BITE user comments - bighands
Comments by bighands
Its bit odd that snarling mallard alludes to the " barracks next door" ~ they closed in 1996 (eighteen years before he wrote the comment). Apart from the cryptic name, you'd struggle to find anything remotely military in, or around, the pub.
That's naughty ~ dismissing a pub with spurious accusations.
The Berry's beer is very impressive in both choice and quality.
27 Nov 2015 13:46
This is an astonishingly good little pub. Quite a surprise! Hidden in a back street, it offers excellently kept beer, very competent staff and a wonderful atmosphere. Food exists alongside the pub, rather than its focus. (It's a burger operation based in the *garden* which means the place doesn't stink of food!) Occasional music is usually very good. There's a regularly changing art display.
The customers all seem friendly and interesting; your dogs are welcome; there's usually something happening and it feels like a pub should be ~ nicely eclectic, warm, clean and safe.
I really like it.
3 Dec 2014 17:44
Vastly improved from previous comments. Clean. Eastenders on telly. Beer was OK but the wine was awful.
18 Nov 2013 21:56
It's been closed a while now and now trades as a French restaurant.
10 Oct 2013 17:59
Idyllic location, this popular pub has been acquired by Shepherd Neame. It has been much improved (the decor is popular for many, although I'm not a fan) and delivers very good beer and reasonably priced food. Can get very busy and nearby parking difficult ~ but, once you find it, your effort will be rewarded! Welcomes dogs too!
17 Aug 2013 12:42
Odd pub seeking new markets. Ambitions as a gastro pub ~ but the menu doesn't reflect this. One cask beer ~ mine was indifferent. You cannot deny they are trying ~ not sure where they're going though. I doubt I'll go back ~ yet I'd like to support them.
17 Aug 2013 12:39
Very nice pub. Well kept beer, excellent staff and nice atmosphere. Nice decor too. In a market increasingly vandalised with Farrow & Ball colour schemes, bleached ropes and piles of pebbles, this seaside pub retains a charming, timeless feel. Delightful.
17 Aug 2013 12:30
Despite its dreary exterior (don't be put off) this delightful pub does what a good pub does ~ and does it very well. Good beer, friendly, interesting people and good value. It's an oasis and worthy of the praise it receives.
Notably it's eclectic, every changing beer range is described well on discreet blackboards on the wall and tasters are available. They keep the beer in first class order. It's clearly a place with a clear vision of what they do.
17 Aug 2013 12:27
Utterly delightful pub. Good beer, ideal location and good decor. Staff were knowledgeable and friendly too!
11 Aug 2013 07:20
Unassuming pub which, for bonfire, was stripped of furniture and looked bleak. Yet I was pleasantly surprised by the bubbly bar staff and the 'chavvy' customers were really quite polite and welcoming. We went back later.
This pub won't win awards ~ but it was an entirely enjoyable experience.
7 Nov 2012 08:09
I know it was bonfire ~ but �4.50 for a beer clearly exploited the situation and you got very little for it. If you were trying to make the business fail then you are right on target. Oh, and a tip for the owner; shut the pub kitchen door. People might see how awful it is. Epic awful, I'd say.
7 Nov 2012 08:05
It's clean and welcoming ~ although �3.60 for a pint of orange juice & lemonade is steep (I was driving).
Menu was a little bit more expensive than I expected ~ especially considering the Brakes lorry parked outside.
It clearly trades well and it is run efficiently ~ but I've no compelling urge to go back.
20 Sep 2012 09:42
The uncertainty about the Windmill's future has been resolved. It's been closed and is, currently, being converted into two houses (?). Another bit of history gone.
23 Aug 2012 12:11
The Swan and Harlequin, Faversham
Visited on a Monday night and was pleasantly surprised. This pub has had an unfortunate reputation in the past ~ but now I found it busy, vibrant, clean and welcoming. Nice mixed client�le. The "Going For Gold" bitter, straight from the cask in the cellar, was fantastic and good value.
It is clear the licensee and his staff are putting a lot of effort in. It's worthy of support because it really is very good indeed.
24 Jul 2012 10:22
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street
No valid London pub crawl can omit this gem. A wonderful unspoilt classic in easy walking distance from the architecturally beautiful Blackfriars, the enormous Citte of Yorkke and the tiny Ye Olde Mitre. Add the Princess Louise and the Angel in Holborn and you've a perfect pub crawl!
6 Jun 2012 09:33
Clean and warm pub. The beer was good value. Food was disappointing. I felt it was overpriced for utterly underwhelming fodder. I had to fish around in a thin sauce to find meat in my steak and stilton pie.
4 May 2012 13:27
There are some absurd postings below. Having just paid �3.90 for London Pride (it was �5 for draught Peroni) in the Sussex at Seven Dial, I reckon Sam Smiths pubs still remain a steal.
The PL remains an iconic pub and the licensee is one of the hardest working people I know. It's a tough job, he's good at it and maybe he's allowed to have off days from time to time. Sam Smith's pubs continue to defy the nasty prevailing wind blowing through the trade. They recognise traditional places and treat them with respect. So if you want cheap beer and chips you'd be better at the 'Spoons down the road. Don't whinge about this gem.
