The Talbot, Kingsland

I live in the neighborhood and was initially very happy to find such a chilled, cozy pub. The first two visits for quick pints were ok enough. Then, having some friends over from abroad on a cold winter day, I raved about this great little pub next to my place and we all went over for some food.
The place was pretty empty, as it normally is. We sat on one of the couches and decided to have some fries to manage our hunger while we waited for some other friends to arrive.
To my surprise, even though fries were on the menu as side dishes, we were refused them as snacks. �If we serve fries that�s all that people will have and we will be paying our chef for nothing�, said the sarcastic and rude waiter. Well, I thought, this is supposed to be a pretty grown up pub, and not a teenager hang out den where people will drink tap water all night. Also, I found it extremely irresponsible to deny your customers finger food to help soak up the alcohol of a night out on the pub. I told this to the waiter, who just muttered something under his breath and left.
I resigned myself to a bowl of olives, the only thing other than crisps and peanuts available to us besides the dinner menu.
Once our friends arrived, we decided to stay in our couch and eat there, instead of moving to one of the tables. Note that the place was empty, with loads of couches on offer.
When I asked the waiter for the menu, he told me that I could only have the menu (a printed sheet of paper) if we sat on the table. On the couch, I had to get up and read the menu written on a board across the bar. I was so shocked by such stupidity (and hungry) that we all just moved to the restaurant table (5 steps from where we were sitting).
The food was bland and disappointing (all of it, but especially the roasts and what was supposed to be horseradish cream but was only double cream), and the waiter kept looking at us with sarcasm.
It is a shame, such a nice place, but such crazy unreasonable rules and rude staff. Not coming back.

24 Jan 2009 12:42