BITE user comments - twm_sion_cati
Comments by twm_sion_cati
Closed as a pub. Reopened as The Old House Coffee Bar and cycle workshop.
21 Mar 2016 18:23
No real ale. Walked out.
Returned for breakfast the next day. No staff. Sausages, bacon, hash browns, tomatoes, baked beans. I can't eat the first two of these as I'm a veggie. I don't eat hash browns for health reasons. The other two hardly comprise my ideal breakfast so I walked out again.
30 Mar 2015 16:31
The Queen Victoria, Hare Hatch
Yet another change of management. It's been reinvented as a "Restaurant and Bar".
17 Dec 2014 16:50
I had a work function lunch here. We were in the room out at the back. The real ale handpump in the attached bar wasn't working, but there was one working handpump in the main pub bar. The food was excellent. There was canned music, which is not everyone's cup of tea.
26 Sep 2014 19:16
Soup served without rolls. Bitter £4 a pint. I'll be staying away in future. You can buy beer for £2 a pint at Bingham's Brewery in Ruscombe and drink it at home without the Horns's canned music.
5 Feb 2014 16:18
Gatwick Manor Hotel, Lowfield Heath
Chain restaurant (Chef & Brewer?). Food generally reliable but, as it is wherever you go, there's not enough veggie on the menu. And what there is relies too much on cheese.
22 Oct 2013 16:50
Under new management again! You couldn't make it up.
I'll visit again soon and give a report.
22 Oct 2013 16:39
Revisited on a Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Pub was quite busy with a crowd of friendly locals. Three real ales on. A vast improvement on my last visit.
Blackboard menu included quite a lot of veggie dishes, which is very encouraging.
3 Jun 2013 10:43
Looks to be reopening under its previous name of The New Inn.
8 Apr 2013 10:37
Sign outside announcing that it is opening soon as an exclusive Indian reataurant. Wargrave already has a good Indian and doesn't need another one.
20 Feb 2013 15:16
Very foody. Lets dogs in. Three real ales on. Food excellent but pricy (lunch for 6 was �275). Near the Stratford canal. Was packed out on a Sunday lunchtime.
Canned music was jazz.
8 Oct 2012 15:04
There's a huge board outside advertising this pub's food. When we got inside we found that food is only sold in the evening, which was rather annoying as we'd specially chosen this pub as we wanted lunch.
5 Oct 2012 11:55
Left without drinking as the staff were disinclined to serve the huge queue of people waiting to be served in the bar.
25 Jul 2012 09:10
Reopened as the Snooty Fox. This pub seems to change its name as often as its landlords, which is quite frequently indeed.
Two real ales (Rebellion IPA and Smuggler). Dogs welcome, but be aware of the pub cats if you've got a cat-intolerant dog. Canned music. Pub very foody (but empty on a Saturday lunchtime). Coffee table books on a lot of the tables.
30 Jun 2012 15:43
Shut. For sale, hopefully as a pub, judging by the "hopefully reopening soon" notices in the windows.
11 Apr 2012 15:50
This pub seems to be shut on Mondays. Mad or what?
There's plenty of competition locally which will be glad to take their trade.
15 Feb 2012 09:04
Under new management again. Range of beers inferior to what it was. Menu looks good but not enough veggie stuff on it. I had a cheesy ploughmans thingy that had so much cheese I ended up giving quite a lot of it to my dog. They have a lunchtime two courses for �10 (IIRC) which looks good but again not enough veggie on it. Not sure if they've retained the crazy opening hours (closed after 5 on Sunday and all Monday!) the previous people had.
The above sounds a bit negative but actually it's quite a good pub.
2 Feb 2012 14:53
Revisited on a Saturday. Sat by the fire in the nice little back bar and shared a packet of crisps with my dog while enjoying a first class pint of real ale. A first-class experience.
2 Feb 2012 14:30
I visited the Old House while on a huge dog-walk. I got there at about four o'clock on a Sunday afternoon and there were still people eating, including a vast table of 18 people. Two Rebellion beers were on. I had the IPA which is a favourite of mine (actually I like all their beers). Look out for the vast iron kitchen range (not in use when I visited).
12 Dec 2011 14:15
Visited on a Sunday at 3:30 pm. The pub was chockablock with people eating.
I'd walked there and so had a couple of other people judging from the footwear on the muddy boots stand. Everyone else appeared to have driven.
