BITE user comments - djw
Comments by djw
The Admiral Benbow, Shrewsbury
Okay but nothing special. I'd be happy enough to stay here for a session but there are better alternatives close by.
15 Jul 2017 21:01
The Three Fishes, Bayston Hill
Good beer, served quickly despite them being busy. A reasonable choice of ales; didn't try the food but it looked fine.
15 Jul 2017 20:59
Ye Olde Leathern Bottel, Wednesbury
Everything that can be said about this pub has been said many times. It should really be in a country village but a quirk of fate stuck it in Wednesbury, which means they can't get away with gastro-pub food or massively marked up wine and have to stick with what the market can stand. It therefore falls between the two stools of atmospheric restaurant and local pub. Not much choice of beer and a bit pricey for the area. It's okay for a once in a while visit but I wouldn't make a habit of using it.
13 Nov 2016 12:02
Surprisingly good pub in a real ale desert, where the locals are very much of the 'Friendly but God help you if you don't fit in' variety. Good range of beers, the one I tried was fine. Prices were okay, probably higher than the local competition but you get what you pay for.
A lot of nearby pubs have closed; the Fountain's continued existence is proof that there's still a market for decent ones even in unlikely areas.
13 Nov 2016 11:44
I'm really not sure about this one. The beer was fine and the service adequate but as another reviewer commented, there was an unfriendly air to the place that I couldn't put my finger on. Unsociable, yes. Missed opportunity, definitely. I usually like BCA pubs and they've done more for real ale in the region than anyone else in the past thirty years but this one just doesn't do it for me.
Then, when I got home I realised I'd had a 20 cent piece worked off in my change instead of a pound coin. Probably not the barman's fault but it summed the place up.
16 Jun 2016 22:24
First of all the address is misleadlng - Goods Way is a five minute walk away; this is in the station itself.
Second, it's all about context. As a normal pub it's not thing special but as a rail bar it's up there with the best. Likewise the prices are steep but this is a captive market in central London.
The beer's fine, there are plenty of corners to hide in, you couldn't exactly have a session in here but it's more than adequate to pass the time waiting for a train.
22 Apr 2016 00:00
I'd not been in here for a few years and it seems that nothing has changed. The beer's still good, there's still a wide selection and there'ss till plenty of little cornes to settle into and watch the world go by. Looking at past reviews it seems that the Brunswick had gone downhill a bit but judging by this visit those days are thankfully over.
25 Dec 2015 21:45
The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell
Good beer, good service, very atmospheric and historic pub with a decent buzz in an area of London where being up yourself never goes out of fashion. It's busy but you can't criticise any business for being popular.
21 Nov 2015 23:17
Ordered drink - served quickly and pleasantly, sat down and began drinking. About 2/3 of the way down the pint I noticed that it still hadn't settled completely and wasn't tasting right. Not off, just not particularly good. Mentioned this to the barman, who sampled some from the tap and agreed that it didn't look or taste right. And carried on serving it. A pity, because it was a decent pub apart from that but with such a cavalier attitude to beer quality I'll not return.
21 Nov 2015 23:14
Bright, clean, beer was okay but the choice a bit limited for a JDW. Surprisingly full for early on Sunday lunchtime, mostly with people drinking coffee/eating breakfasts - not my idea of what a pub's for, but if it keeps them open then we have to put up with it.
20 Sep 2015 20:14
My first time in here and all I can say is that it's the best new pub I've tried for a long while. Good choice, staff know their stuff, absolutely top quality beers, reasonable prices, comfy sofas.
20 Sep 2015 20:07
The Spread Eagle, Acocks Green
JDW have upped their game enormously in thepast couple of years, which means that the old-style Spoons look even worse in comparison to their newer, cleaner brethren.
This is an old-style Spoons. It's dirty, the customers are here because it's cheap and for no other reason, the staff don;t seen to give much of a toss about improving the place. On the night I was lucky enough to visit the real ale choice consisted of Wobbly Bob, Ruddles, Abbot, Doombar and JHB, which is usually one of my favourites but tonight would have been sent back anywhere else. Here, though, what's the point? I know from experience that you're not going to get any better.
A drink in this place reinforc es the opinion that there is clearly still a market for pubs catering to the lowest common denominator, and also shows that while they're all in here they aren't anywhere else.
18 Aug 2015 01:21
My first visit for a while and nothing's changed. The beer's as good as ever, the food's good, old-fashioned no-frills pub grub and the ser vice could be quicker but what the hell. It's a great place to pop in for a quick pint or a lengthy session, just like it always has been.
11 Jul 2015 21:35
My first visit for a while and nothing's changed. The beer's as good as ever, the food's good, old-fashioned no-frills pub grub and the ser vice could be quicker but what the hell. It's a great place to pop in for a quick pint or a lengthy session, just like it always has been.
11 Jul 2015 21:34
Decent JDW; not much choice but what they do is fine. Clean, well-looked after, the staff are efficient and the toilets are original.
9 Jun 2015 23:02
The Seven Stars, Chancery Lane
Grotty little place that clearly has its fans. The beer's okay, the staff don't seem any worse than many other London pubs and the stairs are steep. The men's toilets are out of order at the moment and I doubt they'll be fixed any time soon. I suppose a visit here is part of the great London pub experience but I wouldn't recommend a return.
9 Jun 2015 22:58
An ornate JDW that serves one of the widest ranges I've seen in the chain. Someone said 24 handpulls and although I didn't count them I can well believe it.
A few others have also said that the service leaves a lot to be desired and I've seen that at first hand. If you walk through the doors and straight up to the bar you'll be served right away. Have a walk round the circular bar to see what's on, and if your choice happens to be in one of the dead zones that the staff can't be bothered walking over to, you could still be waiting there now.
9 Jun 2015 22:49
A very unusual pub for this part of the world. The architecture alone makes it worth a visit and as another reviewer commented, it has the feel of an old-fashioned working men's club, or possibly a 1930s roadhouse pub, about it.
The beer was good, the landlord asked what I thought of it and seemed to take a real pride in his cellarmanship. That said, he seemed the sort of whom a little would go a long way. I'm not sure if I could take him on a regular basis although this could easily be a regular haunt of mine.
9 Jun 2015 22:44
Nice pub, an oasis of reasonable calm in the maelstrom that is central London. You know what you're getting with Sam Smith's - cheap prices, good service and a choice so limited it seems like you've walked into a seventies theme bar, but what they do serve is of good quality. This could be a regular haunt should the Harp drop its standards.
3 Jun 2015 22:20
A good Wetherspoon's, which means it's a decent pub. Handy for the tube, good service, decent selection of adequate beers. A useful oasis in an area that's not well-supplied with quality pubs.
29 Apr 2015 19:25
The Cottage Spring, Wednesbury
Unassuming, tucked-away pub in a residential area. two rooms although only the bar was open when I visited - and why such a small room has to have such a large TV I know not.
Good Holden's made this a worthwhile one to seek out if not perhaps return to. It'd be a bloody lovely local though.
29 Apr 2015 19:15
Busy, reasonable beer, averagely uninterested service. There was a time when such a pub would have been a highlight of the area around Euston but now there are so many that are worth seeking out anywhere that wants more than passing trade or customers who know no better has to up their game if they want repeat business.
22 Mar 2015 13:55
The Southampton Arms, Gospel Oak
Indeed, you do wonder what some people want from a pub. Granted, it's a bit basic but that's made up for by a range of magnificently-kept beers and ciders (well, the ones I tried were), good staff, keen prices and great vinyl being played. Currently m y favourite pub in London
15 Mar 2015 21:32
Not the best pub in the world although two real ales in a suburban hotel bar, served at pub rather than hotel prices is to be commended. It can be a bit noisy although there are a couple of quiet corners. It wouldn't be a bad one to have as your local.
4 Mar 2015 18:06
First time I've been in for a long while and it's still a decent pub. Late afternoon so quiet but service was brisk and the beer was fine. Only four handpulls working, which is a pity but this is hardly a real ale part of the city centre.
