BITE user comments - HSBplease
Comments by HSBplease
Went to this pub on a Sunday afternoon recently
yes it was packed, heaving actually, went right through twice before finding a table.
Good choice of beer, mine was nice.
Good choice of food, we had snacks, and they were good. Also arrived much quicker than expected.
Yes, it is a tourist place, and so it should be, it is great to visit a place with so much history. Actually I was a tourist too, but I expect to be spending a lot more time in Cambridge and I will certainly revisit this place.
I find it gratifying to go into a pub that is doing so well, unlike the many that are unfortunately closing down
4 Dec 2012 15:58
This is the nicest pub in all of Hampshire (in my opinion). I have been using it for over 30 years. For years my wife and I have been walking to the pub almost every week. I really love the place.
BUT I DON'T GO ANYMORE
I prefer other places for food (someone has already mentioned 5 Bells at Buriton). I mainly go to the Red Lion for the beer (HSB of course), and it is always good, no complaints there.
So what's the problem you might ask?
GETTING SERVED is the problem. At lunchtimes there is rarely more than one person behind the bar, if quiet often he is out the back. Also, if in the new part of the pub he will not see you standing alone, like a lemon in the public bar (unless he is looking, which he is not). You can stand there for 5 minutes without anyone in sight. After finally getting served you decide you want to order something to eat or get another drink you go through the whole waiting process all over again. It drives me so crazy that I have stopped going. I don't want to spend my leisure time standing at an unmanned bar. I guess it might be part of a general cutback, but it was never like this with any of the previous managers that I have known. Some would have poured your next drink before you got your backside off the bench!
1 Dec 2012 18:58
I last rated this pub in 2006, it was somewhat negative. Despite being my closest local for the last 40 years - I rarely (almost never) used it, at one time I did not enter for 10 years (till they changed the landlord). Gales at one time said they would make improvement but that never came to fruition. You only have to read the old reviews to see some of the problems.
I was resigned to it becomming a housing development - thus losing yet another pub.
Last week I discovered that the Farmer had been taken over and refurbished. Today I visited and was surprised by the changes. It was bright and airy and looked very clean, I think this is the first decorating completed in the last 35 years. The HSB was excellent. We had already eaten so cannot comment on the food, but by all accounts it is excellent so will give it a go next weekend. The landlady was very pleasant and told us what they had managed to do so far and her plans for the future. I really hope she succeeds, she deserves to, it seems she has already brought the pub back to life. I hope she gets full support from Fullers. I will definately start to use it on a regular basis.
1 Jan 2012 15:10
Visited this pub recently on two consectutive evenings whilst staying in the area. Was concerned about previous comments but was told pub under new management. Everything was excellent - beer, wine, food and friendly staff. Well done to the new owners, you've really turned this pub round.
7 Dec 2011 10:36
The General's Arms, Little Baddow
Good news is that it is a nice pub with a lovely garden.
Bad news ...
Firstly we could not run a tab; I was told it was a �Pay as you go� pub. Ordered three lunches which took forever. One was ok, one not what was ordered and the third a sandwich made of stale bread. Landlord thought it ok though saying all the bread was like that, and went off to get something different. He was really miserable, saying it was his wife�s pub and he did not want to be there at all. If he does not want to be there then it says it all. I will not go again.
4 Aug 2011 14:05
The Square and Compasses, Fairstead
Excellent exceptional food
excellent wine and beer
brilliant service, lovely hosts
can't wait to go again, I don't live anywhere nearby but it is top of my list for all pub/retaurants.
try Vic's own port - you will go away with a bottle.
31 Mar 2011 15:12
This has to have the most expensive beer in West Sussex, �3.40 for a pint of HSB! Rest of the beers and lagers the same all London prices. The pub is off the beaten track and frequented by walkers - many of which will object to these prices. I have visited this pub on many previous occasions and agree with what other people have said. The landlord can be very 'offish' and could not care less about serving you. There is no 24 hour opening here - in fact the opening times seem very short and you can easily arrive to find they are already closed. When time approaches those in the garden are told to leave their glasses by the door, and the landlord disappears inside banging and locking the door. You never feel like a 'valued customer' more an inconvenience. A further danger exists when the landlord goes on holiday - the whole place is shut for the duration. Another annoying thing is that it has signs everywhere telling you what you can't do. I hate that.
