BITE user comments - meurglys_iv
Comments by meurglys_iv
The Trooper remains reliable for good food, expensive but on the better end of the value-price trade-off. The beer range is three decent cask ales - last visit was Bowman Swift One and Wallops Wood alongside Ringwood Best (no Doom Bar or Pride - so worth a couple of points just for that).
Service is good - and there is sufficient rotation in the menu to make each visit interesting.
25 Aug 2013 15:47
Any pub that has a wooden sign on the door advertising "Tim's Pub" might raise suspicions. Previous visits have veered from the good to the barely-acceptable. Littlecon's comment below would be fair if it was actually true - it is not good enough to stand on its own as a restaurant and the pub functions are clearly hit-and-miss.
What can't be forgiven is poor customer service - no indication of the length of wait for food and then no apology or attempt to make the customer feel that they are important. The best part of 45 minutes waiting in a very noisy dining area, with no effort made to keep people up-to-date, or, given the length of time elapsed, to placate by offering drinks or nibbles - and then made to feel that greasy meat, dry "dauphinoise" potatoes are somehow superb, rather than the epithet awarded of "adequate", is extracting the proverbial.
The Triple fff house beer is fine - the Bowman Swift One was not at its best. Clearly the accolades handed out by the "Good Pub Guide" have gone to this place's head - delusions of adequacy are far too generous an assessment. Reading the reviews this is rapidly becoming the nightmarish country cousin of the Wykeham Arms in one of its snootier pre-Fullers incarnations.
25 Aug 2013 15:41
Any pub that has a wooden sign on the door advertising "Tim's Pub" might raise suspicions. Previous visits have veered from the good to the barely-acceptable. Littlecon's comment below would be fair if it was actually true - it is not good enough to stand on its own as a restaurant and the pub functions are clearly hit-and-miss.
What can't be forgiven is poor customer service - no indication of the length of wait for food and then no apology or attempt to make the customer feel that they are important. The best part of 45 minutes waiting in a very noisy dining area, with no effort made to keep people up-to-date, or, given the length of time elapsed, to placate by offering drinks or nibbles - and then made to feel that greasy meat, dry "dauphinoise" potatoes are somehow superb, rather than the epithet awarded of "adequate", is extracting the proverbial.
The Triple fff house beer is fine - the Bowman Swift One was not at its best. Clearly the accolades handed out by the "Good Pub Guide" have gone to this place's head - delusions of adequacy are far too generous an assessment. Reading the reviews this is rapidly becoming the nightmarish country cousin of the Wykeham Arms in one of its snootier pre-Fullers incarnations.
25 Aug 2013 15:41
The Lord John Russell, Russell Square
Good if unexciting cask selection (although 6X and Brains are unusual for this part of town) with a good range of quality imported beers. Friendly if sometimes slow service.
21 Oct 2012 21:24
Too many pumps on my most recent visit - the prices are now high as Youngs are clearly milking their captive customers, and I would expect better quality as standard strength beers are around the �4.00 mark...
This remains a must-visit pub for the architecture but it isn't a patch on what it was a decade ago.
21 Oct 2012 21:22
Expensive, and hardly an adventurous range of beers on offer, hardly surprising that it tends to be half-empty when other bars are heaving.
21 Oct 2012 21:18
Continues to be a fine establishment, with a judicious blend of beer range, food and atmosphere. The outdoor drinking area is welcome on the odd sunny visit, but this is a welcoming place for almost any occasion.
21 Oct 2012 21:17
Beautiful interior. Marginally surprised to encounter bouncers on a Saturday night visit but friendly once inside - a good selection of beer on offer,
21 Oct 2012 21:14
Glad to see it busy! Never fails to hit the spot when in Glasgow, albeit making a hole in the bank balance...
21 Oct 2012 21:13
A good range of beer, reasonably priced food and welcoming.
21 Oct 2012 21:09
Methinks "Trethias" needs either to lighten up or avoid places where his or her sense of entitlement is not met.
For those of us who are reasonably regular frequenters of this excellent pub, the quality of beer continues to be exceptional, the manager and staff friendly, and the absence of distractions in the bar such as phones, music, games machines and young children (permitting conversation or a quiet drink) is a further enticement.
It's a business, and a thriving one - and you can hardly describe the staff as lazy.
Trethias's review, however, is as ill-conceived as his or her earlier effusion. It's good to know when the pub is certain to be open, and the landlord will judge if these hours are correct for the locality and the prospective trade. With his or her vast insight, perhaps he or she should venture their own financial backing for a business model that seems to me and many other posters as totally unnecessary.
Hopefully it's a bit too complicated and therefore the rest of us can go on visiting,enjoying and keeping a great Hampshire pub up to the standard we appreciate.
