BITE user comments - krislee
Comments by krislee
A right and proper pub. Doesn't look too inviting, but a friendly local inside, and good choice of interesting beers. Not down this way much but will call again if we are.
11 May 2010 23:07
The Wheatsheaf Inn, Whitbourne
After years of being run down, this pub has been reborn. Excellent food and service, keen prices and a good veggie choice. Up to six real ales, they were all well-kept when we visited.
11 May 2010 23:03
The Golden Ball Inn, Stow on the Wold
Locals pub (darts, quiz night, Aunt Sally) but welcoming to visitors. Has that slightly old-fashioned Donningtons look, but is actually a relaxing and welcoming place for a drink. Two small bars plus a dining room, Donningtons Beers (it�s just two miles from the brewery) so a lovely pint of cheap real ale. OK pub food without being special. Recently started opening all day.
28 Apr 2009 20:16
Coach and Horses, Bourton-on-the-Water
Now re-opend with Taylor Landlord and Butcombe Bitter. It has been smartened up but still feels like a pub that must live or die on its passing trade. Probably more of a winter-by-the-log-fire pub for locals.
28 Apr 2009 20:11
Visited again when back in the area. A bit corporate, the atmosphere a bit perfunctory maybe, we recommended some friends to meet us here for lunch and we all agreed it was good food, beer and service. Not a veggie choice for Sunday lunch, though we did the starter-as-main option; other times veggie choice is good.
28 Apr 2009 20:08
Impressed with this place - a real village pub that non-locals will enjoy visiting. Restaurant at back, the food was excellent with a good vegetarian choice. Popular place on a Saturday evenings. Three well-kept real ales. Well worth a visit, we'll be coming here again when we're next this way.
28 Apr 2009 20:05
An archetypical Wetherspoons, large range of cheap real ales, served too cold to really bring out the taste, but good choice and supporting local breweries. This one is very anonymous and corporate place, large, could be anywhere. Food � well what do you expect for �3.99 ? There are plenty of pubs in Chepstow that are more real and Wetherspoons, the supermarket of the licensed trade, is helping to kill them off.
28 Apr 2009 20:03
This GBG regular is a haven for real ale enthusiasts, and a lovely old free house with numerous rooms and log fires. In the "pubs like they used to be" category. Don�t be put off by the unsmiling landlord, he has a heart of gold really and looks after the beer. It�s not gourmet food but is popular and you get good portions � if you want vegetarian though, you�ll have to be brave and ask. We did and the chef came out with some suggestions and produced something rather nicer than was on the menu.
28 Apr 2009 20:00
Greene King place just outside Newnham by the river. Looks uninspiring and doesn�t improve much inside. You can sit by the river, but even the outside has rather too much emphasis on concrete.
28 Apr 2009 19:58
Wadworths have recently put in a new couple to manage it and they look like they have the experience to turn it round and they seem as though their hearts are in it too. As an example of the improvement, a few weeks ago there was only one real ale left on and we were told there wouldn't be any more till the next delivery. This week they ran out of JCB and the landlord went off and fetched a new barrel. So there is hope for the Berkeley !
28 Apr 2009 19:54
The Royal Hop Pole, Tewkesbury
Less anonymous than most Wetherspoons places, they did a good restoration job here and it's one of the few Tewkesbury pubs with a (riverside) garden. Personally I don't like refrigerated real ale and the way the chain pub is helping kill off the traditional pub. It's Wetherspoons so you know what to expect, if you just want cheap-cheap this is for you.
28 Apr 2009 19:47
Falls into the �pub like they used to be� category and hurrah for that! Has improved a lot over the last year or two, flowers outside, generally smartened up and more inviting. - definitely a locals haunt, but very friendly with the sort of idiosyncratic landlord you don�t find much nowadays. Two well-looked-after and ever-changing real ales - you can expect something unusual too as the landlord knows his stuff. Head for the lounge if you don�t like parrots ! Basic pub food served intermittently.
28 Apr 2009 19:43
The Nottingham Arms, Tewkesbury
Used to be rather unwelcoming � if you weren�t a local you sat in the funereal lounge at the back, but has improved a lot over last year or two and is more welcoming. Has a vibrant community with lots of events, Thai food nights, quizzes and live music. Regular beer is Wickwar BOB, plus two guests.
