BITE user comments - Joe_Cundy
Comments by Joe_Cundy
Nice country pub with extensive garden and good play facilities for those with young children which was certainly popular at the time of our visit. Couple of ales on and a back garden barbecue running which sold quality burgers and hot dogs at reasonable rates. Pub is very close to Yeoford rail station and on the 'Tarka Line Rail Ale Trail' which is what took us there. Pleasant enough pub though not a 'must return'. Rating seems a bit low to me. Would give it a 6 - probably worth a bit more if you've got children in tow - thnakfully mine are now drinking age!
27 Jun 2011 12:26
The Quaker Coffee House, Darlington
Briliant pub with a very laid back atmosphere. Quite bohemian by Darlo standards. Outstanding ale selection and, more importantly, well kept and served. Not to be missed if in Darlo.
12 Jun 2011 17:54
really good pub with an excellent ale selection and a very knowledgeable woman behind the bar who was able to accurately decribe all the beers to assist my choice! The beer was spot on as were her descriptions. Not to be missed if in the Dales.
12 Jun 2011 17:50
Lovely pub which manages to combine excellent food with still being a pub! The ale selection is also very good and, most importantly well kept and served. Well worth a visit as is the village itself.
12 Jun 2011 17:47
Excellent service. Excellent food. Excellent beer. Landlords seem to have been here for about a year and appear to be making major efforts to put this pub at the heart of the community. What a community pub should be all about. Not a must visit as a beer freak, but if in the area there are a hell of a lot worse. Rates a 7/8 so 7.5 then!
4 Nov 2010 23:56
The Victoria, Saltburn by the Sea
What it says on the tin. A big, rambling Victorian pub with two big rooms now knocked together I guess. Three good, wellkept and served ales on ( at my visit Strongarm, Black Sheep and Hobgoblin) plus all the other usual suspects although nothing very exotic in the lager stakes. Quite quiet when I was there (Friday lunchtime, October) but excellent food menu which was generous in portion size and good value. In the unlikely event you visit the fading Victorian jewel which is Saltburn, I am sure you could do much worse. Rates a 7.
4 Nov 2010 23:52
Very pleasant St Austell pub with choice of 3 ales as well as usual lager, cider etc. Beer very well kept and attentive staff with a bit of personality to them . Bit of a barn of a place which needs alot of people in it to give it atmosphere but you could do much worse. rates a 7.....
6 Sep 2010 09:52
Always been the odd man out of St Ives pubs and I go back 30 years. Could never work out what was wrong but "estate style" pub sums it up very well. That said it has several good points, principal among them being the price of the beer �2.25/pt for IPA is pretty good by local standards. Has a large bar, a food orientated lounge and a small courtyard garden which is very well decorated with flowers and shrubs. Friendly and efficient barmaid. Not the most atmospheric of pubs but a good place for a cheap pint in St Ives away from the main street tourist traps. Rates a 6 from me
14 Jul 2010 11:36
Right in the middle of St Ives. Very comfortable lounge bar type of place with a selection of comfy seats. 4 ales on tap all from St Austell - not surprising as it is a St Austell house. I tried the Honey Monster as it is new to me - it was not very nice - in fact it tasted more of grapefruit than honey! My mate's Tribute was fine though so more fool me for experimenting. Barmaid had obviously paid little attention to the Brewerey "SMILE" programme for welcoming customers. Mind you it wasn't just us she was a misery with everyone who came in. No sport on when we were in but a faintly disconcerting combination of music videos with sound down and different music being played over the pub sound system. Rates a 4 loses 1 for my beer and the barmaid!
