BITE user comments - mike_s
Comments by mike_s
The Walrus and Carpenter, Monument
Bit of a throwback/old style City pub and pretty decent. Frequent haunt of hard drinking types from Eden Tree and other similar City establishments in the area.
20 Dec 2018 15:41
Agree with the comments. Interesting old school building and pub, and I like the staff and clientele. However I always drink lager or cider here; I don't think I can rank it above a 6 much as I like it because the cellar management is awful; beer, whether that's Landlord, Adnams or anything else I've chanced here in recent years is barely drinkable (at best).
20 Dec 2018 15:40
It is a bit worn but it very much a pub and a pretty traditional one at that.
Staff very friendly, well kept good range of beer and would definitely recommend it.
3 Dec 2018 17:24
The pies are very good and it's forte. Would recommend for food but not just a drink. It is a restaurant that sells (well kept) beer these days not really (or at most tenuously after work on a Thu/Fri night only perhaps) a pub.
3 Dec 2018 17:22
Real pity, but possibly in this day and age no surprise. Was from Chester originally and know it a bit from when I was younger. Lovely old building as blue scrumpy said below though.
31 Aug 2018 15:02
Very hipster and gentrified now; has certainly changed down the years!
Pretty quiet/not much life to it on a Saturday afternoon.
Couldn't fault the beer quality though which was tip top.
9 Aug 2018 15:59
Absolute goldmine I'd think; apparently it's one of the 2 or 3 most profitable Spoons in the UK and can well believe it. You know what you are getting here, always very busy. Bit more modern looking decor than most Spoons and bit better/faster service than most as well.
9 Aug 2018 15:57
Better than I remember it as being years back; good value. Had one bitter on, Formby IPA, don't remember that in the past. Perfectly drinkable and reasonably well kept (as opposed to exceptional).
9 Aug 2018 15:55
Only downside is how small it is; otherwise was here when back in the Pool last weekend and stick by my 2015 review; if it's not the best pub in Liverpool Wezzielad it's certainly not far off. Rowdy older friendly clientele sums it up nicely!
9 Aug 2018 15:54
Owner and staff won't be to everyone's tastes but still one of my favourites in this part of town. Had a couple of superb pints of Titanic and Rat White Rat last weekend. Friendly punters.
9 Aug 2018 15:52
If you go to Liverpool you must go for the decor (and toilets...) but go once, for one drink only.
Lunchtime last Saturday chokka busy, all tourists, apart from a couple of the staff not a Scouser in the pub.
No surprise at all. Understaffed at the bar, mediocre bar staff, half the beers were off and indifferent quality beer when we eventually found a couple (the ubiquitious Doom Bar and Oakham Citra) still on.
Tourist trap; very complacent indeed, probably even more so since the Paul Mc Cartney Carshare gig got it so much publicity. I would say wasted opportunity but I'm sure it rakes in money for Nicholsons even though it's a 5/10 pub (even allowing for the great decor).
9 Aug 2018 15:50
Absolute cracking pub. Just to endorse the last two entries. Still under threat sadly, one of the best pubs in town; great beer, friendly staff and locals, classic old Liverpool pub.
9 Aug 2018 15:46
Spacious pub, pretty good service for this part of town and reasonable quality beer. Fairly pricy even for the area. I'd put it as the best of the pubs actually on Whitehall ahead of the Silver Cross, Clarence and Spoons (though that serves a purpose and is much cheaper which is worth noting).
Better options close by though if you are a real ale fan - the Harp and Ship and Shovell, but it's perfectly serviceable. Has satellite TV sport as well if that's a factor for you.
25 Jun 2018 10:38
Whilst I absolutely agree with Snarling Mallard it used to me much better bland and corporate is harsh. For a station pub it's still pretty good and has a range of none Fullers beer on that whilst is nowhere near what it was once independent is better than most tied/Fullers pubs. A solid 7.
1 Jun 2018 10:21
Has changed completely since this was last reviewed.
It used to be a pretty neglected/tired old boozer with a clientele you might want to be a bit wary of.
