please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I visited here and had a very expensive pint of London Pale Ale. The beer is much too expensive for what it is. The pub itself was basically empty and devoid of life. This is either a good or bad thing depending on personal tastes. Nothing interesting about the pub, it is very average.
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Im surprised its 3 years since I commentated on this pub 'Under a different username' However it is still called All Bar One. Visited just now on a thursday afternoon and there was no other customers there whatsoever! No surprise that the bar lady rushed out 2 serve me. It was £4.25 for a Guinness, the only good looking beer among the other Euro Dross. I don't know why people don't visit, is it because alcohol causes cancer? Or because its very expensive. All we know is it is very bland and empty.
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Tedious and expensive, I would not go here again unless Im desperate over £4 for most lager and no real ale.
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As mentioned below, now an 'allbarone' Had a very good range of imported continental Lagers, but no hand pumps to be seen, so if that is all you like to drink, look elsewhere. We tried the food which was very good and far exceeded our expectations. Started to morph into a disco round 9:30 so we left them to it . Finally don't forget to ask with a nod to Tony Christie and Darren Gough 'is this the way to Allbarone'
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I came here for the first time since the venue became All Bar One around 9ish on Saturday night (10 March) with a female friend. Like Arsenal�s start to the current Premier League campaign, my night started inauspiciously but later improved. On ordering drinks, I found myself beginning to sweat due to how hot it was in here (I only later discovered that the air conditioning had broken), though I was served promptly by an attentive and efficient member of bar staff.
The distraction of how sweltering it was resulted in me forgetting the prices of our drinks, though I do not recall them being too expensive. My female friend, however, started with a soft drink and the next round I also had a soft drink as I was so hot! We eventually found seating upstairs � where it was still uncomfortably hot � and I observed that the crowd was of a more mature nature. While paying attention to my pretty female friend of course, I did notice there was some female talent around going to and from the upstairs toilets. The music playing in here was initially lyric less before the DJ arrived downstairs and starting playing more contemporary and livelier music (that contained lyrics).
Overall, despite the air con fiasco, I would certainly come here again on a Friday/Saturday night � either with a female friend or with the lads � given the place is a decent alternative to the nearby Tickled Ivory Piano Bar and the usual type of crowd that pulls. In fact, I would say All Bar One is marginally better.
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Sources tell me that this place is soon to become an All Bar One...
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as long as you are aware you are drinking in a chain, this is o.k. the food is adequate and the beer not over priced. there are a lot worse places around.
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Had an argument with the doorstaff here saying that a good friend of ours was drunk when in fact he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol. Totally bizarre. Would never go back. The police were disgusted and actually suggested that we report them but... eh..
Would not recommend if you're sober.
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How does that relate to anything about this bar?
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Refurbished by Stenball Construction Ltd
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Horrible. And expensive for rubbish beer pretentious beer.
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Not really the best place to eat.
Drinks are also quite limited and on the pricey side.
Worth a go at times as its not always the worst crowd.
Can get cramped at times nontheless.
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Elana, good work but I have a feeling your very HaHa biased. Could it be that you are infact a member of the HaHa team and want to get people down there? Going by the fact that this is your first post I would suggest so but I can hardly blame you the place is empty in the daytime. Not my cup of tea anyway have fun at HaHa.
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Its been a while since I last went to ha ha, but wow! what a change a break makes. It has had a total overhaul, both inside and out. the new decor is modern and creates an atmosphere that shouts quality and style and we werent let down. We came on a Friday night around 8 expecting the usual loud and overcrowded ha ha we remembered, to have a drink before going for a meal. Instead we were greeted as we entered by a most charming guy who I can only imagine must be the manager and convinved to try the upstairs restaurant and eat. Upstairs looks like a top class restaurant that wouldnt be out of place in London, and was surprisingly quiet and civilised. We ended up enjoying a fantastic 3 course meal and a great bottle of reasonably priced chablis. The service was throughout friendly and efficent, even though the restaurant was busy. How had we missed this place for so long? Everyone else seemed to be regulars! To cut a long story short we ended up staying on afterwards and settling in to a corner sofa downstairs for what ended up being a lively night. No chavs, no 18yr old kids, no fights, just some nice funky house being played at a volume that wont make you lose your voice. Sian even had a little boogie, although she'll deny it. What a real gem in the midst of so many mediorce bars and rerstaurants in my fine Guildford town. It closes a little earlier nowdays, so get there earlier to make themost of it.
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It's changed a little since the latest refurbishment. Inside though it just feels pretty similiar decor wise. Drinks range is different. Just the 3.95 for a pint of Peroni beer, quite a good Peroni nontheless. Good mix of non alcohol drinks.
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Is there any ale there yet? I'll take that as a no. Getting ale in bars like this is nearly impossible. This makes it a pointless experience in many ways. For would I want to be hanging around lots of smelly youngsters while im sober? So the choice is go here and be sober or go here and become a lager lout hmmmm. or not go! so tough to decide.