14 Jul 2010 11:29
Visited on a Saturday night. God selection of St Austell Ales including HSD on draught. Food had a pretty par for the course pub menu but good to eat and reasonably priced. Friendly atmosphere - free papers on the bar. What's not to like? Rates a (generous) 7
12 Jul 2010 15:30
Tiny one room pub - don't know how it manages to survive but glad it does. Very good prices and friendly enough. Unsurprisingly, no great range of ale but a very acceptable pint of Tribute made it a happy visit. Rates a 6
4 Jul 2010 22:21
Call in occasionally and did so last night. Curate's egg of a pub - good for beer, quite friendly and comfortable. The bad points; I must agree with the previous commenter re the bar staff, the first young girl who served me last night was inattentive, inefficient and plain rude. Her replacement, also young was much better though. It may be that the volume of the juke box had something to do with the first one's hearing problems mind. Better than most in the locality - rates a 6 from me
4 Jul 2010 22:19
The Peter Tavy Inn, Peter Tavy
Exactly which other "great pubs in Tavistock" markhuxley101 on 07/08/09? The one thing Tavi lacks is a lot of good, never mind great, pubs. On the other hand the Peter Tavy is an excellent pub, with outstanding food and excellent beer, usually 4 ales on. Minstrels shall sing of the steak pie which is delicious and very reasonably priced. As is common in these straitened times for pubs, it is as much of a restaurant as it is a pub but at least it is still open and serving good beer. WE found the staff absolutely charming and providing excellent service. Also the local cheese plate was cheese plate sized i.e very similar to what you get in restaurants but with the pleasing addition of labels to let you know exactly what you are eating - a good idea which other places should copy. The only snag is that there is no accommodation so you have to find a volunteer to drive home. Go there, drink the beer, eat the pie, and the cheese, and the desserts! Good pub, worth a detour 9 - well you have to detour to go to Peter Tavy in truth - rates an 8
11 Jun 2010 15:00
Recently stayed here having read the comments beforehand. Don't know what to make of the that of Chris P Bacon on 02/01/2009 - can only think he/she went to the wrong pub. I always find it instructive on BITE to look at users comments on other pubs, get an idea of what they like etc. I note that CP Bacon has none - nor do any of the other posters. Perhaps CP Bacon is a commercial rival? Certainly reads like a friend of the other pub in the vilage! Anyhow, do not be put off by an isolated negative review, this is an excellent pub/restaurant. It is along the lines of many village pubs in these days in that food is as important as drink in keeping the pub afloat. That said, the beer is excellent, all the usual keg suspects and two draught ales (Bass and Hobson's bitter when I was there)which were superby kept and presented. The food was first rate as was the accommodation ( about 10 rooms I think) which was also reasonably priced.
I have posted many reviews, read them if you have nothing better to do, but haven't posted for a while - lost my password to tell the truth - but I had to post this if only to counterbalance the tosh that was posted in January 2009. I know that we are not supposed to take reviews too seriously but that was a hatchet job which is not at all deserved. For what it is, a pub/restaurant in a rural village offering decent standard accommodation the Corners deserves 8/10.
4 Jun 2010 10:08
Hmm. Been in here a few times. generally impressed by the SIBA beers (tonight 2 Skinner's ales). Seems a good food and wine selection. Big screen TV for football. Perhaps that's the problem. This pub seems to try to be all things to all men. Tonight, in oarticular, the pub was plagued by fat northerners watching Man U and indulging in incredibly foul langiauge, play fighting and generally yobbish behaviour, unsurprisingly unchecked by the 3 young girls behind the bar. Put me right off a pub that's been OK in the past. Maybe only one night but feel tha pub has an identity crisis it need to sort out. Probably OK (especially for fat northerners) if you're visiting Plymouth but not the sort of place I'd want as my local.....
22 Feb 2009 01:13
The Fisherman's Arms, Plymouth
Well I was there before conversion to a gastro pub and I really liked it - it was all of the good things that Ulric and Trequites say below. BUT Ulric has never seen more than 6 people in there at any one time - seems to me that this is not the recipe for a successful business. Went back tonight for the first time since conversion. Still had three St Austell ales on, Tribute, Proper Job and HSD, two of which were really good, the PJ was going off as these things sometimes do. I ate there. The food was excellent and, by London gastro pub standards, very reasonably priced. The point is you could still have a pint there and eat well but the pub was busy, very busy. I'd rather a pub was still a pub, even if its main focus is food rather than converted into flats or whatever. Get real and appreciate the changes in society and thank God for the preservation of these pub and its ability to still sell decent St Austell ales. I say this as a pub traditionalist but one who lives in the modern world.
22 Feb 2009 01:02
A great pub for the discerning ale drinker and a must visit if in Hull - and there are definitely worse places to be....
