BITE user comments - The_Pub_Inspector
Comments by The_Pub_Inspector
location is everything, if this place was away from the station, it would be dead.
we had the worst ever sunday lunch in here , last weekend. staff were fine , meal was microwaved mush, dryed out roast spuds and 3 pieces of leather that was supposed to be beef.
not impressed at all.
also the blackboard outside says �6.95, the menu inside says �8.95
inretrospect , i suppose we got what we paid for as most other places charge over �10 for roast around here
24 Aug 2010 15:58
was in on saturday, waited for ages to be served 4 pints and 4 burgers, pints all needed top-ups, burgers all needed re-naming as they def were not burger as we know it.
Hopefully this place is one of the M&B pubs sold to stonegate, maybe they will do something with it. This place make weatherspoons look posh!
24 Aug 2010 15:52
For sale.... very worn out and in need of a load of TLC by new owners
29 Jun 2010 22:52
in for a quick one today at lunch, a lovely pint of Hobgoblin, quite busy at 2pm
12 Oct 2009 15:28
The Nell Gwynne, Covent Garden
was in here last sat on pub crawl , toilets were fine, football was on tv , but with music on, bar staff were lovely and helpful , we stayed for 2 pints,
have always enjoyed this pub. will be back.
6 Oct 2009 11:08
closed for private function on saturday last. couldnt go in so proceeded back towards the river
6 Oct 2009 11:04
first time Ive been in here on a weekend, was a lot quieter than during the week, have to agree with previous poster, wondered what the hats and antlers were all about. Oxford gold was good drop, but my mate wasnt happy with no cider on tap. strong paint smell due to recent works. only stayed for 1 then continued on our way.
4 Oct 2009 11:38
The Hole In The Wall, Waterloo
started a saturday pub crawl in here, TEA was spot on and service was fine, sports on the TV's and a good start to the day.
we returned about 9pm at the end of the crawl for one last pint before catching trains home.
4 Oct 2009 11:23
just like it says on the door , its a nicholsons pub . expect rubbish and sometimes be plesently surprised. however on this quick stopover, there was nothing plesant at at. my pint of pride was murky, the brunette had a red wine which was off, left both drinks and carried on our way.
3 Oct 2009 09:46
used to have bands on sat night I think. If this is the right pub , it has picnic tables in the car park. and I went there with a lovely lady I met some time ago who lived locally. shame if its gone downhill as we had a few good nights in here
1 Oct 2009 23:01
Another fulham pub for sale, this is one of about 7 pubs in fulham area for sale.
Is this indicative of the area?
28 Sep 2009 21:23
was in here a few fridays ago with friends who live nearby. place was busy till 9ish. staff switched on and helpful, gave tastings on ales. and they sell champagne by the glass ( although the brunette and friend drank the whole bottle anyway). not a great selection of beers but good enough for me. will return when in the area again
24 Sep 2009 10:11
Called in with the brunette on a rainy thursday afternoon, a couple of pints of hophead lightening ( i think) and Rose' for her. found the pub to be clean , tidy and welcoming. we sat out in the glasshouse area, shame its not open enough to be a smoking area. beer was in good condition , will plan to return when next in area.
19 Sep 2009 12:49
in for lunch , had a very good pint of skinners "cornish knocker" was �2 pint
looking cleaner than before
13 Aug 2009 22:13
The Hole In The Wall, Waterloo
best in the area , beers are always spot on , good range. Was on TEA last night i was there. nice russian barmaids , easy on the eye. always pop in when in the area.
12 Aug 2009 15:37
trys to be upmarket bar but basic run-of-the-mill beers on tap. not sure what they are trying to achieve here. not my type of place at all. the mrs liked it so will prob be back at some time
12 Aug 2009 15:32
5 beggars in 20 mins, no chance of a quiet drink here. very basic collection on tap a few boutique beers in bottles.
not great but not bad either
12 Aug 2009 15:28
went in tuesday lunch. pint of lager and saus n mash both were good.
went in thurs night with the mrs, lager was fine , pimms was badly made and missing most of the fruits. food wasnt as good as previous.
this place is abvertised for sale so maybe changes are coming?
nice beer garden out back, was impreesed by that much
6/10 because they are sort of trying.
