BITE user comments - thequaffer
Comments by thequaffer
the Irish gaffer was friendly enough to us but the beer quality is poor. Old ale on the pump clip but the beer not available. The Harveys Kiss seasonal was vinegary so needed to be replaced with a best bitter that was drinkable but below-par. Didn't dare risk trying the mild!
8 Mar 2009 13:25
This pub is currently closed and seeming awaiting a refurbishment
11 Dec 2007 08:55
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
excellent pub that brews its own beers, has occasional beer festivals, next I believe in January. Always worth a visit when in Hastings
15 Dec 2006 12:39
"the beer quality isn't anything less than 100%". Actually not the case. I went in during the summer to do the Brighton and South Downs Ale Trail (and no I am not a B&SD CAMRA branch member) and found this place to be one of the most disappointing of the 40 visited. Only two beers on, the Sussex Best Bitter and the Hadlow, the first was direct from the cask. This was covered with a cooler and the beer was at the required temperature, although the barmaid did sneeze all over her fingers as she was serving me. The Hadlow was handpumped from the cellar and warm. Neither was in particularly impressive condition. Perhaps it is the lack of consistency that prevents this pub getting in the GBG. In any case, given its proximity to the brewery and shop, I was almost as surprised by the relative lack of quality as finding it at No.1 on beerintheevening.
19 Oct 2006 13:30
I can understand that those who like a rather more trendy kind of place may dislike the surroundings and atmosphere but is the comment by 'anonymous' meant to be ironic? As they don't give their name it is impossible to trace back their previous comments on other places, but perhaps they normally drink designer bottled or keg cider and have not tasted scrumpy before? As for the comment on poor beer quality and lines needing cleaning..!!??
21 Aug 2006 16:35
Family and food oriented pub with large interior showing old beams and flagstone floor. Beer is fine but nothing out of the ordinary
22 Oct 2005 11:18
Pub popular with the younger clientle. Has games bar and sky sports, but also a quieter raised area. Seemed to be a friendly place and the Harveys Best was very drinkable and cheap (2.15)
22 Oct 2005 11:13
Thatched pub in suburban area. Has ingelnook fireplace and beams, but was built in 1956. Comprises games bar, a lounge and restaurant extention. The London Pride is in particularly good condition. Even the Greene King ipa is very decently kept. Worth a detour for.
22 Oct 2005 11:09
In reply to "anonymous", I do have short "ocmments". It's a hideous trait on my mother's side. Can't see why the remark about it being too smokey for me - when I have complained about this?
1 Sep 2005 16:19
Having just seen the Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason movie am very tempted to check this pub out
15 Jul 2005 15:50
perhaps, by attachments, phnuff means 'sparklers', usually used with swan neck dispense?
29 Jun 2005 17:38
Used to be my local 20-25 years ago when I lived in the village and played darts for the Red Lion team. Thought it a decent village Everards pub. Recently went back for the first time for years and found it probably improved with guest beers as well as the Everards range. The dart board has gone but the two room pub is an excellent community local and Good Beer Guide listed.
15 Apr 2005 15:07
Both the street and the pub show unmistakable signs of gentrification. Appearing to have undergone a relatively recent refurbishment, the largish L-shaped interior of the Eagle can perhaps be described as �trendy-traditional�. There is much un-scrubbed wood, a real fire surrounded by distinctively blackened bricks, and some of the thirty-something-year-old customers may well have patronised the wine bar across the street before it closed down. Nonetheless, all this makes it a comfortable place in which to sup my half of Harveys Sussex Best Bitter (�1.20), which is in good condition. Fullers London Pride is also on offer.
15 Apr 2005 14:20
Traditional, town-centre drinkers� pub with boxy, two-storey exterior, the top half painted white, lower fitted out in smart, new wood. Inside it used to be two bars but now consists of one fair-sized room with a bar counter down the left-hand side, behind which the ground floor �cellar� is visible though an internal door window. The chestnut wood bar, wall panelling and ceiling are also the result of this relatively recent refurbishment. Moving from the front door towards the rear, the floor changes from wooden boards to flagstone to red patterned carpet. Stools with green striped seats are arranged around both the bar and wooden tables. A TV on the wall opposite the bar is turned to Sky Sports but with the volume on mute. There is minimal decoration: a row of horse brasses line a roof beam and there are a few prints, pictures and old photographs on the walls, including one of the pub in the 1950s with tiled frontage. An earlier photograph, circa 1903, shows the premises with only one ground floor window. Gentlemen with moustached, archaic faces pose solemnly outside. The detached front wheel of a Penny Farthing is propped against the wall of the adjoining alley. Although it does close for a period in the late afternoon, the Stout House operates a 10am opening time from Monday-Saturday, and when I arrive this cold January morning there are already several middle-aged and elderly gentlemen well into their first or second pints of the day. An ex-King and Barnes house, it used to be a virtually permanent entry in the GBG (1986-2000, and again in 2003) and was also a CAMRA local Pub of the Year in 1997. It is now Hall and Woodhouse selling Tanglefoot and King and Barnes Sussex Bitter. I begin with a half of the latter (�1.15) and, although I have come to regard it as a rather undistinguished, routine session-bitter, am pleasantly surprised to find it in excellent condition with the flavour of hops well to the fore. I see what looks like the landlord of the Malt Shovel drinking at the bar, and his presence would be testimony to the quality of the beer served here. I also note the plate of tasty looking cobs on the bar. The ham and tomato in cheese and onion bread is delicious, and the half of Tanglefoot I wash it down with is well kept. I leave by the rear door that opens onto the alley and, as I enter once more the Carfax, run my hand along that part of the wall on which a century ago rested the front wheel of a Penny Farthing.
