BITE user comments - huntface
Comments by huntface
The Prince of Wales, Weybridge
Popped in here today for quick jar, the prices are eye watering!
I know this is Weybridge (darling) but �3.90 for a pint of London Pride?
Someone is really taking the proverbial.
28 Dec 2010 14:31
The Town Hall Tavern, Chertsey
Decent beer, good atmosphere, pleasant decor and friendly staff.
The gastro pub experiment was ditched a while back since when the couple who run the THT have concentrated on making the place a proper pub again. It's clearly worked as the place is bustling on Friday evenings.
They have started doing Sunday lunches again which is reasonably priced.
This place was in terminal decline a few years back, so its full credit to the management for turning it around.
24 Oct 2010 21:16
This pub smells. I mean, it smells bad.
I went to the Bear last night with a friend. We hadn�t been in the place for about 8 years and wanted to see what it was like. The two main questions that we wanted answering were; has it been refurbished and does it still stink?
Well it�s been refurbished in a similar style to other large Youngs pubs in the area such as the Crown in Chertsey and the Hand and Spear in Weybridge. I can only assume that a relative/lover of a Youngs director claimed over dinner to have an �eye� for interior design.
But the smell has survived the refit. My word the smell! I�m not sure where it�s emanating from. It�s like a mixture of rotting wood, dampness, horse manure and farts.
We ordered two pints of ordinary but we were served two pints of sludge. The barman very apologetically took them back and said the barrel probably needed changing and scurried off. He was gone for a long time, when he came back he picked a half pint glass and pulled some beer. He inspected it, sniffed it, and held it up to the light like a sommelier. Then poured me a pint.
I looked at him and looked and the pint of sludge he had just handed over in disbelief. I tried to point out that this was beer from the old barrel and had just been sitting in the line, but it was pointless. I�m afraid that this is all too common in pubs, but seems more prevalent in Youngs� establishments; staff who are badly trained and do not know or have any interest the product they�re selling.
In truth I suppose the terrible beer probably explains the smell.
I don�t think we�ll bother going back to the Bear for at least another 8 years. Hopefully in 2018 there will have been another refurb, and a change of management and staff. But I bet it�ll still stink.
17 Oct 2010 10:18
If you fancy a quiet pint, The Ship is ideal. There's never anyone in there - including staff.
I assume they operate a self service honesty box system
5 Sep 2010 11:53
Isaac_Hook,
I'm well aware there was a decent restaurant for years and years - my brother was a chef at the crown the early - mid '90s!
At the time of my original post the restaurant area looked very sorry for itself and looked to be being treated as an extended bar area.
25 Jun 2008 16:56
Why the high rating? This place isn't a pub! It serves bad beer and crap food! I'm at a loss.
On a recent visit the beer was bad, the wine was paint stripper and i think my shoe would have been more tender and digestible than the lump of cow i was served and described as a 'steak '.
Also, has anyone else noticed the place smells of shit?
17 Apr 2008 00:03
Many months have passed since my last comment and there have been many changes of staff.
Which is a pity, as the current management (and I use the term in the loosest possible sense)simply have no idea what they are doing. Or possibly they don't care. I think the current chaos at the bar is a little of both.
They don't care about the real ale any longer that's for sure. Rather than serve the stuff they'd rather clean the line (anyone who has run a bar knows you don't need to do this every barrel change - although perhaps that's a cask marque reg (what a waste of time that lot are)).
To me it just shows a total lack of knowledge of your product.
The real pity is, that there is a young barman who is very, very good. He would make a fantastic manager given the right education in how to run a bar. I do hope that he has the sense to realise that he's not going to get it at this place and goes somewhere else to develop his potential.
There are others. There are two i'd say are have been there long enough to know what to do when the barrel/gas goes. But they don't! Not their fault of course, but where the hell is the management to show them?
Judging by this place's latest intake of management, running a pub is a secondary consideration to running a pub.
16 Apr 2008 23:54
The Marquis of Granby, Westminster
Home to the rudest barman on the planet.
Having asked for two 'pints' (pints being a crucial word here) of bitter the barman serves up two halves in pint glasses of some brown sludge.
When we asked for them to be topped up, you know like to somewhere nearer the top - I�ve got a thing about the weights and measures act, the charming barman, tutted, snarled and mumbled something in another language, took the glasses away and filled them up and slammed them back in front us.
Actually, on reflection perhaps he was trying to do us a favour. The beer was far from good, however not wanting to see what our host's party piece would be if we asked to change them, we drank up and left.
We will not be returning.
17 Mar 2008 14:17
Yes i see from their website that there is now a restaurant.
However, there certainly wasn't one on my last visit about a year ago. A room where there used to be one though!
I'm pleased they have reopened it. Years ago the Crown had a very good restaurant.
And chertsey needs some variety in places to eat.
23 Oct 2007 23:43
Actually, I'm sure the mixture of staff was accidental, but its certainly INTERNATIONAL!
23 Oct 2007 23:40
Great little place this. Lovely building, a �Building of Special Interest� plaque greets you by the door. Its probably late 16th century for those into old buildings. A large inglenook fireplace is located to the right hand side of the bar with two large leather sofas. Comfy. There is a smaller open fireplace to the left of the bar, both of which are raging during the colder months, which makes for a pleasant atmosphere.