21 Oct 2012 20:56
Methinks "Trethias" needs either to lighten up or avoid places where his or her sense of entitlement is not met.
For those of us who are reasonably regular frequenters of this excellent pub, the quality of beer continues to be exceptional, the manager and staff friendly, and the absence of distractions in the bar such as phones, music, games machines and young children (permitting conversation or a quiet drink) is a further enticement.
It's a business, and a thriving one - and you can hardly describe the staff as lazy.
Trethias's review, however, is as ill-conceived as his or her earlier effusion. It's good to know when the pub is certain to be open, and the landlord will judge if these hours are correct for the locality and the prospective trade. With his or her vast insight, perhaps he or she should venture their own financial backing for a business model that seems to me and many other posters as totally unnecessary.
Hopefully it's a bit too complicated and therefore the rest of us can go on visiting,enjoying and keeping a great Hampshire pub up to the standard we appreciate.
21 Oct 2012 20:56
Fullers (ex-Gales) pub - Seafarers, HSB and London Pride (not exactly enterprising). Good, if expensive food.
However, service can be erratic and there does appear to be randomness and occasional very slow delivery of meals without explanation or apology. Large parties can hog the bar.
Location good, especially for watching all the Jane Austen adherents from.
10 Jun 2012 17:43
The Half Moon and Spread Eagle, Micheldever
Somewhere on the cusp of traditional country pub and gastro-aspirational. Five beers on, including the Greene King low-duty "Tolly Cobbold" 2.8% bitter. Morland Original and the GK London beer from the tied range, and Old Hooky and Itchen Valley Pure Gold as guests. Not cheap.
Food slightly above average, service generally friendly.
Very child-centred, though - not somewhere to go for a quiet lunch.
10 Jun 2012 17:41
Had something of the Royston Vaysey quality you find all too infrequently these days. The beer quality was not as great as one might expect from the GBG listing - the OId Dairy Gold Top served through a sparkler was interesting on the basis that it was clearly not brewed to be pulled through that way.
This reminded me of my earliest pub visits in the 1980s when the decor might not have been tired, the local clientele wondering whether people not from round their way are tasty would have been quaint and straight out of the "Wicker Man", and the feeling that one has stumbled into a parallel universe somewhere between Stephen King and Jeremy Clarkson.
Should be studied by all anthropologists of the boozer.
13 May 2012 15:59
Back in Glasgow yesterday and revisited the Pot Still. The new regime has restored everything that made this place so great - the whisky range is expanding and interesting, and the forthcoming beers list looked good. This has to be one of the greatest pubs in the city.
21 Mar 2012 22:03
For a Greene King pub to serve Titanic Iceberg and Nethergate Umbel Ale in good condition is impressive - as was the Laphroaig Quarter Cask at the end of the meal. What price Abbot Reserve?
27 Dec 2011 16:12
Visited just before Christmas - on curry night! Dark Star Espresso was on fine form and the pub was reasonably quiet (enough to sit down), so continues to be worth sniffing out.
27 Dec 2011 16:10
Maybe too popular for its own good - and the gradual inflation of beer prices is noticeable here as well. The food is good - the beer usually good to excellent, but there's something that doesn't quite feel right when you're pressured to vacate even standing space for more punters to arrive.
27 Dec 2011 16:08
A quiet, traditional pub. The beer is an attraction - and the atmosphere is great while waiting for a train! The Triple fff I Don't Remember was on fine form.
27 Dec 2011 16:06
Visited for the first time since it reopened at the weekend. I have to say that I was very impressed, both with the food quality and beer range. The friendliest service that I've encountered in years, as well - with knoweldge of the product range, and the outdoor area was clean, spacious and secluded. Decently busy as well.
With the Wrestlers over the road this will become a destination worth savouring.
28 Sep 2011 10:42
I've never tried Meurglys Bitter, but it probably wouldn't be any worse than the sub-standard Pride and Doom Bar that this place doles up. As for the garden, whether it's being re-seeded or not the tree has gone, and the interior looks like a barn.
I'm sure that the eating area will be as noisy and unpleasant as any other gastropub, and will gradually encroach on what remains of the vestigial passing trade.
Plenty of other good food pubs, and plenty of other good beer pubs (many of which do both). I'm sure that the widely-travelled "pubfan67" will be delighted that my (and others') resolution means there will be much more room for his family in future.
19 Aug 2011 16:22
A quick visit - and getting pleasantly busy by five on a Friday afternoon. I agree with the poster below who thinks that the beer and cider range may not be sustainable at that number, but even with half the choice it would still be worth visiting!
