please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Unfortunately, not a lot good, if anything to say about this place now.
Used to be a great family pub when Sue and her Husband had it, full of fun and atmosphere. It's been taken over by some miserable woman who has cleared out many of the decent staff, painted the pub in drab, sickly colors and hasn't got the time of day or a smile for pretty much anyone. She walks about with a face on and talks to the staff like rubbish in front of customers.
Food is rubbish (used to be great food by kitchen staff that could really cook good grub) but they've gone and so has the meals reputation, not heard anything good about the place for a long time.
Good job the Crowborough Cross will be re-opening with a new place to eat, until then, try somewhere else or get a takeaway.
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Best family pub that we've been to. We've regularly visited the White Hart for the last few years and have found that it keeps improving. In terms of what it offers families it's really good - freshly prepared kids menu and each time we go the kids get a colouring book, pencils, stickers etc. They are running a kids eat free at the weekends promotion at the moment which is a great deal, there is a fully enclosed outdoor childrens play area with swing/climbing frame and room enough in the garden for them to run around. Sue is just the best landlady you'll meet - always asking after our 2 boys by name and making a real fuss of them. We like it as the food is freshly prepared and they don't skimp on portion sizes. Beers are good and the restaurant area has been updated and is fresh and modern. The saloon bar has a pool table / darts and widescreen TV where they show lots of sport. Loos are clean and there's a baby changing room. All in all a cracking local, family pub
naugy - 27 Sep 2011 10:29 |
I cannot believe what some of the "reviewers" have written below about this pub! The White Hart is a friendly, family orientated place that I have been going to since it re-opened under the management of Sue & Stu a few years back. Within a week the staff called me by name (after only 2 visits!) and that goes a long way toward making you feel special and valued. I have eaten there many many times, and aside from one average experience on a hugely busy night, every meal has been outstanding.
I am assuming that the "surly and rude" head barman/waiter/manager would be one Patch...an extremely amiable and professional individual that works his socks off for the customers.
I would suggest that the stuck up people below, who don't like to be addressed as anything less than "sir" go back to their own pubs where they can tyalk about horses and Jags!
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I have only great reviews about this modern, clean, well run pub with lovely food for adults and kids - it is always warm and inviting, our meals have always been lovely (especially the Ale Pie, my favourite!) and the staff are freindly and helpful. We love sitting in the garden in the summer and the kids love playing on the jungle gym! I especially enjoyed the Medium Evening and I am arranging a Ladies Night soon with the girls (1/2 price meals on Wednesdays for ladies eating together!) - Can't wait.
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I have been to The White Hart many a time in the last 18 months and I must say in the last 8 - 10 months the place has improved dramaticly. The food is excellent, well presented and good value for money. The staff are always friendly and polite, (and also well presented).
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this pub has worked hard to pick up there reputation, the new owners are very friendly warming and welcomeing, the staff are also great. the food is superb, we have eaten in many different pubs and this one beats them all hands down,simply give them a try i am sure you will returne time and time again. a 2003 review is unfair and very misleading a totaly new experience since the old days back then, give it a try, you will love it.
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I ate at the White Hart back in September 2007 and was disgusted with the food and service, I swore blind that I would never return ! However, I was persuaded by a colleague to try it again, and so last week I went for lunch with a few friends, and the food was amazing ! My only complaint was that there was too much of it ! Will visit again, much improved food and the service we received was very good.
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While I agree with the comments about the management when the Hart first reopened (she was truly awful!!!) I feel however since she has now left and the pub is under new management the hart is now very much the best place to go in Crowborough!
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It's a shame that this pub is completely missing it's target market. I'd love to return for a meal there, but the staff are rude, the service is awful. As so much money has been spent on improving the place, you'd have thought poeple running it would know what they're doing
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Have drank many times in the White Hart over the last 20 yrs and it is great to see the new owners have put a lot of hard work and love into this place to make it look reall fantastic a vast improvement on the "monster" that had it before.
Although i must agree with some of the comments especially the ones about the staff.
Utterly awful. Rude, arrogant and lazy and they are some of their better qualities.
