BITE user comments - thefourmusketeers
Comments by thefourmusketeers
Really nice pretty pub with awesome garden. Nothing bad to say other than the interior is fairly small so I imagine in winter it gets very crowded. But this would only be because I imagine lots of people would want to come here on a regular basis. Very quiet and worth a visit in summer for sure.
3 Sep 2010 16:24
Terrible, unfriendly place and would not reccomend. It has a niche grungy clientele and the staff are completely disinterested in doing anything except talking with fellow staff or the grungy locals. My entire sports team, mostly smartly dressed in shirts / smart jeans, was once turned away, despite being the only customers, because a few people were still wearing the tracksuit bottoms they had worn after the match. This was dealt with in a stunningly rude fashion by a staff member who had dreadlocks, a sloppy t-shirt and earrings through his eyebrows, talk about a hypocrit. We were dealt with in far friendlier fashion at the Albion where the landlord was friendly and, shock horror, actually seemed to want some business on a quiet evening. On a few subsequent visits nothing has convicned me that this is anything other than a dirty, grungy, student bar that has a specific clientele and no wish or inclination to change this. Avoid, unless that description appeals to you
3 Sep 2010 16:21
Awesome place. Really relaxed atmosphere, really nice garden and cosy inside. Location is very quiet and locals friendly. Shows all the sport and well worth a visit for a chilled evening.
3 Sep 2010 16:14
Curious place. Has a really cosy interior, and a fantastic view outside, but something seems to be missing. It's like it has been semi modernised but they havent gone the whole way so it is now part gastropub, part traditional boozer and therefore doesnt find all the qualities of either. This may be being overly fussy but despite all its qualities it just doesn't feature as somewhere you would have to visit again. I have to say I don't agree with previous comments about the staff, who have always been very nice whenever some of us have been there, maybe they have been changed! A solid 7 out of 10 pub with a great view but you won't be blown away
3 Sep 2010 16:10
The Pitcher and Piano, Richmond
I like this place, the terrace has a supreme location and if you get a table outside you will have a good evening. The only slight issue is if it is sunny it gets very busy and you will struggle to find said good table / good evening. The bars all serve quickly and has bouncers on busy days to subdue the questionable crowd it can attract. Can't think of a nicer place in Richmond to drink by the river.
3 Sep 2010 16:00
Never had a nice time here, always too noisy, always too dark, the food is poor.
There are so many better alternatives if you just look up and down the street from the front door.
3 Sep 2010 15:49
Think the reviews on this are a little too partisan either way. It has plus and minus points.
The plus being that it is basically a nice enough pub with a pleasant outside seating area which benefits from its 'mid-village' location. I have also seen a well attended pub quiz going on and the service is friendly.
The minuses being that it is expensive, a bit bland inside, and it doesn't seem to know quite what it wants to be, pub or restaurant, meaning the atmosphere is non existent on most evenings.
You get what you see on the tin, its nice but not that special (particularly for the prices) and the Victoria is much better.
3 Sep 2010 15:45
The Hare and Hounds, East Sheen
Used to be my first choice as a local but recent visits have seen it slip down the order. The refurbishment has made it look a little bit nicer but that was nver the point of the place and they have lost quite a lot. Most average point is the fact that it is so expensive (2 pints and some pistachios set me back �11) but I also don't like the way they have such an expansive garden and then have to close it so early (one time we were literally hounded out of there by staff who were clearly massively eager to get home). When there are so many better pubs in the area I find it hard to come up with a reason to go there, it is even too pretentious to show the football now.
3 Sep 2010 15:37
Visited for the first time the other day. Didnt exactly blow me away, but found it a decent, highly viable alternative to other more noted establishments in the area.
Attractive, quiet location, friendly staff, and a decent sized terrace. No real view but nice enough to sit outside, and the interior looked good too.
Would come back for sure.
