please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Visited here for an office Christmas lunch on Thursday. It was much quieter than my previous evening visits. But it's still not my idea of a decent pub. One real ale (Bombardier) was being pulled through. But it clearly is not promoted, being hid up a corner behind an 8ft tall cocktail advertisement. The food was ok, but nothing special. The staff complaining that our tip was insufficient left a sour taste in the mouth. This place thinks it is something it clearly isn't.
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Waited 15 minutes to get served then gave up and left. Should have listened to the people coming out as I was going in. Outside is littered with plastic glasses that end up in the river.....Quality!
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Awful!
Ive never been to worse drinking establishment in my life!
Going here to celebrate a friends birthday, I was told it was "busy" at the bar. This was an understatement. 25 minutes later I was still waiting to be served. 3 people behind the bar? Why not get a few more staff in, especialyl for a saturday night?
Eventually having made it to the bar, I order two gin and tonics totally an absurd "rip-off" price of �8. The ultimate insult was then being served them in plastic takeaway cups with a mingy piece of ice and manky slide of lemon.
Needless to say this was the first and will be the last time I ever go there.
My advice, go somewhere else in Richmond, there are much better places to have a "relaxing" with friends.
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Hello Teejay...how are you today?
Dry, which is more than i can say about this bloody English summer...! How are you?
Yeah I'm fine and dandy thanks, fancy a beer down the Slug?
Why not, will there be room for us?
Of course, there's always plenty of room, we're the only two who use it...dummy!! Teejay, have you been on the booze again?
Nah, not me, i'm teetotal..!!
TJ
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(Am I the only patron of this humble hostelry..?)!!!
Ah yes, Bank Holiday weekend on the Richmond Riviera..!! The tow-path was packed on Monday, where were you..?!! I haven't seen so many folk down here for a long time, fantastic weather, brings 'em all out! You know, those cyclists wot can cycle on water..!! And the geezer on the mobile phone, paddling thru' 18inches of water, who suddenly disappeared in the drink up to his shoulders...! "..I've just fallen in the river..!!" he exclaims to his phone mate..!! Priceless! If you're reading this mate, well done! How you kept a straight face in all of that, I'll never know! Has your phone dried out yet? If you want a copy photo for your wall, i can email you one..!!
Haven't seen anything so funny for a long while..!! TJ
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The sunset here on Saturday was amazing! Deep crimson red! And you could make out the silhouettes of cormorants and herons high up in the trees on the opposite bank! What a picture..! And as the bar filled with jovial eaters +drinkers, the tow-path outside slowly filled with 'Old Father Thames' who came to enjoy a quick drink at the 'ol SLUG...! And then to disappear once more back into the gloomy glime whence he'd come..! Blimey I'm in the wrong business! I should have been a beer-taster for 'Shepherd Neame' or Wetherspoons or somewhere..!! Does anybody else visit the SLUG+LETTIS..? Or are you all marooned in the White Cross next door, again..!!? TJ
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The 'Slug' has had a refit. get down here before Teejay drinks all the beer...!!
Call the Waterboard company...there's water all over the place..!! Waiter, there's a river in my beer..!!
I don't recall catching a boat to the pub...wait a mo' where's the bloody car gone..!!!...
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Ah..the good ol' Slug+Lettis.. serves a luvly pint of Becks Vier (thats German for 4 incase you were wondering..) 4% lager. Then the river Thames came up to say hello..and we all got marooned in the pub for 2hours..! Oh boy, explain that to the boss..!! A lovely watering hole in the sunshine, you should see it.
River came over the bottom step of the pub today, and probably will again tomorrow (so look out)! But the really BIG high tide is in late September (26-29th) check that one out..!! We luv Slugs and lettis!! TJ
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OK, so it's a rowdy chain pub, but the bar staff are very quick to serve and the cocktails are good value. This and the White Cross are the best on this stretch of riverfront
blink - 24 Jul 2007 12:42 |
SLUG Management to note:-
I have had cause in the past to speak to the bar manager on duty, about poor bar service in the SLUG, even when its not busy!
