Horse & Groom, Clapham

this is a brilliant pub, with a lovely atmosphere.
The landlord, landlady and barstaff were all exceptionally helpful and friendly.
The food was lovely, and the garden was excellent too.
The type of place you can go for a lovely family meal.
We all Really enjoyed our meal and would highly recommend it.

2 Apr 2009 13:44

The Old George, Stony Stratford

We had the displeasure of meeting possibly the least helpful and unfriendly barmaid i have ever met yesterday. I had the distinct impression that we were not welcome, even though we were a group of 7, and there were only 2 other people in the pub.

When we arrived 5 of my friends were already tucked away in a corner, and the barmaid was already shooting them looks for laughing. (they were not being rowdy at all can i add). You could sense a bit of an atmosphere. SO i smiled at her, and she just stared back at me and said "yes ?"

I then asked her for
"a large red wine, and a white wine spritzer please",
to which she replied "a what ?",
thinking she had misheard i politely said a spitzer please,
"WHAT?" she said raising her eyebrows to the two men at the bar
so i asked for a "half a white wine and soda please, as i am driving",
"you cant have half a glass of white wine"
"ok could i just have half a glass now, and half a glass with my next drink ?"
"no ! only small or large"
"is it a dry white"
"its white, do you want small or large"
"er ok, i will have a small, but can i have it in a long glass filled up with soda please"
this caused her much irritation, but she then wemt to the wine bottle, and then poured it by eye anyway, so could have easily let me retain the otehr half glass for a 2nd drink.

It was very hot in the pub, so 2 friends (one who was pregnant) asked whether they could have a glass of tap water, as well as their paid for drinks. This really annoyed her.
"if you want tap water i will have to go to the kitchen"
the pub was not too busy for her to leave the bar as it was virtually only us in there.

Then i went to the bar and waited for quite a while, but there was no barmaid. A man at teh abr said to me, did you want a drink as she is outside smoking. He yeeled at her that she had customers, and she came in huffing and puffing to herself. "YES" she said to me.
i ordered my drinks and then one of my friends shouted across for me to get her a glass of water aswell. Well this really sent her pulse racing. "NO, the tap water isnt really okay to drink", i turned to my friend and apssed ehr the message, but my friend who were drinking the water said,
"no its fine, we both have a glass"
"no, its not very good"
my friend tried their water and said it was fine, so could she have a glass anyway. This clearly wound the barmaid up, she slammed the glass in front of me,and then stormed over to our table, on the pretence of collecting glasses.
"I am not being funny, but i just told you the water is not drinkable, when you come in here you may not drink tap water" !
So someone on my table said, "oh, erm okay yer"
and she tunred round and said "Yer, Well ??"
Then she stamped back behind the bar

We will not be going back there again ! we were made to feel very unwelcome. We bought quite a few rounds, but we did have tap water with our drinks. We were not being very noisy, or drunk...., we were talking and laughing, and probably sounded easy to hear as we were the only people in the pub, and there was no other noise.

I also noted on their website that "whatever the occasion, a warm welcome awaits you at the george". I think not !

2 Apr 2009 13:38