BITE user comments - Pentargo
Comments by Pentargo
My usual meeting place of choice around Waterloo. Good range of ales and lagers, plus the wine selection is pretty decent. Nice decor, reasonable food, does the simple things well. Always surprised it has such a low rating on here as I would consider it one of the best pubs in the area...
28 Nov 2013 14:05
Probably my favourite pub in Hove, and that's high praise as within five minutes walk of this place there's some pretty strong competition.
Always has a good range of three or four ales, usually with a local focus. Low lighting, chilled music and an open fire make this a cosy spot for evening drinks. Sunday roast recommended too.
18 Mar 2011 12:09
Excellent pub. And just as well as it's the only one for about 10 miles in any direction. Perched on the northernmost point of The UK, well worth a visit if you're in the area. In fact the whole area is something of a relatively undiscovered gem.
Seems to be popular with anglers and cyclists on the Land's End to John o' Groats ride.
Stocks a decent range of Scottish ales. Food was hearty and reasonably priced.
The initially, ahem, physically imposing landlord turned out to be a lovely chap too. Thoroughly recommended.
18 Mar 2011 12:06
Excellent sidestreet pub. Very large interior that sports a pool table, table football AND sparkly new bar billiards table. Good revolving range of local ales, usually four on at any time. Friendly bar staff and locals. Well worth a visit along with the neighbouring King Street Tavern.
6 Sep 2010 11:40
The King Street Tavern, Southsea
Nice sidestreet pub. Four ales on when I visited and very reasonably priced wine. Was not eating but the food looked decent. Sat in the garden which makes the most of a small space. Friendly barman and interesting mix of locals. The bar billiards table is currently under repair unfortunately but should return in the near future apparently. I flit between this place and the equally good neighbouring Eldon Arms depending on how the mood takes me.
6 Sep 2010 11:35
Seems to have been going downhill for some time now which is a shame as this used to be my regular meeting spot before gigs at the nearby Scala, Water Rats and Lexington.
Visited this week and the pub was by no means busy yet the landlord seemed intent on chatting to his regulars rather than taking my order. After a couple of minutes of standing alone at the bar a barmaid returned from collecting glasses and finally took my order.
Previously the food was quite reasonably costed but prices have been creeping up. Visited the other day and received a veggie burger that I discovered was ice cold upon biting into it, to the extent that it must have barely seen a grill. That was their last remaining veggie burger so instead ordered fish, chips and mushy peas; when it arrived without peas I queries their omission and was simply told that they were out.
A personal peeve of mine is being scalped in pubs for soft drinks so I was very disappointed on ordering a cider and blackcurrant that they swill of blackcurrant added to the glass was rung thru the till as FIVE (!) dashes of cordial, thus adding another quid on to the prize - paying �4.20 for a pint of Strongbow and blackcurrant is not what I expect in a fairly average Kings X boozer.
Overall, a thouroughly disappointing visit on all counts. I shall not be returning and will instead be seeking out another Kings X regular.
20 Aug 2010 13:21
The Red, White and Blue, Southsea
Slightly surprised to see the low rating as I find this place a perfectly pleasant pub. Tends to be fairly quiet, but then again if you want somewhere livelier then Albert Road is only a few minutes away. Decent enough if you want somewhere on a Saturday night where it's easy to have a chat with friends.
16 Aug 2010 17:36
Visited yesterday and a bit of a mixed bag sadly.
The pub itself is very attractive - just a few miles detour off the M1 and with a beer garden right on The Grand Union Canal. The building is HUGE, with various rooms, a hotel upstairs and masses of parking.
Unfortunately, such a grand pub lets itself down on several fronts. There seemed to be plenty of staff for the amount of people in the place on a Sunday evening yet service at the bar was painfully slow. The pub is clearly selling itself on the food front and employs a rather stranfe two-for-one policy where prices are deliberately inflated (�11 for a goat's chesse tart and salad!) to encourage you to double up the meals, meaning that there is no point in solo visitors ordering. Our order went awol for 45 minutes and when it did eventually arrive had clearly been reheated and both dishes dried to a crisp. We complained but little apology was offered.
Overall, would not recommend.
16 Aug 2010 17:12
A real love it or loathe it pub. Personally, I'm a fan - the ramshackle interior changes with every visit and there are plenty of free events staged here. The draught beer selection is terrible, but they stock the full range of bottled Pitfield beers so all is not lost. The bar staff tend to be reasonably friendly too. All in all, it�s not your average pub visit experience.
Sadly it looks like it's closing for good in April 2010 so get down there quickly for your last chance to visit a Shoreditch institution.
12 Mar 2010 12:31
Very poor pub in an area that has many better options. A pint of Landlord, a J20 and a lime and soda for �10 would be considered pricey almost anywhere in London, let alone the far reaches of Borough High Street. Food was cheap but also largely unedible. Lots of screens showing football but the layout of the pub is such that there are still few decent spots from where to watch it. Would recommend checking out one its neighbours instead.
3 Mar 2010 14:58
A genuinely unpleasant pub. It seems to rely on having the latest licence in the area and a dribble of punters from the hostel upstairs (I would feel for anyone who was unfortunate enough to have this place as their first taste of British hospitality). The locals verge on being openly threatening to outsiders and the last two times I have been in here (admittedly both post 1am at the weekend) there has been a fight. Beer selection is extremely poor too, the best bet being bottled Tyskie. Avoid at all costs unless you REALLY want one more beer and even then, keep your wits about you.