Menu looked good, just a few dishes but something for everyone, even this veggie.
Three Brakspear's real ales on. The Oh Be Joyful was three quid a pint, which is cheap in these decadent times. Several dogs in the pub. No canned music that I can remember, or any TV that I saw. I rather liked the place although I'm generally no fan of gastropubs.
12 Dec 2011 14:04
Primarily an eating house. Menu looked interesting. Decor good.
We went there for a drink as they let dogs in. Of the advertised six real ales one pump was out of use, and of the four beers we tried two tasted off. Also the prices are astronomical - I mean, �3.90 for a 3.9% beer?
Also they need to employ more bar staff. Large queues built up as a lot of the staff only go behind the bar if there is no food to be delivered.
11 May 2011 14:10
Shut at 16:20 on Bank Holiday Monday. Not the correct way to do business.
3 May 2011 12:20
This pub was shut at 16:10 on a Bank Holiday Monday. Weird!
3 May 2011 12:19
The Anchor Inn, Stanford In The Vale
Two real ales on, GK bitter and one other. The pub looks as though it has been stripped out and any interesting features removed. No carpets.
3 May 2011 12:17
Tried to visit this pub yesterday and it was shut at lunchtime (Saturday). The doors appeared to be nailed shut.
1 May 2011 15:43
I visited on a Saturday lunchtime and was somewhat surprised by the lack of patrons. Tho real ales on - I had Arkell's 3B's. The other beer was a bitter from the West Berkshire brewery. I didn't have any food but a pair of polo players (I kid you not) sat near me and did and it looked jolly nice. The place seemed strangely devoid of atmosphere.
1 May 2011 15:41
This pub isn't in Twyford. It's on the A4 at Hare Hatch.
It's just been taken over and refurbished. Dogs welcome.
11 Apr 2011 15:53
Very nice pub.
Allows dogs in public bar, on lead. Food looked good. Three ales on, Brakspear Bitter and Oxford Gold, Ringwood Fortyniner.
My one complaint might be that there was a radio on behind the bar and it was over-loud.
31 Jan 2011 14:03
This place is actually called the Black Boy (note the name of the lane alongside). It used to have a picture of the eponymous Boy on the sign but now some politically-correct numbwit has changed the sign to show two chimney sweeps. For this reason alone I haven't visited this pub, a decision that seems excellent given the comments that other people have made.
24 Dec 2010 12:10
I visited this pub again (I was last there in 06/2008)recently. I am happy to report that the new management have made this a very nice pub with reasonably priced beer (well, all beer is too expensive but theirs is no more expensive than anyone else's). The menu looks excellent and the ambience in the pub was very good. Friendly staff and customers, dogs welcomed, just remove your muddy boots if you've hiked there.
Two real fires, lots of nooks and crannies to snuggle down in and enjoy your pint. I had Oh Be Joyful and Oxford Gold. IIRC they also had Brakspear's Bitter.
24 Dec 2010 12:00
I was only reporting what I was told (about the owners). I am happy to confirm that the pub has reopened.
24 Dec 2010 11:51
The story is that apparently the last licencees were actually making a profit so Brakspears, their friendly landlords, increased their rent considerably. Their response was allegedly to trash the pub and do a moonlight flit.
8 Dec 2010 14:29
Two real ales on, Tetley's and Old Hooky if I recall correctly. Pub really geared up for diners; not really a lot of tables to sit at and read the paper or chat to friends. Food seemed slightly expensive, or perhaps I'm living in the past. The prices didn't seem to deter customers as the pub was full up on a Saturday lunchtime. Very silly shower-head and butler's sink arrangement in the gents.
15 Nov 2010 12:21
It's now under new management. Can't be any worse than the old management!
8 Nov 2010 14:37
The Six Bells on the Green, Warborough
Rather a foodie pub. Real fire, dogs everywhere. Nice ambience.
Only one real ale on (Brakspear bitter), two other handpumps not doing anything when I visited. Food good.
If I may express an opinion, the blonde young lady (landlady?) is distinctly on the ornamental side. I definitely approve.
7 Nov 2010 14:35
Stuck my nose through the door and retreated sharpish. No handpumps and the place was chockful of chavs. This place is the antithesis of a pub.
