BITE user comments - Sil
Comments by Sil
Been in a couple of times mid week, late afternoon. Looks and feels much like a Wetherspoons (I think it's M & B's equivalent). Pretty good choice of beers, plus Sky Sports, which you don't get in 'Spoons. Usually seem to have Greene King IPA for about £1-60 a pint, which tasted fine, but last time I went they seemed to insist on giving it to you in a hard plastic pint 'glass' when everyone else getting 'normal price' drinks was getting it in proper glass glasses. Small touch, but a bit odd.
15 Sep 2013 19:40
Haven't been in for nearly a year, as it was £3-90 a pint, a quid more than Little Johnny Russell's opposite. Used to have a top choice of beers but last time in it seemed to be much like any other of the Fullers pubs in Southsea. Had to chuckle last time I was there - someone asked for their G&T to be served in a glass, rather than a jam jar and the bar staff serving them refused!
15 Sep 2013 19:34
jbs1 - they do serve breakfast! Been in here for coffee (very nice and a quid) plus the odd pint. Absolute hats off to this place, looks great, smells lovely and malty some days. The variety of beers is very good. Prices good, around £3 to £3-50 for their own brews, don't know about lagers and bottles. The food menu looks really good, but I haven't eaten there yet. From what I have seen on other tables it looks good. You can have a breakfast including tea or coffee for a fiver, comparable to Wetherspoons, but I would bet it's a whole lot better, ingredients-wise. Saturday lunchtimes fairly busy, haven't been in the evenings so not sure how it's doing then, but I hope it prospers as it's offering something different. Well worth a visit.
7 Sep 2013 15:40
Went mid afternoon on a Thursday. Wasn't even sure if it would be open, but it seems to be open from midday onwards. There were no customers in the pub at all, only a member of staff sitting at one of the tables. Absolutely no hand pumps at all and the Guinness was off. There were some large bottles in the fridge, I had a Newcastle Brown which was £2-95. I only had time for two pints, but the options were severely limited. I am always wary of ordering bottled beer in pubs because of the usual rip off prices, although they did have Spitfire and Pedigree (though they were in the fridge, so were probably too cold to taste much). Therefore I ventured towards to only 'bitter' on draught, John Smiths Smoothflow. As well as being a ridiculous £3-20, I don't think I've ever drunk a beer before which tasted of absolutely nothing. Probably not the pub's fault, I just think that's how this drink is meant to be.
To summarise, nothing wrong with the pub, I don't know what it's like at busier times, clientele - wise etc. Good that it's open but I won't be rushing back unless they get a hand pump installed. Being so close to the city centre there's not really any reason go go out of your way to go there, as there are so many other choices nearby.
5 Sep 2013 17:16
The Surrey Arms, Portsmouth
Tried it out the other afternoon. Very quiet, two older fellas in there but the barmaid was oblivious to the clientele and kept flicking through dance music video channels on sat TV. Had a couple of hand pumps, the ubiquitous Doombar (has ever a beer prospered so much outside it's home county as this?) and Green King IPA. Had the latter. It was ok, couldn't quite decide if it was on the turn or not, but forced a couple down. Nice to see an old school boozer, but not sure how it does business wise. Seems to have a fair sized dedicated dining area. All in all ok, but given the choice I'd walk down to the White Swan the other side of Guildhall Square for the microbrews.
15 Sep 2013 20:01