12 Aug 2009 15:26
gone downhill fast. not worth the visit now. went to windsor castle instead.
shame, it used to be a well run pub
19 Jul 2009 16:02
White Lion Of Mortimer, Finsbury Park
crap. we chanced it as friends live about 4 doors away. beer was cheap and good qual. staff were bored, other customers were interesting in the strangest way and one old geezer pissed himself while standing at the bar. will wander further away next time
3 Jul 2009 20:23
needs a clean up , staff have always been friendly. only on game day is it realyy worth it.
3 Jul 2009 20:18
feral , disgusting , dirty and totally unkept. thats just the staff , the pub and regulars are in even worse condition. wouldnt wish this place on anyone.
3 Jul 2009 20:16
The Twelve Pins, Finsbury Park
the best in finsbury park , but still well below par. no real ale so wont be a regular visitor.
3 Jul 2009 20:13
great if you get a seat in the garden , staff are strange , is this a pub or a restaurant? staff dont seem to stick to the same tables so you have to tell the waiter/ess each time they offer to get your drinks for you. food is average but overpriced. will visit again but not soon
29 Jun 2009 00:13
A little bit of paint and some cleaning in the toilets still doesnt disguise an absolute crap hole of a pub. manager is a northern tosspot with a chip on his shoulder. once a lovely pub with good people running it, now a waste of me.
a 1 for the fact we were served the beer we asked for
23 Jun 2009 23:38
apparently its for sale , perhaps we might get decent new owners that at least know how to clean a pub
23 Jun 2009 23:26
harveys Sussex best bitter on today , a good pint poured. ham, egg & chips for lunch. beer & meal �7.75. very happy with that. was a bit of painting going on during my visit as well , the place is looking a lot cleaner than previous. keep it up.
18 Jun 2009 16:14
Sports always on and advertised in the window.
Marstons pedigree on handpump now , apparantly next beer on is TEA from hogs back brewery in surrey
�2 per pint on weekends as introduction ( so it says on the posters)
painting the inside walls has started
this place is def starting to improve.
4 Jun 2009 23:35
Also surprised to find it closed on saturday. other pubs were very busy.
strange that m&B let the manager close on a saturday. they normally want the slaves working all hours.
4 May 2009 14:25
called in here with the missus on sat night after a brick lane dinner , Saw it was a Thorley tavern and have seen them on the Pub channel on sky. maybe they forgot about this pub when they spoke of customer service and attention to detail. I can understand the place gets busy but still no excuse for dirty tables , bar area and staff who struggle with pint of fosters and Jd & coke please ( had to say it 3 times slowly). For a drink in the area i would say there are better pubs close by. they must do better to keep locals coming back.
4 May 2009 14:23
With dave as the governor , this place is doing fantasticly well. how long till M&B shit on him and he leaves.
1 May 2009 16:19
Watched the liverpool / chelsea champions league matchs in here , good session , no decent ale so opted for fosters , was clean and cold. toilets must be the cleanest in the area. staff are very good , switched on and friendly.
The Latvian hottie has been replaced with an italian hottie.
1 May 2009 16:13
Top Pub , always good laugh in here , drink with some rather strange and remarkable people.
We met stripper from the bar along the rd , city boys form aover the rd, tourist form canada . 2 very fit italian girls who came out to dinner with us after.
pub itself needs a good clean , esp the loo's but we enjoyed a good sat afternoon in here.
1 May 2009 16:10
tries hard to be cool , but at the end of the day its still an M&B chain pub. and that shows in it service and lack of quality
4 Apr 2009 17:51
The Punch Tavern, Fleet Street
Seen it for sale on christies website
they are asking very high premium for it. rep from christies told me that the owners are not too interested in selling but if someone pays the asking price , they will consider it.
till then , just a craphole!!
