BITE user comments - AJM
Comments by AJM
What a great pub. I visit regularly (though I live some way away) and have just realised that I have never left a review. In my experience the beers have always been good. The food is fine though not fancy, extra marks in my book. Prices are sensible, very good value. The landlady is always friendly and helpful and the pub cosy if you are inside, quiet if you are in the garden. Well worth a bit of a detour and there is great walking (and bike riding) nearby.
1 Jul 2013 21:52
Really nice location, we sat outside on a sunny day but inside looked nice too. Staff all seemed very friedly and helpful, service was good. However... the beers - I tried a couple - were mediocre at best. The food was very expensive, fancy looking and well presented but not really very good. If you are looking for style over substance then this pub might hit the mark; if you are looking for well kept beer and good food, it just doesn't make it.
1 Jul 2013 21:44
Very smart pub, friendly staff and enjoyed the beer. Simple as that.
3 Feb 2013 21:47
Locals pub with football on the TV the day we went; was grim when we arrived and the match was in progress but as soon as the footie finished lots of people left and it turned into a friendly old fashioned pub. Only one real ale on at a time but very good: fff Moondance and Alton Pride I think.
3 Feb 2013 21:42
Seemed like a nice pub and we liked the beer but Sunday Lunch service was not great, some of our party had to wait a while and one dish was only warm. Staff were helpful, aplogetic about the delay so maybe we were just unlucky. Would go again.
3 Feb 2013 21:34
This is one of those pubs that you just feel is the way pubs ought to be. We live nearby so have visited quite a few times, though not enough to be considered a regular. The beer seems well kept to me, even if Otter is not my all-time favourite; and the food good and honest: not pretentious. There are plenty of locals that eat here out-of-season, which must be a good sign. It can of course be busy on hot summer days, but we've never had a problem with service. I would recommend a visit without hesitation.
BTW regarding the "zero" rating below I am sure this is unfair and so I have upped the 8 that I would probably give this pub to compensate a bit. The Talbot deserves better. I am always suspicious of any reviewer who has only commented on a single pub - there must have been some reason good that the normally very calm landlord chucked them out.
3 Oct 2012 19:12
Agree with the last reviewer definitely not the old traditional pub it was years ago. Looks like a smart restaurant with smart restaurant prices but unfortunately the food was only average . Will not eat here again. Pity as the surroundings are beautiful.
16 Feb 2012 08:41
Ate here and all our meals were very disappointing. Expensive but poor food, we didn't enjoy it at all. Having said that the beer was fine and the surroundings/decor in traditional pub style. Might visit again but only for a drink.
16 Feb 2012 08:34
Stopped to try a pie after a recommendation from a friend but "Pie Night" is only on Tuesday so we sampled some other food which was lovely. Very welcoming staff and attentive service. Husband enjoyed the beer so much he had two pints and I had to drive home! Will be going back to taste their pies on a Tuesday soon
25 Jan 2012 22:24
Lovely traditional pub, history goes back to 1347! Enjoyed the beer (Butcombe Best Bitter) and the food was great sat by a lovely log fire.
Midweek in January therefore very quiet. Recommend parking in the "Park & Walk" if you have a big vehicle like our van.
25 Jan 2012 22:19
I'm not saying anything good about this pub because that might encourage too many people and we love it just the way it is. PS: lovely bacon baguettes last time we were there...
3 Dec 2011 22:02
Great inglenook fireplace (in winter) and a warm atmosphere. The beer is good, the food is reasonably priced and OK though you might have to wait a while. I would be happy to drink here anytime but would not rush back to eat.
3 Dec 2011 21:51
This big "pub" seems more of a restaurant but pleasant nevertheless. I imagine it might be busy in the peak tourist season but we enjoyed a peacefull lunch (in October). Service was efficient and the food was fine, beer also good though I don't remember exactly what it was.
3 Dec 2011 21:45
Car park might be "pay and display" but the pub refunds your money. Not the cheapest but this is a (mega) tourist spot and no compliants from our group about beer or food. Lunchtime entertainment (autumn equinox) included various witches and wizards and some sort of druid wedding outside. We would definately visit again if in the area.
3 Dec 2011 21:40
The John O'Gaunt Inn, Hungerford
Don't be fooled by peeling paint outside because this is a great pub, Good beer (lots of choice) and well priced well cooked food. We (group of cyclists) were made very welcome. This pub was recommeded by a local and we were not disapointed.
3 Dec 2011 21:34
As well as Loddon Hoppit and the Ascot beer, there is also Exmoor Fox which I sampled yesterday. Pub seemed clean enough to me and the beer was good. Maybe on the scruffy side and perhaps a bit old-fashioned but that is quite an attraction for me. I don't go there so often but will certainly go again: if you like a friendly welcome and good beer this is one to try, how often does a landlord offer a taste of a beer even AFTER you just bought something else!
14 Sep 2009 13:47
Good food here though definately not in the cheap "pub grub" category. We found the landlord to be friendly and welcoming (despite the fact we arrived wet and muddy) which was just what we needed on a freezing cold Sunday. The beer was clearly well kept. I would recommend this one to anyone who likes a genuine old fashioned pub that also does good food.