14 Apr 2005 14:56
Traditional locals� pub located on a main road just far enough out of town to have escaped the noise and bustle. A cream coloured, two-storey, square and symmetrical building with window shutters, it is now owned by Hall and Woodhouse but still bears its old King and Barnes signs. The words The Tanners Arms appear in gold on a distinctive blue circular wall plaque between the first floor windows � a name that, according to The Sussex Good Pub Guide 2004, is derived from the former tannery that stands opposite. To the left of the front entrance is an old fashioned snug bar. To the right is a separate, long and narrow lounge bar that opens up, first, onto a games area with dartboard, pool table (traditional green baize) and gaming machines, and then onto an enclosed beer garden that is currently undergoing some renovation. Seating is on comfy red covered wall benches, chairs and stools. A flat screen TV is the only indication that we are in the 21st century. The service here is very friendly with a personal touch. This is reflected in a notice that states the official afternoon opening hours of 12-2.30 Monday to Friday and 12-3.00 Saturday and Sunday, but adds that the pub will stay open all day if there are enough customers to make it worthwhile. Several times GBG listed between 1992 and 2002 it now has a Cask Marque certificate and three beers available on handpump: Badger brewed King and Barnes Sussex Bitter, plus Gribble brewed Fursty Ferret and King and Barnes Mild. A half of the Sussex Bitter looks faintly hazy but tastes fine. A pint of the mild is in decent condition and does very well as a companion to a delicious, freshly made gammon roll.
14 Apr 2005 14:55
A large establishment just across the road opposite the main, west entrance to the railway station; it consists of a two-storey Beefeater pub attached to a three-storey Premier Travel inn, the exterior of the whole premises painted a creamy light yellow. Inside, there is a non-smoking restaurant to the left and split-level bar to the right, the bottom half of which is also non-smoking. All was around a year ago very pleasingly redecorated in Mediterranean hues of red, maroon, earth and ochre. The bar also has modern paintings of similar tones on the walls, along with gaming machines and extra seating in comfy sofas in both caramel and dark green. The new colour scheme matches well the older features such as the brown and cream beamed ceiling. Reproduced on a large and framed cream canvas hanging in the bar is a photo taken around a century ago of the, then, partially ivy-clad hotel. The Station sells two real ales from Interbrew: a pleasant offering of Draught Bass, and Flowers Original, brewed under licence by Hall and Woodhouse and without a doubt the best drop of this that I have every tasted, with a definite hint of vanilla to the fore. A Cask Marque certificate valid until March 31st 2006 is on display, as is a sign that states �Over 21�s only in bar�. Good, modern pop music � Coldplay, Crowded House - emerges at an unobtrusive volume from a CD behind the bar. Everything about this place is spot on. While the surroundings are smart they are also very conducive to relaxation, and it would have been easy to stay there for hours, quaffing the excellent Flowers and enjoying the early spring sunshine flooding though the windows and highlighting the cheerful colours of the interior.
14 Apr 2005 14:54
Despite extensive stone cladding and some lower-wall flint sections, this two-storey building with bright blue wooden wall slats and window canopies looks as if it may have been converted from a couple of typical 1960s/1970s low-cost estate private houses. Its site, including car park, paved front patio and outside seating on wooden benches, occupies one whole corner of Brighton Road and St Leonards Road. The (2002) CAMRA Guide to North Sussex Pubs lists it as the St. Leonards Arms, owned by Enterprise Inns and offering two real ales, Gales HSB and Fullers London Pride. Now specialising in Thai food, it has dropped the �Arms� from its name, describing itself on the pub sign as the St. Leonards Bar and Restaurant. It offers league darts and pool, Sky Sports, karaoke and quiz nights, but no real ale.
14 Apr 2005 14:53
This double gabled, two storey, town pub has a somewhat austere greyish-dark-brown brick frontage facing directly onto the busy street, with outside seating on green painted basic wooden benches. Inside it is much more cheerful. Its only GBG entry when a King and Barnes house in 1982 describes it divided into �a large public bar and small comfortable lounge�. Its single spacious interior now offers the complete post-modern, decade blending, eclectic experience. Warm welcoming Mediterranean tones of salmon, red, yellow, blue and sea green characterise the general contemporary colour scheme (the effect in some areas is not dissimilar to that found in The Station and The Bedford. Are their interior designers related? I think we should be told). Tall-backed pale wood chairs are placed around a central dark brown wood bar. Elsewhere, seating can be found on comfy sofas and chairs placed upon bare floorboards and red carpets. To the left hand side, a state-of-the-art flat screen digital TV dazzles the eyes with the technological clarity of its pictures, while the nearby walls are hung with quaint Victorian and Edwardian prints and old, faded and somewhat indistinct photos of local views, including ones depicting the Queens Head circa 1881 and 1900. To the rear of all this is a raised area big enough to house two pool tables (with blue baize, please note) and a black and white pool-related photo gallery including, amongst others, the Rat Pack and stills of Paul Newman as shark Fast Eddie Felson from the movies The Hustler and The Colour of Money. This platform leads onto a small back beer-garden. The far right side of the pub functions as a more formal dining area with bare brick and blue-papered walls. 1980s music meanwhile comes from the CD player behind the bar. The beer? Oh, yes. It�s Hall and Woodhouse - Badger Best, King and Barnes Sussex Bitter and Tanglefoot. There is a current Cask Marque certificate and the Sussex Bitter is perfectly pleasant.
14 Apr 2005 14:52
A tall, white painted, two-storey, traditional street corner local, situated in a Victorian-Edwardian suburb that can be reached from North Street by crossing Horsham Park to North Parade, the Nelson has an L-shaped interior, the shorter end of which is a bar with a cosy lived-in feel. A Sky Sports big screen, today showing the Southampton and Arsenal match, dominates the longer part. This leads into a large pool and darts games room. The pub runs two teams of each sport, and a photo of its darts team of the mid-1950s is displayed in the bar area. Also hanging next to the bar is an interesting calendar with views of old Horsham pubs. Ex-King and Barnes and GBG listed in 1987 and 1989, it is now Hall and Woodhouse owned selling King and Barnes Sussex Bitter and Festive Pheasant. There is a current Cask Marque certificate and my half of the Pheasant is in tip-top condition.
