BITE user comments - BlackCrowe
Comments by BlackCrowe
What a disappointment. Drinking area of the pub looked ok, ordered a pint without a please or thank you from the barman. No big deal as we were there to eat.
Promising looking menu on a Thursday night but everything we had was over cooked. Sole was a dry as a bone. Veal was chewy and very salty. Worst still was the service. Told we couldn't choose a larger table as we were only three....hilarious when we were virtually the only diners there the whole evening (I wonder why). Surly woman taking our orders, never smiled, was sarcastic to my 86 year old father when he took his card out of machine too soon.
Shame really as we are local to Esher and I particularly would've returned again and again had it been it good, but with food and ambience this poor and service even worse, it'll never happen unless wholesale changes occur.
23 Jan 2011 08:47
Ye Olde Tippling Philosopher, Caldicot
Stayed here during the Ryder Cup. Big big mistake. �150 (loaded prices because of the RC) for a twin bedded room, with bubbling wall paper, manky carpets, mould in the bathroom and damp throughout.
Didn't meet the landlord but the landlady didn't go out of her way to extend a welcome of any sorts.
Everything with chips bar menu, and the pub thoughtfully put on a bar brawl between some locals as evening entertainment. Screaming drunks girls and shouty drunk lads filled the night air until about 3am in the morning outside our bedroom window.
As it turned out we needed to find an extra nights accomodation as the RC was carried over an extra day and we chose accomodation an extra half an hour away in Bristol over the prospect of spending another night here. We stayed in the Marriot. It was much cheaper. Says it all.
29 Oct 2010 14:30
Came here after a lovely walk on Leith Hill for lunch with my family. Used to come here loads over the years - my god, how depressing is its decline. The two young girls working the bar were the perfect combination of brusque and dim in equal measure. The food was way below average and expensive. Some other diner rightly complained about the fire blowing back smoke and a member of staff got a strop and flung all the sash window wide open (it was minus 2 outside).
I loved coming back to Leith Hill but will do our lunching elsewhere next time. A criminal waste of what should be a perfect establishment.
27 Feb 2010 21:05
Retraction time. Went here with friends and kids for lunch on New Years Day. Place almost full, beer (Tanglefoot) excellent and lunch was homemade and delicious - most of our party had the best homemade beefburgers to be found other than in my house. Don't know if the sweary yobby clientele are still to be found here in the evenings or not, but this lunchtime experience was very very good indeed and we will return to find out.
9 Jan 2010 09:47
Wow Livewire, I have never before read a genuine review that reads like a promotional brochure. And I still haven't.
2 Dec 2009 13:58
My fault...I came again to see if things had improved over the past couple of years.
Sour-faced management, average to ok food, (and therefore very overpriced) and the general feeling that they are doing you a favour by allowing you to dine there still pervades. A very strange attitude to have in these tough times when there are many very good establishments within a mile's radius that offer real customer service and value (and I don't mean cheap, I mean getting what you pay for).
Never. Ever. Again.
23 Nov 2009 14:42
One thing that does amuse me about The Anglers is that there is 'No Fishing' sign outside the riverside entrance.
26 Oct 2009 14:12
The Crown and Sceptre, Shepherds Bush
Humble pie time.
My previous review was very wary of the thai kitchen, staff and refurb. Well I am pleased to report that 2 out of the 3 have been very much fixed. The refurb looks very good (and Skysports is an added bonus) and best of all the staff are now excellent, treating customers as customers and are efficient and welcoming. Still don't like the Thai kitchen and the 'English' dishes are not great (had a burger and chips and it was mediocre at best - for gods sake get proper Heinz ketchup in instead of revloting service station sachets).
So I will certainly to go here pre-and post-match- it is a good place for sure but will eat elsewhere.
12 Oct 2009 11:00
First things first - it is a re-fitted gastropub. Done up quite nicely but a lacking a bit of soul/quirky touches etec.
Once you get over that and get out of the traditional pub mindset, then actually it is very very good. The place is split into 2 openly connected rooms. One is the bar with tables and chairs which lacks atmosphere, the other is dining room with low level lighting and whilst is quite a good size it feels cosy enough.
I like my beer and the Doom Bar that they had on tap in the bar was excellent. We ate in the dining room - it was just as well we had booked as it was packed and had a very good atmosphere. Food was great (try the pork belly), price was reasonable for the quality and that includes the wine.
I wouldn't hurry back here just to have a drink or two, but will certainly be returning to eat in the dining room again.
10 Sep 2009 11:58
The Havelock Tavern, Kensington
I too was a regular (living v.close by) from 1993-2000 and returned for a midweek lunch a couple of months ago and can confirm that the style is pretty much in tact and the food was good. Maybe lacked a bit of it's previous soul but then it was lunchtime midweek.
The utterly stunning and sweet barmaid no longer works there alas. But then again I'm married now. Barmaid's loss, my gain. I think.
19 Jun 2009 02:35
The Crown and Sceptre, Shepherds Bush
"A huge refurbishment is planned for mid June."
Oh god.
8 Jun 2009 17:48
I should add that we were there as a group of four couples all looking forward to trying out the menu. We lasted one drink and many pissed expletives and so went to Boaters in Canbury Gardens for our food and many, many more drinks.
29 May 2009 08:46
Went back there a few days after its reopening, hoping for a friendly, comfortable pub to wile away hours drinking and eating.
Alas just as it was when it was The Legless Frog and the H&F before that, the same regular crowd of customers out the front being loud and with every other word beginning either f or c.