6 Dec 2008 23:19
Excellent pub with wide range of (mostly) weak ales when I called but really good atmosphere and drinks. Cracking good pub which reminds me of a smaller version of Bacchus in Newcastle. Living proof , as is Bacchus, that real ale and nice bars can mix
6 Dec 2008 23:17
Good but not great. Solid boozer with a good pint of Landlord and loads of TV sport if you like that kind of thing. DO NOT express fondness for Hull KR in this pub.....
6 Dec 2008 23:14
The The Old Monk Exchange, Westminster
Strangely I was in the Old Monk last night at the same time as RogerB. I was in one of the office groups. We didn't know about the DJ and he rather spoiled our evening as we don't really want to shout but had no option in the matter. Of the 4 beers that were on 2 changed later. The highlight for me was the Elgood's Pageant which was beautiful! I have never been let down by the beer in here over the past 2 years. Working nearby I really like this pub for office "dos" as it is big enough to support several groups without all pissing each other off, but I wish they would lose the DJ!
26 Sep 2008 23:36
Good pit stop just off the A9. Beer is very good and the food is good and substantial - just don't look for anything startlingly original.
29 Aug 2008 15:58
As with many country village pubs now more of a food outlet than a pub but this one retains a pleasing bar area which closely resembles a pub! As everyone else says the food is outstanding, really really good. Not cheap but pay peanuts get monkeys. When I was there they had 4 different ales on including local beers Arkells 3B and Bath Gem so it appears they support local breweries as well as local produce. Well worth a diversion of off the M4 if it's mealtime
16 Apr 2008 11:30
Top pub. Really good Hall & Woodhouse beers. Looks like an old "bar and lounge" place which has been converted into open plan but still with dividing partitions if you get my drift. Excellent for sport having two TVs in differently partitioned area which CAN show two different events which is quite rare in my experience. Didn't try the food. And the landlord is an Argyle fan which moves it from an 8.5 to a 9. Not much of a town Horley, but this pub is one of the better bits
22 Feb 2008 18:19
Now a branch of the "La Tasca" tapas chain - some might say an improvement?
14 Oct 2007 14:53
The Carpenters Arms, Marble Arch
Very good pub if you like beer and sport so I will give it a very high rating! When I was in they had 4 ales on all of which were from small brewers and very unusual for London (in my experience) (which is extensive) Lots of staff behind the bar all apparently accomplished at pulling pints amde me a very happy and certain to return customer. �2.70 a pint is NOT AT ALL BAD for Central London..
29 Sep 2007 23:05
The Crown and Sceptre, Kensington
Went on the off chance after reading the mostly favourable reviews. What a gem of a pub. 3 "different" ales,all very well kept and served, excellent, mostly Mexican food, and a very entertaining Tuesday evening quiz. Generally chiled and civilised atmosphere and prices very reasonable by London standards. A definite find to which I will return....
25 Jul 2007 10:59
I have got to go with anonymous in May 2006. It looks OK but does not feel like a proper pub. Prasieworthy number of ales on tap but they are ordinary at best in terms of their taste and temperature. They also have a nasty habit of not filling the glasses up. Interior looks good and the much discussed tourists probably think that they have visited a genuine British pub but there are so many out there that are a whole lot better than this. Also the prices are disgusting even by Central london standards. Better avoided....
18 Jul 2007 13:38
I think the location given is wrong as it is about 0.1 miles from Brough station! It is a quality boozer with 1st rate ales 4 of them( also including the rare Tetley Dark Mild) and absolutely excellent food. It also has one of the prettiest barmaids I have seen for many a year whose sunny personality only added to her attractiveness.In the unlikely event that you are stuck waiting for a train in Brough this is about as good a near-station pub as you are likely to get.
6 Oct 2006 22:51
The Akenside Traders, Newcastle
Probaly no reviews because it is complete crap. Awful city centre vertical drinking shop with shocking beer and lots of "wa-hey" clients. Music is too loud at opening time and ear bleeding by late evening. Full of charvers of both sexes and more senior citizens on the pull who should know better. Symptomatic of what has gone wrong with City centre pubs - an example in the worst possible taste.
