessert, which made up for it a little.
I would agree with the earlier comment about food not matching the menu's descriptions. My pasta was supposed to come with spinach, peppers and mushrooms but had just peppers and onions. It did taste quite good and different though my boyfriends steak was a bit grisly.
We did not drink in the actual pub but it looks clean and new but I think the mahogony painted walls darken what is essentially a summer venue.
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By the river near Hammersmith Bridge, and very pleasant looking down the river on a sunny day. But nothing special in the way of beers � Pride, Deuchars IPA, Bombardier and Young�s Bitter. They use sparklers which are wholly inappropriate for the beers they have on offer, making it hard for the bar staff to serve a full pint. But the barmaid was happy to remove the sparkler when I asked her to do so. I noticed that the next customer also asked for the sparkler to be removed. I suppose there must be some business reason for using them, but I don�t think that it is to provide a better product for the customer. Nonetheless, a pretty good riverside pub if you are not fussed about the way the beer is served. Worth a visit for the setting and views, though not worth going out of your way to find for the ales.
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Lovely dining room, magnificent view, But..........Chose a busy night which the staff were unprepared for, meaning that the service was woefully slow.The food was cold when it arrived and both courses had to be sent back to be reheated. The food was not as described on the menu, eg seasonal veg was salad, and the smoked haddock with wilted spinach was unsmoked with watercress. Not a good substitution in either case. Overall a poor eating experience in what has the potential to be a star site.
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newly refurbished and a commplete new team and menu
the food is great, the staff are helpfull, and the selection of beers and wines easily the best on this stretch of the river.
would recommend to all to give this one a visit
anonymous - 21 Apr 2008 18:50 |
Late March 08
Now re-opened after refurb. Pity - as so often - that they spend so much money creating a replica of an older-style building, replacing so much of what was taken out only a few years ago.
Since it re-opened mid March I've been back once. Not again as things are. Music (background music - ha ha) so loud that talk was difficult though not impossible. Meanwhile the Dove, 200 yards away, has no music and just lets you talk easily.
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Does anyone know how to contact this pub while it's under refurbishment? I tried the landline and there is no forwarding contact number.
Anyone know the function room hire and catering costs for the summer? I assume if they're doing it up, the costs may increase from previous years.
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Currently closed for refurbishment - due to re-open on 7 March 2008 according to the notice in the window.
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i just logged in today - i am from lincolnshire- look at the rutland on internet at weekend - went there on tuesday- to me good pub
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maybe the last person should go - i went yesturday nice food - staff where well dressed and in shirt and tie- looking better rutland
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Are the last people who posted reviews for real. Terrible place, awful food, bad bad beer and apalling staff. Much better pubs within the vicinity, try Blue Anchor or Dove but avoid the Rutland like the plague.
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I have been going to The Rutland since summer - yes it is 'the place to be in the sunny months' - but i work in a solicitors office and with there new menu(far better then small pub next door) i enjoy taking my clients and staff there every friday- the pub is clean and the flowers are beautiful inside and out- one of the best pub in hammersmith
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I visited today with an old school friend today to catch up, and what a great time we had, which was helped by the fact the barman was rather quite cute. The food was excellent, if you do visit I recommend the Chicken Forestiere, it was delicious. We shared the bottle of wine, and the said barman made sure that my friend and I had a great time. wish I had gotten his number though, hehe.
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I was walking past The Rutland today, I wasn't going to go in but I had some time to spare. Went to the bar and ordered an Old Speckled Hen, and as soon as I tasted it I knew I had made the right decision. Lovely pub with a great view, staff were friendly and attentive, a really nice venue by the river to go and have a drink.
anonymous - 18 Nov 2007 18:11 |
I really can't see where all this is coming from. I frequent The Rutland usually twice, maybe three times a week, and I have never had any problems with the food, the staff, the drink or anything. Everytime I walk in I am greeted with warm smiles. The food has been of a high standard everytime I have ordered, even on a busy Sunday, I can't fault the place. A treat for all, especially now the under-age 'clientelle' stop visiting the pub.