A garden, a basic but decent food menu and a feeling that it's a pub not a sports bar or ersatz restaurant. Well worth seeking out, and encouraging people who understand that a pub requires friendly service, good drink and an atmosphere which encourages you to stay.
We then went on to the "refurbished" Lion in Teddington. A huge mistake.
6 Aug 2011 10:56
As we discovered yesterday, this is really no longer a pub. Nor does it appear to be a restaurant. Instead it's a shallow husk, stipped out of all its character, in a location which, when it was in its prime, was a worthwhile excursion in itself. This seems like commercial suicide, but I may be proved wrong.
The garden has lost its tree, half its space (presumably so that the braying hordes of boat-shoe-clad bourgeois families don't make quite as much noise next door to residential properties) and the grass.
The beer range was tepid London Pride and Doom Bar, plus a collection of bog standard kegs (hardly aspirational given the affected pretensions of the rest of the place). There didn't appear to be any menu to hand so it's impossible to determine whether or not that will make up for it. About the only possibility.
You couldn't make it up. Just as the gastrofication of pubs has reached saturation, this turns into a parody. Perhaps it's all a practical joke.
6 Aug 2011 10:52
The Pots remains excellent - the absence of all the "modern" trappings of the country gasto-pub experience which haunts Hampshire and most of the rest of the South, mobile phones, piped music and children indoors is coupled with good beer and simple food at prices which, while not cheap, reflect quality ingredients and are served enthusiastically.
To the posters below: firstly it's a country pub and trade is not necessarily huge in the afternoon. A village does not support the all-day boozing of those who hang around in Wetherspoons or All Bar Ones, nor should it. The landlord decided when to open and balances the costs of keeping the pub open (staff, electricity etc.) against the potential trade - and I wouldn't want to waste time hoping that a hyper-critical tourist passes by for a half pint and a sniffy inspection of the premises.
As for child-friendly, I remain of the view that a pub also needs to be adult-friendly. With the absence of modern distractions, plenty of outside seating and a large marquee outside, the fact that the Pots keeps the bars for adult drinkers is to be celebrated. If Trethias wants to find a family-friendly pub then there are plenty around.
This is an excellent, slightly quirky pub. I would have more patience with Trethias if he or she were capable of tolerance, but we don't need more identikit slightly sub-standard, extremely expensive chain country pubs. And I've never had a problem at either ten to twelve or ten to six with getting in! Shame we have the braying boat-shoe brigade to contend with, sometimes.
1 Aug 2011 08:18
Now definitely Nicholson's. Decent food and excellent beer, with friendly staff and very convenient for the train.
28 Jun 2011 18:11
Definitely open last week. Good pub, excellent beer, very friendly.
28 Jun 2011 18:01
The Clissold Arms, East Finchley
Decided to give this place a 2011 trial. The manager (I presume) continues to be offensive to those seeking to drink, and the prices continue to rise yet further.
A sunny evening in the garden: a large-ish party of people arrive wanting to drink. Offensively-officious manager walks across and tries to act like a retarded sheepdog to organise tables claiming we have "150 in tonight" - poor creatures - and sends out the signal the mildly scruffy group is not welcome. As all this is going on a couple of tables away it's time to move on before it's clear that I too am not willing to pay �50 a head for mass-produced gastro-fare.
I used to think this place was disappointing. It isn't. It's dreadful. It's not a pub, it's not a restaurant, and it's in a place which should be a destination. Steer clear - don't let them take your cash. It's places like this that are destroying the pub trade with pretension, condescension and arrogance. Shame - the garden and space could be good if they were in the right hands.
10 Apr 2011 15:45
Visited for the first time today - decided to go on the most recent recommendations. Friendly service, well-kept Surrey Hills Shere Drop and a decent range of ales and wines. The Elmbridge Council food hygiene score outside the door is clearly a reasurance, and the food was good if unexceptional.
Ten minutes' walk from Cobham station - and plenty of outside space. Definitely summer potential.
10 Apr 2011 15:39
The Old White Lion, East Finchley
Service generally faster - and you can't fault it on the friendliness front at the moment. Guest beers are more in evidence as well.
18 Mar 2011 17:02
The Bald Faced Stag, East Finchley
Generally all right still - not as gastrofied as the Clissold and the food, wine and beer are all above average (quality and price).
18 Mar 2011 17:01
Perhaps Gazza's comment about CAMRA Wetherspoon vouchers would be a little more helpful if he thought it through! Wetherspoon give the vouchers to CAMRA members, not the other way round... And if you're a "buffoon" you don't have to use them if you feel sufficiently self-righteous and want to remain unsullied by commerce (but that does imply a teetotal life without drinking privatised water).
This is not a bad pub - admittedly the competition isn't up to anything. Usually a decent range and they're more likely to be challenging drinkers for being dead than under 18.
