please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Closed down on 1 Feb. Ironically the problem seems to have been Barnes going upmarket -- so more gastro-pubs and restaurants opening in the area.
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Dropped in for an early evening pint. Friendly barmaid. Limited selection of ales available, settled for the only option a pint of Adnams. Presumably the quality and selection improves at busier times.
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Good late night piss ups at weekend
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First things first - the service here is literally awful. One member of staff is employed to look after the bar, take orders, serve food, answer the phone etc etc whilst the trustafarian manager merely sits around at the bar getting drunk with his mates seemingly not giving a damn or lifting a finger to help. I was waiting at the bar for 5 minutes just to ask for a menu as the poor waitress was worked off her feet. Recognising the manager, I expected him to step up... or at least point out that I was waiting. Did he...
Obviously money isn't an issue for him, as said manager seems to have no regard as to running of his bar. On tonight's visit all of the ale's were off, and I could only see one or two largers/ciders which didn't have a glass over the pump. Never seen anything like it.
A group of six arrived, and after a great palava of moving one of the customers from his table (as the manager had mis-recorded the booking for four only and therefore had to make room), the poor waitress was forced to literally apologise to every one of the group as most of the menu was off! Ribs - off. Tuna - all out. No crab. Coleslaw - ran out. Terrible, terrible, terrible - I wanted to hug the poor waitress, and spared her the extra work of asking for a drink by going dry.
When my particular food arrived - vension - it was tough as old boots and very very small considering it's price. My girlfriend had the (only) vegie option which was uninspiring and bland, to say the least. I ordered a lemonade and lime and got a soda and lime, my girlfriend ordered an orange and cranberry juice and got orange only. We asked for bread, it never arrived.
There is, however, one re-deeming feature of this pub - the roasts... IF you can get a booking. Just don't ask for a drink... Oh and be prepared to either have to sit by the toilets or get moved if the manager doesn't think you're as important as the rich accents that have just walked in.
Good food used to make up for the unbelievably bad service, however, after tonight's experience I'm not going to be going back. If you go - please spare a thought for the solitary member of staff who the lazy manager has somehow convinced to work there.
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Very dissapointing after so much hype,. Service very poor and food very average, Crab tasteless and "famous" burger not very different from Tootsies burger so not so special in flavour,, A big play is organic but that is an invisible and not seen-perhaps more proof on the serving would help?
Vegetarian main course equally uninspiring,Spicy but not varied in taste.
The Harveys beer was good- an award winning real ale from suffolkshame about the rest
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absolutly awful!!
the beer is always in terrible condition and the landlord getting drunk at the end of the bar. he either has very rich parents or a massive mortgage that keeps this place running - there are plenty of other pubs in the area which are much beter value for money and serve their drinks in clean glasses and food which isnt overpriced and cooked in a dirty oven.
get with the times, this place could be a real hideaway, but instead just seems to be a place for the landlord to get pissed with his hockey mates.
a real downer. g parker.
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Went recently for dinner but despite inviting menu and decent quality starters/desserts, both our mains were pretty awful. I got the impression the cook they had on for that night (a Saturday) wasn't the main guy and was just winging it. Kedgeree was more risotto and was overpowered by cloves, and cod fillet was dried out and tasteless.
The wine selection is great and the ambience is usually nice - just don't go for dinner!
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Stuck my head in the door, no customers at 5:20 pm. Most pumps turned around, just Adnams Bitter showing. Walked, no rating.
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Cosy little place - people rave about the food but the last burger I had there was cold - sent it back but the replacement wasn't great either. Have a feeling I caught them on an off day as normally it's a nice place to be. Slightly pretentious, yes - but this is Barnes after all.
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Totally agree with JLT hereunder - excellent speciality last night of Alaskan King crab - a rarity on any menu - but Stephen, the governor, has tracked down a supplier in the UK so that he can share his personal passion with his customers - for which I and my wife could not have been happier gorgeing on the �30 dish for 3 to 4 persons. This really is a gem of a place - well worth enduring the difficult parking nearby in order to visit. My wife and I cannot wait for our next Alaskan King crab there!