7 Oct 2010 12:13
Nipped in for a pint and was disappointed to find a huge number of handpumps were clip-reversed and only three real ales were on. As the weakest of these was Abbot and the other two were brainkillingly strong and I was driving I had no option but to leave.
7 Oct 2010 12:10
The Dabbling Duck, Great Massingham
Pretty good. Not really a drinkers' pub, unless there's a bar that escaped my notice. Lots of tables set out for dining, which is why we were there.
Food was good, reasonably priced, and there was a good range of real ales. I noticed that dogs are allowed in, as in all proper pubs.
Incidentally Gt Massingham is a fabulous village (it even retains its shop). If you have a light aircraft you can land at the farmstrip and it's five minutes walk to the pub.
If I have any complaint it is that the cheese board was a little unimaginative and perhaps a little ungenerous in quantity. Some grapes and a slice or two of apple wouldn't have come amiss, as well.
No canned music, no TV. Full marks for that!
This pub was closed for six years while the locals tried to save it from being turned into housing. It's a miracle that it has survived. I thoroughly recommend it. Go there at once.
22 Jun 2010 09:55
The Duke of Wellington, Twyford
Visited on a Friday night. Pub was pretty full but there were still a couple of tables free. Beer was good. Recommended.
4 May 2010 11:21
I've changed my opinion since 2009. We rvisited and we were the only customers. The beer was crap. Won't be going back.
4 May 2010 11:17
The Cricketers, Littlewick Green
Excellent pub with good beer. Friendly locals. Dog friendly. Idyllic picture-postcard setting overlooking the cricket field.
4 May 2010 11:06
Don't know what all the comments below are about.
Visited this pub, had two pints of excellent Oxford Blue.
Downsides:
No ginger beer.
Canned music in the gents.
IMHO not enough veggie food on the menu.
Otherwise a perfectly acceptable pub. Would certainly go back.
4 May 2010 11:02
Very nice pub. Two real ales, Adnams Bitter and St Austell Tribute.
Dogs allowed in.
My only slight criticism is that I thought the menu was a bit pricey, and also when I ordered a Greek Salad I was most surprised to be asked if I wanted bread with it (since when has a Greek salad not had bread and oil available automatically?). I was even more surprised by the fact that the bread was three small pieces of toast, and to be charged a pound for it.
Ignoring my rant about the food, an excellent pub. IIRC there was no horrid canned music or television.
21 Sep 2009 11:02
Good pub. Didn't have anything to complain about, unlike other posters.
Good range of ales (except that I didn't notice a mild/stout/porter - why have five bitters?). Food arrived in good time. Nice garden out the back. Dogs allowed.
All in all, a very nice pub in a cracking location.
Yes, the signs on the wall do say you have to give a table number and there aren't any numbers.
22 Jun 2009 10:27
The St James Tavern, Bermondsey
Somebody's removed my review - why?
All I can remember about the pub now is that the customers were effing and blinding all the time, even in front of the female staff.
21 May 2009 15:15
The people who ruined the Victoria Arms at Hare Hatch are moving to this pub soon. They're taking their biker night with them. Says it all, really.
21 May 2009 15:03
Nice pub. Good range of beers (Brakspear's bitter, Oxford Gold, Hobgoblin and Hooky Dark (which I had - it was very good)). I had a cheese ploughman's which had vast chunks of three different cheeses. The staff seemed perfectly OK to me.
6 May 2009 11:19
Dropped in for a pint and lunch. Place was full of families eating. Beer was OK (Chas Wells). There were only a couple of vegetarian options on the menu, which is surely unacceptable in this day and age (I want to see at least ten things on offer). Having said that, what I had was good.
6 May 2009 11:07
They ought to rename this pub - there are ten bells in the church now.
Beer OK when I visited a couple of years ago.
31 Mar 2009 16:39
Wheelwright Arms, St Nicholas Hurst
Attended a function here in the dining room. Food was excellent.
Can't comment on the beer as I restricted myself to a soft drink,
but weirdly they don't sell J2O so I couldn't get my mango hit.
Looked like a good pub, from what I saw of it.
30 Mar 2009 12:07
Bit of a dive. No food. Three handpumps, only one functioning. Beer was OK.
Customers all seemed to be foulmouthed, with eff as every second word. They all seemed to be lager drinkers.
Noisy "music".
There must be better boozers than this in Abingdon (or indeed anywhere).
30 Mar 2009 12:03
Walked in. Surveyed the row of lager fonts (no handpumps).
