BITE user comments - AshingdonMan
Comments by AshingdonMan
This place really is awful. I can only imagine the reason why nobody has reviewed this pub in 5 years is that so few people have been in.
It's ideally situated for walkers on Dartford Heath - in fact it's directly on one of the prescribed walking routes. Sadly, the place is uninviting, and exists for the benefit of a small extended family of regulars and their hyperactive (and grossly overweight) children, who run amok around the pub, unsupervised.
The selection of beers in unexciting, and the menu is quite limited. I ordered a vegetable lasagne which took about 45 minutes to appear, and turned up cold. After sending it back and waiting another 20-odd minutes, it tasted OK, although not worth �8 I paid. My wife had a lamb shank, which looked like a TV dinner, and by all accounts was the toughest, most indigestible piece of meat she'd ever had.
The staff didn't seem too bothered that we were unsatisfied. I suppose it's just a couple less outsiders they have to worry about in future.
17 Jun 2012 17:00
It's difficult to judge a pub on the strength of one Friday night, especially when the sun's out. No matter how hard the staff work, the place will be packed, and if it's in the middle of a big city, it will be full of total knobheads.
I had three good pints of beer in here on Friday night, and they were served promptly. At the weekend, when it's very busy, that's all you can hope for.
I'd happily go back again.
14 May 2012 17:32
Popped in for a sandwich on Sunday afternoon. It's the usual Beefeater thing - staffed entirely (and slowly) by awkward teenagers.
My prawn sandwich was soggy, and half-way through, the prawns started tasting funny. Rank.
I left after that.
14 May 2012 17:27
Excellent refurb job.
The pub now looks and feels like a friendly place, as opposed to Racist Pete's personal fiefdom. The beer is well-kept, and for the time being at least, the bogs appear to be working. I'll continue to wear leather shoes in there just in case, though.
Well done. A huge improvement.
17 Dec 2011 12:59
The Hamilton Hall, Liverpool Street
I go in here once a year at the start of a Christmas pub crawl.
I've never, ever had a problem in this pub. I'm not mad about Wetherspoons, but the location does make sense, and it helps to get a few decent pints of real ale at a fair price before moving on.
The only grumble really is that the outside smoking area is beset with beggars, druggies, and other undesirables, but that's a feature of railway stations.
6/10 for me, which ain't bad as Wetherspoons go.
28 Nov 2011 15:24
I had a large family lunch here last month, and both the food and the service was outstanding. There's no need for me to grumble about their only being Shepherd Neame beer on offer, as it's my choice of beer anyway. I suggest anyone wishing to avoid Shepherd Neame should probably not drink in Faversham town centre...
The food was of an extremely high standard, and the manager was unfailing in his attention and standard of service.
Well done.
28 Nov 2011 15:18
I had a large family dinner at this pub on a Friday evening last month.
The food was superb, the ale was fresh, and the service was good. Highly receommended.
28 Nov 2011 15:15
Went in here for the first time on Friday evening after work.
I liked it. It was busy, but the bar service coped well, and the beer was crisp and refreshing.
28 Nov 2011 15:08
Concurrent with other reviews.
A friend and I went in after work on Friday at about 6pm. We waited 10 minutes at the bar, whilst younger and prettier people were served ahead of us, and then we walked out.
Shame.
28 Nov 2011 15:03
This place is an utter shambles.
Lousy service and terrible food. The selection of beers is a plus, but that's Wetherspoons policy anyway.
Avoid. There are some good pubs in the area.
25 Apr 2011 20:57
This is a great pub in every sense. It's far away enough from the high street to distance itself from the lager warehouses in the centre of town, which is important. It stands on a quiet street corner opposite a nice quiet burial ground.
The landlord and landlady are exceptionally polite, and the general atmosphere in the pub is friendly and warm. I've been here about 4 times in the last 6 months, and on each occasion, I've been meaning to go on from here off to another pub. But ... I've never made it out before closing time.
I must make a special mention of the Spitfire. It's as good as I've had it anywhere on draft, and that includes the Shepherd Neame brewery.
It's a lovely old pub, and I hope it remains so. The business on a Friday and Saturday night seems slow, which is worrying. I sincerely hope it serves the community for many years to come.
25 Apr 2011 20:27
Really nice pub in a good location. I didn't find any problems with the beer, and I had about six. They all tasted fresh and tasty.
I had a bit of food as well - the Welsh Rarebit. Not the most the difficult dish to make, to it's important to do the simple things properly.
