BITE user comments - clockworkpurple
Comments by clockworkpurple
the best range of ciders I've ever seen in Abingdon! In bottles they had Brothers, Thatchers, and I think some Weston's too. Draught was the usual Strongbow, but you can't have everything!
It's always been a nice pub, and now there's more reasons to drink there!
24 Jul 2008 15:38
A brilliant new pub/bar on a barge that sells FORTY ciders. Truly a cider drinkers heaven.
Friendly staff, and excellent food (pieminister pies)....what more could you want?
Well, a later licence would be good. They serve until midnight at the weekends, although by that time you've probably had more than enough scrumpy...
Very crowded on a Friday/Saturday, but you can't blame them for being so darned good!
This is now my favourite ever pub.
8 Nov 2006 17:20
I happened upon this pub after a day at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, and what a find! My first reaction was joy as I saw them selling Stowford Press. This quickly turned to awe as I was informed by the very knowledgeable bar staff (surely she was the manager?) that, although this is a Greene King pub, they have chosen to sell SP against the area manager's wishes.
To be honest, had she not metioned the dreaded GK, I would never have known. It is so unlike what you expect from a GK pub: it feels like a real pub, with no silly paint scheme or horrific "improvements".
At the front is a small (too small i would say) smoking bar with an open log fire and wooden seating. Around the corner is the (larger) no smoking area, all laid out for dining. There is also a rather posh looking conservatory. Nothing, however, could prise my companion and I away from the fire and the pints of delicious cider.
Unfortunately lack of funds and time meant we spend very little time here, and didn't try the food, but we are already planning a return, if we can find a cheap B&B in the area. (THAT'S how good it is)
This pub is as near to perfection as I have yet found.
31 Mar 2006 15:59
This is now called the St.Aldates Tavern, and it's still excellent.
�1.50 a pint on Monday and Thursday evenings = bargain. Get there early if you want a seat though...
The bar staff are nearly always foreign, and always interesting!
31 Mar 2006 12:18
i've spent a woefully short amount of time in this pub, but i will return to judge it fully.
first impressions: OH MY GOD they have THIRTY ciders! add in knowledgeable staff, friendly atmosphere, cider festivals (why don't i live closer?!).....i will be going back as soon as i can....
2 Feb 2006 20:52
This pub has the best cider in Abingdon (at least as far as I'm aware!). Although hellishly busy on a Friday or Saturday night, it's a great pub. Highly recommended.
15 Jan 2006 15:41
Good pub, good cider, friendly people, but watch out for the manager's poodle....it poos in the gravel beer patio.
There's also a solarium, in case you need to top up your tan.....
15 Jan 2006 15:11
I love this pub....the staff are very friendly, and play good music. The cider is tasty, and the garden is clean. Good decor inside too.
Recommended.
15 Jan 2006 14:35
This is a great pub, I just wish it wasn't always so busy. All the American tourists seem to find their way here, and the students pack it out too.
Last summer they had great bbqs, and recently they were serving mulled wine, so you can tell a bit of thought goes into this pub. There's a large selection of cask ales, and sometimes the odd cask cider too.
You have to visit this pub at least once....if you can find it that is!
15 Jan 2006 14:29
Interesting pub....worth checking out, especially if you want to drink something other than your usual Fosters/Strongbow.
Difficult to get a seat sometimes (it seems to be increasingly popular with students), but if you can find a bar stool you can perch in various places.
The decor is clean and classic-looking, and the bar staff friendly enough.
15 Jan 2006 14:19
Hugely busy pub last time I went in (but it *was* a Saturday night).
There's nothing really wrong with this pub, but then there's nothing really right with it either. Why go here when there's so many good pubs in Oxford?
15 Jan 2006 14:02
Good rock pub. Splendid cider (Addlestone's and Strongbow). Varied crowd. Friendly bar staff. I like.
15 Jan 2006 13:57
When I was last there it was a nasty little pub with a surly manager (standard quote "if you're not buying a drink you can't stay here"), but I think it's changed hands since then, so it may have improved.
The only reason to go there used to be the cheap pool tables.
15 Jan 2006 13:44
i agree this could be a lovely pub, but alas! Wetherspoons have got their grubby hands on it.
When I last visited (shortly before Christmas) I was so disappointed with it i wrote and complained to Wetherspoons (what did I get back? A �5 voucher. Great, I'll have to go in another Wetherspoons....)
Rubbish service, average food, dirty pub, impolite bar staff......I could go on....
15 Jan 2006 13:24
I've only been to The Lamb once, but it is a truly unforgettable place. They seem to never take decorations down, resulting in mish-mash of Hallowe'en, Christmas, Children in Need, and many other trimmings which make it very different from most pubs.
I could have sat there for hours just looking at the place, had I not been distracted by the 10-veg roast placed in front of me. And what a roast! More tasty food than I could eat, and cheap too.
Add to that friendly staff, wonderful cider (I drank Stowford Press), and a skittle alley......the only bad thing about this pub is that I don't live closer!
15 Jan 2006 13:07
Good old fashioned local pub. The addition of (pretty good) draught Strongbow has made this pub even better.
If you want a pub with quiet music, an older average customer than most places in Abingdon, and a friendly atmosphere, try The Old Anchor.
15 Jan 2006 13:00
Nags Head On The Thames, Abingdon
There are two sides to this pub...
On a quiet summer day it's a lovely place to go and sit by the river. Great views, and if you get a day where there are few kids running about it's pretty peaceful too.
If you make the mistake of going there on a Friday/Saturday night, expect to get abused by Stella'd up chavs/alcopop-drinking, semi-naked chavettes getting trashed before they go to Stickies. Last time I went there in the evening a guy was been physically thrown out of the pub by the bouncers as I arrived. Nice. There's a "dancefloor" of sorts, but I can't say I've ever gone close enough to experience it.
The one time I ate there the food was edible, somewhere between standard pub fare and school dinners. The cider is not particularly good, but then they serve Blackthorn, which I don't really like.
There are far nicer places to frequent in Abingdon, so unless it's sunny, or you're a chav, i would AVOID.
15 Jan 2006 12:54
An OK pub, the cider is decent, but not stunning. A bit too chavvy in the evening for my liking, but you get to expect that in Chavingdon.
The food is average quality, but you get huge amounts of it for your money. I've been reliably informed the Sunday carvery is very good.
Best bet is to go in the summer and sit in the lovely garden....just try and ignore the traffic!
15 Jan 2006 12:43
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The Willy Wicket, Downend
Full of children, food was nothing special, won't be revisiting.
4 Nov 2009 13:55