The Greyhound, Darlington

This pub is definitely open. At least it was when I went there yesterday afternoon. Proper unrenovated pub with good jukebox/sound system with plenty of classic tunes to choose from. Friendly bar staff. Not sure of quality of ale as I was drinking Newcastle Brown for a change. V handy for the station if you happen to be waiting for a train and don't want to hang around on the platform. It's only down the road. So many pubs like this are closing for good. Nice to see this one is still open.

7 Apr 2015 10:49

The Pawleyne Arms, Penge

Went to this pub for the first time as a friend has just moved to the area. I usually prefer the 'real' and more down-to-earth pubs and certainly prefer them to the redecorated gastropubs you get everywhere. However, this place gives real pubs a bad name. I paid for our pint and a half with a ten pound note, was given change for a fiver and when I politely pointed the error out to the barmaid, she denied everything, started to shout at me and telephoned the landlord, who arrived and refused to budge, except to tell me to come back at the end of the night or tomorrow when they'd checked the till (they wouldn't check anything there and then). Hardly ideal as I don't live in the area. When I continued to complain he became borderline aggressive, told me off for bringing up the issue with the barmaid as "this sort of thing happens every day, and she's just had 12 stitches in her throat so it's not a good time" and told me to finish my drink and leave, which I did. I later spoke to another friend who was drinking there earlier the same day and she told me she had been short changed by her as well, although with her she relented and gave her her change. So yes, this sort of thing obviously does happen every day. There's a clear scam going on at this pub. Avoid at all costs. If you must drink there, make sure you pay with the exact change only!

11 Jan 2014 16:52

The Phoenix, Alexandra Palace

We called in advance to reserve tables and to ensure they were serving food, as there were 20 of us. When we arrived, we were told that no food was available. When we complained to the manager and said that we'd called to confirm this in advance, we were told that it was our fault as we should have checked again after asking the first time. (This was particularly irritating as it was my wife's leaving do.) I ordered a pint of Deuchars EPA (as opposed to the usual IPA) which had a strong taste of vinegar, so I sent it back. I later ordered a round of drinks (all ok this time), handed over my money and was told that I had not paid enough. On closer inspection I had indeed paid more than enough and asked for my change which I was begrudgingly given. I also expected an apology but received nothing but a hard stare from the bartender. Having seen poor reviews for this pub before, we decided to risk it as it was near to my wife's place of work, and has stunning views across all of London. What a mistake we made. It's clear that the management and staff of the Phoenix think that they will always be guaranteed punters due to the beautiful surroundings, and so they needn't bother caring about their customers or their beer. It would appear that they don't care much about their business either, as their refusal to serve us food even when arranged in advance (and in spite of their banner proclaiming "great food") cost them at least 150 pounds in lost trade that evening. I can only hope that such an attidude during these tough times will lead to a change in ownership. I'm quite sure The Phoenix could be an outstanding and highly profitable pub if run by the right people.

13 Jul 2009 16:26