The White Hart, Chipstead

Visited the White Hart on Xmas day, when last year in the snow it was fabulous. Fires roaring away, pub busy with a wonderful atmosphere, car park struggling to cope and the usual welcoming faces of the regular staff to greet us.

But this year - oh dear. Radio on nearly full blast on one the pub shelves, which was continually fiddled with by the member of staff who it seemed to have just got it for xmas and thought it would be a really good idea to take it into work. And the collective age of the 8-9 staff that were idly chatting to each other must have been around 21. No manager in sight, no direction, hardly any clientelle, and the car park looking alarmingly empty. Something is clearly not right here.

Coupled with the fact that most of the chalk boards above the bar extolled the virtues of their fine guest ales, then announced in bold writing that they were going to fleece you of �3.70 for the privilege of drinking them.

Add to that my dismay at being contacted shortly before xmas to say that they still had tables free on xmas for lunch - now that IS worrying as you couldn't get one last year for love or money. And there were tables not made up on the morning, so clearly no takers.

We left in disgust and went to the Pembroke in Coulsdon, which had a lovely atmosphere, and we weren't robbed by a member of staff wearing a black mask and riding a black horse for our drinks - instead we were charged �2.85, nearly a pound less than our previous hostelry.

The whole idea about feedback, which this is, as opposed to some slagging off, is that someone reads it, takes it on board and does something about it. Let's see shall we? It may be a one ff - but all this on xmas day? i doubt it.

27 Dec 2011 18:19

Wattenden Arms, Kenley

The woman who 'runs' this dive of a pub is to be avoided at all costs - on a Sunday in any event. One of the attractions for us is that after an embracing walk on Kenley airfield, they serve cheese and biscuits, which fellow reviewer, you may think - "how nice, what a refreshing change, you don't get that much these days..." But buyer beware - it comes at a price. When ordering your round, especially when regarded as 'an outsider', you will get harried into, 'yes, anything else, anything else...?' as if the pub is packed, and they are rushing to serve other people, when there are in fact only 6 people in the entire place at 1205..... That, accompanied by the extras from 'Deliverance', that 'populate' the bar area in a very successful menacing way, makes this place a real charmer.

In addition, having survived the drinks order interrogation from the Harpee behind the bar, you notice the rest of the surly and untrained excessive amount of staff tucking into the patrons cheese and biscuits on the bar, and I kid you not, discussing the merits, or otherwise, of the punters they have just served!

However, I refuse to give into the old Trout, and her sub human subordinates, and keep tucking into the nibbles!

2 Nov 2011 15:20

City Arms, Wells

My wife, 2 young boys and I went here last Sunday, looking for some breakfast. There was nowhere in Wells that had a spare table, and the ones that were available, did not serve until 10 a.m. We were starving by 0930 so went for a wonder to see the locations for the film 'Hot Fuzz'.

We wondered back to the City Arms, and were made to feel very welcome. We ordered two full English breakfasts for my wife and I, and sausage and egg and a bacon sandwich for the boys. 4 juices and 2 coffees also, and 4 shortbread biscuits, and the whole lot came to �24.60! Brilliant value for money.

The food was out of this world, and is easily the best pub/restaurant breakfast I have ever had. It was absolutely superb!

2 rashers of bacon, local sausage, which was to die for, 2 eggs, perfectly cooked, hash brown, beans tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast.

I would drive back there, from Surrey, to have it all over again. Nice atmosphere too, very friendly staff, and if it's OK for Johnny Depp, (who has recently eaten there), then it's OK for us!

15 Apr 2008 11:35