BITE user comments - bods
Comments by bods
Was running as "The Pop-up Prince" and then "The Prince" for a while but is now closed pending refurbishment.
Will be reopening as The Provenance, run by Antic London pubs.
2 Jan 2013 15:17
The Grove Tavern, South Wimbledon
Tragically this busy and thriving pub has ended up in the hands of Tesco who want to convert it to a Tesco Express.
if they go ahead this branch of Tesco Express will be a whopping 0.1 miles away from the nearest branch of Tesco Express.
31 Jul 2012 15:13
I visited the Boot Inn several times during the June bank holiday. Whilst I can see why some people think it was lacking in atmosphere, that's mainly because on my visits it was mainly couples or small parties quietly chatting away to themselves. I myself was a sole walker after a pint at the end of the day so I was more than grateful I could hear myself think! That said, I wish they'd not had the TV on. I do dislike TVs being on when no one is watching.
The staff were friendly and welcoming � the manager certainly very chatty. The food was good, the beer well kept. The snags for me were that food wasn't served on a Sunday evening (which was the first time I tried to eat there.) A lot of people were turned away on that visit due to lack of food. Also, if you want food you'd better get there early � the next night they'd stopped serving by 7:45 which seemed excessively early.
But this isn�t a bad pub. Compared to Brook House down the road which was very full of large dining groups on every visit, I know which pub I prefer!
Robinsons are looking for a new tenant for the pub. Should you fancy it.
12 Jun 2012 13:53
The Prince of Wales, Colliers Wood
Closed again. Future uncertain. apparently reposesed.
10 May 2012 17:26
The Mottram Wood, Mottram in Longdendale
Frankly depressing place attached to a Premier Inn. Had two handpulls, one of which was off on our visit. The remaining beer (Bombardier) tasted distinctly wrong, like they hadn't bothered to clean the beer lines out properly. Not surprisingly I swiftly switched to bottles.
Service was slow and the staff looked bored. Children were allowed to run around like mad, even after the 9pm cut off point, and last orders were called at 10:25 on our visit - given it was Christmas Eve, this stunned me no end.
Had it not been for the fact that a friend was staying in the attached Premier Inn, I would never have gone in. Sadly so many pubs in this area have closed, so there's not a huge amount of options. But I'll be happy if I never have to go here again.
28 Dec 2011 17:02
After traipsing through Swindon trying to find a decent looking pub, we finally stumbled across the Glue Pot, and boy were we glad to find it. We were in the area for one night only, but really loved the place. The beers were excellent, the staff very friendly and welcoming to two strangers with a Sunday night in town to kill.
We loved it to bits, and would have stayed for much longer had it done food. The barman helpfully pointed us towards the few places we could get a meal.
Should I ever come back to Swindon, I know which pub I'll be heading to. The Glue Pot's a cracker.
6 Apr 2011 18:27
Loads of pubs have pet cats and pet dogs. What on earth's wrong with a pet pig?
Personally I liked it when there were chickens. They had a habit of escaping, leading to the surreal sight of the staff carrying them underarm through the pub!
And then there was that wonderful carol service years ago under the previous owners. It was done to raise money for nearby Dean City Farm, who brought with them a sheep and a pony. You've never seen a sheep in a pub on a tinsel leash look so nonchalant. Brilliant. One of the best nights I've had in a pub EVER!
7 Feb 2011 09:56
Visited on Christmas Eve and it was absolutely heaving - so much so that we sadly bade it goodbye and went to quieter pastures where we could get a table. The beer (a Robbie's seasonal) was in fine form.
10 Jan 2011 09:49
This used to be a regular haunt of mine aged 18-22 and visited on Christmas Eve whilst in the area over the festive period. I was distinctly underwhelmed. Despite the place being relatively quiet, glasses were left uncollected and one large table (right near the door) held the remnants of someone's meal. The plates had been cleared away but little else and a dollop of baked beans took pride of place in the middle. In the two hours we sat at a nearby table, no one bothered to clear the mess.
On the bar the Unicorn was OK - not the greatest in the world. A second handpull was broken and a third had a piece of broken pump clip around it.
The whole place had a feeling that those working there just didn't care.
10 Jan 2011 09:48
Sadly closed and up for rent. Real shame - I had many a fantastic meal here.
22 Oct 2010 09:37
This is a cracking little pub - I wish I lived nearer to Putney as I'd be in all the time! I first visited it about a year after it re-opened and revisited recently for the first time in ages. It was cracking then, and it's amazing now.
The beer selection is fantastic - always great to have a pub with mild on tap! - and well looked after. I'm popping to the beer festival tomorrow and really looking forward to it!
24 Sep 2010 12:05
The Shepherds Arms Hotel, Ennerdale Bridge
We visited here whilst walking the Coast to Coast. On tap, Jennings Bitter, Ennerdale Copper and Ennerdale Blonde. The Copper was in good nick. That's about all that can said for this place.
