BITE user comments - padthesaint
Comments by padthesaint
Went there on Thursday evening for a drink. Beer was typical Sam Smiths - cheap prices, but hit & miss on quaility. Decor oldish & shabby-ish, but it does give the pub character. Well behaved office types were standing drinking outside (no seats) on a fine late evening summer, very pleasant as Francis Street is all but traffic free. Inside there were plenty of seats and it was women friendly. Bar staff quick and friendly. Food was being served which I didn't try, but I did see an enormous and fine looking plate of chips. No music. Clean air no smoking area at rear, air conditioned. Toilets small and in the ladies only one cubicle!
24 Sep 2006 10:10
Duke of Wellington, Southampton
Only ever drank outside, and never eaten here. There are a few benches outside the pub, and it is very quiet with hardly any traffic on Bugle Street, so a very nice place to sit in the summer months. They always have a good range of real ale (Wadworths JCB as well as 6X yesterday, the last time I went I had John Smiths Magnet) and excellent Stowford cider which my wife adores. Good atmosphere.
17 Sep 2006 20:18
Had Sunday lunch there today. Usual roasts, plus veggie sausage, were available, and served promptly with fresh veg. We ate upstairs partly to avoid ciggie smoke (although it was fine in the downstairs bar) and also to catch the fantastic view upriver. It was lovely to watch tall sailboats, old steam tugs, and tourist boats going by (even if bateaux mouches look daft on the Thames they give the place a Continental feel). Avoided the beer pumps as I have a love/hate relationship with Sam Smiths going back to my youth in Teesside, and drank the bottled Taddy Porter & Oatmeal stout, both of which were fine. Pricey at over �3 a bottle but half what you would pay at a restaurant quarter of a mile upriver. Friendly service, pub was quiet, no kids allowed except in dining area. Relaxed clientele makes for a very pleasant atmosphere.
17 Sep 2006 20:08
The Blackfriar, Blackfriars
Just spent Sunday lunchtime here. We had a couple of pints of Adnam's Broadsides and Aspell's cider on tap - both very good. Food is typical Nicholson's bar menu, properly cooked and well served. No smoking bar, plenty of seats outside. Impressed by the design, of course. Previous comments about the clientele have to be read in conjunction with Nicolson's own web site which says the pubs are "primarily catering for city workers and tourists" so, er, don't be surprised to find suits and backpackers here.
24 Sep 2006 19:16