BITE user comments - Leftinthepub44
Comments by Leftinthepub44
went in last Monday, standard WSP
staff seem to know what they were doing , even though there were quite
a few customers eating and drinking , and the electrics on the pumps had blown out
if you are in Deal give it a bash
2 Aug 2017 15:41
well I know its a student pub, but plastic glasses, and a rather small gents !
14 Jul 2017 16:33
I am not sure what the other contributors might be looking for from this pub.
But if you are looking for a nice spot for a good range of ciders, then this is the place.
30 Jun 2017 16:15
The Fox on the Hill, Denmark Hill
my wife and I went to this WSP last Saturday and Sunday 5-7 pm
big garden out front, and several staff ,
so quick service (Aussie Tim please note)
usual refreshers behind bar , but I did see more than one plate of grub being returned to the kitchen !
overall I would go back , but there were suggestions that this pub gets rowdy
as the night goes on.
27 Jun 2017 15:33
The Royal Standard, Lyme Regis
a bit more like a pub than the Cobb arms
apparently the pub is 400 years old
however the prices are 21st century
several people had food bills of £25, £ 50, £ 60 etc
the Palmers were quite nice and at £ 3-80 for a Bridport ( as in local ) ale
should be
24 May 2017 16:59
this pub looks more like a food outlet that serves alcohol
I prefer pubs
I looked in , did not stay
24 May 2017 16:55
one of the better WSP
quick service due to it being after lunch
plenty of space
24 May 2017 16:52
a bit of a tight fit when busy , but generally ok
has a small wheelchair lift, due to the shape and design of the building
no back garden
24 May 2017 16:49
I drank in here a few times,
ok for a WSP, has a back yard for smokers
unlike the other WSP
24 May 2017 16:47
if the bar staff spent more time serving the customers , and less time playing games with each other , then there would not be so many people waiting
to be served.
24 May 2017 16:43
the guide books say that the town has never really recovered from the English civil war , and Monmouth's rebellion
I would say the bar staff have not either
smile , don't hold your breath. attitude problem you bet.
when I ordered a guest cider, which was on the bottom shelf, the bar person
suggested I have the next one up, so she did not have to bend down !!
24 May 2017 16:40
I have not been in this pub for about 3 years or so.
always was one of the better pubs in Richmond
however went in on Easter Monday
opps prices up, standards down
never again
5 May 2017 17:20
there is a price list on the wall behind the bar
so you know you are about to pay top wack prices
this is more of a bar than a pub, and the cheapest draught beer is £3-90.
1 Oct 2016 14:40
nice pub, nice fish and chips , nice staff
however not long to go before they start selling a pint for a fiver !!
1 Oct 2016 14:36
ok WSP, nice beer , nice prices,
teenage staff in la la land ( plus ca change )
1 Oct 2016 14:34
its august, its holiday time, its staff shortages time
long wait at bar , not actually that crowded
its helps if the staff were not all teenagers, although the person who looks
like she is the manager previously worked at the Wspoons in the town centre
she had an attitude problem there as well
one customer complained her meal was " stone cold " staff took plate
no response
another customer said " its a xxxxhole "
time for Aussie Tim to send in the SAS
20 Aug 2016 13:09
I have been told that Wspoons has just opened along the street.
This should be interesting, because the Blue Anchor has been living on its reputation for years .
Watch this space.
23 Mar 2016 17:15
The Pakenham Arms, Clerkenwell
I passed this location last Tuesday for the first time in a couple of years, and was surprised to see it had become an empty retail space. The outside has been painted white.
Sorry to see this happen as I remember about five years ago spending a Christmas eve afternoon and evening here, and it was a great party atmosphere .
However about three years ago , my father and myself had a pint here, and my father said " this pub is going downhill ". How right he was.
4 Mar 2016 17:14
The last time I went in this pub was over 20 years ago, and it was naff then.
So at least its been consistent , as in consistently naff.
You only have to check out the customers sitting outside on a summer evening,
to know how many marks out of ten.....
