BITE user comments - pkrp
Comments by pkrp
The Snowdrop has a certain Brighton/Lewesian boho charm about it but feels friendly enough. Bar Staff are a credit, the food looked generous as it sped past us (we were in a hurry) and the beer was delicious - they do Belgians in bottles as well - so worth a visit...
10 Sep 2014 22:45
Stood at the bar for 10 minutes waiting to be served during a time which wasn't particularly busy (despite a private party at the rear), observed four 'regulars' getting served in front of me. I really despair of pubs like this sometimes. Look at your customers and acknowledge them. Otherwise, passing trade like mine will go elsewhere and your pub will slowly shut down and be turned into flats. In the Running Mare's favour, they were courteous enough to offer the drinks for free after I stormed off and the beer was fine. A mixed result.
17 Aug 2014 21:19
Decent pint of ESB and a pleasant pub in the favoured East side of Fernhurst. I'd suggest spell-checking when writing the menu-board out as I'm sure the food is lovely - it really does matter. But it's the beer that wins through in the end and the smiley service should ensure this village pub's survival in these tough times.
17 Aug 2014 21:14
It's a Badger pub so expect Badger beer in abundance. I chose Poachers out of a bottle rather than anything on tap....it was a very warm day after all. The garden was a creche for noisy young kids but they were harmless enough. Inside, the place was decked out like an eatery, aiming for the local wallets rather than discerning beer drinkers. Still, it was clean, quite homely and pleasant enough. Perhaps evenings are livelier in a good way. Tandridge is a pretty village without any facilities whatsoever (no buses, no shop) so a pub is a luxury that ought to be used by the locals to keep it going.
17 Aug 2014 21:05
Visited on a Saturday early lunchtime. Given the location (rural, but on chavvy rat-run from Hurst Green to South Oxted), you'd expect this place to be rammed with people tucking into great beer and piles of food. Sadly not, but it's not a bad pub all the same. Our Harveys was OK but lacking its usual fresh lustre. Pub looks a bit in need of a cuddle and the loos ran out of hand-towels - odd when you consider the two bar-ladies chattering away to themselves at the bar. Friendly enough, good location near Greensand Way, 20 mins walk to Old Oxted, 15 to Hurst Green. Worth a visit.
17 Aug 2014 20:54
Citra Hop, Swift One and Brazilian were very good on our visit today (June), fresh flavoursome and quaffable ....
22 Jun 2014 19:51
The Devil's Punchbowl Hotel, Hindhead
One Ringwood beer on (Best) that tasted OK. Quite why this pub only has one decent ale on I'll never fathom out. Prime walking country, the Greensand Way on its doorstep and the opportunity to be part of a Real Ale Trail from Haslemere to Churt or Thursley. Is Surrey so wine-keen these days? Haslemere and Hindhead certainly seem to be behind the times. There isn't one truly decent pub around although the 'Spoons The Swan is passable to be fair. Churt and Thursley are the nearest best bets. But go in and ask enough and they may just start putting them on, you never know. The bar area itself is small but pleasant enough.
15 Jun 2014 21:24
Dorking has a variety of pubs, some old-school, some tarted up and some that don't seem to fit anywhere - this is one of them. Clean lines, modern interior, decking - this normally means a foodie pub. It is but it also does beer very well indeed. The Hophead was spot on. Again. The Wainwrights not far off either. Tucked away down a side-street near a ropey looking place a few yards away, The Red is an unlikely place to enjoy beer. Nice staff too.
3 Jun 2014 19:41
Three Shere Drop ales on, all delivered with a friendly welcome and a smile. What more do you want? Well, the Ranmore was a bit cloudy although it tasted fabulous. So fabulous that my partner was spinning as we tackled the steep climb back up to the North Downs Way. To be fair, the guys at the bar checked we were OK with it and I'm not afraid to sup a pint near to the end of a barrel but I'd suggest the staff just take it off sale if Ranmore misbehaves again. Sheer (Shere) heaven were the other two pints - I can't recommend the Greensand IPA enough, it's a superb pint, not too hoppy but enough to give the tastebuds a squeeze.
The pub itself is two minutes stagger from the Mill but has a the better garden to sit in. I like the Compasses.
3 Jun 2014 19:37
I'm surprised that this superb boozer doesn't get more votes. Black Stallion was top-notch on our recent visit, with a wealth of other beers available and friendly locals and dogs present. I wish it was nearer to my house.