4 Mar 2015 18:04
The Harvester, Long Itchington
I came in here just after opening one night and while the beer was fine the place was downright freezing. It was akin to drinking in someone's living room; I wasn't too impressed but a couple of hours later might have been fine.
21 Feb 2015 22:25
The Shakespeare's Head, Holborn
Good beer although a touch cold. I got in here late so it wasn't too busy but the service was exemplary - three staff eager to serve me. Every pub in the area could learn from that - congratulations to the manager. Nice atmosphere as well; not like the usual JDW. Definitely one of their better establishments.
17 Dec 2014 22:17
It's a decent but nothing special pub a little off the beaten track of central London. The beer's good, they have a decent choice and you can usually get a seat. There's better nearby but also a lot worse.
17 Dec 2014 21:47
The Salisbury, Leicester Square
Nice architecture, good beer, quick and friendly service even when it's busy. But 4.75 a pint???
17 Dec 2014 21:43
A perfectly pleasant 'Spoons in an otherwise underachieving town for pubs. The choice was okay, the beer I tried was fine if a bit too cold and the overall experience much the same as you'd expected from JDW.
13 Dec 2014 18:39
One of the ways I test a pub is by talking to whoever might be leaning against the bar. If they're blocking service and generally miserable it takes a lot for me to look favourably from then on. If, however, they say hello then you, them and the landlord have a rambling conversation touching on German markets, London house prices and all points in between I know it's the sort of pub I'll leave with the greatest reluctance.
Of the seven on handpull I tried their own Backyard Blonde. It was, of course, superb.
13 Dec 2014 15:47
The Jug and Jester, Leamington Spa
A bad JDW is a miserable experience. A good JDW is okay. This is a lot nearer the top of the list than the bottom. My first pint seemed a bit stale but the manager was amenable to a quiet word and took an interest. The second pint, when I returned a few hours later, was much better.
Service was okay, the staff (including doormen) were pleasant and the layout of the pub meant it didn't seem too much like a couple of shop units.
29 Nov 2014 20:32
It's been a long time since I gave a pub 10 but this one deserved it and more. Holden's, Batham's, Pardoe's, Enville and an incomparable Sarah Hughes Ruby. Any one of these is worth travelling for; in the same pub they're real ale Nirvana. It's a steep walk up the hill from the station but it's easier on the way back. This pub is unmissable.
15 Nov 2014 17:08
Cheap beer, cheap food, familiar decor to anyone who spent the eighties in what were then branded as vintage or heritage pubs. Handy enough place for a drink or a quick meal en route to somewhere else but at least they keep real ale.
12 Nov 2014 23:54
The Town Wall Tavern, Coventry
Nice enough pub with a decent choice of beers. Small and friendly bar and a more food-orientated lounge. There are better pubs in the vicinity but this is a perfectly acceptable one to pass the time.
12 Nov 2014 23:52
There's not much I can add to the recent comments. Wonderful beer, friendly service (a 'Thank you' as you leave costs nothing and makes a lot of difference), it's a pity it's not bigger but that might ruin the atmosphere of what i think is now the best pub in the city centre.
7 Nov 2014 12:40
Still boarded up, despite the Eastside development going on all around.
6 Nov 2014 12:49
Still boarded up, despite the Eastside development going on all around.
6 Nov 2014 12:49
The Roebuck Inn, Burton-Upon-Trent
Pedigree, Abbott, Directors. What is this - JDW? Come on, try a bit harder, and while you're at it have a word with the "Don't worry, we're all ignorant" crowd hanging around the bar. Yes, you are.
The beer was okay and the place was busy early on a Saturday evening so they must be doing something right but there are much better pubs nearby.
1 Nov 2014 23:55
Looks like I'm the first reviewer for a long while. Not the greatest pub in the world but it would be fine to have as your local and perfectly acceptable to stumble across en route to somewhere else. Decent beer (albeit not much choice) and cheap food.
1 Nov 2014 23:51
Fellows Morton & Clayton Ltd, Nottingham
Nipped in here for a quick 'un while waiting for a train today and it was a cracker. I've not been in for years but the beers were fine, a decent choice and a CAMRA members discount. Food looked okay, TVs were unobtrusive and best of all the Lincoln Green Marion was superb.
1 Nov 2014 23:48
Oddly situated down a street full of terraced houses, which seemed as though it had strayed about 150 miles south.
A smallish pub which was packed early evening hence the number standing outside. My first two choices ran out while I was waiting but the third was fine and the barman had both the beer knowledge and good sense to warn me that my third choice was completely different to the first two.
Not a bad pub, although if I'm visiting here again I shall wait until late in the evening when presumably the office crowd have gone home.
28 Oct 2014 01:15
despite the recent poor reviews I had a decent enough half-hour in here. The beer was fine, the prices not too extortionate given the area and the clientele not excessively braying .
My mood was brightened by the lovely Mexican lady ahead of me at the bar, who let me be served first as she was ordering 25 drinks. What a surprisingly kind gesture that was.
28 Oct 2014 01:10
Anywhere else in the country and a big, open scruffy/dirty place like this would be inhabited by a collection of flotsam, jetsam and drunkards. It's got the feel of a pub round the back of a station or market. In London, of course, the clientele are a mixture of office workers and tourists.
The beer's not great, cheap enough from 4-7 when the place is packed but it's not really worth seeking out.
28 Oct 2014 01:06
The Ladybird Inn, Aston Fields
It looks a nice, old-fashioned street corner local from the outside. They've got Batham's and while it isn't up to Bull & Bladder standards it's good enough.
But - and this is something I can't get my head around no matter how many times I see it - given they've got the basics in place for a classic traditional pub, why do owners then feel they have to lay the place out like a restaurant? Panelled flooring, straight-backed chairs, place settings at every table. If I wanted a meal I'd have gone to the Indian across the street. I actually wanted a pint of decent beer in a proper pub. It isn't much to ask for.
28 Oct 2014 01:02
And the final pub of my disappointing mini-crawl of Covent Garden and its environs brought me to this traditional-looking street corner pub that I'm sure could tell a tale or two but probably won't be able to tell many more.
Those horrible school desk-type high benches that invariably signify food takes priority over beer and the reserved sign at the one proper table (ignored - the advantages of old age) were a warning, the choice of Flowers and Greed King IPA confirmed it. Have a pint here if you must but go somewhere better at the first opportunity.
10 Sep 2014 00:35
Nell of Old Drury, Covent Garden
Since when does average Deuchars and one other whose name I've forgotten get you into the GBG? Like the Coach & Horses round the corner, decent enough in its way but there are much better pubs not far away.
10 Sep 2014 00:29
The Coach and Horses, Covent Garden
Nice little pub with a good feel to it in amongst the tourist traps - but couldn't they get a bit more choice than Courage and Spitfire?
10 Sep 2014 00:27
This is a solid 7 out of 10 pub to me. It naturally caters for shoppers/tourists but the staff were fine, the prices reasonable and the beer good in both choice and quality. The smell of cooking that suddenly wafted in from nowhere was a bit off-putting but that's what happens when you drink at lunchtime.
31 Aug 2014 10:22
The Prince of Wales, Birmingham
It's okay. Nothing special and a bit more variety in the Duchard/Purity/Black Sheep etc choice would have been welcomed but it seemed a friendly enough pub with a few regulars dotted around on a late afternoon. It's certainly better than anywhere else in the vicinity of the hell-hole that is Broad Street.
19 Jul 2014 23:00
As everyone else seems to have commented, better than average 'Spoons in an area where the pub choice is poor. My first pint was off but it was changed without fuss and the replacement was very good.
19 Jul 2014 21:55
The Black Horse Inn, Great Torrington
A market town with plenty of tourist trade, but yet again in this area the pubs are disappointing. This is the best of a bad bunch, with six handpulls and a depressing lack of variety. Surely someone in North Devon must like light bitters, IPA or old ales? Service okay on a quiet afternoon, beer well kept. Not a bad place to spend a session but it has very little competition.
