BITE user comments - BrianHaigh
Comments by BrianHaigh
It closed in circa 2003. The premises was taken over by Cowes Social Club till 2007, and laid empty for most of 2008, opening briefly over Cowes Week as "Captain Jaks".
As Bar One it was a great place to watch footy and play pool on on eof the fice tables.
As Cowes Social Club is was cheap as chips and the perfect venue for a gay disco.
As Captain Jaks is was no ale mecca, but a good spot for a late night drink or a darnce.
6 Nov 2008 23:59
The structure of this pub is God-awful. Basically its a tin shed, with a high celing/roof which hemorrhages atmosphere. Its cheap and now serves one or two good, unusual (ever charnging) real ales. It also does pub food, where once it cooked pizzas, in so doing-engulfing the bar with smoke. There's a roof terrace which has the best views of any pub in Cowes by a mile. Its not the most pleasant enviroinment up there though, and the smoking shelter enjoys the prime location at the front of the terrace! This place isn't one to savour but makes up the numbers on a pub crawl.
6 Nov 2008 23:51
The Duke o York is a peculiar place. Part Hotel, Part formal dining, part bar. Its not as upmarket as that sounds. Its more old fashioned. The rooms are average B n B. The grub is average. The beer is kept bady, but they've generally got three good uns on. There's lots of cheesy nautical stuff littering the bar but most odd feature of the bar is the furniture: the place makes you feel unwelcome if you're not eating, not because its particularly exclusive or big on food, but because the place is full of dining tables and chairs. This pub is best used as a warm-up, and warm-down from a night in Cowes if you live in East Cowes on your way from/to the Floating Bridge.
6 Nov 2008 23:41
This pub, with its phenomenal location on the Parade at Cowes looking out over the Solent, was tragically turned into a sleek/gordy Chinese restaurant in 2006.
6 Nov 2008 23:30
"The Veccy" as its known has smartened up its act no end since the sorry days of a two-three years ago when you were harrassed by aging drunk women demanding brass for the juke box "cos you were listening to their tunes". There's not nearly as many youths and drug dealing in there since its re-fit. Its now a pleasant environment, though there's not a pool table anymore, and the dykes that used to tend the bar are no more. They've retained the Isle of Wight brew though: Golden Bitter from the Ventnor Brewery. its the only place in Cowes you can get one of their ales. Golden is a very distinctive beer: light and hoppy, but the distinctiveness comes in its after-taste: I think they use burnt malt. Real good. Nice little area at the front to spill out into when it gets busy inside and they show certain football matches an all. No grub here, except for the occasional BBQ out front in the summer. The real snooty will still find fault, but for me the "Veccy" is a little gem.
6 Nov 2008 23:13
Green King pub. Its not all bad though; they do have an Isle of Wight ale on from brewers Goddards (as well as the ubiquitous IPA and Speckled Hen). However, they employ monkeys, so if a beer runs off during the evening, its off till the next day cos none of em have the where-with-all to change a barrel. Even if they all run off! The food is microwaved frozen muck which is too dear for what it is. Its the best bet in Cowes for watching the footy (plenty atmosphere without it getting too roudy). They've given up on their old-fashioned (and continuously empty) restaurant area and kind-of incorporated it into the main bar (though it doubles as the breakfast area for residents and a cafe during the day). It's a useful spill-out area for watching big games as it has a decent size telly screen in there too. Though I've branded the staff monkeys all ready, I think I need to be fair: There is a real quick turn-over of staff. Last summer the lasses workin there were the most surly I've ever had the misfortune to meet in any walk of life. The fellas, in contrast, were and are friendly and efficient. And now there's one really mardy lass. She's exceptional. But in contrast there's a lass as is the friendliest, and smiliest you could hope to have pull you a pint.
6 Nov 2008 22:52
This place used to be a tiny old hotel wi a few rooms to let. It were done up lat year though. They ditched the digs, and expanded into the clothes shop next door. They've done a decent job of incorporating the new shop (which was a more modern structure) into the bar without its standing out as an uninviting characterless area (like so many new pub extensions are). It was a place that was uninviting and an uncomforatble suppin experience for those that hadn't arrived in town by yacht, or at least brandishing a CV boasting international sailing experience. Being looked down on by bar staff is not what you're lookin for in a night out. Since it were done up and extended, they've ditched some o the sailin paraphernalia, and the staff are more numerous and less snooty, but give great service. The grub is now better too. They do a great range of home-made burgers which are the best in Cowes and the safest bet on the menu (safest now they cook em right anyway!). They use Smash mashed potatoes though, so steer clear of the bangers and mash, and the otherwise good fiushermans pie. The only thing that's got worse is the beer: they went from offering a local Isle of Wight brew by Goddards to having Spitfire and London Pride which are both very ordinary and not kept particularly well.
6 Nov 2008 22:33
The Anchor was THE place to go in Cowes whether you were a native or a yachtie. However, its popularity has waned a little over the past year or so. In part this is because the Fountain has framed a bit better, partly because the Vectis isn't the Youth Club it once was, partly cos the Pier View isn't the Olympic Yachtie clique it once was, and partly because the Anchor has gone up in price and badly down hill in quality. The food is now pretty dire and the dearest pub grub in town. It hasn't helped the ambience that they've introduced a load of chairs from the Brewers Fayre pub in East Cowes which the owners bought last year. They stick out like a baboons ar*se amongst the otherwise traditional furniture and decor. Its still the best for live music though wi bands on wednesdays, fridays and saturdays.
6 Nov 2008 22:18
This was a lovely little pub wi Gales Best, HSB decent grub (if dear) and a friendly set of staff. A really characterful old buiulding with a great fire and snug. Since it were taken over by Fullers a a year or two since, it has been run by a right bunch of degenerates. They're rough as ar*se holes. The way they treat their punters is abysmal: they make you feel like your very presence there is just an inconvenience to them. In summary a great little pub, made intolerable by the staff. Its a pub on the wane which is a shame cos I wouldn't want to see it go under. Fullers take note: get shot!
6 Nov 2008 22:01
The Volunteer Inn, Ventnor
This is the smallest boozer on t'isle and one of the very best. It manages to strike the difficult balance of having a cosy environment packed with loyal locals yet manages to be welcoming, both because of the friendliness of the staff and the witiness of the punters. There is a generous selection of ales for such a small place: approx 5, including Ventnor Golden. Its the best place to try "Golden" and the best drinkers pub in Ventnor. You wouldn't believe how many locals do their dog-walking the the Vectis!
7 Nov 2008 00:13