St. George's Tavern, Victoria

Quite close to the office where I work and I have been going there more and more often after it was recommended by somebody that lives nearby and I have grown disatisfied with other pubs in the area.

I've only been there at lunch, but I'm told it is packed in the evening with office workers from the nearby offices.

They have a very wide range of different sausages to go with their sausage and mash or in sandwiches, but the menu is quite varied if you don't fancy them. A very reasonably priced menu and not very busy at lunch time.

The last couple of times I visited in late 2008 the pub did smell a little odd (perhaps stale beer or drains), but it wasn't noticeable in the restaurant.

A mix of patrons: locals, office workers and possibly slightly lost coach/train passengers.

The upstairs is quite open - no obvious nooks to have private conversations, but tables range in size from 2 people to 8 or so. You can either order at the bar, or sit in the back and have table service. I haven't been downstairs.

The staff seem friendly and fairly efficient, though I have had to push for the bill a couple of times when eating in the restaurant.

If you find yourself near Victoria station and you're hungry or thirsty then I'd recommend it.

2 Jan 2009 22:08

The Victoria, Victoria

I work nearby and so I visit the Victoria on a fairly regular basis for lunch.

The main draw for me is the location (near to the office) and its size (large) which means we can be fairly sure of getting a table or two without any prior notice. The booths are good for quiet meals of up to four, the tables near the doors are good for larger parties.

The food is inconsistent, but never great. I have had some terrible meals there which have caused me to withhold my custom for a month or two, but it is sometimes its ok. The price is fairly reasonable for the city.

One thing that seems to stand out in my memory is the awful service I have received on several occasions. I often feel like I am incoveniencing the staff by ordering something. On several occasions there have been a large number of us queuing to order our drink nad meal and one person has served us one-by-one while another has stood and watched or been pottering behind the bar. Once, having ordered a large drinks order and being a little fed up watching them being done one-by-one in an otherwise empty pub I asked the by-standing staff member if they could perhaps help out their colleague and apparently they couldn't because of the difficulty it would cause with the till.

So, I go here and it's a good place to meet because of the location and the size but I have been increasingly looking around the area and finding better pubs in the area.

2 Jan 2009 21:51

The Blacksmiths Arms, Cudham

I have eaten here twice - both times at Christmas with fairly large parties (8+ with young children) and we booked in advance. It seems popular so I'd recommend booking if you are going for a weekend lunch.

I'd echo everything said before - a nice pub with a smokers "den" outside for the anti-social amongst us, in nice surroundings. I would recommend it. Friendly and numerous staff.

The food was good - portions were ok and cooked well. They appear to be fairly strict about parties sticking to their time slots: they leave notes on the table saying "please be done by 2pm" but were in no hurry to take our orders and so we skipped dessert because we would have overrun our deadline.

We will almost certainly be going back next year, circumstances permitting.

2 Jan 2009 21:34