The service was prompt and polite.
The location of the pub is great if you have to get to Victoria Station. When I went in, most of the other patrons were locals, who seemed pleasant.
I couldn't find fault with it. The beer is a tad expensive, but that's 2011 London for you.
25 Apr 2011 20:22
This pub is fantastic. Proper beer (well kept), nice staff, polite landlord. In central London, that goes a long, long way.
Keep it up.
19 Jan 2011 22:22
Despite spending many years in the Whiethall / Strand area, I'd never visited this place before until last Friday night.
I was absolutely delighted with it. Superb service at the bar (which is a rarity in central London these days), and the beer is well-kept. The TV was a bit loud, but it was a Friday night and the Six Nations was on, so I can forgive them for that. The publican's wife kindly laid on some free buffet for the punters - something I hadn't seen for many years.
I now have a great pub to take friends and visitors to London, and I know they'll love it. It looks the part, and staff, food and drink are of a standard long neglected by the pub chains.
Sadly, the prices are high, but that's not the fault of the publican. I'd still sooner pay the price here than get a pint 50p cheaper at Wetherspoons.
28 Feb 2010 18:56
Good venue for the area. Perhaps it's the credit crunch kicking in, but on the 4 or 5 Friday nights I've been there, it hasn't been overcrowded or uncivilised.
Good food as well as decent ale. The platters to share are excellently done.
28 Oct 2008 20:23
The Apostle closed in August 2008. I can't say I'll miss the place too much - the service left a bit to be desired.
28 Oct 2008 20:20
The Last Post, Southend on Sea
An awful pub full of unpleasant people, with poor service from the staff.
Sadly, it's the last place in Southend to get a real ale.
23 Aug 2008 17:14
The standard of beerkeeping has vastly improved recently, and they've have earned a well-deserved Cask Marque award.
23 Aug 2008 10:59
The music is loud, and sounds somewhat muddy, so you're guaranteed a shouting match with your colleagues.
Otherwise OK, but the noise puts me off going there.
23 Aug 2008 10:57
The Liberty Bounds, Tower Hill
Sadly a turnover in staff has seen this place go downhill in recent months. Slow service and and stroppy staff are to be expected, and this is outside peak times.
16 Nov 2007 16:24
The closest pub to Belfairs Golf Course, which is quite popular as it's open to all.
It's an average faux-country pub. The beer is OK, the staff are OK, the locals are gruff, but no more than anywhere else.
Not bad, but not stuff of legend.
10 Nov 2007 14:26
A belated thank-you to the staff who were so superb on Rugby World Cup Final night.
A brilliant venue. Well done again.
10 Nov 2007 14:24
The Nell Gwynne, Covent Garden
I visited this place for the first time yesterday and kicked myself that I'd missed it all these years.
Good atmos, good music, and the right sort of punter. Wells Bombardier well kept, and bar staff efficient.
10/10
10 Nov 2007 14:15
The Punch And Judy, Covent Garden
I agree with the above comments. Full of pushy suits and loud Aussies.
19 Sep 2007 11:51
The Buckingham Arms, Westminster
A superb pub. Very good service, and attracts the right sort of punter.
Would very much like to try the food one day.
20 Jul 2007 17:32
Smashing beer, good staff, and an individual decor theme. If you're looking for a Weatherspoons-type bore, this ain't it.
The music is soulful and jazzy, and adds to the unique atmos.
13 May 2006 13:10
The Square and Compasses, Great Shelford
Agreed. A nice cosy pub, with a friendly cat!
Sunday dinners are fantastic, and the staff are great.
13 May 2006 13:07
This is my personl idea of hell.
On a Saturday night, it's acres of gormless identi-chavs drinking discounted Stella.
On a Sunday afternoon, the staff ignore any customer not blessed with blond hair and a large pair of baps.
Cmbridge has many dozens of pubs, of which this is easily the worst.
13 May 2006 13:06
Extremely slow service. Teenage staff members are sluggish and thick, and the landlord is no improvment.
A welcome pint of Abbot, but I don't expect to wait 10-15 minutes on a slow day to get it!
13 May 2006 13:03
As good a pub as you'll find in Earl's Court on a Sauturday afternoon. A nice selection of beers (Honeydew was most welcome), and good service.
13 May 2006 13:01
An OK pub, frequented by down-to-earth locals. Not much in the way of beer to choose from, and the landlord turns up the jukebox to 'Wayne's World' levels when a rock classic comes on.