18 Mar 2011 16:57
Will it lose its licence? Up before the Council next week - the papers make an interesting read with respect to events at this place.
18 Mar 2011 16:53
First visit for some time - satisfyingly busy. Slightly refurbished since last time, still essentially the same but cleaner. Friendly, efficient service. Two Downton beers, Cottage, Hogs Back and Hop Back on - and good traditional food at prices that appear good value in a London context, particularly as it's all freshly-prepared.
A good experience - recommended as it's close to the Tube, buses and offers outdoor drinking.
18 Mar 2011 16:52
Worth it for a fine interior, and beer range. Convenient for both arriving and departing from Clapham.
24 Feb 2011 17:12
Continues to have interesting guests - but getting so rammed at key times that it is difficult to get in. Always good quality beer and friendly even when full.
24 Feb 2011 17:11
Worth exploring - even on a Six Nations day. A good range of beer and pleasantly eccentric.
24 Feb 2011 17:10
Not quite sure where this is going - good food, good beer, but the 70s rock soundtrack and what appeared to be some slightly odd customers were jarring... Seems to be work in progress - but not a bad town centre pub.
10 Oct 2010 19:34
The Jolly Sailors, Brancaster Staithe
First visit in several years - and the beer, food and atmosphere were as good as ever. Not disappointed - would warmly recommend.
10 Oct 2010 19:32
Crown Hotel, Wells next the Sea
Gastrofied to the nth degree. Used to be rambling coaching inn, now targeted at the weekend/sailing market.
Decent food, reasonable beer. Nothing to get excited about.
10 Oct 2010 19:31
Crown Hotel, Wells next the Sea
Gastrofied to the nth degree. Used to be rambling coaching inn, now targeted at the weekend/sailing market.
Decent food, reasonable beer. Nothing to get excited about.
10 Oct 2010 19:31
Novel experience - and as I like Woodforde's the Sundew on a bright, calm afternoon was excellent.
10 Oct 2010 19:29
Seems to be on the up - the Adnams influence is getting there. Very quiet on October visit so unable to judge whether service could cope with a number of customers.
10 Oct 2010 19:29
Adequate - nothing special - but did have plenty of outside seating for a sunny afternoon.
10 Oct 2010 19:26
Restaurant appeared to be straight out of Royston Vasey.
However the beer in the bar was good.
10 Oct 2010 19:25
Recommended before going to Cromer - and lived up to its reputation. Food excellent, and beer extremely good. Friendly, clean and welcoming - no wonder was in almost every day when on holiday.
10 Oct 2010 19:23
The Pakenham Arms, Clerkenwell
Clearly the post-person's local... However non-intrusive televisions, good prices and about the only palatable pint of Doom Bar consumed in recent years.
27 Aug 2010 12:02
Always busy. An outlet for Wherry in central London, which in itself makes it a worthwhile destination! Have not had a bad pint here.
27 Aug 2010 11:59
The Junction Tavern, Kentish Town
An exemplary gastropub - it doesn't forget it's a pub but serves good food and beer quality was excellent. The food is slightly expensive but for once you get what you pay for.
The Cornish Mutiny was excellent as was the Wandle.
Well worth going some way for.
24 Aug 2010 17:50
The Clissold Arms, East Finchley
Restaurant prices - and not quite the panache to carry it off. The gable end now displays "Gastropub and Bar" which sums up one part of its aspirations but suggests they still welcome casual drinkers.
The refurbished outside space is attractive. The range of drinks is acceptable if you have a deep wallet. However uneven staff quality and the soullessness of this place are major turn-offs.
Many better options. It ought to get its act together as it falls far short of the destination pub it aspires to be and pretends it is.
2 Jul 2010 13:20
Standard Spirit Group semi-gastro pub - but what a difference from some of the London houses. Good attitude from the staff and a friendly atmosphere all round. Beer quality good - food decent. For an Oxford pub this scores well.
28 Feb 2010 11:14
Standard Spirit Group semi-gastro pub - but what a difference from some of the London houses. Good attitude from the staff and a friendly atmosphere all round. Beer quality good - food decent. For an Oxford pub this scores well.
28 Feb 2010 11:14
Here on a busy Friday night - yet friendly and a good range of beer available. Top condition for the Wherry so scores highly!
28 Feb 2010 11:12
Unchanging - a good thing. Would have been good to round off a Manchester visit with some Old Tom..
13 Dec 2009 11:53
Good Hyde's pub - basic and worth escaping the back way from Victoria for.
13 Dec 2009 11:48
One of the finest interiors of any pub in north London. The beer was good if expensive, although I would not go out of my way to consume any more Jack Frost this year.
