Stile Bridge Inn, Mardenback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Popped in this afternoon, felt very welcome, some good real ale choices but had an enjoyable Biddenden cider, well worth a visit.
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Pub is now a real ale mecca, plenty of variety of real ales,ciders and continental beers and staff are friendly, well worth a drive out to find especially if you are not driving that day
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This was a first visit for us; great pub, lovely staff and great feel BUT.... the prices were horrendous which meant we only stopped for 1 having done a 30 mile round trip. To charge �4 for a pint of Bitburger and �2.20 for not even half a pint of coke is just too much. This is why people drink at home as they can't afford pub prices!!! Such a shame as I would be happy to regularly do the journey for such a nice pub and people but not at these prices.... They also stock the new Kent Brewery beers which the grapevine reports as being quite excellent....
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Was very suprised when I finally decided to pop in here having always driven on by over the years.
As mentioned below, the pastel blue outside belies the interior which is comfortable and welcoming. Lots of interesting bits to look at. A selection of 5 ales, one of which, an Adnams, is the house ale at �2.50 a pint.
They do show Sky sports, but on a very small screen, avoiding the negatives often associated with sports on display.
I was very impressed and will be back.
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The last time I visited here before December 2010 was - those of you who know my reviews will probably have guessed it - with CJG a decade or so ago on one of our many rampages through Kent and its finer boozers. I believe it might've been 2000 not 1999, but I shall bow to the aforementioned's recollection. In any case the point is, it's been a bloody long time, and, happily, there have been several positive alterations to the establishment.
A former Greene King outpost, the pub always sported a deceptively spacious interior centred on a curved bar, with a myriad of pub and breweriana items adorning the walls. This essentially remains the same, although the decor is now darker, more traditional than before, with comfier seating, and there is now arguably a veritable cornucopia of bric-a-brac on display (although not strewn about haphazardly; the pub is clean and free of clutter than might impede customer comfort). Chiefly of course, GK are now ancient history and the takeover as a free house has inevitably led to a broader range of more interesting cask ales at the pumps, which are described below. Conditioning was good, and the licensee appeared to be both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his beers and keenly advised us of what was up and coming. Alas, it could well be quite a while before I find my way back here again, although judging by the improvements I am hopeful it won't be another 10 years.
Possibly the one change made that I didn't consider an improvement was the rather bold pastel blue colour they've painted the exterior. The Stile Bridge has a Victorian frontage which one might associate more readily with architecture found in urban areas more than the countryside, but that in itself should give it some prominence; it doesn't mean it is appropriate to paint it a bizarre colour in the fashion one might see in Brighton city centre. It could work there and appeal to a more 'wacky' clientele, but in dear old Marden I doubt it does the pub any favours!
Still, a relatively modest criticism in an otherwise positive review. Keep up the good work, folks.
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Another revived pub - and now in a striking shade of blue. I last visited in 1999 and after several bad reports did not revisit until 30 December 2010. Once dominated by Greene King beers, the range was now rather more interesting. The Westerham Gods Wallop had just gone off - a shame - but the other beers were good alternatives. The pub is now a strong supporter of local brewers, even to the extent that a barrel of a quasi=professional home brewer was settling in the cellar. The Stile Bridge is a comfortable and welcoming place too, albeit rather more like a town pub than a country hostelry.
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This is a pub with plenty of character. There are lots of odds and sods to keep you amused in the front bar, whilst the locals congregate in the rear bar where live sports are shown on the TV. Real ales were Old Dairy Red Top, Whitstable Kentish Reserve, Shepherd Neame Master Brew and Brains Reverend James. Cider was Double Vision and Biddendens. I imagine this gets pretty crowded in the evenings. But we had a pleasant time here and I would happily come back. Second best pub of the day for us.
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There's a big positive here before the bad part...the beers are kept well and there's a good selection. The staff were cheeky and fun and it looks awesome inside and out...BUT...
I took my mum here for Sunday lunch, which was a big mistake. Everything tasted rancidly bad, like it had just come out of a deep fat frier which hadn't had the oil changed since 1976. It actually made me sick. When I told the landlord this he seemed largely indifferent, yet still eager to take my money.
I'd definitely have a pint there, but could never ever recommend it as a place to eat.
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Yes, rpadam's right - it's much more of a pub (as opposed to Bar/Restaurant) than it was when I posted my previous review a couple of years ago; and this applies at normal times, not just when there's a beer festival on. Sadly the quality of the food seems to have declined correspondingly, but I suppose you can't have everything, and overall I think the change is for the better.
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Things have changed at the Stile Bridge since my last visit, and the place now has more of a pub feel again. They had a good beer festival on this weekend, with a well-chosen selection of 20 real ales (mostly fairly local e.g. Westerham, but also a few from slightly further afield such as 'fff'). Various live music groups, a hog roast and a number of local produce stalls. A really nice, relaxed atmosphere - well done!
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Back in August we stopped in here while passing, just by chance. The landlord seemed keen on good beer (had CAMRA newsletters at the bar) but said his attempt to hold regular 'real ale evenings' had failed miserably due to lack of local support. Didn't try the Green King IPA but went for a selection of local ciders instead, which were all excellent. Food was also first-rate, with an amazing choice of veggie/vegan options (carnivores & kids also enjoyed theirs a lot), and very good service. Overall we considered this a great find and would travel out of our way to visit it again; just hope locals increase the demand for a variety of ales...
ozaru - 17 Oct 2007 11:55 |
No cask ales were on offer on my last visit. The food menu looked appealing and the garden was nice but the Green King IPA on tap was undrinkable, so we made a swift exit.
Sharp - 19 Aug 2007 22:42 |
This isn't really my kind of pub; it even calls itself a Bar/Restaurant, which would normally make me run a mile. I have to confess that for me, pubs are first and foremost about drinking - good food, if available, is an attractive, but optional, extra.
However, having had 2 really first-class meals at the Stilebridge over the course of the last year, it seems only fair to suggest it and see what other posters think.The last, in early December last year, included a truly memorable starter of kidneys, followed by what is probably the best cooked pheasant I have ever eaten.
The layout and decor isn't particularly to my taste; the cask beer selection was limited and expensive, though very drinkable.But the food's good.
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