Belmore Hotel, Saleback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Came here for a late lunch between Christmas and New Year, found it very busy and therefore expected and got some delays with food service. Had a pleasant, unhurried meal, good beer and wine, and attentive service. Any complaints ? Yes, JW Lees food prices.
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Came here for a late lunch between Christmas and New Year, found it very busy and therefore expected and got some delays with food service. Had a pleasant, unhurried meal, good beer and wine, and attentive service. Any complaints ? Yes, JW Lees food prices.
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I have been to this pub about 3 times for meals in the last 6 months or so, the final visit being last week.
At first glance its a nice, pleasant looking pub, recently done up. However, on each occasion the service was slow, slow slow, on each occasion they have rookie bar staff which didn't help.
The first two visits the food was from the standard Lees Pubs menu and the food was good at reasonable prices. can't complain it really. But on one viist there were 6 of us and we each ordered a different coffee at the end of the meal.. reckon it took the rookie bar girl (who admitted she had never used the machine before, nor did she know the difference between all the coffees), over 20 minutes for us all to get a coffee.
Last week 4 of us visited again to find the menu was no longer the standard Lees menu - they had tried to go upmarket and most main courses were at least �11. Desserts best part of �5. Again had no complaint about the food, although seemed a little expensive for what it was. They wanted �12 for a Hunters Chicken (basically chicken with piece of bacon on top, covered in cheese and BBQ). Again service was slow. The bar staff don't seem capable of doing anything that requires getting out of first gear if I am honest.
All in all an OK place - food good, although a little pricy for what it is at present. Main bug bear is the slow service.
Giving this place 5 /10 and they lost 4 of those points on the service.
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I live on Brooklands Road within about 5 minutes walk of this new local hostelry. So what a nice change to be able walk to and visit a public bar so close by!
Sadly, the bar was manned by just one person who worked his socks off to serve all those waiting to place an order. The clientale, including myself, I thought displayed a great deal of patience!
Without my knowing a neighbour of mine later told that she also was there that same evening with friends. She walked out with her guests having waited over an hour, not to be served with food nor even been served a glass of wine!
anonymous - 27 Jul 2007 17:26 |
Can't say much for the food as haven't tried it but the choice of bitters were excellent.Decor and atmosphere were Ok and we were able to sit outside with our 3 year old son.
Did seem to have alot of families in there who didn't have the first idea about manners or how to behave in public though but what do you expect when the sun starts shining, they all come out of the woodwork.
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The Belmore used to be a hotel and fine dining restaurant. They have recently put a pub sign, and opened up the front aspect with an outside patio and lawn. The pub looks great, however...
I've just been for the first time, and my first impressions were good - clean, novice bar staff, but polite with it. Another customer came in, obviously from work, but was refused to be served, as he had work clothes on. I don't agree with this, but it's their choice.
I finished my first pint, and went for another, when the manager pulled me to one side, and told me I wouldn't be served as I was wearing trainers, and they were trying to set a standard to avoid the wrong element coming to the pub. Now, I'm 36 years old, in a pair of �95 brown casual trainers, sat with my wife and 18 month old baby. Despite my attempts to explain that I was hardly a Hell's Angel, he suggested that if I came back a few weeks later after the 'wrong element' had got the message they weren't welcome, it would be fine.
Back outside, most of the people were smart middle class couples who lived in the many new apartment blocks on Brooklands road. Most of the men had trainers, and had to send their partners to the bar before they could get a drink.
I would put myself in this same middle class, moderately affluent young couple bracket. Am I prepared to be treated like someone who has got drunk and thrown up on the carpet ? No. The Belmore needs to decide, and decide quickly who it wants it clientele to be. By excluding the mainstream based on some pompous assumption that the clothes you wear define the person you are, their business is doomed to fail.
Paul - 3 Aug 2006 20:08 |
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