13 Dec 2009 11:47
Cannot fault this pub. Speedy, friendly service and good range - very busy though so not one for a quiet drink!
19 Oct 2009 08:04
Reasonably consistent although dominated by the Greene King list.
19 Oct 2009 08:01
Agree that the beer range can be erratic in quality - occasionally I suspect that the policy of long-distance sourcing from English micros may not do the cellar a favour. However, except when rammed for sport on TV this remains a fine pub and some of the comments seem to have been almost as sour as the reported pints.
19 Oct 2009 08:00
Most recent visit was perfectly acceptable - possibly because, as an earlier reviewer said, Saturday evenings are now very quiet. It's much less special than it used to be, indeed verging on the ordinary, although I was able to enjoy Titanic Iceberg as an expensive guest beer.
Not sure where this pub fits into the strategising for the Youngs estate - too small, listed and quirky for the stripped pine makeover. Next visit will be interesting.
19 Oct 2009 07:57
Gastro pub. Would score more highly if it did not blot out memories of the Sun - even its dying days were a revelation for a novice ale drinker back in the early 90s.
19 Oct 2009 07:54
Hadn't visited for at least a decade and a half - still as it always has been... It is unique - and long may it continue.
19 Oct 2009 07:51
Could this be the worst pub in London? Probably not - but considering its location and potential it must get pretty high on the list.
Avoid - unless you feel like walking into some kind of training school for insolent zombies and have both cauterised taste buds and a liver with infinite capacity for processing toxicity.
15 Sep 2009 18:35
The Victoria Stakes, Muswell Hill
Good gastropub - and unusually had Thwaites on. Maybe everywhere else has caught up with their prices but this did not seem exceptionally expensive for the area - and the atmosphere friendly.
Diverse customer base - undoubtedly some refugees from the Phoenix.
15 Sep 2009 18:32
The Old White Lion, East Finchley
On a recent visit noted that they had a member of staff called "Snail"? Is this belated self-awareness or an in-joke.
Unsurprised that the pub was deleted from the Good Beer Guide. I've taken a vow of avoiding the cask after some very peculiar pints of both poor quality and apparent mislabelling...
1 Sep 2009 17:40
Excellent beer - the Dionysus is quenching and drinks above its volume. Scruffy but relaxed feel to the place.
21 Jun 2009 15:08
Architecturally splendid, if somewhat down-at-heel. Would not go out of my way to re-visit given choice of drinks. Not too odiferous on my visit.
21 Jun 2009 15:04
Consistently reliable especially with Golden Best and Dark Mild on regularly - although in my view the latter does need a sparkler to bring out its qualities to the full. A justifiably popular pub.
21 Jun 2009 15:02
Remains excellent - attention to detail without having suffered the makeovers elsewhere in the estate. Decent beer.
Beware the microwaved mulled wine in the winter though.
16 Jun 2009 18:57
Another fine pub let down by Woung's increasingly erratic offerings. Used to be a preferred venue but not a destination as it once was.
16 Jun 2009 18:56
I remember when this was a Fullers house - but that just dates me. Sheps have kept the character more or less intact, and it's good to have somewhere to sit outside without being on a main road...
16 Jun 2009 18:55
Black Sheep and Broadside at usual high prices and well-kept. Have eaten here once and generally all right but not the most spectacular price/value trade-off.
An absolute architectural gem, however.
16 Jun 2009 18:53
Back on form with a vengeance - sampled several of the beers which were superb. Slightly concerned that on a glorious Saturday the pub was not exactly heaving, but hopefully this will not last all summer.
16 Jun 2009 18:50
The Clissold Arms, East Finchley
It must be said that this is an expensive place for both eating and drinking - the generic gastro-pub theme is clear. The quality of both are fine. It has cleaned up its outside areas compared to the Barracuda days, and that makes it a pleasant experience compared to some other local establishments.
Difficult to see what makes it stand out otherwise.
4 Jun 2009 21:40
The Windsor Castle, East Finchley
The comment below sums it up perfectly - what would be a very pleasant, backstreet local is marred by shouting, foul language and an atmosphere that can only be described as hostile bordering on the threatening. Shame, as the beer is drinkable and there is a decent, if somewhat shabby, outdoor drinking area.
It might be better when the football season is over - but I'm distinctly reluctant to find out.
11 May 2009 15:40
Usually has full Sheps range on - fine if you like that sort of thing as it's well-kept if pricey. Something about the layout here is not quite right, but a good rendezvous point.
25 Apr 2009 12:10
The Skinners Arms, Kings Cross
Occasionally now serves interesting guests on top of the GK. Also has outside tables which are relatively peaceful despite being near to Euston Road.
25 Apr 2009 12:09
The Betjeman Arms, St Pancras International Station
Still unimpressive. Costly and the service is distinctly variable.
