Stoke, Guildford

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user reviews of the Stoke, Guildford

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

Have my old smelly toothbrush Beersupper, yes you can try doing that in the driving rain as well...!!

This is a good pub and does have some good ales on a lucky day. Nothing wrong with this 1 at all.
BestBeerBoffin - 14 Nov 2008 18:50
Fills a gap, but personally i would rather sweep the A3 with a toothbrush than drink in here.
Beersupper - 9 Nov 2008 16:11
Great pub. Me and my husband had our wedding reception at the forum and every thing went perfect. Great food and the staff were lovely too which really made our day. Every one had a fab time and i would definitely reccommend the pub as a favourite!!!
girly28 - 17 Oct 2008 17:02
Hello

A recent visit here was worthwhile. The local beer was Hop, indeed it was rather hoppy - yet quite nice.

Confusing as to why they were showing The Weakest Link with the sound turned down! Perhaps it was because the Olympics had changed channels...

On another note the food menu has changed but they do a Pizza/Drinks offer, so some people may wish to take this up.
TheSurreyPubMan - 22 Aug 2008 17:43
Again not a bad place but not good either!, can have quite a rowdy atmosphere and does provide a small selection of ales but if you going somewhere for a decent pint then definatley better off across the road at the kings head, it is dearer but the quality shows
Discobird - 2 Aug 2008 22:18
Hello Owain! Are you well?

I do aplogise my comment was surely taken out of context! I was merely saying with such a late night, there are likely to be more drunks causing mischief. I have nothing against MR/MRS DJ :-) Thank you.
MrReasonable - 4 Jun 2008 16:09
Lovely pub.

It has a nice range of seating/tables and a lively but relaxed atmosphere. Drinks are very reasonably priced (for Guildford) and there are always a few real ales on. Notably, a V.S.O.P Covoursier is less than £3 (£2.70 I believe).

The pizzas are decent and also sensibly priced, but some of the bar snacks are a bit steep. £1.20 for a bag of crisps? They may be Tyrrel's but come on.

There is a good mix of customers and age ranges which is nice to see, and the mentioned DJ nights happen in the function room rather than the pub itself. Anyway Mr 'Reasonable', since when has the presence of a DJ been associated with 'yobbish culture'?
Owain1 - 2 Jun 2008 20:49
I hear they are going to be holding a DJ night here, going on until 3am I believe... Terribly late really. I do hope this pub does not go down the yobbish culture route, no - that would be a crying shame to the good citizen of Guilderford.. Generally speaking a fine place for the odd ale or perhaps a lager if one chooses this path. A pizza here is fine too.
MrReasonable - 29 May 2008 17:06
Definitely improved from its days as Finnegan's Wake back in 2000, when I used to work near here! Recently upmarket effort although the clientele on a Saturday night was, it must be said, loud and raucous. Couple of real ales in evidence and I had a reasonable pint of TT Landlord. The food menu looked fairly nice. The King's Head over the road means this is a good spot to stop for a couple of ales.
grecian - 28 Apr 2008 11:20
Now a pub which holds live comedy, but book tickets a good deal of time in advance as it can get sold out.
aleman - 3 Jan 2008 14:30
What has happened to the great british quiz??? - we went last night for the 2nd time and again the same thing happened - we couldn't hear the quiz master and most of the teams had 5 mobile phones/blackberrys etc between them to look at the internet contact friends etc to find the answers!!

What ever happened to just having fun - I don't think the winners are going to be rich (£25 for a team of 8) - even those who answered the jackpot question correctly cheated and were even way beyond the 60secs given to hand in their answer sheet

Very disappointed and won't be back for the quiz!!

The pizza's are good though!
switch23 - 19 Sep 2007 11:05
An interesting night down at the Stoke. Watch out for the barmaids, there is a certain one who may take your money and not serve you! But not to panic, this was soon sorted out.