3 Jun 2006 23:55
Saw the good reviews so thought it would be a good thing to pay a visit. Yet again it had to be on a Thursday evening so the place was rammed. However, we eventually got a pair of stools beisde the ledge parallel to the bar and settled down to enjoy some top beer. It really was that good, and the selection was excellent as well. The bar staff are outstanding, friendly yet efficient. Not normally keen on the West End but if you find yourself there this is about as good as it gets............
1 Apr 2006 22:08
The Angel and White Horse, Tadcaster
Excellent pint of OBB although I suppose if they can't get it right here they never will. Also �1.22 a pint which is attractive even by Sam Smith's standards. Huge fire on a cold dayThe food is very Yorkshire - "nowt fancy" but warming , filling and exceptional value. Half an hour on the bus from Leeds - worth the trip.
24 Mar 2006 23:20
IOn nview of all the elow listed comments felt i had to visit this pub. It is prety good but not worthy of gushing praise. The pub itself consists of a top and bottom bar which are linked by an open stair. the top bar has a no smoking area which is extremely handy if you are eating. The lunch time menu was little better than standard pub fare although I have to say the portions were generous and the food value for money. The evening specials board looked more appetising but if you're not serving this food during the day, why leave it up to emphasise the ordinary nature of your lunch menu? The choice of 4 Cornish ales was very good and the two that I sampled were both well kept and well served. At lunch time, probably worth a detour but not a major one. If I ever go back in the evening I'll let you know....
20 Mar 2006 16:15
The best pub (never mind real ale) in Plymouth bar none. Excellent atmosphere, never any aggro. A dedicated husband and wife licensee team who know their beer and keep it in cracking order. Food at lunchtimes only (if you want a meal there's a chip shop over the road!) Difficult to get to from city centre but worth investing in the bus ticket (28 bus I think) You will not be disappointed...
5 Mar 2006 16:46
The King and Castle, Kidderminster
Agree with other comments. Excellent beer (Batham's last time I was there) and truly excellent pork pies.
Worth a trip even if you don't like steam trains.
4 Mar 2006 18:49
Courtyard really comfortable in summer. Staff friendly and approachable even when they've poured your beer away when you're in the bog (!!) The only let down is the beer the quality of which has varied enormously every time I've been in the pub. A good one for the lager drinkers among us...
25 Feb 2006 21:30
Superb original pub with excellent ale and atmosphere. The (subdued) jukebox offers really good music but not at the volume of many bars and pubs in the Old Town. If you can, check out the boogie woogie piano players on Thursday night. A must visit in the unlikely event of you being in Hull.
25 Feb 2006 21:26
Now a "Sandersons" which means lots of cheap meals in the lounge and a constant smell of chips. It's not all bad however. They've got very good ale (including Sharp's "Eden" on draught) and excellent sports coverage. It should be even better once the smoking ban is introduced as it does get very smoky, the locals apparently not giving a shit about the large food trade. Only pub for quite a way could be worse....
18 Feb 2006 19:35
So many good things said so had to try it. Unfortunately it was a Thursday night and absolutely heaving. The beer was good, the crowd was young and the women were good looking but somehow.... it just seemed to lack a bit of soul. Memo: must try again not on a Thursday night but for the moment only rates a .....
17 Feb 2006 19:56
Been in loads worse pubs in London than this one. The seasonal beer (Kent Porter) was spot on, the bar maids were pleasant and you bcould get a seat and a bit of breathing space in marked contrats to the Lamb just round the corner in Lamb's Conduit St. Bad points were the crap sub soul/rap muzak - who the hell wants to hear that - supermarket levels of annoyance and the extremely dull, very short and bombastic "business man" type who waas hogging the bar and bullshitting the bar staff when we went in. Good news was he left to enable us to enjoy 3 good pints.
17 Feb 2006 19:53
The Hare and Hounds, Manchester
Was in by chance on a Wednesday when the Pianist was on. It was like stepping back to the 50's and none the worse for that. The beer was excellent, cheap and the company, mostly composed of extremely lively pensioners, was most congenial. It looked like a good pub for all times but Wednesday is something special. Check it out.....
21 Jan 2006 20:23
Good spacious pub with good ale, attentive (and switched on!) staff and friendly atmosphere. Also generally clean and tidy. Typical Fuller's Ale & Pie (bank?) conversion, but miles better than most of the drecky pubs around here.