22 Feb 2016 17:02
some reckon that this is the best pub in Canterbury.
certainly has some nice beer, and London prices.
£ 3-85 for a local Canterbury ale.
( I thought Kent was a economically depressed county)
I detected a certain clubby atmosphere, as in " what another tourist."
but I will give the pub another go some time.
23 Dec 2015 15:34
Not a pub as I know it.
its a café/bar/eating place, big wine list, limited draught beer.
I had a pint (568ml) of old rosy cider , £ 4-35.
the first thing the barman says to customers as they get to the bar is
" are you eating "
says it all.
23 Dec 2015 15:29
This WSP is the bigger of the two in Canterbury.
after my drink in the other one (please see my review of 21/12.)
I popped in here , much more crowded , but guess what
lot more staff = less waiting time.
manager seems to have it organised.
I had the fish and chips, ok.
23 Dec 2015 15:26
same old problem at a WSP, went in last Monday lunchtime, not enough staff.
confused teenager serving behind the bar, poured a bloke's beer out with an inch of froth, till customer suggested he top it up. I had to repeat my order three times, because barman did not seem to know what products WSP sold.
manager rushing about delivering food, a woman behind the bar seemed to serve as and when she was in the mood!!
Tim, send in the rapid reaction force.
23 Dec 2015 15:20
Back when Fleet Street was where newspapers were printed, this was the pub where the Daily Telegraph journos, and inkies drank.
how they all got in is anybody's guess,
but several couples eventually got married after meeting here.
17 Dec 2015 17:03
About ten years ago I went into this pub just to see what it was like , as it was Bayford I had assumed it would be full of city chaps , and chapettes.
actually it was full of middle aged , shaven headed , spanner men wearing west ham football shirts talking about how to fit a door.
so if I ever need a new door fitted I know where to ask.
7 Dec 2015 17:29
I popped in last Friday afternoon, and had some reasonable fish and chips.
4 different pints of guest ales, at £ 3-05 a go. all quite jolly.
and then I was told by several customers that this pub will no longer be a WSP after January 2016.
The lease is running out , and WSP are not renewing, so there will be new owners. Therefore WSP will no longer have a pub in the Highgate/Hampstead area for the first time in quite a few years.
7 Dec 2015 16:23
An interesting pub, like going back in time, I would certainly pop in again next time I am in Whitstable.
Whitstable brewery , and Harveys were on draught although not a great selection.
8/10
13 Nov 2015 17:26
The Whitstable Brewery Bar, Whitstable
I am sure this place is very jolly in the summer ,
and with a pint of Whitstable local lager coming in at £3-90 it should be.
I suspect this is where the second homers from Islington come to .
more of a restaurant than a bar, and an interesting wine list ,as in expensive .
13 Nov 2015 17:21
I went into this pub for the first time yesterday lunchtime , and there must have been 100 people eating , and drinking , but there were only two bar staff.
The manager was collecting the plates, and delivering the food while the two teenagers behind the bar were trying to work out who to serve next.
eventually the customers formed a queue.
a classic example of a WSP bring run with one hand tied behind its back, when it should be a license to print money. 6/10
p s the art deco lights are quite jolly.
13 Nov 2015 17:14
I do not like criticising this pub as its my local in Stevenage, and I do drop by every few days, but it has to be said that some of the staff seem to be a bit vacant.
Several times recently I have had to repeat my order (as in two pints of beer, hardly complicated ) as the first time the barperson seems unaware of what I am saying.
There was a time when pub guv'nors spent all night behind the bar, now most of the time they are nowhere to be seen !
4 Nov 2015 17:24
The Old Post Office, Stevenage
This is the pub where people go when they have been barred from
the WSP next door.
14 Oct 2015 17:20
The Duke of Hamilton, Hampstead
Wikipedia have suggested that in times gone by, Oliver Reed, Peter O'Toole, and Richard Burton drank in this pub on a regular basis.
In the late 1970's and early 1980's I drank in this pub on a semi regular basis and never saw , or was told , they had been at the bar.
