White Horse, Bearsted Greenback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Owned by Mitchells & Butlers who acquired it as a Beefeater, during a series of purchases in July 2006, this has been rebranded from a cheap and cheerful family pub to an upmarket country pub and dining experience. The interior refurbishment from the old pub carpet, piped radio, and toilet cleaner fragrance days is impressive. This is a good looking interior that makes the most of the 16th century building while giving it a very modern look and feel. Beer selection is limited - London Pride or Spitfire , and the food selection is mainly pub chain pub grub, but with an up-market twist, so instead of a bowl of chips or cheesy chips, you get Belgian Frites for nearly £3 which is chips and mayonnaise. The chips, though, were very tasty.
The main attraction of the pub is the location. it's a large sprawling building on a prominent corner location overlooking Bearsted Green. Most rooms overlook the green, and an upper and upstairs dining area has been created which has a relaxed and upmarket atmosphere, combined with wonderful views of the green. There is also a terrace area and a grassed beer garden, again overlooking the green. It is a charming place to be, and the service is impeccable. The ambiance is relaxed, informal, welcoming; and the place is very well kept and clean, though my wife had complaints about conditions in the women's toilet.
There is a children's menu, though there are no facilities for them. So children are welcome, but are not targeted.
Though prices on the regular menu can be a little high for a country pub, there is a limited choice everyday fixed price menu of £11.95 for two courses, up to 7pm.
Though we liked the pub, the items on the fixed price menu: Gammon & Pineapple Hawaiian Pizza, Chicken Burger & Frites, Mushroom Tagliatelle, Cumberland Sausages & Mash, etc, didn't attract enough, and the prices on the regular menu put us off. The vegetarian menu is also very limited and dull.
All in all, a very nice looking pub which keeps the feel of a pub, while aiming for the mid-market dining crowd.
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A rather quirky yet pretentious pub, but nice enough. Had a band on on Easter Sunday. Three rather boring ales on, I plumped for the Spitfire. Also had Aspall's cider on tap.
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New to the area and this looks like a lovely Pub on the Green, the other option is closed atm.Extremely busy as you would expect on a Sunny Friday eve given its prime location, but a serious shortage of Staff. Patio was untidy with plates and Glasses everywhere Staff were working hard enough and looked really sweaty but it just seemed so unorganised, we were going to eat the Menu looks great but decided to get a Takeaway later on as the quality of the Food coming out appeared to suffer due to the service issues.We will give it another go maybe we just caught it on a bad Day, however my Husband spoke to a lad at the Bar who said waiting 20+ minutes for a Drink is the norm once the Sun comes out !
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Beware although this looks like an independant pub it is actually a Mitchells and Butler. Food is bland and expensive and mass produced. Staff are friendly and it is a lovely location, but not worth the visit for the food.
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Nice position on the green, and supeficially attractive, but the "country pub and dining" branding serves as a warning to the wise. Smart but rather soulless decor inside, with the emphasis fully on the food side of things. Two handpumps, but only the one with TT Landlord was on. The beer was fine, and the staff friendly enough, but this isn't really my sort of place.
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Lovely decor and setting. Unfortunately everything else pretty much lets this place down. We were taking my dad for a celebration Sunday lunch and there was a group of us. We were kept for 45 minutes for our table - which, having arrived about 20 minutes early for a quick drink made this a long wait, especially with kids in tow. I had to ask twice, nobody really bothered. My cuppacino ordered at the bar whilst waiting had to go back. A cup literally made of froth with about an inch of cold coffee in the bottom.
The waitresses were very sweet and did their best but all in all the food was mediocre. Drinks ordered at the table just never arrived. My dessert was supposed to be marshmallow cheesecake with Tukish delight syrup. Sounded nice. Well, when it arrived there were quite literally 2 teardrops of sauce on the side of the plate. As the cheesecake was awful and quite definitely needed something, I pointed this out to the waitress and she agreed. She took it back to the kitchen, only to return and say that they couldn't add any sauce as they had run out!!! So, rather than take something off of the menu they served a sub standard dessert - i would mind but it was a fiver. I told them to keep it. All in all a very disappointing experience which should have been a treat. Never again!