12 Jan 2006 17:38
The Giffard Arms, Wolverhampton
Its grim - possibly by design - but the bogs are disgraceful, the staff unwelcoming and the atmosphere dull. If you're looking for an escape from City Centre vertical drinking shops - as I was - don't mistake this for any sort of pub you want to go for a drink in despite its looking quite attractive from the outside. I'm sure Goths will love it mind.....
11 Jan 2006 17:34
Bit of a Tardis pub. Looks much smaller from outside but .. you get my drift. Unfortunately the Tardis seems to have landed on the Moon due to the complete lack of atmosphere. And the only ale (GK IPA) tasted a tad vinegary. As commented elsewhere, OK for watching football but very little else.
11 Jan 2006 17:30
Truly excellent old style boozer in a very unpromising area for that sort of pub. Good, if unexceptional, selection of ales (GK IPA, London Pride, Adnam's bitter and OSH) but really good ambience and surroundings.
11 Jan 2006 17:26
It is an absolute chav city shithole. I am not anti Spoons (have even given a few of them a good review) but the nationofjames review in May 2004 still holds good. Appalling service (try to get food any time after 1300h and see if you fancy the hour's waiting time) and totally grim atmosphere. An industrial drinking factory if that it what you fancy............
6 Jan 2006 12:04
Was in last Thursday (1 December 2005) Brilliant night. Christmas ale festival on plus a Belgian Christmas beer fest plus a totally brilliant band called "Shamus O'Blivion and the Megadeath morris men" Beer tops, company tops and entertainment tops. If it's like this all the time then this pub is a must visit
4 Dec 2005 20:26
Really handy when you're looking for a clean, ccol looking bar which at the same time serves decent beer. There are not too many of this type about but bacchus is a shining example of the fact that ale bars do not have to look overly traditional. The beer is exceptionally good, the seats are really comfy and the ambience is friendly and unthreatening. Don't get me wrong, I've not fallen off my horse on the road to Bacchus - I'd still rather drink in the Bodega or the Crown Posada - but as horses for courses go, this one is a winner
4 Dec 2005 20:19
Like drinking in someone's front room listening in to the conversations. All come thickly buttered with Scouse wit. Beer selection is quite decent and impeccably served
30 Oct 2005 09:47
Fantastic interior with bar and sitting rooms on the back side of the bar. Reasonable ale selection. Supervising landlady? who looked a spit for Annie walker from Coronation Street (for all you aged persons) All good so far but a couple of reservations:-
bit scruffy and very smoky. Worth a visit though.
30 Oct 2005 09:44
Excellent beer selection. 1st class food (before 1900h!) and very friendly staff. Top class
28 Oct 2005 21:49
Excellent pub with a mostly non smoking policy, really really good beer and a good atmosphere even when it is quiet. Well worth the (slight) diversion from the city centre even in a place as full of good pubs as Durham City
28 Oct 2005 17:02
Apart from the architecture which everybody comments on - I've been in many worse pubs and have never had a bad pint in here. The food at lunchtime is excellent and will fill you up for the day. It may be a bit dusty but I would hate to be the cleaner here with all those carvings statues etc..............
28 Oct 2005 16:56
Drinking in a time warp apart from the changing beer list. If youlike old fashioned, slightly scruffy boozers then this is the one for you but flat cap and whippets not compulsory.
28 Oct 2005 16:52
Excellent and well worth the walk or taxi. Rarely have a bad pint of Cain's but never in here. The buffets keep appearing for people on the brewery tours but there are usually minesweeping opportunities if you are famished.
28 Oct 2005 16:49
Wouldn't go quite so far as Rich66 but this is unquestionably a decent pub with a good range of beers. I found the huge space of the lounge a bit disconcerting - it was more like being in a hotel lobby than a pub and thoought that the atmosphere suffered as a result although no doubt it is jumping on match days. Still well worth a visit and not too far from the desert that is the city centre (Goat Major excepted)
28 Oct 2005 16:45
Spent an extended early evening here and really enjoyed it. The beer was top class as was the atmosphere, service and attitude of the staff. If you're feeling peckish, I'd recommend their plate of cheese and crackers at �3.50. It fed two of us! This is the sort of pub that city centres should have but only rarely do, well worth a visit if in Cardiff
28 Oct 2005 16:40
The Old China Hand, Clerkenwell
This is a pub that has completely gone to rats over the past copuple of years. If you haven't been for a while don't be te,pted to go back for nostalgia's sake. The atmosphere is gash and the beer is indifferent at best. rating reflects that it is a pub but not much more...........