4 May 2014 23:50
The Duke of Cambridge, Tilford
Above-average Surrey pub with homely bare-brick and beams interior, extended patio-room to the rear and a garden with additional fair-weather bar. Pleasant smiley staff and a range of ales that included Red Mist brand plus a hefty range of taps including Marston's Oyster Stout and lots of pils/high-end lagers/ciders etc.
Aiming for the high-end of the income spectrum, the Duke sports four well-kept beers and that's reason enough to visit. It's not too 'foody' or 'winey', as with many Surrey pubs, plus it has a beer festival annually (Cherryfest) so there's scope for a good reputation here.
The pub is a minutes amble from the Greensand Way and the best for miles around (unless you head to Churt). Sleek, modern and a tad pricey yes but rather more informal than you might imagine. We didn't try the food (but we will)....
4 May 2014 23:45
A pleasant enough Wetherspoons in central Haslemere. Courteous bar staff, clean tables and bar area, decent sized plates of food breezed past and the Adnams was decent condition, although not stunning. If I ran the Swan, I'd give other 'wine'-heavy pubs in this beer desert called Haslemere a run for their money by stocking more than two or three and make them locally interesting.
27 Feb 2014 17:06
Friendly pleasant pub, laid back from the road and just a couple of minutes from the Wey South Path (and the South Downs). The Langham's Hip Hop was incredibly good when we visited and the staff polite and smiley. All you need from a pub as well as a three minute walk back to the station or ten minutes back to the downs.
27 Sep 2013 22:03
Dark Star beers perfectly kept - what more do you want? Well, not much. We ate in here last year - the food was great, the service was fine until we required the bill, then it was slooow. Hopefully they've ironed out the wrinkles. Beerwise, still very good this time around and possibly the best choice of beers in this part of Hampshire.
12 Jun 2013 22:52
I'm at a loss as to how this has garnered 8.1 out of 10. Hot food stops at 2pm on a warm Saturday afternoon with walkers passing by? That's a point off for a start. The bar person suggesting we go to another pub for food in an off-hand manner? Fail. Beer a bit tired? Oh dear (and I normally love Badger). A garden that looked like it was hosting a sun-bathers party with a rusty old BBQ and tired old picnic benches. Hall and Woodhouse need to seriously look at this pub and either spend money on it or kick some asre (or both). Rather disappointing.
12 Jun 2013 22:45
Food looked great but we were there for the beer on a warm Saturday lunchtime in June. Busy with walking groups, bar service was quick and polite, beer (HSB) was tasty and well kept. We'll be back to try that food out...
12 Jun 2013 22:38
On our visit on a warm Saturday in May, the place was heaving with a rowdy wedding party. It felt like we'd wandered into a private celebration and ended up a rather uncomfortable experience, to be honest - being stared at is a bit 20th century. The beer was acceptable enough - Black Gold top draw - but really, I imagine that this place gets a lot of police visits if this is a typical afternoon's 'entertainment'. Good to see a pub busy though - can't knock them for that.
12 Jun 2013 22:27
It's Easter Saturday, we're in a recession and, joy of joys, one of the most highly recommended pubs in an otherwise uninviting town, only serves hot food from 12-2. Are we still in the '70s? Beers looked so good but after traipsing round Winchester in the freezing cold, some hot grub would have gone down very well with a pint or three - as it is we left. The (more expensive) Black Rat wasn't serving either (it was 2.15pm). A missed opportunity because other pub/restaurants a little nearer the centre were rammed. A pity.
30 Mar 2013 23:31
The Inn on The Hill, Haslemere
Dreary and disappointing.
My first (and only) visit involved a very cold but serviceable pint of Doombar (£3.60), being ushered out of the empty restaurant area, sitting at a table with champagne bottles 'decorated' under the glass-top (please, how poncey can you get) and three chirping blokes stood behind me waffling on (loudly) about their chickens being eaten by foxes and cars. Cars, cars, cars.
But my main issue is the fact that this is the first building you see when you walk out of Haslemere Rail. It will also probably be the last building you'll see or enter as well - it's all about first/last impressions. My lasting impression is of a soulless and strange drinking area outweighed by an oversized and empty restaurant. London Pride and Doombar are served amongst Carling and the usual. You could make this a really good Ale pub without compromising on food - will it ever happen? Doubt it, not in wine-drinking Haslemere.
