BITE user comments - MxThomas
Comments by MxThomas
Time for a top-up review on the pub and beer: The beers regularly change, with around 6 handpumps on at any time. There is a wide selection, all well kept in my experience over the last 5+ years, ranging from golden ales through London Pride types, to the occasional milds and porters, and from many micro-brewers as well as the big companies. I recently had a lovely couple of pints of Fullers HSB. Always excellent beer here. Prices for the beers are very acceptable, given the excellent choice and location.
The fire is lit in the winter making it cozy in the main pub. It has old oak beams. There is a large extended seating area just off the main bar. The pub cat is lovely too.
There is a small car park and street parking nearby. It has a pleasant outside garden, with shrubs and overhanging trees, though this is not really suitable to kids to run around in. The landlord and landlady are good. It is not a place to plan on eating, as whether food is on or not is always a bit hit and miss. It is free of piped music and TV and so is a good pub for talking.
29 Dec 2011 18:50
The Old Hatchet, Winkfield Row
Time for a top-up review on the beer: The beers available in December 2011 are Fullers: Pride, ESB and HSB. The HSB is well kept, and has been so in several visits over the last year. Prices for the beers are slightly high compared to other nearby places, but acceptable.
The pub has a car park, some modest outside seating, with plenty of space inside. It has old oak beams and tiled floors. Staff are good. Many come to eat (kids seem welcome too) but there is no problem in just drinking. It is free of piped music and TV and so is a goot pub to use for a chat.
29 Dec 2011 18:24
I visited the newly reopened and refurbished Victoria on Thursday 24 June in the early evening. First thing to note is that its overall rating is no longer appropriate, given that it is under new management and has been significantly refurbished. I rate it a good 6.5 to 7 at present.
It is very pleasant now, with a large new room opened up with new upholstered chairs and beech tables � all very nice. The old bar areas are refurbished, the front smaller area having a TV (showing the World Cup at low volume - and with nobody watching). 1960�s psychedelic era pop music was playing in the background and was not intrusive (and I enjoyed it). There is an outside boarded patio seating area and beer garden with benches beyond. It has a large car park.
The landlord, a rough diamond looking bloke, is a very pleasant chap, very attentive and happy to chat.
The beers on that night were Spitfire and Old Rosie. I tried the Spitfire and it was very good.
I did not try the food and for sure the pub is no gastro pub, so drinkers are very much welcome, which has to be a bonus in this area.
There is a notice explaining what further refurbishments will be taking place in the autumn and early winter, which include repaving outside and the removal of a large internal pillar that divides the bar. So there is significant investment in this pub. I do hope those of us in the area support it and give it a chance to flourish, as decent pubs are few in number hereabouts.
26 Jun 2010 15:59
Pedigree, London Pride, Courage Best and Tetley Mild on hand pump, all well kept and at good prices (as others have recorded). The mild was very good, and at �2.56 was a pleasant surprise. Staff were attentive and there are enough for the number of patrons.
The pub is a clean and tidy throughout. There is a small, paved beer garden outside. It has piped music, but not overly loud so it is easy to chat. The 3 TV screens were on silent so did not intrude. There is a games area with a pool table tucked away around the back. On Friday when I visited a band was setting up to play (but I did not stay to listen). There is a car park and plenty of parking nearby.
I am aware that others have though it a bit rough in the past, but it was pleasant enough on my visit. The patrons are not posh, and are mostly male, but they are not rowdy kids and were pleasant enough. I will visit again.
I didn't try the food but some form of food is available all day every day. A good 7/10 for the area.
2 Apr 2010 22:11
The Skinners Arms, Kings Cross
A fine traditional style of pub just south of the Euston Rd opposite St. Pancras Station, with much dark brown wood and, surprisingly for London, plenty of room. It has proper sized tables with chairs, not stools, and enough of them to make it a very comfortable pub for lunchtime food and drink with friends. All very civilized.
Food is well presented and tasty, at around �5-�6 for a cooked meal, and on both occaisions that I have eaten here was very good indeed. There were quite a few people eating when we were in on a Tuesday lunchtime.
There is typically six or eight beers on handpump (I forget exactly), including Green King IPA and Abbot and guest beers. It is well kept.
One of the better pubs in the area for sure if it is a quiet meet and chat that you want.
16 Sep 2008 21:04
The Duke of Edinburgh, Winkfield
Set back from the main road in a quiet and pleasant side road, this pub looks just the part, having a fine frontage and outside seating, plus an open-aspect garden to the side and rear with 10 or more bench-seat tables. The inside also has plenty of room and has a eating area, though we were not there to eat. This is an Arkells pub (rare in the south east) and the Arkells beers were rather good on both recent visits: 2B, 3B and Kingsdown all being kept and presented well. 8 out of 10.
30 Aug 2008 02:46
This is a good pub, welcoming and cosy feeling, and still looking much as it must have done 40 yeras ago with a fine wooden interior. It is split into two bars and one has to exit to the street to move between them. There is a large screen TV projector but when we were in all was calm and pleasant. The handpump beer was a very well kept Courage Best, though a Fullers London Pride handpump there but was not on. The bar staff were pleasant as were the people in on that Friday night. It feels like a local's pub but is actually only about eight minutes from Staines railway station so could be a good meeting place. There is a beer garden but we did not use it. I would definitely go again.
14 Jun 2008 11:21
The Bears Paw, Frodsham
I don't feel the low rating is fair. This is a 6 to 7 pub for sure. Good beer, and a choice. Very well priced pub food, which is available until 9pm in the week. Decor is old pub style and well worn, but not too shabby. I visit every few months and have never found any problems with the locals being rowdy, but my visits are always mid week. It is a welcoming pub too. Surpassed only by the Helter Skelter, just up the road, for its range of beers.
18 Jun 2014 19:06