4 Jul 2014 19:11
The Great Western Hotel, Exeter
I'm not sure I'd want to eat here and I certainly wouldn't want to stay the night but I would happily drink the day away in the magnificently shabby bar of this rundown hotel. The beer is tremendously well-kept and the seven handpulls working when I visited housed some magnificently obscure selections. The sort of pub you wish was outside every railway station you visit.
29 Jun 2014 21:33
Brewdog Birmingham, Birmingham
Horrible place frequented by customers who drink whatever is in fashion this month. They'll be back to alcopops soon.
21 Jun 2014 00:52
A lovely pub with superb beer. I'm not usually too keen on single-room pubs but this one was fine. I would imagine that on a night with a band playing this would be a great place to spend the evening.
17 May 2014 21:55
Great pub, great beer; what a proper pub should be. They even had a proper pub dog. I look forward to returning and staying longer.
17 May 2014 21:53
The Hamilton Hall, Liverpool Street
Handy enough for the station if you've time to kill before a train. The beer's fine and although gets busy service is good. It's never going to be your local but there are worse ways of spending your time.
12 May 2014 00:49
Jolly Butchers, Stoke Newington
Very good indeed. Good selection of beers, reasonably priced for London, decor okay, service efficient. Not a bad pub at all.
12 May 2014 00:10
A very smart gastro-pub. If you want a meal I'm sure it'll suit you but if all you want is a drink you'd be just as well served somewhere else.
11 May 2014 00:51
I've never been too keen on this place - the owners have always struck me as wanting it to be a gastro-pub but it's Lye so they know they've got no chance and therefore they keep it as close to the idea as they can get away with. I'nm not usually a lover of Sadler's either. However, on my last visit the place was buzzing without being too noisy or packed and the Hop Bomb was absolutely superb.
2 May 2014 19:27
The Shipwrights Arms, London Bridge
Not a bad place. Less blatantly touristy than the usual pubs around here and the staff were efficient enough. They could do with a bit more variety in the beers, though - a choice of three dark bitters all around 4% is a bit pointless.
13 Apr 2014 00:03
What is the great London obsession with standing on the pavement outside pubs? At least it means you can get a seat inside.
Typically madeover central London venue serving expensive but decent beer as a sideline to shifting meals at the sort of mark up that makes me realise I'm in the wrong job. There's better and cheaper close by.
10 Apr 2014 00:28
The Exmouth Arms, Exmouth Market
Typical London refurb - big tables, food, luvvie customers. The beer was okay though.
10 Apr 2014 00:19
Decent beer but expensive. I can imagine this place years ago, when it would have been patronised by workers from Smithfield.
10 Apr 2014 00:17
The Craft Beer Co, City of London
Much better than I thought it would be. Quality beer at reasonable prices for the surroundings. Busy but efficient service. Why do they need door staff at 6 o'clock on a Tuesday night?
10 Apr 2014 00:16
Royal Oak, Barton Under Needwood
There's a definite East/West Midlands divide in Marston's pubs. In the West they're the old Wolverhampton & Dudley estate; in the main a mixture of unattractive street corner locals and bland, chain-style eateries. In the East. though, Marston's still means tradition and quality. This pub has both in abundance.
Good beer, good staff, although it's hard to score as I seemed to be the only customer early on Saturday afternoon. I hope it's usually busier than this because it would be an absolute shame if such an unmissable pub were to struggle for trade.
29 Mar 2014 22:05
Being a GBG pub on the edge of a village in the Vale of Evesham I expected cosy nooks, roaring fires, a goodly selection of ales and perhaps a hearty Ploughman's. I got an open plan single room - think the food pub arm of a regional pubco and you won't be far off the mark - with children running all over the place. I don't mind kids in pubs provided they're unobtrusive but this was more like a Wacky Warehouse.
With a choice of Flowers IPA (no thanks), Utley Pig's Ear (5%, not good for lunchtime driving) or Doom Bar (see Flowers) I was forced to resort to some blackcurrant-tinged cider concoction. Not good, and I don't like being called 'mate' by a spotty young barman either.
All in all a big disappointment and one I'm unlikely to visit again.
22 Mar 2014 20:18
T his could qualify for the most schizophrenic pub in the country - half traditional local with some very cosy snugs, half school dining hall. The food comes highly recommended but I'm not bothered about that - there were two handpulls, serving Holden's Golden Glow and one of their seasonal brews. Both were on top form, which is particularly commendable is the aforementioned food seems to be the reason why most customers visit. It might make for an odd drinking experience but if it keeps a good pub going in an unattractive area then fair enough.
16 Mar 2014 16:17
Not a bad pub at all. The odd layout means that making a quiet entrance is difficult but the locals are friendly enough. The Landlord was good and well done to the otherlandlord for running such a good pub in an area where I would guess producing quality is difficult.
8 Mar 2014 21:44
Even though the lounge was empty late Saturday afternoon this place felt right. Only five handpulls but some rare choices including Byatt's Glorious, which was aptly-named. You could tell that a few hours later this pub would have buzzing and I would love the opportunity to go back and find out.
8 Mar 2014 21:41
Now re-named the Top Star (which it used to be known as) and mainly a Chinese restaurant.
8 Mar 2014 13:03
Nice place. it's good to see that places like this can do a range of real ales at sensible prices. The food looked good and it was promising to see that early on Saturday evening trade was brisk.
2 Mar 2014 00:12
First time here for a while and it's even better. The place has had a makeover but it's still nicely retro with a big open bar area. The beer is top notch, there's a good choice, the staff are friendly and the locals are as well.
2 Mar 2014 00:10
You'll never go on a real ale crawl in Solihull but this and the Assembly Rooms are the best of a very bad bunch. Well-kept beer, a reasonable clientele, service as good as the under-strength staff will allow. The old adage is proved once more - JDW are the best pubs in a bad town and the worst pubs in a good one.
12 Feb 2014 22:35
The Elephant And Castle, Dawley
Is it fair to rate a pub when it's just opened for the evening and you're the first customers through the door? Yes, when it doesn't open until four on a Saturday afternoon. Six handpulls, three on, and what was coming through them was too cold, as was the pub.
This could be a good place and maybe it is at another time but something was definitely missing.
11 Jan 2014 22:10
Nice pub, good beer (with some decent choices amongst the three or four guests, which is good to see in a place aimed at a younger clientele), good food, lively at weekends. My only criticism is that it can be bloody cold when it's quiet and a bit dark at night. Spend a bit more on electricity, please.
29 Dec 2013 18:54
Fantastic pub, well refurbed (although the loos could be more, er, convenient). Good beer, friendly staff, bonus mark for the customer who couldn't understand why it was so busy. Because it was the Saturday afternoon before Christmas, maybe?
22 Dec 2013 12:40
Now the Ox Wagon. Far more salubrious than when it was Zulu's, with prices to match.
8 Dec 2013 21:31
I know what parkender and blue scrumpy mean - this is a typical London ex-boozer that has changed with the times, and not necessarily for the better. It's good that it's still in business, it's good that they have a range of decent beers on but it's not really a pub and certainly not the sort that you could call your local anymore.
8 Dec 2013 21:29
Part of a chain, with all that entails for conformity. Bengal Lancer was okay but expensive. It caters for tourists and visitors to the exhibition centre; this isn't the sort of pub for a cosy fireside session with friends. It's not as good as the Courtfield but it's in the GBG because it's the Blackbird's turn this year.,
8 Dec 2013 21:25
It's okay. Credit to them for having six handpulls and they're not bad. It's a chain pub so you'll get indifferent but efficient service and customers mainly there to drink lager and eat cheap meals. It could be much better but it could also be a lot worse.
7 Dec 2013 21:22
Nice little pub, much better than a lot of the better known on es in the vicinity. Good to see some lesser known beers available and even better to have a barman who knows what he's serving. It's maybe not the most comfortable of pubs but for a quick pint (served in a jug as well - retrotastic) it does the job very well.
3 Nov 2013 00:04
What a lovely oasis of calm in the bustle of the West End this is. What it's like when busy I don't know, but the Fuller's is good and they have a few guests. The interior is stunning; I could easily stay here for along time.