25 Apr 2009 12:08
�3.45 for a pint of Hock appeared to be the standard across the central London estate. Shame that when I had it here it was tired and lacklustre - and the schizoid nature of the pub (dark interior, loud and intrusive screens) does not make for a destination.
25 Apr 2009 12:06
Shame - not as good as it used to be many years ago. Difficult to put one's finger on the cause, apart from the Woung's beer quality, but not an immediate choice even with the al fresco potential.
25 Apr 2009 12:04
Consistently good selection of beers. I was slightly dubious when the shift to gravity took place and had one visit where the condition was less than sparkling. Two recent visits have removed the doubts: the best waiting room for Euston!
25 Apr 2009 12:02
Excellent beer selection - good Scottish micro contingent as well as imports from south of the border and the continent!
25 Apr 2009 12:01
Usually reliable - three pricey beers, decent food. Added attraction is relatively secluded outdoor drinking area.
25 Apr 2009 11:59
Consistently good pub - even on my last visit where the only ale on offer was IPA! Pleasant atmosphere and friendly service. One of the best experiences in Glasgow.
25 Apr 2009 11:57
Good staff, good food, good (and varied) beer range - nearly always worth escaping from the station for! Can get busy - there is a certain amount of amusement to be had from tourists confused about bar etiquette.
25 Apr 2009 11:56
Great to see Belhaven 80/- on the other night - beats the Bury St Edmunds imports hands down... Generally excellent; friendly without being intrusive and good food when required.
25 Apr 2009 11:53
A fine bar - never had a bad pint. Well-situated for the station!
25 Apr 2009 11:52
Brigantes Bar and Brasserie, York
Oh dear. Having recommended this pub I was somewhat embarrassed by the quality of service and the attitude to customers. We ordered food - warning bells should have rung when the barperson considered a request for either bread or chips with mussels to be somewhat outlandish.
When the mussels arrived they had clearly decided to audition for the role of raisins at a fancy dress party, having apparently had no contact with the weissbier and garlic sauce that had been so prominently advertised, with an odour all their own. When questioned they were referred to the chef, and then we were reassured that they were "fresh". Putting the customer in the wrong is not a recipe for repeat business, so we left and moved elsewhere.
A great shame, because the other food, ambience and beer were up to their usual high standards.
13 Apr 2009 14:31
The Buckingham Arms, Westminster
What a disappointment - after two decades the impact of Young's management has turned this from being a great pub into somewhere that may well find it hard to attract new customers.
26 Jan 2009 17:40
Certainly my favourite pub in SW1 - good beer and usually friendly even when busy. The choice of guest beer is enterprising and I have never had a pint here in less than excellent condition.
Indeed, scored extremely highly with a mixed group of people just before Christmas. Well worth a visit. No music, no machines means it's a great place to chew over the meaning of life.
26 Jan 2009 17:38
The Bald Faced Stag, East Finchley
Not sure what the comment below adds to the site as the reviewer clearly recollects the BFS from when it was somewhere to avoid unless you were under 25 and lager was your preferred option.
Since its refurbishment has been reliable for good gastro-pub food, friendly service and, usually a good range of drinks (decent wine list). Certainly not the place it used to be - and all the better for it.
26 Jan 2009 17:34
Continues to improve - one of the best pubs in North London for atmosphere and service. Standard ales but extremely well-kept - feels like a local but not full of cliques. Worth a walk or a bus ride.
26 Jan 2009 17:26
Will update previous comment - now appears to have had the standard branding exercise; includes the standard "credit crunch" deal a la Flask. Still reasonable choice but service haphazard.
26 Jan 2009 17:24
Not bad - reasonable beer and unpretentious. A local's establishment but was not looked over as though I had extra chromosomes - and fortunately I don't mind McMullan beers..
12 Jan 2009 23:35
A typical Wetherspoons with lowest common denominator in most aspects - although the beer was slightly better than average. Could do with better supervision by the bar staff: the pair who were out of sight from the bar looked as though they were spoiling for trouble; either that or auditioning for East Barnet's amateur dramatic reconstruction of the League of Gentlemen. Suffice it to say that it is not a place to linger - and heaven knows who would come out here for a destination Wetherspoons...
12 Jan 2009 23:34
The Great Western, Wolverhampton
Can't see where some of the negativity is coming from. A recent visit proved to be extremely satisfactory for both beer and food - and the service was speedy and pleasant.
12 Jan 2009 23:27
Still has the peculiar smell in the doorways that puts many a less determined drinker off. With the decrements in the beer range over the years this is no longer a destination, merely a hopping-off point for Euston when there isn't time to go round to the Bree Louise.
