please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Nice pub, good staff and management, but beer is just not up to scratch. This is a Fullers house, so I expect a decent pint. Is the brewery at fault or is it the pub.
The problem with the beer has been ongoing now for several years, so the theory about the pub being built above an old Indian (native American) graveyard, could be true.
Why couldn't they stick with Poltergeist and leave our beer alone ??? Bloody native American ghosts !!
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This was my favourite pub when I lived in Harrow and one of my favourite in all of London thanks to its gem of a garden. I lived a 10 minute walk away and made it my local despite the bitch of a walk up the hill. True to say that compared to the all crap pubs in Harrow town centre any pub in the area would look good but The Castle is miles ahead of the rest. Thank God it doesn't suit "the more sophisticated younger drinker" (Harrowboy 08 Aug 2005). Reading through all the comments below it is noticable that most of them are generally favourable from the first one in Dec 2002 up to a period around March 2004. Then with one or two exceptions it seems to attract more harsh critisism until June 2006 whereupon the more positive comments begin to dominate once again and I'm glad to say, they have continued to do since. It's 5 years since I lived in Harrow so I cannot explain the reason for the apperent 2 year lull in the Castle's reputation. But, having visited the pub last month with some friends for the first time since I moved, I was glad to discover it was just as good as ever and we had a great night. One final word about the clientele. I remember enjoying a pint of pride with the same friends in the garden here about 10 years ago when one of them nodded towards an adjacent table and asked me if I recognised anyone. I did. It was the late Richard Harris albeit drinkng what looked like orange juice. But given his illustrious past surely he knew a good pub when he saw one and The Castle was then, and still is, a good pub.
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Visited recently with a young lady in tow was very impressed by the standard of service and array of fine Fullers beers
We also enjoyed an excellent meal, the Steak and ESB pie went down a treat
All in all a very enjoyable evening spent in good company and ambient surroundings
I will visit again for more of the same
Maybe take the wife next time !
anonymous - 5 Nov 2007 15:10 |
I shall visit the castle on sunday - jeans and tshirt? No. I can now wear some decent strides and a shirt knowing that I wont come home smelling like a carnival of carcinogens. Hopefully we can enjoy an extra smooth pint of pride as we gaze thru the window to watch the rain soaked punters outside suck on anuvver gasper, on the street where they belong.
Liberal Larry
anonymous - 26 Jun 2007 19:36 |
Best pub in Harrow...by miles. Does get very busy though.
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Decent pub but the beer is not always as good as a Fuller's tied house should be.
Often get prats who seem hell bent in getting in the way of anybody that wants serving.
To the long skinny bloke with the long skinny pipe (mentioned by 'asanewt' below). Do you have to light that hideous thing just before you go to the bar? Roll on 1st July!
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Wow, what a grate time. Mothers day food was spot on and the service was pulled off without a hitch. Really enjoyed this one, definetly recomend it for anyone looking for a bite to eat in a friendly relaxed atmosphere.
Had a peek at the beer garden too, looks like it will be a spot in the summer.
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The best of the bunch in Harrow, although that really isn’t saying very much is it.
Good Fuller’s beer and great beer garden in the summer although arrive early because it packs out very quickly on a warm evening or weekend afternoon.
The food is OK, if a good bit over priced for what you get. The chips however are outstanding and beat a bag of crisps as an accompaniment to a few pints by a long stretch.
Service at The Castle can be a bit hit and miss. With the manager on duty it’s quick and courteous but I have know it to be slow and indifferent. How hard can it be to keep an eye on the customers waiting when serving a round and have some idea of who is next and been waiting the longest? All to often the closest waiting customer, not the customer on the other side of the bar that has been waiting 5 minutes, will get served. Annoying.
Other than that, I like The Castle. Free newspapers, warm fireplaces in the winter and the spectacle of watching the Harrow masters getting slowly pickled after a days effort teaching are all part of its appeal.
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the pride is variable and the measures often short - probably due to lack of training for the foreign bar staff? However the location and ambience is superb with a great beer garden for the summer. NB. Gas masks required some nights when the guy with the meerschaum puts his stink on the place! Roll on Summer 07.
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Been coming in here on and off for 25 years. Last visit was Christmas last year. Great pub, same manager who knows what he's doing. Parking was a bit of a nightmare as can be expected in a residential area. Only let down was the american barman who clearly has not heard of customer service. We were kept waiting at the bar for over five minutes whilst he finished off a conversation on his mobile phone! Just dont visit when he is on or you'll be waiting til next year, especially if it is quiet for a drink. However, a very good visit overall.
anonymous - 6 Dec 2006 21:30 |
Quote from anonymous: "u cajnt excpect them to just throw the old one [ale barrel] away"
Yes you damn well can, it's off. Like lumpy milk, sweaty cheese and stale bread.