2 Nov 2013 23:53
The Liberty Bounds, Tower Hill
It's a Wetherspoon's. What you see it what you get; decent beer, not much in the way of atmosphere or decor but realistic prices. Have a pint in here, feed yourself on food that isn't brilliant but won't kill you then move on somewhere better and more expensive.
2 Nov 2013 23:50
The Hung, Drawn and Quartered, Tower Hill
Nice pub. Not the biggest but staff were pleasant enough and the Discovery was well-kept. I can imagine it getting busy with tourists during the summer but early on a Saturday lunchtime in November it was a quiet place to sit and look at the view.
2 Nov 2013 23:46
Nice, unspoilt pub with an old-fashioned smoke room and a good range of beers. Not to be missed on a tour of Hull.
12 Oct 2013 23:46
Very disappointing. Off the beaten track, overlooking a park yet in the GBG so I expected a gem. I got a basic, dingy bar with the back room closed and full of junk, two beers on, average Bass (is there any other kind?) and it smelled. In short, the type of pub that give pubs a bad name.
The landlady was telling the other customer about an order for four beers and there was a cider delivery while I was there, but surely if she had her wits about her she'd make sure she stocked up before running out. All in all an underwhelming experience.
8 Oct 2013 23:20
I don't particularly like the cafe bar style of pub but full credit for a wide range of quality beers at reasonable prices. Not one to stay for a session but certainly worth popping into.
6 Oct 2013 00:03
I don't particularly like the cafe bar style of pub but full credit for a wide range of quality beers at reasonable prices. Not one to stay for a session but certainly worth popping into,
6 Oct 2013 00:03
Lovely pub, with a very good pint of Theakston's Lightfoot. In fact, I would say this place typifies Hull - hidden away but an absolute gem when you get there.
5 Oct 2013 23:56
Good beers, decent staff, the only drawback is that I don't like open-plan pubs and would prefer the smaller rooms it would probably have had when first opened. Well worth the slight detour from the city centre though.
5 Oct 2013 23:54
Disappointing given its GBG report, but in keeping with reviews on here. Only two beers on; no wonder it was quiet for a weekend. The two they had on weren't particularly good and the landlord wasn't particularly friendly. There are much better pubs in Hull.
5 Oct 2013 23:52
Great pub, which if it was the other side of the road would be a lot busier. A place this size needs a lot of customers inside to get a decent atmosphere but if you want a quiet drink it's perfect.
23 Sep 2013 23:18
Odd place, with a touch of the Belgian browns about it. The beer was good and the barman was happy to talk about it, as the Wood Street I was drinking had a bit of a reputation for being odd. Everything's going well when suddenly a customer walked up and asked if I was alright then stood to my side staring at me. "Can I help you?" I asked. No reply. Still staring. The previously friendly barman looked over, must have seen something was amiss and took no notice. I drank up and left.
It was a pity, because I'd have liked to stay there and he was probably harmless, but better safe than sorry.
23 Sep 2013 23:14
Nice pub, good beer, but like many of the places in Manchester, and the city itself, it should stop getting ideas above its station and concentrate on what it does well. In this case, that's being a proper pub and not some sort of sub-gastro/wine bar.
23 Sep 2013 23:07
Before visiting I had the impression that this place was a bit up itself but it was a lovely, scruffy, backstreet boozer with friendly staff and superb beer. It was quiet when I was in but i can imagine it gets very busy . A couple of marks have to be knocked off for the prices, though.
23 Sep 2013 23:03
The Brunswick / B Lounge, Manchester
Went in at lunchtime, lured by their 'express lunch' as we're in a hurry. They don't have the drink we want or brown bread for the sandwiches but we're in a hurry so we ordered (one soup, two sandwiches, one side of fries) and waited. And waited.
15 minutes later we asked how long the 'express' was going to be and were told it was on its way. And we waited.
15 minutes later we said we couldn't wait any longer. Apparently it was "just on its way" but by then we had to be off. Half an hour, no-one else being served food and no sign of two meals that could have been cooked from scratch in ten minutes at home, never mind in a fully-prepared restaurant kitchen.
We paid for the drinks, although anywhere with an iota of customer service would have comped them without prompting. Seven pounds for a pint of cider and a Coke. As you can imagine, I'll not be returning.
23 Sep 2013 22:59
Now is probably not the best time to review this pub because nearby roadworks are having an effect on trade, but hopefully they will be finished soon.
There are a lot of pubs like this around the Black Country, backstreet locals that were once part of the Banks's estate and ticked over because of the brand loyalty that inexorably surrounded this most average of beers. Then the world changed and pubs started closing down, or rather they had to evolve or die. Many of them went under, blaming the government, the smoking ban or supermarkets. Some, like this, survive.
Sitting there with a pint of well-kept Exmoor Gold, talking as though I was a regular to the woman behind the bar I'd met for the first time 15 minutes ago, I knew why this place does well. Not far away I daresay another similar pub, with filthy seats, insanitary toilets, smoothflow on tap and a TV blaring away has a surly landlord behind the bar moaning about how he's being driven out of business by the governmment, smoking ban, supermarkets....
31 Aug 2013 23:03
Absolutely top-notch beer and the service was good. It seems that upstairs is a comparatively small bar with another room downstairs leading out to the beer garden, but that's the way the place was built. For the quality and range of its beer this place is justifiably well-known.
Just one black mark, and it leads on from an earlier review. There seems to be a large group of regulars, it's their pub and everyone else has to work around them. If I'm sitting on my own at a table I don't mind others sitting down but it's polite to be asked, and distinctly impolite to then start talking through me at the people at the next table.
27 Jul 2013 12:21
Nice attempt at a Belgian cafe bar that makes a change in a town full of standard pubs. Strangely incongruous setting close to a Salvation Army mission and a few other unlikely buildings and it could be a bit hard to find for the first-time visitor but it's well worth the trouble.
Nice selection of bottled and draught foreign beers and well-kept real ale on handpull. Friendly service and the prices are realistic.
27 Jul 2013 12:15
Nice attempt at a Belgian cafe bar that makes a change in a town full of standard pubs. Strangely incongruous setting close to a Salvation Army mission and a few other unlikely buildings and it could be a bit hard to find for the first-time visitor but it's well worth the trouble.
Nice selection of bottled and draught foreign beers and well-kept real ale on handpull. Friendly service and the prices are realistic.
27 Jul 2013 12:15
Like its namesake on Corporation Street this place should be so much better. It doesn't look much from the outside but inside it seems very welcoming. It's surrounded by restaurants, offices, opposite the station, near other decent pubs that could make it part of a good crawl. It should be buzzing but instead the clientele seem to be the sort that float from dive pub to dive pub selling dubious good from plastic bags.
Somebody should get hold of this place, smarten it up a bit, put a couple of handpulls in and make it worth visiting. Once New St reopens properly this will be the first pub visitors to the city will see and it could be an absolute goldmine.
6 Jul 2013 22:45
The Inn on the Green, Acocks Green
Normally I would avoid this places such as this like the plague, but credit where it's due, the owners are making a real effort. They have four working handpulls with some fine and rare beers (last time I was in there was the incomparable Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild) and the best foreign bottled selection for miles around. The service is good and the staff seem keen to listen to customers opinions about choice and quality.
I still wouldn't bring my maiden aunt here but this is a vast improvement on the normal suburban pub. With the Westley just up the road Acocks Green has become an oasis in the desert of decent establishments in south & east Birmingham and both pubs should be encouraged.
20 Jun 2013 00:35
Good beer, well-priced, decent choice, friendly service, band playing. As the saying goes, what's not to like?
24 May 2013 23:34
There's nothing special about this place, in fact everything about it is reminiscent of a slightly more upmarket, slightly more expensive Wetherspoon's. There's a good choice of beers and service is quick but that's about all. it's fine as part of a tour or if you want a quick meal.
24 May 2013 23:32
Odd layout and an even odder hotel, from the looks of it anyway. They only had one real ale and a cider on, which was disappointing, and the place stunk of frying. I didn't stay and won't return.
24 May 2013 23:29
Very nice pub with a good choice of beers, including several quality lagers if that's your thing. Service is swift and efficient while the outside drinking area is a welcome sight in a town centre. There are a lot of pubs to choose from in Wigan but this is the best.