11 Jan 2013 19:48
The Sir Loin Of Beef, Southsea
If you've walked from Farlington Marshes to Portsmouth, avoid the Harvester and Fayre and Square en route and work up a proper thirst and head to this place, about 15 minutes walk from the latter pub and 5 minutes north of the seafront at Eastney. From the outside, it looks like a Benidorm bar, a theme which continues inside with brewer's umbrellas affixed to the ceiling and a yellow painted interior - it's great, quite frankly. The beer we had was perfect - Titanic Plum Porter and Crop Circle, spot on. It's not in an area I'd rush back to, but if you've walked from one end of Portsmouth to the east end of the seafront, it's worth checking out the beer here, then walking back towards Albert Road and trying the Leopold and Hole in the Wall further west...
9 Sep 2012 21:15
An impressive place, not just for the beer on tap, but also for the decent range of bottles that my short-sighted eyes couldn't quite make out all of them from the bar (I do hope they've got a menu) but which looked like more than the usual Newcy Brown and InBevs....
9 Sep 2012 21:00
The Hole in The Wall, Southsea
This fairly intimate pub, situated at the better end of Castle St, is all about the beer. The Avocet was very good and the punters seem a lively convivial bunch - the type of place you could sit in all evening, whiling away many hours before chucking out.
9 Sep 2012 20:54
Closed on Saturday afternoons when the weather is fine? Financial suicide. After a 12 mile walk across the South Downs, we were looking forward to a beer. Instead, we continued to South Harting instead...
4 Sep 2012 22:04
A handful of Dark Stars, Revolution, Sussex Stout and more - proper ale, good food (if a tad pricey) and lovely surroundings. They've made a good effort here (owners connected to the Hawksley apparently). One thing - kitchens shouldn't take 27 minutes to prepare a dessert. Period. Aside from that, promising start.
4 Sep 2012 21:39
This weekend they had 8 Ball Rye IPA on which was top notch. Greene King's beer (a golden one, can't remember the name) was also very well kept. Barman let us have a sample of the rye beer to make sure we liked it - of course we did but nice touch anyway. Didn't try the food and we didn't see any plates going past. The only disappointment was NO Belgian beers despite their marketing blurb saying 'we have a large selection'. Apparently (acc to barman) GK have taken them off the 'menu'...a shame.
29 Jul 2012 23:04
The Duke of Cumberland, Henley
After a long walk a couple of Saturdays ago, we called in at the Duke for pork pies and excellent pints of Hip Hop - both very welcome on a hot day. Well worth a return visit (soon).
29 Jul 2012 22:51
The Charles Lamb, Angel, Islington
Tidy neighbourhood pub with quality food and decent local beers - East India Pa from Kent was really quaffable. I like this place - it's far friendlier than most other Islington boozers.
20 Jul 2012 23:28
Hophead in top nick, my mates was flat. Same old hit-and-miss Wenlock. Much as I disagree with spoiling character pubs with progress, toilet-cleaner wouldnt go amiss. Apart from that, it's an endearing place with a decent range of beers. And no 'hipsters' in sight.
20 Jul 2012 23:24
Dismally slow service for a Thursday evening...beer was thankfully worth the wait, Cobnut exceptional. But get some staff on please - its 2012.
20 Jul 2012 23:18
Well I've opted to post on this page (as there seems to be about 10 of them for this pub). It's certainly worth investigating - the beers are well kept, the clientele are trouble-free and the cheese platter was topped up with oatcakes without a murmur - they offered them without having to be asked. Very nice staff. Top notch.
18 Jul 2012 20:27
A welcome stop-off during a hefty rainstorm a few weekends back. The beer was OK, just that. Alton's beers are normally lovely, this one was passable. I preferred the St Bernard dog propping up the bar with his/her owners, to be honest. The pub is in a lucrative spot, right near footpaths etc so a guest beer/bottled beer might put this place back on the 'ale trail'. Otherwise, pleasant enough, just now a 'wow'.
18 Jul 2012 20:12
Arrived way too late for food but I can say that the three pints I had, including the Mr Whitehead offerings, were good enough to make the remainder of the 12 mile hike enjoyable. The Saison was also top-notch once again.
18 Jul 2012 20:07
A pub that knows its beers, full stop. Just 3/4 minutes walk from the station, this is an ideal spot to get lubricated prior to getting the train. Ramble Tamble was top notch, Moondance likewise. A credit to the town which boasts a few 'GBG' entries, make sure you avoid the scruffy Railway (Hotel) pub on the opposing corner (it looked as though the builders were in when we passed by).