19 Aug 2009 16:20
Hidden Gem amongst the skyscrapers, this is an unashamedly grubby old school boozer, with suspicious looking locals mixing with City types. Has the interior of something on a Liverpool estate, but plenty of seating, cheap beer, and friendly staff make it a decent shout for a lunchtime drink. Serves huge Pizza's for a punchy �8, and a collection of home made toasted sandwiches. Shows Sky Sports News constantly, but to the best of my knowledge has no live sport package.
23 Jul 2009 17:26
Good place for the summer as it has a large amount of standing room in the alley outside, along with a decent selection of lagers. Usually full on thursday evening and friday lunchtime / evening and the atmosphere outside is very pleasant. Inside it is a standard modern gastro pub, not much to write home about, and standard City prices.
23 Jul 2009 17:23
The Globe doesn't set the world alight but it is a conveniently located and perfectly acceptable boozer for a quick one on the way home. Service can be a bit suspect but the place is usually heaving so unless there are more than the usual three bar staff on this is inevitable, and the staff I have encountered have worked swiftly and efficiently. Quite nice and airy inside, full of City chat, and there is the potential to stand outside with a drink. Haven't heard great things about the food but can't see why you would eat here anyway, there are far more obvious places. The Keats bar next door has a more moody atmosphere for winter meet ups. Acceptable for a quick drink, which is surely its main purpose
23 Jul 2009 17:19
Solid city pub that does exactly what it says on the tin and shows Sky Sports.
Not very atmospheric or traditional but I don't know what you would expect given the location or target market. Unashamedly full of suits and it has a large outside area to sit / stand / smoke which always helps. Is also right by Moorgate tube which makes it easier to get home
Has several TV's which are situated in odd positions so that you have to secure an optimum table to watch,
If you ever eat in here you will regret it. Best to stick to the (occasionally flat) lager and McCoys
23 Jul 2009 17:08
Cannot offer one reason to go here and I work right above it.
So many things wrong with it, but if I had to pick one, overriding reason why you should avoid the place like the plague it would be the service, which is consistently awful. Not only are the staff unfriendly, incompetent and unhelpful, for some reason the management have decided to enforce table service for both food and drink when they clearly have neither the quantity or quality of staff to perform it. You can wait anything up to 20 minutes for a drink you order, and when you finally get fed up and just go to the bar to order / pay and collect your drink (as the traditional bar has operated for hundreds of years), you are told such a transaction is impossible. Why this has been done is beyond me, its like the place has an identity crisis over whether or not it should be a restaurant. Sadly you only have to take one look at the food to see that it couldn't be a restaurant if it tried...
In addition it is overpriced and whilst I am a lager drinker, even I can see that the lack of decent ales or wine would be a problem to city types. Staff have on a number of occasions forgotten drink and food orders, and at busy times food takes ages (and I mean ages) to appear, not that it is worth the wait because it is bland and overpriced
Souless atmosphere and even if you do decide to brave it you will be joining a load of smug suits almost constantly boasting about their recent trades and deals.
Avoid, whilst there aren't many decent alternatives in the area this is most certainly the worst of a bad bunch.
23 Jul 2009 16:55
The Old Doctor Butler's Head, Moorgate
Nice, traditional, old pub and a favourite for our group. Has a couple of unusual lagers (Oranjeboom is a nice touch). Prices are fairly high but is atmospheric inside and it is also fine to stand outside in the alley.
The Plasma screens are actually the reason we go, there are remarkably few establishments with screens in the Moorgate area and it always shows the cricket / football with an approriate volume of commentary. Has recently been stading room only for the cricket as many cotton on to the same idea
Weaknesses are that the bar staff are friendly but you can wait a while before being served, particularly when it is busy as the bar is not very big. The food was also highly suspect the one time we ate here.
Definitely one of the best in the area.
23 Jul 2009 16:44
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The Assembly Rooms, Epsom
Standard Weatherspoons, therefore great for the start of a night out. Very big, easy to find seats, very cheap and wide range of drinks. Also very light and spacious which gives it an airy, echoey atmosphere and is usually really lively. Definitely the best place to start a night in the town.
3 Sep 2010 16:26