Or do they serve that up as well?
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Went there the other evening and wondered why I didn't make the effort to get there more often. Why does the best pub in Harrow get such a low rating?
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I first went to this pub in 1966 (underage, but still got served!) That was when Maurice was running it, and he continued to do so for years.
Sadly now it is not "The Castle that I remember.
I won't be back.
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Pub, manager and staff are all excellent, but Pride and ESB are hit or miss, although improved lately. To be honest, the beer has been hit or miss for many years here, so not a recent problem. A cursed cellar ?
Perry - 16 Oct 2006 13:12 |
This is without a shadow of a doubt the best pub in Harrow, and well worth the steep but scenic walk up the hill. It must be the only one that provides a good selection of real ales (most in Harrow seem to be lager n' shots), plus personally I like Fullers beers. Big sofas and open fires make this very cosy in winter!
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As one visitor remarked, "It is such a great feeling to wander into a real pub where the staff enjoy their work, and not only know many customers by first name, but also what they drink." The same visitor also thanked us regulars for entertaining him. Yes, it IS one of those pubs where complete strangers are welcome and do not have to sit outside!!
Drop in for a pintertwo!
mikem - 16 Sep 2006 10:08 |
What a great pub.
Having been used to the dregs that is Harrow town centre, and being used to the fact I feel as if i've going out partying in central Bagdad, I wonder where the previous comments are coming from?
Having run pubs myself I can see what a great job the manager here is doing, with the very loyal and dedicated staff.
There's a real friendly atmosphere here. One that is lacking in many of the tastless offering in the centre.
The Food: It's pricy - but the quality is superb. If people want a tastless, warm, microwaved alternative which is priced at £1.99 then I suggest your preferred establishment is McDonalds or - if you're taking the lady out - Burger King.
The Drink: What fantastic beer! It's tasty, and just how Fuller's wants it served. I got around the problem of being short measured by simply asking for it to be topped up. I was'nt that hard - honestly. Although my wife had to have her wine in a weird non-wine glass (ie a 1/2 pinter) I did understand the position they were in. BUSY - surely this is testiment to what a great pub this is.
To you who have'nt been here before - go, now! It's great - please do not be put off by the comments on this page as most are unjustified. It sounds to me as if when Fuller's "repositoned" the pub - a group of locals/regulars decided to completly slag the pub. Lovinit has a fresh(!) attitude, which is a great one. If you don't like it - why not either:
1. Complain to their faces - you never know, it might actully get sorted
2. Vote with your feet - Stanley said he was "off to pastures new" in 2005 - so why nearly 6 months later come back? It can't be that bad then! Hell - there might be somewhere better?! I doubt it though.
It does'nt take a rocket scientist to work out what has gone on in these pages. I think there are some p***ed off people who feel as if their local has been "tampered" with and will do their utmost to destroy the reputation of a great pub, with some fantastic staff, atmosphere and brilliant food and drink. Not against the Manager - but against the brewery. I will say this before I get off my high horse:
Pubs are changing - just look at the high street in your local town. Remember the 50's/60's/70's? It's nothing like that. The industry has changed, and therefore pubs have to. Would you still like to go to this pub in 5 years and enjoy a drink - or would you like to visit a block of flats? If this sort of slander continues, and nobody visits the pub - what do you think will happen? No customers = No money = no pub.
Leave these poor guys alone - and actually praise their good work.
They are busy - there must be a reason why.....
anonymous - 1 Sep 2006 19:11 |
i love this place. the food is fantastice (great new menu) and the drinks are resonably priced.
the location is wonderful and he beer garden is one of the best in London!
The new manager has done a great job with this place. from the weather brick inthe garden, to table magic and poetry evenings!
Long live the castle!
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This is a locals pub. One where we can moan about the place and its ok, because we all go there and suffer the same.
Its beer garden is a hidden little gem (like most of the hill itself) and like somebody wisely mentioned previously, its location stops the scum of Harrow venturing in.
Somewhere I used to avoid, but since the change in staff recently, I now favour the Castle's quirky atmosphere for Cafe Cafe's tastier drinks and food.
This isnt a place that boasts about anything....it just exists. For that reason alone you can understand 'why' the guy below catches 2 buses and walks up the hill.
A place to relax and unwind in.
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Will the beer up the Castle ever improve?
Will the buses ever run on time?
Will it ever stop raining?
Something tells me the answer to all these questions is NO!
