BITE user comments - daveid
Comments by daveid
I think you've missed the point. We love this pub too and we are concerned by the recent trend for hardly having any beer on. When you go into a pub that you've enjoyed for several years and find that only 1 of 12 pumps are serving beer, you do ask questions. Several other people have noticed similar occurences and so they have posted independent comments too. This isn't a case of us all forming a "pernickity" gang of beerhunters. As for the comment about "change...ooooh change", this says far more about you than it does about us. You are using the idea of an irrational fear of change as a one-size -fits-all statement to extinguish any discussion about the actual issue in question, namely the loss of choice at this pub. Would you apply the same comment to the wholesale destruction of pub culture that is occuring across the UK? I realize I'm probably falling for the bait here, but after a while these intellectually lazy comments get to me. "Top place" - I agree, but for how much longer? I am pleased however at the good choice one of the previous posters experienced recently.
Yes, things do "change", but there is a difference between "changing" & "vanishing" Make sure you know what you mean next time.
I'm off now to get over myself
P. Beerhunter
17 Jul 2012 17:10
From CAMRA Richmond and Hounslow website:
The Marble Hill (ex Rising Sun), 277 Richmond Rd, Twickenham has reopened. The new management have been given an 18 month tenancy after which its understood Sainsbury's have secured a deal with Youngs Pub Co. The pub is expecting to be 'free of tie' in a month or so and will then offer a number of interesting ales from independent breweries. A further two hand-pumps may also be installed if the demand is there. Currently only Youngs Bitter, Special and St Austell Tribute. A comprehensive range of quality food available. Opening times: 11(12 Sun)-11.
25 Jun 2012 14:02
Sorry, ignore that last post - I thought this was the Plough at Norwood Green
25 Jun 2012 13:15
It isn't a good night unless you have a blood orange...
A great pub, although I've only been there the once. Not that me not being there means it's not a good pub. Then again I wouldn't want you to think that I make a habit of not going to good pubs. I don't; that is I don't make a habit of not going to good pubs, not, I don't go to good pubs. I do. Oh dear I feel a amngering coming on.
22 Jun 2012 14:02
Excellent pub/bar. Good choice of beers on. I was surprised (and a little amused) by the chap behind the bar's reaction when I ordered a pint of Wood's. It's not my favourite beer, but when in Rome, I thought. Anyway he said something like, "God, why do you want to drink that stuff, it's so boring. God. Why not have the Dark Star or something?" I told him that I can get that anytime in London. Anyway, encouraged by his reaction, I suggested he not charge me for the offending beer in question. You can guess the response. Anyway, it's good to have a few characters behind the bar!
11 Jun 2012 13:52
The Admiral Benbow, Shrewsbury
The best pub in Shrewsbury. The Salopian Darwin's Origin was in superb condition and the landlady (or at least the lady behind the bar) was very nice and friendly. It's a proper , traditional pub (and by traditional, I mean it's what a pub should be like). There's a beer garden out the back too. Don't miss this place.
11 Jun 2012 13:42
Popped in here with my ever-patient wife on the Jubilee Monday, for a quick half. 4 excellent beers on including the Copper Top from the Old Dairy brewery and one from Rother Valley. Landlord (or one of them!) was a nice, chatty guy who told me a bit about their recent history and boasted of the pub's deliberate anti-jubilee, anti-TV philosophy, which I found deliciously ironic, given the name of the pub. Worth seeking out when in Rye!
11 Jun 2012 13:35
Really nice pub with good beer and good food. I had mussels and a pint of Hastings Best. We were going to stay in the Ship, but that is definitely overrated - more like a restaurant with the usual w*****s you get in pubs like that. There is also a lovely beer garden out the back, but the weather was a bit off to enjoy it.
11 Jun 2012 13:29
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
This is a great pub. I popped in here twice over the Jubilee weekend and on both occasions drank the Churches Pale Ale (I sampled the golden ale and that seemed good too). The beer was the best I had in Hastings (hence the return visit) and the whole atmosphere is just spot on. I only wish I'd seen the brewhouse itself.
