BITE user comments - nicktheflick
Comments by nicktheflick
The Stepping Stones, Westhumble
Remarkably good! Needs to have more internal nooks and crannies to create a better and more intimate atmosphere, in many other respects much as before though smells of new paint. Keep it going and get more customers in!
23 Nov 2012 18:01
The King William IV, Mickleham
I believe he has gone, gone to meet his maker.... The place has been for sale for ages, shame to see such a long established and once popular haunt go downhill over the last few years. Wonder how much longer it will last?
23 Nov 2012 17:56
The Pilgrim, grim by landlord and grim by chef! It his pub so he does as he likes, which is what he does! The 'chef' has his own rules and woe betide if you transgress any of these, no food for you! Nice enough, a pub for locals by locals if you know what I mean. If you don't fit just turn around and walk out. As for the loo's, they are plain disgusting! Smelly, don't flush, dryer has not worked for years. Yuk yuk yuk!
25 Feb 2011 18:24
The Stepping Stones, Westhumble
I know the 'Stones' is not a place you would immediately think of a place to venture out to. And yes it's not the cosy up characteristic kind of place you may want to disappear into but do give it a go. The service is with a smile, the selection of ales is great, and while small you'd not want more from a great pint. Also the food is great, fresh and not too expensive. What else can I say but well done, keep it going as there seems to be fewer out there by the day!
25 Feb 2011 18:17
The King William IV, Mickleham
'YOU'VE BEEN TOLD ONCE ALREADY!' was the forceful and rude reply to the request to replace my pint (TEA) which was clearly off. We'd already been sent back once when we mentioned the beer was cloudy and smelt off, on tasting the stuff it was undrinkable. To make matters worse we had already ordered and paid for our meals (very expensive for a pub) hence could not walk out. Really, save yourself the trouble of dragging yourself to this place, the landlord is not the right sort of person to run a pub, Faulty Towers more like! At least Basil was funny, this guy is just plain rude. Go round the corner to the Running Horses, much nicer!
25 Feb 2011 18:08
The White Hart, Lower Horsebridge
What a miserable and un-welcoming place! Dropped by Saturday over the BH weekend, it was 2.30. Food available? Nah, kitchen closed, not even a cheese sandwich � said with out a smile and shrug of shoulders� Stuff it then obviously don�t need the business, others do!
Go there again, possibly not.
7 Apr 2010 13:22
The King William IV, Mickleham
Mmm, as a long time attendee of this pub, seen 3 iterations of landlord, my observations are; Food is good though at restaurant prices � this is a pub after all and not Frascarti down the road! Beer can be good though when off they�ll just keep on serving it and the selection is increasingly small and non-changing. Not cheap either and for guest ales they seem to have checked out. A welcoming smile (landlord / lady / staff)? Err no; regulars seem to be in the way. As for the garden, anyone know of a good gardener as it could do with a good going over, just don�t trip up on the worn out paving.
Times are tough so go somewhere where you feel comfortable and welcome � and the beer is drinkable � and the food is good and not a fortune � oh and the kitchen is open for the customer and not for the staff convenience. I know we are only customers but where would we be without them?!
Do try harder!
7 Apr 2010 12:33
This is the place I took my Mum to and related family for a Birthday / Sunday lunch. All promised well as the place is well placed and presented. All trendy brown with a mod / traditional feel to the place, someone has obviously spent a load of time and effort doing this place out.
We waited for our table (we had booked). We waited, we waited, we asked and we waited. �Soon� came the replies, very soon, nearly ready, just clearing, not ready yet, we�re very busy today, etc etc. Eventually they managed to knock several tables together for our party of 8. �Yes� said the Ozzie female voice� �What you waaant�? We ordered Pinot & Fizzy water to kick off and asked for them to be cold, very cold - please. The Pinot has sat next to the fridge and the posh expensive water had not been near one. �That�s all we got� in a like it or lump it manner. We were offered an ice bucket containing a dribble of water and a handful of ice cubes. Food ordered though only 1 thing not available off the menu. We waited, we asked, we waited, the warm Pinot & water were gone through boredom� Plates arrived piecemeal, one then 2 then one. Some of our party started and were half way through their meal before the last plate arrived. The Trout turned out to be Mackerel and the Mackerel turn out to be Salmon� The Lamb was OK as it was actually Lamb! Generally service varied from, nothing to write home about, to atrociously off hand with plates, drinks and glasses being handed across peoples faces as the �yes what you waaant� Ozzie stuck her armpit in your face � which was nice�
To be fair the scoff was good and well presented, go for the roasts as they�re good and you get a healthy plateful. The pud�s are a bit squeaky on the size front and priced accordingly.
Would I go again? Possibly not, I�d go find the local Weatherspoon which though it may not be very special it does not pretend to be something it is not. Alternatively go on a quiet day, especially a day when you can�t hear �what you waaant�!