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Initially, it looks good. After a win in a long running Court battle, we relaxed for lunch with champagne. I had read the reviews and expected the worse. The food was excellent. The service could not be faulted. The interior was modern and stylish. Unfortunately, the toilets were a total disgrace. If i had been to the toilets before i had eaten, i would have left without eating. They promote British food and the staff member said they were proud of where the ingredients came from. I then asked about the chicken as it never mentioned where the chicken came from on the menu. I was then told the chicken came from Poland, like the chef!
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Closed for refurbishment? is there any evidence of refurbishment happening or is it just "Closed"? I wouldn't be at all surprised if this dump never comes back to life as every experience I have had here has been pretty dire and it seems I am not alone!
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So how long before Slug and Lettuce closes then Pilgrim? Ah ha. 0/10 HaHa ah ha
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Closed for referb.but how can that help the poor service and crap food ???
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I don't think you can call this a pub anymore. In fact it was never really a pub, it was a bar, now it is a restaurant. How can they only serve lager here? Not even Guinness, this won't appeal to a lot of people. Also I notice how most of the place was sectioned off for people eating. No points left.
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You can see from the comments below why this chain of bars has gone bust.
Ps same as Yates and Slug.
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Stopped in here today for an afternoon drink.
Guess what the drinks range has changed - on draught were Amstel, Peroni and Stella. Great for the Real Ale drinker then (He says with a hint of irony)
Being that i'd already decided to go I plumped for a Stella and a packet of crisps. The total price �4.40!
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Ha Ha iv`e not stopped laughing at the service we got in here 9 months ago.
Looks like nothing has changed.
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I don't think I've ever had such appalling service anywhere else in my life - and consistantly.
Went in after work one weekday with friends, only three tables of people in and 4 bar staff, ordered drinks and a coffee.
20 minutes later coffee still hasn't arrived. Went to bar to enquire about coffee to be told that it was being made. How stupid do they think their punters are, we had a clear view of the coffee machine and there was no one within 2 metres of it!
Unfortunately this level of "service" is a fairly regular occurance, and on a weekend you'll easily wait 20 minutes to get served.
This place is so bad that if anyone suggests going there I suggest that I would rather stay home and poke sharp objects in my eye.
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Been here twice for lunch on Saturdays recently:
First time, the wait was appalling and one of our mains never turned up! They did knock some money off our bill but they needed to have more staff there.
Second time the place was less busy, food was served promptly and was freshly cooked.
I think the moral of the story is to check how busy it looks before going in - if it is busy, keep it to just a drink (don't go there expecting to get any bitter though)!
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Food OK. But sometimes service can be a problem if busy. Overall what you would expect for this type of bar. A nice place to stop but could be improved.
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When we ate here the other day we had a problem with our food. The waitress went away to do something about it, but she didn't and she never came near us again either.
There is far too much competition for customers in this town for a business to be so slack and uncaring. I seriously doubt we'll ever bother to go back.
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I walked in here last Friday evening (25 May) around 5.30 and started laughing. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I foolishly expected a bustling and vibrant post-work crowd in this Guildford Ha Ha bar. It was a bit like my experience of walking into the Ha Ha! Bar and Canteen on Embankment. Soulless. Honestly, there was probably more atmosphere in the local Blockbuster video than in here.
There was NO staff behind the bar either not to mention the place feeling quite cramped given the plethora of tables and chairs. It certainly did feel more like a restaurant than a bar. Friday evening�no staff behind the bar at what I thought would be a peak time in Guildford (maybe the "bustling and vibrant post-work crowd" were enjoying drinking in the sunshine outside Old Orleans)? Shocking. I promptly left. Anyway, Yates' so far is the best place to search for H-Files Friday evening/nights in Guildford, ha ha!
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Haven't tried the food, but it is a stereotypical bar in the evernings. Pricey drinks, but way less than it's counterparts open till 2. Ok music, great balcony for a place to sit down when it's busy. Stake a claim to a bar spot, long wait for drinks when busy. Get there before 11 on a weekend so you don't have to wait in line.
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Not too bad at all - food good for snacks and service good in my experience.
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This place rates along side Mambo`s and Voodoo loung the worst 3 bars in Guildford.I will not slate this place as all the bad comments below have summed it up perfectly.
Don`t waste your money in here!!!!!!!!!!
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Eek! Apologies for giving this place another slating but FFS I feel violated everytime I hand over any cash in here.
Honestly, I'm really easy to please. There are loads of places I like, & quite a few that I love. I'm virtually a bar slut in that I'll drink almost anywhere. I *do* have standards though. This hellhole doesn't even fulfil the bare minimum of clean glass & clean loo.
Plus I reckon it's one of those places which has a sink or swim approach to staff training which is why they don't give a crap, & they don't know what they're doing.
& the wait at the bar is frigging shocking! I wouldn't even mind that so much if they served in turn, but Nah - he who shouts the loudest gets the beer. The bar staff fanny about without a care in the world while we just wait like prats only to be ignored for another 20 minutes.
Never again.
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Have to agree with the (bad) comments below, worst bar in Guildford bar none, crap barstaff, rank food and delussional DJ's who think they 'rock'. Avoid!!!
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Great food and cocktails if you're an eccentric millionaire but bar staff clearly find it an inconvenience having to serve you.