However, there is a barman here at the SLUG who does deserve some praise. He's white, in his 30's, with hair in a pony-tail, I don't know his name. BUT HE IS AN EXCELLENT BARMAN...! When he's on duty, you will get good service! Well done that man! I wish every pub had staff like him...! TJ
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The person standing next to you at this bar is more likely to get served before you, even though you've been waiting so long, you've forgotten what you went in there for..! Generally the staff are helpful, but too young to engage in intellectual discourse! Apart from that, its a trendy sort of bar, and if slugs and snails are your thing you'll like it here..
(just joshing.. luvit really!) TJ
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An average place in a good location, especially in summer. The beer is not really to my taste here although there are some continental lagers behind the bar. Interior wooden decor is nice but not the place where you can get into a random chat with the person standing next to you.
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What a boring pub this is. The sort of pub you want to doze off in while you work out what the most offensive plastic beer to drink. God its awful. Go next door to the White Cross to get your anger out your system.
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Ah, I see. My sincerest apologies oh anonymous one.....
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In response to Mad_Mullah's comment about outdoor seating... the riverside upon which said tables sit belongs to the council, and the terms and conditions of the street-trading license state that the tables must be for dining only.
anonymous - 26 Sep 2006 00:47 |
Met my nutritionist Dr Heineken here for a little afternoon apetizer the other day. Very nice it was too! Then someone's car outside got invaded by 'Father Thames'...he'll never learn, he just can't help himself!! So if you're coming to the 'Slug' for a drink, don't park your car nearby, unless you've got one of those 'submarine' James Bond cars!
I saw a boat parked blocking the road outside the 'Slug' some months back, the high tide just lifted it up & then deposited it in the middle of the road, it was there for a couple of days and no traffic could get through! Marvelous! Could the local officials / wardens assist in anyway to sort this problem out..? Why, yes! They slapped a parking ticket on the boat for obstructing the highway!! Luv'em! Luv the 'Slug' too. TJ
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The White Cross next door is far superior
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..ahh, but the location is everything (and Hell's over-rated anyway..!!) TJ
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It is Hell - a blight on Richmond riverbank , only upside is you can get locked in with a high tide .
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Sounds like hell.
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Fantastic location! Right on the river at Richmond. What I would call a modern bar, all-wood floor, roomy & lively! A 'top' venue ! 'Young' clientele. And younger bar staff who are not always the best at serving customers fairly & in order, but thats becoz it does get v.busy at evenings & weekends. They serve those silly flimsy plastic glasses for outside use, which if you're not careful will blow over on your lap when less than full, and cause you much embarassment! (The staff were good though, they gave me a fresh pint free gratis..!!) My favourite location bar none, outside the 'Slug' on a sunny Richmond afternoon, enjoying the water, sun & beer, and the friendly buzz of activity from passers-by and drinkers 'hooked' on the riverside, watching the boats and the abundant wildlife. You are guaranteed to see at least 50 Canada geese, 2 x herons, some swans, ducks, a black cormorant diving for fish, and other birds that you won't be able to name! (Bring your camera!) The night life is good here at weekends too, if that is more your bag!! (Large screen available for sporting events, which can be quite a crush & v.smokey!) I had to leave the pub during an England match in the World Cup recently, because I couldn't breathe with the cig/smoke...!!) N.B.- staff to note !! (TeeJay)
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A great place to go, cosy inside and great food! Good for a drink outside too with the white cross over the road and Henry's next door gives a bit choice.Outside dining area great idea and a privilige really to have as it is on council property.
I'm sorry too mad mullah you couldnt sit outside but then it is kind of a bar/RESTERAUNT open your eyes mate and check out theiR beer gargen (the whole of the Riverside)
anonymous - 8 Jul 2006 15:23 |
Went back to this place. Please forgive me. Wasn't allowed to sit in the outdoor seating area because we weren't dining. Having an outdoor seating area and not being able to use it kind of defeats the object of having a pub on the riverside. Fools.
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As Slug & Letti (plural of lettuce?) go this isn't a bad one. As everyone has said below, the location by the river is great (although I would probably suggest the White Horse next door for an even better riverside supp). At least they have 1 ale on sale here (Bombadier) which is more than can be said for some Slugs. Some comfy seats inside, pretty spacious, above average pub grub etc blah yadda. The blokes toilets are not the best as algis100 says, but at least you get a mini personal sink in the cubicle which has a locking door too!