I recommend the pub to all.
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An amazing location but spoiled by inane, insipid decor and disinterested staff. London Pride tasted good but would have preferred to drink at home than here. Only other plus is lovely riverside location.
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Yep pretty rubbish. Great location however nothing else seems good about it
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The Rutland - great location but it has always been a poor pub.
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The best thing about the Rutland is its location right on the water�s edge. The interior is rather plain and soulless, especially when the place is almost empty as it was on my visit. There is an underplayed nautical theme with a rowing boat hanging from the ceiling and a couple of oars (or paddles depending on your knowledge of such things) on display but the interior generally has a minimalist approach with bare floors, plain walls and ceilings and just feels very hollow. The only Ale was London Pride which was quite reasonably priced for the area and tasted OK but nothing great. The customer base seemed to be very upper crust university types spending daddy�s dosh. There is an upstairs balcony bar that commands good views of the river and Hammersmith Bridge. Personally, like most other people it seems, I much prefer the Blue Anchor next door which has a lot more character and ambience.
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Went there last night. They'd run out of Stella and Kronenbourg. All they had was Fosters which tasted like it had been heavily watered down. My lady had a Bacardi and Diet Coke but the drink was virtually clear. They don't water down the Diet Coke as well do they ?
anonymous - 5 Aug 2007 11:31 |
The only reason I would go into the Rutland is if the Blue Anchor is rammed. Even then it is a false economy as the queue for the Blue Anchor seems to deplete twice as fast.
This is an inferior pub and the owners are just milking its location.
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Just a bad pub in every way. You might enjoy it if you've just started shaving and have never been in a proper pub. Everyone else should stay well away.
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Bad bad pub. Went here on Sunday for a leisurely drink and some good food. The setting is nice - but you can have the same river view at any of the pubs next door. The food (I ordered the �10 mussels) was awful. Salty paste and shrivlled mussels - to the point of gag-inducing. So I politely took it back and said maybe an accident had happened in the kitchen (my friend opposite was also having the same dish but his sauce was less paste-like and salty). The waiter returned to me with the dish and said with a straight face, "The Head Chef says that they are microwaved packets and that if they both went in the same microwave there's nothing wrong with them." When I protested he shrugged his shoulders and walked off. The service was in general rubbish, one of the other waiters asked me if a dirty dish was ours, when I said no he left it on the table in front of me. Terrible and over-priced to boot.
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Food OK. location excellent. Service average.
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Not quite sure why this is called the 'Rutland ALE HOUSE' as there is very little ale on sale here. Just a lonely pint of London Pride mixed in with the usual generic lagers. I went here for a mate's birthday recently and although it would make an OK starting point for a night out, for some reason we stayed here all night. Despite the crap beers, the dirty glasses (my lips stuck to the rim of a pint glass at one stage), the lack of air con (and for that matter atmosphere), there are some redeeming featues. The view of The Thames is pretty good, it's open till late (midnight) at weekends, the food is slightly above average pub fare, and it doesn't get too rammed as it's off the high street. Dull but functional sums it up. Only one toilet cubicle in the Gents which although locks isn't floor to ceiling.
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Not a great pub. I also received poor service and didn't think a great deal of the beer either. On top of that it's just quite boring. Avoid.
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this used to be a regular haunt for myself and some of the chaps after Fulham games a few years back especially when the weather was nice, so I was a little disappointed when I went in there recently for the first time in about 6 years. The pub used to have a blinding jukebox and there was a crowd of indie student types who used to go there who seem to have been replaced by a bunch of okey yah merchants, also its had the Crabtree and Star and Garter treatment , now just another yuppie pub
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As has been said - this place has a great location, particularly in the summer, but unfortunately fails to capitalise on it. I also experienced poor service from a barmaid who didn't seem to want to serve anyone then took an age to count out the change. Your best bet is to walk down the river towards Chiswick where you'll find far better pubs with equally good riverside locations.
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Looked inviting from the outside but was quite small inside and looked rather "towny bar" ie a bit unoriginal. Felt a bit 'messy' in there and the wine was yukky. Boring atmosphere. Don't plan to go again soon.
