Champion, Notting Hill

The Champion is an attractive pub on the busy Bayswater Road, just off Hyde Park in London. It stocks a good selection of lagers and spirits and has a quirky/weird outdoor seating area, which would be quite cosy on a summers day. It would be a really nice pub were it not for the fact that the service you get here is absolutely ABYSMAL.

Going to the bar becomes an absolute chore thanks to the incompetent bar staff who are lazy and seem to mess up your order on purpose. It took me five minutes to get served when I was the only person at the bar and all of the on duty bar staff were present and regularly just looking over at me as if I was there to admire the view. Food is served here, though expect your order to be misinterpreted and carried around the pub for about 10 minutes before they realise what table you're sitting at.

On a weeknight it can get very very busy in the pub, so the poor service is exacerbated. They also have a Schneider Weisse tap that has been empty for at least the last six or seven WEEKS, with the bar staff cracking the same joke each time that the tap is just for show. A possible positive is that they do not use the measurement cups when pouring wine or a shot, which is probably illegal, but usually guarantees a bit more alcohol for your money.

Prices for beer and food are quite reasonable, the d�cor is nice and on Wednesday nights there is a pub quiz. But the service is literally so bad that I am happier not to go there these days. I've been tempted to go to the nearest corner shop to buy beers to drink in The Champion in the past, the service really is that bad.

12 Aug 2009 09:58

The Fountains Abbey, Paddington

Primarily frequented by the staff and students from the hospital and university across the road. Regarded as a bit of a last resort amongst most of the people I know, it's a large pub with a decent sized upstairs room. The second floor is rarely utilised to it's potential though, and the beer is often hit and miss.

Food has gotten better during recent months and the pub is generally big enough to avoid the more unsavoury characters that are prone to appearing in the weekend evenings. A decent place to watch a football match if you can get a seat upstairs. Being on a main road, the outside seating isn't exactly a positive aspect of the pub.

13 Apr 2009 16:09

The Sandmartin, Chafford Hundred

This pub looks absolutely great from the outside. It's in a nice location and it's a nice looking building, so how can it be such a terrible pub?

The locals are the personification of the word 'scum'. Only go in here if you're training for a career in UFC and you need some fighting practise. The alcohol is disproportionately expensive considering the surroundings you have to endure to enjoy your pint. Just avoid at all costs on a friday and saturday evening. Went there for new years eve once and unsurprisingly the night was ended prematurely by the police after another fight.

13 Apr 2009 16:04