14 Apr 2005 14:51
Over the busy main road, a few hundred yards further down The Bishopric and next to the site of what used to be the King and Barnes Brewery, we find this traditional and unspoilt black-beamed pub. It is claimed in the Sussex Good Pub Guide 2004 (Southern Promotions publications) to be at least 600 years old, although its GBG entries during the early 1980s and mid 1990s variously date it to the 16th and 18th centuries. Unlike less fortunate places that have been subject to �improvements� by knocking out dividing walls, it retains its two bar layout. To the right is a cosy and compact �public bar� with a real fire and comfy chair, wall seats, gaming machines, and TV tuned to the live coverage of the Sheffield United versus Aston Villa third round FA Cup tie. On the left is a smaller, more sedate �saloon� with dark wood tables and chairs, another real fire, and a mini TV showing the racing. Three regular customers sit consulting the racing pages of their papers. There is also a dartboard, comfy wall seats and old photos on the walls taken about a hundred years ago depicting local pubs The Swan, The Castle, The Beehive, and The Dog and Bacon (all but the latter now demolished), plus another of the Kings Arms itself around the 1970s. Another ex-King and Barnes pub, the complete Hall and Woodhouse range is now offered � Badger Best Bitter, King and Barnes Sussex Bitter, Tanglefoot and Festive Pheasant. I have a half of the Pheasant, and on my second visit a Badger Best. As with the Green Dragon, there is a current Cask Marque certificate and the beer here is very nice, with the bonus that it costs 10p less than I paid in that previous place.
14 Apr 2005 14:48
A large, two-storey, gabled, street-corner local, Victorian in origin, the Horse and Groom was last GBG listed a quarter of a century ago when it served Whitbread Trophy and Pompey Royal. It is these days the type of place where snapshots of the regulars enjoying themselves in the pub are collected, framed and displayed on the walls. There are the expected gaming machines, and a blackboard advertises �DJ Nick. Sat 7.30�. It was almost certainly once two separate rooms, but is now one large area around a central quarter-circular bar. The area to the rear has a pool table and there are three TV screens set above the bar, all showing the same inane programme, which I would guess is called �How Stupid is Your Pet?�. Two larger sets on the left and right walls remain, mercifully, switched off. About half a dozen regulars, in their twenties and thirties are sitting on stools around the bar; the reminder of the seating is on chairs around both square and round wooden tables, with a couple of comfy chairs under one of the blank TV screens next to the front door. Approaching the bar I am pleasantly surprised to see bottled Hepworth Pullman on sale, but the handpump selection is less promising: there are three; two are unused and the third dispenses Fullers London Pride. A half of this costs �1.25 but, not for the first time during this particular lunchtime session, I find my beer to be vinegary. The female member of staff offers apologies and John Smith Smooth is suggested as a replacement. I have an orange juice. To her credit she turns the pump clip round and also goes down to the cellar, presumably to change the barrel. There is some flushing and drawing of pumps, but I have finished my juice and don�t have time or inclination enough to hang around to see what transpires.
14 Apr 2005 14:47
A building that is claimed to originally date from 1449 or earlier, although this is not immediately obvious from its outward appearance and setting. Almost next door to Wetherspoons, the Green Dragon is an attractive, low, two-storey pub, the top half red tiled, the lower cream painted. Despite the ancient sounding street name, post-war development has rendered the town centre end of this historic thoroughfare indistinguishable from somewhere in Crawley. The pub�s roomy, wooden beamed interior rambles around a large, central bar with two serving points and sets of handpumps. There are conventional stools, chairs and tables to the left of the front entrance, which is like a lounge area, and high backed benches and wooden tables to the right. The bar, these furnishings and fittings to the right, plus some modern exposed brickwork, all appear to be the result of a recent refit. Nonetheless, there is on the right side interior, framed under protective glass, a small exposed area of original wattle and daub wall. There is much lunchtime food trade today, but spare seating can be found in a modern rear extension, a gaming area big enough to house two pool tables, a dartboard plus a few tables and chairs. I rest here and sip my half of Badger Festive Pheasant (�1.35), a rich, ruby red seasonal replacement for Fursty Ferret. Ex King and Barnes and now Hall and Woodhouse owned, this historic pub also offers King and Barnes Sussex Bitter, Badger Best Bitter and Tanglefoot. A GBG entry from 1984-86, it also appeared in 2002. It has a current Cask Marque certificate, and the beer is decently kept.
14 Apr 2005 14:46
A sizable, rambling, two-storey, cream coloured establishment occupying a corner of the Carfax. The interior was most likely once divided into various rooms; it is now open-plan and roughly L-shaped, with a restaurant area at one end and pool table and fruit machines at the other. The d�cor and furnishings are eclectic with wooden, carpeted and stone floor areas, yellow and light green painted walls, and a few shabby looking modern sofas, brightly coloured in both green and blue. There are three handpumps: one is unused, a second is turned round and the third offers Greene King IPA. A half of this costs �1.15 but is somewhat vinegary so I have to return it. The member of staff is, to her credit, very apologetic and turns the pump clip round to match the other one. She offers Boddingtons Keg Bitter as an alternative so I elect to have an orange juice. I sit down in the bright blue shabby sofa, sip my juice and stay long enough to enjoy the excellent late-1970s music playing behind the bar � �Peaches�, by the Stranglers and the unfairly forgotten �Airport� by the Motors. The Crown this early lunchtime has only one other customer and she leaves before I do.
