please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
As others have said, an idyllic setting. Welcoming staff. Good ale selection, I had Butty Bach and wonderful food. Glad I visited this pub. Food and drink is at a premium but well worth the extra cost.
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Ah, that's better. The river Wye is reassuringly a bit further away than the last time I called.
It's as excellent as ever too.
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The half-dozen or so real ales I found here were in top form. So far I've only tried the Bespoke Brewing's "Saved By The Bell" at 3.8%, and the Wye Valley HPA at 4%, but I'll be trying a few more in due course.
The setting on the river's bank in the wooded, steep sided Wye Valley is magnificent.
The staff are charming and helpful.
The accommodation is top-notch, reasonably priced, and with free parking and wi-fi for residents.
The restaurant is very popular with its apparently well-heeled, convivial and genteel customers.
The warm, modern amenities don't spoil its C16th period features at all.
There's walking, canoeing, and boating etc. to be done, and enterprises offering these are right next door.
The pub atmosphere is friendly, informal, and supported by a well-balanced mix of ages.
9/10
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Re last posting - my ale of choice was Wye Valley's "Butty Bach". Obviously having a senior moment.
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Paid a recent visit accompanied by my "gentleman's gentleman" for a weekend in the Forest of Dean. This is a lovely pub on the banks of the River Wye where you can sit and watch the swans and ducks, in addition to the large number of canoeists paddling up and down the river - a rather novel way to commit suicide, if you ask me!
The service was very friendly and efficient, with several jolly good ales on offer, although I did not partake of solids on this occasion.
An idyllic location in which to sit on a beautful sunny day, quaffing a pint, smoking the old Bent Apple Billiard, and simply watching the world going by!
Marvellous! 7/10.
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We have just returned from a weekend in Symonds Yat staying a nearby establishment. We visited on Friday afternoon and could not have been made less welcome by the middle aged dark haired lady who was serving. We were a party of 20 with ages varying from 19 to 62 and I think that we are reasonably quiet and respectable.
The beer we tried was good , and probably about the right price considering the location. We didn't get to sample what appeared to be a high priced menu. Suffice to say that they missed out on a lot of trade for the weekend in terms of lost drinks and food for 20 people for 2 nights - you do the maths.
I might visit again but more likely we'd go to another nearby hostelry up the hill, where we were made to feel very welcome and the beer and food were both excellent - and no I don't have any allegiance to them except as a passing customer.
Saracens Head: great location, good beer, very poor staff, avoid unless you must have a drink.
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Visited and stayed at this pub. Found a friendly welcome, great range of well kept ales and an exceptional menu.
Not the cheapest food, drink or accomodation around but I am a great believer in "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR" and this place has it pitched just right.
Value for money, good service (even when busy) exceptional food, coupled with excellent accomodation & surroundings make this a 'must visit' any time of year.
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Great pub and one of the best for miles around. Could easily trade off its fantastic position by offering average beer and food at inflated prices. Delighted to say it's resisted the temptation and continues to offer good range of well kept beer at reasonable prices, served by friendly and efficient staff. Excellent menu, not the cheapest but above average quality.
Good pub to visit on a summers day, and even better on a wet autumn/winter evening when less crowded.
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Lovely place. Food is fantastic and the setting truly amazing. Gets busy, especially in the summer but well worth the visit.
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Good beer, friendly service,splendid food and a location to die for. I really could not fault this pub when we visited in August 2009.
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I can only echo previous comments. The location is to die for. The beer I had (Hereford Pale Ale) was well kept, and a sandwich arrived in less than five minutes and was faultless. It is a bit on the dear side.
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I've been visiting this pub each year for around ten years and absolutely love the place. The location is beautiful, sitting on the River Wye which gets the sun all afternoon!
There is a good range of ales and lagers which, although not cheap, are well kept. The food is of a very high standard - far in excess of your standard 'pub grub' and is worthy of the slightly higher prices as a result.
Well worth the trip from Cheshire to enjoy this great, old English pub.
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One of my regular bolt holes for many years.
Can remember the Saracens Head from when it was run down and in danger of closing in the early 90s. Thankfully, it was bought up by a dedicated family from the West Midlands, things improved dramatically and they invested much time and money into keeping the pub going, they have done wonders with this pub and immediate surroundings. They offer clean and tidy accommodation, and maintain the hand pulled ferry, across the River Wye.
