BITE user comments - jlairdo
Comments by jlairdo
The Angel in the Fields, Bond Street
Very, very decent pub in Marylebone 'village', down to earth and the recent refurbishment hasn't done it any harm. Head upstairs to a lounge-like area for food, which is OK quality (better than chain pubs) and very reasonably priced, as are the drinks, the main reason people tend to go to Samuel Smith's pubs. A good old fashioned boozer where lively banter and general frivolity are the order of the day.
29 Aug 2007 17:08
The Brewery Tap, Wimbledon Village
The recent refurbishment isn't nearly as bad as some would make out. Anyone wishing to observe the truly horrifying consequences of some modernisations need look no further than over the road to the Dog and Fox. The Tap is still by far the best pub in the Village. It has the best beers and other drinks, all well kept and always something out of the ordinary on offer. Wine list is decent and very well priced - after the house wines, all the prices are uniform, so you actually get to choose your wine based on what style you like to drink, a very novel ideal indeed! Crowd is refreshingly mixed and unpretentious which is more than can be said for other pubs in the area. Staff are great - the girls are all very pretty (as others have noted!) and the landlord and lady clearly have a passion for their pub and their product. They, if anything, are the reason this has remained such a star pub despite initial grumblings about the smarted up interior. Definitely NOT a winebar!
25 Apr 2007 15:57
grim but not in an interesting way...full of student tossers who make the vast majority of decent, unobnoxious students look bad
28 Jan 2007 18:28
Completely biased as I was regular there for my 6 month stay in Durham and I found it wonderful. The beer garden outback is one of the best kept secrets in Durham and, as another reviewer noted, offers something very unique for Durham. Truly great for the football well (it's more of a 'Boro than Newcastle pub in that respect, though both teams pull fierce support) and, at least when I frequented it, the staff and patrons were largely amicable (tell me one pub that doesn't play host to a few tossers). Has a bit of reputation that's mostly undeserved, very reasonable prices, and is basically in my top 3 or 4 pubs of all-time. You really have to go to decide if it's your thing though....If it is, then you'll find it nearly impossible to beat.
25 Sep 2006 12:11
The Queens Arms, South Kensington
Quite a charming number, haven't been enough to totally appreciate it but seemed like it was that rare of species; an individually-minded pub in Kensington. Beer good, landlord seemed nice (saw him training a young lad), and food seemed (by menu judging and other people's plate perving) above average. Also great because of the glorious car showrooms next door!
28 Jun 2006 13:19
The Prince Regent, South Kensington
R.I.P. the Widow in every sense; it was arguably the best pub for a rawkus night out in London (which is why it had to close) and the new version, whilst serving accept gasto-esq fare, is totally lame and sterile by comparison. Can't rate it because am totally biased from before (would have been one of three or four pubs I've been too to merit a 10) but nearly cried when I saw a sleekness of the new toliet 'complex.' Alright beer though, decent to people watch through the expansive windows, some comfy seats, and board games (!!).
28 Jun 2006 13:15
Outstanding, just recently nominated for some prize as best neighbourhood bar in London, and I certainly hope it wins! Only dissapointment is the recent disappearance of the quiz machine but that said, new gaffer Shane (though Glen may hold the reins now) keeps it going from strength to strength. Food not NEARLY as bad as some have made out, in fact, I would venture that it's pretty damn good! Upstairs area so comfy and they rent it for functions and have an extra bar for when it gets busy (mates had a great birthday up there.) Downstairs telly a bit small and no Sky as yet but then if you want sport you go to the Greyhound round the corner. Good mix of people, students from cooking and American schools, locals, and typically posh Kensingtonian tosspots, but not even they can taint this. Sets the standard really for the area in almost every way. Certainly my pub/bar of choice in the area, great when it's nice outside if you can get a seat to. Innovative stuff like Sunday film clubs (good films, Dusk to Dawn, Trainspotting etc...Sound of Music nowhere in sight!) and a good range of beers and wine (it's a Mitchall and Butlers (sp?) I believe). Oh, and decent eye candy (more if you try and have a convertible/Coutts card).
28 Jun 2006 13:09
The Prince of Wales, Kensington
Horrible, definetely an old man's pub as suggested but has none of the character (or characters!) that can easily make a dingy, old drinking den fantastic!The staff are poorly trained, especially with regards to customer service where, unprovoked, they can be incredibly rude to some of the younger (read: studenty, young touristy) clientele I've seen in there. Seriously, only go there is every other pub within 15 minutes burns down or runs out of beer. Food same uninspired, lazy garbage as nearly always in the area. However, it does scrape a 2 seeing how it (at least attempts) to do that most crucial things for a public house: sell alcohol. That withstanding, you're better off in a dark alley with Vinny Jones on crack.