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Only been in a coupl eof times and not very good at all.
The music inside is far too loud (and this was during the middle of the day) and the strange barmaid was more bothered about dancing to herself than serving the drinks. Theres plenty of better riverside pubs within walking distance.
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Bar service could be a bit quicker. Beware of strange men in singlets carrying boats across the path outside, and beware of fast peddling bikers hooning past the pub - it is a no-cycling zone in fact despite being part of the Thames Path.
Else, a great place to watch the sunset on Hammy Bridge...
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Its okay but it has better venues nearby.
Have eaten a few times and its okay, but on last visit when a group of us ate we almost suffocated in the heat. Staff I think are little slow on the uptake.
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Try the Blue Anchor a few doors away - a much better place in every respect.
I am afraid that previous comments below on the Rutland Ale House are a fair reflection on a pub, that has a lot going for it given its location, but somehow manages to be very poor indeed, nevertheless.
In summary - poor pub, poor beer and service and customers to match
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This place was SO bad that I decided to try and warn others off. I actually found the staff okay, although it was quiet when we arrived (until a load of puking, shouting students arrived). By then we had already been forced away from the bar by the incredibly loud and very bad live singer. Even round the back it was too loud to easily hold a conversation. We then made the terrible mistake of ordering food. I am not exaggerating when I say I have never seen worse 'garlic bread' in my life. Basically toast burnt on the outside, soggy in the middle, smeared in some sort of garlic butter that mostly tasted of salt. Terrible place, I wouldn't go here again if it was serving free beer all night.
toby - 11 Nov 2004 12:10 |
So sad that a pub in a nice location is so poor. There are much better places to go for a drink along the river, poor service and a bad atmosphere.
Dave - 31 Oct 2004 16:50 |
Yeh I agree the staff are rude. Especially the female bar maids. I was waiting to get served but they're too busy dancing around to music to pay any attention to customers.
Ben - 14 Oct 2004 09:50 |
Slightly harsh these comments. It's no great shakes but as a pub on the river it serves it's purpose with cold efficiency. I'll agree that it's under staffed mind, and if I wanted to sit inside I would choose the neighbouring (but more expensive) Blue Anchor without hesitation.
Good for: the summer - which is a bit of a bummer considering the weather we've had this year.
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This pub is really dreadful. I wouldn't go here again if you paid me. The service is poor, the beer is badly kept and badly served, the customers are the sort of idiots who don't know any better than to go to a place like this (er, unless they were going there for the first and last time.) Avoid it like the plague.
Johnno - 23 Jul 2004 09:53 |
BAN this place
it doesnt deserve its location and ruins an area packed with greta pubs. the staff could be called threatening and the atmosphere is horrid. food is a big no no as its attempted to be cooked in a microwave - and stills isnt done
worst pub in england
anonymous - 4 Dec 2003 15:02 |
nice pub 5 or so years back, now an absolute waste of space. service is dire and staff have a big attitude problem. expensive and soulless, the "makeover" is a disaster. really, really poor, go to the blue anchor instead.
jeffrey bernard - 16 Oct 2003 16:38 |
Don't go to this pub if you are (1) hungry; or (2) thirsty - you'll die of hunger and thirst before you are served. And its not just once, as a local I've experienced this time and again (hoping on the off chance they'd got new staff). Why go back? Fantastic location. The Blue Anchor next door is definately recommended!!!
JB - 17 Sep 2003 15:38 |
Lovely day...shame about the pub. Cold food which must have come straight out of the microwave and non-existent service. Hmmmmm.
Chris - 16 Jul 2003 16:52 |
A barman here tried to serve me a pint of Guinness with no head this week. Just about summed this place up.
Darryl - 3 May 2003 19:13 |
Pop in on your way to eat & drink at the Blue Anchor !!!
charlie - 29 Apr 2003 13:42 |
lively riverside pub, food served all day, fullers pride on cask, nice toilets, function room with balcony overlooking river, live entertainment every week,
bob smith - 26 Mar 2003 13:29 |