Walked along to the other end of the bar. Another lager thing.
Walked out of the other door.
30 Mar 2009 12:00
Fabulous real pub. Three real ales, dogs extremely welcome. The pub dog is a bedlington/whippet cross, an extremely beautiful combination. The staff were extremely welcoming. All-in-all a first-class pub.
OK, there's canned music. Also a big-screen TV.
3 Feb 2009 10:12
Fabulous real pub. Three real ales, dogs extremely welcome. The pub dog is a bedlington/whippet cross, an extremely beautiful combination. The staff were extremely welcoming. All-in-all a first-class pub.
OK, there's canned music. Also a big-screen TV.
3 Feb 2009 10:12
Fabulous real pub. Three real ales, dogs extremely welcome. The pub dog is a bedlington/whippet cross, an extremely beautiful combination. The staff were extremely welcoming. All-in-all a first-class pub.
OK, there's canned music. Also a big-screen TV.
3 Feb 2009 10:12
Nice pub, comfortable, real fire, etc.
Hobgoblin beer was however dreadful (vinegary).
Coffee came in a cafetiere, nice.
5 Jan 2009 14:09
I went in the Engine Bar and was instantly aware of the smell of the toilets. I don't know what the cure for this is - an extractor fan perhaps in the bog area?
I bought a pint of Morland Original which was dreadful.
I also had a Stilton Ploughmans which was really excellent and good value for money.
I didn't try the other (smarter?) bar.
5 Jan 2009 14:06
Called the Bakers Arms (not the Bakers).
Only two handpumps, GK IPA and OSH.
Beer quite cheap. I ordered a Greek Salad which was perfectly edible but no Greek would have recognised it. It had lettuce (Greek salad doesn't), but no capsicums, and a rather elaborate sauce instead of just olive oil. And the cheese wasn't feta, and there didn't seem to be any herbs.
IMHO the pub is over-televisioned, at least in the lower area.
22 Dec 2008 10:58
OK pub, in spite of all the negative comments below.
London Pride a bit pricey at �3.05.
Pool table. Always a bad sign, I feel. Attracts chavs.
13 Oct 2008 11:00
The Coach and Horses, Wallingford
Nice friendly Fullers pub with well-kept real ale. Dogs allowed.
21 Jul 2008 15:11
The Prince of Wales, Shrivenham
Visited on a Saturday lunchtime. The food was excellent and there was a good range of real ales. I don't remember there being any canned music, hooray!
No TVs either, as far as I know. Why can't all pubs be as good as this?
21 Jul 2008 14:56
I wanted to visit the pub shown on the Ordnance map in the centre of Highclere and found it being converted into "The Red House Tandoori", surely one of the great crimes against humanity. I like Indian food, but destroying a village's only pub? I think not.).
I was therefore forced to visit MPW's Yew Tree Inn, where on entering I was faced by a flunky who directed me to the bar. They had six handpumps, two with ciders (one a hefty 7.3%, the other a scrumpy), and four beers. I plumped for the Black Sheep and was served a glass of beer with an inch of foam on top (inside the glass, not above it), at an eye-watering cost of GBP3.95, the most I've paid for a pint in my entire life.
Having said that, the beer was OK. The walls of the bar are covered with excruciatingly badly drawn cartoons, which it would do a service to civilisation to destroy at once.
The menu appeared a little pretentious (for example, gull's eggs, from what I overheard), but I didn't actually look at it. No doubt a second mortgage would be required to eat here.
23 Jun 2008 15:25
The Hamilton Hall, Liverpool Street
I visited at lunchtime on Saturday and found that it was a little busy but there was a big table free upstairs. I found the decor fascinating. My one complaint would be that all the beers (I ignore lager, which is for moronic chavs) were bitters, with the exception of the plum beer. How about a mild, a stout, a porter...
BTW the barmaid was very polite and attentive.
16 Jun 2008 15:12
Visited at Christmas time but haven't got round to posting until now.
Pub very nice, with well-kept beer. What astounded me was the price, �3.20 for a pint of bitter if I remember correctly.
That was the first time I'd ever paid three pounds for a pint. Although I suspect it won't be the last time I pay three pounds, I won't be doing it in this rip-off pub. What a pity, it could be so nice...
12 Jun 2008 14:53
I visited on the same day as Grecian.
