please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Have been a couple of times of late. It does come across as more restaurant than pub.(Haven't actually eaten here so no in a position to comment on the food/service.) On the occasions I was there, the ale on tap was somewhat pricey, even for Surrey standards, and was rather average. Whilst I'm sure the strong emphasis on the restaurant side may 'do it' for many - not really my cup of tea.
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Popped in after a country walk. Just GK ales, surprisingly served straight from the barrel. Passable pint of IPA in fairness. Quite a modern interior and a huge pleasant beer garden. A bit of an emphasis on food with steaks priced by the ounce. Roasts advertised and a outdoor barbeque for the nicer days.
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Went here mid-week for lunch; fish and chips was alright but not the best meal I have had here.
The big south african guy did a good job making us feel welcome though. 6/10
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Oh dear....another low budget advertising campaign ! Username curiousgeorge certainly knows how to apply positive spin in adverse conditions ! Very amusing but it carries no real value.
Fact; stupidly overpriced even for this area and staff training needs a closer look at. Far better value to be had in the Grantly (Wonersh) or the Hurtwood Inn (Walking Bottom, Peaslake)
Biker - 20 Sep 2008 08:53 |
I have been reading these reviews as well curiousgeorge and have to ask are you 1eslie`s farther or boss,eh eh or just plain Ted???
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curious george's glowing review of the percy = his/her first review. I'm going to put 2 and 2 together and come up with 4.
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i have been reading these reviews for a while now and it seems that its always the same people that leave the negative comments.i am presuming that you haven't been to the percy in a while.i suggest that you go there again sometime soon and try to remember that this is not your average pub as they do serve good and fresh food and not pre packed and frozen meals like your average pubs so thus meaning that the food actually needs to be cooked before presenting it on your plate.which in turn means that sometimes you have to wait a little longer than in other pubs.but there is no question about the fact that you do indeed get a great tasting plate of food no matter what the size of the pasty.further more i have not seen any other PUB serving the wide variety and quality of steaks as the percy.
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It`s been 2 years since my last comment on this restaurant but seeing the last review did make me chuckle,nail on the head alecstewart old bean well done, it sums this place up to perfection ( no such thing as a "Happy Eater" )and as for a tip i`ll give you one keep on driving.
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Not so much a pub as a Happy Eater with beer.
Bill came to £42. Paid with 3 x £20 notes. Had to go and ask for my change after 15 mins and was told they'd assumed it was a tip.
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Crap food (apparently 2 pasties are the same as a beef and ale pie)and even worse service just as well they were not busy.
eltel - 20 Jul 2008 07:48 |
1eslie, welcome to the site. I see you joined at the end of March. As an old local from your area, I've known The Percy off and on since about 1966 and it has always 'charged what the market will stand' and not always been that good on occasions. As for your views on fake reviews, you are - I'm sorry to say - a little naive as dozens appear from time to time. When they do, regular contributors to this site can spot them a mile off. NB this is a well tried and tested site but it's not for the faint hearted or those who think they're clever !!
Time for me to pay another visit me thinks as it's a while since my last.
Biker - 15 Apr 2008 14:44 |
I have to say I agree with beersupper's view on 'fake' reviews. Sorry!
But I do like this place, not somewhere to sit and have a few pints though.
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not at all have you upset me, i just don't understand the resoning for your comment..."suspect that the staff have something to do with the very good comments," so does that mean no one else can write a good comment fotr fear of others suspecting their motives?! for anyone who is looking for a fair comment and is interested in going to the percy then it is a great place, i'll say no more!!!
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Did something i say upset you 1eslie? as George says you can only say as you find ,glad you had a good time but there is no need to take it personally if someone disagrees with you.
ps noted you have only commented on 1 pub/restaurant plus a restaurant! mmmmm say noooo more.
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personally i think the comment below is rubbish. do you spend all your time on this site commenting on every pub known to man in the guildford area?!!! i was at the percy arms last sunday for their famous sunday carvery which was fantastic. my whole party was really impressed with their dedication and their staff are willing to make conversation with you rather than just being interested in your money! its always buzzing and has a fabulous, welcoming feel and seems to be popular all year round!
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I do always suspect that the staff have something to do with the very good comments on this site about one pub and one pub only do as Biker says click onto the user name and see where people have been before if its only one comment then beware( ie.Winebank and Ette).