29 Jun 2012 22:34
Welcoming barman, decent enough beer on the Saturday we walked there (from Petersfield, so quite a schlep) but no food after 2pm on a Saturday seemed odd. I realise that staffing is a struggle in these hard times but at least some hearty snacks (no, not nuts, crisps and more nuts) might fulfill the wishes of the many walkers passing by in decent weather (I saw two groups leave when told no food). Paninis, cheese on toast, scotch eggs etc aren't rocket science. Still, as the landlady says, they're about beer first and it was good. Nice village as well.
29 Jun 2012 22:26
Excellent Dark Star Saison on last weekend - nice relaxed pub. IF the landlady is shooing customers away from tables though, that is bad customer service. Don't serve the food until you have seated your customers first or designate a dining area. I'll be making another visit soon to test this theory out.
29 Jun 2012 22:10
Doh - posted a review about the Bull on this page by mistake. Apologies to the Bell- I don't know if your pub does O Hagans!
4 Jun 2012 17:37
Welcoming, quirky boozer with O Hagan's sausages featured on the menu and an array of flavourful beers. The Stout was incredibly good, Footslogger was also tasty. The food was also honest and straightforward without being poncey - sausages, mash (buttery and 'proper') and generous in portion-size - top notch. The proprietors were good-humoured and friendly, showing a propensity to succeed and I hope they do. A really worthwhile beer-spot just off the pedestrianized (and rather humdrum) main-drag.
4 Jun 2012 17:34
Welcoming, quirky boozer with O Hagan's sausages featured on the menu and an array of flavourful beers. The Stout was incredibly good, Footslogger was also tasty. The food was also honest and straightforward without being poncey - sausages, mash (buttery and 'proper') and generous in portion-size - top notch. The proprietors were good-humoured and friendly, showing a propensity to succeed and I hope they do. A really worthwhile beer-spot just off the pedestrianized (and rather humdrum) main-drag.
4 Jun 2012 17:32
The Horse And Groom, East Ashling
Pleasant enough village-local with decent beers on offer. Summer Lightning and Hophead were well-kept, but something was lacking with the atmosphere of the place. It's close to walking territory though and perfectly placed for a swift drink.
4 Jun 2012 17:26
The Prince of Wales, Haslemere
A strange pub in an offbeat spot. The beer was fine enough (not much variety, Gales HSB and London 'eggy' Pride) and service cheerful enough, yet the place is huge and was empty at 7pm on a Saturday. This is probably good news for Hammer's residents. Clean and tidy pub that looks geared up for serving loads of meals, yet no-one seemed to be eating the reasonable menu. I suggest they offer kids more than just chips chips chips chips etc.
28 May 2012 22:16
Harvey's pub, so Harvey's beer - and it was good. Armada and Olympia were top notch. The pub is set on the village's High Street but wasn't noisy, instead rather convivial (could do without the rubbish piped music, though). Food looked reasonably priced.
28 May 2012 22:07
The Three Horseshoes, Thursley
Country pub in picturesque village just off the A3, although you ought to walk here from Hindhead, Haslemere or Godalming to appreciate the pub's location. The beer choice isn't expansive but they treat it well enough (TEA and Doombar). Possibly a bit too foody on Sundays (we drinkers were glued to the bar) but in this day and age, pubs have to make their money somehow - and rural Surrey is prime money-making territory. Psst - please can we have a guest micro ale now and again, ta.
28 May 2012 22:02
Serious beer sold at a pub that's neither stuffy nor fawning. Cheerful Sunday service and great beers. I had two Forest Darks and a Crop Circle, partner had a Dorset Gold (or two). Despite the hot day, the beers were spot on temp wise and well kept. Churt is off the beaten track but this is a pub well worth walking to from Haslemere (7 miles). No food on Sunday though (pork pies, scotch eggs wouldn't be a bad idea, with mustard/pickles)
28 May 2012 21:55
The Running Horse, Leatherhead
My partner and I passed this place on a Sunday and opted to get out of the cold and partake in roast. Shame they forgot the Yorkshire puddings, but the rest of the food was likeable enough. As for the beer, couldn't fault it. Having walked past a few pubs in Leatherhead's sparse town-centre, this looked and proved to be the better bet.
