please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The same owners as the Albion,a first class pub with ten handpumps for beer and five for cider,the brewery in the back yard has gone,they now brew in Esher. The service was of the cannot be asked variety but that is the only quibble.
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Made a return visit to the Antelope last night, after a maiden visit to the Black Horse in Norbiton (not listed on the site). The Antelope is probably the best of this chain of pubs. Their loyalty cards are useful to have. But note that those issued by the Corner House in Windsor cannot be used in the other 4 pubs. Yesterday's ale selection was Big Smoke Solaris, Sunshower & Underworld, East London Brewery Foundation Bitter, Heavy Industry Pigeon Toed Orange Peel, Neptune Nammu, Summer Wine Firefly, Bristol Beer Factory Low Rider, Northern Whisper Soft Mick & Gun Milk Stout. Ciders were Charnwood Megablend Bone Dry, Bignose Beardy A Bit Of Omff, Cotswold Cider Company She Devil & Yellow Hammer & Seacider Mango Infused Cider. We partook in the Tuesday offer for ribs and wings along with a pint of one of their Big Smoke beers for £12. The brewery is indeed in a separate building at the rear, the other side of a secluded outdoor courtyard. One of London's best pubs in my opinion.
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10 ales, 5 ciders on during my visit. Had a Big Smoke Solaris (who seem to be the Resident Brewery based at the back from what I could tell) and a Brightwater ittle Nipper bot £4.00
There was a funny smell but I think they had just painted the toilets. Was reasonably busy for a Thursday afternoon and not just your usual retired old men clientele. Would visit again if in area.
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A very well run Beer Festival this weekend,covers covering most of the courtyard,a decent selection of ales,quick service by polite staff. The beer was £4 a pint whatever the gravity and the pub has a bonus card,so many stamps and you get a free pint.I wish this pub with the Big Smoke Brewery were my local.9/10. The antidote to the Lamb nearby.
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Paid a return visit to the Antelope yesterday. It's a short 5 minute walk from the station. Yesterday there was a small market set up on the pavement outside, which I hadn't seen before. The ale and cider range still doesn't disappoint. Yesterday lunchtime it was Big Smoke (the resident brewery) Dark Wave Porter, Electric Eye Pale Ale & Underworld Vanilla Stout, Ascot Alley Cat Ale, Hardy & Hansons Rocking Rudolph, Vale Hornbrook & Brill Gold, Roosters YPA, Red Willow Mirthless & Belhaven Smoke Stack Stout. Ciders & perries can be found on handpull around the side of the bar - Gwatkin Squeal Pig Perry, Lilleys Mulled Cider, Hallets Heartbreaker & Millwhites Rioja Cask & Hedgelayer. We were here early enough to secure a table. But it can soon get busy. I think this was my third or fourth visit here and it's hasn't failed to disappoint as yet.
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Excellent. Wonderful range of beers and surprisingly varied selection of cooked meals too. Slightly high prices but still definitely worth a visit.
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Surrey folk. If you are a beer fan, stop your search for the perfect pint and start making your way to The Antelope. With a wide selection of hand pump, ciders, craft lagers and (this is the kicker for me) their own brews on tap, I don't think you can go wrong. Surely there will be something on tap that hits your style. For me it was the Big Smoke Pale Ale, a 4% true session beer. Their own brewed Porter was also great, the Rye IPA at over 6% was for sample only.
The only thing stopping a perfect ten score from me is the pub is frequented by trendies with kids, which in itself is not too bad but can be a distraction when running around (the kids that is). This is a very minor point in the grand scheme of things (and really a reflection of the local community), but with no TV's, no fruit machines, vinyl music and a steady crowd, I have found my new local.
If the Landlord is reading, please keep it up. Loving the buy nine, get the tenth free loyalty card.
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We always like brewpubs and their beer is brilliant and if not there's loads of choice of other beers. And each one is up on a blackboard with descriptions of each. You can't lose. Go now.
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Recently came across the Antelope because of reviews from like minded beer buffs like myself. I've been living in Kingston for the past 20 years and I reckon this pub is one of the best I've come across in all that time.