This place is a very very expensive Havester type restaurant the service is poor beer not best kept and they want you in and out as quickly as possible not a place to have a chill out time.
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Great Pub/Restaurant, food is great service is good, Sundays to full for my liking, Staff are mostly friendly, great wine list. Kids love the garden in summer, all in all pretty good value!!
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Fantastic pub - more of a restaurant really, but none the less, great place for food and drinks. The staff are friendly and attentive. As you can imagine being a popular country pub at peak times you might have to wait for a table or a little longer for your food. We regularly visit with our children (both of primary school age), they love it there as the staff are friendly, coloring is always provided and in the summer they really enjoy playing in the garden. We live locally and if friends /family come to visit this is the first place we take them to for a meal or drink. Some might say it’s a little expensive, but at the end of the day you get what you pay for, on the one occasion we had a problem with a meal it was dealt with very quickly and the price of the meal deducted from our bill – you can’t say fairer than that!
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having only visited several times i can only comment on what i have experienced and i must admit that each time i have visited i have been extremely pleased. i have found it to be a top-class place which is hard to find in guildford and definately hard to find in local villages. i look forward to going back because its an all-round excellent place. the food is of a high standard and the range is brilliant and even though the prices are quite high, you get what you pay for! theres a real friendly atmosphere amongst the staff who appear attentive and willing to help and chat to you. amazing location as well!
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We've been going to the percy for past few years and have seen the ups and downs of this great pub. During summer year we noticed it had lost direction and the quality, from our point of view, had slipped.
Being local, we decided to try it again in October and we so impressed we booked a large table for Christmas Day.
What a great way to spend Christmas Day, the food was fantastic, the service a little slow, but everyone was so cheerful, upbeat and full of smiles, that we were still talking about it on boxing day.
After having a chat with a very friendly waiter he mentioned they had a new head chef, who seems to have made a big difference to the quality of the food.
Our favourite restaurant has placed it's mark once again on the Surrey Dining landscape.
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I went into this place on my own at 8 o'clock one evening - starving after a long journey - and wanted to eat. They said I couldn't have a a table for three quarters of an hour. Less than two minutes later a group of four people who looked like they had money to spend asked if they could eat and a table was made up for them straight away. This place is only interested in processing credit cards. The beer is boring Greene King served in industrial quantities. Go to the homely Villagers pub up the road in Blackheath!
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Unfortunately this pub has become a pricey and pretentious 'snobs corner' in recent years but to be fair, the food is very good. As for previous references to members of staff, it's Surrey after all and many who work in pubs think the job is below them. My personal view, plenty of very good places around this area to eat and drink. Try the Three Compasses at Alfold for real value for money and professional staff. ps I grew up in your area and first drank in the Percy in 1967 !! 6/10
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Just had lunch at the Percy Arms, my first time there.
We eat out in the garden, shame that the garden menu is so restricted. My burger was expensive but very tasty and well presented. My colleagues sandwiches were well received and liked the choice of soup or chips to accompany them.
The beer (IPA and Hedgerow)was in excellent condition. Service was good, the place was quiet when we arrived.
I would definitely be happy to go back, nice garden, good beer, not certain I would want to go on a busy, sunny weekend though!
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Thomas - March 2004 - I surely hope that you have lightened up since your comment.
Please don't go to Durban - heaven forbid that you should have a good holiday on account of happy people! Rather just stay here and carry on being a miserable old git!
Sunday buffet today very good but somewhat of a bun fight and could be so much more efficient by the introduction of a second serving station. Good value and a good choice.
anonymous - 19 Aug 2007 17:51 |
Would agree with comments that food does not justify the price these days. When the current owners took over a few years ago there was a real improvement but I think that standards have slipped. My recommendation would be to get back to basics, improve the service and improve the food to reflect its high price. With the fantastic views and great beer garden this could be a super pub with a bit of work.
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I have been to Percy Arms several times. Found the staff to be intolerably rude. The food is good, but if I want to be treated with respect, I will go somewhere else to dine. Also very inflexible policy regarding what you can eat outside in the beer garden - it just doesn't make sense. When I asked to speak to the manager to understand why I couldn't have a bowl of Mussels outside he was extremely angry and confrontational. Despite visiting several times (purely because the food is good), I have not had a good experience with the staff. I have blacklisted this place and will never go again.