28 Apr 2009 19:39
They�re really making an effort here and it was smartened up just before the 2007 floods � and again after. Friendly and looks like a good value menu. Three real ales, well kept and they are doing the right things to pick up more trade. Prefer it to the Haw Bridge Inn over the road myself.
28 Apr 2009 19:36
This could be a really nice pub if they could to be bothered, not a place I feel encouraged to go back to. I guess they survive on campers from their small site, weekend trade plus pub games teams and a few locals. Can�t really tell it had a major refurb after the 2007 floods. Wadworths beer, should be three but you can�t count on it and it�s expensive for round here. Food is better value but menu can be limited. Prefer the Riverside Inn over the road myself..
28 Apr 2009 19:35
The Live and Let Live, Whitbourne
One of those pubs that successfully combines a locals bar with a restauarant. Wye Valley or Hobsons beers, nothing to complain about. But somehow it�s all a bit ordinary for me. Nice rural view from the garden, but I prefer the other Live&LetLive just down the road on Bringsty.
28 Apr 2009 19:33
Lovely Cotswold village. Donnington�s country, so just their BB & SBA, but I like them both so that�s OK I guess !! Good honest reasonably-priced pub food, good veggie choice, but not gourmet eating. The staff have been friendly and helpful when we�ve been there. Look out for Molly the pub cat. Nice garden. Locals bar and two more restaurant-style areas. A bit old-fashioned, a typical Donnington�s pub really.
17 Mar 2009 18:50
Has moved into more upmarket food territory. Food and service are very good but minimal portions for your money. Usually Hooky Bitter, Wickwar Cotswold Way and a guest. Lovely country pub in a pleasant village spot.
17 Mar 2009 18:45
Just like pubs used to be ! Manages to be a locals pub, and very friendly to visitor as well as a magnet for real-ale drinkers with six changing beers available. GBG regular. Don�t count on anything but the most minimal food, but I'm told they are relaxed about you eating your own picnic in the garden.
17 Mar 2009 18:40
The Rambler Country House, Edale
Best avoided at weekends if you want a quiet pint, as exemplified by over a hundred tables outside. The emphasis is on feeding the thousands of visitors, but a changing choice of four local beers and nice to see real cider and perry up here. The food looked well-portioned. Inevitably a place like this will feel a bit corporate but I thought they were doing it well enough, and there were some locals eating there. Right next to the station. Wouldn�t make a special journey to the Edale pubs though.
17 Mar 2009 18:36
Definitely a town pub feel and as with most pubs in Moreton can feel a bit seedy, but the locals were friendly. Up to six real ales and a welcoming landlord who I feel knows his beer. Menu looked a bit minimal with not much veggie choice, but the biggest range of beer in town. Moreton is a good place if you�re after a pub crawl with a lot of variety.
17 Mar 2009 18:32
Visited again. Superb restoration and lovely spot down a (rather rough) track. Good beer (Malvern Hills Black Pear plus a changing local guest), real cider, excellent home-made food, good service. Highly commended in Hereforshire Camra Pub of the Year.
8 Dec 2008 17:47
Popular for food, with a restaurant upstairs, though you can eat in the lounge or bar. Food is pretty good, with an extensive menu (including several veggie options) reasonably-priced. Panelled and beamed bars with log fires (inexplicably one wasn�t lit on probably the coldest day of the year !) Feels rather food-oriented but beers are given attention too - Banks�s bitter and mild, plus two guests - one was a porter when we called. All three pubs in Chaddesley are in GBG.
8 Dec 2008 17:44
Feels like a real pub, locals in the wood-panelled bars, several small rooms, log fire, pub cat. Separate restaurant area but you can also eat at the bar from an interesting and reasonably-priced menu. Several veggie options. The pub is a Butcombe�s house so has their beers, plus the tasty Bath Gem and a guest or two.
2 Dec 2008 10:49
The Shaven Crown Hotel, Shipton under Wychwood
A real find this one. In the �Monk�s Bar� at the back of the hotel, you may find up-market diners mixing with old codgers playing cribbage, but you can also dine in the separate restaurant. Food is above average and not expensive for this area, with a reasonable veggie choice. Well-kept real ales, Hooky Bitter plus two guests. This is a 14th. century building with lots of character and the wood-panelled bar manages to be both smart and homely. There is a log fire for Winter and for Summer an attractive courtyard garden plus an informal grassed area with picnic tables at the far rear where Aunt Sally is also played.