Not bad. But not a place you'd take your missus on the anniversary.
13 May 2006 12:52
Exellent beer, excellent food, excellent malt whiskies, and excellent service.
But they really should ban the 'charity' collectors from fleecing people while they're eating. They're bogus and funding crime, and there's a bloody great Macmillan Nurse collection box on the bar anyway....
6 May 2006 10:54
A good, down-to-earth, reliable boozer.
No fancy decor, no gimmicks, just a warm comfy pub livened up by the mix of sociable of Irish and Afro-Carribeans as well as the locals.
It's also in a good area for dinner, being opposite 2 good Indian restarants, a spanking new Chinese place and a classy-looking Portuguese bistro which I haven't tried yet....
A good night out if you don't like Southend High Street!
18 Mar 2006 10:36
The Lord Moon Of The Mall, Whitehall
That's a tad unfair, The_Inspector!
Wetherspoon's food is by no means a culinary achivement, but they're doing 2 meals for �7.95, and it turns up fairly quickly on a busy evening. And it's accompanied by a decent beer....
There are nights when you want something excellent, and some when you just want something quick and dirty. I'm a supporter of the smaller pubs, but you can't contest Wetherspoons VFM, even if the staff are drippy and the food comes from the 'boil dans la bag' cuisine...
13 Mar 2006 21:45
The Prince of Wales, Kensington
Good selection of beer, and a nice cosy pub.
The grub took a little while to arrive, but it was Saturday lunchtime, so a bit of a wait is to be expected.
The service at the bar isn't as bad as has been written. If there's a problem here, it's the middle-class types who grumble at the bar because they don't like waiting their turn to be served.
12 Mar 2006 14:31
The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell
On an uncrowded night, this is as close to heaven as you'll get in Farringdon.
Nice pub, good service, and St Peter's ales. All of them top-drawer stuff.
Just down the road is a very good Tandoori restaurant. Another reason to visit the area!
3 Mar 2006 21:47
Horses for courses!
I personally loved the place, but it's not for the Stella Artois type.
The bar staff were great when I visited. They even remembered what I was drinking when I returned in the morning for hair of dog! :-)
13 Feb 2006 22:42
It's an after-work pub, full of sectretaries and suits.
It does the job OK.
13 Feb 2006 22:17
Unadventurous selection of beer, and most of it was off when I visited.
Nothing to write home about.
13 Feb 2006 22:16
St Stephens Tavern, Westminster
Smashing pub. Just right for a lunchtime pint, and a good place to start a Whitehall pub crawl.
13 Feb 2006 22:14
This place does have a certain 'outsider' charm to it.
Students in abundence, loud jukebox full of indie tunes, and beer served in dirty glasses. All harmless enough!
When this place was the Fish & Firkin, I loved it. I drink as much Snakebite & Black as I liked, and the upstairs bar was for dancing.
I feel a bit old for it now, but it still gets 8/10 for the memories!
13 Feb 2006 22:10
A cheerful place in a depressing town. You can watch football on a big screen here without witnessing the loutish behaviour of burberry-clad chavs - most of them are in The Townhouse.
Saks also know their music. The club nights (particularly on Saturday) are bloody excellent.
13 Feb 2006 22:07
The Last Post, Southend on Sea
Southend is a poor drinking town. The standard of pub (Cork and Cheese excepted) slipped into mediocrity in the early 90's, and not since been raised.
This place is typical of a modern pub in a modern high street. Poor service, surly doormen, and the guest beers provided by the well-intentioned head office are usually not properly kept or served.
On top of that, the place is divided between noisy chavs and lonely old men.
Avoid.
13 Feb 2006 22:03
There is a certain 'je ne sais quoi' missing from the Two Chairman....
Maybe it's the layout of the pub - there just isn't quite enough standing space, which means many of the punters (if it's full) have to sit down and be reserved...
Good beer though. A Deuchars IPA in Westminster is no bad thing.
13 Feb 2006 21:56
The food is the strong point in this pub. When I worked in the area, this place provided some great meals, and the no-smoking policy made them more enjoyable.
The Tim Taylor beers are also great.
This pub should be done on a Fleet Street crawl, along with The Old Bell, Cheshire Cheese, Tipperary etc.
13 Feb 2006 14:16
The King and Keys, Fleet Street
Maybe a 'wig and syrup' is a stirrup? Perhaps he's an equestrian man????