Firstly the beer, a brilliant selection of 10 cask hand pulled ales mostly from independent companies that you've never heard of- just my thing. These are always well kept and in my opinion reasonably priced at £3.90 irrespective of strength, prices did increase by about 30p at the back end of the summer. Given they have a loyalty card- buy 9 get 1 free- this effectively takes the price down to about £3.50 which for this part of London/ Surrey is almost a bargain. The new on site brewery has produced some really good beers. The first stronger American pale ale was really good, as was the Porter and Best Bitter. The session IPA was less successful and on the two occasions that I tried it, it felt sourish and not quite like a standard beer- perhaps a yeast infection. I didn't have the heart to complain as the staff are wonderful always with a smile, happy to talk brewing and beers with bores like me. They encourage you to sample any new brews and unlike a lot of pubs make you feel that your custom is appreciated, unlike your average pub co.
There is a good selection of keg beers too, even ales and stouts are not the usual mass market stuff in every pub in the land. Some of the specialist imported keg beers are really good though on the expensive side, some touching £7 a pint. The staff always give a price warning to customers who order one of these, which is a nice touch. 6 hand pulled ciders are also available.
The other big plus with this pub is the atmosphere it is the almost the antithesis of your traditional pub feeling yet at the same time feeling warm and friendly. This may sound a contradiction but it has none of the usual boorishness that one associates with pubs. The Male / Female ratio must be around 60:40 which gives the pub a relaxed feeling. Add in the raft of new borns and toddlers with Mum and Dad and it all adds to a nice unpub like feeling in the nicest possible way. The pub also never feels empty no matter what time one goes there which helps it feel like it's alive and not like some cavernous pubs which feel dead unless you go there on a Friday or Saturday night.
Room for improvement: 1- Toilets, they always have a bit of a whiff about them (Gents at least ), I know expectations can't be great but seeing as the pub gets almost everything else spot on, this black mark kind of stands out.
2- Food, On the first two occasions that I tried the food I was rather disappointed, most of the bites / tapas type of stuff was dry and a bit unappetising, chips limp and coldish and generally didn't live up to the descriptions on the menu. The last time I tried the food- burger and pulled pork IIRC - it all seemed much better so perhaps they've had a change in the kitchen or perhaps I was unfortunate on previous occasions.
Don't let the last two points put you off- this is a pub for all ages and personalities. I take along with me two old hardened pub types who between them will have spent over a century drinking in pubs and they agree that The Antelope really has something going for it, if I took these two guys to some of the trendier pubs around Kingston I would be given short shrift.
Antelope- keep up the good work.
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The Antelope was my main reason for visting Surbiton and it didn't let me down. The new owners used to run the Sussex Arms - one of my 3 favourite London pubs. Now I may have to re-think my ratings, as this is certainly a 9/10 pub. It's fairly similar to the Sussex Arms in layout, but slightly bigger and having a much larger area around the corner of the bar. The ale and cider range was excellent - Twickenham Naked Ladies & Redhead, Gadds India Pale, Brewmeister Black Hawk, West Berkshire Gammerstang, Kings Heritage Spring Fever, Marble Spring, Skinners Betty Stogs, Liverpool Organic Kitty Wilkinson Chocolate & Vanilla Stout & Titanic Cherry Dark. Ciders and perries were Capsy Wennet Perry, Raglan Stoke Red, Gwatkin Silly Ewe, Sandford Orchards Cider Ginger & Lilleys Strawberry Cider. There's a fine range of bottled beers and ciders too. You shouldn't miss this pub if you're ever in Surbiton.
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Under new management - now a free house with a large selection of constantly changing real ales - ten, plus five ciders and various bottled beers .......... beer selection and condition were very good . The food looked pretty good too. Well worth a visit if you happen to be in the area as it certainly beats all the other local hostelries and there's some good ones!
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Certainly not the worst place I've been to and for the area it's one of the few 'proper' pubs. Nice choice of ales, comfortable, friendly and relaxed.
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Green King pub with a good selection of Twickenham ales on also, Naked Ladies was is top form last time I was in. These days is one of the better pubs in the area, well worth a pint or three
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Went in this pub on a Sunday at the start of December, no real ale on and only one draught lager we decided not to bother...... Do not think we miss much!
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Somewhat clinically renovated pub. Knocked through with loud background but music in front and sport on decvent-sized TV at rear with pool table. Pinball table - hoorah! Sadly not working - swallowed my quidlet. Friendly servive with three real ales on - Greene King IPA, Greene King St Edmunds and Hardy and Hanson Olde Trip (now there's a pub). I had a decent pint of Olde Trip. Near my gaff this would be a good'un, but there's stiff local competition.
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I visited this pub over the weekend as I had heard about a real ale festival taking place. I sampled a few of the bitters including 'T.E.A.' and 'Naked Lady', both of which were delicious. The live music was a bit too country western for my taste, however there was a great atmosphere and the girls behind the bar were stunning, attentive and welcoming. Usual lagers fairly priced at �3.30 and a nice variety of wines for the ladies. Definitely recommend this pub.