IIRC there were four or five ales on handpump. My pint of Young's Ordinary was perfectly acceptable.
Weirdly I appeared to be one of the few Brits in the place, the bar staff being Polish(?) and a large group of Dutch and a table full of American ladies of a certain age comprising much of the clientele.
19 May 2008 11:53
Fabulous pub. Like going back fifty years (without the smoke).
The pub did close at 3:50 on a bank holiday afternoon, which I found a bit strange. Not as strange as the Americans found it, they having walked out from Checkendon and arrived five minutes after it shut.
6 May 2008 15:33
OK pub. As a country cousin I was a bit surprised to be charged an eye-watering three quid for a pint of Pride, especially as it was only 2.85 in the Partridge.
BTW I bought two half-litres of beer in a restaurant in Portugal a couple of weeks ago. Cost? Three euros.
Rip-off Britain lives!
6 May 2008 11:45
Nice pub. Didn't have Chiswick which was a bit of a disappointment.
Operates an under-21 ban.
6 May 2008 11:37
Good range of real ales. Quite a nice pub.
Pub doesn't seem to have a car park.
28 Apr 2008 11:19
Only one real ale (Pride) on when I visited, although there was an Adnams pump with the clip non-reversed (why?).
Weirdly, the Sky Sports on the TV was Greek. I asked the barman when he brought my pint why this was and he said it was cheaper (i.e. they watch it illegally). I said I hoped the beer was at Greek prices (about �2.70 a litre) but he charged me �2.90 for a pint. Sigh...
I sat in the garden which was full of fat chavs smoking and shouting into mobile phones. Yuk.
Later on I met someone who recommended the Oak, a little nearer Bromley on the same road, as being the better of the two pubs.
28 Apr 2008 11:16
Fabulous. An absolute gem.
Good range of ales. My one complaint might be that they had a huge number of different kinds of pies but AFAIK there was only one vegetarian one. They do things like ratatouille and salad, however.
11 Mar 2008 16:38
Nice pub. Good range of draught beers including Badger and King and Barnes Sussex Bitter.
Dogs allowed. The pub seems to specialise in the food line.
3 Mar 2008 11:03
Two Ringwood bitters on and also London Pride.
The pub seems to specialise in food (I think I was the only customer not eating).
There's a pool table (covered when I visited) and also, rather unnervingly to those of us who like a quiet life, a juke box (luckily not being used when I was there) and a games machine (ditto).
3 Mar 2008 11:00
Fabulous pub with excellent range of real ales, often a porter or a mild or a stout or ALL THREE!
Good food, huge real fire. Allows dogs in. No canned music (occasional live music). No bl**dy TVs or fruit machines or other rubbish. Restaurant. Garden. Bedooms.
Occasional beer festivals which are spectacular. This pub is Pub of the Year and deservedly so.
26 Feb 2008 16:27
The Queen Victoria, Hare Hatch
Passed this pub at 9:35 p.m. the other Monday and it appeared to be closed!
26 Feb 2008 16:19
Good pub. Good range of real ales. Food good.
My only real reservation is that there's canned music (ugh!).
25 Feb 2008 12:20
The Red Lion, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell
Excellent pub. Very nice plate of soup (two kinds on offer). Good range of handpumped beers. Dogs welcome. This is what all pubs should be like.
Closed from 3 until 6 on Saturdays, BTW.
11 Feb 2008 12:29
OK pub. Clientele seem a bit young and rather downmarket (when I went to the bar to buy a round the young lady sitting on a barstool next to me shouted "F*** off!" loudly in my ear, which disconcerted me somewhat until I realised it was a loving message aimed at her boyfriend).
Two real ales, Brakspears Bitter and Oxford Gold. Intrusive canned music. Most of the customers seem to be smokers and on one occasion someone held the door open so that the smoke of all those who'd gone outside flooded into the pub.
I looked at the menu but was unable to spot any vegetarian options, which seems a little unusual.
The staff were very welcoming, as were the customers I spoke to.
28 Jan 2008 11:17
The Queen Victoria, Hare Hatch
Under new management.
Intrusive canned music. Fruit machines everywhere.
Dogs no longer allowed.
Shan't be going back. A fabulous pub ruined.
28 Jan 2008 11:08
Old-style boozer with great range of Timothy Taylor's excellent ales.
7 Jan 2008 14:16
Visited late lunchtime on Saturday.