15 Apr 2012 14:42
We visited on a sunny Saturday afternoon in April. I thought he pub was utterly delightful. I sat for a full hour trying to find fault with it ~ but I couldn't. It was fantastically clean, the decor and lighting just perfect. My daughter noted the music was just the right level (and I hate music in pubs). The staff were cheerful and friendly.The food choice was good. Drink and food for two was �26. I was happy with that.
They allow dogs in (thank you). Parking can be difficult nearby.
I have run good pubs for over twenty years. I'd struggle to improve on this place.
15 Apr 2012 09:46
Popped in for a couple of pints on cold Saturday lunchtime. The pub was heaving with musicians from the town hall concert. Landlord & landlady seemed fine. It seemed fine and looked like it was improving.
11 Feb 2012 17:17
The Basketmakers Arms, Brighton
I know of no other pub that can be both a fine drinking pub in its own right AND provide food comfortably alongside. Everything this pub does well. The staff are brilliant ~ attentive, cheerful and efficient. With so many pubs being made over so badly it is utterly refreshing to visit a pub as it should be; and busy to boot.
(Incidentally, my pub is one that features in the latest CamRA's Great British Pubs guide ~ but my pub is nothing against this wonderful institution)
7 Nov 2011 12:28
Seduced by a glorious tiled exterior ~ we was wrong. Nice to see bar billiards. But it was indifferent beer in Guinness glasses. This is a live music venue primarily. Cue bored looking staff and nasty interior. I bet it used to be lovely.
27 Jun 2011 11:14
Noisy and pricey. Keen staff. What's with the glass tankards? Odd gimmick.
27 Jun 2011 11:10
After 35 years, and at the age of seventy, Chris Smith is about to retire on 31st May 2011. The Gate Inn is an iconic pub and has few equals.
For all the supporters and wellwishers this is a heavy blow. Our hopes and prayers are that Shepherd Neame find a suitable replacement and that this tradition can continue ~ but it'll be the toughest act to follow.
3 Feb 2011 18:51
The Royal Lion Hotel, Lyme Regis
This is a nice hotel bar. Bright, clean and the staff are good. I accept the warm beer criticism. They need to investigate installing an Ale Python Cooling System which stops the beer warming up in the line. The first pint out, currently, is ghastly.
Maybe dim the lights a little and abolish the fire screen that hides a little treasure! They also welcome dogs which is a big plus ~ especially where food is served. Thank you!
8 Jan 2011 16:29
A nice, if utterly ordinary, pub. A good welcome for dog owners. But I'm not sure I'd walk up that hill again for a pint. Maybe I missed something there?
7 Jan 2011 22:56
A nice friendly pub with good beer. It suffers from the same post-smoking ban issue of having to walk the gauntlet of smokers in the doorway that many pubs do. But inside it is friendly, warm, clean and the beer is excellent! Fight your way past them!
7 Jan 2011 22:54
The Swan and Harlequin, Faversham
It appears the licencee, Dave, was relieved of his personal licence after a misunderstanding with the constabulary (16/12/10). The new DPS has vowed to rid the pub of under-25's, shots, drunkeness etc. I wish him well. But now where are the idiots going to go?
20 Dec 2010 10:54
Visited the Harp for the first time yesterday. It was spectacularly ordinary ~ meant as a compliment. There was nothing quirky or distinctive. But shining through was excellent beer (and cider), friendly staff and a very warm feeling about the place.
What is so complex about what this pub does that other pubs cannot comprehend? Its beauty is its simplicity. I fully understand why it is the CamRA POTY in London. I'll definitely be going back ~ its a corker!
23 Nov 2010 11:47
This pub shows how wonderful Sam Smith pubs are ~ their diversity is refreshing. The Angel is delightful and, apart from the odd laminated sign, could be film sets for the 60's. I kept expecting Michael Caine and Bob Hoskins to walk in. Lovely pub!
1 Aug 2010 22:38
This pub is the finest example of its type. Sympathetically restored. Beer is excellent. The landlord is an institution and deserves his own preservation order.
The loos, stunning as they are, smell terribly.
But my number one!
1 Aug 2010 22:28
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham
This is an iconic pub and well worthy of a visit. Get a local to show you what there is; I'd have missed lots of fabulous spaces otherwise. The rooms upstairs are a treat.
The fruit machine, fag machine, CCTV, low-energy lamps, EPOS, alarm monitors and statutory signage diminish it a bit.
Beer was good though.
1 Aug 2010 22:26
It would seem Brian, the landlord, has disappeared. The pub is now closed and rumours abound about debts. Sad, really
19 May 2009 23:21
This is now called Villa Toscana and is a dedicated Italian restaurant that does exactly what a restaurant does. It isn't, sadly, a pub.
19 Dec 2008 23:32
The Bridge Inn, Lydd
Sadly this pub appears to have died. Boarded up and awaiting sale. Unlikely to be a pub ever again.
15 Sep 2016 23:04