please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Very average indeed, I visited on a Saturday for a friend's birthday and they had actually closed the bar, so quiet does this part of Clerkenwell become of an weekend evening. Previous visits have revealed the food to be passable and there were some interesting ales on. Prices are high although it wasn't the pub's fault that my pal ordered jaegerbombs all round. Sadly, this immediate area is now bereft of really good pubs when you factor in the demise of the King's Arms and the snottiness of the place on Roger Street I can't remember the name of.
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Something of a cross between a gastro pub and an IKEA furniture showroom. That aside I had a well kept if rather pricey pint of Ringwood Best (Boondoggle and Brakspears also available).
Also ate a Gourmet Burger and Chips which was just short of �10. This was served on what can only be described as a bread board. Add a bit of vinegar and you need to take evasive action to miss a Tsunami of acid. Now I stand at 5ft 10" but the chairs against the high tables meant that I was having to push myself up to get a decent cutting angle.
I remember 20 years ago when this pub had it's own brewery. How times change.
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I visited this awful pub for a friends Wedding reception,
I had a great night but this was 100% because of the company of my friends and absolutely nothing to do with the actual pub. The Yorkshire Grey is OVER priced (�4.75 for a single Rum & Diet Coke) The Staff and especially the manager are VERY VERY VERY RUDE, The manager has obviously got a very large chip on his shoulder and was constantly accusing people of drug taking when they went to the toilet (just because someone takes more than 2 minutes in a cubicle doesn't mean anything untoward is happening) we were told that they had peep holes in the toilets and they could see what everyone was up to Hmmmm sounds rather more illegal than an innocent bowel movement.
I wouldnt go there again as there are plenty more pubs in the surrounding area that are 100% better.
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Fairly quiet when I dropped in mid-evening. It does seem to hover between pub and bar but I quite liked the atmosphere. Three beers on - Brakspears and two from Ringwood - Best and Boondoggle. My Brakspears was well-kept.
This is a nice enough place for after work drinks but nothing special to travel for.
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Bland, inoffensive modern bar space within an older corner pub building. Respectable and reasonable, but nothing to attract any interest. 3 casks available - Pride, IPA and London Pride which was flabby and unenjoyable.
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"Friendly, sometimes too friendly staff"
Crikey, only in London, eh. What kind of pretentious @rse complains about service being too friendly.
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Smallish corner pub that looks like a typical London classy boozer at first sight. Can get crowded, and is noisy with conversation even when not so full. Pub is deep enough for two layers of tables (plus a few outside on the pavement). Tables closest to windows are normal sized, but those nearer to the bar are higher, and have stools. One one corner there are a couple of plush sofas. Many tables have a stange metal plate on top in the middle.
Three real ales were on during my visit, Green King, plus two others. One from Sharps in Cornwall, and one from Gales. Seemed to be well kept.
Food is served till 9pm, though I didn�t see many people actually eating. Menu appeared to be mainly burgers, with a couple of specials. I had chicken curry, which was very nice, but seemed to consist of 90% rice !!
Football being shown on TV can attract corwds even when it is a meaningless friendly.
Will definitely visit again � hopefully when it�s a bit quieter - 7/10
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Would it kill them to provide a bit of carpet or upholster the chairs? Maybe all those "solicitors and media folk" enjoy re-living the discomforts of their public school days in these barebones, arse, ear and foot-ache inducing wine bars. Is this the "nice contemporary twist" they are talking about? Seriously, check out the blurb posted in the pub description above.
It appeared to me as if someone had taken a rather promising looking London corner pub and systematically stripped out everything of interest and tradition, replacing it with an ersatz European style cafe.
Go there if you like, I am sure that it appeals to many, but I won't drink there as I can't escape from the conclusion that the owners and management are patronising vandals.
Jay28 - 19 Jan 2010 17:01 |
I get here every two months or so on a sort of work cycle and the consistency of the pub is really good. Had leaving drinks here for a mate and we are always looked after. This visit I had fisn n chips and lots of real ale.....what a London Pub should be...well done to all.
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Friendly, sometimes too friendly staff, good service, and good selection of drinks, that are slightly more expensive than neighbouring pubs, also found the house wines a bit ropey. Great atmosphere - have been drinking here for 6 years, and it has really benefitted from the last change of owners.
Food menu is great, when they say the platters serve at least 4, they mean it ! - quality of meals is excellent, service times good, and prices competitive.