Piy, I love the location, and it is a lovely pub but they have priced themselves out of the market as far as I am concerned.
18 Oct 2010 18:17
Whilst there was quite a good range of beers (HSB for example) the food was pretty expensive. Not a bad pub.
As others have said 'they rely on their food sales' ...
Well I was there as they closed after lunch - the staff were going round laying tables, every single table in the place had a 'reserved' label. I said that they were going to be busy that night and received a knowing smile.
Well if a casual drinker is not welcome and cannot sit down, then I don't want to go there again - and I won't!.
11 Oct 2009 18:54
We went to this pub as we recently heard that the landlord and landlady had been voted Best Publicans in Britain in the 2009 Good Pub Guide.
I am not sure what the criteria for this prize is but they were certainly very amiable. Calling me 'young man' did help as I must be 15 years older than the landlord.
The pub is a bit ordinary from the outside, but does have a nice garden. Inside is smallish but very cosy. It is split by a central fireplace. Drinkers and snackers at one end, diners at the other. The dining area had a nice cellar type space off the main room which had a few tables and would be really nice for a semi private do.
There were four real ales on including Forty-Niner and Speckled Hen, I had the former and it was perfect.
We had snacks which were excellent. There was a very good, and diverse menu for diners. From what we could see of other peoples food it looked very good. This was a good find and is now on our list of good places to go.
22 Feb 2009 10:00
We went there in April 2008 whilst doing the coastal walk.
Positives first - Very friendly, some good real ales, knowledgeable people. The room was the best we had in the IOW, and very reasonably priced at �50 per night.
Negatives - well it has been turned into one of those vast places where they can turn out about 600 meals per day (guessing) so what can you expect? We went for the Spitfire and beef pie. It was really awful, will leave it at that. As a result we were looking forward to breakfact (had a 20 mile walk in front of us that day), waited 40 minutes only to get cold toast and coffee (just the one cup). There seemed no urgency with only the one girl waitress but quite a few guests. When I complained to the manager things happened and we got sorted. However, the breakfast was still the worst we had on the island. When it came to paying the bill the manager apologised and did everything to put things right (reducing the bill) but the damage had been done and we had been severely delayed. Next time we would be happy to go for a Spitfire beer but try and find somewhere else to eat and sleep.
14 May 2008 21:13
The Square and Compasses, Fairstead
This pub has recently been taken over and completely refurbished, and done really nicely. It is an olde worldy place with beams aplenty. The real ale (three when I was last there)was good, and served straight from the barrel. We had lunch which was brilliant, we only wanted sandwiches but there was enough bread and meat in them to keep you going for days. The menu looks appetizing and we look forward to having a main meal there next time, although I have heard it is very busy in the evenings. (By the way the kitchen is closed on Mondays). The landlord is very friendly and helpful. He is also very knowledgeable on wines, just get him talking about them and you will learn a lot. Looking forward to next visit.
12 Feb 2008 16:42
The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell
Spent a really lovely evening at this quaint pub. Staff were really helpful and explained about the (unusual)beers which were unfamiliar to me. The more I tried the more I liked them. St Peters is now on my favourites list. Cant wait to go there again.
6 Aug 2007 17:42
Come on Fullers, what are you playing at? To me the Red Lion was the best pub in Hampshire. The beer always excellent and the food ok. Mick used to manage the place with a rod of steel, and everything was under control. Now it seems to have all gone to pot (although to be fair the beer is still good). Now tables remain uncleared, you can also wait ages to get served. The meal we had the other night was disgusting, since we had guests I did not like to complain, as I did once before shortly after Fullers took over. If you eat there I suggest you stick to the snacks. I hope that Fullers will see the light and ensure things improved again, it is a lovely place in a beautiful setting.
