BITE user comments - johnthechef
Comments by johnthechef
The Walrus Bar and Hostel, Waterloo
Although the Walrus Bar is part of the hostel it is in fact open to all and well worth searching out. There's usually a couple of real ales on offer - London Pride and Hogsback TEA last time I visited - at very reasonable prices (£3.50 a pint October 2015).
During the day it can be fairly quiet but nonetheless still worth a visit and in the evenings becomes lively with a mix of hostel stayers and locals. Couple of benches outside for us smokers with a retractable awning for when the weather requires it.
Youthful friendly staff and daily happy hour deals.
No food on offer but you are welcome to bring your own and there are plenty of cheap takeaways on Lower Marsh.
11 Oct 2015 09:53
The Ship and Pilot, Ilfracombe
This a proper locals pub and not pretending to be anything else. There's always a good selection of local-ish beers and ciders plus all the other stuff. They have Sky Sports for all the big games and generally-speaking staff and customers are a friendly, if slightly off-beat, bunch. It's my pub of choice in town.
28 Sep 2014 23:05
Nothing wrong with this pub. I had an overnight stay in Horley before flying out from Gatwick and found this to be a cracking, lively local. Good service, good beers and not over-priced.
14 Jul 2014 23:03
This is a proper village local with friendly staff and regulars. If you happen to be staying at the Durrant House Hotel it certainly makes for a welcome escape from the hotel bar.
Decent pint of Otter, if I remember correctly, and very reasonably priced. Good smoking area out back.
8 Mar 2014 19:45
This is a cracking locals pub with friendly staff and regulars. Always a decent selection of ales including the Harwich Brewery's, well-kept and reasonably-priced. I haven't eaten here as yet but the food offering looks pretty good too.
2 Feb 2014 14:11
This is a cracking pub which manages to have a good local feel whilst at the same time is welcoming to visitors. Always cheery, and attractive, barmaids. Well-kept local ales and very reasonable prices. I haven't eaten here but what I've seen looks like proper pub grub - nothing clever.
13 Dec 2013 22:06
I only popped in for a quick pint one afternoon but found this a very welcoming pub. Perhaps a little overly-modernised for my personal tastes but the beer was spot-on, friendly greeting from the landlady and chatty regulars. I had a pint of one the Otter Brewery's seasonal specials which wasn't overpriced and enjoyed it sitting out front overlooking the village green. Food looked good and reasonably priced too.
11 Nov 2013 15:53
This is a crcking little pub. Totally unpretentous with friendly staff, interesting locals, good beer and proper pub food. There aren't many of these left. The only thing missing was an ashtray on the bar - HA!
26 Dec 2011 23:27
This is a crcking little pub. Totally unpretentous with friendly staff, interesting locals, good beer and proper pub food. There aren't many of these left. The only thing missing was an ashtray on the bar - HA!
26 Dec 2011 23:25
Dropped in for a pint last week and enjoyed a spot-on Otter Bitter at only �2.75 which is great value for money for this neck of the woods. Barmaid was friendly enough and whilst the place has obviously set its stall out to be a bit more upmarket there's still a pleasant pub feel to it.
20 Nov 2011 17:58
With its pool table, juke box and big TV this is obviously a drinker's pub aimed as much at the local trade as us visitors. Nothing wrong with that. Friendly staff, chatty regulars and a couple of pints of lfracombe Ales' "Mother-in-Law" were more than enjoyed.
Might have to report Mortehoe pubs to the Monopolies Commission tho' as every beer in all three pubs was the same price - �3.20!
13 Nov 2011 15:24
I had an excellent lunch here last September - homemade fish cakes which actually had fish in them! A couple of welcome pints of Otter washed them down and the friendly barman suggested using the little patio overlooking the church if I wanted to catch a few rays.
OK slightly pricey but then it's a short season up here in North Devon.
13 Nov 2011 14:42
Whilst appearing an unprepopossing pub at the bottom end of town (if you're coming in from Exeter) this is in fact the best pub in-ish town. Always a warm welcome, the smoking area out back is full of chatty smokers and drinkers and internally you'll get to meet the seasonal jam maker - need I say more?
Well, OK I'll add that the draught Bass is as good as it gets, not over-priced, and this is just a proper pub.
'nuff said LOL ;)
31 Dec 2010 02:54
This has always been a friendly locals pub (except of course when it was closed) and ideal for a stop off if changing trains at St Davids. The new Chinese restaurant is excellent and very reasonably-priced and also very friendly
4 Dec 2010 22:06
Yes last time I was there in May they didn't have any ales on either - the barman reckoned they hadn't paid the bill for their previous delivery. Had to make do with drinking his entire stock of bottled Taiphoon - both bottles!! Time before though they did have the Summer Lightning on which was in perfect nick and only �2.00 a pint.