Avoid Friday nights when it is packed, and queues deep at the bar. Would recommend at other times, do a great Saturday brunch.
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This place has a bland wooden interior and an even blander atmosphere that consists of other people�s conversations echoing around the room. The barman was nice enough when he finally served me after finishing his conversation his boss and my Guinness was good. Harveys Best, Greene King IPA and Caledonian Kiss Me Quick were also available on my recent visit along with Amstel and a very limited standard draught selection.
I didn�t spot any TVs and the background music was on so low that I didn�t really see the point in bothering. with it
There are far better pubs in this area so I�ll not be returning.
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The exterior is somewhat different to this photo - it has been repainted a uniform bluey grey colour. On the whole I prefer the whole facade. Inside it falls into the category of establishment that doesn't know whether it wants to be a pub or bar. Given the prominent location on the corner of Theobalds and Grays Inn Roads it's the sort of place I would meet someone unfamiliar with the area before taking them to one of the many superior establishments nearby.
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Great Pub, simple, decent food, good range of real ales. Upstairs function room always seems to be busy and although I havn't made it up there...it seems really popular.
A lot of Pubs have overdone the whole food thing but this remains a good place to meet drink and make merry.
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This is truly awful place. I don't even know where to start. The drinks menu is very limited. you can't find any good beer on tap. They have a bettter selection of bottled beer but it is severyly overpriced (over 10 pounds for 3 small bottles). Upstairs the choice is even worse, they don't even have Coke on tap and use a 2L bottle instead. Obviously that is neither fresh nor cold.
As bad as the drinks are the food is much worse. Everything is tasteless, over- or undercooked. The ingredients are obviously not fresh. The cooking is apalling. However, the staff never acknowledge this and if you try to return a meal they always say you are the problem, not the meal. And did I mention the prices were way too high?
The staff is not just unfriendly, they are unqualified. It always takes ages to order a drink. And the person serving you is never going to smile or apologise for an obvious mistake. Instead they will always blame you.
The only good thing about this pub is the quiz they have on Tuesdays.
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Fantastic pub that has just been awarded cask marque status, and from the taste of their bitters its hard to not see why. All 3 were in top condition, Betty Stoggs, Harveys & Green king IPA when i was there, aparently will be different each week.......good news!
The pub is run by someone who has a excellent passion for good food and drink - two essential things in my opinion, Really nice crowd wich good vibe.....
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Looks like an interesting pub from the outside, but at first glance the interior shouts bleached wood gastro-pub at you. However, they have three handpumps serving a perfectly repectable pint of Harveys and a couple of others (including Hook Norton 'Hooky' Bitter). Helpful bar staff too.
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Very nice pub in the holburn area, Excellent service with a smile, and very helpful. Good Wine list with some quality vino for me and my girlfriends to pick from...and by the look of it a good stock of bitter to keep my husband happy.....Good thing his fav is sussex best as we origionally are from Hove.
Nice and relaxing atmosphere, mellow music and candlelight to give a lovely atmosphere....No commercial rubbish on the music system which is always good to hear.......hehe!!!
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One of the pubs that brings up the standard let down by a number of poor efforts in the area. Me and my friends always feel welcome when we visit the Yorkshire Grey, The staff make you feel like a guest in their front room � very polite unlike numerous pubs in the area.
There is a good range of Bitters and Bottled beers, And has just changed its wine list � Nice mix of new world and Classic wine origins at good prices, most being under the �15 mark not being to pretentious having a bottle of 87� chateaux margeaux on the list that has blaintantly been stuck in the cellar since 1988�.
Must say gold medal should go to the Aussie Barmaid who is full of energy and very friendly, And run by a couple of young guys who must be proud to look after�..One European very passionate about Whiskey � Got me to try a Japanese one what I most prob would never had thought about, but glad he did�..So Good (yamazaki or something)
Only criticism is Harvey�s Best Bitter not constantly kept on tap � It should be a permanent fixture, but the fact that they like to try new beers from all over the country for all us bitter drinkers is great � Nice to see somewhere that knows there is more To London pride and Youngs out there�.
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Quite confused by Millays comments about it not being a pub and thwe lack of quality beer. Ive become a regular as my offices have just relocated here and must say this has to be one of the better pubs of the area. What makes this nice is the fact it is a one off and not following a branded enviroment. I was supprised to find out the manager was a young guy not much older than me, fantastic to see someone care about real ale instead of Alcopops and cheap lager/packets of nuts.
