BITE user comments - RageofKlugman
Comments by RageofKlugman
So... you frequently go into pubs on your own and talk randomly into the ether????
14 Oct 2008 09:52
I've always been curious as to who this gibbering half-wit Bertrand is. Owing to the pub's proximity to Buckingham Palace, do BITE readers think he might be a royal??
1 Oct 2008 16:51
The Man of Kent Ale House, Rochester
The Man of Kent is top of the BITE ratings? Long may it continue as it's as close as I've found to the perfect pub. A bit intimidating from the outside and quite scruffy inside, the place has plenty of character. Friendly staff, a good mix of customers and, as others have said, an excellent range of beers on tap and in bottles. There's also a friendly pub dog, a nice beer garden, an open fire in winter and some interesting seating areas from the very depths of the 70s. If you're ever in the Medway area you really should track the MoK down. A very rare 10/10.
1 Oct 2008 15:13
It's been absolutely ages since I've been to De Hems, but if memeory serves me correctly they had quite an extensive range of bottled ALES. I'll grant you that there are probably no cask ales on, but surely the point of a pub is to enjoy decent beer, regardless of whether it's top or bottom fermented? I would hope that most real ale lovers (I would count myself as one), are open-minded enough to enjoy a lager if it's been decently brewed and tastes good. Just a thought.
11 Jul 2008 12:53
Just to prove that I'm conceited enough to read my own reviews, I've noticed something a of a mistake. My reviews of 14th August and 24th April 2007 that are listed here (under the Live Lounge in Leeds) along with several others, are for an entirely different bar - Fifty5 in Camden. I've never been to the Live Lounge, (or Leeds for for that matter, or West Yorkshire for that matter) so I think you can probably discount my review along with most of the others.
16 May 2008 12:43
The What the Dick Inns, Rochester
You can't argue with Trabbs Boy, this place has a truly, truly terrible name. That aside, this is a really excellent pub. Friendly staff, pleasant customers and a good range of well-kept bitters. Definitely worth seeking out.
9 Apr 2008 11:32
The North Foreland is a strange one... Cons: Has recently undergone a hideously unsympathetic refurb and stank of paint when I was last there. Background music was set to deafening and the main occupation of the other customers seemed to consist solely of shrieking expletives at each other across the bar. Pros: The landlady was very friendly and, although the handpumps were off, they had some surprisingly good Nelson's beers served from a cardboard doohickey. Overall I'd probably avoid it it, unless I was in the mood for karaoke.
31 Mar 2008 10:26
As others have said, this is an excellent cafe-bar that's well-worth seeking out. The food is excellent and very good value, the staff are friendly and the ales are decent and changed regularly. The Britannia is generally more geared towards food (presumably hence the cafe-bar monicker), but I've never had any problems when I've got nipped in for a drink. Strongly recommended.
31 Mar 2008 10:14
I have to agree with RogerB on this one. The Three Daws is almost an excellent pub - the building itself is interesting, the outside seating area is very pleasant and the staff are friendly. I should also say that the food they serve is pretty good and quite cheap. The only real downside is that the quality of the ale isn't always that hot (figuratively speaking). They seem to have different guest ales on every time I visit, but they're often a bit vinegary which is a shame. Still, its definitely worth a visit if you're in Gravesend, especially if the sun's out and you feel like watching the ships on the Thames.
21 Jan 2008 12:44
I've never been to the Boot, but I'm struggling to think of why anyone would give half a crap that someone had an epileptic fit there. In what way does this reflect on the pub? Are publicans meant to check their clients' medical records before serving them? Are people not allowed to spend five hours in a pub drinking?
As it seems to be a matter of such pressing urgency that we have all these facts confirmed, could Man123 provide us with contact details for the ambulance crew? Does their story stand up under cross-examination??? Is it widely accepted that the consumption of alcohol can induce epileptic fits??? WHY?????