11 Jun 2012 13:25
The Cinque Port Arms, Hastings
This is probably the most attractive pub in Hastings. A beautiful tudor beamed exterior leads through into a cozy single bar pub with wood panelling on the wall. There is a lovely snug on the left as you go in and there were bar snacks on the day I visited. The beer was excellent - Hastings Best Bitter in beautiful condition. I would recommend popping in on one's way to the F.I.L.O. (and again on the way back!)
11 Jun 2012 13:20
A great pub, full of atmosphere. There were 4 beers on when I visited the other day - 2 from the Dark Star stable (always a good sign) plus Adnams Broadside and Taiphoon from Hopback. I didn't try the food sadly, but next time I'm in Hastings I'll make a point of it.
11 Jun 2012 13:16
I'm a little concerned about this otherwise excellent pub. The last two times I have been in there have been virtually no beers on. On Saturday 2nd there were only 3 pumps on (fortunately all 3 beers on were excellent) and then on the following Thursday there was just one pump on (out of about 7 or 8 normally)dispensing the mediocre Windsor Knight of the Garter. I did an about-turn and left. I'd normally put it down to bad luck but I've heard reports from others of similar experiences lately. As I say it's a fine pub and I am concerned that this doesn't bode well for the future.
11 Jun 2012 13:13
This pub is now being run by the previous owners of the Brewery Tap in Wimbledon Village. It has reverted to its original name "The Country House" and amongst other things has Harvey's Sussex on tap (beautiful condition). It's a beautiful unspoilt pub and needs seeking out (especially considering how tucked away it is!)
2 May 2012 11:16
The Brewery Tap, Wimbledon Village
I urge people to seek out The Country House in Earlsfield, where the landlord has moved on to. It's right next to the railway line (you can see it just as the train pulls in to earlsfield, going towards Waterloo). It's completely tucked away in a corner, surrounded by nothing, but it's a lovely unspoilt pub and they pull a gorgeous pint of Harveys Sussex.
24 Apr 2012 16:12
I popped in here for a few beers on Saturday late afternoon. There is a marvellous range of beers on cask (and several ciders), a good range of bottled beers including several Brewdogs, Cooper's from Adelaide, Otleys(although the one we had was strangely flat) plus a number of others. The staff are very pleasant, the beer garden is pleasant and extensive and the interior has been refurbished without losing any of its original character. I am hesitant to say "best pub in Twickenham" before going there a few more times, so I'd better get going!
8 Aug 2011 12:56
The Victoria Tavern, Isleworth
The only previous time I visited this pub - about 3 years ago - I was given the worst pint of London Pride (or any beer) I'd ever had and was forced to leave it (the pint and the pub).
However I have heard that this pub has now been taken over by the landlord of the one and only RED LION, in which case things could well be looking up indeed.
Watch this space.
29 Jun 2011 12:21
The Green Man and French Horn, Covent Garden
I have heard rumours that some sort of renovation work was going on here and that it may have reopened. Can anyone confirm this, please?
29 Jun 2011 12:10
Duke of Clarence, Hampton Hill
Apparently this pub has now been bought by the people who run The Bloated Mallard (or the Railway as it used to be known) next to Teddington station and it will be an over-21 establishment.
Expect a olde-worlde-type confectionary new name to replace one with actual meaning. How about, in homage to the number of times I've had to walk my bike through the park, "Thee Dyflated Tyrre" or would that be a let-down?
26 May 2011 11:50
I had a similar experience to the chap below. We were already 2 pints in (Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale and Saltaire IPA were in beautiful condition on the pumps) when we saw a sign suggesting some other evil was at work. Following our hop gland, we journeyed outside and came across the magical outhouse and the resht was hishtory... There were only a few on. but they were all rather good.
I've been going to this pub regularly for 20 years and it is one of the very very best in London. I'm sure its virtues have been well documented on this forum!