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VERY EXPENSIVE
VERY PRETENTIOUS
VERY LAST TIME I WILL BE HERE
CHIPS �2.75 FOR A PORTION MY 5 YR OLD WOULD HAVE LAUGHED AT
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I used to like this pub, but it changed ownership and became very trendy. New look interior does not fit with village. Someone got it very wrong, but it seems to attract a lot of customers still. Probably not the same customers that used to eat there.
Plus points. Nice location. Clean. Friendly staff.
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What can I say our visit was a huge disappointment and an expensive one too.
I had read a few good reviews of this pub and its food (not from this website you understand) and so last Saturday my wife and I drove the short distance down the M20 from West Kingsdown for a late lunch.
On our arrival the sun had cleared the clouds and Bearsted Green looked beautiful. A cricket match was playing and the Pub looked beautiful from the outside. We entered and found that the interior was just as lovely. We where meet by a bright and cheerful waitress that informed us inside was full but that there where tables outside available. We where shown to our table and the sun kept shining everything was going well. On reading the extensive menu my confidence grew that the reviews I had read where correct. We where in for a treat. Drinks arrived and we chose our main meals...I had picked the Tandoori Salmon salad...my wife the Rotisserie Chicken breast and mushrooms with chips. We where both starving. At no point did the waitress mention you had to order the greens separately. So what actually turned up was two chicken breast with un crispy skin still attached with a creamy mushroom sauce and a small!!!!! bowl of sad looking chips. Mine was a very un-tandoori like salmon on a bed and it was a big bed of diced Iceberg Lettuce. Both meals were bland,cooked with no love whatsoever and missing any kind of seasoning.Not to mention the fact that half way through the meal we were getting constantly attacked by wasps. We also had two drinks,a large glass of merlot and a pint of Peroni. All together it came to 35 pounds.
All I can say is bring back the Harvester.......because at least then you never get your hopes up. It is what it is. The White Horse pretends to be something it isn't and that is a quality Pub.
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A very pretenious wine bar.
If you like this sort of thing, and a lot of people do, then it's done very well.
It's not for me.
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Awful, awful & awful.
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My son and a friend visited this pub recently during the day, to ask if it served coffee. Both are over 18 and were polite and tidily dressed. The woman behind the bar ordered them out in a charmless and peremptory manner, advising that the pub did not serve under 21's. This policy should be made clear outside the premises, and potential customers should be advised of it politely and with a modicum of charm. (Incidentally, the paean of praise posted on 21/10/07 appears to be the only review posted by 'thebarexpert', and may therefore not be impartial). There are more welcoming alternatives in the nearby Oak on the Green, or the Black Horse at Thurnham.
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have written god reviews about this place and read pearcys review with horror.ive not been anywhere for awhile but am planning a trip to check out wots going on here and the hook and hatchet.i know they were having staff probs in the kitchen and wonder if this is a blip.i agree the staff front of hse are good and you tend to see familiar faces.completely agree with pearcy about the cost of veg.it should come in price,it could be considered hidden and pushes prices up to resturant level.can i suggest the horseshoes at east farliegh,not local to you i admit,but more transparent with cost and at lunchtimes is beating the white horse at the mo.prefer the menu too.
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Most disappointing for our local pub, we have just eaten in the White Horse: the soup seemed to have been supplied by Heinz; Main courses - Squash Lasagne was tasteless, lasagne was crisp, totally bland and the plate was half filled with rocket leaves - all quite inedible. Sausages - �11.50 for quite fatty sausages and �3 for minuscule bowl of cabbage, leek and peas which were cold and the cabbage hadn't seen any boiling water. Also paid �16.50 for a carafe of fairly mediocre Sauvignon Blanc. Staff were all pleasant but food was a total let down.
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have been many times gain and not been let down.was served a flat champagne on one occassion and that was changed quicker than it was served after the manager tasted it.was served the salmon ravioli with citrus dressing,an absolute winner.the drinks here are good.t taylor is kept very well.the beaujeaus is kept the best ive ever had,being very cold.bottled beers include aspalls cider.as previous reviews.the staff were grt again.always a very friendly welcome for our small terriers in the bar.i feel bound to raise my rating.see you in there barexpert!!
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wow.are you genuine barexpert or are you the manager.ejoyed reading your profile and just the type of folk we feel we are.the pub is good.but that looks like a thinly vieled advert lol??????????