27 Mar 2012 00:32
The beers were faultless (all Youngs) including a porter which was top quality. The place itself feels like a hotel reception area without the hotel - it's oddly soulless but comfortable nonetheless. Probably too comfortable - 3 pints later and I really didn't want to leave. The food menu is mid to higher end gastro.
27 Mar 2012 00:28
A welcome smile from the bar staff and Dark Star beers - a good start. The beer itself however, didn't taste as good as Dark Star normally does, merely passable rather than hoppy and fresh. Maybe the turnover of real ales isn't too high in here but either way, a quality beverage should be kept well (a la The Evening Star in Brighton which sells THE best Dark Star in Britain). The food menu was pleasingly varied without being fussy or stupidly priced. The place looks better than the old photo on this site, by the way, and is worth a short diversion off the High Street (past the White Hart, which looked and sounded 'interesting' on the day we passed by).
27 Mar 2012 00:07
Passable, beer-wise. Pride (ugh, liquid eggs), Doombar and Adnams were on so Adnams it was. The toilets were out of use so the blokes had to queue. I pitied the poor women if they were faced with the same problem. There is no excuse for toilet-urinals to be out of order in a pub during the 21st-century. Still, the rather steeply-priced food did look nice as it passed by our table, but by then we'd opted to walk onto Dorking. I'm surprised this place is in the GBG, to be honest.
26 Mar 2012 23:58
The Craft Beer Co, City of London
Just a comment on the prices - it's pricier than most but the beer is nectar. Aside from their inability to clear the upstairs tables during a Tuesday afternoon, The Craft is a bar of clean lines and fresh beer. And you have to try the scotch eggs when they have them.
19 Feb 2012 11:39
The mark of a good pub is a friendly and confident publican and the Gunmaker's is no exception - happy and busy in his work, the attention to detail with the beer continues throughout the pub and the convivial covered and cushioned extension to the rear, although the loos could do with a bit of brightening. But the beers - Redemption and Foundation were top notch making the Gunmakers the sort of place you could stay in all night, unless of course you really had to be somewhere else (which we did).
19 Feb 2012 11:26
At the Southern end of Sevenoaks sits this large dining pub with a (thankfully) precise attitude to beer. The Porter was spot on, the Harveys nearly-perfect and the food on other people's plates looked spot-on. Yes it's �10-�12 for mains but, if it's good and plates get emptied, it might be worth it - shame we weren't hungry at the time. Worth the diversion from local Knole Park walks and footpaths.
19 Feb 2012 11:08
First impressions certainly deceive with this pub - this is a minimal, basic place without any flowery extras or expensive high-end food with jus, foams or quenelles because just �5 gets you plates of Brit pubgrub, although there wasn't any food on during the Sat afternoon we visited. The beer was as good as you'd expect from a town pub in the GBG - but if you're hungry during 'off-peak', you'd have to head to another pub without nice beer. The beer wins. I'll have another please.
19 Feb 2012 11:02
Pleasant enough unpretentious pub which clearly has a darts fetish - nice pic of Wolfie on the wall and a prominent dartboard. Beers were good - 1066 especially. Shame they didn't have any food on other than crisps/muffins - I'm sure a few pork pies, scotch eggs or veggie snack are easy enough to provide as a stop-gap between meal sessions. Hey ho. But, friendly punters and great beer earns it a 7.
19 Feb 2012 10:53
It looks like a student bar, it charges grown-up prices but its food and beer are worth it. Off-pitch but next to Deansgate BR, it seemed to be a lively convivial place without any arseh*les flashing cash or staring you out - and that's what a pub should be like. The Marble Stout was beyond great....
18 Dec 2011 00:30
Fab cheese platter accompanied by friendly knowledgeable staff and marvellous Marbles to glug. What's not to like? We visited in mid-Nov at around 6.30 on a Saturday - it was relatively quiet for an hour or so ( a few seats available). Little beer bars like this are the way forward (as well as proper trad pubs).
18 Dec 2011 00:25
My partner and I went here prior to a gig at Band on the Wall (about 10 minutes walk). I can see that it's a traditional pub that's been 'elevated' to sub-gastro status, which has obviously priced out previous regulars. That's a shame but it's also business - if the beer was rubbish, I'd understand the annoyance, but it is Marble Beer and it's reliably tasty and worth every penny. Believe me when I say that pubs in London serve piss for �4 a pint - you've got a range of great boozers in Manchester, don't knock em! The Marble 57 Thomas St and Castle being a case in point.
