Gate, Northwoodback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I used to really like this place, & the beer & food were more than OK.
However, we had our office Xmas meal there on Tuesday, & it was pretty unsatisfactory: a long wait for the starter, inattentive staff, cold turkey main (Yorkshire pudding-less), frozen cheesecake & profiterolles desserts...
OK, so it was cheap at 3 courses for £12.49, I think. But two days earlier, in The Tichenham, I ckenham, I had an equivalent type of turkey main (no starter or dessert) for £7.99- with a pint of Abbot, to boot!
It was also 'amusing' for me to be warned by the 19-year old barman that the cider was '7.4%'. Old Rosie is, in fact, 7.3%, & I have been drinking for 45 years...Oh, dear!
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OK it's a chain pub (Ember Inns) but OK for all that. Went recently with overseas relatives who saw it in passing and suggested we go in and found it to be acceptable in all respects. The earlier comments seem to have been reviewed by management and I found no evidence of slack service or poor food. Enjoyed some Adnams Southwold Bitter and would liked to have had more but was driving. Will definitely go again but check the car parking as once its full there is precious little parking nearby it being close to Mount Vernon Hospital
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Ember Inns pub that was somewhat more popular than we had expected. The car park was completely full and the place was full of both drinkers and diners. Service was very slow, with it taking 12 minutes to be served. Only 2 staff were working behind the bar. The ale choice was surprisingly good - Adnams Southwold Bitter & Gunhill, Greene King IPA, Fullers London Pride & Wooden Hand Pirate's Gold. The latter was in good condition. Would visit again if in the area. Hopefully by then they will have sorted their staffing problem out.
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I could not agree more with LadyLiz -
Went to this pub for Lunch late Sat afternoon. Waited an hour for a burger and steak, which never appeared. Some of this chains other pubs have been excellent with at least one decent guest beer on unfortunately there was the usual Pride or Greene King IPA.
There was clearly an issue with the kitchen but the manageress was happy to sit in the bar reading a book, she did not seem to have a problem getting food as she was happily eating her lunch when she should have been sorting out the kitchen/helping out the solitary waitress.
I much prefer this pub to its sister pub up the road but will not be going back.
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I decided to visit this pub as I was passing by and I use to frequent it regularly years ago. WHAT A MISTAKE. Like so many pubs that get taken over by big companies its ruined, crap beer, staff attitude.Left after a few sips, pointless complaining.
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Terrible place, bad quality food and a rather soulless place.
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I'm with most other people on this one, I remember the Gate as a decent old proper pub but since being taken over by Ember Inns it's been turned into a rather souless gastropub.
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DESKJOCKEY says that this pub is a bit far from the village cebtre. Well what bloody village is that then?
Northwood village? I don't think so, it's just suburbia, always has been, and with luck, always will be.
Village, my arse.
anonymous - 6 Jul 2007 22:43 |
I'm with deskjockey on this one. The switch to pretend beams is before my time, so I like the place, and yes the beer's ok
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I have a great idea! Lets buy an old pub rip it's guts out put in fiber glass beams and try and make it look "oldey worldey"....
Well done Ember inns a class act.I was a reg here in the early 80's (nurses at mount Vernon your to blame)so on a trip down memory lane I wish I hade left the tardis at home!!!! They call this progress.
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The Gate used to be a lovely, old, real pub. Now, it is part of the Ember chain. They ripped out the old 18th Century wood, and replaced it with new, fake, laminated, wood effect. Easy to clean, but lacks atmosphere. The beer is fine, the service is satisfactory, and at least there are no TV screens. The customers are a nice mixed bunch, with no tracksuit wearers around. Shame it is a bit far from the village centre.
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Nice pub with good food, good looking barstaff. Currently having a beer competition along with all the other pubs in the group (Ember). I had St. Austells Tribute which was just as I remember it from Cornwall
anonymous - 23 Oct 2005 15:39 |
It's a shame about this one judging from the alesluggaz ! We used to go here quite a bit in the very early 80s. Mind you, it was more my parents pub, but it had a cozy feel to it.
Joseph
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Right opposite where I used to live at Mount Vernon Hospital, used to be a real old fashioned Benskins pub with a real fire, stone floors and cosy nooks, now its a rubbish formularic light ash clad piece of S*** that I wouldn't P*** on if it was on fire. (And the beers shit too)
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It's ok if you work nearby and want to go there for lunch but as an evening venue, it's too quiet, even on Fridays & Saturdays. They play music in the background which you can't hear until you go to the toilet and you tend to have to wait ages to be served even though the place is empty. The only reason I go there once in a while is because I live nearby and don't have to drive. It used to be good pub until it was taken over by Ember Inns.
anonymous - 24 Oct 2004 03:51 |
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