Ultra-modern Youngs pub with (IIRC) three real ales.
The ordinary bitter was �2.60 a pint which is reasonable nowadays.
I took my beer upstairs and sat in the upper bar to enjoy the fabulous view over the Thames to Fulham. There was room to sit at that time (2 p.m.). The clientele seemed to be youngish. There was a refreshing lack of riff-raff, possibly due to the absence of televisions.
7 Jan 2008 14:13
Good pub with range of real ales. Didn't notice the barmaid's bra size!
24 Dec 2007 11:25
I visited this pub again, on a Saturday lunchtime, but it was completely full with large crowds waiting to be served at the bar, so I went elsewhere.
A great pity, really, as it's a splendid pub. Perhaps it's a victim of its own success.
3 Dec 2007 10:57
This pub was completely full on a Saturday lunchtime, so I went elsewhere.
3 Dec 2007 10:53
This pub (Novello's) is closed after a fire and will reopen within the next two weeks.
30 Nov 2007 16:19
Pub has a "To Let" notice up.
So if you're looking for a job...
30 Nov 2007 16:15
Revisited on evening recently after a few months gap.
As described below, dining area (quite busy) and
bar with footy on the TV. The bar was rather empty, possibly still due to the smoking ban (hooray!).
Brakspears and Pride on the handpump, which IMHO shows rather a lack of imagination, considering the other fabulous local beers (West Berkshire, Loddon, Rebellion, etc.) that are available. That said, the Pride was in good condition.
Dogs are allowed in.
30 Nov 2007 16:14
Struck me as being a bit downmarket, what with the karaoke machine and all. Good range of beers, well kept.
15 Oct 2007 12:30
The Fox and Hounds, Chalfont St Giles
A gem. Just what a pub should be.
Adnams, Black Sheep and Spitfire.
Piano, enormous range, brass and knick-knacks everywhere. No "music".
(There is actually a no-mobile-phones sign, BTW.)
2 Jul 2007 09:42
Good boozer. Excellent pint of Arkell's BBB.
You can park ten yards away in the main square.
18 Jun 2007 15:25
The antithesis of what a pub should be. No real ales (no, I'm not making this up!), every wall has a big music video screen on it, and the few customers that were in there when I visited had their mouths permanently set on full volume.
If you're considering visiting this establishment get yourself checked out by a psychiatrist pronto.
18 Jun 2007 15:23
Extensive range of real ales. The pub was a bit smoky (how quaint that will sound in a few years!) but I managed to escape into another room off the main bar. The towel in the gents is an ordinary domestic one, which is a bit old-fashioned nowadays.
18 Jun 2007 15:20
Nice pub. Good ale (Rebellion Zebedee and three others). Very attractive and friendly Polish barmaid.
8 May 2007 13:49
I visited at about 1 p.m. on a Saturday and the extensive outside seating areas were all completely full. I didn't bother going inside as the pub was also heaving with people. The toilets are outside so I was at least able to test the gents!
30 Apr 2007 14:47
Rambling pub with a vast number of interconnected rooms. Good range of beers on handpump, and an interesting collection of whiskies behind the bar.
There is a garden, but it was sunny so it was absolutely packed. There are tables out in the street as well.
30 Apr 2007 14:43
I visited the KA just before noon on a Saturday. There was a good range of beers (not all by Youngs) but I don't think there was a mild.
I sat in "The Office", a nonsmoking room, which weirdly had a permanently-open window into the bar, which was not nonsmoking. Still, that'll be fixed in 62 days time...
Good pub, I thought. Nice architecture.
30 Apr 2007 14:39
An architectural gem, like going back 200 years (I imagine - I'm not quite that old!).
Bateman's XXXB among the real ales on offer.
The staff were quite happy to supply pots of tea to three of our party of eight.
All in all an enjoyable visit. Didn't notice the presence or absence of the river as it was dark.
9 Jan 2007 10:49
I visited on a Saturday lunchtime. The place was empty apart from one family occupying the sofas by the door. I was only popping in for a pint so I sat at one of the few non-dining tables. Surprisingly the barman seated the diners right next to me so I relocated to the sofas.
Beer OK - Brakspears and London Pride. Pavarotti on the music system.
I got the impression that this establishment possibly takes itself too seriously as an eating house. JMHO.