24 May 2013 23:27
When you're a Nicholson's pub you don't have to try very hard to get into the GBG. Just serve reasonable beer and make sure anyone who might be a local CAMRA member isn't kept waiting; you'll be fine.
The Swan's not that much different from the rest of the chain. You get a good range of beers (albeit at a price), service was fine and they seem geared up for busy spells. Particular thanks go to the waiter who let me stay in the dining area after I inadvertently strayed there while looking for somewhere to sit - one of the advantages of getting old. I suppose that if Spoons are the Travelodge of the pub industry, Nicholson's are Premier Inn .
17 Apr 2013 00:20
The Plough and Harrow, Hammersmith
Deceptively large 'Spoons. Quick service, decent beer, have a drink then move somewhere else. Like virtually every other JDW it knows its clientele and caters for them.
17 Apr 2013 00:11
Anywhere else in the country this would be an ordinary local. In London it's got stripped kitchen tables everywhere and pretentions to being a gastro-pub. Unlike other reviewers I saw no guests on, but asked for Brit Hop. This was on the turn, and at £4.10 a pint I had a lucky escape. Chiswick was cheaper, unremarkable and I don't think I'll be returning.
17 Apr 2013 00:09
Wetherspoons, Victoria Station
Most expensive 'Spoons I've had the pleasure to drink in. The barman took surliness to an art form. Good range, decent tasting and perfectly fine to spend time while waiting for a train.
17 Apr 2013 00:05
First, the owners should be congratulated for turning what seems to have been a fairly standard estate pub into a veritable craft beer extravaganza.
It's not the most comfortable of pubs - shabby chic is well and truly the order of the day but the staff are friendly, the beer is fine, they have some rare breeds and prices are okay - for cask at any rate. Their bottle and food menus are eye-wateringly expensive, although the former is excusable because of the wide variety on offer and the cost of stocking them. I don't think I'd ever become a regular, but as a change from the usual type of pubs on offer in residential London it's worth the occasional visit.
17 Apr 2013 00:03
The Railwaymans Arms, Bridgnorth
What a lovely place this is. Eight handpulls, and Batham's seemed the furthest travelled. I tried Bewdley Worcestershire Way, well-kept and very tasty. The barman was friendly enough, the whole place was worth missing a train for or becoming your local if you were lucky enough to live nearby.. Even my pub-averse wife said how "cosy" it was. Much, much better than its counterpart at Kidderminster.
11 Apr 2013 20:52
A nice, old-fashioned place with well-kept beer. Credit to the barman, who obviously knows his stuff and was keen to discuss other good pubs in the area with visiting customers. Price s are no higher than anywhere else in central London.
24 Feb 2013 00:17
Another good and friendly pub; I'd just give it the edge over the Grenadier which I also visited at the same time. Beer was fine with a decent choice and I was the first customer served by a new member of staff, who was being trained by what I presume was the manager; good luck to you, young man - always serve customers in turn and don't stand talking to your mates when we're waiting. Remember that and you'll be excused many things. I wonder who could be a regular here - you'd either have to travel or be seriously rich to live locally, but the customers seemed friendly enough.
Again, I would have stayed longer had I the time and would return here should I be in the vicinity.
24 Feb 2013 00:14
Nice pub, good beer. Not too pricey for the area (but bloody expensive for anywhere else in the country). Staff were fine, the place itself was okay and the fire in the back room was a welcome sight on a cold day. Had I not been on the move I could have happily stayed here a lot longer.
24 Feb 2013 00:07
This was my first visit to the Coachmakers, and to be honest I didn't see what all the fuss is about. It was decent enough and it will be a real shame when/if it goes, but I don't feel it's up to the standard of some of the great pubs of the country.
Six available beers can be enough if chosen properly, but when two of them are Bass and London Pride I'd like a bit more choice although what I had was well-kept. I also think there's a difference between authentic and scruffy and the line is crossed here. Maybe it's unfair to judge a place with such an uncertain future but l'd heard so much about it and had been looking forward to my visit; it's a pity the reality was disappointing.
16 Feb 2013 22:18
The Post Office Vaults, Burslem
Popped in for a quick half while waiting for a bus and while I'd have happily stayed longer if necessary, I didn't feel as though I was missing out on anything by delaying my journey. As another reviewer said, do they really need to have so much television in such a small area? Burslem is a good drinking area for the size of the place and this place fits in well.
16 Feb 2013 22:07
Nice pub, nice beer. Packed as there was a match on but service was quick and pleasant. The place itself seemed a bit sterile and I don't know if there'd be much atmosphere at a quieter time but for a drink before moving on it did the job perfectly.
16 Feb 2013 22:04
The White Star, Stoke-on-Trent
Not bad - the Steerage was on top form and the idea of five Titanic plus five guests made for a wide choice. Early Saturday night there were a few children in, which I'm always in two minds about in a pub, and it seemed as though they were gearing up for a busy 'un. Good to see a thriving quality establishment in an area of the town that's not always been best served for them.
16 Feb 2013 21:54
Good to see this place re-opened after it was closed down on my last visit to Stoke. Handy for the station, I had a fine pint of Blonde, the food looked good and both staff & customers were friendly. All in all a good excuse to catch a later train.
16 Feb 2013 21:52
One of the great pub interiors of the country - up there with the Philarmonic in Liverpool and the Barton's Arms in Birmingham. The beer's better than both and the food definitely is. The only quibble I have is, as someone said earlier, the amount of customers allowed to remain seated at the bar. It's rude and off-putting.
15 Feb 2013 00:48
Two-roomed Batham's house, probably the best-known of their estate apart from the Bull & Bladder. It's not much to look at (although the bar, oddly, is smarter than the lounge) but you don't come here for the decor. You visit here for the sort of beer that you take one sip of, then another, and realise you've knocked back about 2/3 of a pint without noticing.
14 Feb 2013 22:44
I like this pub. It can't help being so small, or so popular and in any case the upstairs room is a lot quieter and you can usually get a table. The beer's good, the choice is fine and the sausage sandwiches justifiably famous.
But, to say this is, or rather was, the best pub in the country last year is stretching it a bit. It's good but by no means great.
14 Feb 2013 22:36
The Defector's Weld, Shepherds Bush
It makes no difference how good, bad or indifferent this pub is. When I arrive on your doorstep respectable and sober, during opening hours, then I not unreasonably expect to be allowed to spend my money inside. I do not expect to be refused admission by some meathead because there's a football match in the vicinity. At worst I expect a polite refusal, an explanation and advice as to the nearest decent alternative. I don't expect a sarcastic comment and to be told to come back later. If you don't want my money now I don't want your beer in two hours time.
14 Feb 2013 22:25
The Vine (Bull & Bladder), Brierley Hill
The beer is wonderful, the place itself is completely, magnificently unspoilt. There's nothing else you need to say about it - this is one of the great authentic British drinking experiences. If you have any interest in beer or pubs, it's a place of pilgrimage.
13 Feb 2013 22:57
It was my first time in here for a few years and oh dear Lord, why have I not been back before now? The beer, the customers, atmosphere, the decor, everything about it makes this one of the finest pubs in the country. If you have any love of proper pubs and good beer you must spend some time here, either in the world-famous bar or one of the back rooms.
Doris is still sitting in that great snug in the sky with a half of Original and a cheese cob, looking down on her kingdom and smiling with approval.
12 Feb 2013 20:59
My first time in years to visit this pub and my, how it's changed - and not for the better. Where once there was a smiling face behind the bar, now there was a scowl who seemed to consider it a privilege that I was being served. Where there used to be a range of well-kept real ales, there were two on. It was dark, dingy and didn't seem particularly clean. Small wonder that at 10.30 on a Thursday (not the quietest night anywhere) they had four customers when I arrived and two when I left some 15 minutes later.
