BITE user comments - covman45
Comments by covman45
Has changed hands again for the umpteenth time and seems to be having another facelift.
26 Mar 2013 19:15
Under new management.Had a makeover and is now modern uncluttered look.Sells a run of the mill range of real ales.
26 Mar 2013 19:11
Reopened under new management.Had a lick of paint .Three real ales on .
26 Mar 2013 19:05
The Ship and Shovell, Charing Cross
Nice pint of Firkin Fox. Pleasant surroundings and friendly atmosphere.
22 Feb 2013 12:35
Great choice of ales , friendly atmosphere and good service from the lovely barmaids.
22 Feb 2013 12:32
The Jeremy Bentham, Bloomsbury
A standard bar with 4 mainstream ales. Beer of variable quality. Dont see why it merits a place in Good Beer Guide.
22 Feb 2013 12:29
Very small one room bar. It was full on Saturday night.Miserable barmaid .Fair choice of national brewery ales .Too crowded to really enjoy.
28 Oct 2012 12:38
Saturday night- very crowded- quick service -good ales- great atmosphere. 8/10
28 Oct 2012 12:33
Strange how a CAMRA GBG listed pub refuses to give a taster of their ales.Bar man said they were not allowed to do this.Not a very good way to encourage customers when all other real pubs are happy to. See the Lion for how a bar should be run. Having said that there was a good selection of beers and mine was well kept.
28 Oct 2012 12:29
A great old fashioned corner pub with some original features including tiling. A pleasant and helpful barmaid who knew about the beers and offered samples before buying.Selection of about 6 ales including their own Lion beer.A definite pub to visit. The pork pies are very good too.
28 Oct 2012 12:19
A basic 2 room corner pub. Good selection of ales which are well kept. Their down side is the numerous large tv screens.
28 Oct 2012 12:14
A very basic one room corner pub.Only had one ale on - Jennings Cumberland which was good. The decor with its magnolia walls,looks very dated . Worth a quick visit if waiting for train at Lime Street but nothing more.
28 Oct 2012 12:09
Called in on Saturday lunch and the place was virtually empty.Only had 3 ales on, all from Liverpool Organic brewery. One of which was sour but was changed without any quibbles. There was no atmosphere in this large "hall" and the decor and furniture looked tired.
28 Oct 2012 12:03
I was very interested to read Beer hunter's comments 15/9/12. I too had the same experience about 2 years ago when I saw the barman filling up my glass with slops. I told him that was not acceptable and to pull me a fresh one. He said he was told to do it by the management.
I reported this to the Council Public Health dept and they replied that they had visited the premises and told them to stop such practice.
Obviously this has not been heeded .I have never been back although I had been a regular until then.
Perhaps more people should take the same action as I did.
28 Sep 2012 21:25
The Betsey Trotwood, Clerkenwell
Well decorated bar on a busy main road. Full range of Shepherd Neame beers. Quiet on a Wednesday afternoon, so got served easily.Nice pint of Late Red.
27 Sep 2012 20:38
The inside, which is much larger than the exterior suggests, has comfortable and clean surroundings. Two real ales on sale ,served by a friendly landlady who will tell you about the history of the pub if you are interested .Also has a garden area,which is unusual in London.
27 Sep 2012 20:31
The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell
A splendid "old fashioned" pub with wooden benches and paneled walls painted dark green. Full range of St Peters beers , I tried the Organic bitter which was excellent. Not to be missed.
27 Sep 2012 20:17
The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon
Very harsh comments below which not justified on my visit yesterday evening.The place was busy but service was quick and friendly.Meal was served in a few minutes and was well cooked. Surroundings and atmosphere were as good as any other Spoons I have been in and a lot better than some.
27 Sep 2012 13:12
Great pub with "original back room, Excellent Bathams bitter and pork pies.Not to be missed.
13 Aug 2012 16:35
Large bar and lounge and garden.Good beer brewed on site and a "warm" welcome from the 70+ year old barmaid.
13 Aug 2012 16:27
Now regularly stocking Bhyatts excellant beers (Coventry's own brewery) at �2.50 per pint , as well as Church End.
17 Jan 2012 11:08
The Shakespeare Inn, Birmingham
Enfield must have caught it on an off day.My first visit since it changed to a Nicholsons , who have given it a minor makeover but kept the original wall tiles.I was served by friendly staff and a good range of real ales were on sale. Tried Acorn and Oakleaf and both were in excellent condition.
24 Nov 2011 16:17
pleasant if small interior,packed with shoppers.First pint i had was off but was changed without any problem for a Black Sheep ,which was good.
30 Oct 2011 12:00
pleasant if small interior,packed with shoppers.First pint i had was off but was changed without any problem for a Black Sheep ,which was good.