5 Aug 2007 10:12
Well the pub was not open when we arrived, I think it keeps traditional hours! We returned and found the place to be uninspiring, apparantly you cannot guarantee a meal as they often dont open the kitchen. We did not put it to chance and went down the road to the Greyhound (superb meal).
7 May 2007 16:17
Went there a couple of weeks ago and had a superb meal. The beer was good too, the best they had was Spitfire, not normally one of my favourites but on that particular day at least, it was perfect and most enjoyable.
We also met the landlord and landlady who were welcomming, friendly and had good senses of humour. Wish I lived closer so I could use the pub more often.
I was surprised at the low rating the pub was given because that was not our experience.
7 May 2007 16:12
The Greyhound, Cocking Causeway
I have just returned from this pub, it is the second time I have been there in two weeks. I just wanted to see if it was as good as it had been on the first occasion.
It was, the food is brilliant, all local produce or suppliers. Reasonably prices. They also have Greene King Abbot, IPA and Ruddles County as well as other real ales. The staff are really helpful and can even tell you when to nip out to catch the bus. I live about an hour away but this has gone to the top of my list for food, really excellent.
7 May 2007 15:58
I agree with the other reviews. The beer is excellent, straight out of the cask. It is a lovely garden with wonderful views of the downs. The only problem I have with the place is the time it takes to get served. Even if there is only one person in front it will still take forever. It attracts the type of customer who don't know what they want until being served and then have to ask their friends what they want, and they won't have decided. Bloody frustrating!
30 Oct 2006 18:43
This should be a good pub - but isn't
Beer is OK, so is the landlord, but that is all I can say about it. I doubt if a penny has been spent on this place in the last 20 years. The public bar is smokey and smelly - horrible. The lounge is better, and normally empty. You never feel welcome in there. At one time it seemed to be reserved for the weekend Thai restaurant, but that has gone now. At lunchtimes there always seem to be dogs running around behind the bar and in and out of the kitchen. I sometimes wonder if the biggest risk is health and safety with the bar staff tripping over the dogs, or hygiene with the dogs in the kitchen when food is being prepared. As a result of this I haven't eaten there so I cannot comment on the food.
The pub is in a nice village, has a good sized car park, a nice garden, and in a good catchment area with very little competition. It was a Gales pub, now taken over by Fullers. They should rip this place apart and turn it into something really nice. Until then I will go elsewhere.
23 Oct 2006 19:13
This has to be the pub worth moving home for, it is a beautiful pub in an idealic setting. As has been previously said, excellent beer and food. The staff as well as the locals are really friendly. It is about 500 years old and must still look much like it did all that time ago - no plastic restaurant built on. Loads of atmostphere, which has always been great. Unfortunately it is not my end of the country but whenever I am within 75 miles or so, I will go there. Well worth the diversion. I cannot imagine a nicer pub, just wish I could move it down here then I would really enjoy my retirement.
18 Oct 2006 15:55
Regret that I did not look at this site before going. It was more or less empty. We had planned on a meal. Some people turned up with a very large red setter which smelled awful (raining outside). They were allowed to take the dog into the restaurant area. I asked if this was normal and told it was ok. Not wishing to eat next to a very smelly dog we moved on.
20 Aug 2006 10:14
The George, Finchdean
Brilliant beer line up (Broadside, Landload, Doom Bar), full marks there Staff were nice too ....
Unfortunately food was awful. I had a roast, the roast potatoes looked as though they were from the week before, burnt and disgusting.
My wife had the lambs liver (requested to be cooked pink) and bacon with crispy pancetta. The liver was overcooked and the pancetta (crispy or otherwise) and bacon were non existent.
When asked at the end 'how was it' we told them. The waitress said sorry but nobody came and gave a real apology or even offered a free coffee as compensation.
Will not eat there again, although I will be tempted to go for the lovely beer selection.
Very disappointing.
14 Apr 2014 10:17