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As we approached the glass doors of the 16th Century White Horse in Bearsted, I have to admit, my heart sank slightly. The refurbished White Horse has guenuinely retained its character.
The modern alterations have even added some class of their own. G;ass walls and inset spotlightsmeet original beams and rustic touches to create a warm and sophiticated atmosphere. Canny use of space means lots of diners can be accommodated on the two mezzanine floors above the bar, without it ever feeling crowded.
With cassualy dressed drinkers enjoying a chat in the comfortable bar area, while smart diners enjoyed an evening meal upstairs, The White Horse offers great versatility.
We were seated in the smaller area uo in the rafters, where the dimmed lights and soft music created a relaxing ambience. It was surprisingly busy for a wednesday night and there was a good buzz about the place.
The tangy oil dip that accompanied the crusty bread was tasty, if a little too more-ish.
So Generous, for the starters, i chose the caramelised onion tart with goats cheese and oven dried tomatoes, wich was delicious. My husband ordered the thick and creamy mushroom soup. For someone who is not a big mushroom fan, he was immediately smitten.
Our main courseswere delivered swiftly and in sensibly- sized portions. My spaghetti had generous chunks of bacon and was creamy without becoming stodgy. His large ribeye steak was cooked to perfection, as he told me through juicy mouthfuls.
We finished off the meal with a toffee and ginger pudding with clotted cream, wich could possibly be as close to heaven on a plate as one could get. Light and sweet without beeing sickly, it was a welcome change of the solid mass often served in other country pubs.
On the whole, The White Horse offered a surprising and delightful twist on the traditionnal pub/restaurant. The best surprise of all was the bill, with three courses and drinks adding up to less than �45.
One of the trials of visinting village pubs can be parking, but the White Horse has a good sized car park, wich makes the post-meal waddle to the car much less of an ordeal. We were served by a friendly staff, and would highly recommend this place as the best venue in Kent.
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oh!!!!! the coffee IS virually cold
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its with some sorrow i read the reviews below,but must say i sympathise in some respects.im a self confessed foodie and freelance pub/resturant writer,not that this qualifies me any more than anyone else.i have used this pub mainly at lunchtimes and once in the eves.the first time we went we were recieved by highly motivated staff who talked the new pub up.since then ive worked through the menu and agree with the reviews below to a certain extent.the one visit in the eve was a complete disaster.all the food ive had which has always started with scallops of the day has been very good,although the price is the top end.ive never eaten the same scallop recipe and they have always been perfect.the sunday lunch was very good but again at london prices,its too expensive.we have been accommodated in the bar with the resturant menu because we have 2 terriers who go every where with us.the drinks range on offer is very good.the "landlord" bitter is very well kept and there is a very good range of continental beer,not at the same price as weatherspoons,but you dont have to put up with the filthy conditions found in muggletons.you can get laurent perrier at the pub for less than they charge at asda!!.the pub is in a grt location on the green,a good view of the cricket if thats your thing,and it has a very light and airie feel.your served with top qaulity breads and balasmic vinegar/oil,another spin off from the yuppie london pub scene which may annoy some.given the reviews below and my experience,i wouldnt use the pub in the eve again.we had trouble when we were refused our last order to see the nxt table served more drinks some 20 mins later and when we questioned the staff about our probs the shift manager reverted to using the word "sir" in a very dismissive and patronising manner pointing the finger at Ross the manager who wasnt around rather than make a decision herself.ive always found the manager very approachable.if people dont feel they can go here again for lunch,try the black horse at thurnham,not the oak on the green unless your into artery crippling piles of chips,but thats a different review.its true,this is not a traditional pub,but wonder if the young man below has ever had time to visit one,i know he has,wot seems a lifetime of 6 yrs of legal drinking behind him,but 99% of them went alongtime ago,can i suggest "the cock inn" at luddesdown,try this for a sunday lunchtime.so,i feel the pub is worth a visit for lunch,over priced,but it sounds we have been consistently???? lucky with the food,and one of the undermanagement team has no idea.sort it out Ross,youve got a grt place but your letting too many folk down and word is getting round.