Pubcider - your comments are by some margin, the most idiotic I've seen so far on this site. I'll judge a pub by it's beer, food and atmos, not the preferences of the staff.
Maybe you'd be more at home on a more fascist website?
13 Feb 2006 10:29
The Champion of the Thames, Cambridge
"a fine traditional pub in a city where, so I'm told, there aren't too many"
Crikey. If you can't find a bundle of good pubs in Cambridge, you need a website like this! So not all of them have original wood panelling and horse brasses, but there's something for everyone here.
The Champion is a smashing pub. A wider selection of beer would make it smashing-er, but the Greene King Abbot is OK by me.
27 Jan 2006 18:57
The Hope Hotel, Southend on Sea
I threw up for the first time here in 1993, when I was 16.
That's the only notable comment I have for this pub, other than to agree with tortoise68's assessment of Les the DJ.
26 Jan 2006 15:58
The Monk and Fisherman, Southend on Sea
It's not a real pub - it's just a station bar. The Cork & Cheese is over the road if you want a proper drink.
26 Jan 2006 15:56
The beer is OK here, but that's it.
On one occasion (admittedly, this was 2001), I waited over an hour for a boil-in-the-bag curry. And then, they delivered a chicken salad!! And unless things have improved, you actually have to tell the staff to clear tables, otherwise dirty plates and glasses stay there all day. I kid not.
Give this place a miss. Leigh has decent boozers in abundence.
26 Jan 2006 15:55
The Lord Moon Of The Mall, Whitehall
For a decent pint and a passable meal, it's hard to argue with the Lord Moon if you're in Whitehall....
... but they don't serve chips!!!
6/10 (they lose a point for the no-chip policy)
2 Jan 2006 12:37
I only went in once on a Christmas pub crawl, and got out as quickly as I could.
Not for the gentrified.
2 Jan 2006 12:34
The Marlborough Head, Rochford
Nice pub, with plenty of charm. Managed to maintain its dignity while the rest of Rochford's pub community fell on hard times and poor management, which is credit to the landlady.
2 Jan 2006 12:32
I haven't been in there since the final game of the 2001/2002 season, when my father and I were waiting 25 minutes to be served, and were still 2 back from the bar. .. and it wasn't a particularly busy day!!!
On the plus side, it's handy for the football, and welcomes fans of visiting clubs.
2 Jan 2006 12:30
The Bank of Friendship, Highbury
In terms of service, this is the best pub in Highbury on matchdays. Queues 3-deep at the bar are handled quickly and correctly, and you (notrmally) get change from a fiver for 2 pints! :-)
The pub's a bit small, which makes it awkward for watching the lunchtime games before going off to the Arsenal, but that's just nit-picking.
I've never eaten in here, but would like to one day.
8/10.
2 Jan 2006 12:28
I'm on the side of the landlord when it comes to the smoke and mobile phone policy, so I like this place a lot.
It's let down by its selection of beer a little - the Greene King family of ales gets a bit tiresome in the city of Cambridge, but otherwise a great place.
2 Jan 2006 12:24
This may well be the best pub I visited in 2005.
A selection of great beers (Woodeford's Wherry being the pick) served by charming staff in great surroundings.
The food is also excellent, and they cater well for vegetarians.
11/10!
2 Jan 2006 12:20
Not as good as it was during its 1999 - 2002 heyday. Back then, the staff were plentiful and efficient, as opposed to the dimwits behind the bar today, who seem unable to tell who's in line at the bar, and just serve the idiots shouting loudest.
The poor layout of the pub guarantees that if you're standing (as most people at the weekend do), you're guaranteed to be jostled and barged on a constant basis.
'Reflex' is a dull place, and not as good as the live music venue it used to be.
2 Jan 2006 12:17
The Cork and Cheese Ale House, Southend on Sea
Southend's finest pub, and not only by default. Great beer, good service, and friendly atmos. I've never seen the 'pervy old men' that tash_xx refers to, just a bunch of fairly normal-looking people not looking for something other than lager and a shouting match.
If they could sort the speakers for the jukebox out, it'd be even better! 10/10, though.
1 Jan 2006 18:57
Best pub in Rochford. 6 good beers, two good ciders, and nice staff.
They could do with a selection of good single malts and brandies, but I'm just being picky now. A great place!
1 Jan 2006 18:13
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Bar Mondo, Dartford
Woeful. Excessively loud music, and unwelcoming yobs drinking outside.
24 Aug 2012 20:14