14 Apr 2005 14:43
So named due to its proximity to a stream and pond populated by these and other such wildlife, it is a two-storey, cream coloured, possibly interwar pub serving a housing estate found just off the Guildford Road after a few minutes walk up the Bishopric past the Kings Arms. A fairly unprepossessing exterior hides a surprisingly roomy and eclectic interior, the result of a June 2001 renovation. Entering the front door we are faced with a long wooden bar, to the right of which is an area large enough to house two pool tables. A raised platform to the rear left accommodates a dartboard. There are gaming machines, a big screen TV and a cash machine. The floor is wood as is the smart reproduction furniture, while the paining scheme is magnolia and puce. A small, raised and carpeted �lounge� area at the front of the pub has its walls covered with �old� repro prints and paintings. The bar staff are friendly and pop music plays from behind the bar. Real ales are Shepherds Neame Spitfire, Fullers London Pride and (Coors) Brains-brewed Hancocks HB. My half of the latter � a somewhat insipid brand - is clear but I detect a very slight vinegary aftertaste. A popular community pub, the Coot was GBG listed from 1981-1991 when serving Charringtons IPA, and again in 2003.
14 Apr 2005 14:42
A large, three storey, street-corner, locals� pub, it is situated behind the station and painted in eye-catching light and dark blue. A relatively recently refurbished two room interior reflects this external colour design. On the Station Road side is a spacious L-shaped room with blue carpet, light yellow walls and pale green ceiling. The longer part of the L contains a smart looking bar of light coloured wood, some matching tall chairs and tables and a smattering of Beryl Cook pictures on the walls. It also houses two pool tables with blue baize, a dartboard and two conventional televisions, one of which is tuned to the Sky Sports soccer review. This end leads onto a patio garden. The shorter end of the room has blue upholstered chairs around pale wood tables, a flat screen television, plus several modern decorative paintings with a jazz theme. Facing towards New Street is an exceptionally smart and modern smaller bar with green seats, light yellow walls and a blue and green tartan carpet. Beers available are Fullers London Pride plus two from local independent brewer W. J. King � Spring Ale and Horsham Best Bitter. This is the first time I have tried the Spring Ale and it is kept in fine condition. A very pleasant place, last GBG listed in 2001, the Bedford has current Cask Marque approval; it also houses charity nights, live music nights and, like The Station pub just over the tracks, admits over 21s only to its bar.
14 Apr 2005 14:39
Virtually opposite Bar Vin is this smallish, two-storey, red brick, cosy and traditional local, the original building of which, according to the pub�s 2002 GBG entry, dates back to the 12th century. Inside it consists of an unspoilt rectangular main room with dark-wooden wall panelling, and a smaller room off to the rear left of the bar housing a dartboard and table. Customers are mainly regulars, mostly elderly or middle-aged but also a couple of younger people, plus a few shoppers. Placed up on the wall is a small, unobtrusive TV with the volume on mute; the sound of pop music comes from the radio behind the bar, but the main emphasis here is on drinking, smoking and conversation. Another ex-King and Barnes pub, the Bear now dispenses, from the Hall and Woodhouse range, Badger Best Bitter, Tanglefoot and King and Barnes Sussex Bitter. My half of the latter (�1.13) is decently kept, although not good as that in the Stout House. A sign on the bar advertises freshly filled rolls for �1.50. Behind the bar a cabinet houses a collection of small toy bears. On the wall opposite me a framed newspaper article screams the headline �Trail of the Acid Bath Killer�. I cannot get close enough to read the accompanying story as the seats in this corner of the pub are occupied, but it presumably refers to the murderer John George Haigh who, during the late 1940s, disposed of some of his victims in drums of acid at his workshop in Leopold Road, Crawley.
14 Apr 2005 14:38
This is a modern wine bar inhabiting a very imposing, three-storey building with an ornate fa�ade, high up on which can be seen the stone inscription, Anchor Hotel 1899. According to the CAMRA Guide to North Sussex Pubs (2002), it more recently functioned as a branch of Lloyds Bank. It now consists of one very large open interior with seating mainly on long wooden benches and tables. A long wooden bar extends down the right hand side of the building, bountifully stocked with bottles of wine. Over the bar area is a skylight, a long strip of decoratively patterned glass that could possibly be original Victorian. Towards the rear of the room, three steps lead up to a raised platform housing comfy sofas and flat screen TV. A flight of stairs near the front entrance is to a first floor balcony. A blue painted telephone box stands incongruously nearby. There are about ten customers of various ages this early lunchtime. The almost equally plentiful members of staff all wear black t-shirts with the name �Bar Vin� on the breast pocket, the shape of a wine glass substituting for the letter �i�. As for the drink, well there is plenty of wine but only two handpumps for beer: one is turned round; the other advertises Harveys Best Bitter. At �1.05 it is much cheaper than I expected. Unfortunately, I also find it to be undrinkable: its distinctive flavour of hops transformed into something harsh, metallic and unpalatable. It is not �off� - for it is as clear as a bell with no pronounced whiff of vinegar - just not well cared for. I return it with explanations to the uncomprehending staff, exchange it for an orange juice and probably make a profit on the deal. I appreciate that Bar Vin is primarily a wine bar and eaterie, but if they intend to offer the hop as an alternative to the grape they should at least take the trouble to keep and serve real ale in better condition. On the other hand, I wonder how many of their customers would care, or even notice?
14 Apr 2005 14:36
Located off the main shopping thoroughfare, Western Road, in a Street lined with restaurants offering all kinds of cuisine. Begin or end (or both) your Chinese/Indian/Greek/Mexican/Turkish/Cypriot/
Aberdeen Steak House (delete as necessary) meal experience with a few pints at the 2004 GBG listed Royal Sovereign. It�s hard to miss its smart blue, black and white frontage with bow windows. Inside it can get busy and very convivial (no children are allowed, but the middle-aged clientele of both sexes are particularly raucous this Saturday, and it�s still only lunchtime). To the left is the smart, recently and tastefully renovated lounge bar with 1930s-style wood panelling, comfortable sofas, and green patterned carpet with upholstered chairs to match. There is also an open fireplace, old photos of Brighton on the walls, and a TV in the corner tuned to Sky Sports with the volume on mute. This bar leads out onto a beer garden at the back. Beers on offer are Morland Old Speckled Hen, Harveys Best Bitter and Harveys Knots of May Light Mild. My pint of the mild (�2.30) is in tip-top condition. To the right of the main entrance and on a lower level is the pub�s new H20 cocktail bar: very smart, chrome and modernistic, with two TV screens but no real ale.
