The Wellington Inn, Waterlooville

Any pub that has a sign outside reading "We are the cheapest pub in town!" has to be given a wide berth.

I work very close to this pub and yet have never stepped foot inside. It has absolutely no redeeming features to entice me inside.

Drunks stood outside waiting for it to open - check
Scummy look about it - check
Clientele not being able to speak under 1000 decibels - check

Friday afternoon sees the local workman congregate outside around lunchtime. Assuming it's not raining they will stay outside (out on the street, not in the smoking area at the rear) and talk to each other as though they are deaf. Sometimes, you might even be treated to a game of football which invariably involves local businesses having a football aimless punted at their windows.

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE

17 Apr 2009 14:28

The George, Finchdean

I was brought up not far from this pub and it always had a decent reputation. Country walks or bike rides with my family would usually conclude at The George and the atmosphere was always good and food honest and tasty.

I had not used the pub in a long time and had heard that it had changed hands yet again in the very recent past. However, my memories of it were fond so I went for a meal.

First impressions were that not much had changed since the last time I had been here (over a decade ago). There are still old pieces of farming equipment displayed on the walls and hanging from the ceilings and there are old paintings of the local countryside and small villages within the locality. To me, this is no bad thing. It�s a character pub in a rural setting � Border Collie asleep in front of the open log fire, old guy sitting in �his� chair in the corner doing the crossword. That sort of pub.

That said, the bar was clean and tidy, the atmosphere was pleasant and staff were friendly (although it wasn�t that busy).

By far the best thing about our visit was the food. The menu is a selection of classic home cooked pub meals (steaks, pies, mixed grills � all the usual suspects are here) but some of them have interesting twists (the sausages come with a black pudding and leak mash for example).

I opted for Garlic Butter Tiger Prawns to start and the Steak and Ale Pie for my main and there are not enough superlatives to explain how impressed I was with it. The starter was excellent but the pie is possibly the finest I can recall having. The home cooked chips are also noteworthy. In fact, the only criticism I have is that there was far too much (it also came with vegetables which I couldn�t finish) which meant no chance at sampling a dessert.

Because of the fantastic meal I would not hesitate to recommend a meal in this pub to anyone. Being local(ish) I will certainly be returning to see if the rest of the menu lives up the fantastic first impression.

16 Apr 2009 14:28