Always a friendly pub though and ideal for stopping off before your train (and maybe miss the next one or two if the craic is good).
27 Nov 2010 22:37
Me, I like this pub. OK Weatherspoons may be a quid cheaper but the beer here is in much better nick. Food is good (even if it is slightly pricey - compared to JDW) and staff are always friendly. Pretty bridesmaids at the weddings are a bonus LOL ;)
1 Jun 2010 20:18
The James Street Vaults, Plymouth
I missed my train from Plymouth to Exeter and found this by accident. Well worth a visit and closest pub to the railway station.
26 May 2010 23:45
I had an overnight stop in Luton before flying out the following morning. I fancied a beer or two before a bite to eat. The Castle was fine - friendly landlady, perfect-nick (if slightly expensive) pint of Black Sheep and friendly locals. Turned into a three-pint pub!
5 Jan 2010 00:38
OK only one real ale, the Truro-brewed Keltek Magik, which was in perfect nick and thoroughly enjoyed - doubly so as it was only 2 quid a pint! Friendly landlady (I was the only person in the pub at the time tho'). Lunch was a bag of "Salty Dog" Ham and Mustard Crisps with a pickled egg, washed down with a couple of pints - a fiver well spent!
Nice pub and comes across as a friendly village local.
19 Aug 2009 01:14
Yep, definitely a 10 out of 10 pub. Excellent beer, good food, fun staff, friendly locals and all in a proper pub too. If you find yourself here in Harwich don't miss it!
26 Apr 2008 21:07
This used to be a regular haunt of mine but this is the first time i've been back for 8 or 9 years and it was great to find that nothing has really changed (except for the abscence of the crazy beermat-retrieving collie). This really is a cracking little pub with excellent beer, friendly staff, a good local atmosphere, proper home-cooked food and a great quayside location (tho' unfortunately separated from it by the main road :( ).
The menu is pretty comprehensive with all the pub classics represented ranging from "chip butties", through a range of sandwiches, jacket potatoes, ploughmans etc. and some more substantial main courses - none of which are wallet-bustin'!!!
This place is well worth a visit if you enjoy the simple things in life!
17 Nov 2007 00:51
Nothing wrong with this pub at all - great location, friendly staff, reasonably priced and good food. OK my only visit so far has been on an early November weekday lunchtime when it was a little overcast and I had the garden all to myself. But it is a beautiful location and I can imagine that when it gets busy then perhaps things can go a little awry but HEY! with this view how can you get stressy??
1 Nov 2007 22:19
Nowt wrong with this pub at all! I pass through Barnstaple quite a lot but very rarely find myself at this end of the town and so this was my first visit to The North Country. Pleasantly surprised - a decent pint of Otter, a real sun-trap little sheltered smoking (!) patio out the back, a nice simple BLT, done properly, for lunch and a great little barmaid ;)
Definitely pop in again!
1 Oct 2007 01:11
Yep, 2.90 a pint is a bit OTT, but personally I found the beer in perfect nick and the staff friendly and not the Dodo's you get in too many similar establishments. Great atmosphere during the 6 nations rugby games.
25 Feb 2007 19:06
Nothing wrong with this pub at all - a proper vilage local and excellent beer - Princetown Brewery's Jail Ale was in perfect form last night!!
30 Jan 2007 23:05
This is an OK pub with reasonable beer and good food, but perhaps not the friendliest pub in the village. I think that it is just about to change hands at the time of writing and so that may change.
18 Sep 2006 21:43
Definitely the best of the three pubs in the village centre and usually friendly to strangers. Good food and beer, though remember that this is North Devon and so service can be a little slow at times. Evenings can be lively with the right crowd:)
18 Sep 2006 21:39
This is a cracking pub with excellent (slightly expensive but value for money) food and spot on Exmoor ales. Despite being part of an upmarket small hotel it still manages to retain a real pub feel and Tony, the current landlord is a really nice guy. Also; Debs, the head barmaid, is a joy to watch working, one of the best barmaids I have seen ever.
18 Sep 2006 21:31
Nothing wrong with The Dolphin at all, still full of characters and still the best pint of Bass in the country. Been popping in off and on for over 20 years and nothing really changes.
18 Sep 2006 21:20
Very quick review as I was looking for further info on this pub myself to put together a review for somewhere else (virtualtourist.com actually).
This is a really nice pub, friendly owners, friendly customers,decent beer. A proper pub with the addition of an eclectic Mexican restaurant.
This pub is well worth a visit as also is the Ilchester Arms Hotel off the square.
23 Feb 2006 04:35
The Carriers Inn, Bude
Popped in for a pint on a drizzly November evening and ended up staying for the session. "Open Mike" night with a couple of good musicians and although the place wasn't busy, busy there was a good craic. Decent drop of GK Abbot, friendly service and not over-priced,
30 Nov 2015 12:00