And I don't regard �10 for a starter and main course (including bread & butter) as expensive for the regular menu!
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Nice relaxed pub. Decor of pine tables with candles on I see has been called pretentious, but it's OK. Clean and tidy, cosy warm fire in the winter, off the beaten track. I like it very much. Food is good but in my opinion maybe overpriced.
Wish someone would clean up the alleyway where it's located; my lady friend wasn't impressed by blown-about debris and dog-ends (animal and cigarette) but get past that and it's a really nice venue.
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A gem of a pub in the back streets of Barnes. Well worth the trouble to find it. Eclectic without being pretentious.
A lovely fire greets you as warmly as the female manager, who ably runs both the bar and intimate restaurant.
I found the food delicious, even the most basic of burgers were cooked with flair and attention to the finished result.
Beer is well kept, and the organic wines are a delight. A Jagermeister 'machine' is in evidence and well used!
The intimate garden is well laid out and I could see many happy evenings in the summer there. A true find in amongst the abhorent 'gastro-pub' cliches that are formulaic and soul-less.
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I've been to worse pubs but this is a rather pretensious place really. The place is very self consciously designed in the style known in common parlance as "shabby chic". On paper it sounds great: antiques, old books, a stash of magazines, etc, but to the discerning eye one gets the distinct impression that this place is a phoney. The food is rather fitting to the venue: decent enough but a bit too selfconscious. Oh, and it's expensive too, even by SW13 standards.
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Lovely pub, friendly crowd, cosy in the winters, good food.
anonymous - 23 Sep 2007 14:50 |
Sunday night, empty, but good pint of Adnams and a very friendly barman. For an Aussie. All in all not bad.
bulky - 10 Dec 2006 23:23 |
For a relaxed evening in a pretty and quaint pub you can't beat it, and if you get there early talk to John the barman - what a nice guy
anonymous - 15 Sep 2006 14:41 |
Brilliant pub, made all the better by the sexy young Polish girl behind the bar. Her smile lit up the room. If for whatever reason she stopped working there, then I would not go back.
anonymous - 7 Aug 2006 14:35 |
I first came here three years ago, and last week I came back and i thought it was greatly improved. Friendly staff, really good food and was the patio garden always there? Probably maybe I was here in winter last time. Anyway, last Saturday they had live music, a free bar-b-que and really friendly bar staff. We all had a great night.
anonymous - 2 Aug 2006 18:29 |
I've been to the idle hour twice recently, and found the food to have greatly improved in the intervening period. On both occasions the food took a long time to arrive, but the girl serving us was attentive, and it was delicious when it did arrive. The staff are friendly and relaxed, and very willing to chat, which makes it feel like a really cosy place to be.
anonymous - 29 Jun 2006 12:26 |
great little pub, lovely sunday lunches. the chef
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Fun, friendly, and rather fantastic for a few beers along with a spot of good food. Great friendly staff who actually made us feel like they really cared.
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The Idle Hour is hidden away in the back streets of Barnes.The Sunday lunch is not what it is cracked up to be.The cut of lamb was extremely poor and the vegetables over cooked.Extremely over priced for what you get.If you want to go for a drink then this pub is fine.Just watch out for the food.
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A group of us arranged to meet here on Saturday lunchtime only to be told that it would not be open until 6pm.
Apparently there had been a party there the night before and they had not cleared up after it.
However there was no sign up about it being closed. The door was unlocked and the landlord (?) was sitting inside in his dressing gown and seemed to think we were cheeky in expecting to buy beer in a pub.
stephen - 28 Oct 2004 16:27 |
The landlord seems to be a little self indulgent, and can come across as some what patronising. The beer was fair, service slow, and food over priced.
anonymous - 27 Sep 2004 12:58 |
I would not recoomend this pub. The food and wine are great but the service is terrible. A special family lunch was spoiled by the lack of care. A shame really as the ethos of the pub and food seemed so promising.
