BITE user comments - pburton
Comments by pburton
The Elephant and Castle, West Moors
The Elephant and Castle is better value than ever. Two main meals ordered together cost �8.00 and a bottle of Hardy's Shiraz cost �5.95. Saturday evening was 'Pudding Night'; all at �1.50. Miniskirts seem to be in fashion there. We are looking forward to living 5 minutes walk from this pub.
12 Jul 2009 19:49
The George and Dragon, Thames Ditton
We have been Tuesday jazz regulars at this pub since December and have thoroughly enjoyed every evening. The music is great and the audience is quiet and appreciative during every number. The friendly landlord, Joe McCann, has even come to the microphone, which does not happen in any of our other pub jazz venues. He employs some very pretty girls behind the bar who are welcoming and eager to serve the great range of Shepherd Neame real ales. One of the girls on duty this week is so pretty that I must downgrade previous 10/10 ratings to 9 to make room for her as the only 10. It is harder to rate the pub until we have eaten there (no food on Tuesday evening) but we will give it 9 for now.
15 Jan 2009 07:59
For the last few years we have been eating, drinking and enjoying jazz at The Cricketers almost every Monday evening. We spend about 2000-2500 pounds per year and we attract others to join us at our table, two of whom now eat there regularly. Last Monday evening was ruined by an excessively large party making the inevitable deafening noise, with no care for other customers or for the musicians. We cancelled the table for next week because it is clear the same will happen again and that its regulars are not the priority customers for this pub.
The pub manager's business plan (if there is one) is deeply flawed. He can fill the side area every Monday with jazz fans so it is counter-productive to put large one-off parties there. He has the front area and the snug empty on Mondays so that is where the extra customers should be seated. If he has to split them between tables then that is all to the good, as the two end groups on a long table cannot communicate and it is very difficult for the middle back customers to get up to relieve themselves.
12 Dec 2008 21:45
For the last two Saturdays we had lunch in the Crown at Northbourne. It is sad that this pub is not registered with Beer in the Evening nor anywhere else obvious. Both food and drink are good and prices are very competitive. We had the haddock and chips for �3.50 last week and the special �4.50 2-course offer yesterday, comprising sausages / ice cream for Selina and steak pie / rhubarb crumble for me. Both were excellent. The most expensive bottle of wine is under �11.00 and Marston's Pedigree is on draught. This makes our usual pubs seem very expensive. We are considering relocating to the Bournemouth area and this pub tips the balance towards Northbourne.
28 Sep 2008 08:39
On Tuesday evening we were working late so broke for dinner at The Molly Millar in Wokingham. Food was good and very cheap. Wells Bombardier was on draught. The pub appears to be aimed at the 18 year-old end of the market; loud music, coffee shop decor, 25 lager keg taps vs 2 real ale pumps. What happened to those wonderful days when the young enthusiasts from CAMRA temporarily halted the decline of real beer provision.
8 Aug 2007 07:54
We have visited this pub twice for the fortnighly jazz and enjoyed both visits. There is plenty of room in the longe bar, with reasonable tables and chairs and modern carpet. The bar staff, mainly young women, are friendly and efficient. The real ale is somewhat limited, the pumps being heavily outnumbered by lager taps. The second time we had dinner there, for which I chose the 'Hunter's chicken' and Selina managed more than half her substantial Sausages and Mash, washed down with a bottle of cheap but good Chilean Merlot. A good meal and not too expensive. We will certainly go there again.
3 May 2007 08:20
Last night we stopped at The Woolpack in Banstead for dinner. From the outside this looks like a typical country pub. Inside it is an old-fashioned pub as seen in London many years ago. The food is excellent and not over-priced. I had a great shortcrust steak and ale pie with my favourite Young's Biiter and Selina enjoyed her sausages and mash with a good French Vin de Pays Rouge. This is the third time we have visited Banstead and the third time we have used this pub, the last two visits being solely for that purpose. I guess that says it all.
Does this pub have any competition ? We have not seen any other pubs in the area.
18 Apr 2007 14:53
We go to the Europa most Sunday evenings to see the Urban Gin House Jazz Band. This is a VERY old-fashioned pub with totally separate saloon and public bars. Live music is always in the sallon so we have no experience of the 'public'. Friendly crowd with some local 'characters' who drink heavily and swear a lot but we don't object to this. London Pride is always on tap despite being a guest beer so no problem there. Wines are always good, albeit rather expensive; averaging 2.9 pounds for a 175 ml glass. Of all the pubs we frequent we chose it for the Christmas Eve special night out and we were not disappointed; great live music even if it was not jazz.