22 Mar 2005 15:05
Known not so long ago as the Grosvenor Arms, its denizens were described by Nigel Richardson, in his (1998) account Breakfast in Brighton: Adventures on the Edge of Britain, as including, amongst others, �actors, hairdressers, artistes, dog walkers, accountants, bishops� lovers, hoteliers, fiddle players and drunks, heterosexuals and homosexuals, gays who looked straight and straights who looked gay, butch lesbians and sweet gamines, randy dogs and supercilious cats�. The (2001) CAMRA guide Real Ale over Brighton and Hove, on the other hand, more pithily and prosaically pronounces it to be �a small, friendly community pub�. On my first visit two years ago, it was still called the Grosvenor and was an outlet for Cuckmere Haven beers. Now, with the August 2003 closure of that brewery and the selling of its brewplant to Harveys, the pub is somewhat confusingly called the Cuckmere. It was, in any case, during my Spring 2004 visit a cosy local, consisting of one compact main room fronted by a bay window. The bar is to the left and seating is to the right, as is a fireplace with decorative tiles. Beers on sale are Timothy Taylors Landlord and two from Harveys - Armada and 1859 Porter. The porter runs out just as the end of my half is poured, but it still tastes fine and costs only �1.05.
However, a more recent peek through the door late last year shows it to have been stripped of all the internal features that made it such a cosy and homely place. Gone, also, are the Harveys and Tim Taylors. It now serves on handpump only two Greene King beers � IPA and Morland Old Speckled Hen. The internal structure is unaltered expect for a new TV screen in the top right corner of the back wall. I�m unsure as to whether the place is waiting to be redecorated or if ultra-minimalism is a GK marketing executive�s idea of chic. To be honest, I couldn�t be bothered to go in and ask.
22 Mar 2005 14:50
Corner pub situated on the next road parallel to Southover Street and only a short walk from the Greys, but rather more of a down-to earth locals� place than the establishments of the Hanover area. It draws much of its working-class clientele from the nearby flats and high-rises. The drinking area is around a central bar, with a dartboard and bar billiards table to the right. Old photos of Brighton decorate the walls. Greene King Abbot Ale and IPA are on sale; but I came here for the guest ale from Weltons, which today is Bonking Bunnies (with it being spring and all that). The Albion was GBG listed from 1987 to 1996 and, as long as the guest ale remains available, is still worth a visit.
22 Mar 2005 14:46
Almost directly across the High Street from the Norfolk Arms is Tarrant Street. Down here, on the left hand side, after a succession of teashops and just past Brewery Hill, stands the Eagle (last GBG entry, 1994). Several decades earlier it was the Lambert and Norris Eagle Brewery tap. According to John Eddleston�s (1997), Murderous Sussex, it was in this pub, on the evening of Sunday 17th September 1944, that RAF serviceman Andrew Brown drank the last of his five or six pints of beer that night before brutally raping and murdering the elderly Ameila Knowles in her squalid house-come-junkshop at No. 20. Brown was hanged at Wandsworth Prison the following January, his demise perhaps celebrated in ale by that venerable institution, The Arundel Society for the Prosecution of Thieves and Felons.
22 Mar 2005 14:24
The elegant Grade II listed Swan Hotel was, for several blissful years from 1995 to 2001, the Arundel Brewery tap and regular entry in the GBG. It now offers Gales GB and HSB. My half of the latter cost �1.13 and was in good condition. Despite the Hotel�s publicity leaflet stating that there is �always a guest ale�, there certainly wasn't during my last year's visit and one of the three hand pumps remained unused. The ground floor is separated into a tap-room bar with nineteenth-century oak floors and pine panelling (the old Swan pub sign from around 1750 is displayed on the far wall), and a more formal restaurant area. Today�s customers are some couples, a group of horse racing enthusiasts and a few elderly diners. Accommodation available.
22 Mar 2005 14:22
A one floor boxy building that dates from 1960 and was built around the time the area was modernised and the underpass constructed. It used to be called the Nags Head. Now with its change of name, it is one of Leicester's excellent real ale pubs, serving a range of beers from independent breweries and all in good condition. Good Beer Guide listed
17 Mar 2005 15:21
If you are not a real ale fan you might find this place somewhat 'basic' but it is undoubtedly Leicester's preimer real ale pub. Used to be a wine bar and now has one long wooden floored and tabled interior which can be entered from either King Street or New Walk. There is always available a cracking range of ales from independent breweries, often around a dozen on offer and all kept in top-notch condition. Leicester is fortunate to have a handful of very good real ale pubs but this one is the King of Kings
17 Mar 2005 14:57
I haven't been here since 2001, so my comments are somewhat dated. It was, then, one of the Good Beer Guide regulars, serving Hardy and Hansons mild and bitter, along with good, basic cobs - beef or cheese and onion. Interior was also unspolit with its small front bar and large back lounge. Have heard reports, however, of its recent relative demise and it is no longer GBG listed
17 Mar 2005 14:51
Everard's Leicester city centre 'flagship' pub. Large, three storey, street-corner establishment. Victorian in origin, I think. Roomy partitioned interior. Comfy and basic-traditional. Beers in very good condition with a few guests as well as the full Everards range. Serves good pub grub. Always worth a visit.