22 Nov 2008 17:46
The Old New Inn, Bourton on the Water
Definitely a hotel feel to this place, a nice old-fashioned snug, pus a restaurant area and a bar with quite a few locals. Smart lounge reserved for hotel residents. Not so tourist-oriented and unfriendly as several Bourton pubs. The Real ale is just Bass though, well-kept but has reached the three quid a pint mark, a lot when you can get Donningtons locally for 2.20. Second-best pub in Bourton after The Moustrap IMHO.
6 Nov 2008 11:14
The Mousetrap Inn, Bourton on the Water
This is a popular place to eat, and not too expensive. There is a separate dining room but the main bar is also geared to dining � there is no sitting at the bar here. However locals do drink here and the landlord keenly supports the discerning beer drinker. There is Agatha�s ale brewed especially for here by North Cotswold plus three other beers from small local breweries. Beer cheaper than some Borton pubs. Away from the most touristy part of Bourton. The pub sign is well-known feature.
6 Nov 2008 11:07
Plume of Feathers, Great Malvern
Five real ales (two Greene King plus three locals when we called) plus real cider and nice to see Westons Perry on draught. Community pub � a lot of drinking goes on here - welcoming and friendly staff. Regular events including live music. Basic bar with log fire plus slightly less basic restaurant. Open all day. Very cheap �pub food� but not much for vegetarians. Sunday roast till 8pm. Just off Castlemorton Common.
6 Nov 2008 11:04
Enormous riverside eating house, where in Summer boats may disgorge large amounts of day trippers. Competitively-priced and interesting menu with reasonable veggie choice (not so much as there used to be, but you can get nut roast on a Sunday). Although they claim �real ales� there was only one (St.Austell Tribute) on this occasion � it was a nice pint, but expensive.
6 Nov 2008 11:02
Rather characterless village pub, one L-shaped bar, with darts and pool at one end. Two real ales (Banks�s bitter and Old Speckled Hen on this occasion). Its saving grace is probably the restaurant end which does exclusively Thai food; they also do takeaways.
6 Nov 2008 10:59
Cavernous old place with worn stone floors and old panelling. The main part of the pub would count as �unspoilt�, though even with the log fires it�s not the cosiest of places. Geared for dining, there is a large conservatory at the back with nice views, plus a garden, where you can watch steam trains go by. Didn�t try the food, menu look good enough though not a lot of veggie choice. The beers are the local Goff�s Jouster and Stanway Bitter, plus three guests, well kept when we visited, with an enthusiastic landlord. The pub has an unusual feature - a tennis court which you can book, preferably before drinking.
6 Nov 2008 10:58
Seems to be maintaining its reputation following the sad loss of Ric Sainty. Not very inviting from the outside but lovely old place inside. Staff friendly and efficient, encouraged us to taste samples so we could choose our lunchtime pints. Well-kept ales, excellent range, mainly local but it looks like anything could pop up here � just the right temperature too in a world of overcooled beers. Friendly locals too. If you really want to eat here, best to book. We visited Monday lunchtime and only just got a table. The food is good-quality reasonably-priced pub fare, but a mark knocked off for not much veggie choice.
4 Nov 2008 15:07
Coach and Horses, Bourton-on-the-Water
There is an enclosed kiddie�s garden, but this pub suffers from being on a busy main road. Nice log fire. They try hard with the food and the beer has been well-served Landlord and Hooky bitter. Has been closed recently, maybe the new estate next door will revive it.
28 Oct 2008 14:56
The Old Manse Hotel, Bourton-on-the-Water
Another synthetic Bourton pub. though it�s passably nice to sit outside by the river � amongst all the tourists mind. Beer is restricted to Greene King ones, The Mousetrap would be my recommendation for Bourton.
28 Oct 2008 14:51
The Duke of Wellington, Bourton on the Water
Beer is OK if a bit too chilled (now a Young�s house) but this is one of the locals� pubs in town and they are pretty fed up with tourists. All feels a bit synthetic and unwelcoming.