Has now whilst keeping the Globe name gone somewhat from one extreme to the other. Well healed clientele now (mainly I'd think from BNP Parabis bank which is huge and very close by); a range of craft ale and trendy food/snacks (many vegan). Perfectly alright for what it is; Camden ales about £5 a pint, but that's not out of kilter with the area and Lisson Grove is now starting to gentrify fairly quickly.
1 Jun 2018 10:18
Now as said called the Sir John Balcombe.
Perfectly reasonable; staff fine, prices not too bad for the area and has an outside area plus a seperate area (with it's own bar) downstairs which can be reserved.
Possibly better sticking to lager/cider etc. though if you are a bitter drinker; the ale is not in my view very well kept and I doubt they turn over that much of it.
1 Jun 2018 10:14
The Three Compasses, Farringdon
Easily missed. Depends what you want. More of a pub than a bar which is unusual for the area. Good place for watching sport/football - rarely gets too busy but also have efficient and very friendly bar staff. Good value as well.
In my experience though, and I'm usually a beer drinker, the quality of the bitter is indifferent at best here - I like the place but drink lager or cider here so am marking it down to a 7 because of the mediocre beer quality.
18 May 2018 11:57
Staff are friendly enough but it has been as with many Youngs pubs gastrofied (not quite as badly as the Orange Tree perhaps) and is a de facto restaurant now as others have said.
But this is Richmond and times change so whilst I'm not happy about that it is largely inevitable I guess and at least it's still open.
12 Apr 2018 10:22
The Triple Crown Inn, Richmond
Marmite pub.
I like it a lot; and have found it friendly, the beer to be in good condition (and cheaper than pretty much everywhere in Richmond) and a great example of a traditional pub.
But you will either love it or hate it, it's rather different to more or less all the other pubs/bars in Richmond and very old school.
12 Apr 2018 10:20
The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon
Not a huge JDW fan on the whole but efficient friendly service and decent beer quality at this one far better than most
6 Apr 2018 12:32
Been sold and being taken over by the owners of the Kilburn Ironworks.
15 Feb 2018 11:24
Huge pub, good for watching sport especially rugby in. Very nice Guinness (they have tried with ale but you're better sticking to the Guinness or lager/cider), generally good atmosphere. No competition at all in Morden though.
Not been for a year or so but last time did worth noting it was a cash only pub, no cards.
15 Feb 2018 11:20
Awful, beer tasted off and had a bit of an undercurrent/vibe to it.
15 Feb 2018 11:18
Traditional friendly excellent real ale pub. Best in Southport by some way in my view.
18 Jul 2017 12:04
Decent venue for bands/music, which is increasingly rare and to be cherished now especially in Central London.
Wouldn't bother unless was going here to watch music, beer indifferent and overpriced, though it has a later licence than some of the other pubs in the area.
3 Jul 2017 16:37
Have been coming in here on and off for years mainly to watch sport; has always probably as right next to Euston station been pretty busy down the years for Liverpool games (my team).
It has tidied itself up somewhat down the years. Less scruffy and probably less rowdy/loud as well. The beer quality has also improved quite a lot down the years. Always been happy with the service in here as well.
That said I am surprised it is in the GBG as well. Beer quality is reasonable, and range OK in my view; neither are amazing though. I also can't go above 6/10 as the prices are I agree taking the piss now for the sort of pub this is.
Doric Arch and Bree Louise are certainly better pubs in the area; for the sport/football to me it's a 50/50 between here and the Euston Flyer (which is no cheaper really beer price wise than here) in the area.
3 Jul 2017 16:32
The Seven Stars, Chancery Lane
Very quirky and an institution. Agree it has a more mixed/bohemian crowd than most of the pubs full of lawyers in this part of London.
Beer quality (both Harvey's and Sharps Cornish Coaster) exceptional and certainly a place to take people unfamiliar with London/if you are going on a crawl of old/quirky pubs.
Real trek up steep narrow stairs to the toilets as others have said!
1 Jun 2017 14:13
It's a great looking pub with a decent outside area for the summer. The staff are also decent.