17 Mar 2005 14:47
Can't really add much to Foxski's comments on the interior design. Unique in its parodic homage to the arts and crafts movement, this place really has to be experienced to be truly appreciated. It was, during the 1960s earmarked for demolition, but was saved thanks to an outcry from famous voices who opposed the destructive consequences of unbridled post-war modernism (just look how hideous is the nearby Blackfriars station). The Blackfriar also had a very well kept range of beers on my last visit, with tasting notes to help you choose and friendly staff who were willing to provide you with a 'taster'. I believe it doesn't open at weekends, which is a pity
17 Mar 2005 13:51
Visited here recently mainly for its architectural interests. Have to say that while its timber-structured origins are still very much evident, most of the interior design is a fairly modern affair with TV screens, pool table and gaming machines. I asked for half an Adnams bitter and was served a short measure. The young barmaid, who was of Eastern European origin, made no attempt to give me a full measure so I made no attempt to hand over my fiver. I might have stood there for a minute or more as the penny definitely wasn't dropping, so I pointed with my fiver to the shortfall and asked please for a full pint. She took this as some kind of personal insult, clumsily topped up the beer, rudely plonked it down on the counter, thus spilling some of what she had just put in, and literally snatched the fiver out of my hand as I offered it to her. She also dumped the change back into my hand without so much as an apology. I was thinking of calling the manager and making a complaint but, to be honest she needs the job and money and the onus should be on the management to give their staff proper training to present this kind of thing occuring. I might write to the local Weights and Measures inspectors, though. Oh yes and the beer was very average in quality. I have to say that this was the first of ten pubs I visited that day and in the other nine I had full measure and polite friendly staff
17 Mar 2005 13:31
Haven't really got much to add to the previous comments: good back street local, architecturally interesting, well kept beer and friendly atmosphere. If you go here during a week day or evening, pay the Royal Oak in nearby Tabard Street a visit also.
17 Mar 2005 12:57
An excellent pub. A Victorian back street-corner design but smartly refurbished in a traditional no-frills way. Good clean and clear design and layout. Excellent range of Harveys beers - as far as I know the only Harveys outlet in the capital. Good Beer Guide listed. Like a number of pubs in this area, it opens only during Monday-Friday.
17 Mar 2005 12:54
It's been over 20 years since I first came here and though it has been smarterned up a bit since then, it still sells top-rate Fullers beers, and in good condition (the Ship is an entry in the current Good Beer Guide). It can get very busy and noisy, but if you like the buzz of the crowd and loud-ish music from the CDs behind the bar, and if you like a good pint or few of Fullers London Pride or ESB, then you will like the Ship.
17 Mar 2005 12:36
Even if you are not into real ale you might still like this pub for it being a very traditional, no-frills back street locals' boozer. For those who care about their beer this is probably the best pub in London for both the choice and quality of the ales. A mild is always on offer as are proper foreign lagers and a real cider.
17 Mar 2005 12:32
The Lamb Tavern, Leadenhall Market
Would be well worth a visit for its architectural merits alone. Seems to be mid-Victorian, and in harmony with the rest of the buildings in the market. It can get crowded with professional people in suits but there are three floors and the upstairs bars are each worth visiting. Beer is from Youngs and is very decently kept
17 Mar 2005 12:27
A first-rate Victorian traditional street-corner local. Larger inside than it looks from the outside. The interior is clean and comfortable. It is the main outlet for the Hop Back brewery. The beer is always in good condition and the pub is a regular in the Good Beer Guide. There are a handful of very good pubs in Salisbury but this is perhaps the best.
17 Mar 2005 12:23
I used to go there for a good range of real ales when living in Brighton during the mid-late 1980s. On Dec 31st/January 1st 1988 I met someone there I will never ever forget even though I knew her for only eight months and have no idea where she now is or what has happened to her.
So sad to see the place derelict, as it now is. "But that was yesterday, I was someone else then".
26 Jan 2005 18:16
A short walk past the Eagle, the Kings Arms is positioned just over the road on a corner at the bottom of a hill bearing the same name as the pub. This free house normally sells Fullers London Pride, Youngs Special and Hop Back Summer Lightening, along with a fourth option, which is sometimes from the Triple FFF range, but today is Kings Sussex Challenger, at �2.30 a pint. As is invariably the case here, the beer is in top-rate condition. The pub is divided into two comfortable bars, one with a television and dartboard, the other opening out onto a higher-level back patio. There are also wooden benches outside the front of the pub. There is a mixed clientele: many are locals; others are here because the pub is a regular entry in the GBG. Food is served between 12-2pm during the week, with a Sunday lunchtime treat of cheese and cracker nibbles on the bar. I can personally recommend the ploughman�s lunches, served with a huge hunk of Cheddar. During the summer months the food is best enjoyed outside, along with a few pints, on the sun-drenched patio.
26 Jan 2005 17:49
About half a mile or so along the main Eastbourne road, this two-storey, L-shaped building dates from the 16th century and was converted into an Inn from cottages. The outside is painted in cream and green: the inside is comfortable with low, black-beamed ceilings and pale yellow plaster walls. A television tuned to Sky Sports somewhat disrupts the otherwise traditional ambience. The clientele this Saturday late afternoon are mostly regulars, middle aged or older. The Castle Inn was GBG listed in 1990 and 1992. It is now owned by Pubmaster and dispenses Greene King IPA and Abbot. My half of Abbot (I�m obviously not going to have an IPA) costs �1.28 and tastes fine. (Autumn 2004)
26 Jan 2005 17:45
The Royal Oak and Castle, Pevensey
We find the Royal Oak and Castle right next to the Castle gates and car park. A two-storey cream coloured building with a front entrance porch and rear beer garden, its present form is of Victorian origin. According to the publicity leaflet, the original pub occupied the small area where the straight bar now is, with the side door once being the main entrance. This structure was then conjoined in 1852 to the separately standing building of the Holmes Commercial Hotel (the date 1853 is set in the wall above the door inside the front entrance).