20 Mar 2009 15:13
went in here on same tuesday as visiting the PA, further along the rd , we were the only customers all the 3/4 hour we were in here . 1 pint each and on our way. very quiet and fishbowlish sitting in the window
17 Mar 2009 15:39
popped in here on a tuesday , a few weeks ago , interesting crowd, good bar staff , average, slightly sour pint of guinness, place still in need of a good clean.
heard that plans are afoot for refurbishment. no doubt "watch this space"
17 Mar 2009 15:36
Everyboby was kung fu fighting!!!!!! , didnt spill my beer though... visited here on a sat night approx 8pm...... wont bother again
5 Mar 2009 17:21
went in here on a sunday afternoon , oct 2008 , watched chelsea on the tv,s , the place wasnt busy but had reasonable turn out. bar staff were friendly and helpful when I asked where the commentary would be. Drank lager ( fosters , I think) as no real ales. its was ok , good place to watch sports and whittle a few hours away
4 Mar 2009 15:59
The George, Great Portland Street
used to enjoy a beer or 2 in here when mark was the publican. all the barmaids ( except Simon) were well fit and the beer was well kept. I could easily spend an afternoon in there watching sports and viewing Kerry's Boobs... such a shame its changed
24 Feb 2009 21:40
The Crown and Sceptre, Fitzrovia
went in last week afterwork, waited 10mins to be served a becks and a cider. staff were working hard but achieving nothing in a hurry. stood outside to drink and decided easier to go over to the yorkshire grey. where we were served very quickly and beers were top notch.
24 Feb 2009 21:34
went in here last sunday , spitfire for me and glass of wine for her , nice crowd for a sunday evening. would be nice with a little background music but overall we liked it. unlike alehound we like the old style and the barstaff have always been friendly. It also has a good selection of ales , unlike the oddfellows who dont.
24 Feb 2009 21:14
The Walrus and Carpenter, Monument
fully agree with peterwarlock , Its been a long time since having a decent beer in here. Even the pride in the britannia is better and thats saying something.
Go to the Ship , Brain the governor there ( thinks he's still there) is a proper publican who knows his beers. ( no, he didnt pay me to say that)
24 Feb 2009 21:07
Love it , always use this pub when in liverpool st area. far better than any of M&B's offerings that strangle the area. always a good pint in here. youngs ordinary during the day and a special in the evening.
24 Feb 2009 21:00
The Sir Paul Pindar, Bishopsgate
Have since found out that this pub is part of the same "district" as the green man in Berwick st , Soho. that pub has all the same problems and when speaking to staff at both sites , they say its all cost cutting and also an annoying area manager who is straight out of school and to quote a manager that works at another of the groups pubs "he's an absolute useless little dickhead". I know the manageress here and do wonder why she even tries.
24 Feb 2009 20:56
The Crystal Palace Tavern, East Dulwich
so this place is for sale? saw in a catalogue, will return in summer , see if if changes. beer was ok , I liked the back room bar area
19 Jan 2009 16:58
the theme from "deliverance" strikes a chord in here as i enter. 8 sets of beer-fuddled eyes turn and look. I ask for a guinness and and am asked where I am from "as if it matters". " Dont be nosey" was the answer. I came in for a beer , not a geography quiz. funnily enough all eyes turned away and left me to my guinness and newspaper. guinness was average, have had better, pub was in dire need of cleaning. wont return but am very rarely in dulwich
19 Jan 2009 16:56
The Pilgrim Bar & Kitchen, Kennington
was dead as a door nail when we popped in the other day , didnt stay for long.
15 Jan 2009 17:23
gone to the dogs in here. bad service, bad vibe , now just another shithole on the clapham high st curcuit
15 Jan 2009 17:20
sunday night visit , had a great pint of Rev James, was well kept. bar staff were knowledgeable and polite. I enjoyed the olde-world atmosphere ot the place.