Although Oliver Reed did have his two front teeth knocked out by a Hampstead Rugby Club player in the 1970's ( at Saracens)
14 Oct 2015 17:16
There used to be an urban myth about 10 years ago that
Madonna (yes, I did say Madonna) had been seen drinking in this pub, because one of her friends lived near by , and this was his local.
However as far as I know there are no photographs in the pub
of Madonna holding a pint of ESB.
27 Sep 2015 15:29
Just to let people know , this pub is not a WSP conversion, as such.
The original pub was built before 1914 and was called the George , my father remembered drinking there now and again in the 1970's.
The dining room is the additional fixture. But nobody knows when the Beer Garden was built.
27 Sep 2015 15:22
If you are of a certain age group (like me) you will remember this pub as
The Gluepot.
When I attended the school across the road , Central Foundation in the 1970's me and my friends would drink here at lunchtimes, but the guvnor would always insist that we took our blazers, and ties off.
When I walked past this pub about 2 years ago I was pleased to see that the pub still had the seventies décor.
Now of course with the advent of Silicon Roundabout, Old Street will become
the new Covent Garden................yeah right !!!!
11 Sep 2015 16:07
The Jolly Sailors, Brancaster Staithe
I walked in with high expectations as I had seen several good write-ups.
Nice old pub , good range of beers, ok prices, plenty of seats,,,
one problem !
On a wet Wednesday evening (6pm) a lot of parents had turned the pub into a under 14's feeding station . Pizza was most certainly on the menu. A number of youngsters were running and shouting (or both) all around the pub
Silly old me, thinking a pub was a place for a quiet drink.
Perhaps these parents would prefer to take their offspring to a non alcoholic outlet, I know would.
3 Sep 2015 15:37
I had a pint of Green King IPA, £ 3-50. It was ok .
The lady behind the bar did not exactly welcome me with open arms, but then again she never ask me to leave either. Perhaps the takings were a bit down.
The pub is just along from the harbour on the way to the bus stops so perhaps lots of passing trade . Anyway next time I am passing I shall pop in.
3 Sep 2015 15:29
As soon as I walked into the bar it was like stepping back in time.
One or two of the locals looked at me a bit sideways but you would have thought they were used to tourists in Cromer by now!
I had a pint of Legacy from Suffolk ( £3-60) , and a pint of Edith Cavell ( £3-50) from Norfolk (surprise, surprise) Both rather jolly.
Bar staff very friendly (as bar staff should be)
All in all, when in Cromer first stop Red Lion Hotel.
3 Sep 2015 15:25
Hooray !
This pub has got itself a new manager
( as in a guy you see every day rather than once a week)
He seems to know what he is doing and the bar staff seemed to have perked out.
Fingers crossed.
28 Aug 2015 14:54
This pub is now called the Old Town Bar, that's original .
It used to be called the Two Diamonds when it was a perfectly good Stevenage High Street pub.
One day this pub might sort out what it wants to be.
28 Aug 2015 14:51
I was told that the only time the pub manager makes an appearance in the bar is to ban somebody ( e .g. Friday nights).
Perhaps the bar manager should make an appearance during lunchtimes when people are waiting to be served by the non-managed staff.
At least ( when finally served) the beer is ok.
23 Aug 2015 15:17
The best way to drink outside this pub on a summer evening, is to buy the beer/lager/wine of your choice from a supermarket.
Bring a pint /wine glass with you and stand along the riverbank all the way down to the Dove.
Only the tourists put up with the expensive booze , and the naff service.
and as for the gents........phew !!
2 Aug 2015 16:36
Who had the bright idea to close this pub for a refurb for two weeks in July.
Obviously WSP can afford an empty till in the more peak times of the year.
Perhaps Aussie Tim should come and serve behind the bar after the pub reopens to explain to the regulars (like me ) why that happened. I would have thought February , and March would have been better but perhaps all the spannermen were in Florida doing their other job.