10 Sep 2005 17:58
5 minute walk from the station. Well worth seeking out. The beer selection is outstanding (large selection of local ales inc. Big Lamp, Mordue and Durham breweries) and if you like old style pub architecture check out the two glass domes in the roof. Service is also excellent - a cracking pub on a par with the Crown Posada on The Side - if you're in Newcastle it's a must visit
5 Jun 2005 21:44
Scruffy Grim Indifferent beer Wouldn't even contemplate eating there. Its only advantage is that it's open on a Sunday when lots of other nearby pubs aren't. If you're needing a drink go to the refurbished White Horse & Bower (almost next door) instead.
4 Jun 2005 19:40
This flies in the face of the rule that a pub near the station is normally grim. An absolute gem albeit a midget gem as it is very small. Usually a very good selection of ale and excellent food. Occasionally sees ridiculous Englishmen in "Jimmy wigs" on the stag circuit but apprently it usually comes early on on the route so they are not too obnoxious. Tell your friends about this pub but not too many of them as it doesn't stand a crowd
27 Feb 2005 01:08
Good for live football especially if you follow the Tims as its the HQ for the Plymouth Celtic supporters club. Rangers shirts NOT recommended on match days. Agree with James - only other pub on the Plain worth visiting after the Fort.
26 May 2004 12:14
If you have to drink on Mutley Plain then this is the place to do it. Good beer but they occasionally crank up the music a bit too loud. Suppose its a by-product of me being an old codger but it "dos ma 'ead in" as they say locally
26 May 2004 12:10
The Briton's Protection Hotel, Castlefield
Top pub for atmosphere, ale and ambience. Well woth going the extra quarter mile if yopu're in the City centre.
14 Mar 2004 13:34
The Lincolnshire Poacher, Nottingham
Fantastic boozer with multiple rooms each with a different character so it's whatever you want it to be. As they say in Michelin Guides, worth a (long) detour
26 Dec 2003 21:02
If you think the present landlord is horrible you should have visited during the reign of "Wullie" in the 70s. Basically summed up as "English not welcome" Not a problem for me but not what you would call classic innkeeping!
26 Dec 2003 20:57
If you must go to the bog inn Edinburgh, go here! Awesome Victorian fittings and incredibly comfortable wooden seats..........
26 Dec 2003 20:53
Good pub, locals and office workers, freindly and efficient staff. Well kept beer. Can get very crowded - no surprise there!
19 Dec 2003 18:41
The White Horse and Bower, Westminster
Good for watching football but very little else. No atmosphere and both ales (Bass & London Pride) off when I visited with no effort to put them back on. All this and Celtic lost! Avoid unless you're watching sport.
19 Dec 2003 18:38
Shape of pub makes it confusing when you're pissed - as I have been on last two visits. Good pint of Youngs though - is there a bad one??
25 Oct 2003 20:14
Good pub. Good beer. Top atmosphere and lovely and quiet sssshhhhhhhhhh
18 Oct 2003 15:13
The Butcher's Hook and Cleaver, Smithfield
really good pint of London Porter but very slow service, very crowded and miles too NOISY
18 Oct 2003 15:08
Second all that Andy has said. Top rate food. Friendly and efficient staff. Excellent and cheap beer. All in all a throwback to a better time - by City centre pub standards. Long may it survive!
4 Oct 2003 18:33
The Crediton Inn, Crediton
Excellent pub with high quality and varied selection of ales. Good library if you're on your own and want a quick scan of beer related publications. Biggest and allegedly best (not a fan myself) Scotch Eggs I've ever seen in a pub. Another 'Tarka Line Rail Ale Trail' pub and well worth the walk from the station. Also has the added benefit of being open all day so useful for the large afternoon gaps which often exist on this particular ale trail. Well worth an 8
27 Jun 2011 12:31