28 Oct 2008 14:48
Rather a soulless one-room town pub, but welcoming staff and locals. Spartan and lacking in soft furnishings. No food. Notable though as being the northernmost tied-house of Hook Norton. Range of Hooky beers well served.
28 Oct 2008 14:35
Located on the bank of the Severn, a pub how they used to be. Low beams, a number of small rooms, pub games, local characters. There are usually four inexpensively-priced real ales served from the barrel, with a tendency I think towards maltier beers � one of the few pubs in Gloucestershire where you might find a mild. Also cider and perry. Don�t go for food unless you just want a bread roll. Closed Mondays.
20 Oct 2008 21:25
In my view the best pub in town to eat at. More expensive than the average, but worth it. Interesting veggie choices. Very much feels like the hotel bar it is but this merges into a dining area. Beer is Greene King (Abbot, IPA plus seasonal) so not that exciting and served too chilled for my taste. One could have a pint at the Berkeley before eating here!
1 Oct 2008 11:16
After a spell with a landlord the locals didn�t get on with, the Berkeley has changed hands again and is back to its old self. There are still no guest ales, but five from Wadworths. The lunchtime-only food is probably even more downmarket, but very cheap.
1 Oct 2008 11:13
Not easy to find, it�s tucked away near the church at the NW end of this long village. A basic locals bar with Sky TV, a lounge bar and a separate dining room. There is also lots of seating outside, including over the road by a gushing spring - though as the pub is on a NE facing slope, the sun sets early for much of the year. A log-fire is welcoming in winter. A Young�s pub serving their bitter plus Bombardier and a guest, usually from the Young�s list. The food is upmarket and expensive.
14 Sep 2008 13:08
Locals bar plus restaurant. Doesn�t look too inviting, but very welcoming and friendly landlord and locals and a log fire on a soaking July day. Beer is Butty Bach plus one other at busy times. Food was cheap with a wide vegetarian choice, but not haute cusine. Open all day, also does tea and cakes.
2 Sep 2008 14:43
Pleased to find a place doing food on a Sunday evening. Food looked a bit pricey for a pub, but was worth the money when it arrived. Imaginative menu with good veggie options. They do takeaways too and seem part of the community. Beers : Wadworth 6X and Bath Gem plus ever-changing guest, well-kept and served. Welcoming landlady. The pub is closed on Mondays.
2 Sep 2008 14:41
On the main road, it looks a bit univiting from the outside, but has a smartish eating bit and nice seating area outside at the back. Also a locals bar with pub games. Beer is a range of Harveys, with maybe Dark Star. Staff were friendly and cheerful when we called, though no food Sunday evening so didn�t check menu.
2 Sep 2008 14:39
The Jolly Sportsman, East Chiltington
Out-of-the-way pub, but foodies in the know find it. Although primarily a restaurant, there are likely to be two or three real ales served from the barrel, usually from local breweries. When I called they were all hoppy, golden ales. Attractive, quiet garden, excellent for a relaxing Summer afternoon. Closed Sunday eves.
2 Sep 2008 14:37
A bit of a scruffy town pub, but the landlord knows his beer. Usually four on handpump including local ones and sometimes a mild � a rarity for round here. Food looks cheap and cheerful.
2 Sep 2008 14:35
A real gem this, on Warwickshire-Gloucestershire border, just off the Fosse Way. Warwickshire pub of the year 2008 and I can see why. Welcoming staff, friendly locals, stone pub with flagstoned bar and separate restaurant area. Regular events and pub games. Four handpumps � always including Hooky Bitter and Ansells Mild � great to see a mild at all in this area. On a Sunday lunchtime I'm told you may find a roast being cooked over the open fire. Popular place to eat - well-prepared food from a nice menu � though one mark knocked off by me for small veggie choice.
2 Sep 2008 14:34
The Bakers Arms, Broad Campden
Five real ales (Donnington BB, Wells Bombardier, Stanney Bitter plus two guests), well kept in this GBG pub. Thatchers draught cider. Small village pub, with locals at the bar and an overflow dining room. Lovely village unusual for the Cotswolds in that many buildings are thatched. Open and serving food all day in the Summer. Attractive looking menu, found food OK rather than excellent, though was competitively-priced.
