BITE user comments - Wade1957
Comments by Wade1957
The Hoop and Toy, South Kensington
Beers that were good: Fullers London Pride and Youngs Ordinary; guest beers are available and a list is shown on a blackboard, with the ones that are on being ticked.
Convenient pub for the museums.
Once featured in a Roman Polanski film (Repulsion, 1965).
13 Oct 2006 15:21
Summer Lightning and GFB in good condition. Nice old pub surrounded by new tiny houses.
28 Sep 2006 08:45
Beer in good condition. Place was crowded on a Weds lunchtime. Interesting coins in the rear garden.
28 Sep 2006 08:43
This year's beer festival was rather popular - they sold out (of 28 barrels) by 6pm Saturday! The first day was heaving apparently. Still had a good choice at the bar inside though, but getting there earlier would've been a better plan.
24 Sep 2006 09:44
The first time I went here the Spitfire was off, so the barman lifted the hatch, went down to the cellar, put on a new barrel, came back up, pulled a few through, and then served me a good clean pint.
The second time I went here the same thing happened.
I mention this because some pubs say "well, it's off, there's Carling if you want"..... or some such nonsense.
The Two Brewers is a proper pub, and I'll be back for another pint or three of the Spitfire.
7 Sep 2006 16:47
The Spice Island Inn, Portsmouth
No beers on offer that could tempt me in.
The building is interesting though: Grade II listed. It was originally two pubs and there are still signs of one of the former names.
7 Sep 2006 16:32
The Still and West, Portsmouth
'Gales' HSB still on tap alongside the Fullers range, and quite good too. �2.70p a pint.
Sit by the windows and be impressed when the Isle of Wight ferry sails close by.
7 Sep 2006 16:31
The Hole in The Wall, Southsea
The chilli & rice for �3.95 was good.
Wide range of beers. The 'Holehearted' a bit too perfumed for me, but worth going back to try more.
Small, cosy pub, almost full of locals midweek at 6pm, including some mad students playing scrabble and doing push-ups...
7 Sep 2006 16:27
Another great beer festival this Bank Holiday weekend, with a hog roast each day. All real ales at �2.50 a pint. Live music.
Extra parking provided in field opposite: this festival's getting popular!
I went on Sunday and stayed for about 7 hours...I wish I lived in the house next door.
28 Aug 2006 11:57
Their Wednesday 'Beer Club' night (6pm to 9pm) is popular with �1.75p a pint of real ale.
Starting Friday 22nd September is their Beer Festival weekend, which includes a BBQ.
The Summer Lightning remains my favourite beer here, whatever the price, and this pub is one of the few traditional pubs in the area.
21 Aug 2006 15:43
The high standards of cuisine extend down to the humble BLT, which was excellent!
6 Aug 2006 10:01
Arrive by steam train from Tenterden and stroll to the pub from the station. The castle to your right, the pub to your left. You cross a river just before you get there. A great way to visit a country pub.
Bar staff were very efficient even thgough it was very busy when I got there on a Saturday afternoon.
Pint of Spitfire was �2.80 and was very good.
There's a bus stop outside too, the hourly Arriva 254 service that runs from Tunbridge Wells to Hastings.
30 Jul 2006 08:37
Yep, the Pride was off - cloudy and smelly, but it had to be pointed out to the staff.
Red chicken Thai curry was tasty though. Plenty of seats available at lunchtime.
5 Jul 2006 17:54
But with temps like today at 30 degrees C all you want to start with is a lager shandy, made with the cheapest lager which they do for �1.75p. Followed by some cold cider at �2.50p a pint.
Great views and a couple of shady window seats inside.
Friendly staff.
2 Jul 2006 16:35
The Mark Cross Inn, Mark Cross
A 'tardis' pub - it is a lot bigger on the inside than it looks from the road!
Really nice wood decor with loads of books on shelves and lots of sections.
The views over the Sussex countryside are superb from the rear garden. Although the B2100 runs alongside this garden (the pub is near the junction with the A267) there's a high hedge so you can't see the traffic. When I went there, a dog was frantically chasing the cars up and down this garden, although he couldn't see them, and was prevented from harm by the white picket fence and hedge.
Old Speckled Hen and Harveys on tap.
Worth a stop when touring the area.
(A hourly bus, no. 52, from Tunbridge Wells takes 1/2 hour to get to the Mark Cross garden centre and then it's a 5 minute walk)
27 Jun 2006 15:51
Their next beer festival, with a daily hog roast, will be on Saturday 27th May through to Monday 29th May, i.e. the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May.
All the beers will be �2.40 a pint, and will include
Rutland Panther, Otter Bitter, Moorhouses Premier, White Horse Bitter, Harvest Pale, Five Bridges Bitter, Alton Pride, Wherry, Drawwell, Suffolk County Bitter, Caledonian 80/-, Loxley Ale, Thrappledouser, Landlord, Rambrau, Exmoor Gold, Old Slug Porter, Old Hookey, Thirsty Moon, Hole Hearted, Schiehallon, Nautical Mild, Dark Star Original, Summer Lightning, Molecatcher, Sharps Special, Black Adder, Festival Ale.
This marvellous pub was named the West Kent Camra Pub of the Year 2006, and is open 12noon to 11pm.
6 May 2006 14:57
The Bedford Park, Streatham
I guess you can tell when the barmaid raises an eyebrow when asked for a pint of Special, and has to remind herself where the tap for it is, that they don't sell a lot of it.
Having said that, when the bottom of the barrel was reached, the landlord promptly changed it, and pulled though a decent drop of it, asking that I check it first!
The list of live music looks full, so this could be a good alternative to the wetherspoon/parrot etcs.
14 Nov 2006 14:51