Although the place was GBG listed from 1984 to 1986, the present interior design is at most only a few years old and has the pleasant ambience of a Mediterranean Bistro. An enormous amount of sunlight floods through the front windows into the pinewood bar. The walls are painted pale yellow, table umbrellas are made from pale canvas, and soft jazz and samba noises waft from the CD player behind the bar. The straight room down the left side of the front entrance serves as the restaurant, this being decorated with pantomime masks and a variety of prints and photographs including one of the, then, ivy-clad pub around the end of the 19th century.
I can appreciate that this place may not appeal to those who yearn for the more traditional type of establishment, but what it does it seems to do very well. A certificate on the wall from the Wealden District Council notes its entry into the Best Inn, Wealden Guide for 2002-03. Two real ales are on sale: Harveys Best Bitter and Wells Bombardier. For the sake of scientific reliability I stay with the Harveys (�1.30 a half). It is of better quality than that found at the Pevensey Castle Hotel, but rather characterless compared to my half at the Priory Court, mainly I suspect because it is served a couple of degrees too cool for the flavour to properly emerge, as is occasionally the case with the culture of restaurant-oriented places such as this. (Autumn 2004)
26 Jan 2005 17:43
Functional and modernist style pub with cloudy, slightly vinegary and excessively chilled Batemans Spring Breeze guest beer. (Spring 2004)
26 Jan 2005 17:40
Not far now from the top of the hill, and working up a thirst for that pint of Gales. Choose from Buster, GB, Frolic or HSB. A traditional and unspoilt street-corner local, its cosy interior has wood-panelled walls decorated with various memorabilia, including prints and old photos of the area. The drinking area extends around a central bar. In the far corner, near the door to the back garden, are a couple of very cosy armchairs. The only downside to the Sir Charles Napier is that it doesn�t sell Festival Mild. Has been a GBG ever present since 1981, with the curious exception of 2001. (Spring 2004)
26 Jan 2005 17:38
Mid way along a residential terraced street sloping down to the main Western Road shopping area, this traditional pub, GBG listed from 1997 to 2002, offers Fullers London Pride and Harveys Best Bitter. My pint of pride (�2.40) could have been kept slightly cooler, but was otherwise of exceptionally good quality. The d�cor of the one-room bar is traditional with modern touches: light-brown wood panelling nicely setting off the blue walls, clock and seat covers. Rather than the ubiquitous clutter of old prints and black and white photos of the area, the walls display selected modern photographic colour portraits of Brighton seafront. The pub also has outside seating and a newish looking rear conservatory. Friendly bar staff and a Sunday pub quiz are other good features of the PA, as it is known on its sign. Not too sure about the particularly loud music, though. (Spring 2004)
26 Jan 2005 17:37
In the years following Dr Richard Russell�s (1750) Dissertation on the use of sea-water in the affections of the glands, both drinking and bathing in the saline stuff was popularly presumed to have therapeutic effects, especially for suffers of fever, consumption, cancer, ruptures or madness. The pub is named after the 18th century timber framed building that stood on the site and housed a hand-operated contraption used to pump the sea-water cure ashore to the surrounding hostelries. Publicity information on the pub�s menu remarks that the cellars are of medieval origin and that the initials of a Miss Elliot, purchaser of the property in 1766, are still visibly inscribed into the stone fireplace in the bar. The 18th century shop-like frontage remains today; the first floor brickwork is painted jet black, while the two large bow widows on the ground floor face onto the heart of the Lanes. The traditional, wooden panelled interior comprises an area to the left with a TV and smaller room to the right, on the ceiling of which is displayed an assortment of old prints and cartoons, new and old photographs, and a framed selection of the famous Brighton Rock confectionary. Both areas lead into a rear room. Beers are Interbrew Draught Bass, Fullers London Pride and Harveys Best Bitter. My pint of the Bass takes a while to begin to clear; but although it remains slightly hazy nonetheless smells distinctly hoppy, tastes OK, and retains its head until the end of the glass. The Pump House was GBG listed in 1996/1997 and again in 2001/2002. (Spring 2004)
26 Jan 2005 17:35
A large, street-corner local in a residential area a little way North West of the city centre, this Gales house has been a GBG entry since 1999. The inside is essentially one main space around a central semi-circular bar, with a raised area to the left. Old adverts, posters and pictures of Brighton and Hove decorate the walls, as does a poster announcing a regular pub quiz. There is a good range of the Gales brews on offer: Buster, HSB, GB, D-Day and, yes, Festival Mild (hurrah!). (Spring 2004)
26 Jan 2005 17:34
In the basement flat of 44 Park Crescent during the summer of 1934 the life of Violet Kaye came to a violent end, thus sparking off one of Brighton�s famous trunk murders. Toni Mancini, who admitted packing Kaye�s torso into a cabin trunk and removing it to another address, was found not guilty at his trial, only for him to confess publicly to the murder forty-two years later. Whether Mancini popped round the corner to the Park Crescent for a stiff drink after the bloody deed is not recorded. The pub was GBG listed from 1998 to 2001, but that was in its King and Barnes period, before the 2000 takeover and closure of that much loved Sussex brewery by Hall and Woodhouse. Even so, the Park Crescent is still worth mentioning for its decent pint of Gribble Fursty Ferret. Also served are the H&W brewed ales, Tanglefoot and the misleadingly named King and Barnes Sussex Bitter. There is a circular drinking and seating area around a central bar. Old photos decorate the walls. (Spring 2004)
26 Jan 2005 17:32
Up on the left side of the hill is this chilled-out pub, with its relaxed, almost bohemian atmosphere. It comprises one main, large room � eclectic d�cor, with un-scrubbed wooden floors, tables and chairs � and a conservatory to the left that leads to a back open-air area decorated with art work. The beers are from Shepherd Neame, namely Spitfire, Early Bird (a seasonal, spring ale) and Master Brew. While I was pondering my choice, the barman informed me of the ABV of all three (a pleasant change from those places where the bar staff don�t even know the names of the beers they serve), and my pint of Master Brew (�2.20) was in good condition, thus justifying this pub�s consistent GBG listing since 2002. (Spring 2004)
26 Jan 2005 17:22
The Constant Service, Brighton
Friendly place, but well past its prime Harveys Knots of May.