The setting is stunning, and staff/owners very friendly. Prices aren't too bad and outside seating offers some unique views of the River Wye and heavily wooded Symonds Yat Gorge.
Staying true to Herefordshire, you can buy a decent pint of Butty Bach.
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Am shocked by the RUDENESS of one of the bar staff today!
I asked for a Bulmers, which was served with ice. When I asked for a pint without ice, the guy behind the bar started fiddling about with metal tongs in an attempt to remove the tiny pieces of ice. It clearly had melted down the cider (on this beautiful hot day), so I asked if I could just have another pint poured please. At this point, he took the same pint to be refilled whilst saying how 'can't believe how people are so fussy' and 'but everyone has Bulmers with ice' before plonking it infront of me so roughly it partially spilled.
The rest of the bar staff just looked at me down their noses whilst I was so suprised at the total lack of even attempt at customer service, I just wanted to escape outside.
Turns out, this guy is the MANAGER/LANDLORDS SON.
Is that how he manages to be so rude and stilll keep his job?
Shame, because this pub is in a beautiful place.
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Went here recently on Easter Sunday. Very busy due to its riverside location and once you order some food and drink here you will understand that they take advantage of their monopolisation on the pub options around this area. We ordered three "slates" of bread with accompaniments for �4.95 each, to our surprise they were delivered to our table as just a few small pieces of bread with some pesto oil drizzled over them with three small ramekins of toppings - one with butter with grated cheese on top (weird); one with a few small olives and pickled onions; and one with more pesto oil. These went very quickly and were not worth the asking price.
Next came the roasts and other dishes we ordered, the roasts being a little bit on the small side to say the least and the pork roasts were missing the crackling which was advertised on the menu. OK yes, it is a bank holiday weekend and the kitchen is busy, but that is no reason to short-change your customers on their orders - far better to inform the front of house staff that certain meals have run out. When we enquired about the lack of crackling and asked about a substitute, the waitress rudely said to her colleague "they want something in place of the crackling" in a gruff tone, right in front of our table! The substitute of chips we requested was declined as not possible (chips are expensive in these parts perhaps?) and we were offered roast potatoes instead - go figure.
Beers, ales and the wine on offer were fine (the local IPA a highlight), but rude service for sub-standard food doth not a good pub make.
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As good as this pub is, as much as I like it I have to mark this pub down purely on it's outrageous pricing structure. Visited this weekend gone and even weak beers are now over �3.00 in price, a packet of crisps is an insulting �1.20 !!! Whilst waiting at the bar one poor chap had to reach for his credit card to pay for a round of drinks for him and a few friends once told it was �19+ for his round. He asked why so dear and was more or less told it was his fault because they were drinking one of their most expensive lagers in Kronenbourg @ almost �3.50 a pint - this for a lousy Brit brewed fake French lager !!!
My single pint was as good as usual but needless to say I left after just the one, we are in recession yet some pubs continue to insult customers with their pricing. This should make any decent persons blood boil - don't stand for it! Just refuse to pay, walk out and give your custom to a public house that respects your custom by charging you, the customer who should be King after all, an *HONEST* price.
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As said, a perfect location by the riverside. Both beer & food excellent with a good range of usually 5-6 real ales (including Theakstons Old Peculier & 2 Wye Valley brews) and a real cider on tap. I have never had a beer served in anything other than supreme condition here for the 20+ years I have been coming here - can't say fairer than that.
Lovely outside seating area at both pub (covered) & riverside levels both offering superb views of the Wye, the intruiging rope/boat crossing to Symonds Yat West and much more. Classic pub & location all in one and a no brainer to wile away a summer's afternoon at.
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A lovely pub in a perfect location. Beautiful in the summer. Nicest pub toilets I have ever seen! Didn't get a chance to eat here but menu looked nice. Will be back to try the food soon.
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Food to die for.
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I had a couple of pints of good local real ale and this pub is very well located by the river and the walks along Symond's Yat.
Worth popping in for a couple in you've just been up to the top of the Yat.
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Great 16th Century pub next to the River Wye. The food is excellent and a wide choice of real ales including Theakstons Old Peculiar. The is outside seating which is great during the summer and a cable ferry (operated by the bar staff) links the pub with other side of the river. If you are canoeing a long way the owners will allow you to put the canoes in his yard if you are staying overnight there. I've had some great evenings there and hope to be there again soon at some time!
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