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Now, now, now, everyone, it's not that bad, come on. The one thing really going for this place is that it's by the river. Yes OK, so it's a Slug & Lettuce boring chain pub, so therefore the decor is uninspiring, the menu positively tedious (no idea about the real ale or whatever it's called but if you say it's bad, I believe you) and the punters a mixed bag. But on a sunny day, you can have a pint (in a local-council-approved plastic cup) by the river, outside. A luxury not to be sniffed at.
The toilets deserve a mention though as they are truly abhorrent and date back to medieval times.
Go on a summery afternoon, if you don't like the pub, stand outside.
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of course I meant Pear...
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It's all gone the way of the ear since Francesca left. How sad.
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Dont blame the pub for the plastic glasses, its a Council requirement for outside drinking.
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You would think they could try a bit harder with such a prime location.Instead it was the usual dull Slug and lettuce experience , made worse by the plastic glasses and terrible beer. Particularly foul Bombardier when I visited , cloudy and with a taste that suggested it had been stored out in the river for several months before finding it's way into my glass.Apalling.
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this pub is dire. do not, i repeat, do not go to the Curry house just round the corner either - the worst one i have been to in my life..
anonymous - 21 Dec 2005 21:27 |
Good location; sh1t pub. Anodyne.
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Tip: Buy a pint at the Watermans up the lane (it's cheaper and there's no queue), then go and stand outside the Slug.
It's another chain pub really. Not much to it aprt from the location.
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Pleasant staff, good location.
chimp - 20 Nov 2005 12:58 |
Not too impressed. Like any other Slug and Lettuce, you're better off outside.
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The picture sums it up. Rather dull. Go next door to the White Cross.
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It's a Slug & Lettuce. If you like that sort of thing, you'll love it. If however you actually have ambition to be more than a wannabe sloaney, try a real pub.
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It's a Slug and Lettuce, just like all the other Slug and Lettuces except it has the river in its favour. Reasonably inoffensive and not too tricky to get served when busy. Great for people-watching in summer but this is attributed to the location and not the actual pub. Like I said - Slug and Lettuce - could be anywhere.
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The slug is more than bearable during the day for a liquid lunch (although pricey), and the food isn't bad either. It's just the night time when it changes into a magnet for every idiot in the surrounding area (the ones who didn't get into O'Neils or Edwards). It's lacking in any character, but when you have the Thames right outside, summer days can be very pleasant indeed.
Mr Tall - 8 Nov 2004 00:32 |
"A lively, trendy and happening place"!
Joshua, how I laughed. I doubt whether that would be anyones description of a Slug and Lettuce.
Other pubs in Richmond are busy too - Better ones than this dive.
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This place is expensive, even for South West London. Generally full of idiots and the toilets are rubbish. Good for spotting Harlequins rugby team drowning their sorrows after another defeat...oh and desperate girls fawning over them.
Thumbs - 27 Oct 2004 15:15 |
Shockingly bad. Full of slack jawed bingers gurning at each other
Christo - 16 Oct 2004 11:03 |
You da man Joshua! Always come here after a hard weeks contracting to treat my mates to a Stella and my women to some Chardonnay! Very hard working staff and a perfect location! Love it!!
Nick - 5 Oct 2004 19:59 |
Recent changes have made the slug a far more pallatable pub. It has great food and a fun lively team behind the bar. Prices are actually average for the riverside in richmond and cheaper than local competitors such as neighbouring henry's. Want to guess why the pub is busy? because its good. I am sick and tired of the comments page being dominated by people who want drinks cheaper than free and an empty souless pub for them to dominate. This is a lively, trendy and happening place.
Joshua - 5 Oct 2004 00:31 |
HELL. Don't even think of going within 100 yards in the summer, the bar will be 10 deep and your prize is a plastic cup which will be half empty after you've returned from the scrum. Try pole dancing near the bar, that got me some room last time!
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Absolutely shocking. A prime location like this would be ideal for a great pub.
