Leather's Smithy, Langleyback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
We stopped at the pub for lunch, whilst driving around on holiday and like many who ventured in, thought the immediate welcome was a little frosty.
It was early September, the pub was practically empty, yet when we asked for a table for 4 (including our two young children), we were told we must sit in the family area. Which although pleasant enough, couldn't quite understand the logic of having a separate area for us to be banished.
However, the food was very good, reasonably priced and the staff suddenly became most helpful. We asked for a steak and ale pie to be split between two children, and this was more than catered for including polite conversations between the staff and the children.
We had a little chat with the landlady about our holiday and was given a very warm farewell.
So perhaps the landlady hasn't got the greatest of people skills, but once in motion can put on a smile and host her patrons well.
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Nothing bad to say about this place - good beers well kept and they'll let you try before you buy. The food is excellent and the staff friendly. It's my local and I live 2 miles away - can't be bad!!!
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Having read the previous reviews about the Leathers Smithy, I was feeling a little reluctant to actually go for the meal we had booked. How glad I am that we did go.
The pub was busy with many people enjoying evening meals. It was warm, friendly and cosy with a great relaxed atmosphere. The staff were pleasant and more than helpful, answering any questions we had with no fuss.
The service and the food were both excellent and enjoyed by all six of us, including my mother-in-law who is not easily pleased.
With reference to the earlier comments about the landlady, we found her to be a quiet helpful lady who was in no way unpleasant.
If you are considering The Leathers Smithy for a meal or just for a quiet drink, I would recommend you ignore the bad reviews and enjoy yourself. I for one will certainly be a return visitor.
Ray15 - 30 Mar 2009 10:24 |
Great Pub,nice an pleasant landlady.Bit confused to last 3 comments,but have noticed that more an more people seem to think if they buy a drink in a pub,they own it.If the previous 3 comments were accurate,why was the pub happily crowded out last sat night,an most times when I go in,especially with such good other pubs around?I've been going in last 30 years on and off,once or twice a week in last 3-4 years,and have seen landlords an landladies come an go,an theres nought wrong with this one.The bar staff an waitresses are nice young girls trying to do a hard job best they can,menu and specials board imaginative and delicious,chips to die for(handcut fat an chunky,my parents had 2 chippy's so I know good chips!).
Real ale is well kept and ever changing,but bombadier is regular an always good.I luv real ale (too much girly says) regulary attend beerfests,try out many pubs,an this ones a good one!I could happily snuff it outside here with a good pint in hand overlooking reservoir,watching sun go down,chillsville langley,cheers.
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Sadly I agree with the last two comments.
The landlady appears to be trying for the Miserable Old Bat of 2009 award (and it's still 2008), even at midday. The food is exhorbitant: �6.95 for a thin, chewy steak on a slice of white bread, with a few onions, some Brakes Brothers dip-in-a-paper-pot, and probably ten chips (pretentiously entitled "a pick of chips" - it would be more honest to say "a ripoff of epic proportions"). Our polite enquiry as to whether they had any traditional cider - not unreasonable in an alleged real ale pub - was met with a surly "We have Strongbow on draught".
I wouldn't say it's actively unpleasant... but at �33 for a lunchtime snack for four people and a half each, we won't be returning in a hurry. Great location, great building, lousy attitude.
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The Leather Smithy could be the best pub in the East Cheshire area if it weren't plagued by an obnoxious landlady selling average beer and overpriced and uninspiring pub grub.
It has a captive market of walkers and day tripper out to see one of the region's best loved walks and it is a 'passage oblig�' for anyone who visits the Macclesfield forest. If you wish to sit out on a summer's evening next to the reservoir, or cosy up next to a fire in winter to watch the snow gather on the hills then you might think you had found the perfect spot.
You would be sadly mistaken, whichever way you look at it you are not made welcome in that place.
I have been going there for years and every time it gets worse, I have now decided not to return. The location is all the pub has left. The beer is not good, and you should not expect a full pint or a honest top up. The food is a pretentious array of frozen stuffs clearly all straight out of the microwave or the frier, and the service is abysmal. The owner cannot get the money out of your pocket and you out of the door fast enough.
If it's a real pub you are looking for in that area I recommend you try the Hanging Gate, the Dunstan Inn, or the Crag, they are all within a couple of miles, and they are clearly in a different league.
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We went to this pub after a lovely walk (despite the wind and snow). The Leather's Smithy Inn is not only on route as part of a walk but it claims to be "A popular haunt with walkers, fishermen and country lovers". In addition they state that "A warm inviting interior with real fires welcomes the visitor". With this information at hand, and with it being local to the family we were visiting (recently moved to the area), we thought it the perfect place to end our walk. How very wrong we were.
Two members of our party had met us there and had already got a drink, otherwise we would have left instantly, for only spotlessly clean and dry walkers are welcome. We may have been slightly windswept, but we were not muddy and as all polite patrons do had wiped our feet as we entered. However, the first of our party to enter were told very rudely that they could not enter part of the pub as they would 'ruin the furniture' and 'anyway, you're all only 14'. We had one under-16 with us (who I can only assume are another group not in the welcome list) but regardless, this comment was aimed at my sister who is 30, the rest of us are similar ages and upwards. Despite this rude welcome we were determined to have a nice drink so found a table and sat down - we then bought a large round of drinks, we were not merely there for a coffee or a glass of water, and potentially would have had Sunday lunch. Throughout our drinks we were subjected to constant 'evil' looks from the two women at the bar and in addition, when the waitress was passing there were no 'pleases' or 'excuse me' but 'I need to get passed' etc. Some of our party tried to make use of the warming fire but were instructed coldly to 'sit down so other people can benefit'. This was the last straw for us - we finished our drinks and left, not even waiting for our lift to get to the door, instead preferring to wait outside in the blizzard, frankly it was warmer!
It was not just us who were feeling unwelcomed, I must add. Others at the bar were told that they shouldn't be in certain areas, customers were harassed by the waitress when she was insistent that the two childs' portions of Sunday lunch were for them, despite them being far from children, and many commented on the unwelcoming attitude of the staff.
In sum then? We thought this pub would be a lovely local where we could frequent after family walks, go for lunch/dinner, pop into for an evening drink. However, we will never go there again as we were so offended.
My advice to others? If you are clean, dry, at no risk of being accused of being 14 (so at least 30+ ?) and do not mind being condescended by the staff, then it may be a great pub. For the rest of us, enter at your peril and for goodness sake, don't whatever you do try and benefit from the fire, it is far from welcoming!
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Absolutely superb pub. The food is great, the view is fantastic and the beer well kept. This is what English country pubs should be.
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Excellent food and not over priced. Very busy at weekends but you can book a table. Superb views.
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There is 1 previous comment, and 1 rating. The rating was 4.0. YET The comment was highly appreciative?
I totally agree with the comment, and would add that the location adds additional charm, especially the view over the lake/reservoir if you have a window seat! I award 8.
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Fabulous old world pub, recently updated but has not lost any of it's former charm. Stunning location and views, great food and good guest beers. Recomended
John Dempsey - 15 Oct 2004 12:06 |
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