BITE user comments - LeBooze
Comments by LeBooze
Had been keeping an eye on the reviews here but hadn't got around to posting until the previous reviewer's assessment of the Orange Tree needled me into responding.
Up until the end of 2009, this place used to have bouncers on the door. The implication, of course, is that entry to the Orange Tree was contingent on being allowed to by the guy with the radio and the bomber jacket and that, once inside, your continued presence was by their grace alone. This was enough to generally (but not always) exclude the Orange Tree from the pubs in which I seem to spend such an inordinately large amout of my hard-earned.
The bouncers disappeared as the management changed, and aside from still being heaving on a Saturday night, a midweek stop-by shows a definite improvement in the quaility of food and service, enought to warrant my going here on an increasingly regular basis recently.
The previous poster might well have seen a large head on a couple of pints or had to wait for a daydreaming staff member; I do, however, have to say that before last Saturday's England rugby international I managed to in and out to the bar in about thirty seconds flat when I couldn't even get near to the bar in other pubs. The setup was as efficient as I've ever seen in a packed pub.
What I do find it extraordinary the this experience was enough to slate the running of the pub, or indeed to refer to the barmaid as a 'young blonde tart'. I've been getting to know the staff here and all of them have been pleasant and polite and as concerned with good service as anyone in any customer-facing role should be. I've been enjoying watching the resurgence of this place and it's definitely on my list of regular haunts.
3 Mar 2010 15:54
Now, I may be slightly cranky after a bad day at the office, I have to say, I find the comments on this page fascinating. I'm wondering if the amount of references to 'yuppies' and 'rah-rahs' and the type of cars parked up Jew's Row mean that either BITE has been hijacked by bolsheveiks, or if some organised band of Christmas-jumpered beer enthusiasts, outraged at having been expelled from CAMRA for extreme fundamentalism, have taken to exacting revenge on the pub industry by slating establishments whose internal lighting doesn't permit them to perform their favourite ceremony of holding up a pint of Bishop's Wanger to a candle flame and peering at it over their half-moon glasses.
The location of the Ship means that there is little passing trade: you have to go to this pub on purpose. The fact that this place has consistently large (ad exceptionally pert) crowds where other pubs nearby are struggling to get bums on seats (however corpulent) is a testament to this place. I am a regular here for various reasons; I get a "hello" from friendly and efficient staff who remember me and make an effort to pass the time of day. I can get a burger from the barbequeue or I can sit down and have quality restaurant standard food. The live music is of a consistently high quality and (feel free to call me names here) both the staff and clientele are significantly easier on the eye than other pubs in its class. One day I might even go and talk to one of them.
The place has a tendency to go bananas on Sunday nights, so if you are looking for a �6.99 carvery lunch and a read of the Daily Mail, it's probably not for you (not that there's anything wrong with that - so hard to find good value these days). As for that cask-conditioned, hand pumped, cellar conditioned sudsy dishwater that people in this country find so enthralling, you can go and raffle it.
I'm giving this place a 9. I'm witholding a mark until Charlie/Oisin assign me my own personal geisha girl to wait on me hand and foot for the evening in my own personal hammock, mopping my troubled brow with rose water and pressing cold bottles of beer into my hand so I don't have to lean over the side.
I think I need a cup of tea.
13 Jul 2009 20:43
St Margarets Tavern, St Margarets
Bit odd this alright. This used to be my (very) regular haunt. The fact remains that Oisin knew what he was doing and, often in defiance of his handlers at Spirit, imposed his own personality on the pub to take it from a empty boozer to an extremely successful and atmospheric pub. In short, he was doing something right. Low lighting, no menus in plastic holders, no soccer, no two-for-one promos, all contributed, bit by bit, to the creation an unique place to visit.
The new landlord seems affable and competent, but the simple fact is that he has missed a trick and I'm quite sure that this must be beginning to be reflected in the takings. I don't think that price rises are the answer here, or in any pub. I think at this stage they're comitted to showing the World Cup, so get that out of the way, get rid of the football and go back to a winning formula. I for one, and lots of others, would venture back in from time to time.
I'd also politely suggest that they also get someone else to write on the blackboards outside as they look like they've been written left-handed by a dyslexic midget (and I mean that in a nice way, folks).
24 May 2006 17:13
Filthy McNasty's II, Twickenham
Have to say, I have mixed feelings about the proposed change to Filthy's. I live approximately 300 metres from the front door of this pub. I am a former professional guitarist, and try to support live music venues and new, emerging bands. I have to say, though, Filthy's is just not somewhere I would spend my evenings. I feel that there is just slightly too much of the student union bar about the place, and, I have to say, with respect to those who have been working hard to make the place work, there is still a general air of grottyness . I understand that a lot of people like this kind of underground ambience, but it's just not somewhere I personally would, say, bring a girlfriend to see a band. It will be a shame if this place ceases to be a music venue, but for this place to remain both profitable and retain its reputation as a venue a drastic overhaul is essential.
I'm not convinced that any brewery spends significant amounts of money in order to run a pub into the ground, but I do agree that Twickenham will have lost an opportunity for the establishment of a venue with a city-wide reputation for good, live music.
15 May 2006 17:53
The Alma Tavern, Wandsworth Town
This place is a beauty. I've been passing by for years and finally ventured in last Saturday night. It's great to see that the Victorian mirrors and other original features are still in place following, I believe, a significant refit; glad to see renovations can be carried out sensibly and sensitively. The lighting is subdued and atmospheric; one of my main gripes with pubs in this country is a tendency to use 200 Watt bulbs in light fittings, creating a drinking experience akin to standing in a lighthouse.