9 Jan 2007 10:44
The Cape of Good Hope, Warwick
Great pub. Good selection of real ales. You can bring your dog in. If you're lucky you can tie your boat up right outside.
5 Jan 2007 14:14
The Elephant and Castle, Kensington
Good pub. Decent range of real ales.
Weirdly the pub closed at 7 p.m. on Sunday but it was Christmas Eve!
2 Jan 2007 11:24
The Churchill Arms, Kensington
Proper oldfashioned good honest decent boozer.
Vast range of Fuller's handpumped beers. Allows dogs in.
2 Jan 2007 11:23
Very nice pint of Rebellion's Bladdered. I was impressed that the barman pulled off about three-quarters of a pint and threw it away before filling my glass. The pub was pretty busy as it was Saturday lunchtime, with lots of families dining. I don't think there's a non-smoking area.
13 Nov 2006 14:43
I nipped in here for a leisurely pint and although it's extremely food-oriented (it's really a restaurant, not a pub) I was made most welcome even though I wasn't eating.
This is the first non-smoking establishment I've ever visited and it was wonderful to have a smoke-free atmosphere. I mentioned this to the lady who served me and she said that lots of people say the same thing.
6 Nov 2006 14:42
Three real ales, Greene King Abbot, IPA and Brains Rev. James.
The Rev. J was in good condition (I didn't try the others) but it was an eye-watering �2.80 a pint.
The saloon bar is very foodie-orientated. The food looked very good. I should imagine that on a busy day it might be impossible to get a seat as the bar might be full of diners. Nobody was smoking when I visited, and I didn't see any ashtrays. I nipped into the public bar as that's where the entrance to the gents is and found that it was very smoky indeed. Still, next year...
6 Nov 2006 14:33
Agree with comments about it being a good boozer.
Nice range of Fuller's beers, good food.
Lets dogs in. All in all very welcoming.
By the way it's canalside so you can watch boats going up and down the locks.
The nearby butchers is one of the best on the planet.
18 Aug 2006 16:49
Welcomes children and dogs. Food good, beer good. What more do you want?
18 Aug 2006 16:31
Very welcoming. Landlord and landlady were fascinated by our greyhound. Looked to be a good menu (but we weren't eating). Beer very good.
18 Aug 2006 16:30
The Jolly Sailors, Brancaster Staithe
I drove past this pub the other day and was pleased to see a sign that said something like "Dogs, children and muddy boots welcome". Quite right too.
18 Aug 2006 16:01
Nice to see the bar billiards table. So often they've been ejected in favour of pool, which seems to attract tattooed chavs by the million.
Nice pint (or two) of Summer Lightning, served by a very friendly and welcoming young lady. There seemed to be an excellent collection of whiskies.
31 Jul 2006 15:52
I was impressed by the friendliness of the barmaid who served me and by the fact that she offered me a top-up without being asked. As I'm an anti-smoking nazi I went and sat out in the extension (which is non-smoking), but this is unfortunately the rather soulless new part of the pub. Smoking is permitted in the marvellous panelled little rooms at the front of the pub, which is where all the historical atmosphere is. Hopefully I'll try again when smoking is totally banned.
Good pint. Food looked to be good value.
31 Jul 2006 15:46
I never know when I go to this pub whether I can take my dog in or not. The policy seems to change with every landlord/manager.
Agree with the favourable comments about the good beer, though.
26 Jul 2006 16:19
Peartree Bridge Inn, Milton Keynes
Soulless modern place with bigscreen TV and a clientele that reflects this.
Your best bet is to tie your boat up outside and take a tray of beer to it. If they have any beer, that is - on one occasion they'd run out of handpumped ale, would you believe.
26 Jul 2006 16:13
Haven't been to this pub for some time but it looks as if it's as good as it was in the past. Recommended.
26 Jul 2006 16:09
Agreed. Hate smoke myself, but that'll all be gone in a year's time.
I recommend this pub.
26 Jul 2006 16:06
The Black Horse, Great Linford
Why did they change its name from the Black Horse?
Had a pint or two here, but some of the customers seemed a bit weird.
26 Jul 2006 16:03
Good food, good beer. Welcoming. Lots of books around the walls. Dogs welcome.
26 Jul 2006 15:54
Very vinegary beer and unwelcoming staff on out last visit. Try the other two pubs, up near the canal.
26 Jul 2006 15:43
Used to let dogs in under previous management. Doesn't now.