We had food. The stilton and vegetable tart was apparently fine, but my (HOMEMADE!) steak and ale pie (with suet pastry) was decidedly rubbery. Later I heard the pings of microwaves and together with the speed of service, put two and two together. By the texture, it was clearly a few days old and was just shoved in the microwave. Inexcusable.
Indeed I would have advised not eating here but frankly if you're on foot it's either here or the Fox and Hounds nearby run by the same person so whether you're going to get anything better there frankly I doubt it.
Next, the locals. There were none. This is a sizeable village yet by 10pm on a Friday night it was deserted. And I mean empty. We were the only customers. This is a pub in the heart of a village and not one local came in. The only customers that Friday night were people walking the Coast to Coast. That says a lot. A huge amount. And not positive by any means. One local resident described the landlord as "having scared all the locals away" and "couldn't care less". I suspect it's not an exaggeration.
Oh and the tables were seriously sticky too. Not good at all.
3 Aug 2010 18:55
The Prophecy Members Club, Wimbledon
Okay, pretty convinced it's shut down now - hasn't been seen open for ages by me.
7 Jul 2010 11:10
The Prophecy Members Club, Wimbledon
I've still yet to go in - those blue lights put me off - but I was amazed to see the place shut at 7:45 on a Saturday evening as I went past on the bus.
If it wasn't for the posters proclaiming I could watch the World Cup here, I would have sworn it had shut down. Even now I'm not so sure.
Random opening hours and no mistake.
21 Jun 2010 11:20
Lovely food and a beer choice that's moving towards new world beers rather than its old Belgian focus. Oh and if you order the fish or chicken goujons and thing you're just getting something out of a freezer bag, be prepared for something far better!
However be prepared to carry cash - they've recently stopped taking credit cards.
15 Jun 2010 10:46
I went in the Tup on Sunday for the first time in months - maybe even years.
Oh dear, what on earth has happened? The place was absolutely filthy. Near my table I found a broken base of a wine glass - nothing dangerous, but it was covered in grime and clearly had been there a while. The toilets were disgusting and covered in grime, looking like they'd not been cleaned for months.
We left after one pint.
15 Jun 2010 10:39
The William Morris, Merton Abbey Mills
I'm sure if someone's got a suggestion of where to put the bins, they'd be gratefully received by the management. Besides "hide them" or "remove them". Hide them where? It's a riverside building that has access routes all the way round it.
However I doubt there is anything at all that can be done about the Mama Rosa van which isn't rusting IMHO and certainly doesn't sink in the mud - it's owned by the restaurant next door and is parked on block paving.
Personally in all the years of living near the market and visiting it regularly, I've barely noticed bins or fridges. There are far worse pubs appearance wise. Not saying it couldn't do with a little tarting up but a couple of people here seem to be making mountains out of molehills in my opinion.
21 Apr 2010 11:54
The Grove Tavern, South Wimbledon
I have - admittedly - not been in the Grove for a while, however I agree with the recent comments. The new Grove is a vast improvement on what it was before.
The new owners have done a fantastic job of turning a failing, dodgy pub into a thriving place for live music.
21 Apr 2010 11:37
I wholeheartedly endorse a dish of the Cod Croqueta. Yum!
19 Apr 2010 09:34
The Princess Royal, South Wimbledon
Never been in (looks a little intimidating) however apparently it's been sold to a property developer... Expect someone to try and close it soon....
7 Apr 2010 16:55
The Prince of Wales, Colliers Wood
After many years being boarded up and derelict, with the pubco owners proclaiming it was not financially viable to repair and re-open... the pub is about to reopen. Sign outside proclaims it's going to be "Pepi's Bar and Restaurant"
23 Mar 2010 09:34
The William Morris, Merton Abbey Mills
I'd just like to say I've been back three times since I wrote my last update in January. That's more times than I've been in the last three years. That certainly says something.
I do hope the William Morris grows and flourishes - its rebirth could really help the market and get people into the area, as well as causing me headaches about which pub to visit :)
10 Mar 2010 16:40
Bloomin' heck is this place big? We wandered round it almost in amazement before we picked our spot for a pre-curry pint or two - the Gales HSB was in good nick.
I did find the back two rooms rather cold though - the room up the stairs was particularly chilly, and the back room was warmer but I did think that one small fire and one radiator just wasn't enough.
2 Feb 2010 10:16
The William Morris, Merton Abbey Mills
I visited the William Morris for the first time last night since, ooooh, well, that last time I tried to go in in September.
Things have certainly improved - three ales on handpull. One Adnams Broadside and the other two from the Westerham Brewery - the latter of which were in great condition, and the Special Pale Ale was really good.
The tables were clean and not sticky like they once were. And the bar service was prompt and efficient - which must be the first time ever in all the years I've tried drinking there.
You never know - I may be back. And it's been a long time since I would have said such a thing!
13 Jan 2010 10:29
The Hand In Hand, Wimbledon Common
Hadn't been in for a while, but the amount of ales this place has on is - for a Youngs pub - getting seriously large.