5 Dec 2007 11:45
I stayed here a few weeks back (its now called the White Rock Hotel) and was very impressed with the bar. As has been mentioned before, there were local 4 ales on tap (including a mild and a porter when I was there) in good form and an interesting selection of unusual bottles. As its the main restaurant for the hotel it perhaps doesn't have the greatest atmosphere, but the outside terrace is good and the staff were helpful. A very pleasant surprise.
30 Oct 2007 10:43
The Salisbury, Leicester Square
You can definitely count me in as a fan of this place - its certainly my favourite pub in the Covent Garden/Leicester Square area. In addition to the Victorian gin palace interior with atmospheric red lighting, The Salisbury always has a good selection of ales in top form. There were 6 on when I was there a few days back, including Jenning Cumberland Ale as a guest. Although its not cheap (a strangely un-rounded �2.94 for a pint if memory serves me correctly), considering the area its in it could hardly be classed as expensive. Very quick and pleasant service as well.
11 Oct 2007 12:26
In response to the mysterious anonymous, when I went to this place the range of beers extended to about 5 of the usual crappy bottled lagers you can get anywhere. Has this changed?
14 Aug 2007 10:25
Stopped in here to take a breather from the rigours of moving house and was very impressed. They had some interesting and excellently kept beers on tap (I had a pint of Westerham Freedom Ale and Perle Golden Ale) and the food was good too - I was served with the most absurdly huge ploughmans I've seen in quite a while. The service wasn't exactly quick, but the staff were all very friendly and the pub had a pleasant cozy feel. Good stuff.
30 Jul 2007 15:24
I always rather foolishly believed that being part of a chain was an essential pre-requisite for being a chain pub. Hey ho.
27 Jul 2007 08:31
I'll be moving out of Maidstone on Saturday, and I think the thing I'll miss most about the town is living about 100 yards away from the Pilot. Its a great pub with excellent beer (its also dog-friendly). On my last trip I forgot to check if the new landlords have removed the Connect 4 and Downfall games, but it will be sorely missed regardless. Sniff.
26 Jul 2007 12:30
I was recently on holiday in Montreal and was really impressed with this place. It was pretty quiet both times I went which meant that there were free seats out on the terrace, and the beer was excellent. Sadly I didn't get to sample the whole range, but can strongly recommend the micro-brewed hefe-weizen, the two porters and the house pale-ale 'Fin du Siecle'.
I did try the food, but frankly after all that beer my recollections of it are quite hazy... I'm sure it was good though. L'Amere a Boire is definitely worth seeking out if you're in the area, it was a really nice change of pace compared to the rest of Rue St. Denis.
17 Jul 2007 10:37
Lets be honest, the cocktail menu isn't about 200 pages long, its about 15 or 20 which still leaves plenty of choice. Anyways, I was here at the weekend and thought the place was okay. The cocktails were good and reasonably priced (it was happy hour), but the toilets were a bit grotty and the music was waaay too loud to have any kind of conversation.
To be fair to Fifty Five, the place obviously isn't aimed at the likes of me and the staff seemed friendly enough. (Well, that last bit is a guess - the barmen could have been insulting my mother and I wouldn't have been able to tell thanks to the 'background' music, but lets not split hairs). If you've got trendy hair and aren't really interested in what you're friends are saying I'm sure you'll love it.
25 Apr 2007 16:06
The Bull and Gate, Kentish Town
I came here at the weekend for the Sludgefeast gig and was very pleasantly surprised - a music venue in London that actually sells decent beer?? At a reasonable price??? Strange but true.
26 Mar 2007 16:18
The Rifle Volunteers, Maidstone
I'm all for quiet pubs where you can have a decent conversation, but the Rifle Volunteer takes this to extremes. In fairness I've only ever been there early on weekday evenings when it was next to empty, but the funereal silence was a bit off-putting. It was a bit like drinking in your old aunt's house, right down to the hand kintted seat cushions.
That said, I've always found the place perfectly welcoming and the Goacher's beers are excellent (especially the Imperial Stout) and surprisingly cheap. I find it quite comforting that in this day and age a strange little pub like this can survive without showing any apparent intentions to change with the times. Good on you Rifle Volunteer.