6 Feb 2013 01:26
This one should be a lot better than it is. There's a good choice of pubs nearby, including some of the best in the country, but this, despite being in a promising location, seems content to rest on its laurels and not try making the effort to turn good into great. Ten handpulls, and the bers are well kept but a place that's been a GBG mainstay for as long as this has should be a bit more adventurous - you can get most of them in Wetherspoon's. You're better off getting the bus to the next stop (or walking twenty minutes) and going into the Crispin or the Brit.
2 Feb 2013 23:29
This pub should be demolished immediately - and rebuilt at the bottom of my road. Quite simply the best old-fashioned, backstreet boozer I've visited in a long time.
9 Jan 2013 22:59
What a lovely place this is. Decent beer, awesomely atmospheric, friendly and plenty of small rooms if you want a bit of quiet. Pubs like this should be subsidised by the government by a tax on crap pubs.
9 Jan 2013 22:57
I'd concur with most other reviews. This place doesn't look much from the outside, and it isn't the smartest, but it's friendly, welcoming and the landlord is a lovely bloke. Three real ales, well kept are a bonus.
9 Jan 2013 22:54
The Three Tuns, Sutton Coldfield
First time I've been in here for many years and it was a pleasant surprise. One room for TV, another which seemed more foodie and a larger one where music is put on regularly. It's Thwaite's or nothing, but well-kept and a rarity in this area. Sutton isn't best served for decent pubs but this seems the best of a pretty poor bunch.
9 Nov 2012 23:55
Perfect. I can't fault this place. The beer choice is superb and very well kept, the prices are dirt cheap, log burning stoves, snugs, alcoves, bar billiards and good, unobtrusive music. Oakengates and the Telford area in general should be proud of the pubs in this street and make sure they're never, ever in any danger of closing.
3 Nov 2012 23:20
Oakengates free houses definitely prefer quantity over quality. Another place with only (!) seven on, but the Pictish Pale'N'Oppy was the best pint I've had for a while. What must be some of the biggest pork pies in the world were on sale and the whole place had a gloriously retro run-down feel. If the owner is retiring maybe he's letting the place go a bit which would be a pity because with a few licks of paint this could be one of the great pubs of the country.
3 Nov 2012 23:16
Anyone who criticises this place must be spoilt by the quality of neighbouring pubs because when I looked in it was great. Seven beers on (which is plenty if they're well kept) well, a barmaid who couldn't apologise enough when I asked for one which had just gone and the sort of look that somewhere in North London would spend a fortune to attempt to replicate and still not get right. The Marston Moor Mild was a touch on the cold side, but nothing that couldn't be put right by holding it for a while. Definitely one to return to.
3 Nov 2012 23:09
The Edward Rutland, Stourbridge
Not a bad JDW. Smaller than most but still a hike to the toilets. Good staff, decent beer and clean. Worth visiting in a town centre where decent beer is hard to come by.
13 Oct 2012 01:16
I've been less than impressed with this place in the past but fair does, the RCH Old Slug I had in here the other night was the best I've tasted for a long time, and one of the best pints of any beer I've had recently.
Luckily there were few people in as there was only one serving behind the bar - it's always understaffed. It's a lot cleaner than it has been though. The owner tends to let the pub run down before spending money on it rather than keeping on top all the time. It's still inconsistent but when it's on form this is a pub worth visiting.
12 Oct 2012 16:29
I've been less than impressed with this place in the past but fair does, the RCH Old Slug I had in here the other night was the best I've tasted for a long time, and one of the best pints of any beer I've had recently.
Luckily there were few people in as there was only one serving behind the bar - it's always understaffed. It's a lot cleaner than it has been though. The owner tends to let the pub run down before spending money on it rather than keeping on top all the time. It's still inconsistent but when it's on form this is a pub worth visiting.
12 Oct 2012 16:29
malo66 - I know (to my cost in more ways than one) that the �4 pint is now a London regular, but Smith's houses were always a lot cheaper than average. That's why I was surprised at the price here. What do they charge for everything else?
10 Oct 2012 22:53
The Charles Dickens, Southwark
It's okay. A bit down at heel but the beer was okay and I could get a seat. There are much better pubs towards Borough but this is fine if you don't want a five minute walk.
10 Oct 2012 22:49
The Argyll Arms, Oxford Circus
When you're in this location you don't have to try too hard. And the Argyll doesn't. The interior is very nice and there's a decent selection of ales, but that's wiped out by charging �4 for a pint of over-cold, flat mild.
There are many pubs in the area and a lot are better than this place. How, then, given the competition, does it get into the new GBG? While you're perusing this question you might ask yourself how many of the entrants in the middle of London are owned by Nicholson's, as indeed how many around the country are Wetherspoon's, and wonder how independent CAMRA really is now.
5 Oct 2012 22:10
What an absolutely wonderful place this is. A couple of miles north is full of tourist traps offering the 'authentic' British pub experience when the real, genuine, unchanged for decades thing is here. The Royal Oak is one of the last examples of a classic street corner local left in London and should be preserved for posterity. The beer's fine, the atmosphere is good and all it needs is a piano in the corner and you'd be able to re-make scenes from The Blue Lamp in here.
I didn't have a problem at all with the staff - the French (I think) barman seemed very knowledgeable about beer and seemed to do the job well.
5 Oct 2012 22:04
Shabby, one-roomed place that gets busy, mainly because of the cheap early evening prices. The beer's good, the food looks fine, handy for a drink but I'm not sure if I'd want to stay in here all night.
5 Oct 2012 21:59
Now closed - just a couple of weeks after featuring in the new GBG. Strange.
30 Sep 2012 21:25
The Skinners Arms, Kings Cross
TheFluffer - I'll comment how I want to, thank you. Hilarious that you say "constructive" when you criticise every other pub except this one. What are you - the landlord, or just his mate?
22 Sep 2012 22:10
Sarah Hughes Ruby - plus point. �3.25 a pint - very definite minus. Nice local - how come there are so many real ale pubs within such a short distance? I could happily visit here every night.
22 Sep 2012 22:06
A bit grotty at first sight and I wish TVs could be quietened or at least restricted to one area of a pub. Cheap and decent Church End; not bad for a quick drink but whether I'd fancy a full session in here I'm not sure.
22 Sep 2012 22:04
Interesting to see that the other recent reviews have commented about the prices. I've not drunk in Coventry for some time so I had no idea about local pricing but thought �3.10 for a pint of Taylor's that was neither Golden nor Best seemed steep. Locals obviously think the same. �1.40 for a bag of scratchings was entering 'Aving a Larf territory as well. No wonder I was the only customer on a Saturday lunchtime.
Apart from that it was a nice enough backstreet boozer, a bit run down but I would imagine it to be friendly enough for an evening session. An expensive one, as it turns out.
22 Sep 2012 22:02
Not bad; could do with more choice than the usual bland GK beers but as good as you can hope for around here. Prices and service okay, five minutes walk from Marylebone station so a good way of killing half an hour before a train.
21 Aug 2012 21:34
I'm not a suspicious poster, but I did pop in here for the first time in a couple of years and nothing has changed - I hope. Sam Smith's are noted for being cheap but on the hottest day of the year I fancied a pint of their wheat beer. It was very, very good indeed - one of the best examples of this style I've enjoyed for a long time. But �4.25? Have Smith's jacked all their prices up, or is this a one-off? The place itself remains the same, although I suppose Saturday afternoon is as quiet as it gets here. Amusing to take my glass back on the way out (as I always try to) and the staff looked at me in amazement. This is London, after all.
18 Aug 2012 21:47
The Salutation Inn, Nottingham
Went in early on Saturday lunchtime so it was quiet, but still received a friendly welcome and the beer was top-notch. It's a bit shabby, but I would imagine that when it's busier this place has a good atmosphere.
17 Aug 2012 13:21
More of a cafe bar than a traditional pub, but the beers were in top form and there was a good selection of foreign bottles. The food also looked very good. The sort of place I'd take my wife if she insisted on coming out with me.
17 Aug 2012 13:19
From the outside this looks the sort of pub best avoided. On an estate, advertising for Sky Sports and cheap meals, flags flying. Inside, though it's a bit different. The front room is obviously pitched at food, with menus on every table and an area reserved for non-dines. The back room is like the bar at a caravan park; pool tables, quiz & fruit machines and televisions. What saves the pub is five handpulls, all working, of which the hook Norton Hooky I tried was a decent pint.