2 Mar 2009 22:32
The Skirrid Mountain Inn, Llanvihangel Crucorney
There's a great welcome here. We arrived late for our booking but the staff couldn't be more helpful. The food was good, served with plentiful veg, chips, etc. The location is outstanding of course and the ambience in the pub amazing, open fire, old beams, stone flags, etc. The beer - Rev James - was great. It's still the case that pubs don't get better than this.
2 Mar 2009 19:45
It's a great looking pub with all the ambience, beams, open fire and all the rest. But we missed out on the "pleasant barstaff"; bordering on the rude was nearer the mark during our visit. Sunday lunch is a busy time, perhaps too busy in this pub that certainly did not seem to welcome our custom. The beer was good, but food barely average. I've been before on a weekday evening and enjoyed a pint or two but I doubt I'll go again.
2 Mar 2009 19:34
Fantastic location and nice decor inside. Still felt like a pub though it looked like most people were there for lunch. The food was quite good, but very expensive and not very generous portions. I can't remember the beer so it must have been OK. We arrived a bit late for our booking and this seemed to go down badly with the staff. Aside from the impressive location, this is probably not one I would go back to again.
1 Feb 2009 17:41
Visited on New Year's Eve. Traditional pub, very cosy with big log fires and a friendly atmosphere. There were some strangely dressed "romans" in their toga's; oh yeah, that was our group. The beer was good and we returned the next day to try some more.
1 Feb 2009 17:27
Best pub we've been in for Sunday lunch for a while. We were a group of (very wet and muddy) mountain bikers and were nevertheless made to feel very welcome. The Sunday lunch menu was a choice of either two or three courses; roasts and various others; and was good value as well as very good food. There was a good choice of beers and we stayed long into the afternoon. Definately one to visit again.
1 Feb 2009 17:19
Visited in October 2008. Nice enough beer but apart from all the stuffed wildlife etc. this pub lacks atmosphere. One bar looked nice and cosy but is tiny (and full when we arrived) and the other is like a classroom with tables in rows and packed close together. I suppose this is a popular spot on a sunny day... We didn't feel welcome and didn't stay long. This pub is in a fantastic location and maybe doesn't need to try very hard.
1 Feb 2009 17:10
Idyllic location, on a quiet road with cricket being played opposite - in between showers. The beer was good; we didn't get to try the food as annoyingly we were told on the phone that lunch was served until 3pm but when we got there after a long bike ride the kitchen had apparently closed at 2:30! Perhaps we should have been more smartly dressed...
10 Aug 2008 20:12
Very much out of the way though was easy to find with a "brown sign" pointing off the main road. Beer was good and the food fine; open all day Sunday and cooking lunch until 16:00 which is great if you are running late like we were. Felt like a real English pub with inglenook fireplace, traditional furniture and nice beer garden out the back
10 Aug 2008 20:06
The Ferryboat Inn, Whitchurch on Thames
Bland isn't bland enough for what this pub seems to have become compared to a couple of years ago. I returned with fond memories but won't bother with another visit; there are a million other pubs like this. The beer was fine though, it that is all you are looking for.
27 Aug 2007 19:26
Went here last night; nice pub but the barmaid was probably the most miserable I have seen. I would have thought they might have been happy to have been so busy on a Wednesday night. A large cycling group arrived and were very thirsty and happy to have got to the pub.
21 Jun 2007 14:25
Certainly wasn't full of idiots - we visited at lunchtime and it was quiet. Food was good value and the beer OK. Friendly landlord.
20 Jan 2007 20:39
Seems to be a wide choice of beer but generally this pub seemed uninspiring. Lots of staff behind the bar, five at one moment but none serving me! Don't serve snacks (crisps, etc.) presumably this is to encourage you to have a meal but we didn't.
26 Dec 2006 15:52
Tribal or not, this seems like a friendly pub and the beer was good. It was quiet when we visited - Monday lunchtime - and we now know they do food six days a week, not on Mondays.
18 Dec 2006 16:17
The Fox And Horn, Stratfield Mortimer
Nice pub with friendly staff. Beautifully kept inside and out, bar food was good and reasonably priced. Other people seemed to be enjoying the full restaurant service also on offer.
10 Sep 2006 20:20
This pub is the opposite of everything that a good old fashioned village pub should be. Fake decor, and an atmosphere more Starbucks than Pub. I also found the landlord rude, got kicked out of the eating area because we were not eating lunch, even though only one other table was occupied, we only wanted to be there because the other side of the pub was smokey. Tried outside, but not impressed. Did not stay long after that...
10 Sep 2006 20:12
The Coach and Horses, Rotherwick
Nice country pub with a warm welcome. Both lagers Stella & HB were in great condition and the food we had - steak sandwich on baguette with chips - was good and good value too. Not too busy on the Sunday lunchtime we visited, though the bar was a bit smoky.
5 Sep 2006 19:23
The Bell Inn, Aldworth
What a great pub. Loved the earlier comment that it is not a restaurant or a children's play area - brilliant! So this is a fantastic pub, some might say old-fashioned but I would say traditional with cosy surroundings and a welcoming landlord. The Tyler's Ale (aka Good Old Boy I believe) was perfect last time I visited, it was a sunny evening and the Morris Men were performing outside (a bit, they seemed to spend more time drinking.) If you have the energy to cycle (as I did) or walk up from the Thames you won't be disapointed. If you don't have the energy to make your own way, have someone drive you, it will be worth it.
1 Jul 2013 22:15