I know what the refurb is going to do , but why bother.
10 Jul 2015 14:05
I only go in this pub at lunchtimes , when its a bit of a pensioners club , so its nice and quiet , and everybody is chatting to everybody else.
The beer is ok, as is the price, of course for a WSP, but the staff need sorting out.
Too many youngsters who need more training , so obviously this is management problem. The Manager needs to spend more time behind the bar rather than in the back room.
10 Jul 2015 13:59
Judging by the punters sitting outside , you would need a good sense of humour to want to drink in this pub.
Try the W/spoons just down Sun Street , that's if you can get to the bar.
Popular you bet.
1 Jun 2015 17:11
I went in this "pub" last summer !
It was a lovely hot summer afternoon in June, and at 5pm there was
ONE barperson.
Suffice it to say there was a queue nearly out the door.
The queue was organised by the customers not the staff.
I wonder if Tim the Aussie ever goes in here wearing a false beard to get some
customer feedback.
7 Apr 2015 14:56
Not the pub it once was in the 1980's
I had spent many a happy hour in the beer garden
it was not the same after the fire in the early 90's
will give it another try later this year.
2 Apr 2015 15:30
George & Dragon, Watton at Stone
I was in Watton last summer, and had a couple of pints in the Bull
I could hear loud pop music coming from the G & D, which put me off
visiting.
I was told by a couple of customers in the Bull , that the G & D were
catering for the twenty somethings !
How this will work out is anybody's guess.
The G & D is a nice old village pub for older people , not a teen hangout.
2 Apr 2015 15:27
Marquis of Cornwallis, Bloomsbury
I walk past this pub on a regular basis, and on summer evenings during the working week there must be about a hundred people standing outside drinking beer, wine , etc
so the pub must be doing something right.
The last time I managed to get to the bar (a Saturday afternoon) I had a couple of pints of
Czech dark lager ( I think it was from the Bernard brewery. £4-10 a pint.
There seems to be a mix of students, tourists, and during the week office staff.
The pub is five minutes walk north of Russell square tube stn
2 Apr 2015 14:42
The Holly Bush used to be a local pub.
I had my stag night in the front bar twenty years ago, when the customers
were members of Hampstead Rugby Club, various doctors and nurses from
the Royal Free , and several members of equity .
Two years ago in the summer I thought as I was in the area I would pop in for a pint (memory lane etc)
Outside the pub was a security guard who informed me that no customers were allowed stand outside after 8pm !!!
The customers all now seem to be tourists , so that's another good pub down the pan.
1 Apr 2015 15:22
Some people reckon that this is the best pub in Kings Cross
that's not saying much
On a summer's evening sitting outside you could be in Parisian back street.
Well perhaps not.....
27 Mar 2015 15:13
The Skinners Arms, Kings Cross
I used to drink in this pub once in a while with a Scotsman, and a Yorkshireman
they both reckoned that it was the best pub in Kings Cross.
I wonder what that says about Scottish , and Yorkshire pubs.
On summer evenings there is a quite a crowd outside , but they
appear to be drinking wine or spirits, I wonder what that says about the beer.
27 Mar 2015 15:11
The best bit about this pub is sitting outside on a sunny day.
As for inside , well you could be anyway e.g South London.
When I went in, there were no Cornish beers, and no proper cider
unless you think strongbow is cider (which I don't)
I ended up having a pint of John Smiths which was perfectly acceptable
but not really the point.
27 Mar 2015 15:03
I visited in hot sunny weather so perhaps that
influenced my opinion
I had crab sandwiches and Cornish cider ( yummy)
the prices were not so yummy, but I suppose the pub has to make
its money while the sun shines.
27 Mar 2015 14:36
All the pubs in Polperro are rather jolly
and they should be for the prices
I suppose its a fact of tourist life.
This pub is good but in dodgy weather gets packed (May)
there is a small space outside
27 Mar 2015 14:33
Its a W/spoons and all that goes with it
cheap beer , chatty customers ,
no sideways glances because you are not a local etc
I have had the grub several times, and no complaints.