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Nice car park.( well its big anyway)
But the pub or should i say restaurant is very over priced,food was ok nothing to rave about ( the price far to expensive had to pay extra for every thing, even possibly the plates.) ( joke)
The beer was ok and only "ok" stick to the guinness to be safe.
Knowing the area i would carry on driving to Bramley or Wonersh far better place`s to eat. 4/10
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Four of us went there last Saturday night and had an excellent meal. Good ambience, friendly and knowledgeable Antipodean staff, good serving times on a busy night. Top marks!!
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They serve Greene King IPA, Abbot & Ruddles County which appear to be served direct from barrels behind the bar. A well kept pint of Ruddles and a packet of peanuts cost £3.45.
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A very nice pub and a quite nicely laid out Restaurant area. This was quite an expensive place to eat and the standard of food was very good, but i'm not totally convinced yet so i think i'll return and try the unique steak set up they have,(had non steak meals first visit).
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I have dined at The Percy 3 times since moving to Chilworth, and the 1st time we went there it was lovely but a little expensive, but you don't mind when you have a goood meal. So, I returned with my husband only to be served off Soup. The 3rd and final time the food that we ordered was not the same as it said on the menu. When we informed the staff did not care
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Had a good beer and lunch here earlier this week. Only complaint – eight flies buzzing around the main seating area. Not good at these prices. If the want to keep charging premium rates they have to give premium service in a premium atmosphere. I don’t mind flies in a spit and sawdust pub, but I do here. Rating dropped as a result.
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Just heard from an old friend in the area that a Magners is now £3.99 - that is a very scary price!!
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The Percy Arms is not recommended unless you are eating and then only if you are extremely well-heeled. The drinks are extremely expensive and the accommodation for non-diners is poor. The staff a surly and seem to spend a lot of time chatting and arguing amongst themselves rather than helping customers. Chilworth badly needs another proper pub as it is a large place and no longer has the Percy as one of the focal points of the community.
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Have been in here a few times as friends live near,afraid to say gone down over the last year food wise, price`s gone up £5.50 for an average wine way over the top.The sort of place they want you to eat your food as quick as you canand leave so they can get more people in not a relaxing time
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Great base for walkers: park here and walk the downs. Nice pub for a summer lunchtime - lots of choices of gardens and patios to eat at: with a view, by the street, etc. On a wet day, you can eat inside because it's no smoking throughout :-) Staff very friendly and helpful in showing you round. Food served very quickly despite warnings to the contrary, but be warned it's as expensive as you'll find anywhere. 3 ales served direct from the barrel; all vareties of Green King.
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We were not made to feel at home here.Purely for people who want to eat not for drinkers.The two sittings on a sunday can make you feel rushed which we did.
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Nice tidy bar and restaurant, completely non smoking which was a big plus. However, charging £5.75 for a glass of house wine, should be illegal!!
The staff were polite and the food was ok, i had the carvery roast which had a good selection of lukewarm meats to choose from and plenty of trimmings - of coarse they were slightly over cooked but isnt that what British pub grub is all about?? The other half had a locally made butchers beef burger which was presentable and reasonable tasty.
Atmosphere 7/10
Food 6/10
Drinks + Value for money 3/10
Price of the drinks would probably stop me returning.
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anonymous - 25 Apr 2006 19:32 makes a couple of fair points - though said in an earlier posting "they are over-priced" (pwr 29 Jan 2006) - Surrey is the name and it's a pricey game !!
To be as fair as I can on this subject, true business costs have risen disproportionately in relation to the public's spending power in recent years.
Another problem directly related to this point is 'catering food' - referred to in the trade as 'pink food' is a lot cheaper overall as the (cooking) skill level required is measurably lower in terms of the Pay-Bill.
If my memory serves me correctly, the Percy Arms has always employed a proper Chef - and they don't come cheap! On a final note, why do you think people like us have retired to Sussex? ps expect - and look forward to - seeing a lot of you here in Sussex in the future!