Why anyone would want to go here, pay �4 for a small drink and put up with all the posing tossers in here is beyond me.
Rubbish over-priced(even for Richmond) drinks and the clientele inspire fits of violence in me.
Slug and Lettuces are not all this way - There is a good one in St Martins lane - But this one really is the Pits.
TheGP - 10 Aug 2004 13:18 |
Awful, awful awful. Made the huge and stupid mistake of going here 2 weeks ago, all other pubs were rammed and at least there was a seat. Bought an overpriced bottle of white (after a 20min wait), given plastic tumblers to drink out of and had to stump up �5 as a 'deposit' for this crap ice bucket that looked as though it had cost 50p in Poundstretcher. Also, had stopped serving food at 4.30 on a Sunday afternoon. Avoid like the plague, I beg of you...
Richard - 12 May 2004 16:21 |
Why did they get rid of Mallards? that was a lovely pub and now it's full and I mean full of ben sherman shirts, reebok classic and gold, get the picture?
caroline - 26 Mar 2004 19:03 |
The only thing going fro this pub is its location. In the summer get your drinks and get outside and sit by the river. Food is dire. Prices are high. Give the Slag and Fetish Richmond a wide berth.
nick - 16 Feb 2004 21:10 |
Pricey, boring, waste
Sam - 28 Jan 2004 10:29 |
�3.65 for a rum and coke!! I'd rather stay at home. A round of three drinks coming to over �10. I have lived in the south most of my life, but this really is ridiculous!!
Mike - 10 Jan 2004 11:29 |
As these sort of places go it could be lot worse. But why go here when you could be at the White Cross across (no pun intended) the road.
Good for: Sunday afternoons
James - 26 Nov 2003 16:09 |
I suppose the fact that they didn't throw myself and my drinking buddy out after he somehow managed to break the sink in the gents' bathroom (don't ask, I've no idea and I wish to keep it that way) says something about the tolerance of the management. However I'd rather that they had thrown us out, the place really was that grim - I couldn't wait to get away. The clientelle were for the most part what I should best describe as Piltdown Man's immediate family. I have never been back since and have no intention of doing so either. Those who enjoy this kind of mindless tedium are welcome to it because as far as I am concerned their presence therein leaves more open space in the rest of the world for us homo sapiens to enjoy ourselves.
All IMHO natch :-)
zkolonie - 25 Sep 2003 17:18 |
Was outside this place on Saturday night and was pleasantly surprised at the speed of service. Bogs remain cack though.
Gary - 11 Aug 2003 10:55 |
Ah, poor Ruby. Yeah, it's a good enough place. Not that comfy but nice in the summer with views of the river etc. A bit pricey but many a decent drunken night is fondly remebered here.
Bomber - 27 Jul 2003 18:00 |
The wooden seats take their toll after a while but as I tend to take a weekday off work for a summer's catch up in Richmond with an old mate because I'm in the infant stages of alcoholism, this Slug & Lettuce retains a warm place in my heart.
Mmm, Thames, swans and recollections of all the girls at Uni we could've spent happy times with but didn't.
More beer to cry into, please bartender!
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Pretty grim place to go on a friday or saturday night, but nice during the day. Service is a bit hit and miss but the food is good and the menu has a very wide selection.
Angus - 7 Apr 2003 11:31 |
Whats it for? Worst bar chain of all time - this being a particularly poor example
Olly - 13 Dec 2002 13:39 |
gets too busy by fashion wannabe's/spoilt brats - service has to be one of the worst in the area - easist to use the bar in the cross (much better beer) and then walk over to the slug (if your mates are there - if not stay in the cross) always gettign pestered by the latino guitar players and the young women collecting for an 'unknown' children charity - it's a con - what 19-20yr old goes out collecting on a friday night?
simon - 30 Sep 2002 14:21 |
Well, at least it's by the river...
Pauly H - 15 Jul 2002 10:29 |
Another place best avoided on Friday and Saturday as it's full of people in the latest Top Shop fashions who have decided to visit Richmond.
Dan - 20 May 2002 14:49 |
Full of false people with no conversation bar the value of their house.
Dev - 8 Apr 2002 17:02 |