(As an after-thought, I should warn any potential female customers (a long-shot I know) to be careful when you're in the loo. As my long-suffering wife discovered there's something wrong with the door latch and its easy to get locked in.)
22 Feb 2007 10:45
A great little pub with well kept ales (mostly from the Badger brewery but there were others) and genuinely interesting decor - I especially liked the area with the ceiling covered in fishing rods. The place seemed very friendly, though it was a bit quiet considering it was a Saturday evening, but that's hardly a complaint. If I ever happen to be in the area again I'd definitely make a beeline for the Roebuck.
20 Nov 2006 15:59
Ye Olde Thirsty Pig, Maidstone
Does anyone actually like clowns? I doubt it.
Anyway, dropped in here on Saturday for the first time in ages only to find it strangely goth-free. Instead, it seemed to be full of smart middle aged folks and someone had managed to find Abba on the jukebox. It was all a bit weird, as everything else was exactly the same as before.
26 Sep 2006 14:24
Anywhere that has the full range of Kloster Andechs beers, including the Dopplebock Dunkel, is definitely worth a visit.
Its also worth noting that the huge range of continental beers(30 odd bottled German beers and a similar number of Belgian ones, if memory serves me correctly) are actually quite reasonably priced - in the region of �3.50 a bottle which is a fair bit less than anywhere else in London I can think of.
The service isn't going to set any records for speed, but who cares when its friendly? Well?
28 Jun 2006 15:29
Ye Olde Thirsty Pig, Maidstone
The building's definitely the star here - from the outside its a seriously old timber framed affair leaning all over the shop at worrying angles; inside its a burrow of gloomy little passageways, staircases and low ceilings.
The place seems to be the hang-out of every teenage goth in Maidstone (which would probably explain why the jukebox seems to be on an endless repeating cycle of Slipknot and Sisters of Mercy) but its actually very friendly. No real ale on draught, but has a large selection of the bottled stuff. Not bad.
28 Jun 2006 15:04
Definitely a fan of this place. Lots of the original fittings still intact, excellent Young's beer and friendly staff. Best of all is that even at the busiest times you seem to be guaranteed a seat as the non-smoking area is always spookily deserted. Hahaha.
28 Jun 2006 14:25
Your standard Wetherspoons really - huge and soulless but dirt cheap and with a reasonable selection of beer. It also seems pleasantly aggro-free but gets seriously marked down for their bizarre ID policy. Last time I went the place was rammed with teenagers, but my wife was refused service (she's 27). All very peculiar.
28 Jun 2006 13:12
The only place worth bothering with in Maidstone town centre. It has a decent range of beer and a pleasant lay out.
I'd also recommend the weekly quiz night which was a good laugh, only slightly marred by the blatant cheating of the eventual winners. Or runners-up, I can't quite remember. Teenage cheaters take heed: If you're going to call your parents on your mobile for every other question then you should at least have the decency to go to the toilets and do it subtly. The injustice of it all is still gnawing away at me...
28 Jun 2006 13:07
Quality pub just outside Maidstone town centre that's well worth braving the deafening traffic on Upper Stone Street for. Its in an interesting old building with a surprisingly large and quiet beer garden out the back.
The major plus is that they always have a good range of Harvey's beer on tap, including Mild and Old, which are always top rate. There's also live music on occasion and a total absence of TVs anywhere. Definitely the best pub in the area by a long shot.
28 Jun 2006 12:57
Thought the decor was a bit strange, but the place has a nice atmosphere and was pretty comfortable.
Impressive and interesting range of beers on tap - Franziskaner Weissbier, Kupper's Kolsch, Sleemans Honey Brown Lager, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Bellevue Kriek and 3 real ales (one was Old Speckled Hen, but can't think of the others)all in good nick and served in the proper glasses.
The comedy club upstairs is definitely worth a look too. Good stuff.
28 Jun 2006 12:41
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Britannia Bar Cafe, Rochester
I'm lucky enough to have the Britannia as my local and am glad to see it's getting such good reviews. It has excellent beer, excellent food, friendly staff and a very pleasant atmosphere. The best pub for miles.
23 Dec 2009 15:08