12 Jan 2009 23:24
Went in for lunch on Christmas Eve just before the refurbishment. After a rail journey this was a really welcome experience: friendly and welcoming - and still a good range of beer and food available despite the forthcoming closure. Looking forward to my next visit!
12 Jan 2009 23:20
Agree with the comments on the peculiarity of the decor - but a pleasant enough place and warm on a cold night. Good beers.
12 Jan 2009 23:19
Not bad - convenient for the station. Reasonable range of beer and the menu looked quite appetising.
12 Jan 2009 23:17
After the disappointments of the Flask this is a pleasant surprise - the food and drink range is more independent, the attitude customer-focused and the pricing if not cheap than at least promises value for money. Would recommend!
12 Jan 2009 23:14
The Old White Lion, East Finchley
A further visit at a slightly quieter time - and a recovery to a high standard of cellarmanship and service. Only complaint was that the pub was draughty and cold, but it was the middle of the cold snap of 2008/09.
Previous reviews have identified hit-and-miss experiences from me and others: having been imbued with the spirit of goodwill will continue to use the pub!
12 Jan 2009 23:13
Went in for some nostalgia. Left very quickly - too little of the old atmosphere left. Very much now part of the tourist drag.
12 Jan 2009 23:09
An excellent pub all round. Very cosy on my last visit; friendly staff and a good range of drinks. Always pleasant to revisit places that have actually improved in recent years in Oxford, but this is also a result of the Bear not being steamrollered by Greene King bandwagon that has resulted in most of the former Morrells estate becoming no-go areas.
12 Jan 2009 23:07
Considerably more comfortable than the station while making a connection. Undoubtedly transformed from earlier incarnations - I remember it as a slightly rough Morrells house which formed the better option than the (demolished) Morlands place next door but that is definitely showing my age!
12 Jan 2009 23:02
Can only concur with the comments about the background music. Starting to become expensive and it may have been bad luck that the beer, while acceptable, did not sparkle on my last visit.
12 Jan 2009 23:00
Brigantes Bar and Brasserie, York
Excellent beer, excellent food and service. Quiet on a lunchtime - looks as though it can cope with busy times as well.
3 Dec 2008 21:31
Oh dear. Walked in here to find half the beers (real and continental) off and the same menu as the Old White Lion in East Finchley - a significant downgrade from the previous offerings I remember. This will succeed only because it's a tourist trap, but it's a shame for a pub that used to hide its chain status to be deteriorating for what must be short-term profit maximisation.
28 Nov 2008 09:10
Comments below are quite generous. Used to be the nearest to a local in the area - it now seems threatening, poor staff and an atmosphere that does not appeal for either a quick drink or a session. And don't get me started on the contracting choice of drink both real and otherwise.
28 Nov 2008 09:01
The Old White Lion, East Finchley
On the basis of the foregoing decided to give it another try - very difficult to pinpoint what exactly is wrong but it feels too soulless, bright and the service remained similarly slapdash. The standard chain "gastro" menu is not entirely inspiring. A good meeting point but not a destination!
28 Nov 2008 08:59
The Old White Lion, East Finchley
Recent "refurbishment" has not been too extensive - sadly the staff attitude that led to commnents below is back with a vengeance. To be accused of not knowing what you ordered when it's clear that the server is preoccupied with one knows not what is unacceptable - and the "new" menu is tired and quite expensive for what it is.
Will try again and attempt to find a member of staff without comprehension problems and a grudge against humanity...
29 Sep 2008 22:48
The Norfolk Arms, Russell Square
Can only agree with the comments that it has something of an identity crisis - food looks good but when the place is swamped with loud parties in a "pub" setting it was time to move elsewhere to eat. The XB was not exactly in sparkling form, either...
13 Jul 2008 12:38
New bar staff and clearly vastly improved cellermanship in evidence on my last visit - also the food prices have not increased in line with most other Hampshire pubs. Sadly some of the clientele appear to remain on the retentive side, and one party were most surprised to have booked for one o'clock and be told when they turned up well after two fifteen that the kitchen was closed. Not much you can do, though! The smoking ban has clearly improved the ambience here. Definitely on the up.
23 Apr 2008 23:09
Continuing its recovery from the hiatus over the brewery - the Flowerpots Best continues to improve. Still a favourite with people who have read about it in guides and who manage to be both noisy and patronising to more regular visitors. Food good and now predictably good rather than hit-and-miss.
3 Mar 2008 14:57
Very busy on a Friday evening, although it's slightly concerning that with 8 interesting beers on there's still a predisposition to strong lagers. Perhaps as knowledge of this place spreads the ale fraternity will gradually allow natural selection to take place!