31 Aug 2010 11:24
Sorry to interrupt this e-pub fight (God I hope none of you are in The Harp at the same time!), but I'd just like to say that this is a wonderful little pub, one of the very best in Central London. It's a tight fit and the place is liable to sudden surges of people flooding in, but it has real atmosphere and one of the best selections of beers around. As well as a few rotating ones, there's nearly always a Sambrooks or two and several Dark Stars on. And you don't have to walk far to the bar when time is of the essence!
4 Aug 2010 13:43
I finally found the courage to visit here last Friday.
Positive : the interior could be worse. Negative: it was much better before.
Now for more negatives: already you can see the new breed of visitors, the chavs and foul-mouths who mask their insecurity with an agressive and intimidating front and punctuate their FAAAARKING with the occasional nice word. The beer garden now has completely unecessary cafe-style parasols over the tables and a troupe of latin musicians were doing their very best to convince us that this was the Costa del Thames.
But worst of all was when I asked for the beer. The girl poured it, resulting in a large, 2" head which she rightly let sit for a while. Fair enough, and I pretended to look at the old photographs on the wall for a couple of minutes. 2 minutes later I look back and see two pints sitting there having had their beer deficit reduced to only half an inch below the top. So I waited, optimistic that she was going to wait for it to settle some more to put the rest in. No. "There are you're pints" / "Can you put some more in please?"/ "What! [shock, horror] You want more? [this guy's a loony]"/ "Well, I would like a full pint", after which she finished the job without making eye contact.
Let's get this clear. This would have been without doubt the most deficient pint in terms of size I'd ever been served, and this is in the White Swan. What's more, it is considered strange and eccentric that a punter actually wants his pint (at 3.20 or thereabouts) to be a full pint. In financial terms, a pint that far below the line is about 10 percent short, representing about 32p profit for the landlord. I use the words "profit" and "landlord" in their broadest possible meanings. For "landlord" read "temporary owner" and for "profit" read "FRAUD".
7 Jul 2010 11:36
Apologies for the misplaced apostrophe in "its". How the hell did I do that?!
21 Jun 2010 16:09
Although I haven't yet seen "White Swan 2.0" I can tell you that I'm not a crony either. I'm a local resident who has been visiting this pub on and off since the age of 18 and more particularly in the last few years. In the years that I've been visiting pubs, I have witnessed dozens pubs close, become private houses or restaurants and many that haven't better off dead than the with the "corporate-template" facelifts given. This country's LIVING HERITAGE , no better exemplified than in its rich and diverse pub culture, is vanishing like it's wildlife, almost overnight, in the mere flicker of an eye.
"Crony?"
21 Jun 2010 15:46
I can only hope that my experience here yesterday was an unfortunate exception to the largely positive comments here. Several of the beers listed as being available on gravity were not (not a big problem) but those that were - the Cotleigh for example - were in fairly poor condition, not long for the sink. The only decent beer I had was the Redemption Urban Dusk on tap and I had to ask the chap to kindly give me the last centimetre at the top (and this was a half-pint). Though the Euston area is not one I frequent by any means, I may return at some point and hope the experience is a little better. Let's hope it was just down to the World Cup taking priority over all things!
21 Jun 2010 13:08
Welcome, hollow ones...
Please don't let our sentimental moaning interfere with your enjoyment of your beef fillet carpaccios and Parmesan shavings, free range poulet ovulation tarts with carrot juliette, home cut pomme de terre dissections, jellyfish terrine on a bed of samphire and rocket followed by enfant defecation pudding, all washed down with a glass of Chateau Knob de Tete.
May you never be troubled by the knowledgeof what came before...