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A few of us went for the pub quiz the other day. One friend walked in finishing a packet of Twiglets, within seconds the landlord comes over like Phil Mitchell, growling "I SELL SNACKS IN MY PUB - NEXT TIME ASK!". Fair enough point but so over the top and threatening, it was a joke. Thanks for the welcome. Quiz was quite good, IPA not well kept.
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In truth this place does not appear to have improved a great deal. The building itself is superb and ought to lend itself to being a proper pub as it virtually was under a previous female licensee.
The first thing that hits you when you walk in are the very tacky blue Christmas type lights above the bar and the place itself is soulless. The good news is that the licensee was in attendance early doors and was attentive and apologetic about the lack of IPA and the alternative Big Red was very good. He is a bit of a Jack the Lad though and very loud. Hopefully that means he's assertive with errant customers!
There is so much competition in Surbiton and well run this place could corner the market behind the Gordon Bennett. At the moment though it stands no chance. I won't be rushing back.
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Vastly improved, well kept beer and redecorated. Feels like a proper pub again.
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Popped in last night. Been redecorated and looks much better - getting a friendly atmosphere! They have a band on on Friday so I think worth a look!
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Starting to look like a decent pub again. Currently under what looks like a fairly big refurb. Tends to have at least two real ales on now, although i'm told they usually have three. Glad to see it's got proper sky now.
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dissapointing, last two times I ventured in there was only lager or Guiness to drink, so I left there won't be a third
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Only one ale on today, GK IPA, but the new owners said they would be getting another two from the GK list when new pumps are installed. Will also be removing the pool tables and trying to turn it back into a decent pub.
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Now under new Management, so we will see what happens> Got potential to get back to where it was.
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Now it doesn't ... re-opened yesterday. Completely gutted by previous landlord .. no tv's etc, but these should be replaced pronto.
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It now suffers from "closed down" syndrome.
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This place has plummeted since the excellent female licensee left. It now suffers from indifferent staff and beer.
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I'm a regular visitor to this place. It makes a nice change from the increasing number of "gastro-pubs" which appear to be steadily taking over Surbiton.
I think the landlord & brewery have got it pretty spot-on in that it caters for people who prefer a less pretentious drinking environment where football viewing is encouraged and smokers aren't treated like lepers. The locals & barstaff are generally pretty friendly and good for a pool match or two.
Overall, this place plays to its strengths and offers something different to its trendy-bar neighbours.
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Pleasantly surprised by this place when I went in here on the weekend.
I always used to think of this as a bit of a football pub, with cheap beers and loads of Chelsea fans.
They clearly still show a lot of sport, but the beer prices have gone up (Stella �3.10). Although this is not good, it has meant that the pub now has quite a nice feel about it, rather than being one of the places everyone goes to get tanked up on cheap booze before going elsewhere.
The Maple Road area has a couple of good bars in Gordon Bennett and Rubicon, but the other pubs (Grove Tavern, Black Lion) are a bit of an acquired taste.
Hopefully, The Antelope will keep pushing upwards and join the few really good pubs in the Surbiton area (The Victoria, Spring Grove etc). We need a few more good ones!
anonymous - 20 Mar 2007 12:15 |
A pleasant compact locals bar not far from the high street. L shaped lounge with a Pool Room at the back with 2 pool tables. Reasonably comfortable and friendly. One of my favourite beers was on tap, Bateman's XXXb which was very good. Certainly worth a visit.
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in search of a new local as the flyer is now going to be turned into wine bar of all things (sigh) and so far this ticks most of the boxes good beer/fair prices and after several visits no trouble...... good effort
anonymous - 5 Feb 2007 10:33 |
Nice and small and some pleasant ales if thats what you're into. Clean and well managed. Will come again, but when you see it sandwiched between two trendier places like GB and Rubicon you will notice that they are usually a lot busier. It is a fact nowadays that tired old boozers serving lots and lots of ale isn't what people want nowadays. But then everyones different and want different things.
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Went in there for the first time for about three years....Green King and Moorlands beers are not much to write home about but the young couple behind the bar seemed to be very pleasant and efficient keeping the tables cleared and tidy.....a pleasant change from the usual glass laden tables in the majority of locals. Do they really need all the music and TVs blaring out at the same time? Overall...not a bad little boozer that we will most likely visit again....possibly when they get some tastier bitters.