I suspect this will prevent this pub from appealing to families and couples in the Ham/North Kingston cachment that should really make it a real success, assuming the kitchen is on the mark (and the food i saw looked good).
Such a waste as it has a great garden (in need of a little tlc) and is in a good position, but i won't be bringing my wife and/or kids here again I doubt.
29 May 2009 08:42
I really want to love The Dysart. This place should be brilliant. It's a lovely building in a perfect location by the park but alas that's where the positives end.
First of all it's not really a pub these days - its a restaurant that serves beer. It also rates itself highly, which is more than most of the locals that i know do.
The food is similar - 5 star prices for 2-3 star food.
The decor adds to the confusion - is it restaurant, is it a theme pub, is it clever oris it pretentious.
But worst of my experiences there are the Aussie or Kiwi barstaff that served me who display edsuperiority and a lack of basic courtesy and have no place in the service industry.
Such a waste - it would get so much local custom if it decided to focus on good honest and well sourced and cooked food, wine and beer and friendly, welcoming service.
20 May 2009 12:02
The Crown and Sceptre, Shepherds Bush
Aaagh...under new management and things have plummeted. I tend to only go there on QPR match days and meet many friends for pre-match food and beers. The food was excellent (they had well-priced homemade specials for the football crowd) and efficient and friendly staff.
But now since about February it is under new management. The food is one of those ubiquitous Thai kitchens that was so popular in the Nineties and is effectively nothing but away of increasing margin on food (cheap to make, priced high). Indeed they do offer burgers etc but as the barman wisely advised 'if you expect it to be anything as good as the previous kitchen you'll be disappointed.
Added to this are some fairly uninspiring bar staff that range from utterly gormless, through to unsmiling, through to just about adequate.
The end result - well i am still going here pre-match but just for a couple of pints of London Pride...it is well located away from the more feisty matchday pubs.
I and the 10 or so friends that i meet there now either eat before going or after. So c.�70-�100 of business is now spending elsewhere about 25 times a season (you do the math). And i suspect we are not the only ones.
One positive postscript is that they have introduced a couple of guest ales which have been very good.
13 May 2009 13:57
It could just be that this pub is turning the corner - though maybe too early to call.
The most irritating thing about this pub is waiting. Waiting endlessly to be served a pint. Waiting endlessly to order food. Waiting endlessly for the food to arrive.
With all this you may question my sanity that i have returned here, twice, in the past month. Well its well situated by river - tick, it as a playground where the kids can play while the adults can have time off to chat and drink - big tick, its just the right distance from our house for picturesque bike ride - big tick.
However, as I mentioned this place may be on the up (I hadn't realised it'd just been taken over by a brewery). There are early postive shoots....it only took me 5 minutes to be served, the barmaid smiled and was polite, they have hog roasts, bbqs, pimms 'tent' all now outside with regularity. So yes, I will probably come back here again to see if it was just a flash in the pan or whether the customer is finally coming first.
13 May 2009 13:37
The Canbury Arms, Kingston Upon Thames
This place thinks its better than it is.
They had the right idea - cater for the North Kingston thirty/forty-something that is child-friendly by day and gastro by night. The decor is good. The layout pretty much confirms what it really is...a bistro-y restaurant that pretends to be a local pub.
Unfortunately there is a general feeling of arrogance...those wanting just to have a drink don't seem very welcome, 2.5 star food with 5 star prices, offers to get customers to sign up to their exclusive club for ridiculous money (this is backstreet pub in Kingston not Soho House).
The danger for this place is that North Kingston pubs are finally but slowly getting their acts together and doing what the Canbury Arms attempt but without the arrogance and better return on investment, evidenced by the recent new ownership and refurb of Boaters. Come on Queens Head on Richmond Road - your turn next.
3 Oct 2008 10:37
The Willoughby Arms, Kingston Upon Thames
Lovely pub, friendly locals, lovely beer - fairly sedate. Haven't eaten there though so can't comment on food.
3 Oct 2008 10:25
The Park Tavern, Kingston Upon Thames
A proper drinking pub, with locals that are part of the furniture and friendly with it. - a rugby pub. Big screen Skysports comes out for big events. Prides itself on its beer and rightly so.
The one downside - no food. Occasionally have filled rolls for sale on the bar but for an evening's drinking, there usually aren't of those left.
3 Oct 2008 10:23
This pub should be working. I went there a couple of times soon after its opening to eat and couple of other times for a quick pint. Thierry the owner was charming, the food was excellent., the garden lovely and child-friendly.
However the service kills all its good points. The wait for the food was over an hour on each occasion (we weren't just unlucky as many friends have reported similar) and the bar staff, whilst nice enough, are slow and appear unconfident in what they are doing.
So the old adage that you are only as good as your weakest link rings true here unfortunutely. Such a shame - as this place should fly in this area.
3 Oct 2008 10:17
The Boaters Inn, Kingston Upon Thames
Carebear was right - this place was dreadful for all those reasons and just traded on its lovely location.
Happily new owners, a refurb and an excellent kitchen (quite pricey gastro food, but very good) has transformed the place.
Highly recommend (though wish they'd refurbed the loos though).
3 Oct 2008 10:10
The Canbury Arms, Kingston Upon Thames
Cor, Ferrari girl an amazing review that a member of Canbury Arms staff would struggle to improve upon to paint themselves in the best light.
Indeed I note you're only other contribution to BeerInTheEvening is about a year ago with a similarly (self?) promotional piece about your...oops sorry...the Canbury Arms.
Does the pub no favours you know...quality pubs don't need to post faux reviews to attract custom, word of mouth and happy returning customers will do that.
17 Feb 2011 17:41