2 Sep 2008 14:32
Most Donningtons pubs are in attractive locations, but The Mount must be the daddy of them. On the hill at the very top of Stanton, with views of this chocolate-box Cotswold village and the Severn Vale beyond. A bit old-fashioned inside (a typical Donny�s interior). Good-looking menu with a good number of vegetarian options; a framed newspaper article warning of the dangers of aspartame bodes well for good ingredients. Both Donnington beers, though not the best pint of BB or SBA when we called. Welcomes walkers but use the supplied boot rack in the rear lobby.
2 Sep 2008 14:31
Coach and Horses Inn, Longborough
Don�t let the �we don�t do food here� sign put you off. If you just want a drink in a pub like it used be in a quiet Cotswold village, this is for you. The landlady has been here for forty years and I suspect the pub has changed little in that time. For real ale fans, just the Donningtons BB from their brewery just down the road. This is the �bottom pub� of the village � the �top pub� on the A424 is another Coach & Horses, also Donningtons !
2 Sep 2008 14:25
The Golden Heart, Nettleton Bottom
Pity it�s on a busy main road, though traffic noise not intrusive once you�re inside this olde-world place, and the views from the garden at the back are nice. Good choice of four well-served beers, mainly local. Food all day including Sunday evening. Our meals could have been better, didn�t quite live up to the description, though seems a popular spot (better than the Air Balloon down the road in any case).
18 Jul 2008 10:59
The Temple Bar Inn, Ewyas Harold
Several restaurant rooms and a basic bar at the right-hand end. Four real ales, though two were off when we visited and what we had was not exceptional. The food was very good though and a reasonable price. Veggie choice OK too.
18 Jul 2008 10:54
Used to be a Banks's mild and bitter pub. It has retained these and added four more real ales, usually including Bathams (unusual this far south). Good pub food at a sensible price. Bustling and popular.
13 May 2008 14:58
Rambling pub and hotel with large outdoor area on the banks of the Teme. The restaurant is expensive for a pub, the beer is cheap, being brewed at the Teme Valley Brewery on site. Somehow the bar stayed open during the floods of July 07, when some pubs took months to re-open. Large restaurant plus locals' bar. There is a farmers' market on the second Sunday of the month and regular mini-beer festivals - a weekend of mild last time I was there - hurrah!
13 May 2008 14:54
The Inn at Fossebridge, Fossebridge
If this wasn't on a main road it would be an idyllic spot for a summer afternoon - large grounds with mature trees and a lake. Beers are usually St. Austell Tribute and Hooky Bitter plus a guest. Menu is upmarket and not much veggie choice. More of a wayside restaurant than a pub but there is room for locals just having a pint too.
13 May 2008 14:45
Typical Donningtons pub, a little bit old-fashioned - but the beer prices are old fashioned too. Did that Donningtons BB really work out at 2 quid a pint ? Didn't try the food, but portions looked good. Nice view from the garden in this attractive Cotswold village. Close to National Trust owned Snowshill Manor.
27 Apr 2008 15:24
The Eagle And Child, Stow On The Wold
A bit disappointing really. Felt like a hotel bar, which it is. Menu was not appealing to a vegetarian and the prices were high. Beer was nigh on 3 quid a pint, not unusual around here but Donningtons pubs are just over 2 quid. Did have local beer - Hook Norton and Festival (from Cheletnham).
27 Apr 2008 15:20
Re-opened in 2007 after eleven years, a well-crafted restoration with a plenitude of oak beams makes this an attractive spot inside, and outside you have great views of Bringsty Common and somewhere for the kids to run around. Usually Wye Valley and Malvern Hills beers and a slightly upmarket menu. Worth supporting. The only thatched pub in Herefordshire.
27 Apr 2008 15:10
The �warm welcome� promised on the sign didn�t really materialise, other than from the log fire. One-roomed pub with a bar and a restaurant section. A lack of soft furnishings make for a noisy environment and when we visited noisy children from the restaurant end were running around the bar. Felt a bit like a bus station waiting room, not a place for a quiet pint. The beer, usually Bass and one other, was a bit too chilled for my taste.
