BITE user comments - SteveTreacle
Comments by SteveTreacle
This pub was recommended to me and I was most disappointed. A couple of standard ales on tap and the interior of thepub was bizarre - it was more like a cafe inside than a pub and much too bright. There is a dingey little restaurant to the back, which seems to be trying to be too fancy as the food was average and overpriced. I wouldn't hurry back with the plethora of quality pubs in the area.
19 Apr 2011 15:10
Superb pub for food and drink. Set in the gorgeous rural village of Egerton, the setting is superb and the building has maintained its period feel inside. They always seem to have 5/6 ales on - a few staples such as Harvey's, Masterbrew and Youngs, but at least a couple of guest ales (I go there fairly regularly and they always seem to have a new one on). The food is to die for - really high quality. I have had a number of meals there - steak, pies, fish and chips, Sunday Roast and specials such as braised ox cheek in red wine, which was delicious. I cannot recommend this pub enough.
19 Apr 2011 15:00
Pub looks great from the outside, but pretty dingey and has a social club look to it inside, and a poor selection of ales. The only pump they had when I last went there was off, so I had to make do with lager. I haven't tried the food.
19 Apr 2011 14:54
Great pub for food and drink. A Shepherd Neame pub, but had four Sheps on tap last time I was there a couple of weeks ago, including the seasonal spring Early Bird, which was delicious. They also have a great wine list, all of which you can buy by the glass. The food, both the normal evening and lunch fayre, and Sunday lunch, is superb. The building is really well done out, inclide and out. The garden area out the front is nice too with spectacular views. One of the best pubs in the area easily.
19 Apr 2011 14:53
For me, this place is great as purely drinking pub. They always have 4 or more ales on tap - always Harvey's and Masterbrew - which are kept well. The setting, on the square, is excellenent and the pub is done ouit well. However, I found the food to be poor quality and totally overpriced.
19 Apr 2011 14:43
The Dog and Bear Hotel, Lenham
The Dog and Bear is situated in a lovely building on the picturesque market square. The pub, however, is a bit disappointing. I like Shepherd Neame beers, but in recent time, they seem to only have two core ones on tap (Spitfire and Masterbrew), and lack the seasonal ales, which are Shep's best ales. The food and restaurant is also average at best (I have been there about four times for Sunday lunch and dinner) in hope that i may be wrong, but have been disappointed each occasion. Also, if there is such a thing as a chav pub in Lenham, this is it, as the few chavs that are about in Lenham seem to frequent the Dog and Bear.
19 Apr 2011 14:37
I agree with the last comment that the new management seem to be turning around this pub, but there is still some way to go. When I visited last two days ago, there were three decent Whistable brewery ales on tap. I tried the bittter equivalent and a stronger pale ale. Both were kept well and tasty.
I have had Sunday lunch there - the first time some months back, which was average. However, I had the Sunday lunch two days ago, which was delicious, and you also had the option of alternatives to roast meat, such as pie, which not all local pubs in the area do.
The setting is excellent and the building nice, however it could do with a refurb inside as the decor and furniture is strange and a bit tired.
19 Apr 2011 14:28
I attend this pub fairly regularly and agree with a lot of comments below. This CAN be a great local pub. It certainly has the old world/listed building charm with beams, log fire etc., that such a small rural town pub should have. The staff have always been friendly when I have been here and the beer is good � all Shepherd Neame, which is great with me (still serving my favourite drop: Shep�s autumn ale, Late Red, even in mid-May!) The atmosphere is generally laid back, but lively enough as not to make it boring. Food is good quality pub grub too, if a tad overpriced.
My only criticism would be that the management, for some reason (probably money), seem to insist on having a disco night every week/fortnight(?) on Fridays and Saturdays. They insist on playing ridiculously loud dance and rap music � totally inappropriate for such an old world pub and it has the undesirable effect of enticing every village or small town chav from a 10 mile radius to the Ship. So people who just fancy a quiet pint or some food in a pleasant setting not only have to put up with blearing chav music, but also the place being rammed full with mullet-haired, Lyle and Scott clad, mockney 18-21 year olds. This may make the management money, but for me totally spoils the image and ambiance of a decent pub, hence a 6/10 rating (the pub could easily be a 8/10, were it not for this aberration.)
20 May 2010 11:48
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The White Horse, Sandway
I write further to my earlier comment, and I write as a local who attends this pub fairly regularly, although would not regard myself as a regular. We had seen the beer festival of 8-10 July advertised all around Lenham, Sandway and Harrietsham, so mysef and my pregnant girlfriend thought we would pop in for a drink and a bit of dinner on the Saturday evening.
We were very disappointed that the pub asked us for a �6 entry fee (which I certainly did not see advertised on the numerous signs around the villages), as we only wanted to pop in for a quick drink and a bit of food (in my case to sample a couple of pints of the festival beer). I presumed that the whole idea of the beer festival would have been to get locals like us to attend the pub more regulary, rather than make money from entry fees? I have attended the Medway and Kent beer festivals previously, who offer over a hundred ales, and they only charge about �3!
Anyway, the net result was that we ended up taking out custom to the Red Lion in Lenham and spent over �50 on a meal and drinks. I would have liked to have seen if the new management had continued its improvement of the pub further, but won't bother now, which is disappointing, given that this pub is our local, being under a mile away!
9 Jul 2011 22:14