22 Dec 2008 16:21
went in with a firend who lives in the area , completly different reception this time. London pride was in very good condition, barmaid was very easy on the eye, enjoyed the visit.
22 Dec 2008 15:03
called in friday 8pm, not too busy but a nice little crowd. I liked the way its decorated but it all needs a bloody good clean. service was friendly, the barmaid had all the right bits in the right places, :-) the only bitter was courage best which i,m not a fan of at any time so i had a lager instead, overall , visit was enjoyable and would return when the place has had a wash.
17 Dec 2008 16:23
walked in on thursday evening, felt like I was being given the once over by every person in the pub. had a quick pint and continued on my way. this is def a locals only pub so it would seem.
7 Dec 2008 14:00
called in on thursday. is apparantly under new ownership.
ales to be in early - mid december , food to start at same time. lager was in very good condition but new landlord ( 1 day ) said he had only just cleaned the lines that day. will return soon to sample ales and food , overall pub is very nice and comfortable.
7 Dec 2008 13:56
had lunch in here , not good at all , I have been in here a few times but this was a particularly bad visit , slow service, short poured pints and generally not good at all. this place should be the best in town , the site is amazing but it allways seems to struggle to to get out of the lower divisions.
30 Nov 2008 17:46
was in here for a saturday swifty, good size crowd but very soulless. staff were not interested in anything , carried on down to the george for the rugby.
30 Nov 2008 17:39
Waxy's Little Sister, Piccadilly Circus
One would assume that this place is spot on , The manager has only been here 2-3 months so should be getting stuck in and making sure that all is top notch.
unfortunatly this is not the case. A right slop hole and very sour staff ( unless they fancy you, it would seem). not the best pint of guinness ive ever had and service was very slow. This company needs to look at its staff hiring process before they ruin a once ok pub..
30 Nov 2008 15:21
Such great potential , such a bad offer... but if only to be accused of listening in to other peoples conversations. A couple were in here on friday evening and he was sizing up everything, taking notes on things and his female partner said that she hopes he gets the pub , she really likes it.
So maybe a new manager is on his / her way ? anyway , only had a quick pint then my dinner companions arrived and we left for elsewhere for dinner. Ive always liked here and do agree that its been a bit hit and miss.
29 Nov 2008 20:05
used to watch football and rugby in here a bit, the place used to be a good little hideaway for midweek sessions.
The place seems to have lost all soul now , too bland and boring for me , maybe because i'm not a cider drinker.
Did anyone know that the kiwi guy who ran it as a sports pub actually won M&B sports pub manager of the year while here. shame they changed it , i've never seen it busy anymore. another M&B cock-up is my opinion.
28 Nov 2008 14:57
Robert , you are quite wrong , real ales dont need gas. infact the best way to serve is to have your cask behind the bar and pour direct. ( very few pubs do this)( see photos of beer festivals for more traditional ways of dispensing ales.) .the gas is used to keep line pressure in beerlines that run from a celler up to a bar, if the cellar was above the service point , gravity could be used instead. The ale itself does not need gas. Anyway , went in here on a walk through soho the other day , only 1 ale on.. not too good . however always have enjoyed my visits here, just not this time.
26 Nov 2008 20:18
The Horniman at Hays, Southwark
To quote Cathrine tate " whaaaaaaat a shithole" , ages to get served , blocked toilet, over cooked inedible food. worst of the area. we wont do lunch here again
26 Nov 2008 18:09
having just seen the comments in here , Looks like a continued theme here, I met a mate who works nearby in here and we witnessed 2 females being told that the pub is not a "fast food" outlet. the girls said they had been waiting 35 minutes. now I dont know but 35 minutes seems a bit long. esp when the place wasnt that busy. we had had a burger king meal on the way home, now that was fast food. whoever owns this place needs to look carefully at how much trade is being lost due to bad service and rude staff. beer was in good condition , cant remember what we drank..