27 Apr 2008 15:07
More of a restaurant, but the locals congregate at the bar. Food inexpensive and with an adventurous menu. Good vegetarian choice. Service was quick. Beers were Doom Bar and St.Austell Tribute. Food all day Sundays.
27 Apr 2008 15:05
A good characterful, old-fashioned pub with atmosphere, though can be boisterous with serious drinkers so not necessary a place for a quiet bevy. Range of Hook Norton beers, though sadly the dark had run out when we visited.
4 Mar 2008 10:28
More of a restauarant, you can sit by the fire at the bar end of the place, though no bar stools. Food was good and service excellent when we visited. Beer was good - three changing ales, with Donningtons BB a regular. Visit during daylight to appreciate the marvellous view.
4 Mar 2008 10:24
A real community pub - crib team, darts, quizzes, even a poker evening ! Very involved in village events, but welcoming for visitors too. Three changing real ales. Food is good with interesting vegetarian options - though portions are a bit on the small side - with excellent service. Look out for special food promotions. Also does takeaway fish and chips !
15 Aug 2007 15:25
Three Wadworth's beers a bit pricey. Food is consistently good though menu doesn't change much; choice of vegetarian. Feels a very relaxed spot.
15 Aug 2007 15:22
Three Wadworth's beers plus two ever-changing guest ales in the back bar. Although a locals' pub, very welcoming to visitors, and much more pleasant now smoking is banned. Standard but good quality pub food though you can't rely on it being available - try The Bell for more upmarket eating.
PS finding mild in Gloucestershire is almost impossible - though Wadworth have been test brewing one. The Boat at Ashleworth is a possibility for mild.
15 Aug 2007 15:16
The Bridge Inn, Michaelchurch Escley
Nice spot by the river, though can be busy with campers from the adjacent site, so maybe not for Summer weekends. Well-served local beers (Wye Valley etc.). Can't comment on food - the kitchen was still out of action following flooding when I visited, but we'll go back to try it.
14 Aug 2007 20:23
Pretty good food with a choice of vegetarian meals. Beer was Wye Valley (Butty Bach) plus a guest (Three Tuns XXX on this occasion), neither to my taste I have to say and rather similar. Service was efficient rather than welcoming. Overall, a bit disappointing for a GBG pub.
14 Aug 2007 20:19
Dark, panelled interiors and a garden with play area. Donningtons beer � so a cheap pint � but the food is upmarket and pricey for a pub. On a main road. Famous for its asparagus meals in the Spring. Open all day every day for food.
14 Aug 2007 20:16
Feels rather cramped inside and can get full of diners sampling the slightly upmarket menu (which includes a small vegetarian choice), so not always a good plan if you�re just out for a quiet pint. There is seating outside in this quiet, elevated Cotswold village aka Aston Blank. Three real ales, usually from local breweries (Donnington, Hook Norton and North Cotswold when I was last there plus Cotswold lager).
14 Aug 2007 20:12
The Five Bells, West Chiltington
I always visit this pub when I�m down this way as they always have a mild (usually the excellent Arundel Sussex) as well as several bitters. One bar pub for locals and visitors. I never eat here because there is nothing vegetarian on the menu and asking about this I was offered �an omelette�.
14 Aug 2007 20:08
The Carpenters Arms, Walterstone
Down the narrow, winding lanes of S. Herefordshire, but well worth finding. Real ale fans shouldn�t be put off by the range of keg pumps at the tiny bar � the real ale is drawn straight from hidden casks round the back. 6X plus Breconshire Golden Valley. Food was good with a vegetarian choice. Welcoming landlady and locals. Will definitely visit again.
14 Aug 2007 19:59
The Farmer's Arms, Guiting Power
This seems to be the locals� pub in the village and its rather unprepossessing exterior put me off going in for quite some time. Inside has one main bar plus additional dining and function rooms, a bit old-fashioned a la Donningtons, but the food here was a revelation � there is an extensive and stimulating menu usually including four vegetarian choices. Both Donnington�s beers at little over two quid a pint. There is an enclosed garden at the back.
14 Aug 2007 19:56
The Red Lion, Chipping Norton
Great if you like pubs like they used to be. Tiny place run by a friendly lady who's made the place a heart in the community. Two Hooky beers plus guest. Garden. Pub games.
28 May 2010 11:57