Pi, Chorlton

Whilst the ambiance of Pi was undenaibly appealing, the size of the place presents drawbacks. When I went there la while back, with a party of six to celebrate a special occasion, we waited more than twenty minutes to be seated. Nevertheless, the appeal of the pies on offer (which had been highly recommended to us by friends) made it worth the wait in our opnion, that is until we tried to place our order at the bar and were told that they stopped serving food at 8pm. It had just turned 8 O'clock, and technically we had been in the establishment for almost half an hour by then. We left....hungry. :-(

8 Apr 2009 15:27

The Lloyds Hotel, Chorlton cum Hardy

If you're looking for a traditional British pub with a modern twist, plus live music, friendly staff and sensibly-priced drinks, The Lloyd's fits the bill.

A few years ago this attractive redbrick Victorian building accommodated a decidedly dodgy boozer known as Edwards, where you were scrutinised by overly-fierce bouncers, and rejected for having 'the wrong kind of shoes,' (despite wearing smart clothes), whilst women dressed like hookers, accompanied by hollow-cheeked, slack-jawed inbred males were allowed entry. Thankfully it was given a complete overhaul when the JW Lees team took over, and the pub began a new lease of life with a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, and a broader range of customers.

What is probably most appealing about the Lloyd's is its layout. It's far more homely in appearance than you might expect of a standard pub. The main space is divided up by half-height partition walls, giving the geeling of cosy semi-private snugs, whilst not actually separating you from the rest of the room. There are comfortable leather sofas, and deep armchairs throughout, as well as tables of varying dimensions to accommodate parties of all sizes.

In the daytime, pleasant recorded music is played at a comfortable volume in the background, allowing for easy conversation. (Someone behind the bar has a particular fondness for the 'Moon Safari' album by Air, which gives things a pleasant chilled vibe). As the sun sets, the staff come round and light candles on the tables and in hanging lanterns in doorways and above the bar. The main lights are dimmed to an intimate and flattering level, and in the winter a roaring log fire in the front of the pub adds to the flickering ambiance.

To the rear of the pub, with a view of the bowling green, is the restaurant area, where you can enjoy updated takes on traditional meals whilst watching a sedate match on the green.

The Lloyd's is an active supporter of live music, and hosts regular sessions showcasing local performers across a wide range of genres. Monday night is Irish folk with the Chorlton Fiddlers, and Thursday traditional blues-rock with the Bourbon Street Preachers. On the last Tuesday of every month, it's the Cajun Specials, where audience participation is welcome, if you feel like picking up a guiro or tambourine. There are also frequent guest performers from other genres, such as soul, jazz and even comedy pop. In addition, every Monday and Thursday night when the music is on, free food is provided (often a spicy sausage hot-pot).

The bar staff here are particularly friendly and attentive, always remembering the favourite tipples of the regular customers, and practically having your drink ready for you before you even ask for it!

In fact, there's very little I can say that's negative about The Lloyd's, except that when there's a football match on, sadly this takes precedence over all else, including the live music. Consequently both performers and audience are relegated to the smaller restaurant area for the evening. That said, sometimes the more intimate environment can actually be a lot of fun, so it all evens out ultimately.

This is a pub I visit very often and have taken a lot of friends there, who have all now become regulars too. I think that fact speaks for itself.

8 Apr 2009 14:57

The Toll Gate Inn, Manchester

The service we received here last weekend is quite possibly the worst we've ever had in a pub.

We visited on a Sunday afternoon, to have the traditional English lunch advertised outside.

From the outset it was like one of those scenes in a western, where everything in the saloon grinds to a halt when 'strangers' enter. We certainly felt uncomfortable immediately, but in general the place looked OK, so we looked around for menus. There weren't any. We figured we'd have to ask at the bar.

There were a few people in, but the pub was by no means full, so we reasonably expected to get served at the bar fairly promptly. However, even though there was only one other customer waiting to be served, we were left standing for FIFTEEN MINUTES whilst the two members of staff completely ignored us, and even served other people (clearly regulars) within seconds of them coming through the door (after our arrival).

Eventually we got our menus and ordered our roasts: two lamb, one beef and one chicken, plus desserts of apple pie and chocolate cake.

To cut a long story short AN HOUR later we still hadn't been served, yet a family who had arrived after us had been seated, served a main course and dessert, and left during the time we were waiting. We looked up from time to time at various members of staff and caught their eye as a gentle hint, but they were unresponsive.

Eventually one of us was elected to go and ask what had happened to our order. He was informed, with a very half-hearted apology, that we had been forgotten about, despite the fact that we were seated in full view of the bar, with very few other customers around us. We were told that our food would be out immediately. Another quarter of an hour later there was still no sign.
As we were on the point of asking for a refund and leaving, the bar maid bellowed at us over the bar that there had been 'a disaster with the lamb:' (it wasn't specified what). She said there was only enough lamb for one person. We agreed which one of us would have it, and five minutes later the meals finally arrived. I held my hand up when asked who wanted the lamb and was handed a plate..which looked identical to the beef. There was no mint sauce, and none was offered to me. There was also no cutlery.

The cutlery arrived shortly afterwards: one fork short, which we had to go and ask for. When it arrived it had gravy dried onto it, as did my knife. We decided to live with it anyway.
I viewed my 'lamb' with suspicion. It was in flakes and had a Yorkshire pudding on top...as did the chicken (which was a strange white flat affair, reminiscent of the side of a trainer).

I took a mouthful of the lamb. It was beef...not even roast beef, but had the look, texture and taste of canned stewing steak. My companions agreed with my verdict, as theirs was the same.

Despite all this we ate the meal (one of our party has a medical condition which requires that he eat at regular intervals, and by now he was two hours overdue for his carb intake, so was pretty much ready to eat the table). I couldn't finish my 'lamb' however, as it was pretty nasty.

We waited for someone to come and clear the plates away and bring us our desserts. No-one came, so we went to the bar to chase things up, only to be told that there was no apple pie because it had all been given to the family who had placed their order half an hour after we arrived. Completely hacked off by then, we asked for a refund on the price of the desserts (which we'd paid for in advance).

At no time were we offered a partial discount, or possibly complimentary drinks by way of apology we left then, all agreeing that it was the worst place we had ever been to, either collectively or individually, and we certainly won't be going back.

8 Apr 2009 10:23