Interestingly, in the light of previous comments about the staff, we did have a rather extraordinary exchange with one of the barmen.
The pub was busy and one of our group left his pint, approximately half full, on the bar next to where he was standing whilst he visited the toilets. When he came back the pint was gone, and he asked the barman had it been cleared away. The barman replied that it had, adding with irritation "do you expect me to leave every half empty pint lying around?".
With much bad grace, the barman poured half a pint of guinness into a pint glass and left it on the bar by way of reparation, leaving us all, I have to say, with a feeling of insult being added to injury.
Bar managers too often do not realise that securing repeat business means increased revenue, even if a pub has a good turnover of passing trade.
I wonder do pub managers read these posts? Given the tone of the last few comments, it would be nice to hear what he has to say.
9 May 2006 11:10
This is a nice little pub. Had a very comfortable night here and the food was marvellous. Sadly, though, I have to agree about previous comments concerning the staff. They were inefficient and inexperienced-looking and they seemed rather uninterested in their customers. Service with a smile may seem like an Americanism, but it makes a huge difference.
The evening ended on a rather sour note when the staff started hassling us at approximately two minutes past eleven to finish our drinks that we had bought five minutes previously. We politely protested but the 'compromise' reached involved us leaving our seats and finishing our drinks whilst standing near the door. I might be oversensitive, but this felt like a discourtesy and is not really good enough in what appears to be a nice, welcoming local pub.
18 Apr 2006 17:21
Wandered in here at the weekend and was delighted to find a nice cosy pub and friendly staff. Nice to see a landlord that will take time for a chat and appear genuinely interested in you. A very pleasant sunday afternoon experience, and I'll go out of my way to drop in a say hello again.
18 Apr 2006 17:06
Nice, traditional-style pub. Barman took time to say hello, please and thank you which was a pleasant change. The place could do with turning off the televisions when nobody is watching and perhaps not using so many 200 Watt bulbs, but other than that, quite a satisfying experience.
18 Apr 2006 16:59
I spent an evening in here about six months ago and was underwhelmed, primarily due to some rather ignorant and infuriatingly slow barstaff and the fact that there was a toilet attendant trying to palmolivise me every time I needed to return my beer to whence it came. Judging by my recent visits , the new management seem to have injected a well-needed bit of common sense to the place. The top room has been made less formal allowing access to both drinkers and diners (and presumably allowing for more than two sittings per evening), the staff flirt in a most satisfying fashion and look to be enjoying their job, nobody swipes your drink at two minutes past eleven and you no longer get hassled in the facilities.
This place is definitely on the up. If you were turned off in the past, drop in and see if you can spot the difference.
18 Apr 2006 16:53
The Ship Inn, Wandsworth
It appears that either stevieshears has misunderstood the meaning of the word 'disingenuous' (as would appear to be the case in his post of 18th March below) or he/she is accusing me of being somehow deliberately misleading in my review. This is not the case.
Firstly let me get a few things straight: I think this is a fantastic little pub, as do a very large amount of other people, as witnessed by the fact that this place continually draws large crowds, even during the winter. The mangement have supported local musicians by having live music several nights a week; apart from people who simply like drinking here, this has attracted a pretty loyal following of people (myself included) who enjoy watching quality musicians in what I consider a pretty cool pub.
Secondly - and maybe it's because I'm not from these parts - I don't like real ale. As a matter of fact, the general pseudo-mystical, self-importantly reverential malarkey that surrounds it has actually started to make me actively dislike it, like some skiving, seat moistening work colleague that gets away with not doing a tap.
Let me be as far from disingenuous as I possibly can: I can't stand the stuff, and I know quite a few other people - good, law abiding, reasonable people - who can't stand it either. There seems to be some sort of background hum of inverse snobbery on this site whereby if a pub is not a strip lit, hanging-basketed, Victorian throw-back run by some CAMRA Grand Dragon (I'm sure there must be some initation rites at least) who plays constant hurdy-gurdy music in his cellar to keep his yeast happy then it's somehow 'unworthy' or otherwise to be avoided. I just don't care about the real ale. There. I've said it.
I do know, though, that the staff do care. I know this because I've seen them disappear off into the cellar with their rubber mallets and spiles or whatever that fiddly stuff is. I have heard serious conversations (which mostly bwent over my head) about making sure quality was maintained and I know from conversations that because of the large footfall in the Ship, Young's regard this as a flagship pub and keep a close eye on beer quality. In short, I wouldn't have a clue - wouldn't if my life depended on it, if you prefer, Stevieshears - but Young's seem to be very happy with the place, and why wouldn't they be?
Not that I care, particularly. I'm sure that Youngs are very happy with plenty of other pubs, pubs where the landlord would happily discuss the merits of synthetic vs. bamboo spigots with the 'discerning' punter. I just wouldn't be arsed drinking there.
I do drink in the Ship, though, and I'll tell you why. It's a beautfully kept and well turned out pub with staff that remember me. They do really good (if expensive) food, have quality live music, and the place is generally full of stunning-looking women, including behind the bar. The Guinness is good (for that is what I drink) and it's a truly great place to spend some sunny hours in the summer.
To paraphrase Jim Royle as interpreted by the great Ricky Tomlinson, 'disingenuous, my arse'.
I'm upping my rating for this pub to a 10 just to annoy the CAMRA members. Hammer that into your cask with your rubber mallet and smoke it.
29 Mar 2010 22:27