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Ok place if you like badly served, expensive Stella being spilt all over you by the massive throng of sheep.
Still one of the few places in G'ford that opens late at the weekend and does empt out a little when the clubs start to fill up around 11.
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I have been in and out of Ha Ha Guildford for about 4 years and have finally got exasperated by it and dont think i will be going back. Unfortunately for them they cannot rely on being a good name to get people to come in - they need to provide a good service and they just dont. I went in for food and after been told it was waitress service i finally ordered at the bar after about 20 minutes. At the same time ordering a bottle of wine which came with TWO lip stick stained wine glasses. After another 20 minutes the waitress came over and asked to take our order - oblivious to the fact we had done so already. A table that sat in front of us had to ask for their table to be cleared from the left over glasses etc from the previous visitors and then on top of that ask AGAIN to order food. When the food csame it was far from the 'freshly cooked' meal i thought i had ordered and i am not suprised because when we were their the chefs looked quite frankly bored and the kitchen was lifeless.
I was just really dissappointed because i really want to like Ha ha but it is old and tired now and there are other pubs i would prefer to spend my money in. At �3 + a pint I think it is not unreasonable to expect a clean glass and clean table to sit at!!
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Friday nights are best with a mix of up to date House and Breakbeat played by local DJ's Mark & James. Beer is quite pricey but great atmosphere. Plenty of talent. Good place cure a hangover too with great food served all day.
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By far and away the best bar in Guildford. Excellent music on the weekends with no cheese. Admittedly there are not many girls early on but by the end of the night there are plenty and theres a real party atmosphere.
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I can't understand how i still end up here at 11pm every friday. Ha Bar Ha is packed full of knobends such as myself intent on feeling up your girlfriend. Fine selection of champagne for the completely spacko'd. Very odd wash hand basins with taps that oblige you to pour water straight onto the floor. aLL IN ALL EXCELLENT BADGER HOLE 4B/10
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Not the HaHa it once was. In need of redecoration. Food still good, service good, but it�s a bit tatty around the edges. Beer and wine are fine. Not the cheapest, but you can sit there all afternoon with the papers and your mates and not get moved-on.
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Think fivepints could have a point, as there don't seem to be many people eating here. Nice atmosphere here and doesn't take long to get a beer midweek. People say this place is overpriced, and while it's a tad expensive at �3 for a Stella it's not nearly as bad as some of the other bars in Guildford. Worth giving this place a try, but I don't think I'd make it my regular pub.
Will2 - 21 Jan 2005 13:35 |
Food is nice and the range of drinks is good but the price is high. having said that - the food is definately worth it. Split over three levels but don't sit at the back by the kitchen, there's a funny smell there. Sit near the front.
Excellent for Sunday lunch...
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One of the few pubs in Guildford to do draft budweiser. But you pay the price for it. Uncomfortable drinking experience. Tables are crammed in - like a school canteen!
anonymous - 28 Dec 2004 18:48 |
This place is packed on weekends, but only with boys, no girls out here. But a nice place anyway
anonymous - 14 Sep 2004 14:59 |
Dirty, smoky, overcrowded - probably the worst bar Ha!Ha! I've ever been to, and I used to quite like 'em!
Hazza - 20 Aug 2004 15:24 |
had bit of an unneccesary slating i think. good fun not the hasstle-you-type-men who seem to be guildford breed. more mature crowd with an out to have fun atmosphere. maybe slightly pricey but if that means getting rid of the slease balls, im all for it!
anonymous - 17 Aug 2004 14:00 |
over priced
Doug - 9 May 2004 21:38 |
A very popular place. The food is a bit different; they say it's a canteen, but that's just being trendy. Slightly fussy food, but served from early to late.
The late licence has attracted the masses, so it's not so 'catalogue man' as it used to be.
Go there for:
- A beer after work in the week
- Late bar and dance on a Friday/Saturday
- Coffee break while shopping on Saturday
- Hangover cure on Sunday afternoon and read their papers if you can still focus.
Calum - 27 Apr 2004 22:01 |
ok if you like drinking in a retaurant trying to be a bar.
no atmosphere, overpriced & full of blokes - where does a girl have to go to get a drink in this town.
marissa - 8 Apr 2004 17:33 |
the only place to go after 11.00pm, nice crowd and happy fces.but its a shame about the music.bad service and over priced drinks,
dave king - 13 Feb 2004 04:06 |
Used to be great - elegant, good drinks selections, young sofisticated crowd. Now bad live music and too many people!
OpheliaImmortal - 23 Dec 2003 13:51 |
Great place but best for sunday breakfast when wrecked if you live near. It really sorts you out and is pretty cheap.
anonymous - 2 Sep 2003 23:39 |
Food has pretensions beyond bub grub.
Usually women in twos and threes.
Vindaloo - 13 Aug 2003 14:40 |
AKA Bar Ha Ha! One of the more 'upmarket' bars in Guildford. The food is excellent - mediocre prices. Good atmosphere on Friday and Saturday nights. Lots of handsome faces!! Bar service not the best though - patience is a virtue. Definitely worth a visit!
mat briggs - 10 Jul 2003 15:00 |