Bryony - 22 Jun 2004 15:27 |
Absolutely a treasure of a pub. Friendly bar staff,good service and organic food. Does a great roast too.
Janet Reed - 28 Apr 2004 23:41 |
This pub is brilliant. Crazy location but that adds to the charm. Only fault with the place is that it can be too nice making you feel that you are intruding on something. I don't want people to know about it. most Barnes residents don't realise its there. Who puts a pub at the bottom of a gloomy railway passage?
gordons - 22 Apr 2004 17:14 |
Discovered this pub,whilst cycling by, in November 2001 I think it was. This was after its transformation from The Manor Arms (which was rather like visiting the devil's waiting room). The ambience is superb. The staff, especially Steven the proprietor, can't do enough for you. The range of spirits intoxicating. It's up for Pub of the Year (London) 2004. And it should win. Because I've visited all the other contenders and they should visit here. To see how's it's done.
Bruce - 5 Mar 2004 16:39 |
Fantastic place - best in the area by a long way. Great food, wine, and atmosphere. A hidden gem and full credit to Stephen for its transformation and showing that location isnt everything.
James - 5 Mar 2004 09:14 |
My favourite place in Barnes for a quiet drink. Friendly staff and nice atmosphere. Probably the best thing about this place, however, it that it's so difficult to find.
Christopher - 26 Feb 2004 12:49 |
Cracking little pub.
Delicious food and good draught ale. Lovely courtyard garden.
I like the character and personality of the place and I hope it succeeds.
Nigel
Nigel - 26 Feb 2004 11:06 |
Lovely little find with excellent atmosphere, good food and beer.
Shhhh keep it a secret
Daniel - 30 Dec 2003 20:50 |
I also stumbled upon this pub when I first moved to Barnes and I'm very glad I did.
Cozy, friendly and with good beer. A wonderful change from all the 'theme' pubs around these days.
Daniel - 30 Dec 2003 20:06 |
Totally agree with the last few comments here - v. friendly pub, with great food (try the Thai Green Curry! cheese board also highly recommended) and a nice selection of grog, whatever you fancy. Maybe slightly on the expensive side, but hey, you get what you pay for.
Phil B - 12 Nov 2003 13:10 |
I went to this pub for the first time on Sunday night and was charmed by its patron and the clientele. My flatmate and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as we joined in the comaraderie around the coal fire. The Patron regaled us with tales of Miami (Vice), his 'fire cracking' birthday and amused us exuberantly. Can't wait to try the organic food and enjoy such hospitality again!
Christina (27 October 2003)
Christina - 27 Oct 2003 15:41 |
This is a wonderful little pub. Some friends and myself stumbled across it a few weeks ago when we were looking for some Sunday lunch. We could not have found a better place. Excellent roast served in it's tin and surrounded by vegetables for you to share. Different, delicious and great quality. I will be going back!
Matt - 10 Oct 2003 17:31 |
I stumbled across this lovely Pub the day I moved to Barnes. I went on a mission to find our 'local' hey presto! The Idle Hour. Brilliant every time whether it's a after work Pint, a sunday afternoon Bloody Mary or a boozy saturday night! The Staff are great, food is very tasty. An all round top local! definately worth a visit.
Will - 8 Oct 2003 17:44 |
A great find, cosy, friendly, great food (organic too!) & reasonably priced. Highly recommended.
Jane - 15 Sep 2003 10:07 |
I used to live down the road from the Idle Hour & found it to be a total transformation from the previous dodgy boozer.
Very cosy little pub, food great though pricey.
Dan - 11 Sep 2003 22:29 |
Nice pub, recently done up but tucked away. All organic food, excellent menu and probably a lock in, Friendly staff worth a visit.
two time visitor - 16 Jul 2003 03:36 |
