Cricketers Inn, Westcliff on Seaback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Visited this tiny Pub last Saturday evening. I had seen it many times in the day and its name combined with some unusual architecture made me want to visit.
It seems as if its a Pub that is not sure where it wants to be. It has a very nice oldy worldy feel to it yet it trys to emulate the latest flashin, singin creations that are found everywhere.
Anyhow I was at least expeting a decent pint and was very disappointed with the lack of real beer so much so that I settled for the gassed and chilled Stella which plesant enough is no comparison to a real ale Pub. The service was friendly enough yet I felt so out of place that I left after the 1 pint and decide that it probably makes for a better day time Pub than the evening one.
To be fair, although I'm not quite my century - yet! I think that it's appeal lies to the younger lager drinkin clientelle.
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Update...update...update...
Further changes at the Cricketers as of November 2013...the 'Thai restaurant' has disappeared, and the left side of the open-plan bar area is now a nice semi-secluded tables and chairs drinking place at night.
To general rejoicing, they have brought back the traditional meat-n-three-veg lunchtime menu for a very reasonable (these days) £5.75.
There is even a rumour that they will bring back the legendary chef's special 'Death By Yorkshire Pudding' favourite of yesteryear. Fingers crossed eh?
On a slight downside, although the jury is still out on this, there threatens to be a Karaoke night on Thursdays. This cannot bode well - see my comments below regarding the terrifying acoustics. Factor in some geezers belting out 'My Way' and 'Sweet Caroline' and a kind of sonic hell is in the offing.
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Dear me, that pub's photo is way out of date. The outside is now painted a hideous pea-green.
The interior has been split in two with a Thai restaurant taking up the left side of the bar. The pub ale bar itself has a good selection of top-quality conditioned real ales, and the Abbot in particular is as good as it gets. Correct temperature too - not lager-iced brr.
The interior refit has been total- with large wire cages of bottled beers and wines as the 'warehouse' style motif. There's plenty of large screen tvs which are usually showing random channels or mtv-type videos, thankfully with the sound turned off. Pleasant enough moving wallpaper. There is however a juke box which varies in volume depending on customer's demands or bar staff personal favoritism. I like loud recorded music normally, but not in this place, as the hard wooden floors and huge plate glass windows reinforce the treble (high frequency) content and make conversation impossible. Consequently, if the pub is full, everyone has to start shouting to be heard. The resulting racket has to be experienced to be believed. Bedlam, I think the word is. So 3 points deducted for unpleasant experience.
I have resisted the temptation to deduct any points for the disgraceful men's toilet, which has had no washbasin tap water since the refit. as this does not affect the beer and gives a novelty 'east-end-slum' flavour to offset the pretentious decor.
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Visted in Feb., had a few drinks and a couple of bottles of wine with a
very good Thai meal, excellent. Back again on my next vist.
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Interesting comment from the last reviewer. I visited here on tuesday 24th July around 9.40 and had a pint that was sadly on the turn - just. The clip was turned round when I went back to try a half of Abbot which was superb. I hadn't been in for around 20 years having moved away so was a little disappointed. The pub interior is decidedly upmarket with large patio doors that opened out onto the street as it was a very warm evening.
However, this visit hasn't put me off as I know the pub has a good track record for real ales so will reserve my rating for the next visit.
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Weve visited a couple of times recently and were disappointed with the beer quality,unusual for this pub ,historically a good real ale outlet.It seems there are some new staff members there ,maybe the Manager needs to educate them !!
We didnt try out the Thai restaurant.
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This pub has been through various incarnations. The latest enterprise aims for a 'warehouse' look which is an improvement in some ways, if a little pretentious, but the Thai restaurant establishment in the corner, an obvious partnership hoping to draw in a new crowd, is an abject failure judging by this evening's experience.
The restaurant staff were insincerely interested in waiting, the first choice of wine menu was poor - you'll need to delve further for something more palatable than a Merlot - and the food is at best disappointing, at worst stomach churning. Fish cakes are rubbery with just a nod of what could have been, suggesting the easy option of bought in freeze-thaw-serve, vegetable tempura is american-tan over-fried and greasy, and the stir fried chicken ought to have given up any pretence of chunks by going straight through the mincer and reincarnating in the form of Dim Sum. Worst of all was the steamed sea bass, a watery dish spiced with chilli flakes, that may have just made the starting line had it been filleted properly. In a dark and dingy corner of the restaurant it seemed, at first, that some parts had missed the steamer. Unfortunately, with the help of some extra light, it turned out that the jelly bits were in fact the belly bits. Gross. To be fair, when the bill arrived, the waitress said that we would not be charged for the seabass. Unfortunately, the jelly belly fish and the chicken bits, along with the halfway decent noodles and economically egg fried rice, are not enough to entince a second outing to this new venture in Westcliff.
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Has just reopened after a refurb,the outside now has pea green walls,very strange and the pub is now called The Cricketers Beer and Wine Warehouse.Part of the pub is now given over to an ambitious Thai Restaurant ,bearing in mind the wide selection of restaurants in this area we wish them luck.
There are now 9 handpumps and 7 were in use, the ones we tried in good shape,although expensive,there is also an extensive selection of bottled beers and ciders now.
Bar maids friendly and service good.Worth a visit.
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Went to the Cricketers Inn for the first time today with my wife. The positives of the pub were, the seats were comfortable, the beer was reasonable priced and although we did not eat there the food look quite reasonably. The big negative for me was how unfriendly the bar staff were, one barman in particular. Examples of this the barman seemed very reluctant to put himself out and come and serve us, and did not appear very welcoming. After a few minutes having never been in the pub before I asked where the toilets were and he replied ''it is where the sign toilets are !'' This was not very helpful as there was a big plastic palm tree obscuring the sign. Do think it could be a nice pub but think this barman needs to go on a customer service course. A very rude man and we left we a very bad impression of the pub.
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Been to this pub once in the summer of 2008. Chairs comfy but not for more than an hour. Took half hour to get drinks "was not impressed"! it does get packed rather quickly so if you dont want to stand all night then i suggest you get there early. All ages pub! good pub to meet friends you have'nt seen for ages to chat. very popular with locals thou but not for me.
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Open late, good choice of drinks. Can get a little crowded when there's a gig next door. Modern decor is comfortable. Friendly.
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Dodgy pub,I had my wallet nicked in there last Saturday and at lunchtime!
Be warned.
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Very cold characterless and expensive since refit a year or so ago...if you want to drink late better off going to bar lambs at the lamb & lion (sherlock)
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Now open until 2am at the weekends! A great place to go if you aren't too fussed about going clubbing, yet still fancy a drink.
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Comfy .... good-ish range of real beer .... often inadequate bar staff (sorry I mean not enough, the one(s) they have is/are fine!
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Large open plan pub. Usually has a guest beer and holds occasional beer festivals which are very good.
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