18 Dec 2011 00:19
The Craft Beer Co, City of London
My last visit to the Craft was another triumph. Dark Star brews are always reliable but I have to say the Craft lager was and is nectar perfection. My only gripe? Food choice really wouldn't be a bad idea - sausage rolls, samosas as well as the scotch egg (they ran out of the pork pies) might keep people in the pub a bit longer.
Here's a reminder of BITE's worthy strapline, by the way.
"please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously."
6 Aug 2011 11:49
The Craft Beer Co, City of London
Guys - sell some cold pies with piccalilli on a small plate (I don't mean the yummy pork pies - keep those - I mean a steak and kidney pie/ chicken pie. �4.95 - done. But it's all about the beer and my advice is to eat before you get there and not to get so wasted that you need chicken from that shabby joint on the corner!
The Craft home brews are stunning, their choice is excellent and if you think it's elitist, try the Wetherspoons chain instead. Like the Cask, it's in an area of Peabody/association housing - just keep an eye on your rucksack/bags or they'll get run over by the mobs on scooters.....
28 Jul 2011 22:38
The Crutched Friar, Tower Hill
This seemed to be the only decent looking place in Fenchurch, open on a Saturday - my partner and I were the only customers for the first ten minutes. The beer was passable enough and the landlord seems keen to get punters in. His pub looks less chavvy than the others (that were open) along this road.
11 Jun 2011 14:35
Any pub that pays attention to serving perfect beer, instead of the pints of piss you normally get in estate locations, deserves to win awards. The CASK is actually in a not-too-bad street, lined with grand houses on one side and the red-brick Lillington above and behind. Blink and you'd miss the relatively small entrance.
Last week was my first visit for a while and it won't be my last - Hophead Saison was seriously clean and good. I can't remember the rest apart from an Ilkley one (also fabulous).
You need an hour to read the beer menu right through - so get yourself a keg pint first to warm up, find a 'bible' and select a bottled brew from an endless list of American, Belgian, Danish....you name it. The prices are steep if you purchase the bottled rarities, but many are under �4.50. You don't go here to get w*nkered, you go to savour the flavour.
I've only eaten a hot scotch egg and brown sauce (yum) and burger here before, both were tasty, no more pricey than usual London prices. I don't care about the cost, although ALL pubs in Britain should make the effort to keep their beer properly, then places like the CASK wouldn't be pricier. Worth every penny.
Just one thing - the hand-drier in the loo is like something out of DR Who.
11 Jun 2011 14:24
Shere Drop and Crop Circle tasted like nectar. Lovely pleasant garden with resident llamas peering across the fields. Petanque court as well. Food looked nice but we were there for the beer - and it was very good - 8/10.
7 May 2011 16:43
The Hole In The Wall, Waterloo
For Christ's sake - clean the ***king toilets. I've typed it in English - clean the f -- k i n g t o i l e t s. Your beer's decent enough, your customers need somewhere clean and fresh to deposit later. Clean the toilets - the small room at the rear of the main room. Try some bleach. �1.50 from Spar. Thank you.
7 May 2011 16:31
Nicholson's are a disgrace - all they want to do is serve bloody tourists with steak and ale pie and crap washing-up lagers. I expect this place to be called The Royal Wedding next time i visit, at which point I will visit Belgo or Dove/Dovetail....
7 May 2011 16:24
This still remains Isleworth's best and only pub for real ales - the Squirrel brew was rather tasty today. I just don't understand why people post aimless and gormless comments like "this pub has gone downhill". In what way? If you inform the owners, they might do something about it (presuming there IS an issue).
The food is decent enough and I would suggest the reason the prices are steep is to keep the local growlers out (who seem to drink in the Woodlands).
It's not in the Beer Guide for nothing but they do need to keep up the beer standards to survive.
7 May 2011 16:12
Rammed with football fans (and subsequently relegated to the chilly garden), the beer at least made up for it. Dark Island is normally reliable in any case. Despite being busy, the crowd were pleasant enough.
7 May 2011 16:07
Typical insular 'end of the road' pub that fails on so many levels. Go to the Ferry Inn instead - this place is a joke and needs to up its game. The crisps were nice though (I'm being sarcastic).
7 May 2011 15:55
Cracking bar in Uig, not far from the ferry terminal. They offer accommodation as well as great nosh and plenty of beers, mostly in bottles from Orkney Brewery. A real find if you're heading to Harris the following morning.
