please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
LOVE LOVE this pub! Great food and atmosphere. After reading the hilarious comments I might just apply for a job! :P:P:P
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Chipps, if you look at the comment below yours, you will see that some wanker has nicked my username, (three f's at the end). With that said, I can see that i've obviously hit a nerve with your locals and as such, i apologize if i have offended anyone. It was just my experience. You'll be glad to know i've manned up immensely and last night ordered a VODKA with my Martini. Hardcore or what!? Thanks for naming the piss up after me but I still won't be coming. Peace.
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Hey Cakenhoff,
Very disappointed in your last reply. How could anybody take you seriously after such a crude response. You have shown yourself to be a plonker and a dickhead. JP thinks you could be an anorak.
Look Cakenhoff,we don't want to see you crumble like this and because of our Christian values, we still want you to come to Christmas pi**up.You will be pleased to know the fat locals now call it the "CAKENHOFF BASH". so come along, push your way through to the bar and get the attention of a bar bitch,-i will treat you to a shandy, or a martini if you prefer.
Man up,and don't crumble, CAKENHOFF!
Mr Chipps, caretaker of the F.O.L and protector of the B.B.s
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Chipps,
I bet it was you who suggested that the swearbox money be spent on a "P***UP" at your pub wasn't it?
While you're drinking downstairs with all the men at Christmas don't worry if youre ugliest bar bitch is missing. I'll be upstairs shagging your wife.
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Hey Cakenhoff
Had a word with the fat obnoxious locals sitting at the bar, I have now introduced a swear box I asked the bar hogging locals what charity we should support with the money raised, and after much sole searching. They decided to spend it on AN ALMIGHTY P***UP at Christmas.
So would you like to join us and our bar bitches.
MAN UP AND SHOW UP Cakenhoff.
Anthony Chipps The Pub Manager and caretaker of the fat obnoxious locals.
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If you had taken the time to read all of Cakenhoff's reviews - as I have done - you would surely have seen there is more to the man than just cliched phrases, inaccurate statements and terrible diction. His reviews are very entertaining.
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I too just had to register after reading that martini-drinking ladyboy cakenhoffs review. What is he on about? Sounds like a local who just doesn't cut the mustard.
I have used this pub for many years now and found it to be the perfect country pub, the beer is good with a good selection of ales, great food, friendly staff, nice outside seating area, and the fat locals are really jolly and friendly, what more could you want! A 5 star pub, the best in the area by far.
"HEY CAKENHOFF MAN UP AND ORDER A BEER"
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Having frequented the pub for 23 years now and seen the ownership change on to many occasions, I thought it would be good to share with people just how good it is now! so I searched to see what others thought of my local watering hole. I was simply dismayed with cakenhoff's ridiculous comments about it? So I read some others of his, the guys a fruitcake!!
so many new customers come here all the time whether from overseas or the UK, and always comment about how friendly it is. I know you can't make all the people happy all of the time, and of course everybody has their right to there opinion. However this is the best pub in the world, and most people love it! Great food, Beer, and the fat locals will give you a real laugh, anyway I'm going to have my 16th pint now hic!!
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Nice enough pub, garden furmiture is now very worn. Beer well kept but £3.90 a pint is a joke.
I will not return. Low rating is due to the outrageous pricing.
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I had to register just to review this pub. This place PISSED me off. I had visited here a few times with the missus and always had the same problem. Fat, obnoxious locals sitting at the bar, completely hogging it and preventing anyone else from getting near. I stood there for a good 10 minutes behind all the locals who were all being served as soon as they slammed their empty 15th pint glass down on the bar. I was completely ignored, and not for lack of trying to get the staffs attention. The staff here are bitches to the locals. I really wanted to like this pub but I just can't. BOYCOTTED!!!!
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Lovely country pub with small dining area and log fires. Had the chicken suet pudding roll , which came with gravy, mash and veg, went perfectly with my pint of adnams, wife had the homemade fish pie. Very nice atmosphere, food and drink great (a little pricey, but great quality). Recommend.
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I visited the Blacksmiths Arms, Cudham recently on a Tuesday evening. I and three friends called in for a drink. We noticed that the pub was busy with people dining - we arrived at about 21:15.
The bar staff were polite and we had our beer - a bit pricey at �3-70 and �3-80 a pint for Sharp's Doom Bar and Harvey's Best bitter. Central London pubs are charging less for the same.