I still wouldn't make a detour to use this place, but full credit for making what seems an ordinary pub into something a bit different.
28 Jul 2012 18:43
I really like this pub. It's rare you get such a local feeling in a city centre (just about) pub, but this place manages it. The beer's fine, the burgers are justifiably legendary. My only qualm is the noise - would it be too much to have one room without a TV? - and not being able to get a table most of the time. If the outside area was part of the back room it would be nigh-on perfect.
30 May 2012 22:59
The Old Customs House, Portsmouth
There seem to be plenty of good pubs in Portsmouth, so why this one made it into a recent GBG is a mystery known only to the local CAMRA branch. The building itself is nice enough from the outside; it would make a good museum or even a top-end restaurant but it's not got the ambiance of a pub at all. Then again it's a strange pub where Pimms seems to outsell beer. Speaking of which, I promised myself I wasn't going to complain about prices again, but �3.60 for 3.6% in a tied house? Come on...
25 May 2012 22:16
Very nice, very friendly local with good beer (although it could do with a wider range) and food. Service was quick and it's nice to see well-behaved children encouraged.
14 May 2012 01:16
Shrubbery Cottage, Stourbridge
This is a fairly ordinary modern suburban pub, boosted considerably by belonging to the Holden's estate. The beer is as good as you'd expect from them and I'd be happy to have it as my local. It's clean, tidy and lacking character; it's a bog-standard local in all aspects except the beer.
29 Apr 2012 16:56
The King and Castle, Kidderminster
This is an awkward one to judge. As a pub there's not a great deal of atmosphere, and it would be hard to settle here for a session and feel comfortable. As a rail bar, or a trip into the past, though, it's well worth taking the trouble to visit. The beer is good, reasonably priced (I hesitate to use the word 'cheap' these days) and the service in keeping with the period air, when customers weren't lesser beings.
29 Apr 2012 16:49
Ye Olde Seven Stars, Kidderminster
I was a bit disappointed with this place. The awards it's won should indicate a great pub, but it was all a bit tatty, run-down even. The beer was fine, albeit pricey, although what to me let the pub down was the amount of children being allowed to roam free. I don't mind kids being allowed into a pub, particularly on a Saturday afternoon, but they should be under control. If this is the best Kidderminster has to offer, I won't be making a special effort to return.
29 Apr 2012 16:45
The Great Western, Wolverhampton
One of the very few pubs that couldn't be improved. It gets busy on matchdays (and away supporters can always get in provided they don't make a fuss about it) but apart from that service is always good and the quality of the beer goes without saying.
20 Apr 2012 02:32
I used to love this place even though it was scruffy, unattractive and occasionally dirty, probably because these three terms apply to me as well. Anyway, finding myself wandering past with half an hour to kill and noticing three pump clips I thought I'd see how it's changed in the past couple of years since last I was in here.
First off, it's been spruced up a bit, with new and clean seat covers. Being an old Banks's house I wasn't surprised to see their mild and bitter on, but at least they were on handpull - why can't other similar pubs do the same? They also had Ringwood Boondogle, which was very nice. Add a jukebox and a handful of locals who felt free to join in any conversation they liked, and you had the ingredients of a very pleasant session.
it won't win any awards, probably won't ever get into the GBG (although I've drunk in worse places that are regulars) and will never attract the real ale circuit regulars, but this is a good old-fashioned backstreet boozer, of the kind we have to use or they'll vanish forever.
20 Apr 2012 02:22
The Black Country Arms, Walsall
Now this is a delightful pub, easily the best in a surprisingly disappointing town centre for beer drinkers. I can't work out whether to call it multi-roomed or one room on several levels, but it's definitely worth visiting. I think there were something like 16 real ales & ciders on when I last visited; the Highland Dark Munro was a superb mild-style beer.
The only slight drawback is the pub's location. Being on the edge of the market means that it can be a bit unattractive to approach at night but that's not their fault and hopefully won't distract from what is without a doubt the best pub for miles around and well worth a detour.
18 Apr 2012 12:20
Rough-hewn (ie scruffy) and extortionately priced. �3.70 for Deuchars is way too high, particularly as the only other choice was Theakston's and some fruit beer. I wouldn't have minded so much if there was a wide choice but I could drink those at home. Having 'reserved signs on the two biggest tables isn't right either. This is a pub, not a restaurant.
18 Apr 2012 00:09
It's okay. I suppose that if I was a tourist or looking to show someone the quaint English pub experience here would be as good a place as any. Fullers only, and it says a lot about pub prices that �3.45 in a tied house can be considered reasonable. I would guess that at weekend and on summer evenings this place would be heaving .
18 Apr 2012 00:04
The Colliers Arms, Cheslyn Hay
A banner outside proclaims this place the winner of something called the Perfect Pub of 2010. The competition must have been less than fierce because it's okay, but nothing special. Newly decorated, smart almost to the point of sterility, friendly and reasonably full with punters watching football on TV (does there really have to be three screens in a small one room pub? Not all of us like the bloody sport).
Two handpulls, Old Speckled Hen and Beowulf Chasewater, which I didn't like (too cold and way too bitter for my taste) but others might. �2.95 is extortionate for these parts, though.
All in all not a bad pub. It'll never win any (proper) awards but I've been in worse.
14 Apr 2012 21:31
The Boat Inn, Catherine De Barnes
It's okay. The beer is average, the food's alright (but not much lunchtime choice), the service is standard, it's clean, it's reasonably priced if not great value. It's every mid-range chain pub you've ever been in.
13 Apr 2012 02:24
The Skinners Arms, Kings Cross
It's okay. The pub itself is fine, but you're never going to win many friends with a Greene King house. I had a pint of their guest, which was so unremarkable I forgot its name as soon as I left this place.
If you've half an hour to kill it's not a bad place in an area poorly served with decent pubs, but it's certainly not worth a detour.
26 Mar 2012 18:28
This pub could win an award for the most under-achieving hostelry in the country. Look at the photo - how often do you see a pub that looks so good from the outside? Unfortunately that's as good as it gets, because once through the door you get the same surly service, poorly-kept beer and pile it high, sell it cheap food that characterises 90% of the pubs in Birmingham city centre. I can just imagine how good this place could be in Sheffield or Liverpool as I walk past in search of somewhere more worthy of my money.
15 Mar 2012 00:53
Horrible. Aveoid. If you want to eat go to the nearby McDonald's. If you want to drink go somewhere else.
15 Mar 2012 00:34
This is a perfectly reasonable & friendly back street boozer, with some architectural merit. It would be even better with real ale on handpull; a few quid spent here could make this into a very good pub.
15 Mar 2012 00:32
Without a doubt the filthiest pub in Dudley, with clientele to match. This place wouldn't be out of its depth in a Worst Pub in the Country competition.
15 Mar 2012 00:30
Good points - it serves real ale. Bad points - it's criminally expensive (dearer than lager & cider, on a par with Guinness), not particularly well-kept and this is a chain food pub in the countryside on a main road out of a city. Yes, one sight of the sun and it's rammed.
What marks the place out from the crowd of similarly bland pubs is the service. To call it bad is to damn with faint praise. It's spellblindingly, laughably, wait five minutes to get served while both staff behind the bar clean up without acknowledging your existence, order a drink which first they've never heard of and when it's pointed out to them on a blackboard say is sold out anyway, smile and their face would crack, please and thank you are a foreign tongue, take your food order before casually saying it'll be a half-hour wait, getting served in turn is a lucky accident, run out of crisps on a Sunday afternoon, appalling it's an attraction in its own right.
11 Mar 2012 20:35
The Plough and Harrow, Stourbridge
Good little place with a real country pub feel to it. Nice choice of real ales and ciders. Although it can get busy there's never a problem with service.
