The Gate House, Wallingford

**NOW CALLED TOWN ARMS**

Needs a new entry under that pub name.

After a refurb and new management this has become one of the pub-lovers best options in Wallingford, although it was still fairly quiet on my weekend visit - needs some word-of-mouth and a proper entry on BITE.

This free house pub is a 17th Century Grade-2 listed building. It has two rooms, with cobbled floors/dark wood/chairs and sofas in the front, and three hand-pumps selling good regional beers - West Berks, Loddon and White Horse brewery on my visit. The W Berks Mr Chubb's Lunchtime bitter at £2.90 a pint was very good indeed.

A wide-screen tv was showing Wimbledon in the corner, though the sound was off (a good thing), and there was piped music in the back room but not enough to be a nuisance.

It's located on the High Street, virtually next door to the awful Boathouse - let's hoope some shell-shocked survivors that have been unwittingly sucked into that awful place manage to escape and find their way here. At last, a proper civilised real-ale pub in Wallingford. Recommended.

3 Jul 2013 13:19

Crosskeys, Wallingford

Went in on a weekend evening, and very disappointed. Pub seemed to be on a low ebb, the beer (Brakespear) was a bit sharp, and worst of all the pub was dominated by a large group of hostile young locals who seemed to think they owned the joint and that it was fine to have a pop at passing trade such as us.

30 Sep 2012 23:32

Clarendon Arms, Cambridge

Like The Snark, I'd also avoided this great pub since Barry left, after a hugely disappointing visit under the last regime (I think they did try, but it just didn't work). But after seeing the advert and write up in the local camra newsletter, I was tempted back in.

It was a little quiet (about a dozen people midweek), but the beer was great: Greene King Mild, York Guzzler, St Peter's Best and Milkwood Nut Brown, with GK Abbott and IPA as ballast. We tried the food, and was quite impressed - nice chunky 8 oz steak (�11.45), thick bit of gammon with decent eggs and pineapple (about �9), both with massive chunky chips (proper chips), with a simple green side salad. I'd be tempted to say that the gammon and eggs was rival quality and value to The Geldart's (which is saying something).

Good to see/hear regulars are drifting back, as it could do with a bit more of the old atmosphere. Most of the pub paraphenalia has gone, so it felt a bit 'empty', but I'm sure that will pick up as this pub is definitely back on the map. With the Elm Tree and Free Press just round the corner, this bit of town is now worth the discerning drinker spending the whole evening in again.

2 Apr 2012 00:11