The Exchange, Winchester

I have been going to this place to watch footie and play darts for a while, but I've had enough. The place is a total dive. It wasn't always like this..

Let's start with the barmaids. They are rude, moody, and generally unwelcoming. They appear to be constantly on breaks - eating and doing crosswords on the customers' side of the bar. They serve with an "I'm better than you" attitude, which, judging by the way they present themselves and behave, is totally misplaced.

The food is something else. A friend of mine ordered the nachos recently. The dish includes bolognaise type sauce and melted cheese. It had been heated in a microwave some time before reaching our table, when it was stone cold. We sent it back to the kitchen, and would you believe it - they microwaved the very same plate, same nachos, same sauce. And yes - still cold. I read about stories of food poisoning, and I am not surprised. You only have to walk into the toilets to see why..

They are a disgrace. There is a sign on the door warning you of a wet floor. Perhaps they just cleaned it? Guess again! The floor is covered (and I am not exaggerating) in urine. The full bucket of urine underneath one of the urinals gives you a clue as to why. The toilet bowl was covered with urine and foeces, and the door does not lock. It has been like this for over a year. I promise I am not embelishing this at all.

For the most part the clientele are respectable, but there are one or two charecters who quickly ruin it for everybody else. You will be amazed to hear, but perhaps not surprised, that these few are best mates with the bar staff.

I wonder why I ever went, or why I went back so many times. Not again. I'm voting with my feet and never setting foot in the place again.

26 Oct 2010 01:58