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Very nice little pub with friendly staff and a atmosphere
Hicup - 13 Oct 2006 17:39 |
really nice, clean, friendly pub. Staff excellent and the beer is good too. Tops for watching sport due to the abundance of screens. boss.
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Great little boozer...good atmosphere and friendly staff.
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Don't turn up here expecting pool. The tables have been removed. It's now got 50% more space for people to come in, enjoy a pint and socialise. Shame, as they were the last real pool tables in Surbiton, but there are American pool tables in the Grove and St Mark's Tavern.
Never was that good myself anyway, but did win the pot once on a game of 'killer'. I'm happy.
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Decent beer AND The Dead Kennedys - how pleased was I? Staff were nice enough too. Didn't have to wait long to get served and it's less expensive than some of the places nearer the station. Good place if you're not looking for a quiet chat!
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A pub is made by the name above the door! Not a statement but a fact! This is a quality, well led establishment Take it from me, well worth a visit.
The beer is the best I've tasted, apart from mine of course!
Justin
The Flintgate
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not really somewhere i'd recommend. unfriendly bar staff - although reading some of the previous comments, maybe they were having an off night. beer was ok though. will probably try it again at some point to give it a 2nd chance. 5/10.
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Went in here for the first time in a while and the prices seem to have gone up dramatically....I'm sure they used to do all pints under �2.00...they don't take debit or credit cards any more and tell you to use their in house cash machine which costs upwards of �1.50 per withdrawn...and as they get a cut, seem like a good way for the pub to make money!!! Wouldn't recommend it anymore but if you do go make sure you've cash on you.
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Seems like a good pub for playing pool. Surprisingly good choice of rock songs on the jukebox. Typical range of drinks: you won't get anything unique here but it is all good stuff.
Will2 - 28 Jun 2005 11:46 |
Good Boozer. Great Staff. Two pool tables. Cheap Ale. All the footy is shown there. Just remember, don't mess with Maggie.
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Looks nice after the re-fit but still cant bear to drink pi$$bow
Get thats Scrumpy Jack on tap !!!
Il make you RICH !!!!! with my business alone !!
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I agree wholeheartedly with Grout,although I would plump for the excellent London Pride on offer. And try and get some Ramones tracks on the jukebox. Staff always friendly, really good beers and it's never 15 deep at the bar. A gem.
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This pub is like a little piece of Manchester right here in Surbiton. Man Utd fans everywhere during the last big game. I shall never be visiting it again.
Tony - 4 Nov 2004 15:18 |
Top jukebox, fantastic landlady, excellent pool tables, superb venue for watching the footy and spending all day drinking the best 'berg available.
Grout - 16 Oct 2004 12:44 |
Good spot. Maggie takes no nonsense from anyone. Excellent venue for watching the footie as they have plenty of screens. Staff seem a bit dazed sometimes though.
Loz - 5 Oct 2004 13:25 |
Was there for the first time yesterday afternoon watching chelsea V liverpool (come on you blues)and loved it!
jo jo - 4 Oct 2004 15:51 |
Boozer,how ya doing?
Fare comment bout' Olly, I love that impression!!!
However,who are you to talk you grey haired,rat tailed man!
Word of advice go to specsavers hen you might be able to see the sign for tony and guy!!
local beer monster - 2 Sep 2004 22:14 |
Have you been in since the refurb?If not get your ass in there now!!!
Booze has gone up a bit but those low prices couldn't stay that low for long and the prices are still reasonable!
Same great jukebox still where it woz the people that couldn't see should have gone to specksavers and as for the blue hair man,my mate olly bring him back! He's o.k really.
Keep up the good work Margaret! x
local beer monster - 13 Aug 2004 22:35 |
Went in the with some friends who happened to get ID'd fair enough but they were buying pepsi and were 23 and look a lot older than me... other than that was fine prices are still okay!
Danny - 12 Jul 2004 20:54 |
I certainly did not approve of the rather sickly decor!
Furniture however is ok.
Prices have gone up
Still the occasional 'erbert causing problems because they can't handle their drink but the staff seem to be on top of that.
jon-paul - 3 Jul 2004 19:46 |
The jukebox is still where it always was (or at least it was last night!) - perhaps you guys just couldn't see it among the swarms of football supporters?
Haydn - 18 Jun 2004 09:26 |
No Jukebox!
