please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Stopped for an ale which was OK...looked like it could be a busy place - the cafe over the way does a mean cheese & pickle sandwich.
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nice for a drink on a sunny day (if you can get a table outside) - food not so good, which is a pity as it's a great location
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I agree completely about the Landlord and staff; they couldn't give a sh*t. That's one good reason for Arkells to stop pretending managed houses work. Dirty, terrible toilets. Maybe James Arkell should kick his son George up the arse and turn up as a guest of someone else after the order is on the table, he might learn a thing or two.
Somehow I doubt it.
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We thought that we would enjoy the superb location by the river. How wrong can you be. Clearly the outside tables are not on the cleaning plan, or has the landlord a secret passion for duck s..t? It was everywhere which was such a shame. Although the beer was good and the food was good value it did seem that there was a general lack of interest in the pub from most of the staff . Add to this the fact that the pub seemed full of absolutely foul mouthed and very drunk young women it did not turn out to be pleasant pub visit we had expected. Avoid!
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Great location.........erm.......that's it!
What a crying shame, lacklustre beer served by lacklustre staff. Do yourself a favour and go to The Crown across the road.
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I've always wanted to visit the place as it looks so inviting on a sunny day; how looks can be deceiving....! My partner and I took our recently born baby for a wonder by the river and popped into the Riverside for a coffee (it was midday on a Sunday). We had the misfortune to sit on the table opposite the cavery, watching the landlord go through the motions, and cuss his staff; it was as much as he could do to acknowledge his patrons. My partner ordered a 'Sticky toffee pudding' to share which turned up 2 minutes later, so hot (and over-microwaved) that it's probably still too hot to eat even now. Not that I would eat it.
What should be a Jewel of the Cotswolds is a sad disappointment. Arkle's are happy to invest in refurbishment but fail miserably on staffing (there's a Landlord in Fairford, Arkles, that would be better suited to running a prison, he's that inhospitable).
We had been warned, and found the whole episode rather amusing; �12 for 2 coffees and a pudding was only made worth while because of the absurd entertainment value. Avoid
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Prime riverside location. Lots of outside seating overlooking the Thames, and also at the (quieter) side of the building.
Service friendly and generally prompt. Food is average but acceptable for the price.
When the pub is less busy, you tend to find the manager entertaining his coterie of regulars at one end of the bar so you may have to wait to get served.
Could be a brilliant pub with the right manager.
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It was an awful pikeys pub until Summer 2008 when Arkells bought it and started a long refurbishment of the rundown premises. Unfortunately this was at the expense of the Red Lion round the corner which they closed. Beer seems ok, not tried the food, but its 100% better then before.
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Confused by the previous posting. Visited this pub Friday 26/9/08 at 1pm. No neon signs, no Abbot Ale. Three hand pumps offering Arkles 3B very good.Arkles Organic Bee not good. Arkles Moonlight not tried.Also lagers and ciders.Plenty of people eating. Barman and Manager giving detatched and indifferent service. Lovely spot by the river but must agree with JulieDr that this is not suitable for very young children. Can be abit of a sod to park. Certainly not the stuff of nightmares just somewhere on the tourist trail.
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Truly, truly awful. Came here for a pint, still have the nightmares. This *could* be a really great place given management interesting. The riverside location should by rights be a licence to print money.
However the owners have taken this to mean that as far as they are concerned they can sit back and let the money roll in without having to work.
The decor is somewhat interesting, a kind of hybrid between 1970s motel and a bad workingmens club, neon signs adorn the bar and the connected rooms, along with an excess of sticky carpets and woodwork that has seen better days.
Service itself was prompt, if firm, and real ale limited to a rather lackluster pint of Abbot Ale.
We left after one pint. The fact that this was over a year ago and the experience is still so vivid in my mind should be an indicator of how much of a missed opportunity this place really is.
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This place used to be buzzing with interesting people and live music on Thursdays. Now it's like having dinner in a morgue. The staff try hard enough but the new manager is an embarrassment - confrontational and permanently the worse for wear. Not worth the detour. Avoid.
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Not suitable for families. There is a 6ft drop to the river and no fence - a nightmare when dining with children. Also, the manager seems more interested in entertaining his friends at the bar than making sure customers are ok. There are better places nearby.
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