10 Dec 2008 17:59
I'll set the scene; late July, sunny summers day (a Saturday), bit of a walk from Lymington along the coastal path then bingo came across this pub. Got there just after 2pm, ordered beers etc no problem there but food (the menus were out on display and no notice of kitchen hours)?! Nah, 'kitchens closed mate'. There were food orders coming out the kitchen of varying numbers and we were a party of around 10 so great potential business to be had but 'nah kitchens closed'.... 'We�ve got crisps'!! I'll never get to understand this attitude landlords have of turning away business - while giving you a nice smile. They get 10 out of 10 for being a typical english unwelcoming small minded outfit. Maybe it helps to be a local. - nuff said.
28 Jul 2008 11:42
A big shed of a place with lots of different areas with in it. Bit over done on the presentation and more akin to a Midlands pub � but don't start me there (Solihull is supposed to be posh, go there then leave immediately before you grow old and tired of life). A Courage pub I guess as they have the usual selection from Directors to Best. I usually opt for the Directors as this gets me to where I want to be faster with out taking the liquid volume of Best. And where I want to be is not walk to and fro to the can all night. Food is brill especially with the 2 for �10 quid offers. The place is a bit of a youth club attracting pop swilling lads and hoped earring ladies of a certain class. It's all fine and adds to its charm which is however limited.
20 Dec 2007 11:50
This is one of those places which is a bit like a lot of people. Looks nice on the outside, but once you get in - oh dear, not good, not good at all. Not good in the kind of way that the handful of customers gawp round for a gander as you walk in � are you local? We only like locals here, this is a pub for locals not for you city folks with yer fancy ways and fancy women. We drank up and shot off quickish not to return unless they pay me to be nice. One ale on tap � Courage best which is always a bit of an ale cop out but better than fizzy chrome tapped ice splodge.
20 Dec 2007 11:24
A perfectly fine ale house, especially if you get to sit in one of the sofas over to the right. Good but small selection of ales as well as the usual vast range of fizzy pop for the boys. Bit short on the bar staffing front so be prepared for a bit of a wait giving you plenty of time to make up your mind! Lighting a bit harsh as they may be using those so called energy efficient lights � they're horrid! My biggest gripe though is the dominant over sized telly above a very nice but unused Victorian fireplace. No one was watching the garish sport or what ever but it so off putting as I really wanted to concentrate on the subject of my attentions � but you'll have to work that one out yourselves�� Nice discrete place, that�s what I like.
20 Dec 2007 11:10
It's a lads pub for being loud and ladish and now they are starved of nicotine they don't know what to do with all that energy � except jostle to the bar and drink loads of fizzy pop beer. The ladets can sup on a Bacardi Breezer of various colours but all to one effect � and I won't go there, shame but true. As an old git I go there sometimes but only sometimes if it's convenient but on balance your better going home to kick the cat or watch some telly.
30 Oct 2007 16:43
It's a pub; they sell beer and other intoxicating beverages. They have a telly. Some people go there, others don't. I went there but may not go again. There are other pubs to consider!
30 Oct 2007 16:09
The Masons Arms, Meysey Hampton
What a fab boozer, loads of character, fantastic helpful and genuine staff. Food and choice excellent and service sublime. Only minor tiny wee criticism is lack of choice on the ales front though did not worry me too much � others might (but then you would be very picky and I'm easy to please)! This is a pub of a bygone age where service is a pastime and convivial enjoyment the norm. Nothing plastic or false just a good honest pub. The owner / manager / cook / doer of everything (Gordon Ramsey look-alike � is it his brother?) works like an absolute demon so all credit to him and his staff. I'd go there again but it�s a long way from home � shame.
30 Oct 2007 16:03
My Grandmother used to take me (and family) here many moons ago - and the place was old then! It's even older now though it still has not learnt that customer is king and this place is here for them and not the other way around. I have tried quite hard to organise events here in an effort to spend serious amounts of cash, all to no avail. The place looks old fashioned (part of it's charm I guess) but the service is also old fashioned. I'd go there to remind me of what going out in the UK used to be like � hard work, expensive and were reminded of the nuisance you were causing, roll on faulty towers. Shame it could be something to be proud of but I think I'd rather stay home.
23 Aug 2007 18:44
Got banned here once, for picking flowers (tulips) from the front garden. I guess it was my fault for not noticing the landlord watching me harvest his plants while endeavouring to mount my bike. I had in my defence paid him a load of cash for his ale so I thought his decision was a bit harsh. Enough said, many a year has elapsed and he's still there though must have forgotten all about my little transgression as I can wander in at any time and not be chucked out. I like this place, no pretensions to being anything else but a place to go drink and have a nice time away from home. The food's not bad either but get in early�.. Mid week is a bikers evening, though most of them must be grandparents as spring must have sprung a long time ago. Good entertaining place, good ale (when it's on!), Here you can hide from the world and its woe's in some forgotten time and place. Much like the landlords cranium.
23 Aug 2007 18:16
The Tide End Cottage, Teddington
I have never eaten here, only to meet my pal's for the odd beer - or two. A regular locals local and a bit off the beaten track though generally populated by studio bods' taking a post work beer before shoving off home. The landlady reminds me of one of my old girlfriends which is why I quite like going here, good atmosphere and always good people watching territory. Seating can be a premium but now smoking is out you can breathe more easily - phew! That Landlady though � phaw!