However I hadn't been here for a couple of years until last week. Used to rate this as one of my favourite pubs in London. Have to say in terms of the number of beers that were off and beer quality this place to me is living off it's past glories a bit.
The beer quality is to me by no means terrible, but not what it was, and no more than average now, which given the prices means I can't go above 6 for this place at the moment.
1 Jun 2017 14:10
The Carpenters Arms, Kings Cross
Yes, a loss.
It was certainly a little rough around the edges and a local's pub, but came in here a few times down the years with mates to watch football and never had any bother/friendly enough. It was a just above average boozer in my view, but you have few if any places like that left in this part of town now.
It is sad but this area has changed totally, and it is what Kings Cross was 10-20 years ago, not what it is now.
3 Mar 2017 11:04
Reasonable pub in my view, though certainly others in the area are better (Seven Stars and Edgar Wallace would be my top two as well). However it is apparently closing down at the weekend, and will definitely be a loss. LIkely to end up as housing or offices I'm afraid.
22 Feb 2017 17:04
The Salt House, St John's Wood
Wouldn't go out of my way to visit but decent enough if in the area. As the previous poster says it has improved under the most recent management team.
21 Feb 2017 13:37
Ye Olde Swiss Cottage, Swiss Cottage
5/10 seems about right. Very mediocre, and Sam Smiths could do a lot more with this place, not one of there better pubs in London. But in an area that is a bit of a desert now for pubs it's OK.
21 Feb 2017 13:36
Badly neglected as others have said and a pretty iffy clientele. Bit surprising given the amount of pubs that have shut in the area, including 317, Walkabout and Wetherspoons, that this dump survives.
21 Feb 2017 13:35
Has been closed after a fire for a long time, a good couple of years, but re-opened last week. Looked much as before, but the website indicates prices are a bit more reasonable than it was pre fire/closure.
23 Jan 2017 18:59
Not a big Spoons fan but would also tend to the view better than average as Spoons go.
23 Jan 2017 18:57
Agreed easily the best pub in Stroud. Was also very impressed. Very good choice of beer, and a good variety of styles. Also impressed by the staff and have had bar food on the couple of occasions I've been. Covers all bases very well and a genuine 9/10 pub in my view as well.
23 Jan 2017 18:57
Very sadly now closed - had the feeling with surly staff and random opening hours that Sam Smiths had been deliberately running down trade over the last couple of years. Used to be a wonderful pub in a great location (but that is the problem - it will no doubt be sold for a fortune for housing)
1 Dec 2016 12:39
If you haven't been it's worth a pint for the interior and having a look at that. But the pub could and should be far better in my view. Indifferent quality beer, poor quality staff. Hasn't been a good pub now for at least 10 years and resting on it's laurels.
Loads of better places in the area.
1 Nov 2016 15:25
Personally found the staff friendly and accomodating (letting us have a test of the Halloween bitter first before ordering it for instance). Guess it all depends who is on. The Landlord was in tip top order. Very good pub.
1 Nov 2016 15:24
Excellent quality and range of beer, though some not cheap. Found the service a bit clinical though. Agree with Chelsea On Tour it's also very small so probably best avoided on Thursday/Friday nights.
1 Nov 2016 15:23
Hadn't been in for several years. It has the feel of a cleaned up pub, but a pub, not an outright gastropub now.
Spitfire was in good nick, friends also said the Whitstable Bay was good. Prices not bad for the area and friendly staff.
1 Nov 2016 15:21
Great pub, a hidden gem and much the best pub in the area. It is very very small though so you probably need to pick your time
26 Oct 2016 15:42
Wetherspoons, Victoria Station
Not bad now, much improved since it had the refurb, had been looking very tired but looks more airy now with more seats.
Variable though in terms of what range of beer they have on and in terms of staff quality/service. Variable though, rather than necessarily bad, and it does it's job well enough for a station pub isn't bad.
26 Oct 2016 15:40
Civilised option in Wrexham (which whilst better than it was is limited - here, the Royal Oak and Horse and Jockey are the only ones I'd massively recommend in the town) with decent beer and friendly staff.