22 Nov 2008 13:03
No longer an M&B pub.... yippee ,, now we see a far better pub , clean , tidy , great food and good staff... capital pub co, i believe has bought the place.
20 Nov 2008 14:52
Visited here after the george , found it to be 1/2 busy , clean and ok . toilets were fine. 2 pints of pride and friend had a burger. all good , good service, staff actually looked attentive. fast becoming the best "pub" in the area , mainly because all the others are really going downhill. will be back i here tonight with 5 of us from work
20 Nov 2008 14:13
Pooped in for a quick today , OMG , what has happened here , the place is filthly, and ferral , standing at the bar with a friend ,you cant but help notice the dirt and grime everywhere. I know the company who owns this pub went broke but has someone else bought it yet??? we finished our beers and went to the ship ( fullers pub ) nearby ,
20 Nov 2008 14:09
Woodins Shades, Liverpool Street
arrived in here after being disgusted with the pindar up the road, only to be served another short pint of london pride. Surprise , surprise , another M&B pub not serving beer coreectly. Is it part of the staff training to serve short pints and not care? the way the bar girl said sorry, was totally as if she didnt give a toss. another customer moaned about the taste of his beer while we were there.. not sure which one he was having... The girl had to get the manager before she was able to pour a replacement so the bloke had to wait about 4-5 mins before being given a replacement ( grudgingly). needeless to say our tuesday afternoon drinks werent going to plan.....
20 Nov 2008 12:47
The Sir Paul Pindar, Bishopsgate
This is supposed to be an M&B flagship , and its is , It just about sums up M&B's total lack of respect for their customers. Service was 6 mins to get 2 beers , both poured very short and the face pulling by the idiot bar maid when we asked for them to be topped up was incredible. Pride was ok to drink but not fantastic , went to the toilets to find a disgusting smell and no soap or tissue. will avoid like the plague now ...
20 Nov 2008 12:38
Departure Bar and Restaurant, Aldgate/Tower Hill
Is the the druggie place that stays open till 8am on sat/sun morning???
just up the hill from P&P
12 Nov 2008 21:58
had a guinness and a vodka / coke, asked for permission to plug in laptop, recieved big smile and was shown some sockets to sit near to. service was fine , toilets were clean, nice and quiet , ( it was late afternoon). except my g/f left one of her gloves there and I cant be bothered going all the way back to Balham for a glove.
12 Nov 2008 17:10
staff used to be ok , customers were always the chavs of the area, esp when the puzzle closed. now the staff are rubbish, the chavs have changed their shirts but still are as feral as ever. a quick pint and then carried on , wont return
12 Nov 2008 17:01
The Slug and Lettuce, Fitzrovia
was a haha bar now a slag and legless , and thats who they cater for. dismal service, overpriced dricks and generally liken it to sitting in a goldfish bowl
12 Nov 2008 13:18
best in the area , we drink in here quite ofen , always a smile by the staff, may not be the widest choice but always in good condition , food was fine, nice outside seating, million miles better than the crown and sceptre rathouse across the road.
12 Nov 2008 13:16
needs a refit and development , potential for a top class pub, ban all under 21,s and anyone in tracksuits and trainers. , this being the first pub you see when getting off the train does sidcup no favours at all... 0/10 cause right now its total rubbish
11 Nov 2008 19:51
has a rating of 3.6 ??? I would agree , Did you know Nicholsons head office is above this pub? makes you wonder why this has the lowest rating of all nicholsons, perhaps because all the dickhead graduate area managers come in here and try to bully the staff , rather than let them serve the paying public. I actually have pity on the staff that work here.
10 Nov 2008 21:46
last pub of the day , always like this place , its still a boozer, Nicholsons do try to ruin it but the tot just is too trashy for it to work. had a guinness and a vodka chaser. mmmmm .. now to look forward to a tube ride home...
