please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Had Sunday roast with my wife yesterday £6.95 each including a pint of beer each, excellent value as found nothing wrong with the food or beer. The roast consisted of 4 slices of pork, 4 roast potatoes, yorkshire, stuffing, apple sauce, gravy, 2 or 3 types of veg. The plates and meal were red hot although the pub was busy as it was exactly 1pm we only had to wait for about 8 minutes for it to arrive. My beer was a pint of pedigree and the wife's beer was a pint of guinness. Facinateing place to have a pub in an old opera house, very unusual.
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How this establishment can stay open with the service and terrible food the "chefs" serve up remain a mystery. Would they serve burnt and inedible food to their own families at home? I doubt it.
The Wetherspoons chain should be very ashamed to have this venue, especially with teenagers as young as 15 being served alcohol in there, but then that's probably due to the staff being too young to know any better and some don't even speak English.
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Good for Grannies get their cheap lunches..the food is awful. the atmosphere is awful...its awful
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Sometimes ok, other times awful. There seems to be no way of judging beforehand which it will be. Occasionally some interesting theatre provided by some of the customers, occasionaly involving paramedics
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I COLLECT MY JIRO ON A TUESDAY ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE AND ME AND MY MUCKERS GO IN THERE AND SPEND THE LOT.....
GET THE PICTURE
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Admittedly I have never been there in the evening, but I can't understand the low rating for this "pub". In fact, it's the least pub-like drinking establishment that I can think of, and you just have to go inside to understand. It always has a great range of real ales (somewhere around 10 to 12, depending on whether they have any guest beers on at the smaller bar at the far end). Perhaps, like the trains, it's better to go off-peak if you can?
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NOOO-----Never again without a stab vest!!
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Possibly the worst pub on god's green earth. If ever there was a place to shatter the notion that Tunbridge Wells is a charming town where gentlemen in tweed suits roam parks with butterfly nets and where ladies in formal dresses and sun hats take turns along the pantiles then it's this pub.
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A fantastic buikding ruined by the usual dregs of society, especially those in the evening, whosr idea of a good night out is getting tanked up on cheap alcohol, a mass brawl, followed by projectile vomiting.
An excellent example for the arguments in favour of a neutron bomb - the building remains standing, whilst those inside are blown to Kingdon Come!
3/10 - for the building alone.
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An absolute shocker.......home to Unemployed, OAPs and underage drinkers. None of which i am looking to rub shoulders with thanks......Avoid, unless you are one of the already mentioned.
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Large and poorly run pub with the usual friday and saturday night binge drinking mob.Bar service dreadfull at busy times so best during the week when its quiet and you can then settle into a nice alcove somewhere at the back of the very large non-smoking area.Drink very cheap as is the microwave pub ready meals served.The whole bar and pub area is now well overdue for decorating,ie,carpets worn and filthy,doors,tables,chairs damaged etc.Door staff do their best to limit trouble but it can still get violent on occasions.visiting is best just for a quick real ale or chilled lager only.
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As a building, rates alongside Folkestone as the most interesting Wetherspoons that I've visited.
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Grand theatre conversion. Pub is on three levels - stage, orchestra pit and stalls. Has a large TV screen in one of the boxes. It is a beautiful building, though there is a sense of sadness that nobody is walking the boards any longer, declaiming thunderous lines from Shakespeare or singing, cracking jokes or just generally entertaining and stimulating people.
The pub is currently poorly managed and organised, and can get very packed. Beer quality is variable and can be served too warm. The atmosphere and acoustics don't generate a good atmosphere. The building itself is worth looking at, but as a JDW pub it falls below average.
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The usual cr*p, full of winos desperate for a beer at 10am will serve absolutely anyone just like most wetherspoons a complete toilet
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Certainly is a fantastic setting for a pint, but absolutely no atmosphere. Whilst I appreciate you go to the pub mainly to socialise the constant and deafening sound of a million conversations sends me almost to the brink of insanity. Come on JD, some light music would improve matters considerably.
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The Opera House can hardly be described as a “bog standard” Wetherspoons. I have been in enough Wetherspoons to last a lifetime and I don’t recall too many being located in such opulent surroundings. The building first opened in 1902 and has been used for opera, theatre and as a cinema. The interior has been restored to its finest glory with its ornate boxes and splendid ceiling. The drinking area is in the stalls but for a more unique experience, try sitting on the stage and milk the imaginary applause. It can be argued that turning such a magnificent and historic building into a pub is a rather tasteless example of cultural vandalism and many old performers who have played here in the past would probably turn in their grave to see such a building put to such an uncultured use. Personally I would rather see the place taken over by Wetherspoons than being turned into a carpet warehouse or pound shop. Everyone has a view on Wetherspoons and yes, some of their pubs are located in hideous office blocks with absolutely no character. This cannot be said of the Opera House. I have been here a couple of times, the last time just before Christmas with my wife and 2 friends from New Zealand. We had a great time with decent enough food, good beer and good service in a rather unique setting. As far as I am concerned, the good people of Tunbridge Wells have one of the best Wetherspoons in the country so don’t ignore it just because of its brand name, go in and savour the character of the building. Albatross anyone?