It is never it seems to me very busy though, probably as you have a Spoons right opposite selling ale at £1 a pint less; must be a real struggle for pubs like this to compete against likes of Spoons/Yates'
26 Oct 2016 15:33
Metropolitan Bar, Baker Street
Agree it's easily one of the better Spoons, good location, interesting decor and better/faster service than most Spoons. Closed for a refurb until December 2016
3 Oct 2016 17:35
Has been closed for 2-3 months now, and have my doubts it will re-open certainly as the sort of pub it was.
Had it's pros and it's cons. Prices were reasonable and it had a good mixed clientele, probably more down to earth than many of the nearby pubs but in no way rough, what a pub should be. Against that the pub looked like it needed a good clean and was borderline dingy/dirty especially for the area. Personally I always found the quality of the bitter to be variable as well and tended to stick to lager/cider here.
But it did offer something a bit different to Coco Momo/the Marylebone/Prince Regent etc. in the area was much more a pub than a bar.
3 Oct 2016 17:30
Nice friendly good looking pub. Can't rate it above say 7 because it is Sam Smiths (some will like that but it's not really for me the lack of choice of other beers though as said this does have a better range of bottles than most SS pubs).
It's worth a look for one or two though for the building and friendly staff/punters.
8 Sep 2016 18:07
This was one of the very first Spoons outside London and in the North, probably been open 20 years or so now (and it shows). Otherwise agreed with the last comment, though I wouldn't criticise the quality of beer or most of the staff, it always has a desperate feel to it to me especially for the centre of a place like Chester.
8 Sep 2016 18:05
Closed at the moment. Some talk of it being reopened as a Wetherspoons with rooms/accomodation but we shall see.
Shame, as whilst I'm not a big Spoons fan (and Chester is a place full of decent pubs) this was one of the best Spoons nationally in my view in terms of decor, clientele, staff and beer range.
Whereas I don't like the Square Bottle at all. The beer range and quality is good and some of the staff are very good as well. However the clientele seems to me to be a mix of tourists who won't come back for repeat business and very heavy drinking rough and ready punters of a different nature to almost any of the other pubs/bars in the Centre of Chester.
I'm sure it makes money but to me it's a real pity the Square Bottle is the one they kept open, whilst this one was closed down.
8 Sep 2016 18:03
Seems to me they think they are something they are not and have delusions as to what they are.
Came in here as an away fan 11.30am on a Saturday morning before a Dagenham and Redbridge game. Must have been 50 or so fans from both sides mixing happily.
However service at the bar was very slowly and surly, but the main thing was aside from 2 small tables at the bar if you weren't eating you were told not to sit down at a table.
This was at 11.30am on a Saturday morning. Literally nobody there was eating, and literally all the customers they had were going to the game wanting a quick pint or two. Staff had a real attitude problem it seemed to me (though in fairness they probably get orders from on high).
It is however a pub in Dagenham East; which seems to think it is some high end eatery in the West End or Mayfair. Presume the food is mass produced average stuff; beer was of indifferent quality but it's wrongly located for the pub/gastropub it wrongly thinks it is.
30 Aug 2016 17:41
Good range of well kept beers but just felt a little too clinical to me.
6 Jul 2016 12:32
Good range of beers in good order (tried Old Dairy and Nicholsons Pale Ale), reasonable prices, a nice old building and friendly staff. Better than the average suggests in my view and would happily recommend.
6 Jul 2016 12:31
Sherlock's Bar and Grill, Marylebone
Hotel bar. Fairly pricy for both food and drink, and very over attentive service(OTT in my view). Surpisingly does sell a bitter (Spitfire) as well as lager, but served far too cold.
Mediocre rather than absolutely appalling, and surprisingly it has Sky Sports, but lots better places in the area; though if you are staying at the hotel it would be a perfectly OK place for a drink.
6 Jul 2016 12:10
The Horse and Groom, Great Portland Street
Not a big fan of SS beers and it is pricier than most SS establishments. The bar staff are very good and chatty here though so I'll give it a 6.
