Watercress Harry's, Herefordback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Modern, noisy and TV's everywhere. Don't expect real ale, as this is a venue catering for later/cider/shot drinkers.
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Called in and requested to come to pub on tues 13th march - wed - thurs - friday,bring some friends to watch the racing upstairs it is normally on ch 4 1-30 to 4-00pm,can be from 6 to 12 of us will have drinks and food ,hope this is ok as the cheltenham week is a big event in sporting calender.
Thankyou Chris Mayers
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Stowford Press @ � 1.95 per pint on a Sunday - very clean and tidy establishment - worth going upstairs
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Not sure if any of the past reviewers have recently visited but this pub re-opened at the end of last year under its original name of Watercress Harrys. It has been taken over and is being run by the same team behind Saxtys. Totally re-decorated now, it is really nice inside, light, airy, classy decor. It now has 12 (I think) HD TVs, a Wii Station, a boxing machine and video jukebox. They show all the big sports games - it's like being in your lounge, but with a bar! They've moved away from trying to compete with the nightclubs and don't currently do food. It caters for the younger crowd more than Saxtys does but there was a good mix of people in there when I was in on Sunday. Definitly worth a re-visit if you haven't seen it since it has been done up... definitly worth a new visit if you are looking for a classy, comfy lounge bar to chill with a beer and watch some TV. Nice one Watercress!
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I agree with some of what you all say, but more with lawrence. I was in there last saturday and it was heaving with people so dont think they have to worry about profit. But I do get the point about the owner. The man who is the owner is great and so are the staff. The female owner does seem a always flapping around and looks in a panic. You tend to get served quicker when he is working as the staff seem more organised too. Love the decor and the colours are amazing and swish. Good to see a pub with lots of seating and loads upstairs too. As I was leaving on a Friday, which was also really busy, I heard many saying to the doorstaff how great the place was. Whatever my opinion doesnt matter as success is down to numbers visiting and its always busy when I am in there. Love it! Dont change it as its working!
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I don't visit Hereford very often and I can't consider myself to have any great knowledge of the pub scene here, but having read the reviews so far I now feel inclined to venture my opinion.
I tried Zombies purely on the recommendation of some friends who were informed that it was a newly-opened 'sophisticated' bar that catered for a more mature client�le. I can say with hand on heart that I have never come across a more inaccurate description of a public house! The d�cor was tacky, it looked as though the owner had painted it on the cheap whilst arguing with his wife over the colour, and the furniture is certainly not up to the standard of a 'sophisticated' bar. The Halloween themed prints on the walls coupled with a mannequin and some assorted market-stall nick-knacks were tacky in the extreme. What's more the place was empty compared to the other pubs in the town that evening. The handful of people who had braved the journey passed the bouncers at the door all seemed to be in their early twenties - not the chic professional set that seemed to be their target client�le. I have to take lawrencedave to task over his statement that Zombies has an 'identity' and doesn't need a 'target audience'. I have worked for a major design and marketing company for a good many years and I cannot emphasise enough that this bar is confused in every aspect of it's business identity. I walked away totally unclear as to what this pub is trying to achieve. Judging by the lack of any real enthusiasm from the Hereford public I would say that this is proving extremely detrimental to it's profits.
I would hazard a guess and say this bar is the offspring of a well-to-do horror fan and his mid-life crisis. It does not have the appearance of being conceived and managed by somebody with a huge amount of experience in the bar trade. I could be wrong, and if so, I would be greatly interested to know just what sort of person came up with this idea for a business!
I won't be back in Hereford for another three months but I will be dropping by Zombies again, but only out of curiosity to see if it has managed to weather the credit crunch and whether the local populace have turned up in enough numbers to keep it afloat. I wonder?
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I have lived in Hereford for just over 5 years now and I very much know my way around the pubs/clubs!There are a few great pubs in Hereford, Saxty's, The Kerry, The Imperial are just a few I can name.I understand 'Zombies' is new, I have been in there once and that was enough.It must be one of the worst pubs in Hereford,sounds harsh I know but it is true. I totally agree with Lady_Y.It is very bizarre and weird, with creepy toys,awful decor, horror dummies and the tacky logo it is horrid and not somewhere where I would enjoy a night out.I only stayed in there an hour, it was not busy and the atmosphere was 'dead'.
It seems a great shame that this pub has ended up this way, the old Watercress was fantastic and my partner and his friends were in there every weekend watching the football,in the evenings it was a thriving, busy ,atmospheric pub.The pub has gone to pot, hope someone else buys it and sorts it out because its an embarrassment to Hereford, right opposite the beautiful black and white house you have that ,it is a joke!The staff are quite strange too and made me feel very uncomfortable in there.Me and my friends will not be visiting this place again im afraid.I am also miffed on how the owners have the audasity to say it is one of the best venues in Hereford, dream on!Also there is not enough seating!
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Been to Zombies a few times now. I am very impressed! The staff, the landlord and the customers were incredibly friendly to my wife, friends and I. The decor is tasteful and the colour scheme is astounding. Praise should be given to the interior designer for the work done to achieve this appearance. I appreciate that they haven't gone for the horror theme too much. This could have been done OTT which would have been a mistake. Themed pubs are considerably popular as a novelty factor, but novelties are short lived. But Zombies appears to have played this one safely and accurately with its limitation of zombie effects. The occasional prop and posters can only be taken in a light-hearted manner considering the swish refurbishment, as this contradiction is humorous. The same can be applied to the name of the venue, which is also first-rate and hilarious. Very different from the watercress days, where I would only stay for 1 pint before moving on to a better bar.