On my visit there was Ordinary, Special, Bombadier, Directors
Deuchars IPA and Kew Gold. Oh and hand pulled cider.
Far cry from when every Youngs pub just seemed to have two bitters on!
4 Sep 2009 12:23
The William Morris, Merton Abbey Mills
Went in an hour or so before Abbey Fest for the first time in ages. Every single hand pull was off. The bar was very quiet yet staff seemed to have gone AWOL. With nothing else inspiring on the bar, and no one threatening to serve us, we departed.
I've written before this place could be a real gem. So why isn't it?
4 Sep 2009 12:20
The King Of Denmark, West Wimbledon
Soon to be demolished it seems - planning permission for a revised plan approved.
4 Sep 2009 12:16
The Fox and Grapes, Wimbledon Common
JohnBonser - I'd accept the price comment if the nearby Hand in Hand and Crooked Billet didn't offer cheaper food with bigger portions of a similar quality!
This is a lovely pub but once stung on the food, twice shy.
4 Sep 2009 12:14
Metal sheets removed some time ago, and there's been a skip there and someone seems to have moved in.
Whether that means someone's going to re-open it as a pub or not, is another matter. Someone was living inside when it was Blue for months.
17 Aug 2009 15:51
The Prophecy Members Club, Wimbledon
Became "Broadway and Dragon". Then it closed. Now it's "House Bar" - a "South African" joint (if by South African you mean eerie blue lights.)
17 Aug 2009 15:47
Bombadier is now on as the third beer. Incidentally long term tenants Debs and Terry will be leaving this summer :(
11 May 2009 09:20
The Fox and Grapes, Wimbledon Common
Lovely pub - some great beers which are well looked after, and lovely surroundings.
The food... Hmmm... Now it's delicious. Really nice, well presented. Don't get me wrong - this was good food. Clearly someone knows their stuff in the kitchen.
But there's a but. It's small portions and expensive ones at that. My main course cost about �12 and was fishcakes. And for that you get... two fishcakes in a stack with spinach inbetween and hollondaise sauce.
And that's it! No salad. No potatoes or chips. Just two fishcakes. For �12.
C'mon! You're having a laugh here! This is not a gormet restaurant - it's a pub tucked right in the corner of Wimbledon Village, right on the opposite side of the common. To get to it you have to walk along muddy paths or drive. The Dog and Fox right in the heart of the village charges about the same prices for bigger portions. The Hand in Hand does far bigger portions at less of a price and their food is excellent too.
Yes it's a lovely pub for a pint, but sorry, I'll be doing my eating elsewhere. And unless you're a city banker or work in insurance and have money to burn, I'd suggest everyone does overwise.
16 Jan 2008 13:53
The Swan Tavern, West Wimbledon
Nice pub for a drink - good selection of ales which appear to be well kept. Just don't bother with the food - I had a pie there that had a definite feeling of the Fray Bentos, and the totally unimaginative vegetarian pasta (pasta with a big lump of quorn on it) really didn't look good either. We would have complained, but on our visit, we hit one of the few pubs which didn't seem interested if we'd enjoyed our food. We left swiftly.
20 Aug 2007 09:57
The Hand In Hand, Wimbledon Common
Lovely, friendly pub with great food. Wimbledon is full of great pubs, but for me this one just takes the edge.
20 Aug 2007 09:55
Appears to be shut again, following the recent floods in the area.
18 Aug 2007 15:31
Cosy, friendly, welcoming pub. Nice staff, nice beer, nice burgers. Scary picture of Diana but if you arrange it rightly, you need never see her.
11 May 2007 09:43
The William Morris, Merton Abbey Mills
I have to say that the service has drastically improved in the three years I've lived in the area. When i first went there, you'd regularly wait ten minutes to get served even if there was no one else in the bar. Thankfully they've improved that.
However this is a pub with potential and it's not meeting it. Service is still too slow, tables are not always particularly clean, and the food looks like they're trying but not succeeding. A recent burger bought there came with a pathetic piece of limp lettuce leaf with a small dollop of colslaw as garnish which is just pathetic. Plus it's usually only luke warm.
The area on the river is scruffy and untidy and the roof terrace needs a lick of paint, but more importantly you're usually drowned out by the loud humm of air conditioning units.
The beer range has also gone down hill recently. Could do better.
11 May 2007 09:41
I do think this is a lovely pub, although I also have to wonder why it wins so many awards!
Still, the beer is always great, the atmosphere lovely and the garden nice to relax in. I think one thing its lacking is cheery bar staff. That's not to say they're unfriendly, but if they said bye to you on your way out (for example), it would just tip it up in my league tables!
11 May 2007 09:35
Trafalgar Freehouse, South Wimbledon
A fantastic pub and a real gem in the area. Always friendly and great ales.
8 May 2007 11:56
The Wheatsheaf, Borough
The pub wasn't due for demolition. When it closed Youngs said it would reopen once the Thameslink work finished. The "other" Wheatsheaf owners knew this. They just took the name to help build their new business (they just managed the old pub - not owned it)
18 Feb 2013 15:39