Station Hotel, Bitterne Parkback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Currently closed for refurbishment by new owners Greene King. Due to reopen sometime in February 2017
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This has never been a brilliant pub. It has, from time to time, been an ok pub. If you are a devotee of real ale, don't expect too much, it can be rather "hit or miss". If you go there before a Saints game, when you eventually get served, get yourself a couple - it might be half time, by the time you get served again! On balance though, at other times it pretty much does the job. Nothing is too pricey, the food isn't bad, and a couple of the staff are friendly, and eager to help. It is what it is.
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Large Victorian corner location pub which is claimed to have been built around 1880 to serve the nearby station which opened in 1866. The Cobden Bridge Brewery which appears to have first owned it, opened in 1890, and the first buildings in the area, other than the station, were built in 1890, so perhaps there was a mistake in the date?
The Cobden Bridge Brewery was bought by Fullers in 1898, who sold the pub to Courage in 1920. The Spirit Group acquired the pub in 2003, and currently run it under the John Barras brand.
It is a solid building, but the original brickwork has been covered in render, and rather ugly and distracting blue signs have been put up, so the sense of the pub's past has been lost. Inside all the downstairs rooms have been knocked into one, and extended into what appears to have been originally a separate building at a slightly lower level - this is now used as the family dining area, though children (and eating) are allowed in all areas. There is some sense of the original Victorian hotel left in little places - the large windows, the door entrances, etc, but mainly what is left is a large space. When there are not many customers this can feel a little hollow and lacking in atmosphere, but when people turn up, there's a warm buzz of conversation.
Board games are provided for children, but they are missing many parts, and most are due for replacement. Two cask ales: the regular Hobgoblin, and a guest, which on our visit would have been Speckled Hen, but it was off. Background music is not too loud, and on our visit was varied and pleasant, including music by Curtis Mayfield. Food is fairly standard pub grub, but we waited a disproportionate amount of time for our order on a quiet afternoon, and it had to be chased up. One plate was cold, and the food on it was rapidly cooling.
Overall an OK pub. There's nothing much to commend it, but nothing here to put people off. If waiting here for a train, be cautious about ordering food.
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Great pub, great staff. recent change in manager seems to have the staff working well and they seem happier. food is great, beer is a huge improvement on recent years and its a nice atmosphere even on match day. this place had a huge re-fit a couple of years ago which has done wonders for the place. the quiz on thursday night was very good aswell!
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the station has had a lot of changes over the past few years. lots of different managers and staff! I can honestly say that its currently the best its ever been! the new manager seems to care and the atmosphere is extremely relaxed. new menu offers good value and its somewhere i feel comfortable taking the wife and baby for something to eat, plus the babe eats for free. also i can go there for a night out to watch the footy!!!
well worth another look!
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The pub is the worst value for food that I have ever experienced in any pub. I had 35 minutes to wait for a train, so I ordered a sandwich, which was rather expensive at �3-65, but I expected more of a ploughmans. After chasing my order, with less than 10 minutes to go before my train, I was presented with a small cheese sandwich, exactly the sort you would make for your lunchbox, from pre-sliced bread. Nothing else. There didn't appear to be any managers around to complain to.
The beer was ok, the interior and ambience ok, but I have to mark this down because of the food.
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not a bad pub, good before a match. Cheap food, but there is a little man who can be very annoying (works behind the bar)
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