NOOOOOOOoooo!
jon-paul - 17 Jun 2004 17:23 |
had a refurb recently, reminds me a bit of a mr q's now in terms of the decor. new pool tables, slightly smaller than before, still a quid per game. and they've replaced some of the tables with higher ones and tall stools instead of chairs. price rises too (well, it was stupidly cheap before); pint of carslberg is now 2.25, so still pretty reasonable for surbiton. oh, and i think they might've got rid of the jukebox too, but maybe i just didn't notice it there. apart from that, nothing much seems to have changed, same staff, same customers, still a good place to go.
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we love it...
Tried all the pubs in surbiton and just keep coming back to the antelope. Cheap! Friendly! Pool! Jukebox! 2 minutes from my house!
la...
sometimes smokey though so watch out nathan!
Andrew - 11 Apr 2004 16:07 |
Weird one this - Funny how people get taken on occassion - that blue haired geezer gave me one of the best laughs in ages with his shirt off Steven Tyler/Aerosmith impression when The Darkness were playing - what a classic. Must pop in there again - haven't been in ages and it was the best pool room in the area.
boozer - 23 Mar 2004 15:17 |
Lovely pub when that blue haired guy isn't there... I had a very very relaxed sunday the other week, just playing some pool, some amazing tracks on the jukebox and with some of the best strongbow I've ever had from a pub. I'm telling you, this was perfectly cold, apply, and wonderful.
I loved it.
Keif - 10 Feb 2004 01:43 |
Top boozer
Guest ales are well kept, good jukebox, not heaving on a saturday night. Even the locals are friendly.
jon-paul - 9 Jan 2004 09:07 |
Cheap and cheerful, staff are happy and helpful...an ideal place for a few games of pool or to watch sport.
Rob - 31 Dec 2003 16:49 |
Called in on a Monday night after a friend moved into the area (this seems to be the main cause to visit this pub see below). Had a warm feel to it but was also smokey. 3 handpumps, 2 of which had labels but none had any beer. Maybe we were unlucky
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The best pub in surbiton.
Friendly atmosphere, cheap drinks, good duke box, great bar staff and a nuts landlady.
jim - 15 Dec 2003 22:42 |
Everyone has said it under �2 what more can you want. wether you in for a pint or the night there is always a fun atmosphere. 10/10 for the staff!
local beer monster - 14 Dec 2003 14:19 |
all drinks under �2 was the magnet,i was there in july 2003, mostly in the afternoons with 2 blokes from bridlington who were building a shop 3 doors down,good service,good ale, good company.recomend it, dave
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Surbiton is a funny old place for a pint. Having moved in early this year I was undecided on my local ( an important decision).
I soon found however, that i would gravitate towards this place whilst on my quest. Eventually I realized the reason i kept "popping in" was that it provided all needed from a pub (apart from scrumpy jack..).
Cheapest booze this side of the Watford gap, Friendly staff, nice pool tables, clean bogs, mental jukebox,outside benches front and rear, big screens for sport and a mix of clientelle. Just the job.
Could do with a lick o paint round the front bar (back is fine), Scrumpy Jack of course,
and something to draw in some loose moraled ladies (i am not enough of a lure it seems )
Good work
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Bloody good beer hall, also just moved to nearby leafy Surbiton Court and perused the establishment last night, and my word what can one say about a snifter of Artois for only 1.95, absolutely marvellous...
Had me in mind of medieval times whereupon one used to pay for his mead with a single gold penny!
I must confess the jukebox is rather to my liking as well, a veritable tableau of decent rock music and alternative sounds.
Libation shall commence...
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As my (now departed) Grandad used to say of 13 1/2% extra free cans of Guiness:
'The more you drink the cheaper it gets'
I wonder if it really helped though.
anonymous - 5 Aug 2003 12:01 |
I�ve just moved 10 minutes down the road from Kingston to Surbiton and so last week we went and done a bit of orienteering. What did we find?
We found the Antelope and very glad we are of it too! All pints are under two quid (so is wine, for the missus [of course]), there are two pool tables, a superb jukebox (it�s even got Blind Melon on it), a big screen TV and the staff are friendly to boot.
It has definitely won in the search for a new local, just think, each pint you drink there you save up to 75p!!!! It pays to poor it down your neck!
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nice enough - got pool - bit small though
jim - 23 Apr 2003 14:19 |
This pub is awesome.Great beer and always something going on.The 2 pool tables at the back drag in the crowds, the bar people are fun to be around, all the sport is shown, live music every Thursday, what more can I say. Just watch out for the 2 Sydney Deans behind the bar !!!
Phil Hancox - 24 Mar 2003 13:33 |