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I invited friends to share my birthday celebrations with a meal. On recommendation we went to the White Horse. What a complete and utter disaster. At 3pm they had 'run out of' roast pork, the next suggestion was roast chicken, however they dont 'do' roast chicken but said they would accomodate our request by adding roast vegetables to the chicken. When the meal eventually turned up (after chasing) it was ROAST BEEF. By this time myself and the others had almost finished our meal. The waitress reordered the meal as roast chicken then chicken and CHIPS arrived. My husband wanted the monk fish which they had also run out of, his next choice was sea bass this consisted of 3-1 inch cubes of fish on a few leaves. The coffees were cold. What more can I say! Leave this pub alone. I requested that the manager contact me, two weeks later I am still waiting.
anonymous - 6 Oct 2007 18:27 |
How disappointing. I have just been told that they are not able to accommodate a party of 20 to join me for my 50th birthday. Apparently the kitchen can't cope.
anonymous - 12 Sep 2007 13:02 |
Since its refurbishment I decided to go for a drink in this pub last night with two other friends. We were first met by a under managed bar where the bar maid was rude and seemed to avoid serving us. When we were eventually served we were all asked for ID which is not a problem as we all had our driving licences on our persons. We were then served our drinks and charged accordingly, however after having our drinks put in front of us we were later informed that as one of our party who was 19 years old she was not allowed to drink on the premises. We asked could we at least finish our drinks and leave, however my friend who is 19 was not allowed to stay. We subsequently asked for a refund so that we could all leave together and was in the first instance only offered a refund for one drink. Eventually the Manager came to aid the situation after we were left for 10mins of waiting for him. He greeted us with contempt and rudeness suggesting that 'there is a pub down the road where the kids drink' bearing in mind two of us are 24. I suggested to him that as the pub did not display any signage of house rules in regards to its age policy, I was distressed about the way we had been treated. He then said 'we do not have to display such information as people just know'. Eventually we were given a full refund and left the premises sharply. I believe the Manager could do with either changing his career path or perhap taking a long awaited course in Customer Service Skills. It is a great shame as the Pub itself is extreamly well fitted out and in a good location, unfortunately it no longer has a welcoming village feel of common decency and courtesy. Instead the Whitehorse has become a place of snobbery where good paying Customers are no longer valued. Take our advice and go to the Oak On The Green.
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Visited this pub on saturday with friends. The menu was not understandable. The prices were astronomical. You have to order your veg separate at �2 per portion, to give you some idea! The waiter made at least 3 mistakes with our order. We only had the table for 2 hours, and we were rushed off it asap..
BUT the actual atmosphere of the place was lovely. Shame the menu is so difficult and expensive. We wont be returning.
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Hi
Please can somebody advise if this pub is still a beefeater, and what the food range/ prices are?
Thanks
Chris
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Describes itself as a gastro-pub so if you are looking for cheap, cheerful nosh by the bucketful you'll probably be disappointed.
If, however you like your food perfectly cooked, with a decent wine and time to linger over your coffee, then it should be right up your street.
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Sterile, souless and uninviting. Unwelcoming bar staff, an unremarkable selection of beers and a stuffy, overpriced menu. This is a prime example of what a village pub should NOT be. Oh, and watch your head if you are anywhere near 6ft tall; the profusion of wooden timber ceiling beams (a lackluster attempt at 'olde worlde' charm) are dangerously low hanging and very painful! What a disgrace. The sooner we see the back of snobby, unsympathetic chain pubs such as this the better. Avoid.
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I am very fussy where to go when inviting friends out for a meal. This pub is the best for friendly staff, you do not need to rush the meal, the table is yours all night. Unlike the others visited, who are putting the next course down, before you have finished the previous course. Nice. Have used this pub/restaurant for many years and never had bad meals or service. Nice and friendly locals too. Anyone who says different is not in his or her right mind. And I have visited every pub and restaurant in the Maidstone area. Plus, visited Woolpack, sorry was not impressed.
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I thought the food here was typical beeefeater- but nowhere near as good as the Woolpack at Hothfield (also a beefeater).
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A typically rambling Beefeater with loads of nooks and corners and fireplaces. The piped radio, the corner TVs, the pub carpet, the regulation issue pub chain wood fittings and an odd lemon toilet cleaner fragrance are all off-putting. However the cheap and cheerful laid back local pub atmosphere, the wonderful view over the most attractive village green in Kent, and the good value food provide a marked contrast to the revamped Royal Oak on the other side of the green which has been renamed Oak On The Green and is now more restaurant than pub. This is better than would be expected from a pub in the Beefeater chain.
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