30 Oct 2011 12:00
Very small cramped interior. Basic selection of ales.Bombadier was ok.
30 Oct 2011 11:57
Nice olde worlde interior , ale i tried looked a bit hazy but tasted good.Friendly atmosphere.
30 Oct 2011 11:55
An Okells pub which only had one of their ales on tap! So we left without further ado.
30 Oct 2011 11:53
Tried to visit on a Saturday night at 8pm but it was closed!
27 Oct 2011 14:40
Moved into new smarter larger premises in Alison Street.Three ales on sale .Late opening weekends.
7 Sep 2011 15:35
The Wagon and Horses, Bordesley Green
Has had its handpulls restored and now selling real ale after years without. Wye Valley is usually here but others will be .Ale not always available at start of week due to demand.It is a traditional pub with live music.
7 Sep 2011 15:33
Now called the Eagle , it reopened on 26th August 2011. Extensive refurbishment has brought it back to its former glory days in traditional style..Four ales on offer and a full menu all day.Open 10am - 11pm Mon to Sat, 12-11 Sun.
7 Sep 2011 15:26
Premises were targeted during the August riots and extensive damage was caused .Small amount of cash was stolen and they intended to burn it down as petrol was found inside ,according to press reports.Have not visited ,so cannot verify what the state of this beautiful pub is at present.
22 Aug 2011 17:39
It is now an alternative therapy centre. Will never be a pub again, sad to report..
22 Aug 2011 17:30
Cannot agree about the great service, as when we called in early on a Saturday afternoon, the barman gave no greeting or any other conversation. Apart from that, the pub is a gem with its fine interior and an wonderful range of ales in fine form.
7 Aug 2011 17:21
Called in Saturday night - TV boxing match at full volume dominated all the rooms . Bathams bitter very expensive at �3.40 and of only average quality.
Decor is ok but not worth a second visit.
3 Jul 2011 18:07
It has been "renovated" and all the original windows and tiles retained.However some bright spark has decided to hang a tree branch covered in fairy lights from the ceiling and put hideous wallpaper above the tiles.Place was clean and tidy- including the toilets.Selection of 4 real ales and Dorothy Goodbody was tasty. The downside was that at 9pm the lights were turned down and the sound system was set to ear drum splitting lev Cue for a hasty retreat !
3 Jul 2011 17:57
excellant pub with two low ceilinged bars and good choice of well kept ales. Nice outdoor areas too.
23 May 2011 17:42
very overpriced for very average beer although surroundings are pleasant.
23 May 2011 17:40
Quality and quantity of the ales has taken a slide down hill in the last 6 months. Last night only two were on - Spitfire which by common consensus was of poor standard and didnt even taste like the real thing.The other was bog standard Flowers. However both ran out well before closing time and no attempt to replace them.A pub with no beer! Sadly it is not the first time this has happened and seem to be a fairly regular occurrence, The "Landlord" seems to have lost interest in real ale and therefore its inclusion in the CAMRA good beer guide should be rescinded..
21 Mar 2011 16:28
The Charles Dickens, Southwark
pleasant surroundings and beer was average but seems to lack atmosphere.
2 Nov 2010 16:41
Surroundings are nothing special but the buzz comes from the crowds of boozers in here. Good selection of ales to try.
2 Nov 2010 16:36
Nice pint of St Austells Proper Job on Saturday afternoon.The well worn surroundings give it a great old boozer atmosphere.The stained glass windows are a treat.Serving reasonably priced pub grub too.
2 Nov 2010 16:30
Called in Saturday PM. Courtyard was full of footie fans who were loud but no problem.Inside was full of tourists but got served quickly despite the crowds. George ale was pleasant with a Abbot Ale taste.Food seemed expensive. Nothing more can be said about the historic architecture, which is excellent.
2 Nov 2010 16:26
Called in on a Saturday PM crawl. Good surroundings and the Best Bitter was pleasant enough.Only 5 customers so lacked much atmosphere .Was put off by the opera CD being played at full volume on the bar counter This is not to everyones taste, Mr Landlord.
2 Nov 2010 16:20
Called in Saturday afternoon on a crawl around Southwark.Pleasant landlady and bar maid. . Authentic interior with two seperate rooms, with one showing racing and the other football,The TEA was very good.
2 Nov 2010 16:09
The Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden
Great surroundings,Good atmosphere , tasty beer.What more do you need?
25 Oct 2010 17:57
Nice pub with very interesting interior with all the walls covered in pictures and ecclectic items hanging from the ceiling.Brodies Beer I tried was good.However the Manager ( I presume)stood at the end of the bar,swigging a bottle of spanish lager and looking very world weary.When the barrel ran out he changed it.Then topped up the glass of dregs without pulling any beer off and presented it to the customer.This happened twice while I stood there.Not sure pub should be in CAMRA guide with this sort of practice.
