please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I've often wondered past the Vine on the way to the nearby Southampton Arms. There's very often people enjoying the patio at the front during summer months. With the Southampton Arms opening later than normal due to an oversleeping issue, we used the opportunity to try the Vine out. There were 4 ales, which was far more than I had expected - Greene King IPA, Trumans Runner, London Beer Factory Beyond The Pale & Sambrooks Pumphouse Pale. There is no real cider. But there a couple of interesting draught selections. The pub has the feel of a gastropub and was bigger than I had expected.
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Seems to be a pub going for the food market which looked to be doing a good trade on the Saturday we visited.
Two real ales on draught, which were of reasonable quality.
The female barstaff were very easy on the eye and were polite and efficient with it.
If the Southampton Arms is packed this is a handy place to wait for the crowds to die down a bit!
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Dropped in here as I didn't fancy fighting my way to the bar to get served in the Southampton. It looked like one of those 'Pub & Dining' chain type places with a contrived refurb with upstairs toilets (to provide more 'sales' space on the ground). Most people appeared to be drinkers though and diners and those with children were outside on the front 'patio' area and the interior part of the pub was okay - got served sharply enough and a decent pint of Old Dairy Red Top.
anonymous - 25 Mar 2012 12:02 |
I haven't eaten in here since the refurb but in terms of ale and decor then its a big thumbs up from me. The place is much more welcoming for people just wanting a pint. Handy if The Southampton is too mobbed to handle. All the ale I've tried so far has been well kept and the bar staff are friendly and quick to serve.
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So, the review below. You had two enjoyable nights, then one non-enjoyable night, and you give us the latter in great detail. Why not tell us all about the two enjoyable nights? Is this what the internet has become? Really?
Never been in the Vine but I was on here looking for a pub in this locale for tonight so I'll bloody well go to this one now just to stick it up 'TheInquisitor'.
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I have been here for food three times since the re-opening. My first two visits were enjoyable, good food and nice choice of beers. However last night I took a few friends and we received shockingly bad service. My friend ordered a mozzarella salad, and unfortunately the cheese they served her had gone bad. She returned it immediately. The kitchen sent not one, but three different members of staff to tell her "the chef just wanted you to know he checked the cheese himself and it is fine". How insulting. My friend tells the third staff member that this is getting silly and she just wants to order something else. The staff member responds by charging her the difference for the replacement meal. A replacement for bad dairy that could have made her ill. And of course, once my friend has paid for and waited on her replacement, the rest of us have finished eating. Then we got ignored at the bar. I think I will spend my hard earned money elsewhere in future.
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@milfer - well you're right about the high prices, but then again The Vine was pricey even before it was given a makeover, so I wasn't expecting anything else. But the beer is fine (Camden lager - great but �4.10 a pint! It's �3.40 just up the road at the Southampton Arms!) - and on the two occasions I've been there so far the service has been really good.
Generally I think the upgrade has been done well - ok it's a gastro, but it was before anyway and had lost its way. The bar area has been extended and there seems a lot more space and tables in there now, and it feels lighter and airier than before. There's a separate dining area at the back and also at the front, which is split between eating and drinking area at the very front - though no doubt some diners there won't appreciate the fag smoke wafting up at them from below! However that won't bother me as I won't be eating there.
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cmofish. Your right about GK. But via real pubs. Expect rude service, shabby beer, high prices. A pity, could be good, but with it's location it's between too many great places.
It would have to be fantastic to compete. I will check it out & happily eat my words if I'm wrong. But my few experiences at the Oxford don't fill me with good expectations.
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Greene King bought it instead. Not sure if that is better than a developer.
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This pub is currently on the market for two million pounds , it will probaly be bought by a developer , demolished and rebuilt as two blocks of apartments , which would be okay .
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pretentious dump - avoid
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This place is a gem. My friend had a wedding there recently and as Best Man I found the owner James to be incredibly helpful and friendly, the place was entirely accommodating and the wedding was certainly one to remember. The reception was held out in the garden which looked great, the staff were really helpful, the food was brilliant and the owner had put alot of effort in to help the whole day run smoothly.
I had also gone for lunch there a couple of months before, we were a little late but they still served us - great pizza!
I would definitely recommend this as a place to have any large reception/party or to have a few drinks and some lunch at. Under rated and the other comments certainly don't reflect this great pub.
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This is a strangely decorated gastro pub with prices to match (�3.30 for a pint of Carling). Bombardier, Adnams, Guinness, Gaymers Pear cider and Addlestones cider are also available along with some premium lagers. There is a reasonably large selection of drinks, but I still felt that this place is more interested in flogging food.