Over the last few weeks i have seen Woodfordes Wherry, Harveys sussex best, Hook Norton Hooky, TT Landlord, Green King IPA, and Skinners Cornish Knocker....There is always three different ales on and you are informed of whats coming up soon.
I was dissapointed last saturday when in the area tried to pop in for a quick drink, but found it closed to the public for a event, about 100 people enjoying a band playing, apparently someones birthday and they hired the venue, Spoke to one of the patrons of the party who was outside enjoing a cheky smoke (the brother of the birthday girl) and they said the party was awesome and the staff were excellent at looking after them.....Got me thinking about hiring the venue,
Food is good quality but it would be good to see a few more specials on the menu....But saying that the choice is vast and i have had something different nearly every time ive been......and its all good.
Overall its a great pub, Great Drink, Great food and most important good happy service......
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Provided you understand that this is a bar/restaurant rather then a pub, which should be evident from previous reviews, you�ll not be disappointed. It�s very much one for after work do�s and groups of friends wanting to dine out reasonably cheaply. It�s an attractive bar and has a good location at a major crossroad. I�ve found the beer selection to be limited and the fact that they probably don�t turn over too much means it�s rarely in top condition.
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This place is good.I was in this Pub earlier today meeting friends who came into town. We all agreed that the food was well above what we expected as we thought it might be normal Pub food . I cant remember the exact order but two of us had really good burgers, seemingly homemade...and they were really top notch. One guy had a great fish and chips served on newspaper which again was good and another young lady had a chicken caesar salad. All of this washed down with Pinot Grigio's and Real Ales...there were three on. We overstayed and had intended to go home, shower and go out later. I was impressed and Im a grumpy bugger...so well done .
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When entering the bar later than the rest of my group, I noticed they had ordered what looked to be a scrumptious platter, and was to find out it was indeed, yummy yummy (the New Yorker was what they had and highly recommend). The bar had a pretty happy feel to it, possibly helped out by a guy walking round in a fluffy white hat that would usually be seen closer to Soho! Good place though, beer prices were pretty standard and not a bad variety. The music was truly amazing to say the least, with Belinda Carlisle and Lionel Richie making sure annoying drunken teens stay well away. Unfortunately, the CD must have finished as the music stopped after a while and never came back on!
The presence of Pumba certainly added to the event, and luckily, unlike in past weeks, we were able to secure a table, well done Barry.
All in all, good form from the Yorkshire Grey, would definitely go back for a few more quiets provided they keep the Belinda Carlisle rocking!
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Im back again!! This place is going well. Local info tells me its a really good Monday to Friday City type Pub and Saturdays hosts Private birthdays etc. I popped in again on Friday evening. What I like is it doesnt try anything smart and Music is very background allowing the many who were there to talk like hell. I went upstairs to the function room to have a nosey and there was a packed room having leaving drinks for someone from ITN I think. The Pub is seemingly 200 years old or more and enjoying my company every four months or so and seemingly the company of many daily. Nice Pub...good vibe. Eddie
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Firstly, the picture on this page is years out of date. This is a pretty good Pub which seems to have undergone a recent and smart makeover. I am from South of the river and tend to not venture North much but I came across this Pub last Monday and had a very decent Fish and Chips while waiting for a relative to roll into Kings Cross. There were three or four real ales on and staff were doing their bit. I later went to the famous Champagne bar at St Pancras but found it impersonal and unwelcoming. The Yorkshire Grey was a nice experience so I thought Id credit them here.
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Reply to fullbelly - what I mean is that there was music playing but not so loud that you can't hear yourself think. And the other patrons weren't the rowdy sort who shout over the top of each other. The pub when we went wasn't full but we got a nice seat and enjoyed the food. Have tried to go back since but quite often the bar is booked for private parties on a Saturday, which is the only night I can go, so haven't made it yet.
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Not a bad effort indeed. Pubs are going in all directions nowadays and I loose track of whether gastro as a word is still an "in" word. This seems more Pub than Gastro and although food is evident...they don't push it in your face and there are no white tablecloths. Certainly the local briefs and media-heads seem to enjoy meeting up there of a Thursday evening. Lighting could have been brighter but maybe thats me. A decent Pub, nice atmosphere and a nice crowd of folk drinking and eating away.
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Used to be a favourite - venue still bright and welcoming - but finally tired of the draft beers often being 'off' - particularly on a Monday. Seems that its another re-modelled pub that finds it difficult to keep its beers in good condition.