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Good place to start a night as it's cheap! Can get pretty crowded and sometimes takes ages to get served. Often have new ales to try which is always fun.
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Cheap and nasty. FACT.
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Typical bog standard weatherspoons pub - what do you expect!!
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Dont bother!
Cheap but if that is all that matters in your life then you need to get 1
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They will be banning smoking soon, so should thin out even more chavs...
good place to go for a few cheap drinks then move on to better pubs... also the curry is ruddy good!
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I can't see what all the hype is about.
Unless you get there early, you may well find yourself having to stand up most of the evening, as tables are lacking.
Cheap though!
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Time has passed this place by, and so have I...........on many occasions!!!!
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(Shudder)
anonymous - 12 Jan 2005 17:34 |
Yeah, no music. You cant hear youself talk anyway it's so busy. I've been to Birmingham and back and the Opera house is the best Weatherspoons i've seen. Cheapest drinks ever as usual. Prices of euro lager seem to be going in circles (1.90,1.95,2.00,2.10,2.20,1.90 etc) Stella is usually 10p more than fosters whatever. Friendly bouncers, although there are many fights outside at 11 on a friday night. This is due to underaged chavs hanging around outside (15-17 year olds that have nothing better to do at 11pm on a friday) and usually has nothing to do with alcohol. CCTV and police know this so it's usually ok if you dont get involved. Smack in the centre of town so it's a good place for everyone to meet.
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ok, well firstly, it doesn't have any music cos it's a wetherspoons, so it can't really help that! and u can't wear caps in there anymore, so is now thankfully lacking on all the pikeys. very cheap, and good for a sociable drink, but if u want entertainment, or room to move on a friday or saturday, then u should prob go elsewhere!
rachee - 12 Aug 2004 00:01 |
Feels like going back to school as it is full of kids, seem to have trouble in there and outside quite a lot too. Avoid in my opinion. No music too so although it is a great building to see, it lacks a "pub" atmosphere. If you want to blend in, wear your Burberry cap.
David - 2 Aug 2004 11:19 |
What are you talking about spoons as we call it is a wicked place you can pick up all kinds of chicks there some even have two eyes. A good place to drink we get there at 9am and leave at 4. we get very drunk. never noticed it was an opera house till i walked past i when i was sober. I am not sober now im in spoons with a pint of dooleys. Tuesdays are the best its my day off and im thirsty. Dont let my wife read this. Spoons rules double jim beam and coke is like
£2.how can u hate that.
Matt Cann - 6 Jul 2004 14:44 |
i loathe myself every time i go in here, but i live nearby and it's a quick cheap beer, and if you like people watching, then you get alsorts in here, mostly those who you'd happily see stay there as you go off somewhere else
Ian - 21 Jun 2004 00:14 |
not bad as wetherspoons go. the decor is interesting but soon gets tiresome. hardened boozers during the day, all sorts at night but mostly kids. ok beer - very cheap. its biggest drawback is occasional lowlife en masse and no windows. in summer - a bit sepulchral.
richard - 31 May 2004 17:54 |
The only things going for this pub are the building and the cheap booze. Sad but true. If you're that strapped for cash, buy a bottle, stay in and invite friends round...no really.
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As with all Weatherspoons, full of interesting people who love to drink in the day (all day, every day!). The Opera house itself is a fantastic building, shame it couldn't have been used for what it was orignally for!
P.Evans - 8 Jan 2004 12:46 |
This is a weatherspoons basically and all I can tell you is that despite it being cheap and chearful you really have got to look at yourself closely and ask if its the sort of place you would feel comfortable in.
=> during the day inhabited by the sort of people you can imagine queuing up to collect their dole money
=> during the evening inhabited by 18 year olds
=> no music (ever)
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big pub which is packed full on the weekends, and full during the week! average food but its cheap, and try the sweet or dry Westons cider ooooo it'll knock ur socks off.
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typical wetherspoon's pub, cheap beer etc.
IY - 7 Oct 2003 16:10 |
Large Wetherspoons pub in the restored Opera House serving standard JDW food menu and bar selection. The building has a lot of character and there are two bars - the one up on the stage is in the non-smoking area. Beers appear to be kept well. Very popular both at lunchtimes and in the evening.
Graham - 4 Sep 2003 23:06 |