Biker - 26 Apr 2006 09:05 |
We thought we had walked into a havester ready to walk out but as we were here might as well give it a try.Not for drinkers only interested in eaters.High prices on food & drink, food only average ale ok
anonymous - 25 Apr 2006 19:32 |
Recently moved to Chilworth so this is now our local. We’ve had five meals there now, three of which where excellent, two of which where average. It seems to depend on who is chef is that day and how long they leave the carpaccio to defrost! The Boerewors however are excellent. Wouldn’t mind a prosciuto plate with these on along with the usual Italian choices. Monster steaks are there aplenty at the counter – but they are over-priced. Service however is always good, beer likewise – except they need to move to Ruddles County as the Ruddles Wotnot they sell is not up to County level. The beer is indeed pricey here, but hey, its Surrey folks – and if you want good beer, good décor and comfy sofas round these parts someone has to pay quite a lot for it. I’d rather have big smart pubs than big scruffy ones. Smaller pubs can get away with being scruffy as their character can shine out more, so long as the beer is well kept. Oh, and the espresso is up to Italian holiday quality which is more than most restaurants let alone gastro pubs. You can have a quiet drink there, just not when food is being served, so it’s good for the locals during the week and weekend mid-afternoons so long as you can bag the sofas. Keep it up folks. I want my local to stay good for several years yet.
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Ate here a couple of weeks ago (my first time to the Percy Arms). It appeared to be just a restaurant to me but I only went in and straight to my table (in the conservatory area). I very rarely eat steak when I got to restaurants but this was the place to have it. Choose the cut of meat and then go to the 'butchers counter' to have a slice cut to the size you want and cooked the way you want. Service was excellent and the waitress was very attentive despite it being full. All in all an excellent Friday night out.
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Well Mr Landlord. It is sometime since I visited your establishment. But as a regular beer drinker I can tell you that £2.95 for a pint of premium beer is NOT NORMAL. That is simply taking the Percy....
The record so far in any Surrey or Sussex pub that I have visited, stands at £2.85, so as you see, by your own admission you have the record..
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My husband and I have been going to The Percy for three years. We used to go nearly 4 times a week and eat there every week. However we don’t go there so often now. This is because it’s become a victim of its own success and is so busy that it makes the whole experience completely unrelaxing. We never go there for ‘just a drink’ now because a) the prices are now silly (they increased after the building work was done) and b) unless it's summer and you can use the garden there isn’t anywhere to sit or gather. This is because all the tables inside are used by diners and the small bar area and four bar stools are used by diners who are having a pre-dinner drink or diners who are in need of a cigarette. It seems to be much more of a restaurant than a pub now, especially since the extension was done. The food is still good but you don’t really get the service that you used to unless you go mid-week and it’s not busy. Avoid the place on hot summers days and Sunday lunchtimes because it’s full of ‘flash-yer-cash’ people and the staff tend to be in a complete stress because they can’t seem to handle the sheer volume of people. Oh and there’s nowhere to park because some of the 4X4 drivers who frequent the pub can’t park properly and use two spaces per vehicle.
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I am an employee and i am confused to hear that people think that that drinkers are not welcome. We pride ourselves in keeping and serving quality beer with good service. we have had our cask marque for many years now and it is the pride of all of the people that work in front of house and behind the scenes.
Drinkers are more welcome reserved signs are no longer put on the tables. This was done not to deter drinkers but to make sure that people that had booked tables were able to be seated. We have a garden that can seat up to apporoximetaly 200 people.We can also seat up to 30 people around and on the bar.
I am proud to be a part of a pub that can cater for such diversity and I know that everyone that works there are proud as well.
Thankyou for taking the time to read this and I hope to see you soon for a happy and enjoyable time at the Percy Arms.
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A full restaurant of happy diners is as good a recommendation as any pub could hope for - and it happens here! A full menu to suit every taste and every pocket; good service ( I had a cute blonde waitress - friendly and good at her job). Owner seems to realise that identifying customer needs is the only way to increase profits and he obviously knows his stuff. A couple of cute waiters who look as though they could star in porn movies, but that's a good distraction if you are not enjoying the company of your fellow diners!
Some of the messages posted must come from contributors who cannot recognise good food, have no idea about good service and would find McDonalds a pleasant eating experience. That's fine - but they should go back to McDonalds. This place suits a more discerning customer and there are plenty of us around.
Top marks to you all - and I am a hell of a fussy customer - long may you continue to thrive. You may not like it, but, I will be back!
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When I'm back in the area (or indeed the country!) I always pop in to The Percy. As my local for many years I witnessed many, largely unsuccessful, changes. Ted, Shane and the team have given much needed life to this pub without conforming to the usual template of brewery owned establishments. Food is excellent and staff are friendly and attentive. I wish them success, as usual, with furthering the success of this pub and with their other projects.