By 22-15 the pub was empty apart from our foursome. The two staff immediately started clearing everything away without any notice to us that they would be closing early and wanting us to leave. Even the salt and pepper was briskly removed from our table without any verbal interaction from the staffman. In essence they both did everything possible except talking to us.
We bought another round of beers and the 'wall of silence' and frenetic activity behind the bar continued. At 23:00 we all went to use the gents before leaving and noticed that the barman was waiting outside the gents for us to go.
Rudeness and indifference to customers simply means we won't be rushing back to drink the overpriced beer when we clearly were not welcome to stay to closing time. A little proper communication with customers goes a long way.
We had spent approx �50 that night. The till will be lighter if they continue to blank customers.
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Oh, dear. A large black cloud hangs over this pub due to the rather sudden death of the lovely Jan who had done several decades serving as loyal bar staff here. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and succumbed to her disease after a very short time.
I send my condolences to the her family and the rest of the staff here at this delightful pub. This is a pub by which others should be judged and if they only followed some of this pub's criteria, then not so many would be closing down.
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1st visit today: Lovely pub, with dated decor, in lovely surroundings. Staff, clientele and doggies very friendly. Massive beer garden. �Rather pricey: pint of Strongbow & pint of Landlord, though excellent, was �7.30(!), but I wasn't surprised as there is a captive audience for this very rural pub. The food looked very good, but on this visit we didn't partake..
A great pub on a sunny day.
Please Note: If travelling by bus, tell the bus driver, when you board, where you're going and he'll stop outside as the pub is on a 'hail and ride' section of the route and there are no pavements or bus stops nearby, and the road is a little hairy.
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Nothing to criticise here, good food, good beer, reasonably priced and served by efficient, friendly staff. But be advised: if you are going to eat here book a table in the dining area because the front door is close to the bar and your table could be constantly bumped by passing regulars, as ours was. We will remember that next time, and there will be a next time. This place is too good to forget.
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I returned in November with 12 walking friends. Our walk finished here and a most relaxing couple of drinks were enjoyed by all. The bus to Orpington Station stopped right outside. Excellent!
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A welcoming pub with 4 real ales and an open fire. The food looked pricey though so I did not bother to eat there.
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Very pleasant pub about a couple of miles from Darwin's former home, Downe House. Food was delicious. The pint of Landlord was disappointing (literally down to the dregs of the cast...not appealing drinking with lumps of yeast presumably at the bottom) but the Harveys was a much better pint. Not a particularly ale led place per se, unlike The Bull at Horton Kirby, but a fine place for lunch and a pint.
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Lovely pub. Friendly locals and staff. Food is lovely. We go to this pub every few months for a meal and the food is always lovely
Keep up the good work
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Went there for a dessert after being having a bad meal atThe White Bear and I'm glad we did this is a proper pub to me nice staff good beer and great deserts wish we had gone there first and had the whole meal there beers was good too. Was busy but easy to see why.
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Booked a table in the Restaurant .Had to keep jumping up & down to order courses at the bar.No body cleared main course dirty plates from table result we just dumped them on the bar.before we were able to order desserts & coffee again from the bar.
Perhaps we should have offered to do our own washing up & started a new trend in "PUB DIY DINING"!!!!!
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Visited 23 Sep 09. Excellent pint of Hog's Back TEA. Service polite and efficient. Lovely well kept beer garden in this delightful country pub. Recommended.
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This is a very nice rural pub (although technically still in London) - beer, decor and pub gardens are spot on. My only gripe is that it was �3.20 for a pint of Harvey's, but if you have deep pockets this is the pub for you.
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I have eaten here twice - both times at Christmas with fairly large parties (8+ with young children) and we booked in advance. It seems popular so I'd recommend booking if you are going for a weekend lunch.
I'd echo everything said before - a nice pub with a smokers "den" outside for the anti-social amongst us, in nice surroundings. I would recommend it. Friendly and numerous staff.
The food was good - portions were ok and cooked well. They appear to be fairly strict about parties sticking to their time slots: they leave notes on the table saying "please be done by 2pm" but were in no hurry to take our orders and so we skipped dessert because we would have overrun our deadline.
We will almost certainly be going back next year, circumstances permitting.
