BITE user comments - cohenfain
Comments by cohenfain
We went in there last night, a sunday,l and had a very nice experience. Things were slow, I agree, but still alright. The pub was not packed, but I'm not sure how one would expect that from a pub in a small town/village like Merstham - there's hardly a lot of walk-in traffic. There is a slightly bohemian feel to the pub, with lots of sofas and soft furnishings, and the drinks are ok - organic cider, Erdinger and Leffe and some reasonable bitters, ok wines and the food I've been told is pretty good. We sat in relative peace and quiet, the staff were polite and we had a good evening. Did not see the beer garden but I am told it is nice in the summer. Not bad at all.
22 Oct 2007 15:37
It's a reasonable pub. Nothing spectacular to commend it. The food is nothing special but not expensive; the beer garden is reasonably pleasant and roomy but the interior is a little poorly appointed and not very well kept. The staff look disinterested - not such much rude as just slightly dismissive. In good walking country so by the time you get there, you're not particularly discerning. Not the worst but could be better.
14 Oct 2007 22:44
The Ship and Shovell, Charing Cross
This place is a lovely, quaint, pleasant little establishment. There are two pubs, set across the alleyway from each other, rach with their own personality it seems. They have the common though, the fact that they are friendly, reasonably priced, have a good selection of ales and good wines, very nice locals and staff all of whom seem to know each other and chat easily as well as incredibly interesting ship memorabilia all over the place. There are plenty of stools and some booths around the walls as well as room both inside and out to stand. It situated conveniently close to the Strand and the Embankment to be a useful starting point for a night out, but sufficiently hidden to not be a tourist haunt. Well worth visiting. Not tried the food though but looked ok.
10 Oct 2007 18:39
It is a reasonably pleasant pub with quite a lot of seating, overage food, perfectly pleasant staff on the seven or eight occasions that I have been there. There are some nice, cosy cubby-holes, it has a nice atmosphere and a small selection of lagers (a better selection of reasonable wine) - it is not a CAMRA pub by any means, but still is a decent watering hole.
12 Sep 2007 15:46
Great location on the river, that's why it will always get customers. Those are normally tourists who do not appreciate that this place used to have masses of character and now has none. The food is average and the drinks selection is pretty average too. The staff I found rude and slow. Great place to drink away the afternoon outside or in one of the many nooks and crannies as long as you don't mind fighting for a seat with a camera-wielding tourist and some pretty average but overpriced drinks.
10 Sep 2007 14:06
Lovely old pub in a lovely location but I did not feel at all welcome. I admit I had been hiking and was a mite sweaty, but the welcome could have been better. Lovely view of the church nearby across the road and plenty of pleasant outdoor seating.
25 Aug 2007 17:35
Pleasant enough pub, reasonable selection of drinks, food is not too bad, all in all an average, unremarkable pub with nothing bad or good to say. Shame the staff are slow but other than that, it is ok. Not worth a diversion but ok if you are in the area, especially now it is non-smoking.
15 Aug 2007 21:30
I have not been to this place for years, but I can tell you the reviews pick out the one thing that this place was famous for when I would go in every other day - friendliness. The staff have always been wonderful and the food very nice. Long may it continue!!
15 Aug 2007 20:40
A disappointment. A gut-wrenching, tear-wringing, frustation filled disappointment. How GOOD should this place BE?!?!? Tucked away down a Dickensian alleyway, it could be fantastic - good food, good beer/ale and wine, some outside seating and decent staff and this place would be a gem. It is however, absolutely rubbish.
15 Aug 2007 20:39
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street
An outstanding, unique and intriguing place to drink. A Sam Smiths establishment, I am not a fan of the beer, the soft drinks or the wine but it is a great place to drink simply because it is so utterly enthralling and captivating. Real open fires, a labyrinthine maze of corridors, rooms, nooks and crannies festooned with antediluvian, ancient tables, chairs and wooden chattels and polite, courteous staff make for a singular, back-in-time atmosphere. You must visit this pub once in your life.
15 Aug 2007 20:36
I do not know why Slug and Lettuce pubs are so maligned. And I certainly don't know how Grecian can rate a pub he has not been to!! Ho hum. Anyway, it is big, comfortable, has a good selection of drinks including great Pimms in the summer and the food is not too bad. The music is ok too - in the end it is sometimes nice to go to a place like this that is large, modern and airy. It's been rendered pretty well and is an improvement on the Hogshead. You can usually get a seat and there are plenty of people around as well. It is not always necessary to have CAMRA winners to make a good drinking establishment.
15 Aug 2007 20:31
This place is not nice at all. The service is appalling, the place is dirty and poorly kept and the atmopshere is horrible. It is full of kids, most of whom seem to want to fight someone. What a shame.
15 Aug 2007 20:24
I agree that the staff can be somewhat surly and are painfully slow. That said, a reasonable selection of european beers for those of use non-ale drinkers and some good wines. Food is reasonable enough. Lots of places to sit, good atmosphere with a fantastic, eclectic beer garden. Not the worst pub in the world but it really could be better - like the board games in there!
15 Aug 2007 20:20
This is a gorgeous pub. In a lovely part of Surrey, in the heart of the Surrey Hills, the pub itself would be a great watering hole in its own right - wonderful ancient wooden beams crossing the low ceiling creating a cosy atmosphere, loads of room in the bar areas and a wonderful beer garden to the side and the back. It is the perfect place to spend a lazy summer afternoon/evening. However, what really takes it up a grade is the food - imaginitive, classy, well-cooked, well presented food it takes the best elements of restaurant food and puts in a lovely pub setting. The prices are those one would expect from a good restaurant - �5 for a starter and �12-15 for a main - but my wild boar terrine with toast and chutney was fantastic (toasted thick chunks of farmhouse bread) as was the lamb shank I had. The staff are nice and the management completely wecloming. This is a pub worthy of a detour. We have to drive for 30mins to get here and we'll come again and again.
23 Jun 2007 16:49
This place is pretty much perfect. Set in lovely countryside but easily accessible, there is even a cricket green available whilst having spit-roasted lamb outside from their own farm! It is cosy in both decor and atmosphere - lots of low antediluvian wooden ceilings, ancient brickwork, comfortable old seats and a good range of beers and wines. Then, you add into the mix a very, very nice restaaurant with excellent foodie grub and you only need great staff to make it work - and they are. Smiling friendly, not altogether horrible to look at either!! The chef even came out after our dinner with two cheese plates and spent five minutes with us explaining what the cheeses were! They even have their own farm shop in the pub. Only problem? Food stops at 3pm as far as lunch is concerned. If that's the only complaint I have - I can live with it.
17 Feb 2007 10:34
The Well House Inn, Mugswell
The pub itself is gorgeous - plenty of outside seating in a wonderful countryside setting. Inside, there is a lot of room and a lovely conservatory. The atmosphere is old and interesting and the selection of beers a good one (including the local Shere Drop). The food, sadly, is not wonderful. It is reasonable pub stuff, but our ploughmans salad was literally drenched in water, so much so that, between 3 of us, we could fill a glass! That meant my partner's burger bun was sodden and her chips were cold. It could easily be better.
5 May 2008 17:52