There was a young lady who i believe was the manageress at one one time (i have been told she is no longer there)she had not a clue of how to run a pub she was very rude very lazy and very arrogant and did not do the pub justice by her foul and surly attitude.
There was also a waiter there that i (again i have been told)sacked for theiving from the establishment who was also clueless as to how to conduct himself with the public.
Also i have had one meal there and it was awful when i complained they told me i should be greatful there is a pub like this in Crowborough ?????????
Anyhow i am not hera to character assasinate the place im sure they will sort things out in the near future and hopefuly it will start getting better revues all round.
But please re-train your staff.
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It's obvious that they are spending alot of money refurbishing this pub. Sadly like others have posted the management let all this hard work down. I was greeted with "alright geez" by the person behind the bar, some may take this as a compliment we nearly turned 180 degrees and walked out. Even though they were trying to be friendly the tone was completely and utterly wrong.
It felt very quiet and cold almost as though any character had been sucked out. I ordered a pint of Harveys which was very good, not cloudy just abit too cold.
Generally found that the pub was trying to copy the Hand and Septre in Southborough but without any of the finesse. It's so close to being excellent although as everybody else comments, the management really need to sort themselves out and get more upmarket and treat customers with abit of respect.
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since the refurbishment it is much better, and i do wish the new owners well. but it is a bit lacking still. when you walk in its a bit like a hotel foyer. the beer is fine now, but its not really a place to go for a pint.
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Pretty smart looking restaurant/bar� and then you meet the staff� Bad food, bad service, rude managers!
And what bar runs out of vodka, brandy and cider on a Friday night?
I was very disappointed!
Ronny - 10 Jan 2008 14:44 |
Visited this pub just before Christmas on a Thursday lunchtime. A vast improvement on the dump that it was before, although I though the interior decor was a little sterile IMHO. Only a handful of people in there, my wife and I opted for burgers, 1 Carnivorous, 1 Veg. In spite of the pub being quiet seemed to take a long time to arrive. However what did arrive was good, chunky chips, a proper homemade burger with nice garnish. I thought the food represented value for money although the menu choice did seem on the short side.
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What a pity. Another average restaurant in Crowborough with an excellent ambience but average food and poor service. If the people that run this place really want to move forward they will get rid of the head waiter - or whatever he is supposed to be. I have rarely met someone so rude to customers and inattentive. In fact the atmosphere was openly hostile. I felt very sorry for one lady who came to ask about eating there and was made to look small. Talking to a group of others tonight it turns out that out of 6 of us 4 had a similar experience. We really could do with a decent family restaurant in Crowborough. But this is not it.Yet.
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Whilst its encouraging to hear what progress has been made by the management since taking over this pub it's a shame that it's all for nothing when the attitude of the management towards its customers is absolutely abhorrent. Last Saturday, whilst I waited outside with my children, my wife walked into this pub to simply enquire about the food and whether they were serving right now (it was only just 12pm). She was greeted by a gentleman who appeared to the Manager but could only bark mono-syllabic answers back to her and who clearly did not want to talk to his customers and was as equally reluctant to have us come in for lunch. I hope the management do read this and do not brush it off, yes we are only one family but within the space of one week we have already put off 5 friends and their families from going to the White Hart and there will be more. I do not wish to appear as a small-minded petty individual (perhaps I have already failed!) but when my wife is treated in such a disparaging and abusive manner then I feel its my duty to give a little back!
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I visited the White Hart for the first time last weekend.On first impressions, the new decor is fabulous, a 100% improvement on what it used to look like.Really loved the leather sofas, and 'clean' feel of the pub. Now to the meal. I didn't realise when I booked a table that they only offer a roast dinner on a Sunday, or pasta as a vegatarian option. I wish I had been informed of this when booking, as although my children are not fussy eaters, they would probably not choose a roast dinner when eating out as preference, and there was not any other options available which was a shame, as it was too late to go anywhere else. I'm also not a huge fan of Roast dinners, so opted for the pasta ( which was very nice indeed ).
The service still needs to be worked on. We ordered some bread as an extra for my children. After 10 minutes of waiting it had still not arrived, so we asked our young waiter who said that the bread was being cooked from frozen and it wasn't ready yet. Sadly, the bread never arrived.