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It is difficult to believe that only 15 odd miles from central London you'd find a pub a rural as the Blacksmiths. Anyway everything you migtht expect from a country pub including a friendly welcome, log fires, spot-on Sussex Best, and all the tables reserved for eating early on a Saturday evening. Pity about the last bit, but you can of course go and sit in the very cosy smokers den instead.
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went there for alovely sunday roast with the mrs and kids couple of weeks ago.made to feel very welcome (thanks dot}.was looking at other food other than roast being served had i not been so full would have even eaten that aswell looked delish.will definateley be back to try other stuff.
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As below, a real country pub, doing all the things pubs should do well. One of many pubs of this type on the Kent/London borders. Superb countryside. Having said all that, Adnams was only OK to Good; well worth a trip out though.
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Excellent. A great place to stop while out and about on the surrounding lanes or countryside.
Good choice of beers, excellent food that represents good value for money and a beautiful garden.
Staff friendly and efficient, especially the young waitress who served us (Emily ?)
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I love this pub because most importantly, it's a 'real' pub. The food is lovely (way above average pub grub), everyone is really friendly and it's got a quirky outdoor smoking area which is like a home from home.
If you're in the area I'd definitely suggest stopping there for lunch and a pint.
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Superb. Unique in the quality of food, politeness of all the staff and the atmosphere generated. And the gardens and flowers - well find out for yourselves!
Compare and contrast this with the once nice Padwell Arms at Stone St. near Seal.
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What a find! British pub-food has, in the last ten years or so, made a necessary come-back. In the long, distant, past a simple 'ploughman's lunch' was about as good as it got. Recently I have been more than happy with traditional 'roast' at a good price. 'Pricey pubs' sometimes do a little better. And then I hit the Blacksmiths Arms yesterday evening after a good walk with a friend at 'High Elms'. Top of the 'fish' menu was a half lobster and salad at less than �11.00. Similarly there was 'crab' and 'sea bass' and so on. The 'meat menu was no less interesting. And then the bar offered a good range of real beers. The Blacksmiths is clearly aware of the need to serve good, interesting food, at a good price. I will return again with anticipation
In a world of frustrating call-centers and poor service I will recall my meal, and my beer, at the Blacksmiths last with delight. Can't wait for an opportunity to get down there again
Frank
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What a fantastic pub. the garden is absolutely stunning (i think they one the bromley/london in bloom prize) food was delicious and everything was great. we sat in the garden and felt like we were in paradise. we will definately go back and anyone who is reading this - GO THERE! Oh and for any smokers who are reading they have got the best smokers hut i have ever seen with flowers and heaters and tables!
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This is one fantastic pub in all respects. If only other pubs could take a leaf out of its books and try and emulate just one or two of the aspects which make this pub tops, in my books i.e. Atmosphere, good food,cheerful staff, lovely garden etc.
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went with my wife (anonymous below) and i do agree it was great. good choice of real ale and good food. Had a thoroughly good meal with a pint of Adnams to start followed with a bottle of chateux neuf.
we will be back
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visited the Blacksmiths Arms for an evening meal and we were delighted with everything. The service was polite, attentive and efficient and the food was delicious. It was a shame we did not know about this pub in the summer as they won the Bromley in Bloom award for best pub. I look forward to going again.
anonymous - 8 Dec 2006 12:46 |
We stumbled across The Blacksmiths Arms whilst out on a walk last Sunday since our planned stop did not do bar food on a Sunday - a later visit there proved we made an excellent decision by stopping here for lunch (see Bulls Head at Pratts Bottom). As we went into the Blacksmiths from the sports fields at the rear, we didn't know its name at first, but it scored immediate points with a huge double beer garden providing plenty of seating and Adnams Bitter & Broadside on offer at the bar, with two other hand pumps on show. Although the main fare was aimed at Sunday Roast outings, we noted other imaginative and tasty options on the board as well as salads and baguettes, which we opted for and which proved very good value. If there was one thing slightly irksome it was that no bar menus were offered and in looking at the board, we lost the chance to order drinks and food at the same visit. When we went back to order food, some of the staff were delivering food and we had a fair wait to be served again, but this is a minor point, everything else about the pub was good and we left with a very high opinion of it as a venue to be visited again. In fairness, you don't always see a pub at its best during a busy Sunday or Bank Holiday lunchtime, and I suspect a weekday visit would provide an even more pleasurable experience.
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