23 Aug 2007 17:59
The Black Swan, Martyr's Green
I used to go to this pub in it's previous guise as the 'Mucky Duck'. All that old world originality has been swept away as have the customers. I called by there recently and on entering I thought I'd passed straight through to Terminal 4 departure lounge. Nice load of wood with the odd nook and cranny but anonymous and bland is all I can say. I'm sure it will be a financial success as the prices commanded are a performance in themselves though all character and local charm has gone. Not a pub any more by any stretch of the imagination � another gastro outlet for porkers and rollers (not just the cars).
21 Jun 2007 12:42
What a top pub � though it is not strictly a pub it is a bar, so I'm told. Very efficient staff, always wanting to serve the customer and will willingly go that extra mile. Very good all-round. Food is brilliant though the price is justified, the beer selection is wide with a good selection of well kept ales. Restaurant area a little cold in atmosphere but nice enough but the jewel in the crown is the Minstrels bar upstairs. Faux though it may be but oh so impressive. Grounds / garden area improving all the time. Could do with being slightly more popular to keep up the trade � but not too much or you'll ruin it!
21 Jun 2007 12:32
The Duke Of Wellington, East Horsley
What a strange place, you walk in through the door and straight onto the serving bar area � usually crowded by punters. Staff can be a bit mixed, some good some not so but usually fine if not cheap. Pool room / games area can get easily crowded and very smoky � roll on the ban! Building has loads of character but not much is made of it or it's history / background. Nice enough but nothing to write home about � if you were away from home you'd possibly be somewhere nicer!
21 Jun 2007 12:21
Ye Olde Windsor Castle, Bookham
What can I say, the food is good, the service efficient, the beer drinkable (though ale choice limited), the garden / outside area pleasant, car parking easy and plentiful and usually plenty of seating to be had. Nice and anonymous so you can take your girlfriend there and no one will notice � even your wife who would not go there for a girly night out. Loads of old blokes and 'secretaries' � ahem.
21 Jun 2007 11:50
A locals pub for local people, though worth a visit � occasionally. Ale generally good with the usually available guest ale, so long as it has not run out. Food not inspiring which reflects on the general ambience of the place. If busy (and not that busy as the interior is tiny) you'll have to fight for a seat / table / standing room as the interior layout is not well planned � it is very old though. Landlord / owner usually efficient but I believe you'd have to be in regular attendance for some years before you'd be considered a 'regular'. Don't remark about the cooking / chips (possibly oven chips) as you may be asked to take your custom else where � very English! Come on the smoking ban to make the air breathable.
21 Jun 2007 11:41
Full of oldie world charm, just like the service, food and standards. Always reminds me of something out of the 60's with out the modern bit. A bit like something John Steed would have gone to with his side kick Emma Peel for a spot of lunch in the country side. An old duffers pub with old duffer type prices � gives them something to moan about (think of it as more of a social service to the elderly).
21 Jun 2007 11:30
The King William IV, Mickleham
Thank you, thank you so much that awful woman has finally gone, shame the landlord Chris has gone though as he can keep a really good cellar and cook a very decent dish. The new owners have made fantastic changes to the interior and improvements beyond words � the general atmosphere is now very friendly as opposed to the 'East Enders' feel of the past. Beer still good and food excellent.
21 Jun 2007 11:20
The Thai food is brilliant and the service exemplary though having to get up to the bar to buy your drinks is a bit odd, something I guess to do with the licence / financial split but a bit odd. Nice enough as a pub (saloon / back bar) but don't know much about the front area / bar which seems to be more of a locals area. I'd go there again but not that often � bar prices are steep specially for a pub on a roundabout backing onto an industrial site and railway and not the roaming plains of Yellow Stone Park with herds of wild Bison to view � only a grubby car park on a good day.
21 Jun 2007 11:12
The Running Horse, Leatherhead
A bit of a waiting room for those about to depart � off this mortal toil��. Apart from that the staff are good the beer is fine (not tried the food) the interior is a bit odd for seating (saloon) though the toilets (gents) have seen better days and are really in need of an up-date. The 'public' bar is a real locals local and I tend to not go there though perfectly fine.
21 Jun 2007 10:29
The Edmund Tylney, Leatherhead
It's OK, you get what it says on the tin and what you pay for! It's cheap food and ale and if you go there early evening especially during the week you'll be fine. Practically all the staff come from somewhere far away staying for a few months. If the table is grubby ask them to clean it and they will � eventually. I'd go there again.
21 Jun 2007 10:23
What an awful pub, un-friendly, quite threatening, and very expensive. Please do not go there if you want to have a nice pub experience. The place seems to be populated with gorilla type thugs who seem determined to make the place their domain, they roam the place as if they own the territory and will openly 'discuss' the slightest grievance they may have with clients. Steer well clear and go somewhere else!
21 Jun 2007 09:51
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The Red Lion, Betchworth
As ever a lovely relaxing and pleasant place to be, the food is great. Do go, it needs to be busier!!
8 Dec 2012 15:02