As a mature man, who has contributed to establishing major corporate identities, I believe the identity is definitely there, unlike many of the other rival establishments, which are becoming tired in Hereford. One of the mistakes made by existing establishments in Hereford, is they concentrate far too much on their �target audience� which then limits their customers choices in the future of where to go. It also limits what the pub can offer in the future too. A good example of this is Saxty�s � old farts like me, or Dusk and Play with their alternate �age restricted� Friday and Saturdays. I have fallen into this trap myself and considered only Saxty�s as an appropriate place to end up of an evening, or the more traditional type pub, like The Barrels. Why?
Why cant older and young mix? Can a young person not be considered professional? I qualified in my profession at 21. Wasn�t that how all pubs were once, without needing to have a "young persons" or "older generation" label? Isn�t the most successful pub chain �Weatherspoons� success down to its cheap products and possible lack of age discrimination? It is also refreshing to see "young people engaging with the older generation" as one of my guests pointed out when they witnessed it. I did notice around 11.30pm that some of the younger crowd, moved on. Possibly, wanting a chance to greater their chances of �finding someone to go home with� with a higher capacity establishment, or cheaper drinks? I�m sure most older can remember those days of being likewise. This one particular night I was there, this was replaced very quickly, at around 12.30, with an older crowd obviously looking for an alternative, to what I do agree is an expensive Saxtys.
The Saturday night I attended, zombies maintained a busy establishment throughout the night and I was impressed how successful they appeared for a relatively new project. My only criticism is that it was difficult to get to the bar to obtain a drink and do suggest the owners think of a way to encourage customers away from the bar area once they have made a purchase
I would also like to direct all other pubs in the area to ignore Lady Y's comment about cheap drinks. I think I speak for most �older professionals� who appreciate a bargain when offered and don�t believe it should be just available to the young. My wife particularly enjoyed the cocktail jug she had at 42 years of age!
I do agree with one thing Lady Y says, which is about competing with the already established "younger" pubs. But they shouldn't either be competing with Saxty's either. What they should be doing is maintaining and improving what they. The pubs strength is being a good �all rounder�. But be aware that your competitors will learn from you and copy in time. Great new place, forward thinking, friendly and I will be returning.
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Now called 'Zombies' and has new owners. Decor is new with a comfy lounge upstairs and dance floor and more seating downstairs. Whole place littered with horror movie posters and cheap looking Halloween/horror paraphernalia, which is just bizarre!
I found the lighting in the upper lounge way too harsh from all the spotlights. It would have been nice to have dimmed lights for a more intimate environment.
Pub seems to have an identity problem, advertising in the local press says its 'definitely aimed at the professional person'. But the adverts show pictures of students and young people along with cheap drinks promotions, �1 shorts of Corkys �7.50 jugs of cocktails. The last Friday night I was in there, the place had been abandoned by 11pm apart from a group of 6 wasted students falling over (very funny to watch). It appears to be used as a watering hole by many before they disappear off to the main clubs, which is a shame since it�s licensed well into the early hours.
Maybe a decision needs to be made as to whether the owners want to attract the younger people/ clubbers with the cheap drinks deals and the novelty horror theme, or actually try and rival the only other real alternative to the clubs in Hereford, the expensive Saxtys.
There seems little point trying to compete with the other established younger pubs/clubs in Hereford who offer the same drinks deals and up beat environment. Us older 'professional' ones are really only left with late night pubs and Saxtys to get away from the teenyboppers.
Another lounge type bar/club would a roaring trade in Hereford. Zombies could be it if it made a few changes. Would hate to see it go under after all that money was spent on doing it up.
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Visited this place twice on yet another alldayer. Again, Watercress didnt fail to deliver and we had another good day/night in here, sweet.
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Well known as a hang out for the local racists - not worth looking at
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Theres just something about this place. We always go in here on a night out and it never fails to disappoint. Fair enough its usually full of chavs looking to hone their burberry cap in on someone, but apart from that there is a TV, a pool table and plenty of seating. There is always a good atmosphere in here on a friday or saturday night and the beer aint too bad.
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I agree with 'smeghead'and 'waspstar666' this really isn't a pub, it's definately more of a bar/lounge.
If you want to fight, drink beer with bits floating in it and talk about the good old days when you could go out with �5 and still have enough left for a bag of chips on the way home after a 'knee trembler' in the nearest alleyway, then don't bother coming to Watercress Harrys..
However, IF your looking for something a bit different to the usual dreary pubs on offer, you'll find:
* Dj's playing nu-jaz, mello house/ 4/4, broken beats, disco, jazzfunk, rare groove, street soul etc
* Worldwide beers and a coctail lounge
* Intimate and plush surroundings
* Friendly management and bar staff
* Great food menu
..........or you could take advice of someone called smeghead...
the decision is yours
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For me, 8 years or so this was the pub. Always sarted the night here. Loved it. Now I avoid. It's completely lost it. Such a shame.
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To call this a pub, is a bit of an insult to pubs. Totally devoid of atmosphere, no warmth, over-priced drinks and full of the usual gutter trash that frequent city pubs in Hereford. Going out for a few ales used to be a pleasure in Hereford, and just 8 years ago I could go in at least 5 or 6 warm and friendly pubs, that number is now 3 a the most. The bar staff are particularly moronic, being as they are a mix of students and tarty looking girls. If you go in this pub, be sure to have your England top on. Appaling!
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Waste of time, nobody seems to drink here, completely dead
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