There is an area at the rear that has an open fire and some sofas. It was roped off for a private party during my visit and I go the feeling that this is a regular occurrence. Also, there is plenty of covered seating in the back garden and uncovered seating in the front garden/car park.
I wasn�t really taken by this place and won�t be returning in a hurry. They may also consider losing the big �smile youre on CCTV� sign that is on the wall behind the bar.
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This pub could be a great pub, good outside space, nice decor inside and a good eating area outside, good choices of drinks and a reasonable Menu, but when I went in over the weekend, it was the service that spoilt what could have been a good evening, bookings mix up for the meal, taking 45 minutes to get served and another 30 minutes to get your meal and they were very quiet, Bar staff didn't have a clue what they were doing and at one point I had to get my drinks from being the bar that they forgot to give me and just walk off. and unfortunately the food was below par as well, a very disappointing evening to what could be a great venue.
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I have read some of the reviews about this pub, and they are a bit unfair. I go this pub quite often and have to say that I always have a good night out.The decor might not be to everyone's liking but the service is fast and friendly and there is always a great atmosphere. It has a nice fireplace area that is quite cosy and the food is good as well(the steaks are fab)I noticed that a lot of things did change for the better when there was a change in management in the last year.
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Still not convinced by this place. Don't drink outside (its a main road) and inside is essentially a Restaurant with a small lounge-bar area attached where people have a few cocktails before eating, so you sit under some zebra-skin rug pinned to the wall while people wander in and out for a cigarette. Service and drink quality is reliable though.
anonymous - 8 Aug 2006 13:51 |
Nicely decorated, characterful pub with swift service but the latter may well be due to the fact that (on weekday nights at least) the place is virtually empty. Best thing about it is its decor and arrangement inside - particularly the rear segment which has an open fire and lovely, sinkable sofas. Very large inside, although with surprisingly few tables, and with quite an extensive patio out front. This makes me wonder if it ever gets full enough to pick up a decent atmosphere. The plastic roof over the beer garden has gone, btw.
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'king hilarious. Perhaps you were hogging the fire when I was last in. Gone seriously downhill in the last three years. Bitter variable and a bit of a song and dance to get the fella behind the bar to swap my cloudy pint when requested. No apolgy either.
anonymous - 22 Jan 2006 10:02 |
Great pub apart from some funny regulars with names such as The Bear, Disco, Urchin and Our Kid. They insist on dancing on stools while singing about Our Kid's mums garden shed ??? Very strange.
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This pub does not know if its a pub or restaurant. It has over priced food that isn't as good as they would like us to believe. It's a nice enough place but until it makes its mind up as to what it is will remain a bit of a mess.
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brilliant pub i have been going there since i was a kid with my mum.
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Paid a visit to this establishment this week, thought I had gone through the wrong door and walk into the set of Changing Rooms meets What not to Wear! Is this a pub or what, the two largers I asked for were off, and as for the goat skin rug above the fire??? If you are in dire need of a drink or a nuclear bomb is about to go bang then go in here for a drink otherwise stay well clear.
gerry - 19 Nov 2004 08:31 |
Over priced food added to poor service makes this once very good pub and now third rate gastro-pub.
Freddie - 14 Sep 2004 17:24 |
Nice pub, friendly staff who seemed genuinely to want to help but were woefully incompetent. At a party I attended there recently approximately 8 guests sent back their food as it was not properly cooked. What followed was a comic farce of Carry On proportions. The returned food was again served up and guests were still disappointed. The party girl had to literally plead with staff for her meal as they had made a mistake and believed she'd had it (she hadn't).Nice ambience but if you go be sure to eat beforehand.
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Not very relaxing.Used to be better than it is now.Food is overpriced and average.
Claire - 2 Apr 2004 15:56 |
good food, great atmosphere, really unpretentious and prices not bad either
steve smith - 3 Feb 2004 19:43 |
Horrible, expensive and pretensious. Truly unhinged decor.
Joe - 2 Dec 2003 15:44 |
this pub is fantastic, with a great menu. Reasonably priced but of a high standard.
Highly recommend it.
Nicola - 12 Sep 2003 10:48 |
The Beer Garden Has a plastic roof and it smells like a swimming pool
John - 3 Sep 2003 16:16 |
Upmarket gastro pub with outside seating.
anonymous - 19 Aug 2003 23:50 |