16 Feb 2008 07:54
The Willoughby Arms, Kingston Upon Thames
Can't argue with most of the recent reviews - plus there's a back bar where there aren't screens and a chance for conversation. Well worth seeking out, and hpefully not having too many further appointments...
10 Feb 2008 15:44
The Wych Elm, Kingston Upon Thames
Good community pub, complete with cat! However extremely high rating scored for the sheer quality of the Chiswick - a beer without equal. Always pleasant to visit.
10 Feb 2008 15:42
The Park Tavern, Kingston Upon Thames
Occasionally hit-and-miss with the beer range, but always welcoming and friendly even when there is a Six Nations match on the television. Mind you, the �3.20 pint is something that still strikes me as pushing it a bit even for South-West London.
10 Feb 2008 15:39
Remains a welcoming, traditional pub. Unexciting ale range but all well-kept and a sufficient range of other options to drink. Pleasant garden and decent seating area outside - and a mix of clientele who don't bray as much as those in some other local establishments.
10 Feb 2008 15:36
Good waiting room for Euston - the London Porter has outlasted most other locations this year but is still very drinkable.
17 Dec 2007 23:16
One of the best dining pubs I have ever encountered - friendly service, good food and good beer. Not exactly cheap but you get what you pay for. Compared to the average London gastropub this is in a different class, and the attention to detail is faultless. Support for local brewers and a good wine list score highly.
Well worth the trip.
17 Dec 2007 23:15
The Globe on the Lake, Alresford
Glad to hear a few people have had a good experience here. My view is that this place is typical of the Alresford attitude and prices - not really interested in repeat business and pricy and pretentious for what it is.
17 Dec 2007 23:12
The best station waiting room in Great Britain? Always friendly, always good and interesting beers...
12 Dec 2007 22:07
The Windsor Castle, East Finchley
Generally very good beer quality and a pleasant alternative to the food-centred pubs nearer the Tube station. Will be interesting to see whether the current building works in the garden are followed by a makeover outside - a useful feature as it isn't on the High Road and it doesn't have the intermittent rattle of the Northern Line to disturb customers.
12 Dec 2007 22:02
Good beer all round, and a fine building. Well worth a visit...
3 Dec 2007 15:51
Pleasantly surprised -good food, friendly staff and a range of drink that was both good and well-kept.
3 Dec 2007 15:45
The Wenlock's reputation usually means a trip is a disappointment - both my most recent visits have been. The shabby chic is all very well but the carpet is a deathtrap, and I do wonder whether the feeling of regulars-only is an increasing deterrent to casual visitors. The beer range remains excellent for cast-conditioned, although the loss of some foreign beer is a disappointment. However, I am beginning to understand why people who have never been here before find the fuss incomprehensible...
3 Dec 2007 15:44
Very good food, and decently-kept beer. Worth it for the decor, and welcoming without being over-familiar.
16 Nov 2007 00:40
A welcome new addition to London's freehouses. If they can keep up the quality of guests (and none too stupidly strong) then all for the good.
16 Nov 2007 00:29
The Old Bank of England, Fleet Street
Acceptable Chiswick - and generally a good place to meet. However, very much in the current Fullers city pub mould and I would agree with the comment below that it's not really a place for a session.
16 Nov 2007 00:28
A pub which appears to be on the brink of decline. Claims to be offering a Thai kitchen service - but could do with a more adventurous ale range (vinegary Cottage Western Star alongside Greene King and London Pride). Recent visits have been enlivened by attritional price increases, and an attitude on the part of at least one member of staff bordering on the offensive especially with regard to temperature. Rather than turning the heating down when she was hot behind the bar, she opened the door brusquely instructing that it should be left as such - making customers cold and increasing the pub's carbon footprint. Suddenly East Finchley has a choice of good pubs - and Madden's may not be in the forefront.
16 Nov 2007 00:17
The Bald Faced Stag, East Finchley
Second visit since the refurbishment. Excellent food and good service. On the pricey side but the food was extremely well prepared and the ale selection improved from the last time. Definitely good quality and worth a visit - especially as it's so close to the Tube station.
12 Aug 2007 10:43
The Somerstown Coffee House, Euston
Good food, on the gastro end of the spectrum and quite expensive. The beer is good, and a vast improvement on the previous incarnation. A hidden gem, perhaps.
28 Jul 2007 18:03
The Yew Tree, Lower Wield
"ilovecountrypubs77"'s impassioned defence of this over-rated pub, which does not accommodate (please check spelling) the basics of good customer service, smacks of the paid-for nature of full entries in the "Good Pub Guide".
A more recent visit was just as slapdash, dilatory and frankly disappointing. I hope that the pub does survive - and if it captures the undiscerning and the ovine then all the better for other, more worthy establishments.
21 Oct 2013 19:16