We received our dinners, but again, to be a 'child-friendly' pub,I think that maybe red cabbage and mange tout is not always a great option for children.The carrots and potatoes were fine ( They only got one potato each though!),but what about having good ole traditional veg such as broccoli, peas etc..instead which is normally the favourites for children.
We ordered ice-cream for our children, which they requested vanilla and chocolate. The waiter went away with our order, came back, and said that they didn't do this flavours, but they did do cappuccino, cherry, banana etc..I think the traditional flavours do need to be included as well.
I hope that my review is constructive advice, and not a whinge! We will certainly give the White Hart a try again, as I think these are hopefully just a few teething problems, and we really do need a family friendly pub in Crowborough.
anonymous - 17 Nov 2007 13:54 |
When we first took over this pub in December 2006, it was the most disgusting, filthy, smelly pub we have ever encountered, with a reputation to match! We have since spent a lot of time, money and energy in refurbishing the place, and I think you will agree it is now a pleasant, safe and friendly environment. The food is excellent and of good quality and is fairly priced. To the people who have been critical of their experience, I say, Im very sorry however, please give us chance, we have a whole new team who are still on a steep learning curve. There is still a lot of work to carry out, which will take a few more months, watch this space. Crowborough needs a family friendly pub and this is what we are offering... I hope you will continue to support us and we will endeavour to provide a facility that you will all enjoy for many years to come!!
anonymous - 15 Nov 2007 16:09 |
The pub is looking wonderful since the make-over. Have been for a few drinks since the opening and had dinner there over the weekend: The most tender chargrilled steak I have had in ages and there was a lovely atmosphere
I have a little message for Mr. anonymous - 14 Oct 2007 11:23:
1) A box of camembert costs around �3-�4, so taking into account you ate it out of a restaurant and not Tesco shopping bag, you really can not complain.
2) Burnt Burger / Raw bisto: Send it back. No one should eat raw or burnt food as both can be hazardous to your health and is tasteless:
So if it was really the case, someone with your skill in the art of complaining would surely not have sat there quietly and eat it?
3) Under cooked Veg: You call that Blanched. All modern restaurants now use this method to cook vegetables, because it enhances the flavor and appearance without loosing all the vitamins. It�s good for you!! But if you did not like it you could have always asked to have it cooked to a pulp.
4)Duff chefs: The manager informed me that the two main chefs had been working at Glyndebourne Opera House for years. Now incase you do not know: That is a pretty exclusive establishment, which does not deal with to many monkey chefs.
5) �4.35 for a 250ml glass of wine�.now that is a bit pricy, but on the other hand if they were selling it for �2 a glass all of Crowborough�s riff would be swarming down on the place, so personally I would rather pay �4 per glass and have a little piece of mind. Maybe this was why you were apparently feeling sick? Either too much wine or the whole in your pocket was much deeper then if you had gone for a kebab.
You know what they say about people who complain about everything: The never address their real issues: Mate, it�s not the pubs fault it you did not get any�
One thing that I do agree with you is that there are a lot of very young little girls trying to run the restaurant, but hopefully this is just a teething problem that will be sorted out very soon. After all the place had only been open for 2 weeks or so. They have a hell of a reputation to get rid of and I personally think they are going in the right direction!
Ronny - 15 Oct 2007 18:42 |
What an opportunity lost. Lovely place terrible food and poor service. The head waiter spent all the evening shouting out orders and being mildly rude to customers who had the temerity to turn up expecting a table (it was early on a Wednesday evening) and then talking to his friends on another table and ignoring the customers.
4 dried prawns for �5 is taking the mick. As is a box of camembert with rosemary stuck in it and heated for �7 plus one tiny piece of bread. When we asked for another piece we were told by a young waitress she would see what she could do! She came back some time later and said�they have said you can have another piece� (great!) �But it would take a while� - which it did. It was a piece of bread we wanted for crikes sake!
In fact everything took a while I have never waited so long for a starter and then again for the main course.