26 Jan 2005 17:19
Walking into Arundel from the train station, we find the White Hart on our right hand side, just before the river. According to the pub�s last entry in the GBG (2002), the property dates from around 1790 and was initially owned by the Constable Brewery, once situated across the road. For the past few years the pub has been a Harveys house, normally selling Sussex Best Bitter, Pale Ale and a couple of the brewery�s seasonal beers. The comfortable main interior has a large, central, copper-plated chimney, decorative wall brasses and dark wooden beams. There is also a rear restaurant room and a side beer-garden, which can get very busy.
Unfortunately, last February 2004 I experienced a very poor quality pint of Armada Ale at the White Hart, Queen Street, and the barman made a ridiculous response to my request to change it ("it's meant to taste vinegary"!). I emailed Cask Marque and, to their great credit, I received a prompt and sympathetic reply from Alistair Macnaught, their operations manager, who noted of the pub �this outlet had previously had the Cask Marque award but had not been visited for 3 years and we were under the impression that the plaque had been removed from the outside�. Apparently the pub had recently requested Cask Marque to revisit, as they wanted to regain the award. Mr Macnaught also forwarded a copy of my complaint to Harvey and Sons Brewery and I shortly received a personal letter from Mr Hamish Elder, Joint Managing Director, offering his apologies and remarking on his �regret�. Obviously some hard work has since been undertaken at the White Hart as notification of their new Cask Marque award appeared in the November issue of What�s Brewing. I visited the pub during the Autumn for the first time since February to check it out and found my half of Harveys Best Bitter to be of perfectly acceptable quality. Clearly it pays to complain, and it is nice to be able to report a positive outcome.
26 Jan 2005 17:13
Although The Lamb has a West Wittering address it is quite some way from the village, being an 18th century cottage-inn standing on the B2179 (Chichester Road � tel. 01243 511105). The surprisingly spacious interior has low, oak-beamed ceilings but peach coloured walls provide an open and uncluttered feel. There is a front bar with wall benches and bar stools, a dining room to the right and another dining area to the rear left. This leads out to a back beer-garden and there are also benches in the smaller garden at the front. The Lamb was hardly out of the GBG between 1987 and 1998 when it stocked a wider range than nowadays of beers from independent breweries. As a Hall and Woodhouse pub it today dispenses Badger Best Bitter and King and Barnes Sussex Bitter, but very pleasingly also serves Stonehenge Pigswill. There is a good food menu and I wash down my steak baguette with Pigswill! One of the more pleasant pubs in this general area, but don�t be tempted to use your mobile phone here as a ban is in place.
26 Jan 2005 17:05
Licensed for at least the past 200 years, it is an attractive building with a veranda, and outside seating is provided. Rodney Walkerley, in his (1966) book Sussex Pubs, remarks on its two bars, named The Lounge and The Bunny Bar (!). These days the interior is mostly one, large, long space, equipped with what the Hall and Woodhouse brewery web site boast to be �probably one of the longest bars in the country�. The walls of the pub are decorated with old photos and prints and the atmosphere is mellow, an effect aided by the sound of easy listening and soft jazz coming from the CD player behind the bar. Even so, I find it difficult to relax. Although I arrive only a few minutes past noon, it is already busy with a number of families, some with young children, looking for Sunday lunch. The comfortable sofa I sat upon during my last visit a few years ago has been removed, and all seating is at numbered, dining tables. I can�t rid myself of the feeling that, at any moment, I will be asked for my food order.
While I am generally unenthusiastic about the H&W range, I can have no complaints about the quality of the beer served here. King and Barnes (sic) Sussex Bitter, Tanglefoot and Badger Best Bitter are available, there is a Cask Marque sign displayed on each of the three hand pump clips, while a fourth advertises the forthcoming guest appearance of Gribble Fursty Ferret - distributed only to select(ed) H&W premises. My half of Badger (�1.18) is in excellent condition with a distinct hoppy aroma. But unless I had lunch or a scenic walk in mind, the beer would not be enough to entice me here (especially as the Bunny Bar is long gone). The Black Rabbit clearly specialises in food, and gives the appearance of a pub-restaurant that has the added bonus of serving a well-kept pint, rather than a place catering for the needs of drinkers.
26 Jan 2005 16:59
It is deemed to date from the 1820s, and was converted from two fishermen�s cottages. The flagstone-floored bar is immediately to the right, a seating area is to the left and, stepping down a level, another seating area with a food counter opens onto a back patio that directly overlooks the harbour. More seating is available on benches in front of the pub. The beer range is limited to Scottish Courage Directors and Best Bitter, along with Greene King IPA. A board also advertises �a guest ale� as well as the above beers by name, but only the three handpumps are evident. I decide to go for half the IPA, but although it is clear as a bell and kept commendably cool � if perhaps too cool � on this very warm day, it has a distinctly harsh, almost metallic, aroma and taste that I personally find quite unpleasant and which makes me shudder as I finish it. Given the tone of some of the letters to What�s Brewing following Greene King IPA�s Silver Medal in this year�s Champion Beer of Britain award, perhaps the pub�s management should be applauded for obtaining any sort of strong reaction to the tasting of what many drinkers obviously believe to be a boringly bland beer.
26 Jan 2005 16:56
The Hollytree, Walberton
Apparently the landlady is leaving next week and an interim manager to take over.
26 Sep 2009 09:36