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My fourth visit, I think. I like this place and I can't figure out how to describe it best. My last visit was on a Friday evening with after work crowd. A big part of my work is after-work type shuffling and I find the location and service here nice and smart. I was meeting 4 contacts who were catching the 9.20 back to Leeds from Kings X and this Pub again was a good spot to catch up, have a quick bite (Yorkshire Grey Classic Burger for all)...and praise each other for a great week of sales (Not houses obviously). We sometimes meet at the George in Liverpool street...and now sometimes here. Keep an eye on this baby!
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What does she mean?? "Nice Place to come if you actually want to have a conversation with your drink"
Sounds like she either had one too many or the bars empty!Answer up Rachel any other beer heads know which she means???
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Quiet again on a Saturday. Had the Club s/wich which was nice. They don't do deserts. Nice place to come if you actually want to have a conversation with your drink.
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I attended a party here last Saturday night in the Upstairs room while at the same time occasionally sneaking downstairs to get away from the party crew. I like this Pub because it is a no-nonsense one but in a good quality manner.The Term "Pub and Kitchen" sometimes scares me as I fear an over-done Gastro offer but this place is a Pub and Kitchen because it is that..a great Pub that does great food. I met an American group having Hamburgers and Salt beef Sandwiches in London...Oh the irony!..and they loved them. Nice feel to this place...I'd recommend it for a quietish night out.
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came in here one night and have been practically a regular now. Even though its a city pub it has a feel of a nice local. Service was friendly and quick even though it was busy at the time.
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No TV!! I went to watch the Arsenal v Spurs tragedy in the Yorkshire Grey. The new owners have seemingly decided to make it TV free. My girlfriend who is from Luxembourg and dislikes footie thought this was really cool. Having a hunch Arsenal were not going to do well, I agreed to have a few drinks there. We had something to eat also. The best Chicken burger (albeit on the expensive side at �7) I have had in a long time together with decent Pinot Grigio for her ladyship , and we were off. We followed up with a bottle of said wine and a handful of Guinesseseses, she tries the bruscetta...more wine. She texts a few friends who join us...more food...a platter of something, I am told...again nice. Females friends from Luxembourg also get comfy..more wine...some more Guinness for me. Maybe it was the company.....but possibly it was the Pub....we had a really good night in here...The Yorkshire Grey...ten out of ten. The game...Arseanl lost 5-1...I am told the next morning. Gooner S
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The Duke of York down the road is a decent Pub but I am glad to add the Yorkshire Grey finally to a decent Pub list in this area of Clerkenwell. Following a few years of various models, there is something right about this old Classic. I had a Club sandwich there last week and it was 100% a club sandwich, crispy and hot bacon, tender chicken and toasted bread...first class. We returned with 4 others in the evening and I had the Classic burger...again first class but maybe gerkins as an addition would be a recommendation. There were 4 real ales (three were on) and the Guinness was...Guinness. If the current operators can keep up this opening standard, maintain the consistency and not fall away...the guys across the road in the Chambers will be wearing away a path. Well done and pleeeeaaaassse keep it up this time.
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I'm sitting on the fence here, as the Yorkshire Grey seemed like an OK pub which could go either way (i.e. to brilliant or rubbish). We managed to get seats easily enough around 9pm on a Saturday night, and the vibe was good, although a large group of drunk "lads" did come in just after us to spoil it a little. The bar staff were funtional and the prices were a little high but I've come to expect that as standard now. Given the choice, I'd go to the Kings Arms round the corner.
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20 years ago, a must go in for a drink pub with loads of good real ale. Now stupid bar staff and crap beer.
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Went here for a friend's leaving party. Had enjoyable time (due to the company) but the furnishings seemed a bit identikit and the bar staff were rather slow (in every sense) and tended to be too cool to put on a friendly face. Tried the Deuchars, which was OK, but my main gripe was their supposedly good idea/policy of showing films on a big projector screen that happened to be above our table. Strange decision for a business where the raison d'etre (besides drink) should be fostering human interaction & conversation. Moreover, having subtitles must have been a conscious decision to allow for pounding dance bilge to fill the air instead. And worst of all, the actual film being shown was, wait for it, 'Love, Honour & Obey'- not a film ever worth anyone's attention to start with. I still can't quite believe that my drinking enjoyment was overshadowed by scenes such as Pertwee, Ifans et al shooting a bloke in a cartoon rabbit suit. We asked a barman if they'd mind turning off such unpleasantness, but he looked at us incredulously. Maybe it's to keep the staff entertained, hence their reticence in actually serving drinks... I choose to go to pubs to drink and socialize, and to the cinema to watch films, as most other people would, I'd imagine. Except those running the Yorkshire Grey, evidently.