The main meal was terrible one of our party had a burnt burger and I had steak and mushroom pie which tasted of raw bisto and msg and I am still getting over the taste of it now five days later. It came with uncooked (alright I know some people like them but I don�t) carrots and beans and a potato mash that was super hot and burnt my mouth 15 minutes after it had been delivered.
The wine was really poor quality with absolutely no body to it and cost �4.35 a glass.
I had prepared myself to tell the head waiter all this but he just would not stop talking to his family or friends on another table and so when we finally got the bill we just wanted to go home. All three of us felt quite poorly until the next day. Two of us could not stop drinking water. I will not be going and I recommend you don�t. It�s a terrible shame because we really wanted to support this new business venture but Crowborough seems destined to attract duff chefs and second rate restaurants run by kids. If the proprietors care they will invest in a decent chef and staff who have some experience of service. .
anonymous - 14 Oct 2007 11:23 |
You would not believe the difference to the pub since the refurb! The pub is beautiful and relaxing with a little bit of something for everyone:
A separate local�s bar with a pool table.
A lounge bar with leather couches
Top notch restaurant and a heated smoking section.
Hoera! Finally somewhere to go in Crowborough!
Coles - 11 Oct 2007 12:51 |
I wanted to be the first to put a review about the White Hart since it re-opened. Horray!
The food - excellent, reasonably priced, plenty of it.
The Service - All but there, cant believe it was that good so early after opening. Surely there must be some teething problems??
The Harveys was excellent.
If you carry on like this guys you will be the best for miles
anonymous - 4 Oct 2007 05:49 |
Further to my previous comment the pub has been closed since the spring for a fairly serious and probably expensive makeover. It is due to reopen next Saturday and the signage indicate that it is to be a "family friendly" pub.
If it gets it product and pricing right (and some decent real ales) it should clean up as there are many families who life within easy walking distance. Presumably all the chavs who used to frequent the place will now take their trade elsewhere.,
Watch this space for a comment when I got to try it out!
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Visited this pub last Friday - a sweltering hot day. A small group of us wished to partake in drinks and a quick snack. Arriving at around 1230 there was no sign of life of custom until a gent who appeared to be working on the roof advised us that the pub didn't open until 1300!!
We waited patiently in a shady part of the garden - my young daughter played on some of the play equipment(a relic of the days when this pub was geared to the family market) - unfortunately much of it appeared to be covered in "Guano"! so she was discouraged!
Come 1300 no sign of life - however a door appeared to be have been opened so I went to explore the gloomy interior. The roof repairer was now serving behind the bar and cheerfully advised me that there was no food as the kitchen was being refurbished.
...There also appeared to be no customers either! Waste of a once reasonable pub - either someone needs to invest serious money in trying to win back the family market (of which there are many within easy reach) rather than the "alcochavs", or it will be houses within a few years.
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If you wish to view the Crowborough Chav's donig their homework then this is the place to go. The landlord is a complete *&%$�"* who won't serve you unless you're a young girl. The remaining barstaff haven't sussed out what they are there for, so prefer to chat and ignore you.
The expensive beer is crap as well. Let's hope he goes soon :)
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u could not do a better job running a pub down if you tried. the landlord is a gippo. he has got a nice couple in to try and turn things around but i can't see it being long before its turned into houses. truly awful place and expensive too. could be so good, but i can't actually think of a worse pub. many shite pubs often have something about them but not this one.
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this is my local great pub there are some nice birdeys in there and is a place to get hammered
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Oh dear. Several years ago this was a thriving family pub, packed every weekend and with good quality food. Now it is just a mess. This won't improve until a new owner spends quite a lot of money on it.
Andy - 20 Oct 2004 13:13 |
This pub accepts every one that doesnt get into the other pubs in Crowborough. The decor is awfull with twelve different colours on every wall. The place is run down and tired. It has one nice bar maid and a good juke box if you like the classics. I wouldnt go there
Matt Cann - 6 Jul 2004 14:55 |
Just near Chapel Green is the White Hart. It's a big pub, not much character. Good grub, good garden, pretty good place to go, if a bit familyish. And quite a few less fights than the Cross.
Tom - 16 May 2003 00:21 |