As soon as I get off the train ( 10 mins walk from stn) ) in we go
27 Mar 2015 14:29
The Arun View Inn, Littlehampton
I object to paying London beer prices in London
I object to paying London prices in Littlehampton even more
I presume the customers are paying for the view.
Maybe this pub thinks its a restaurant, but if you want a good cheap beer
go to the W/spoons.
27 Mar 2015 14:22
Its a bit of a maze when you first enter, but there are the usual beers,
at the usual prices.
When I was there most of the customers were families having
their early evening feed.
Not a problem , after all parents are looking for value for money.
So I sat in the beer garden.
I reckon in peak times could be choc a bloc.
26 Mar 2015 17:05
I always pop in when doing the bus trip between Sennen and Zennor.
Smashing Cornish pub, all the usual Cornish brews,, HSD, Tinners et al ( yummy)
sometimes I get the feeling that the locals resent grockles, so I try to
drop into the conversation that I am not looking for a second home.
26 Mar 2015 16:23
location, location, location.
on a sunny day smashing for a pint or three.
I did not eat, but lots of others were tucking in, and no complaints
( I was doing some mass observation)
I think I was drinking Cornish rattler, I certainly stayed for about
3 hours.
Proper Job
26 Mar 2015 16:15
In the afternoons there seems to be a lot of older folk (like me) here
I assume the twenty something's turn up about seven.
good range of beer , usual prices, beer garden up the back
25 Mar 2015 15:05
A nice big W/spoons.
went in about 4pm, nice range of beers ( as usual for a spoons)
had some ok fish and chips, staff were chatting to the customers.
There may be better pubs in Newquay, but if you can get the same brews
here, and cheaper, why bother.
I can do without anchors , ships lanterns, and pictures of long John Silver.
25 Mar 2015 15:01
What can I say, its a large W/spoons.
Good range of beers , and the staff pass the time of day (4pm)
with the customers.
However at peak times it would be manic.
Good for a few pints late afternoon.
23 Mar 2015 15:27
The Live and Let Live, Cambridge
I had not been in this pub for years and years, but was pleased to see
it had not changed a bit .
As I walked in and said " good evening everybody" the guys at the bar
said " cheers"
Customers at Free Press please note.
I had a pint of Oakhams IPA , but could only stop for one.
Nice old back street Cambridge pub.
23 Mar 2015 15:10
After my "warm welcome" at the Free Press, I tried the Elm Tree.
Nice barman , good beer , and a good range.
One day in the summer , I will come here for the day.
23 Mar 2015 15:05
I arrived the other week at 5-30 pm.
As I walked in the five guys at the bar looked at me
with the " you are not a regular" look !
I had to say " excuse me please" twice
before they realised I wanted to get to the bar. !
After I got my London priced pint I went into the other bar
to get away from my new friends, and then I noticed that all the tables
had a sign marked Reserved from 6pm.
So I drank my pint and left at just after 6pm, when only one of the tables had
been occupied. So if its a private club, just put a notice on the front door.
I then went to the Elm Tree
.....which in hindsight is where I should have gone first
23 Mar 2015 15:02
A Cornish Pub as it should be.
The first time I visited I knew as soon as I walked in the door it was going to be good.
Good beer, friendly staff, and everybody talking to everybody else.
I cannot remember what draught beer I had, but I worked my way along the bar
and back.
They even have the bus times on the wall.
So if you are in the St Ives area
give it a go.
23 Mar 2015 14:53
Whenever I am in Penzance I go to this pub.
It could never be confused with Ye Olde Cornish Pub ( Captain Poldark etc)
But its functional , cheap, good range of beer, and cider.
The locals sit in the garden and have a good laugh
and a chat even when they know I am a Cockney
which is a better welcome than I get in some pubs in Cornwall.
Maybe they are not bothered about second homers
20 Mar 2015 16:40
Another pub which thinks its a private club.
If I was expecting a warm Cornish welcome, I never got one.