11 Feb 2007 16:15
We occasionally go to see the Phil Brown Swingtet performing at the Ely Arms out in the country near Blackwater and Yately. We are impressed with the vast amount of space compared with our usual haunts but it lacks the range of real ale that is essential and the wine is rather expensive. Despite its history, the pub seems to have been modernised in accordance with the perceived tastes of a younger generation, destroying our cutural heritage in the process. Not for us and not for CAMRA members.
24 Sep 2006 13:22
Since my last post in January the Cricks is under new ownership. Everyone is worried about the continuation of jazz on Mondays. Rest assured if it ends we will not only go elsewhere for jazz, we will boycott the pub altogether. On Friday evening we had dinner there for four adults and one child. Since the new owners took over, there is no separate restaurant so it is bar meals throughout, which is fine with us. The menu is substantially different, although some old items continue. Everybody seemed to enjoy their meal and 4-year-old Stella enjoyed the garden with swings, slide and other children. We will continue to rate it 8 for now.
29 Apr 2006 17:39
Since my last report, the dining area has closed for refurbishment so no evening meals are available.
4 Feb 2006 14:42
The Wych Elm, Kingston Upon Thames
We have been to this pub twice for jazz evenings, both very enjoyable. Manny and Margaret are great hosts and the locals are very friendly. A range of Fullers real ales are on tap and the white wine was enjoyed by my wife. For an outsider the Kingston one-way systems and parking problems must be overcome but it is worth it in the end.
22 Jan 2006 11:00
We go to jazz nights at the Berrylands most Thursday evenings, sometimes eating there. It is an unusual pub in many ways, serving a large local area with nowhere else of any description. Food is reasonable and a round of drinks always costs less than elsewhere, mainly due to 125 ml wine glasses being an option (good for drivers). Youngs Special is on draught as is Courage bitter and Guiness. An acceptable 'local' but we would not go there if it were not for the jazz.
21 Jan 2006 17:46
The Anchor and Horseshoes, Burpham
The Anchor is our local and the food and beer is good so you would expect us to be regulars. However, it is just not big enough so when the weather is not good enough to use the garden it gets very crowded. Conversely, if the garden is in use there are too many children. New Years Eve was ticket only, a practice we deplore. Is it legal ?
21 Jan 2006 14:02
We go to live jazz at The Saddlers Arms most Sundays and have eaten there once on a Saturday. It is a friendly family-run pub with good food and real ales; Youngs Bitter, Fullers London Pride, Spitfire, etc. plus a small range of good wines by the glass. Despite its small size, there is usually plenty of room, although it was packed to capacity on New Years Eve when there was a free buffet ! Some comfortable seats would be welcome; my wife takes a cushion.
21 Jan 2006 13:57
We go to live jazz at The Cricks most Mondays, eating there first. There is a good atmosphere, livelier when Joyce is on duty, and the pub is open on days when others are closed, e.g. Christmas day and Boxing day. Real Ale includes Young's Bitter, Fuller's London Pride, etc. and there is an extrensive range of wines by the glass. Joyce assures us that the food is cooked on the premises, not just re-heated, and I can certainly recommend the potato skins and the Berkshire chicken. Special offers are often available, the current ones using vouchers collected in December. It pays to be a regular !
21 Jan 2006 13:47
On Friday 21 January 2006 we ate out at The Four Horseshoes, having last been there 30 years ago at lunchtime. We have to disagree with the previous ranking of only 3.3/10 and the harsh comments. The pub is separated into eating and drinking bars; drinking is noisy, smoky and full of gossip and laughter with draught Brakspears available. Eating was roomy, quiet and smoke-free with good food and polite service. A good arrangement !
21 Jan 2006 13:37
The Elephant and Castle, West Moors
As mine was the last post, I thought it time for an update. We live 5 minutes walk away and eat at the Elephant at least twice a week, sometimes three. The special offers are great value, especially Wednesday 'Curry Night' with a free pint of beer or glass of house wine. The Ringwood Best Bitter is one of my favourite brews and the wines are all good. No miniskirts now I am sorry to say. My wife changes into hers between eating at the Elephant and going out for the evening. I don't know what happened to all the others.
21 Jun 2013 15:57