Place seems to be full of yelling kids and is blighted by big screen TV and canned music.
Lorry drivers can be seen tanking up here prior to the morning's drive, which is reassuring.
26 Jul 2006 15:14
Love his pub. Good selection of beers. Lets dogs in public bar. Can get tremendously full up with boaters and tourists.
26 Jul 2006 15:11
The Hoste Arms, Burnham Market
When I went in there I was given the wrong change (�10 too little) from a �20 note. Someone at the bar told me the same thing had happened to him, from the same member of staff.
Agree about the Chelsea brigade. Terrible!
26 Jul 2006 15:04
We used to go to this pub thirtyish years ago before it had electricity. The beer was on gravity (my favourite).
It's been modernised a bit but quite tastefully. The hordes of braying tourists and yotties can be a pain in the butt. We found the best time to arrive was one second after opening time on a Sunday lunchtime. Get yourself a table and hang on to it like grim death!
Good beer, good food, lets dogs in. A++.
Nice walk to the sea from this pub, by the way.
26 Jul 2006 14:57
The Queen Victoria, Hare Hatch
A gem. Brakspear's ale on handpumps. Good range of food. No horrid canned music or TV's. Friendly bar staff. Car park. Dogs allowed. Kids welcomed. No-smoking area. Garden. A stone's throw from the A4.
This is what a pub ought to be like.
25 Jul 2006 14:09
This pub is the first one for years that I've been into and found that it didn't serve real ale.
As a concession to the modern enthusisam for haute cuisine, they sell chip baguettes, would you believe.
I was there on a Saturday and the majority of the clientele were glued to the Sky Sports screens.
21 Jul 2006 15:32
I visited on a Sunday and all the tables seemed to be booked by diners. As a country cousin I was a bit shocked by the beer prices. The beer was, however, excellent, as was the decor. Amazingly only one person in the pub smoked (a cigar) in the whole time I was there, a fact of which I wholeheartedly approve, anti-tobacco Nazi that I am.
The menu looked good but pretentiousness seemed to have crept into its wording a bit. I had to look up three of the words on the menu on the internet, which I've never had to do in my life before.
21 Jul 2006 15:18
Beer good. Sat in the garden with swifts flying overhead. Cosmopolitan clientele (but then Oxford is jampacked with tourists from all over the planet).
Nice friendly bar staff.
21 Jul 2006 15:10
Beer good. Sports on the somewhat overpowering TVs, which a good proportion of the customwers seemed to be glued to, but there are a couple of sofas in the back where you can escape from all that (but not the loudspeakers, which are everywhere, which is a pain in the a*** if you're trying to read something that isn't in English).
21 Jul 2006 15:07
Crap staff seem uninterested in actually serving anyone. Beer OK if you can get one.
A friend of mine complained about having to wait so long to get served and the barman said "F*** off you c***". Says it all, really.
21 Jul 2006 14:56
Magical pub. A great favourite with the canal community, who know a thing or two about pubs.
Well kept beer, good food, welcoming to people with dogs.
21 Jul 2006 14:51
The Anglers Retreat, Marsworth
Wouldn't let me in because I had the audacity to have my dog with me. Went to another pub in the village.
21 Jul 2006 14:49
Much the best pub in the village.
Good beer, skittles, lets dogs in, does good food. All you need, really!
21 Jul 2006 14:47
Excellent beer from Loddon Brewery (and others) on handpumps.
It's a bit difficult to escape from the big (and small) screen TV when the football is on. The village's smokers seem to congregate in this pub (but this will soon be at an end, thank goodness).
21 Jul 2006 14:42
Agree with other comments about pub (i.e. good).
I'd like to add that the pub lets dogs in, which is a bonus.
21 Jul 2006 14:38
Magical pub. Wonderful food, well-kept beer on gravity (my favourite). Free newspapers, lets dogs in, no bl**** canned music, in every way a perfect pub.
Try the ploughmans with local cheeses. Or with ham.
21 Jul 2006 14:35
Wonderful pub. Great beer on gravity.
Go and look at the puzzle stone in the churchyard
(made by the same chap who made all those fiendish puzzles in the bar).
Go to this pub before it's "improved" or closed down.
21 Jul 2006 14:29
Back to twm_sion_cati's profile
The George and Dragon, Upton
No dogs. Avoid like the plague.
12 Apr 2019 14:23