27 May 2016 15:59
I agree. It isn't spectacularly good but it's a very solid 7/10 in an area with plenty of decent options. Beer quality is always decent (usually have Tring Side Pocket here which is a fairly unusual good session bitter, but the Seafarers/Pride is also good).
Prices are reasonable for the area as well, and it's a good option for watching sport/football in the area as well. Civilised mainly post work crowd. It is quite small though and can often get busy.
27 May 2016 15:56
Rather pretentious and overpriced for what it is, just my opinion.
28 Apr 2016 17:22
Good beer, good service, interesting unspoilt decor and reasonable prices.
Can't fault it though it is usually very busy.
28 Apr 2016 17:21
I agree it is generally a good pub and the quality of the Shep Neame beers is very good. Have always found service to be pretty slow though with a lot of staff standing around not doing a great deal. Seem to struggle when it gets busy.
28 Apr 2016 17:19
Top notch. Excellent range of beer, some on stillage, and decent value. Friendly helpful barstaff as well.
4 Feb 2016 15:08
Reasonable, no more or less, which makes it better in my view than the alternatives in the centre of the town.
4 Feb 2016 15:07
Excellent range of beer, all kept very well. Had a pint of Rebellion and a Tring ruby ale, so no faults on that front. Mixed clientele, no problem with that either.
However, and I stress I don't go here very often only when meeting a mate in Wycombe so it might have been a one off, for a Friday evening the service was poor. Only one person on, and he was pretty slow. It had gone downhill in that regard (may have been a one off) in the year or so since I last visited.
Hopefully it was a one off, because the lack of competition in Wycombe, were most of the pubs are pretty grim, could breed a danger of complacency.
4 Feb 2016 15:06
Currently being refurbished again, remains to be seen if it will go down the gastropub/style bar route this time.
I still think there is room in West Hampstead for a drinking/student/football watching pub different to the other samey places but we shall see.
I normally drink bitter but agree although they try the quality is poor, so tend to stay off it and drink lager/cider here.
27 Jan 2016 15:55
The Hole In The Wall, Waterloo
Hard to know how to rate it now. It's an institution and used to drink here a lot but I tend to agree with AbeC and Beerpilgrim. Think it's crossed the line now in respect of service and generally dinginess/cleanliness.
Will still pop in for a pint if waiting for a train/meeting people for the station, but wouldn't stay beyond a pint now.
27 Jan 2016 15:47
Handy for the station and for watching sport on TV but that's about all it has going for it in my view. Bland huge pub, indifferent beer quality; not absolutely awful but certainly one of the worst Fullers pubs I can think of.
27 Jan 2016 15:45
The Crown and Cushion, Waterloo
Bit of a throwback of a pub these days, certainly in this sort of area. Has an Irish flavour but without overdoing the faux Oirish stuff.
Good barstaff, quite a locals/regulars place but I'd recommend it. They do bitter as well, unusually for a lot of Irish type pubs, and the Doom Bar I had was perfectly fine. You used to have a lot more pubs like this; genuine.
27 Jan 2016 15:41
Handy for the station and usually busy. I'm not giving it more than 6/10 though because it keeps advertising itself based on an astonishing selection of ales, but it's no use if most of them are on.
18 were advertised last night, but only I think 6 or 7 actually on (most of those standards - Doom Bar, Pride, Tribute etc.). I thought the quality of the beer was indifferent as well as did the people I was with. Not bad, but indifferent. 6/10.
6 Aug 2015 10:10
6/10 seems about right, could not fault the beer, it was really in very good order (Sambrooks and I'm not usually a fan of that).
It did feel very cliquey and full of a hipster in crowd/more an eating place though.
6 Aug 2015 10:08
The Latchmere looks as if it has had a refurb in the 5 plus years since I last visited.
The left hand side of the bar area is a standard gastropub type conversion, of the sort you'd expect in this part of London.
However the right hand side of the bar area felt more like a pub, and a few people were watching the Chelsea friendly on TV.
Reasonable mix of clientele, some eating some not.
Only had one pint, the Landlord was in reasonably good order, friends had Sambrooks and said the same.
Looked a standard gastropub by numbers from the outside, but reasonably impressed.