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every friday and saturday I catch 2(TWO)buses which are ALWAYS LATE!and walk up harrow hill in the freezing rain and cold. I arrive soaking wet at the Castle pub in a very bad mood just to order a pint of London Pride which is always cloudy and insipid. I then stand in the corner muttering to myself.
I must be absolutely Bonkers!
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Saturday 10th December, the beer was drinkable. Why can't this be the case every day ? Last week-end, the Pride was undrinkable, and the bottled beer went very quickly as a result.
It is so frustrating that a decent pub can not get the draught beer to a good standard on a regular basis. Are the lines cleaned regularly ? Is there a trained cellarman ? Does the pub sanitize taps, beer lines, etc. every 7 days or so, never longer than 10 days.
Something tells me that the answer to these questions is " No!"
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This is one of the best pubs in Harrow. In the Summer, the beer garden is excellent and in the winter the real fire gives off a magical glow. I like this pub. Only down side is it is so far from the station and up a big hill, but at least this stops the Yates' scum of Harrow climbing up to investigate.
mikez - 13 Dec 2005 16:07 |
I think The Castle is a great pub. The decor is a nice mix of old-fashioned and modern, they have a decent range of beers, and they do good food. Went there for a lovely relaxed Sunday roast the other weekend. Definitely one of the best pubs in Harrow.
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I know someone who works at the Castle Inn, working hard to make it pleasant for the customers, who was mildly upset by some of the comments. Having read the comments for myself, it's obvious that many of the worst can be totally ignored. Some make the pub out to be so bad that they must have written by people who are unjustly trying to damage the pubs reputation. It may not be perfect (what is?) but it isn’t wrong side of the gates of hell. Sensible, balanced, criticism is interesting, but over the top ranting like calling the staff “INBREDS” will always identify the writer’s true character. On the flip side, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the totally positive comments have been written by Fuller’s management!
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This is the best pub in Harrow I think - certainly has a great selection of Fuller beers. Great terrace out the back too. Only real pub left on the Hill since the King's Head got turned into flats.
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The bar staff systematically pour short measures of beer. Fullers should put a stop to this, as it is giving their otherwise excellent beer a bad reputation.
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This pub has nothing to offer the more sophiticated younger drinker. The beer isnt worth drinking and their is no atmosphere.
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I was on a nostalgic tour of the public hostelries i knew from my young days living in Harrow. I couldnever have imagined how bad such a pub could become. I was with a young lady and was so embarrased at taking her into such a run down establishment. Beer --ugh
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I went to the CAstle after a long climb up Harrow #hill. It was a complete wste of time apart from getting some excercise. The London pride tasted as if it had died , but there was worse to come. ESB
I would recommend that you go elsewhere.
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i agree with many of the comments already made. the beer is in asful condition, it is very eexpensive and lacks atmosphere. It is very much anold mans pub
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I actually like this pub, the staff are friendly (especially the young glass collector guy) and everything Ive ever eaten here has been good. Its a nice place to bring mates for a quiet pint. I do agree that Fuller's dont seem to be putting money into this pub, they dont seem to understand that they have an excellent building and that they could really pull in the punters if they wanted to. I always see locals in the pub, which is a good thing and the interior is a fantastic restored example.
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I was about to go into one, about the appalling London Pride that is being served up here, but I seem to have been beaten by several people.
This last week-end was the final straw, and despite drinking here for years, I'm taking lovinit's advice (even though he seems delusional, if he thinks that the beer has improved recently) and finding another pub where they can at least serve up decent beer.
It's a shame as I like this pub, but if they can't be bothered to look after the beer, then I'm off to fresh pastures.
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I totally agree with the last comment. I was also in The Castle last night, and waited for over 20 minutes to be served, before giving up and going to another pub.
I also agree that the beer in The Castle is a disgrace, considering that this is a Fuller's pub. Don't they have any idea how to look after ale ??? Clearly not.
What puzzles me, is that Fullers do nothing about the poor beer here, as I am aware of customers complaining to them about The Castle beer, yet not a thing has improved.
As the last comment questioned....do Fullers care more about profit than their reputation for good beer ? It makes you wonder.
Perry - 16 Jul 2005 19:25 |
I went to The Castle last saturday (9th July), and they had no glasses for beer. If you wanted beer, then it was a case of "come back in 30 minutes". If the beer was drinkable, then perhaps I would have been prepared to wait, but this pub is known for it's crap beer. This is a pub that I've been drinking in for over 30 years, and to see it become the joke that it's become, is sad. All Fullers care about, is the money that the pub generates. The simple fact is that this pub is now very, very, trendy, and even though only 1 in 10 pints drunk is a Fuller's ale, rather than tasteless lager, doesn't seem to bother Fullers.
