BITE user comments - Sweeps
Comments by Sweeps
We ducked in here after checking out engagement rings in the Lanes (I think my hubby-to-be very much needed a beer!) A roaring fire greeted us, along with some incredibly friendly bar staff. We holed up next to the fire for a couple of hours, drinking ale and red wine and eating some of the best pub food I have ever tasted (very reasonably priced also.)
Highly recommended!
20 Dec 2007 11:54
I would rather drink with "the worst type of braying City types" than a load of hoodies with knives!
Still adore this pub.
1 Aug 2007 14:36
Gearbox's comments re. refurbishment worried me somewhat, and sure enough, on a visit to the HM a few days ago I spotted the ominous notice on the wall.
How much damage can be done in 2 weeks..?
Youngs, if you are reading this, please, please don't mess about with this place too much. It is a special pub, and is a piece of music history. OK, the loos could do with a tart-up, and some of the couches are very manky, but please don't do anything else!!
1 Aug 2007 14:27
I have had some very cool nights at the Roxy, including celebrating my birthday there last year. It was a Friday night and I booked an area for roughly 20 people from 5.30 onwards, and when we arrived a large area had been duely set aside. We got stuck into the happy hour - half price pitchers of cocktails and 2-for-1 beers (bottles). When I booked the guy told me the deal - at 8pm our couches and tables would be removed as the whole bar turns into a dancefloor. We were prepared for this, and at 8pm a load of burley men turned up and quickly and expertly took all the furniture away. After this our night got crazy, and we rocked out to Nirvana, the Smiths, White Stripes... Brilliant!
The Roxy is about Rock and indie music, which is rare in London and I commend them for it. This is a decent bar in a good location, and agree with below comments, totally not up it's own arse.
18 Jun 2007 14:28
Thirst is a fab wee bar which specialises in super-dooper cocktails. I spent last Friday there and worked my way through the list. Loved watching the guys prepare them too - they have turned it into a real art form. The 'half price cocktails' happy hour is indeed fantastic and rare for smack bang in the middle of Soho.
This is a top place to meet mates early after work on a Friday, make use of the happy hour, and chill out. Also, if you're drinking on the pavement outside, entertainment can be had in watching the clientele coming in and out of the knocking shop across the road! Good laugh. :o)
18 Jun 2007 14:19
The Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden
This is a dear little pub in the heart of Covent Garden - yet just enough off the "beaten track". A lovely place to take visitors to London after a day of shopping in the markets.
18 Jun 2007 14:05
After an intensive search that lasted most of summer 2006, The Hill emerged the winner of the Best Pimms in London award.
Seriously good Pimms - heaving with stawbs, cucumber, lemon, orange...
Worth checking out, a quirky and interesting boozer.
9 Feb 2007 14:18
Rules for Henry J Beans:
Go on a gorgeous summers' day,
Get there early to grab a table in the garden,
Order some pitchers of frozen margaritas and that's you sorted.
No point in visiting if you can't get to the garden - it is truly one of the best in London. Boozer itself is nothing to write home about.
9 Feb 2007 14:03
The Sanctuary House, Westminster
Lovely-looking pub, both inside and out. Non-smoking area which is a bonus, and friendly bar staff. Well worth a visit just to try the chicken pie - it is divine!
If you happen to be escorting friends or family visiting from overseas around Westminster Abbey/Big Ben etc, this is a great boozer to pop into for lunch as it is not crowded at all in the weekends, due to being largely surrounded by offices.
9 Feb 2007 13:56
I have a special place in my heart for the Founders Arms as it is the first pub I went to in London 6 years ago(literally hours after stepping off the plane!) It was a Friday evening in August, a stunning summer's day, and I sat looking out at St Paul's Cathedral drinking vodkas and thinking "I'm in London!!"
And this is the experience I try to recreate whenever I have friends or family from overseas visiting in the summertime. We meet on Blackfriars Bridge and walk down to the F.A, and try to get one of their outside tables. We soak in the view and stay until the sun goes down to watch the City and the dome of St Pauls light up.
This is what the Founders Arms is all about; yes, it's an ugly pub and the drinks are quite pricey and the food very standard. But - what a position! Go in the summer and definitely sit outside.
29 Jan 2007 14:48
Spent a Saturday night here a few weeks ago with a group of mates and had a fantastic time! This was mainly down to the music - how often can you go to a bar in London and hear Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Hives, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, The Pixies... there was not a dud song to be heard.
I was also rather taken with the Espresso Martinis - my new favourite drink - mixed to perfection. A good list of cocktails overall actually.
OK the place is crawling with Saffas - but later on in the evening they take off to the Thai Square anyway.
29 Jan 2007 14:38
I love this pub for several reasons: Good vibe, an eclectic mix of drinkers, excellent & regular bar staff (I have never waited long to be served), and fantastic music (The Who, Killers, Stone Roses, White Stripes...). I also like the fact that this pub has not been mucked around with; it hasn't been "gastroed" or done up - it has stayed true to it's roots. I hope it never changes! One down side is it can get extremely smokey, however with the new laws about to come in this will cease to be a problem. I feel lucky to have this piece of rock and roll history as my local!
29 Jan 2007 14:27
Call me crazy, but if there is one thing I really don't enjoy it's being blatantly ripped off. Agree with all the below comments about food portions a group of us visited for lunch recently and we all left hungry. What's that about?!
The Duke's Head has the advantage of being in a stunning location (one of the best in London.) It's just a shame that the only way you can now enjoy the view is by paying a fortune for a tiny wee plate of food.
Very impressed with the smoke-free move however; they got that right.
27 Jan 2007 20:47
Typical central London boozer. However I really love the urban roof garden; nestled in amongst the chimney tops, a perfect spot to while away a summer evening after work.
27 Jan 2007 20:34
This is a solid pub. I have been there maybe a dozen times now and never been disappointed. The staff are friendly, the food fantastic (particularly good Sunday roast) and the atmosphere pretty chilled. It does get busy on a Sunday, so it pays to book if you want to eat. Yes there can be quite a few "Rahs" but they are pleasant overall.
Oh, and I agree entirely with The Claw's comments below; The banoffee pie is indescribable. Apparently people phone ahead to check there is some left!
27 Jan 2007 20:29
The Spencer Arms, Putney
Had a really nice meal here with friends last night. The staff were extremely friendly and service was excellent. The food was superb - I had roast duck breast with the creamiest mash I ever tasted - and I tried some of my bloke's pork belly which was scrumptious. The prices are expensive - for a gastro pub - then again but I think the Spencer Arms is leaning more towards restaurant than gastro pub. Nice location too, as it's tucked away down Lower Richmond Road it keeps the masses away!
Overall, we had a thoroughly enjoyable time at Spencer Arms. Recommended.
8 Feb 2008 16:43