16 Jun 2010 17:27
The Fox and Grapes, Wimbledon Common
A happy accident led me to this place. I was in fact looking for the Crooked Billet but it wasn't where it was supposed to be! Anyway this pub is situated in a delightful area on the edge of the Common with unaffordable cottages affording lovely views. The exterior is unspoilt, with attractive lead-lined hatched windows and flowerpots and the interior still mostly retaining an old world feel. The main eating area is a large, open, high-ceilinged room, and although kitted out for food-lovers hasn't been sanitised too much at all. One can definitely still call it a pub. I probably should visit again on a weekday, as the Sunday lunch crowd have a way of warping one's overall impression. Must say that in retrospect I am annoyed by staff who will only bother to find me a seat if I am eating. In other words, you are of a lesser priority if you wish to use a pub for the purpose for which it was intended. But back to the positives - the Harvey's Sussex was marvellous.
26 Apr 2010 16:24
Having wanted to try the then-new Brodies beers, I finally managed to get to this pub some time last year ( I never knew it was there). I must have been half a dozen times now, in rapid succession, in fact I nearly always pop in if I'm in the Covent Garden / Chinatown area. It's a real gem of a place with a great, dimly-lit proper pub feel. There are all kinds of interesting nicknacks on the walls and ceilings including musical instruments, Beatles memorabilia and an old Isleworth Brewery mirror.There are usually one or Brodies beers on which are very good, with the exception of Brodie's Orange, a limited edition brew for Halloween (Possibly the worst beer I've ever had). The Special is probably my favourite, although I've tried in vain to find since my first visit. They usually have Harvey's Sussex on too, which is always superb. Pints are served in jugs too, which is something of a rarity these days. I've yet to try the Sunday lunch, but food is of secondary importance to everything else.
21 Apr 2010 17:02
The Moon Under Water, Hounslow
This is an excellent pub.The landlord is a gentleman and knows his stuff. The staff are polite and friendly. The food is cheap and reasonable - no one expects haute cuisine - and the beers are always in top notch condition (unlike the Railway in Putney). There are a few bitter comments on this board (no puns please) but this is hardly a reflection of the pub or the way it's run. Yes, there are some difficult customers, but this is Hounslow with all the social problems it's got. A real beacon in the darkness. Do visit.
17 Mar 2010 18:13
This pub has been beautifully restored and is barely recognisable from the way it was before, a slightly shabby places, though not without character. Make sure you look at the side room to the left of the bar if you visit. My only grumble is a rather badly poured pint of London Pride courtesy of a pale chap behind the bar. I will return at some point.
4 Mar 2010 11:50
Have just discovered that this pub is to be converted to flats, which is surprising given its recent re-painting. I'd never drink in a place like this, but it's nonetheless a beautiful building and it'll be one more pub going under. Plans are available in Hampton Library for anyone who's interested.
24 Feb 2010 19:07
The good thing about this place is that you can usually guarantee that there will be different guest ales on each time and they're usually in good condition.
The recurring problem I have is the service. There is apparently an unwritten law that people who queue at the end of the bar by the guest ale pumps do not get served if there are people waiting at the centre of the bar regardless of who got there first. I stood there for ages the other day as the girl turned a blind eye and carried on serving newcomers at the centre. All that is required is a bit of verbal communication or a sign saying "Sorry but none of our staff possess peripheral vision of any sort". I got a bit hacked off, at which point a handy prat of the first order started to draw connections between my attitude and the fact that I was wearing hi-viz cycle gear. I was tempted to make a connection between my fist and his gob, but I didn't want to spill my beer.
I know it sounds petty but poor service like this can seriously put people off. I might have to wait for a few weeks before going back...!
15 Oct 2009 16:40
Does anyone know if the parrot was found? It pulled a lovely pint for pretty boys...
4 Jul 2009 12:56
Rumours abound that this pub - having undergone a really postive rejuvenation in recent years - is being sold to Shepherd Neame...
6 Jun 2009 12:41
The Bricklayers Arms, Putney
Happy to report that the beer situation seems to have improved lately, with at least 6 beers on from 2 or more breweries. A lot from Arundel in particular. They seem to be better stocked at weekends, and I believe another beer festival is imminent!
24 Sep 2012 17:08