The Bear, Esher - pub details
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Address: 71 High Street, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9RQ [map] [gmap]
Tel: 0871 951 1000 (ref 2034) - calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
Esher (0.9 miles), Claygate (1 mile), Hinchley Wood (1.2 miles)
Brewery: Young's
Pub facilities/features:
- Sky TV
- Food served, Real ale
- Outside seating, Wireless internet access (provided by The Cloud)
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> Current user rating: 4.0/10 (rated by 53 users)
> Hotels nearby: Search
> Local guide: Surrey pub guide
other pubs nearby:
R Bar, Esher (0.0 miles), Albert Arms, Esher (0.1 miles), Wheatsheaf on the Green, Esher (0.2 miles), Swan Inn and Lodge, Claygate (0.6 miles), Prince of Wales, Esher (0.7 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Bear, Esher
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 41 shown - see all reviews
| I'm always wary of a pub which has bouncers on the door on the assumption that, if it's the sort of pub which attracts the sort of people who need to be kept out by bouncers, then it's not the sort of pub which I'll be comfortable in. However, I was visiting The Bear with friends and had no option. It is comforting to note that my misgivings were correct. As you enter The Bear, there are bare floors, no seats, just a few tall tables to put your drinks on while you stand drinking. Even worse, the beer was served in plastic disposable cups. I've not had beer in a plastic beaker since 1997, in Qoma's Tavern in Kwazulu-Natal, and that certainly wasn't Young's Ordinary I was drinking then. Young's Ordinary deserves better than plastic. They have a small list of overpriced food (at least, I think £10-95 is overpriced for 'Bangers and mash' in a pub). I doubt if the chef is very busy, as there are some very nice restaurants nearby serving better food at a cheaper price. The beer was similarly overpriced - about 7% more than in another Young's pub which we visited earlier. We did manage to find some seats in a remote corner of the pub, but my visit to The Bear was not one which I want to repeat. The only good thing about it was that the staff were very friendly, and the beer was fine, if you can ignore the edge of the plastic beaker moving when you drink. Trequites - 23 Aug 2011 11:12 |
| This pub smells. I mean, it smells bad. I went to the Bear last night with a friend. We hadn’t been in the place for about 8 years and wanted to see what it was like. The two main questions that we wanted answering were; has it been refurbished and does it still stink? Well it’s been refurbished in a similar style to other large Youngs pubs in the area such as the Crown in Chertsey and the Hand and Spear in Weybridge. I can only assume that a relative/lover of a Youngs director claimed over dinner to have an “eye” for interior design. But the smell has survived the refit. My word the smell! I’m not sure where it’s emanating from. It’s like a mixture of rotting wood, dampness, horse manure and farts. We ordered two pints of ordinary but we were served two pints of sludge. The barman very apologetically took them back and said the barrel probably needed changing and scurried off. He was gone for a long time, when he came back he picked a half pint glass and pulled some beer. He inspected it, sniffed it, and held it up to the light like a sommelier. Then poured me a pint. I looked at him and looked and the pint of sludge he had just handed over in disbelief. I tried to point out that this was beer from the old barrel and had just been sitting in the line, but it was pointless. I’m afraid that this is all too common in pubs, but seems more prevalent in Youngs’ establishments; staff who are badly trained and do not know or have any interest the product they’re selling. In truth I suppose the terrible beer probably explains the smell. I don’t think we’ll bother going back to the Bear for at least another 8 years. Hopefully in 2018 there will have been another refurb, and a change of management and staff. But I bet it’ll still stink. huntface - 17 Oct 2010 10:18 |
| Nice large pub, the food is really good, had standard fish and chips first time here, but what a fish! And the chips were amazingly well cooked! Drinks are a bit pricey, but I think someone else has mentioned that if you're living in Esher you should kind of expect that and shouldn't really be in a position to complain. Its 15 minute drive to get to from where I live, but its worth it every time. Drinks are standard, nothing too different, but service is good and staff are friendly and helpful. daveo1707 - 13 Nov 2009 11:22 |
| A reasonable spot. Sometimes plain and dull with a retail sort of feel but when it gets a little busy then you wont look back. Serivce is good, and if you are drinking in Esher then you have got no right to get snooty about an extra 5p on the price of beer. mrloftysson - 23 Oct 2009 16:50 |
| I agree with what's been said about the pleasant décor and ample places to sit in different corners. The beer is expensive as it is throughout the area, but tastes good. The food is realistically priced considering how much you get. Standards are high for drink, food and service. Only one word of warning to customers: one of our party asked for a glass of red wine without specifying which one, so was automatically given the most expensive one - at £6.20 a glass!! So: do consult the wine list and clearly state which one you want. Trev - 6 Oct 2009 14:43 |
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