The pub quiz is still running with a different question master, but there is so much noise elsewhere it does not seem to be a massive event. You can always drinks a few real ales here in the meantime though, the Deuchars IPA was on but it tastes exactly the same as John Smiths cold!
aleman - 18 Sep 2007 23:23
Thanks for the clearing up the disappearing bottle mystery. As for me, Westminster, Yes. Civil Servant, certainly not!
RogerB - 24 Aug 2007 14:56
Yep Roger, you interpreted it wrongly! Civil servant working in Westminster/Victoria way by any chance, ha ha?! I was watching the FA Cup final having put my half full bottle down and the next thing I knew it had been removed. Should have been clearer in my review. See you around Victoria!?!
Searching_for_H_Files - 24 Aug 2007 14:17
A fairly expansive pub that doubles up as a pizzeria with an open pizza oven situated at one end of the lengthy bar. The interior is fairly plain but stylishly modern and aesthetically trendy without being pretentious or snobby. There is a mix of seating styles from high stools at ledges to sofas and padded cube seats. 3 well placed plasma screens and a big screen used predominantly for sport plus a separate pool area with 2 tables and a couple of fruit / quiz machines. Live acoustic music nights advertised as wellas the quiz evenings. 4 Ales usually available although one was off on my visit (Deuchars, Youngs and Landlord were the other 3). The staff were friendly and the customer base seemed to be fairly sensible types. There are plenty of outside tables for the smokers, sun lovers and rain worshipers and a separate function room is also available. As far as the pizza’s go, they are reasonably priced and there a few interesting toppings so if a pizza and a pint are your thing, this place should be right up your street.

NB re previous poster, I may have interpreted it wrongly but I can’t believe that someone can leave a pub to have a drink elsewhere and then moan that their drink has been cleared away when they come back!

RogerB - 24 Aug 2007 13:34
I initially came here with a few friends to watch the FA Cup final (19 May) around 2.30. It was absolutely heaving and I only saw 2 plasma screens in the whole boozer. I was first to arrive and had a pint of coke at £2.05 given I had to pick up my girlfriend in the car later. Inevitably it took a while to be served. When the others turned up, we did manage to find some standing space to the left of one of the screens near the oven and toilets. Yet given our location (by the oven) and how packed it was, we were quite hot!

Thought it was interesting how there was a prominent "smoking is prohibited" sign on one of the pillars near where we were standing and a couple of people were still blatantly smoking right in front of it. What would happen come 1 July? Would there be a premium rate number that you could phone up and grass people up on??

We left shortly before half time to meet other friends in the Kings Head. Despite driving later, I was brought a Bulmers by my mate, but when I put the half full bottle down this was picked up and taken away presumably by the bar staff. Carelessness costs I guess and if I wanted another one, I was told by staff i would of had to buy it! Anyway, I would probably go elsewhere to watch a popular televised football match in future on first impressions.

Searching_for_H_Files - 21 May 2007 12:55
When I was in England, after work i´d to go there to have a pint of Stella, nice people, food is great and the staff are so helpful and make you fell confortable. Good Work Guys
getgomes - 14 Apr 2007 07:10
The only pub with "real Italian" style pizza. Delicous.
ml10067 - 8 Apr 2007 13:54
With regard to the comment by "Aleman" we have a new quizmaster now, come down bro and check him out.
magoos - 10 Feb 2007 21:37
Always a good place to go. Just best not to bother with the Tuesday quiz here
aleman - 18 Nov 2006 14:48
Another great Guildford pub. Been in there a couple of times. The beer (Young's, London Pride, Greene King IPA) is very good and the pizzas are superb. 2 for 1 on big thin-crust pizzas on Monday night is the bargain of the week.

I like the segregation in the pub - smoking, pool tables and wendyball on the TV in one part; subdued lighting, big settees and no smoking in the other.

