The Old English Gentleman (OEG), Saffron Walden

I see my previous review (six years ago) is out of date, I concur with quercus's review. Now the Lizzie and White Horse and now the Cross Keys and the Sun Inn have closed, Friday night clientel has a rather negative vibe. I still go in various days of the week and various times, with various people (dates, business meetings, socials or quiet retreats). At peak times, it gets crowded, noisy and sometimes rowdy. There is no escape in the garden (read yard) because you will die of smoke inhalation. At other times, it is friendly and quiet and as another reviewer mentioned, a good place for a roast or a place to read a paper. The beer is good with a changeable selection of guest beers and the other drinking options are well chosen, food is still good too, even after their chef left. Jeff and Cindy are still friendly but some of their staff can scare you off, especially at those peak times, they can be positively cold!

13 Jun 2012 14:25

Railway, Saffron Walden

It is very important that the following information be noted about this pub. The landlady is very rude, uncharismatic, sour, unwelcoming and not good for business. The landlord seems to suffer from being married to her, such that his mood is likely to make you think you are unwelcome. The tension behind the bar is uncomfortable. This, I have heard from many other people. On one occasion I entered the pub to book a table for twelve guests, there were two people in the pub, the landlady and a local who were chatting over the bar. I was wearing a suit, I approached the bar and stood for 2 minutes before the local interjected her gossip and asked if she was going to serve me, she looked at me with distaste and reluctantly pulled herself from the conversation and asked what I wanted, at which point I told her to forget it and walked out.

I have since returned (years later) on four occasions to find they are still running the pub, their attitude has not changed but the beer and food are good.

13 Jun 2012 14:12

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street

Lose yourself in time in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. I love this pub, if you are visiting from abroad and want to experience old fashioned London then give this a go.

28 Jun 2006 15:03

The Old English Gentleman (OEG), Saffron Walden

My local, it is one of the few pubs in Saffron Walden where, at the present age of 33, I do not feel intimidated. Cindy, Jeff and Oscar the Golden Retriever are a warm relief from the hard nosed landlords of rival drinking holes. Dave, the present chef will serve you up a fantastic lunch, inlcuding Tapas, his speciality. There is the occasional quiz night and even Tapas evenings, but most of the time you can tuck yourself away, perhaps by the fire or in the garden and relax into a guest beer or in my case a JD with no ice.

28 Jun 2006 14:57

The Kings Head (Low House), Laxfield

The good old fashioned English pub should be like the Prancing Pony in Lord of the Rings or even the Hog's Head in Harry Potter; dusty, dingy, friendly, raucous and great beer on barrel. The Low House certainly has this, beautifully positioned in the deepest darkest depths of Suffolk, Laxfield to be exact (about 5 miles from Halesworth) it has a quality you don't often come across. Local and guest beers are dispensed from barrels into dusty tankards which you swill, spit, dribble then dance on the table til the King's gaurds drag your sorry backside back to the dungeon in which you came from - sorry, got a bit carried away there.

28 Jun 2006 14:50