28 Jun 2006 13:00
Pretty appalling pub, the definition of a tourist trap, but then it's right outside the Big Bus Company station. Overpriced and oversaturated with annoyingly loud and obnoxiously thick yanks who tend to propagate the area. Only merit is a quiz machine (not a single telly) and the fact it's next to me mate's place so it's a good place to meet/wait while he finishes watching Big Brother. Food is the same ol' rubbish as the rest of the pubs in the area (how many times have I written that in a review?) and it's pathetically overpriced. Definetely on my "demolish it now" building list.
28 Jun 2006 12:48
Good if you like this sort of thing. The cocktails are very, very decent and they do a Happy Hour on them, too. As one of Kensington's few late night venues (3 am I think currently) it definetely has its uses and it's probably the least pretentious at that game as well. Still, best advice is to come early when there's no cover charge, take in some jugs of 2-for-1 cocktails, and then elope elsewhere for further fun...
28 Jun 2006 12:42
One of Kensington's most atmospheric pubs, it sets the standard for enjoying sport without question. Huge of footy and it can get pretty heated at times...But isn't that all part of the fun? The first World Cup match culminated in dancing on tables a short-lived party in the street afterward, though the landlady was quick to dispense us rabble with threats of being barred and calling the constabulary (isn't that a great word?). Most of it's rating I award due to its prominence as the best footy party pub, though it's hardly boring any evening there. The pool tables are obviously a plus, as is the quiz machine, and the spirits have gone back to being great value doubles. Beer is fairly standard but totally acceptable (Smith's is very fairly priced, espeically in this part of London. The downsides? Too many Arsenal fans for W8 (including my best mate who lives round the corner!), the menu is the same crap as all the identikit pubs in the area (though semi-acceptable for basic pub snacks, but they've done away with the 2-for-1 main meals), Standard and Daily Mail hacks call it a second home (their offices are across Young St.), and the staff - while generally perfectly alright - can and do get grouchy occasionally. Nearly all is redeemed once you've taken in a big match there...
28 Jun 2006 12:39
Surprised by scowley's comment as have seen many a dog in the Woodman, namely the one that appears to be the landlord's as it's always behind the bar! Not quite sure what's going on there then...Regardless, it's an entirely acceptable pub, probably bordering on good! The dartboard, pool table, and quiz machine makes it more interesting than most, and the food is tasty and very reasonably priced. The staff, too, are very friendly, and has a lively atmosphere for sport, mainly football (and mainly Chelsea!). Great to have as a local, though may venture to the Pig and Whistle also if I was after a catch-up chat or a relaxed evening. The Woodman's all about having a few pints before venturing into Central London via the District Line later on...At that game, few can beat it!
19 Jun 2006 10:15
The Fire Stables, Wimbledon Village
Highly commendable effort and certainly one of the better places to eat in the village. However, it's not a gastropub in my books for the simple reason I don't think the food is THAT good. Maybe it is a gastro and just not a totally successful one. That said, the food is interesting and tasty, though almost definetely not homemade or entirely fresh. The room itself is best described as neutral, though for just a pint I imagine it'd be totally souless. A bit of a mixed bad then, but decent enough to be worth making your own mind up about.
19 Jun 2006 10:06
A right little upstart this one, giving the Builders Arms (even if they are a fair walk from each other) a run for its money as the neighborhood's best bar right from the get go. I emphasise bar as it is very modern inside (the toliets are a joy to behold) and quite American/sporty in that there's an orgy of TV screens and the bar is massively inviting to prop up (kudos for that near-miracle goes to the staff). The burgers are gorgeous, the Cornish ales and farmhouse cider equally lush, and the girls who work there even more so. They've also got arguably the best and most entertaining gaffer in London in Alex. Just don't cheer for Chelsea too loudly, he's been known to switch to the golf. In the land of identi-kit pubs that is Kensington, more of these little wonders would be more than welcome. Complaints? Molest the council to allow a couple of tables on the pavement and bring back the 2-for-1 food deals (and my 10% discount).
3 Jun 2006 11:19
The Morpeth Arms, Pimlico
They get a 0 for serving all the racist EDL yobs who marched in London last week. Bet it was great for business, but some things are more important than money. A pub I now boycott in principle.
10 Mar 2010 11:25