Perhaps I should have worn green wellies.
London prices, so I suppose the second homers must go there
for their truffles.
20 Mar 2015 16:32
There are two drinking spots in Mousehole.
The Ship is on the harbour and although its a nice pub, considering
the beer prices it should be.
I have never liked paying London prices in Cornwall.
For a better , cheaper , and friendlier Cornish experience
try the British Legion up the lane behind the Ship.
Just sign the book , and in you go.
7/10
20 Mar 2015 16:27
The Lord John Russell, Russell Square
I used to work locally, and would pop in for a Deuchars IPA
at lunchtime if it was sunny.
One day when I asked for a Deuchars it was as flat as any beer I have
ever seen. When I said " can you pour another the barman said NO !
On the final time I went to this pub and asked for Deuchars the bar person
reached behind her, and opened a cold shelf , pulled out a flat beer
and plonked, not placed it ,on the counter. I suggested she should pour the beer
from the tap, she refused !!
I walked out, and as far as I am concerned if that's the level of customer service
at this pub , I can only assume their customers are passing trade
who are easily pleased.
20 Mar 2015 15:58
Spaniards Inn, Hampstead Heath
The Spaniards used to be a good pub when it was on Hampstead Rugby Club's
list of drinking spots.
The late great Mike Flynn President of Hampstead Hogs was a regular.
Over the last few years its gone downhill
too many tourists , useless staff, silly prices etc
Another great pub down the pan.
19 Mar 2015 12:34
The Institute of Education, Russell Square
This bar has been spruced up ( not before time)
ok for a quiet drink and sort of reasonable prices
apart from a Friday when it gets a bit rowdy, and the drug dealers
are walking around, and talking to the security guard.
Its a university bar but there is no ID check
19 Mar 2015 12:27
The White Lion has had a refurbishment, and is now called the Mulberry Tree.
Perhaps some of the customers should have a refurbishment,
as there is an old saying that you can change a pub, but if you have the same customers
why bother.
19 Mar 2015 12:21
As this pub is across the road from the cricket ground , I suggest potential
customers wear a rugby jersey, and cricket pads to make sure they get served.
Another Hertfordshire pub which thinks its a private club.
19 Mar 2015 12:18
I once spent 15 minutes waiting to be served by the barman who served
all the regulars around me , even though I was at the bar first.
Finally I walked out and as I was leaving I heard a voice saying
" and close the door behind you " !
The staff and customers of this " pub" may think they are members
of a private club, but I will not be applying for membership.
I always thought one had to travel further away from London, to encounter
this sort of provincial attitude.
19 Mar 2015 12:15
This W/spoons is the better of the two in Stevenage.
More a pub than a bar ( but it was a Lloyds Bank before)
The food is OK if you are feeling peckish, but a bit school dinners.
However the beer is good ,the price is right of course,and the staff know their stuff (well the regulars do anyway)
I would give it
7/10....................but avoid Friday and Saturday nights for obvious reasons.
18 Mar 2015 15:30
The Standard Bearer, Stevenage
This pub "does what it says on the tin",
Cheap beer , and I have never had a dodgy pint, plus the staff seem to know their stuff, probably because the manager has been there for a while.
I have never eaten here , so I cannot comment on the menu.
This W/spoons would never be confused with Ye Olde Hertfordshire Pubbe, but
then again I would rather pay £ 2-10 for a tasty pint, than £4-20 !
Good for a couple of hours watching the world go by, in the late afternoon.
18 Mar 2015 15:21
I have been drinking, and eating in the Gatehouse every so often for several
years. The service is good but I always notice that the pub has a big turnover of staff.
Also the beer prices are increasing bit by bit, but I suspect that is because its
becoming more and more popular.
8/10
11 Mar 2015 15:50
Back to Leftinthepub44's profile
The George Inn, Littlehampton
went in last Thursday, good range of guest ciders
six if I remember correctly, fairly busy but staff doing ok
when in Littlehampton always worth a punt
7 Aug 2017 17:02