please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A decent pub with well kept beer.The range of beers is far too static,same old same old.The service is erratic. The garden is very nice ,decent large cover for smokers outside when It rains. The food seems to be good and reasonable value. All in all a cut above the average pub.
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Can't comment on beer and food as husband waited and waited to get served at bar with no luck. Barmaid walked off when it was obvious he was waiting. All she needed to say was 'I'll be with you in a moment' and we might have persevered. As it was, we gave up and went next door, which didn't have the same olde-worlde charm but at least had staff who were working. Someone else at the bar was complaining about slow crappy service too.
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lovely pint of wadsworth and rose wine this afrernoon in the sun outside. freindly barmaid and food looked pretty good too. will go back when in the area!!!
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Having dined in this pub in the past I thought it would be a nice treat for family who were visiting to have a lovely Sunday Roast in this quirky pub.
The beer is well kept with a good selection but locals take priority in order of service.
The Sunday Roast - Terrible! Dry as a bone, black potatoes & a small portion of hardly edible meat although the desserts were ok. Our waiter was very pleasant & attentive. Pity about the Manger who was rather officious & inconvenienced when I asked if she would close the door to the beer garden as the locals like to smoke at the door with it open. That's ok if you don't mind eating in a room that reeks of cigarette smoke.
Not how I remeber it on previous occasions so what a disappointment. We wont be eating in here again!
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Popped down here over the weekend & must say that the beer is very well kept.
Nice play area for kids & nice decking area to sit.
This more of a restaurant with a bar, but worth a visit.
Lovely little herb garden outside.
7/10
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Scores out of 5
Beers on offer 5 - Beer quality 4 - Full pint? 3 - Service 3 - Clientele 4
Garden & view 3 - Welcome & staff 3 - Parking 3 - Toilets 3 - Comfort 4
TOTAL 35 out of 50 OVERALL RATING 31 to 35 = 7
Comment: Nice range of beers which are rotated regularly so boredom not a problem. Old building but young crowd nowdays. Add it to any crawl in the area.
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The White Lion used to be such a wonderful pub, but over the years has lost it's soul.
The pub is very popular with the younger crowd on a Friday night and as such is usually pretty busy. The pub is poorly managed with staff unaware of who is next to be served, often chatting with their friends rather than professionally going about their jobs.
Food is OK for the money and service is usually fairly quick.
The Horsehoe is now a much better bet as service is excellent as is the welcome.
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Nice decor, Various ales, Strongbow and Magners Golden on draught, Two nice outdoor seating areas, larger one out back. However, pub lacked atmos and was a bit dull. OK if just passing through. The Horseshoe next door, though very slightly dearer is far better.
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Nice little Ember Inns pub with 10 hand pumps serving 5 different real ales.
There are five at the front as you enter with the other five at the rear.
As with most EI pubs the price per pint is marked on the pump/tap so you know what you will have to pay before ordering.
They had GK IPA (�2.30) Fullers Summer Ale (�2.60) Pride (�2.70) Caledonian Nectar (�2.80) and Adnams Broadside (�2.90)
I tried the FSA and the CN and both were in very good condition.
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great pub to have a drink in and the food is wonderful value for money....
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Recall this pub as it used to be : that is pre Ember and pre-M&B!
Now would usually only go to the garden if pushed.
Inside I dislike the lack of character left in a totally insensitive Emberising. What was done was against all the local opinion of regular users.
However, having said that, so much better now in most of the catering departments than the previous M&B incumbents who managed to ruin it all. They could not even manage a jacket potato with cheese (incomplete cooking of potato and cheese could not manage to melt as a result!), and served coffees with UHT Cream OUT-of DATE.
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Stayed over in nearby Whyteleafe and saw this pub on way to my hotel. Liked the look so decided to back for my evening meal. Glad I did! 5.99 for a curry & pint, just what a man needs after a long days work. I tried the Pride which was ok, however my 2nd pint, Elgoods Double Swan was delicious. The pub was busy and the staff were very good.
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I enjoyed my brief visit here, although is more of a restaurant feel than a pub feel. An interior mix of old fashioned elements going into a modern feel
Nice for a stop off
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The Broadside was decent enough but the Adnams was the only one on much to the chagrin of some disgruntled looking ale fans at the weekend.
Ember inns have customed this hostelry to their own corporate intentions. Not a terrible pub by any means.
What is slightly incongruous is you had the ale gentlemen, then the usual Ember inn clientele eating food and then a group of geezers who might ask you who you was looking at if you spilt their Magners.
No individual character but reliable enough.
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Retains some of its character despite Ember Inn's unfortunate clone-dressing of some parts of it. Went for the Adnams Broadside - which was actually one of the best tasting pints of Broadside I'd tasted anywhere, which was a really pleasant surprise. Food was overpriced, with sausages slightly red in the middle. Great beer, average surroundings, below average food.
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Retains some of its character despite Ember Inn's unfortunate clone-dressing of some parts of it. Went for the Adnams Broadside - which was actually one of the best tasting pints of Broadside I'd tasted anywhere, which was a really pleasant surprise. Food was overpriced, with sausages slightly red in the middle. Great beer, average surroundings, below average food.
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The interior of this pub has hopefully just been covered over and equally hopefully the ancient timbers and smoke stained plaster work can be revealed if and when such a building as this falls back into the right hands. Formula food menu, too brightly lit but fewer of the clique customers of the past. The last part possibly due to the Good Companions shot-gun incident a few summers back.
That said, not bad - just disappointing, and given its age amazingly lacking in character. So few really decent pubs nearby.
Pip-pip!
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Stopped for a quick one as I happened to be passing, to see if it had settled down from the refurb.
Not really. It'll never be the same. Bloody vandals.
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Nice pub... interesting style. It's kept the features of the old house/builsing.. low celings, fireplaces. There are lots of little areas makes it feel like your own private area. The staff are friendly too.
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Ventured back to check out as was going to be in Warlingham for new year. Same regulars as have always been there but the other 2 pubs on the green aren't inviting. Decor settled in a bit more but have same reservations about the atmosphere of the place. Better of in the Goodies or the revamped Hare & Hounds at opposite ends of town
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Have now been back to find the old dining area revamped and extended behind the old drinking area. Looks good (but still new) but didn't eat so can't comment on the food. The great old bar with low beams has been wrecked though as the black wooden beams are surrounded in walls covered in (mock?) pine and cheap paint. The bar counter (retained) has also been extended round to the extension adding further light and completely removing an feeling of being in a historic pub. Didn't see the Harvets though
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Now back open as an Ember Inn. They managed to resist the temptation to knock it through, so the five small rooms to the front remain, with a new extension to the rear. Of course they couldn't resist the temptation to paint all the old wood panelling in stupid pastel colours and replace the rickety old furniture with identikit MFI stuff. An Ember Inn as I said so same expensive microwaved stuff as Vintage Inns served in silly oversized soup plates. No chance of a basic sandwich, the usual over-elaborate affair with an unneccessary plate of chips presumably to justify charging nearly a fiver for it. Unusually for an M&B pub they did produce a nice pint of Harveys. Was an 8 point pub, now 6.
Nick - 23 Aug 2004 10:58 |
currently closed for the afore mentioned renovation. Waiting to see how damaging the changes are
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15th century coaching inn featuring several small rooms, low beams and a real fire. Serving London Pride, Youngs and Harveys (the latter was probably a guest judging by the hand written pump label) at reasonable prices. Recently changed owners who have applied for planning permission to make it more into a restaurant which may ruin a old pub or may not be so bad if it only changes the dining area off to the side
lout_from_the_lane - 20 Feb 2004 13:24 |
