The Wheatsheaf, North Waltham

Been here many times and as previous reviewers have noted, it is pretty much a lottery. Food has always been OK but nothing special. Service - again depends on who you get but is generally prompt and friendly.

As long as everything is going swimmingly, you will have no problems here but if something slightly out of the ordinary occurs or you want something slightly beyond the normal call of duty, you are snookered.

After a decent main meal, I ordered cheese and crackers which came with an assortment of cheese and crackers (naturally) but also walnuts, grapes and apple. Imagine my surprise then when I was served a piece of cheddar the size of a house brick with some basic crackers and a few grapes but minus the nuts and apple. I explained this to the waiter (of Eastern European origin) and from his reaction, you think I had just asked him for griffin on toast. I'm not sure what the Polish for apple is but once he'd grasped the issue, he told me that they didn't have any apples in his 'part' of the kitchen and he scuttled away.

I ploughed into the cheese, the half a dozen grapes nowhere near providing enough moisture, when the waiter pops up with an apple. Not sliced, not on a plate, he could have plucked the thing from a tree in the pub garden but at least I had my apple. I didn't notice a walnut tree in the garden so I didn't go there!

A decent experience apart from that, and it's been OK on previous visits, but if you see a Polish chap walking about with an apple, you know what has happened. 4/10.

17 Jan 2010 20:16

The Star Inn, Newbury

I visited this pub around the same time as the previous reviewer (Sept 09) and could not agree more with their comments. My visit was especially disappointing given that this used to be a half-decent pub with a good atmosphere and friendly staff. Sadly, the reverse is now true.

Bar 'service' was abrupt and rushed and there were clearly not enough staff (one woman taking bar and food orders). I went in for a Sunday roast - surely a staple meal of the good British pub? Well not this one. Half the menu had sold out but had not been rubbed off the blackboard. Beef was available and was about the only edible thing on the plate. The rest was pretty appalling and the portions small:

Roast potatoes - like moon rocks, we did complain to our waitress about this who looked at us as if I'd just asked her to recite the theory of relativity.
Veg - assortment of over-cooked frozen veg. The green beans tasted like wet string and the parsnips like polystyrene.
The Yorkshire Pud - looked like a new lifeform and had the consistency of sandpaper.
Gravy - gloopy brown stuff that had the consistency of treacle.

Overall a debacle, complemented only by the loud and foul-mouthed yobs by the fruit machine. A terrible experience and one made all the worse by the fact it used to be pretty good. I have given it 1/10 for the beef.

17 Jan 2010 20:03

The Pelican Inn, Froxfield

Couldn't agree more with the previous reviewer. I visited this pub/restaurant for the first (and last) time in Nov 09 after driving past it for many months and wondered whether it was as good as it looked from the outside. IT WASN'T.

When we walked in, the 'landlord' was lounged across a couple of sofas watched Deal or No Deal and was clearly annoyed that we had distubed him. Walking across to the bar, his gaze rarely left the TV apart from to serve us his over-expensive beer, soft drink and packet of crisps. I attempted to make pub small-talk - it was our first visit, how long had he been here, etc - only to be responded to in a series of grunts and one word answers. We sat in a cold corner eating our crisps (it was too early to eat) and drinking our drinks whilst the landlord went back to watching the TV.

Whilst we were sat there, some poor soul came in who was obviously staying at the pub (it has rooms as well). He must have stood at the bar for what seemed like a fortnight whilst the landlord, who had acknowledged his presence, disappeared into a back room doing God knows what (prob adjusting his TV aerial!).

I couldn't get out of there fast enough and will never darken it's door again. Pity as it looks very welcoming from the outside passing by. If you feel tempted to pop in, I would recommend that you carry on by especially if your visit coincides with Deal or No Deal!

17 Jan 2010 19:52