7 May 2011 15:53
NYE - that was meant to read 'lack of choice' rather than lack of beer - at least they had some on.
15 Jan 2011 20:09
We went along on New Year's Eve - it was pleasant enough, no rowdy prats but more noticeably a distinct lack of beer on tap. I guess the icy roads had put paid to deliveries but it was disappointing nonetheless.
I've been here three times now and I'm not totally convinced, but compared to the frankly dire choices in Haslemere/Shottermill/Hindhead, going here is a reasonable option.
15 Jan 2011 20:08
The Pride of the Valley, Churt
The reason why this place is not 'bursting at the seams' is beer quality, plain and simple. My pint of King John yesterday was 'tired' and the fact someone's motorcycle had been stolen from outside (on Christmas Eve - wankers) probably doesn't help trade either.
But the place is decent enough as a hotel bolthole, but falling short as a 'walker's quick stop' for great beer. It's OK. 6 out of 10.
5 Jan 2011 22:41
One of those pubs worth visiting during a very long walk - friendly enough and the beer on tap was well kept when we visited last month. Basic interior (despite the grand if rather pink exterior) but unpretentious.
8 Nov 2010 21:56
The Tring beers were top notch last month after our walk from said town to Berk. I don't see the point in marking a pub down to keep the 'rubbish' out, they can't read anyway so won't give a damn about beer ratings will they?
Nice pub.
8 Nov 2010 21:51
The King Charles I, Kings Cross
Fine pub with really top staff. I ordered a half for my driving partner,a pint arrived which they only charged as a half. They also allowed us to eat our own food inside when we were on our way to a gig at King's Place. Tolerance AND understanding - this is very very rare in London, so don't take the piss - just enjoy the lovely beer. Top Brodies Red on the night, a revelation.
8 Nov 2010 21:38
Their Halloween beer fest was another exercise in superior beer service with convivial clientele and a decent soul/blues band......
8 Nov 2010 21:32
The Old Cross Tavern, Hertford
I'll add the fact that this pub is still a fabulous oasis in a town full of dives. Strange that Hertford seems to be a peaceable well-heeled place, yet attracts knuckle-dragging mungwits around its streets. Praise be that after a few glasses of well-chilled Belgian or English porter, nothing else matters.
And their scotch eggs are historic...
22 Oct 2010 22:36
I walked past this on Sunday - what a prime position for a top-notch pub with great beers and proper non-poncey home-made food. The garden across the road is a death-trap though, not just because of the road. I'd be tempted to put a private garden there instead.
How does 6 real ales, 2 ciders, 20 Belgian beers and locally-sourced nosh grab ya? Oh well.....we can but dream....
18 May 2010 22:56
What a nice pub - down to earth without being pretentious or chavvy - very tasty pint of Andwell's Resolute turned into 3 pints. Keen landlord was very happy to sing the new brewer's praises (beer is from Hampshire).
The pub had another three standard beers on but I would urge the landlord to get another Andwell on asap - yum.
18 May 2010 21:41
It was a busy carnival day when we visited during a long walk. Cracking pints of Bourne and Blond (I think it was called) and a lively crowd inside and out. I normally baulk at drinking out of a plastic 'glass' but it was due to the busy period I guess - the beer still tasted good.
I'm surprised it isn't in the Beer Guide quite frankly.
3 May 2010 18:33
Second visit to this enclave situated on a cobbled street. 6 beers on tap - I had Workie Ticket (really, really good) and Dutch Wink (so-so flavour, good condition though) and partner had Otley Blonde (that was incredibly tasty). Food was 6 out of 10 for the ham and pea suet pie (veg not great, crust on pie a bit tough), 7 out of 10 for the fish and chips (and a thimble of mushy peas - why?) - certainly couldn't fault the portions. Despite trying to appeal to the tourists with the food, their beer is pretty damn good.
28 Mar 2010 09:39
The Charles Lamb, Angel, Islington
No issues either - we'd been to Sadler's Wells and fancied a pint in a pub that wasn't full of Islington knuckleheads or Barnsbury toffs, so we avoided the main drag (and what a drag it is too) and headed down City Road for this back-street boozer. Good choice. Dark Star was good without being outstanding but the Porter was jaw-droppingly tasty. Pork scratchings and a chocolate labrador made for a genial evening overall. Worth remembering.
17 Mar 2010 23:01
The Spring Gardens, Marple Bridge
It's now a pizza restaurant
24 Sep 2014 13:53