6 Aug 2015 10:06
Once upon a time, say maybe 10 years ago or so, I'd have said this was my favourite pub in London with the possible exception of the Harp.
But I agree with the recent reviews; whilst the beer quality is still very good, it's perhaps not quite what it was. But the main issue is the service; I agree it is average, verging on below average now.
Has rested on it's laurels for too long now; still a good pub, but in my view the Lord Clyde and possibly also the Gladstone have overtaken it now in this area.
23 Jul 2015 13:08
Great building and cheap prices, but whilst it's an individual choice and some do like the beer/wines/spirits etc. the rating seems high to me when you're only choice is Sam Smiths
23 Jul 2015 12:58
The interior is well worth a look. Yes it is a tourist trap no question about that, but the beer quality is good (good not exceptional) and prices reasonable in my opinion, as is the pub, good standard pub food.
7/10, the average here is rather low for this pub in my opinion.
23 Jul 2015 12:55
Always liked this place for the staff, clientele and quality of the beer. Perfect location as well if waiting for a train or shopping.
22 Jul 2015 17:17
Not going to rate this pub again at the moment, but like outlamehead I'd thought it has been resting on it's laurels for a year or two with a declining range in terms of beers actually on at any given time and beer quality.
However I was in last week, meeting a couple of people as handy for the Station. The quality of both the Hop Head and Brains Revd James Gold was tip top, as was the half of a craft IPA (forget it's name now) I tried, so hopefully it's getting back to being as good as it was again.
22 Jul 2015 17:12
One of the very few central london (or indeed London) pubs which has not been turned into a gastropub/effectively a restaurant (though the once I ate here the food was fine).
The beer here is always very well kept (Young's range including all the bottles as oldandmild says) and couple of others (usually including Tribute). Old time landlord, he wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but he keeps a good pint and runs a good pub in my view.
22 Jul 2015 17:00
The Plume of Feathers, Greenwich
Only discovered this pub recently. I concur, it's far and away the best pub in Greenwich; friendly, good character and well kept good value beer. Very handy for the park.
24 Jun 2015 13:50
Due to reopen in the next week or so. The outside would suggest it'll still be a drinking/football/student pub. Hopefully that's the case, but time will tell as all the other Gallery/Black Lion/Alice House type places in West Hampstead are slightly samey (though perfectly alright in an average way).
24 Jun 2015 13:43
The Thornbury Castle, Marylebone
Excellent pub, to my mind easily the best in a good area. Quality of the beer is always exceptional, great for watching sport (it's a rugby pub but they show football/cricket etc.) and very friendly staff.
Food also very good, though they have just changed supplier so that might alter.
I knock it down to 8/10 purely because even for the area the price of a pint is I agree expensive, £4.60 a pint or so now for 3.8% ish type beers as a starting point.
24 Jun 2015 13:39
never sure what to make of it.
the range of beer is staggeringly good (though a lot of it is pricy).
however it does seem to be very clinical, and does seem to attract a lot of posers. it's very small as well which doesn't help, along with the attitude of the council, so i don't think all the downsides to this place are the fault of the management.
9 Oct 2009 15:24
appears to have closed down; not entirely surprised as never sure what market this pub was aiming for.
9 Oct 2009 15:18
I've always liked this pub, though it does get cramped.
Pleased to note that it's still open though, as I was last their almost a year ago and it was meant to be closing imminently then.
9 Oct 2009 15:14
Fabulous setting. Incredible value for money. Interesting and mixed clientele.
All depends on your views on Sam Smith's beer: I can't honestly say I'm a fan, at least for more than a pint or two, but that said I still concur it's a very good pub.
9 Oct 2009 15:11
The Bridge Bar, London Bridge Station
not bad at all for a station bar, vastly better than most london station bars.
19 Oct 2006 14:03
very decent alternative to the market porter if, as it often seems to be now, that's horrendously busy.
what it lacks in range of beer compared to market porter it makes up for with service/character.
19 Oct 2006 14:00
The Old Trooper, Christleton
Currently closed; don't know if permanently
20 Dec 2018 15:43