Beer is always good. If its not, there�s never any hassle getting it changed (an example which a certain pub by Weybridge station could learn from).
Current real ales are Courage Best, Wadsworth 6X and Greene King IPA (can�t see any of those being pretentious). All well kept, and all under three quid a pint, which in this part of the world is somewhat of a rarity.
The food is, contrary to the earlier post, fantastic! The club sandwich is a particular favourite of mine! The fish soup is well worth a try too.
The restaurant, which is separate to the bar, is also excellent. The cuisine is rustic French, and very good it is too, some classic dishes served to you by a Frenchman � its just like being on holiday. Great. Reasonably priced too � oddly for Weybridge you�re not relieved of several limbs for the price of Sunday lunch.
The staff are fantastic. An intentional mixture containing Aussies, Kiwis, Polish, French and English. All good fun and attentive.
Sports-wise; there are two large screens, mainly showing rugby and cricket. They do not show football however.
Only downside is it can get very stuffy in there when it�s packed.
Just about the only place to go in Weybridge where you won�t get really annoyed and fleeced. Well I don�t. You might.
23 Oct 2007 23:33
I was in here on Sunday. Typical train station pub so therefore terrible beer and full weirdoes.
Also I think the bog was the one used in trainspotting.
Unacceptable on all levels. Who manages these places?
26 Jun 2007 22:02
The Coach and Horses, Chertsey
Pros: beer is first rate. Never had a duff pint of fullers in there. On Sunday there are warm nibbles on the bar (roast potatoes, sausages etc) which I find rather charming. The short guy on the bar is very good. You can walk in there months after your previous visit and he'll know what you want.
Cons: a bit 'I spy strangers' from the regulars. I used this pub for nearly three months on the way home from work, and nobody said anything to me. Mind you they don�t say much to each other. I'm including the actual landlord in that!!
Good beer, but if you want some atmosphere, try the cemetery round the corner.
9 Jan 2007 00:17
Ummm funny little place.
Looks nice and cosy from the outside, but you get in to find a rather stark bright and shiny bar. I've been in a few times and have never had any problem with the staff. But as a previous poster says, he may just have been there on a bad day.
However, the most odd thing about this place is the food. To look at the Grove from both inside and out you'd imagine the bog standard pub fare - chicken, fish, pie all with a healthy Jamie Oliver dollop of chip. You'd be very very wrong.
The food is superb. I mean really good. It�s somewhat on the pricey side but you'll struggle to find better quality food in the town. I�ll save you the bother � you won�t find better.
Strange. But well worth a visit, especially for the food.
9 Jan 2007 00:04
The Town Hall Tavern, Chertsey
Err...why the 9.0 rating?
This place is a dive. I wouldn't go in there in scuba gear on.
Real ale is shockingly bad. I backed mine an opted for a Guinness which managed to be as bad.
Beyond the beer the place is in a shocking state. Wallpaper hanging off, huge damp patches on the ceiling and walls and the toilets are Victorian at the latest.
There's a big painted sign on the exterior wall boasting 'Fully Functioning water closets'. Well the sooner someone pulls the chain on this toilet the better.
Terrible place. Avoid!
8 Jan 2007 23:48
TJ - The site the Kingfisher stands on was cleared and it isn't the same building.
I believe the building there now was actually moved from Gloustershire!
13 Dec 2006 07:21
What's happened to this place?
I note some posters saying it's the best pub in Chertsey.
I agree it is. Unfortunately that�s more an indictment of the state of pubs in this town rather than an endorsement. It�s Hobson�s choice
The toilets are a disgrace. They absolutely stink of stale piss. I can�t comment on the ladies, but gentlemen � its hold your breath time.
The Young�s beers are poorly kept, which is as we all know is a recipe for disaster. I�ve learned to stick to Guinness when I�m there; which presents its own problem.
The staff are useless. Ask for a pint of Guinness and prepare for a long wait. The technique at the Crown is to half pour, then walk off, serve someone else/have a chat with a colleague/pop down to the cellar before even thinking about pouring the rest.
The big Welsh guy who runs the place is friendly enough, but I do get the impression he doesn�t really know what he�s doing. The place is simply too big for him. This is evident by the restaurant. There isn�t one. This is a hotel! There are a lot of rooms here. If I were to be paying �120 a night to stay here, I�d expect to be offered something a bit more exciting than average pub grub. Fish finger butty anyone?
Oh and the food? Well I don�t know. You see the Crown does use GMT. If it says food finishes at 10.30pm on the menu, that actually means 9.30pm
The really shame is, that this place used to be a fabulous pub.
25 Nov 2006 11:26
The Jolly Farmer, Weybridge
Funny little place.
The beer is usually in top quality condition which of course is the main thing. But.....for some reason the hand towels in the gents are permanently trapped in the dispenser like some kind of frozen mammoth and the regulars are a bit odd. Not eye spy strangers or anything just a gang of old soaks. Oh and the carpet is well passed its use by date.
The landlord also thinks he's god's gift to inn keeping. He's not. If he was he wouldn't be running a grubby little pub like this.
It�s an honest drinkers pub and it doesn�t pretend its anything else. Which these days is a very refreshing change!
I like it.
28 Dec 2010 15:43