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Why is it people who slag off a pub don't have the balls to give there name, this pub has had it's cask marque since opening and has never lost it - so much for bad beer - as to being a restaurant i will happly concede that that is the case but as not welcoming drinkers ....codswallop maybe its the fact we only allow well behaved drinkers, like most pubs in the country. 2.95 for a pint of premium ale is about normal,
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By far one of the best pubs in the area.
Food is absolutely fab, especially the steaks.
Staff are generally very efficient and friendly
In agreement with other comments posted the place has got a bit restaurant orientated and expensive in recent months, but any comments suggesting drinkers aren't welcome are absolute rubbish, have you not seen the size of the garden?!!!
Also, about the cash machine, how many village pubs do you know that have a free cash machnine or offer cash back?!!
anonymous - 13 Jul 2005 13:28 |
This site is called Beer in the Evening not Steak in the Evening. I do believe that this ex-pub should be de-listed from this site as it has primarily become a restaurant that grudgingly allows pure drinkers in. At least the reserved signs have been removed from the tables. These were put out on the vast majority of the tables even though they were not actually reserved. This was just so that they could tell drinkers to push off if someone came in wanting food at a particular table. This behaviour backs up my theory that drinkers aren't really welcome in this restaurant. I notice that the prices of the drinks are sky rocketing and a pint of ale will now cost you £2.95!
£2.95 for ale that is badly kept. The ales are not hand pumped, even though all the equipment for such correct administration is available.
They have one of those rip-off cash machines so I presume there is no free cash back at the bar, not that I've even tried.
To sum up...As a restaurant this place is well run and the staff are polite. But it is difficult not to get the impression that making money is the bottom line at this place. The ale is very variable in its quality.
anonymous - 8 Jun 2005 21:31 |
This just shows that the English knows nothing (to put it mildly) about food. This is the best pub probably in the whole of England. Proper food. The only place that can cook a steak to perfection.
Great atmosphere. Brilliant food. Not even the top London restaurants can cook food like this.
anonymous - 8 Jun 2005 17:37 |
Poncy typical Surrey yuppie hole. Best avoided if you don't want to get run over by the immaculately clean 4x4 cars in the Car Park.
anonymous - 31 Mar 2005 15:00 |
Aside the usual drinks they have in pubs (Stella, Carling, Guinness, etc.) they have Ruddles County, Old Speckled Hen and IPA here. Claim to have the best Pimms ever. I am not really a spirits drinker but if that's what floats your boat you may want to give it a try and tell us how true that claim is!
Will - 15 Sep 2004 13:20 |
Sorry, I got so pissed off with Gareth who posted 5 Mar 2004 12:18, that I forgot to put his name on my thread! They were his quotes dissing my fave pub of all time!
SamH - 23 Jun 2004 11:53 |
A great pub and a great advert for the warmth and good cheer displayed by South Africans! Good food, wine and beer and very welcoming atmosphere. Re. the message displayed by Thomas on 2/3/04 - you've got a social problem mate, you stuck up tosser! Maybe you're over miserable?
Paul - 7 May 2004 14:08 |
This is the best pub in the UK!!!I worked there for 5 months, and not a day goes by that i dont think about everyone that works there!!!! And the manageres from Durban is the best ever!!!!
Charleen - 15 Apr 2004 21:04 |
We found this pub the other day, food and service was superb, best place for fantastic steak. Great service and food with a great atmosphere.
Anna - 14 Apr 2004 15:06 |
The Percy Arms is a great place to eat, drink and generally have a good time.
I'm not into 'posh' resturants, and generally detest them, but here there is a warm atmosphere, friendly service and somewhere where the whole family are welcome.
It's not a 'posh' resturant or a 'traditional' pub, it's a comfortable inbetween.
Amelia - 19 Mar 2004 12:07 |
I'd be suspicious of any pub run by Rugby mad South Africans. This pub has gone downhill in the last 2 years, it's not as clean and not as cosy as it once was. It's edging towards being a Yate's wine lodge of the countryside.
Gareth - 5 Mar 2004 12:18 |
Before 2003, this pub was dead. It has been revived by a planeload of South Africans, although they haven't got rid of a previous owner's attempt to turn the place into some sort of wine bar. I've heard the food is good, as much curry as you can eat on a Monday. Beers include IPA and Speckled Hen.
There is an over-happy barmaid who will come around and ask if you want another drink. This may be acceptable in Durban, but not here.
Thomas - 2 Mar 2004 20:03 |