7 Mar 2012 12:57
What a truly fine pub this is. Seven beers on, a wide range, reasonably priced, and those I tried were in fine condition. The staff were pleasant and the customers friendly. If every pub was like this the world would be a much better place,
29 Feb 2012 00:01
The Starving Rascal, Stourbridge
Despite driving past many times I'd never used this place until today. It looks fine; clean and tidy enough and with a friendly barman. Then I realised why there was only one other customer in the place. �2.70 for a pint of Burton Bridge Golden, and one that didn't taste too fresh at that. There were only two others on, plus two redundant pumps. It's not a bad pub - I wouldn't mind it as my local, but there's nothing special about it.
28 Feb 2012 23:58
The Lichfield Vaults, Hereford
Disappointing. Beer choice limited (although these days Bass is a rarity) and no proper cider - surprising in Hereford. It seemed a bit laddish and I imagine it could get quite loud when busy.
22 Feb 2012 16:11
I wish this pub would sort itself out. It has the potential to be one of the best in the country but Oakham seem content to let it drift along with minimal non-food trade and presumably rely on the restaurant to keep it going. Beer is inconsistent (sometimes okay, sometimes very good indeed) and the place often seems cold and lacking in atmosphere with barely a handful of customers once the food trade has left. Much as I like the Barton's I wouldn't fancy a night in there until it improves.
22 Feb 2012 01:57
What a lovely little pub this is. Nice selection of real ales, prices that aren't too bad by central Oxford standards and efficient service. I wish they wouldn't make a fuss about their fish and chips though - my local chippy doesn't boast about their beer.
22 Feb 2012 01:51
From the outside this looks like a pretty bland foodie pub aimed at tourists & students. At first glance from the inside it looks the same. But take a look around and you see a number of side rooms and alcoves that make this a nice place for either a session or just a quick drink. It's mainly Young's but there are a couple of good guests on although prices are, indeed, eye-watering.
22 Feb 2012 01:49
Not a bad pub at all. A decent selection of real ales at realistic prices, free juke box and somewhere to sit. It seems to have a good cross-section of customers as well.
22 Feb 2012 01:23
Considering its well-earned foodie reputation, Ludlow offers a surprisingly poor choice of pubs. This is the best of the bunch and while it's okay, it wouldn't be a standout in many towns. Hobson's mild was fine, one of the ten they have on handpull. It seems stuck in a timewarp - not the cleanest of places nor the most comfortable but I guess they don't have to work too hard.
17 Feb 2012 20:46
A strange one. Small, unspoilt, good beer, everything I usually love in a pub. But for some unfathomable reason I felt more uncomfortable in here than I have for a long time and I couldn't leave quick enough.
17 Feb 2012 20:37
Popped in for a quick pint. The welcome, beer quality, friendly customers and the choices on the jukebox turned it into a lengthy evening session and more proof that the best nights out are the unplanned ones. One of the best pubs we've been in for a long, long time.
17 Feb 2012 20:33
The Olde Talbot Hotel, Ledbury
I'm assuming this is the same as the other Talbot in the same street.
Very friendly for a hotel bar, and good to see Wadworth's Small Beer (2.8%) available - especially if you're driving. Decent prices. Ledbury seems to be a good drinking town.
17 Feb 2012 20:31
Lovely little pub where I felt at home immediately. Good choice of real ales and friendly staff.
17 Feb 2012 20:28
Nice, quiet (at least it is on Sunday afternoons) pub that was happy to let the couple at the next table sit with their well-behaved toddler - good customer relations there. There's nothing wrong with letting children into pubs during the day if they behave. Good beer (What's the 1549 otherwise known as?) and reasonable prices. Holborn has some of the best pubs in London and this is one of them.
30 Jan 2012 00:37
Cracking little pub with reasonable prices and good atmosphere. Barman (landlord?) insisted I had a sample of the beer as I hadn't tried it before. A classic example of the adage that the best places are round the corner from the main tourist streets.
30 Jan 2012 00:34
The Freemasons Arms, Covent Garden
Standard West End pub. The �4 average pint grows ever nearer, and with such a mark up surely they could do something about the battered old tables and the dilapidated toilets. Okay if you're passing but nothing out of the ordinary.
30 Jan 2012 00:32
Cracking range of well-kept and often unusual beers plus a good choice of ciders and foreign bottles. Lunchtime food is ridiculously good value. Well worth a visit, or even better a session.
28 Jan 2012 00:14
Please ignore the comments from a couple of years ago, when this place was vile. It's now a very nice pub with good Holden's and good, well-priced food. After a few years in the doldrums Dudley is starting to pick up again.
28 Jan 2012 00:12
After failing to get served at the OWR (see review) we decamped here, and found at least a dozen other customers with similar experiences. That's probably the best part of �100 spent here rather than there. Lovely Holden's, albeit not the cheapest but the Trumpet is the sort of place where I'd happily pay a levy to help keep it going, friendly regulars and unspoilt from the last time I was in here a few years ago. A great pub.
27 Jan 2012 18:07
Not so much a review as a piece of advice. If you're two minutes walk from a gig venue it might be a good idea to check what's on at said venue. That way, when a well-known band who always fill the place are performing, you can have more than one staff member serving. Then you might not have a queue three deep at your bar, resulting in many of them going elsewhere after waiting 15 minutes to gets served.
27 Jan 2012 17:58
Unremarkable dark wood City pub, handy for Liverpool Street station and a drink after helping ruin the global economy. Good selection of beers, those I tried were fine.
25 Jan 2012 00:52
Away from the bustle and noise of Old Street, overlooked by flats and factories, this place seems like it's escaped from the set of Minder. Inside two blokes prop up the bar; one breaks away to serve me. There's a pile of sandwiches for sale and that's your lot food-wise. This is a proper pub - I doubt there's a more authentic local this close to the centre of London. Shepherd Neame only, unfortunately, and a bit pricey even for the area but the sort of pub that should be preserved - a definite use it or lose it.
25 Jan 2012 00:50
My opinion was clouded by having to wait behind a dithering amateur pub-goer ordering a round for six people with just the one barman working. The beer was okay, cheaper than expected, but the place seemed a fairly basic gastro-type pub and certainly didn't seem worthy of the many awards it's received.
25 Jan 2012 00:44
The Old Doctor Butler's Head, Moorgate
Surprisingly quiet at 5.20. Reasonable pint of Late Red, old wooden interior of the sort that's in abundance around here. With nothing except Shepherd Neame and no great architectural merit there are plenty of better places close by.
25 Jan 2012 00:40
This is one of the few pubs I can honestly describe as perfect. Sometimes I wish it was closer to home, then I realise how much time and money I would spend in here if it was. On my last visit I had three types of well-kept beer and a very nice, unpretentious meal. There's nothing special about the place, no 'nites' or events, just good beer, good food and a friendly atmosphere. Anyone who complains that location, prices or the smoking ban are to blame for closing their own pub should visit here and see what they should have done.
9 Jan 2012 23:19
Nice, friendly pub with a log burning stove (very important in the winter) and well-kept beer. Bonus marks for asking for some manners from a previous reviewer who was too ignorant to take a noisy child outside.
9 Jan 2012 23:09
It's bloody expensive here - �3.70 for reasonable Titanic. It was also not that good when I visited. When a pub like this is quiet it's like drinking in a library and it might be unfair to judge while most of the target clientele are still at work but them's the breaks.
And also - a previous reviewer was only in here on recommendation yet in this first visit he managed to find out everything about the punters from their names and occupations to their sexual orientation. A cynic might wonder how much of a newcomer he really was.
2 Jul 2011 00:23
The Hope, Tottenham Court Road
After reading the reviews I was a bit wary, but in the end pleasantly surprised. It's a typical single room street corner boozer, a bit shabby but clean enough in the right places - seats, tables, glasses, toilets.
Wolf Brewery's Straw Dog wheat beer went down well on a warm day and there were another four working handpulls to choose from. It's not one of London's great undiscovered pubs and I wouldn't make a detour to come here but it's not bad at all.
2 Jul 2011 00:15
The Coach and Horses, Shrewsbury
Nice little backstreet type pub with friendly service and a good atmosphere even though it was a bit quiet when I visited. Just about the best pub I tried in the town centre.
15 Jul 2017 21:03