Obviously profit is better than reputation.
Tonight (15th July), I went to The Castle, and not only were there no glasses, but there was a slight lack of staff. There were two people working, and they were working there arses off, but it was nowhere near enough. I, like many other people, ended up at The White Horse, just down the road, as at least we could get served there.
It really seems that Fullers have abandoned The Castle, as it is simply a cash cow, so FST don't need to make any effort, as the money rolls in, whatever.
The poor staff who are left to take the abuse, are the ones we should feel sorry for......but all I, and most drinkers want, is a decent pub that serves decent beer.
Is that too hard for you, Fullers ??
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What the hell is the problem with you guys poting crap comments like this?
I think the castle is a top pub. Yeah, ok they make mistakes sometimes, and yeah the food is expensive....but..come on!
WOuld you really want the old management back? I think the new manager has made great improvements. The garden looks great, the beer is 100% better than it was, and the food is actually tasty and hot now! I think the person below who's going on about "bread and butter trade" is actually still in victorian times! Welcome to the 21st century! Pubs have changed, them have to. Look at the competetion out there! Even supermarkets are competetion now!
Give these guys a break...after all... if it's that bad, why not go somewhere else??
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To anybody who is looking for good food, good service and good beer this is not the place for you. I whole heartly agree with the comments made by Mr Aspr1n (below).
Fullers (and the previous managers) have quite simply managed to ruin what was a really good pub with overpriced and extremely bad food, awful service from which ever poor unsuspecting traveller happens to apply for a job and then leave 6 weeks later. And for the boys - terrible beer. No I'm not joking it really is that bad.
What Fullers have forgotten is their bread and butter trade - Regulars!! They have no concept of pub grub - you know Sandwiches, Crisps, Ploughmans etc, and their market research when pricing this "gastro" food was taken with the Bill Gates/Richard Branson wallet size in mind a fact that is compounded by the food being really C***!
Don't visit unless you want an afternoon whinging about how bad this pub really is!
Somebody should forward these comments to Fullers - who knows pigs might fly and they might take some notice!
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This pub has become my local - because well I am, so this is from that perspective.
The two best things about this pub are it's location - particularly in the summer, and the other customers that drink there. That however is where the compliments stop, this pub needs good management or good competition - preferably both.
The staff are very friendly, though obviously poorly paid and equally poorly trained. The drink selection is poor, probably because the staff just don't have the bar skills.
Don't be surprised when you get white wine served in warm glasses, or flat beer in dirty ones.
The food they have tried to make "trendy" and charge premium restaurant prices. In this they fail miserably, the food is awful and offensively priced.
There are 3 rules to eating in the Castle:
Rule 1: Just don't. Treat yourself and go somewhere else.
Rule 2: If you must break Rule 1, do it with their bar snacks only.
Rule 3: If you must break Rule 2 and eat from their main menu, never never do it on a Sunday. The food is cold, overcooked and service slow.
Rule 3a: If you feel the need to complain about your food/service, don't be shy, you will neither be the first nor the last.
The "Specials" menu should be avoided at all costs, as "Special" denotes how much you'll probably feel fleeced by the end of it.
This pub could and should be fantastic, it's let down by a sloppy attitude to service and quality, Fullers should be ashamed.
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What a shame - have been visiting this pub for 30 years, I was introduced to it at the age of 4 by my father, I used to love the place and in my teens enticed my friends away from the attractions of Harrow town nightlife to a more gentile weekend watering hole with the promise of reasonably priced food and drink a 'secret garden' for the summer and a shabby chic relaxing pub for drinking beer, smoking fags and reading the paper on a Sunday. Good conversation and friendly mixed company ideal for expanding ones social skills and interests. WHAT THE HELL HAS HAPPENED. HAS THE CIRCUS BEEN TO TOWN AND LEFT A BUNCH OF INBREDS IN THE CASTLE. What a bunch on toffee nosed, rude, poorly-educated bigots, if that’s not bad enough you need to pawn your grandmother for half a pint and sell your soul to the devil to afford a sandwich at the extortionate prices. The refit was overdue and quite nicely done apart from the majority of seating being non-smoking, but even on 'the Hill' there is such a thing as ‘the wrong crowd’ and I wouldn’t take my own children there to learn some of the wonders of social interaction and stories of life, they would be likely to run off and join the ‘odd man with the big top tent’ In fact if I have to go there ever again I may well take a GCSE in Lion taming and be off too.
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Great pub, beer improving, but the last 2 occasions I've been there for food, I've found it taken over by screaming kids whose parents who let them run riot.