The pub quiz is good fun on a Tuesday night too.
therivierakid - 24 Mar 2006 10:34
Stopped into this pub by chance on my way through Guildford yesterday as this was the only pub we could find with a car park. Was very impressed. The pub was busy but the service was very good and the staff knew what they were doing. Had two pizzas which were excellent and we will definately be back.
Pat - 7 Mar 2005 13:09
A good pub but I am still dismayed by the fraudulent nature of this pub's event advertising policy. Being a big fan of both Bullseye and Seseme Street imagine my exitement to find both Jim Bowen and Elmo billed to appear at their acoustic evening. However to my extereme annoyance and bitter dissapointment, neither was to be seen on the night. Would have given this pub 10 otherwise because of the excellent coving and period features.
Meaver - 28 Feb 2005 17:34
im not a pizza lover,its one of the last things i will eat......but at the stoke they are brill...the best just right yum yum makes me want one now.shame iv had a few dodgy kronenbourg i now stick to cider when im in there.allso a few beer fly's.and if you are sitting at the top(before the pool tables)its quite dark.all in all dont mind popping in now and again,especially for a pizza
lovetodrink - 23 Jan 2005 15:00
The pizzas are great but the pasta dishes are not good - pizzas are freshly made but the pasta comes out of packets. Cocktails are nice, the beer's ok. Service speed is variable. Non-smoking area is tiny and sandwiched between 2 smoking areas.
pinga - 4 Jan 2005 13:31
I know what you mean Sally, I hear his rendition of American Pie is the best in all the Surrey Hills. There's something about that cross of Joe 90 and Will from TFI Friday that is just sooo irrestistable!
anonymous - 6 Dec 2004 20:44
Saw a guy perform live there a couple of weeks back. Todo Ostritch I think his name was. He did a good set and I've become a bit of a secret admirer
Sally - 15 Nov 2004 20:48
The quiz here isnt all that well organised. It is very poor compared to the one at the George Abbot. It was very unclear its marking scheme. Plus the questions go incredibly slowly.
aleman - 6 Sep 2004 19:15
This is a quality pub. The new look pool tables are interesting. Nearly always get a good pint here and quality pizza's as well/
aleman - 7 Aug 2004 16:17
the pizzas are better than pizza express and the bar service is friendly and quick. the atmosphere is great and buzzing which is probably why the pub has proved so successful. not sure which pub mortonian is talking about?!
gavin - 8 Apr 2004 13:09
Situated across the street from the more authentic Kings Head, the Stoke's interior is best described as a "interesting" blend of the coffee shop from the TV series Friends and any Habitat store. This lends it a somewhat unpub like atmosphere but is comfortable non the less particularly if it is possible to hog the leather sofas by the fireplace.

That said it really fails to deliver on the bistro pub atmosphere it is clearly hoping to achieve.

For one thing it has the slowest bar service in Guildford (pleasant though the staff are) and traffic jams regularly occur and the bar.

Secondly, the aforementioned pizza supply service is hampered by limited cooking capacity and as Jaz has indicated it is not unsual to be expected to wait over an hour for a simple thin crust pizza similar to those supplied in Pizza Express.

My advice - best visited mid-week when it is less busy and they are more able to deliver on their intent!


Mortonian - 31 Mar 2004 11:49
Pizza's are not the best to say the least, and after waiting 1 1/2 hours for it I expected better. Upon complaining I was told that was about the right time to wait!!!
jas the case - 11 Feb 2004 19:57
Must agree about the pizzas - tasty and large and cheap. I hope they will be serving them when the Comedy Club starts up at this pub on Friday 16th January. Its apparently being run by the guys who run The Bearcat Club up in The Turks Head in Twickenham for 20 years. They get some very good acts. Can only be good for The Stoke and Guildford.
james - 17 Dec 2003 08:31
nobody under 18 allowed so cuts out a family dinner. No dogs allowed. Very heavy glasses - difficult to hold. Nice posh relatives living room. Strange crowd of regulars.
anon. - 14 Jul 2003 08:21
great food, love the cocktails, special offers on all week.
anonymous - 5 Jun 2003 09:52
Nice pub. Decent beers and smart comfy interior. When you order food you get a werid flashing disc for your table that buzz's when your food's ready to collect!
Angus - 30 Apr 2003 13:53
Nice pub. Food is a bit hit and miss though. Good for watching sports if you don't like the typical smokey boozer.
Jez - 28 Apr 2003 20:26
tastefully furnished but like Anne said, it is like you're in someones living room! However, the food (specialises in italian pizzas and pasta) is really delicious and good value (very much like Pizza Express food but the portions are much bigger!)
helen - 14 Feb 2003 10:13
has reopened now as the stoke. far more upmarket than finnegans wake was. they've had enough sense to keep one of the pool tables at least, but you do feel more like you're in some posh relative's living room than a proper pub. we'll have to wait and see what kind of regulars it ends up attracting.
anne - 5 Nov 2002 10:43
currently closed for refurbishment
anne - 30 Sep 2002 09:46

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