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I like this pub, probably because it is about a minutes walk from my work and the food is really nice, always hot, although can wait quite a long time and a bit pricey, but worth it once you get it, if you are going for lunch would recommend to call beforehand and reserve a table as it can get very busy. I would say 7.5/10
anonymous - 10 Nov 2006 12:34 |
Went in last night (Wed) and it was busy around 6 with the usual after work crowd and locals. Okay bar, just lacked some warmth.
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Appallingly personality free zone. Thats all that can be said about the place. Avoid and keep walking to the Duke of York or one of the others in area towards Holborn.
anonymous - 9 May 2006 16:05 |
Dire place. Insides gutted and converted to look like a railway waiting room. Bar staff too dumb to start the Guiness before the rest of the order, then the London Pride ran out leaving no ale on at all. All this at over-the-top prices. Have a look through the window and then have a walk to The Lamb or The Citie of York and see what a real pub should be like.
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I used to be a bartender in Yorkshire Grey and that was at the times when Stuart Smith was the manager. this were the times .... some of regulars might remember stu and me - Jeff from Poland.
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Gone very up its own arse!
When they first reopened they had fit barmaids. Now there is nothing worth going in here for. The food aint up to much and it's waaaaaaay to expensive for my liking.
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A welcome pub to find 'off the beaten track' in the heart of the West End! A break from most of the other busy, overpriced pubs you will find in this area!
As with all Samuel Smith's pubs, the decor is in keeping with the traditional feel and mood of the building (no garishness here).
Yet whilst some Samuel Smith's establishments do not always stock the full-range of their products, this appeared to have the full bottled range-including the excellent bottled Taddy Porter and bottled stout!
If you are after an establishment in the West End to get far away from the maddening crowd-this is the place!
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nice place with good staff. speak to 'matt', he likes a chat!
anonymous - 4 Jan 2005 19:21 |
Another recent refurbishment, but completely for the better. It gets a bit busy early in evening (plenty of lawyers and office workers knocking about), but the efficient staff shouldn't keep you waiting too long. Mainly standard booze at the bar, but the draught San Miguel is worth it, and they do a range of (pretty pricey, to be fair) cocktails.
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The Yorkshire Grey has had several changes of management since the comments below. I think the managers at the time were quite eccentric to say the least.
It has recently reopened after refurbishment. The surroundings & layout are a lot better but some of the character of the pub has gone, I'm afraid. However the toilets are a lot nicer than they were!
anonymous - 3 Sep 2004 17:18 |
I've only started using the pub recently and the bar staff couldn't be more helpful. I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who lives or works in the area.
Pat - 2 Dec 2003 12:51 |
I have seen Tony's comments from Sept 2002. I work just along the road from the pub and for some time they have had a problem with completely eccentric and/or weird landlords. A large group of us who used to use the pub started going elsewhere due to the sort of erratic behaviour Tony describes.
HOWEVER! The pub has recently been taken over by completely new management and staff who are exceptionally good humoured and helpful and it is worth giving it another try. The pub itself has suffered from years of neglect and it will naturally take them some time to get the pub exactly how they would like it but it is definitely on the up and I think traditional pubs like this deserve support over much of the modern trend for theme pubs.
Woody - 14 Apr 2003 16:19 |
A friend and I were on a pub crawl around the grays inn/bloomsbury area. We'd only had 2 pints when we chanced upon the Yorkshire Grey,Theobalds Rd. Hearing of its past reputation as a half decent brew pub we decided to pay a visit.We ordered our drinks from a friendly member of the bar staff and took in the ambience of the place. However halfway through pouring our drinks the landlord told the barstaff not to serve us. We left the pub bewildered wondering why the hell we were were refused service. I'm not a drug dealer,thug or whatever the hell he thought we both were, i'm just a normal happily married man with a steady job and like a decent quiet pint and good conversation. It will forever remain a mystery why the landlord took this misguided attitude. So I think a rating of 1/10 completely fair and it only earned the 1 because the friendly barmaid was just as confused as us as to why we were refused service.
tony - 30 Sep 2002 21:38 |