4 Feb 2010 18:05
Just off the main Borough High Street drag and all the better appointed for it. Small, one room, cosy pub with a couple of Cornish beers on tap. Ordered pie and mash which was nice once it finally arrived over an hour later - our order had obviously been lost but at least the bar staff were fairly apologetic. Has live music a couple of days a week plus, as a neat twist, also sells a range of musical accessories/disposables behind the bar (guitar strings, amp leads and the like) due to the live music and its position opposite a recording studio.
3 Feb 2010 18:38
Easily the best pub in the Elephant & Castle area (not that there's much competition). A revolving range of ales tends to focus on a selection from the Meantime and Purity breweries, and they are usually well kept and the bar staff fairly knowledgable. Relatively unusually has also had Austrian lager Stiegel on draught for some time now. The layout is spacious, bright and modern, and during the summer there is ample outdoor seating. Food is standard pub fare and reasonably priced. Stays open 1/2-ish I think at the weekend and attracts a nice mix of locals and late night revellers. Covers the bases for a modern pub with art for sale on the walls, boardgames to play and a weekly list of quiz nights/poetry/open mic and the like. Overall, a superior local.
3 Feb 2010 18:26
No reviews in over five years? Happily I can report that Fino's continues to retain consistently high standards.
'Mayfair wine bar' may conjure (in my mind at least) potential for the worst kind of bling snobbishness but fortunately that couldn't be further from the truth. Fino's is as cosy and welcoming a cellar bar as one could expect to find in London. Wine prices are reasonable and the free bar snacks, in particular the hand cooked crisps, are delicious. The decor is reminiscent of a bygone age but personally I find it fairly charming.
The only concern? That word gets out and this place becomes a victim of its own success a la Gordon's.
3 Feb 2010 18:18
There are a number of excellent Fullers pubs in The City but unfortunately this is not one of them. My first visit last night and I shall not be returning. It's a single large room that seems designed to echo noise back and forth, and is surprisingly charaterless for a Fullers. Draft beer selection was a little disappointing with only Pride, Discovery and Chiswick on tap and, surpisingly, no bottled Honey Dew when I enquired. Ordered food which was expensive even by City standards - �10.25 for a distinctly average burger and chips. Service at the bar was slow and disinterested even though it wasn't particularly busy. There are a lot of far superior pubs in this area much more deserving of a visit.
23 Dec 2009 10:11
Decent pub with little real competition in the immediate area.
Interior and patio area are comfortable and recently refurbished. Good sports coverage. Food is mediocre during the week yet strangely far improved on a Sunday. Beer selection lets this place down somewhat; the usual Stella, Fosters, Carlsberg lager-axis plus John Smiths and Guinness.
27 Dec 2008 23:36
Not an outstanding pub, but a good choice for a Camden tube meeting spot as it's far less busy than most of its neighbours. Standard selection of beers and a huge array of TVs showing the football.
Had food in here a couple of times; the selection is fairly average pub fare, but it's reasonably priced and the portions are large.
Overall, a more relaxed option than most of its peers. Consult directions if you're visiting for the first time as it is down a sidestreet.
27 Dec 2008 23:26
A fairly surprising location for this excellent German gastropub. The choice of beers, both on draft and bottled, is outstanding. The staff are friendly, the food is good and the place is large enough that you can usually get a table inside (it's slightly more of a battle in the tiny beer garden).
You can also catch coverage of Bundesliga football matches here.
Highly recommended.
19 Oct 2008 18:47
Visited for the first time in awhile last night and was left very underwhelmed. It's been given a facelift which, while it means that the paintwork is no longer peeling and the furniture largely matches, seems to have robbed the place of much of its charm and character. On the plus side, it is now slightly larger.
Discovered to my disappointment that they no longer have Meantime beers on draft, leaving only a choice of Becks, Staropramen and Sierra Nevada. Plumped for the Sierra Nevada which was distinctly mediocre and certainly not worth the �4.50 I paid for the pleasure.
Overall, a formerly decent bar which seems to now be sadly on the slide.
19 Oct 2008 18:42
Very comfortable and spacious pub. Only had one ale on when I visited unfortunately, but I understand that they often have up to four on offer. Good range of European bottled beers. Tried the food which was standard pub fare; good portions and reasonably priced.
In response to previous comments, it probably is worth taking a map with you the first time you visit, but after that it's fairly easy to find.
Hope to visit again when they have a few more draughts available.
8 Aug 2008 11:33
Excellent little local pub in a primarily residential area sandwiched between Walworth Road and Kennington Park Road. Cosy both inside and out in the small beer garden. Let down slightly by the uninspiring lager selection but when I last went in Guinness, Leffe, Pride and Bombardier all available. Most of the other pubs in this area are pretty poor so worth going slightly out of your way for this place.
1 May 2008 20:36
Terrible bar, one of the worst in London. Aside from the late licence absolutely nothing to recommend it.
13 Feb 2008 12:41
Visited last night for the first time since its move. They've done a reasonable job of recreating the old place in my opinion; the same posters adorn the walls, the beer slection is still average and the music is a decent blend of classic and modern rock. Dead central location makes this a handy option for pre-gig drinks.
13 Feb 2008 12:39
The Anchor and Hope, Charlton
Excellent pub in a slightly out of the way spot. We visited after a trip to the nearby go-karting track, and on a sunny day the location is hard to beat - right on the river with views of The O2, Docklands and The Thames Barrier.
Slightly let down by the bog standard beer selection, the food more than made up for it. A wide range of pub classics with a few regional dishes thrown in, I opted for the cheese ploughmans which was not only huge but also incredible value at £6.95.
I don't visit Charlton very often, but this place is worth coming back for. I notice from their listings posters that they do live music and DJs so maybe for one of those nights.
Overall, would highly recommend.
13 Jul 2014 20:25