It's a pub with the beer and atmosphere that could be a classic, unfortunately, the 'food room' is a disgrace. Kids should be allowed, but the management should at least insist they are under control, as it ruins it for all the regulars.
I'm now dreading the summers there in the garden, it never used to be this bad re kids.
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The best pub in Harrow, although I have had to return the London Pride as too cloudy. If the invested more in the beer aas the food the it would be unbeatable. However, still the best in Harrow.
john - 27 Aug 2004 19:26 |
I used to love this pub, what, 10 years ago? But did anyone see Changing Rooms tonight? At the beginning Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen is standing in the middle of a road. I said "That looks like Harrow outside the Castle". It soon turned out to be just that - at the very end of the programme, in the Out-takes section, he's taking a swig of what is obviously a proper beer in a pub and going "Bleeeeuuuurrrghgghhh".
We don't know for certain it was in The Castle, but we don't know for sure it wasn't - from the previous comments it looks likely - are they going to sort out their beer in such a lovely location????
Vikki - 9 Aug 2004 21:09 |
I love this pub!
EG - 9 Aug 2004 09:23 |
I went to The Castle for the first time in 5 years today (it used to be my local), and was very very disappointed by the state of the beer. I had a pint of ESB, and left most of it, due to the crappy taste, and then tried the Pride...it was equally bad. What has happened to this pub ? Speaking to locals, the bad beer is the norm now. What a waste of a once great pub !
Paul - 30 May 2004 01:13 |
Nice pub & very pleasant staff, but the beer was a disgrace on the three occasions that I've visited. If London Pride was a guest beer, I could understand, but this is a Fuller's pub, so there is no excuse for such bad beer.
Stan - 8 Apr 2004 12:09 |
Was a lovely pub...I've been drinking there for years...but the pub seems to have forgotten that it's a pub, and believes that it's a restaurant. Fine if all things are equal, but the beer has gone steadily downhill, as the food receives praise from the blossom brigade.
If you go to sample two of God's finest ales, ESB and Pride, then be prepared to be disappointed. Although the manager and manageress are lovely people, beer is not their thing...they are food people. So, if you believe that a pub should be a place to eat food, and nothing more, then The Castle is your place, but if you go in the belief that you will be served a pint of damn fine ale, then think again.
I love this pub, and to watch it be turned into a money making gastro pub is heartbreaking.
Grant - 20 Mar 2004 01:48 |
Best pub in the world. Lovely staff, good food 10/10
anonymous - 8 Mar 2004 20:39 |
A very nice chilled pub with good beer and wine. The food is very good and very reasonably priced. Worth walking up the hill.
Ashish - 21 Jan 2004 12:10 |
Yes, there's the treck up the hill, but it really is worth it!
Cassie Merfoy - 30 Oct 2003 23:00 |
Hard to find, but worth the effort.
An unspoiled old-fashioned local with friendly efficient bar staff, well-kept beer and good lunchtime food.
A bit of a schlep up Harrow Hill, but so much better than the soulless plastic palaces in the town centre.
Intershopper - 15 Aug 2003 15:46 |
it was better when maurice ran it
g. - 15 Aug 2003 10:19 |
The Sunday roast is fantastic. The beer is good and it at least has a traditional pub feel, as opposed to the theme pub hell that is the rest of Harrow. Cafe cafe is your only other rational choice for a drink.
Meister - 4 Aug 2003 17:38 |
Atmosphere is great, locals are of all sorts from vastly wealthy to poor, geriatrics like me. It is a training pub for Fullers, which sometimes makes for an odd effect or two, like cleaning the damn pipes with customers present!!
Mike - 30 Jul 2003 10:22 |
Great quiz on a monday night
anonymous - 1 Jul 2003 13:33 |
There's a really nice beer garden out the back, up some very steep stone steps - great place to just chill in the summer and have never had a problem getting a table even on the hottest of days. A great find!
Philippa - 26 Jun 2003 14:57 |
Nice people, friendly and comfortable. Food is great. The pub is great for cosy winter nights and the garden is great for sunny lazy days, all round great pub.
anonymous - 1 May 2003 15:04 |
Really nice pub. Well worth the walk up the hill on a sunny evening. The food is good too.
David O'Keeffe - 22 Apr 2003 10:38 |
This pub isnt lively, but its in a nice area and the roof garden in the summer is seriously cool.
Mr.KGB - 19 Mar 2003 17:18 |
don't go to the trinity...its shite! go to the castle instead...only thing its a killer walk up the hill....but worth it
anonymous - 20 Dec 2002 12:17 |
this is the best pub ever...good beer good food...lots of space
anonymous - 20 Dec 2002 11:36 |