10 Nov 2008 21:41
The Pontefract Castle, Marylebone
first pub of the day, overheard the chaps in front of me say they thought the beer wasnt right, opted for guinness instead. head was huge but after some coaxing the barman topped it up ( 2 times). cant comment on anything else as didnt eat or use the loo. This seems to be just another nicholsons chain pub. will stick to the cock and lion when in this area.
10 Nov 2008 21:37
quick pint on our travels around soho , Why is it famous for sausages?? is it a butcher shop in disguise? I thought it was famous for being a tiny little bar and normally only good to visit on a summers day so you can stand outside in the sun ( 2 days per year) was ok , but its def lost some of the character it used to have.
10 Nov 2008 21:25
mid afternoon , wasn't too busy , still had 7 min wait to be served a short poured pint of pride, beer was average, used to be good when Big mark ran the place, wasnt impressed overall on this visit. Aonther M&B losing it due to inept company policies
10 Nov 2008 21:19
The Argyll Arms, Oxford Circus
good pint of pride 5/10 , disgusting toilets, why are there no downstairs toilets anymore?, dirty and smelly , I know its a busy station pub but M&B should do better with a so-called flagship site. far better pubs closeby.
10 Nov 2008 21:15
This is not a nicholsons pub as stated by rexRattus, its a capital pub co pub. the red lion around the corner is the Nicholsons. The Golden lion was 1/2 full when we arrived, we both had guinness , was served in good condition and well settled. staff were ok , worth a visit when in the area
10 Nov 2008 14:44
Was in last night , tried the ale, wadworth "malt & hops" was ok , went for another and it had run out , all 3 ales taps off. changed to guinness, they only do the extra cold version ( more pubs doing this nowdays??), didnt try the food but saw plenty going out, Looks like the gents have had a recent refurb, they were clean and well stocked as they should be. overall impressions was the pubs a bit grubby but that seems to be how the locals like it. I thought it just lacked character. will visit again only because its so close to tube station.
7 Nov 2008 14:11
The Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden
Very hit and miss is my experience of the lamb. Beer is normally pretty good , but the place is small , always enjoyed more in the summer when we can stand outside. worth a visit most days.
7 Nov 2008 13:44
What has happened here? , I go away for 6 months and coming back one of my favourite pubs, I find massive changes. The pool table has gone, all the flags and colour have gone, leaving a very drab pub. I asked for a pint of pride. it was disgusting. and the barman had the cheek to reply "what is wrong with it" , my obviously near retching face wasnt enough to get the message across. I changed to a Guinness which wasnt much better, this is surprising as the beer was always good here. I had a burger for lunch and it came quite quickly. it was however on par with the beer , total rubbish. On inspection , toilets were flooded and the gents cubilce was blocked and seemed to be a rubbish tipping ground and not in use for some time. Im assuming there is no control here at the moment, none of the staff wanted to ake responsibility and the manager was apparently not around. This was such a good pub before, The old manager may have been a bit gruff sometimes but at least the pub was in far batter shape than now. wony be back for a long time now, will stay around the corner at the george.
7 Nov 2008 12:26
Back to The_Pub_Inspector's profile
The Crown, Borough
I think the previous poster must be a bit mixed up, the crown is definatly not they have described.
it doesnt open on weekends
it doesnt normally have loud music ( sometime no music)
most customers are very nice and come from the local workers of the area.
it has a sign saying no workboots, football tops or tracksuits.
I wouls say that the crown sometimes is more of a restaurant than a pub .
maybe southwarker is trying to mislead people or has simply got the wrong pub.
Also the mentioned "rose and crown" around the corner is in fact a good 10 min walk closer to the henry or the albert, both of which are at the top end of blackfriars rd.
I like the crown, its clean and well kept, it does 3 good ales and keeps the guiness ( my tipple) in tiptop condition.
25 Nov 2010 10:23