25 Oct 2010 17:53
The Freemasons Arms, Covent Garden
Ordered the Late red. Was told by a less than friendly bar maid that it had gone. Had the Spitfire instead ,which was poor quality.Little pub atmosphere probably due to the numerous TV screens showing sport.Not worth visiting.
25 Oct 2010 17:43
The Salisbury, Leicester Square
Nice interior and beer was good.Staff pleasant and efficient.
25 Oct 2010 17:37
terrible place which looks like a down market Wetherspoons! The bitter tasted stale.Very poor surroundings for a Sam Smiths pub. Bar area was stacked high with dirty glasses.Dont bother going here, plenty of better pubs in spitting distance.
25 Oct 2010 17:35
Part of Nicholsons empire .Very interesting interior. The lady behind the bar was very pleasant and knew about the ales on sale, She also offered samples before we bought.The bitter I tried was on good form.Well worth another visit
25 Oct 2010 17:26
The Porterhouse, Covent Garden
Had a pint of their Stickleback? which was freezing cold and tasted awful.
Dont bother going here if you like your real ale!
25 Oct 2010 17:20
The Brewery Tap, Burton-Upon-Trent
Now the National Brewery Centre tap. Beer was on good form. Pleasant modern surroundings but a bit soul less.
10 Oct 2010 17:06
The Coopers Tavern, Burton-Upon-Trent
A real gem for lovers of traditional old fashioned ale houses.Excellant range of beers and ciders .
10 Oct 2010 16:59
The Burton Bridge Inn, Burton-Upon-Trent
Nice little boozer Beer was good , staff friendly and pork pies enjoyable
10 Oct 2010 16:56
Old Cottage Tavern, Burton on Trent
A very good backstreet pub .There is a wide range of real ales including "Old Cottage" brewery The Oak Ale was good and the staff friendly.Nicely refurbished interior which is pleasantly clean and tidy , as were the toilets !
10 Oct 2010 16:32
Prince Alfred, Burton-Upon-Trent
An excellent pub. A full range of Burton Bridge ales but I had an very nice pint of Ufford War Dog. Also had a decent cheese and onion roll. The interior has been updated but is in keeping with the age and history of the pub.
10 Oct 2010 16:27
The usual appalling service you expect from JDWs. Barman didnt like it when I told him and asked "why do you come here then".Very good question to which I told him that one day I was hoping to find a Wetherspoons that was run properly.Beer was average quality but pleasant enough surroundings.
3 Jun 2010 19:19
The usual appalling service you expect from JDWs. Barman didnt like it when I told him and asked "why do you come here then".Very good question to which I told him that one day I was hoping to find a Wetherspoons that was run properly.Beer was average quality but pleasant enough surroundings.
3 Jun 2010 19:18
The Bloomsbury Tavern, Bloomsbury
pleasant old fashioned pub selling good tasting ale but �3.40 for a pint of Late Red.
29 Apr 2010 17:12
! agree with all the comments about the beer but the interior decor is very basic and cheap looking, Shame it doesnt match up to the exterior.
21 Apr 2010 19:50
Excellant pub with plenty of atmosphere due to the eccentric decor and beer was good too.
21 Apr 2010 19:46
Blackburne Arms Hotel, Liverpool
not impressed with this place.Football on multi screens blaring out german commentary at full volume.Beer quality average.
21 Apr 2010 19:43
what nonsense below.We were here last Saturday afternoon.No smell of stale anything. Good selection of ales and good atmosphere .Even had a Beatle lookalike collecting glasses!
21 Apr 2010 19:37
EastKent must have been there on an off day. Went on Wednesday evening and although the place was busy, the service and beer were both good. This is a really interesting historic pub and the rear bar interior is unique .I would certainly go again.
12 Mar 2010 17:09
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street
Great historic inn with plenty of small rooms to explore, upstairs and down.The cellar bar is particularly atmospheric.Only Sam Smiths bitter available but a must see on any pub tour,
12 Mar 2010 17:03
Abbott ale at �3.10 per pint- they are having a larff! - then say they are having a special offer in Feb buy 4 get 1 free which almost brings it down to an acceptable price.
Place was empty and smelled of chip fat.
Not a great experience!!
21 Feb 2010 15:58
Revisited on a snowy night. Four ales on - Brew XI, GK IPA, Church End Foxs Hat And Goats Milk.Tried the last two which were in good condition.Good warm atmosphere too.
19 Feb 2010 15:48
Badly run .Regularly runs out of guest beers, staff cannot be bothered to put new beers on.Bar covered in beer and tables left uncleaned for hours.
3 Feb 2010 20:39
Careys, Coventry
CLOSED
6 Feb 2018 16:14