BITE user comments - ericmarco
Comments by ericmarco
Diefontainen-as an Englishman, who was new to the Scottish drink scene when I wrote the review I apologise for my faux pas! I am now completely aware of the reality(although I still stand by my observation that I've had better Peter's Well south of the border)!
25 Oct 2007 17:40
It's a drinkers pub, i.e drinkers who want cheap alcohol and aren't too bothered in what form it arrives. Will probably have to close down when the smoking ban comes in , because it is the law in here that you must smoke Spanish Lambert and Butlers
27 Apr 2007 14:25
Marquis of Cornwallis, Bloomsbury
Perfectly adequate boozer-BUT was in last night and three Hooray Henrys came in with green wellies,tweed hats, and barbour jackets! What is going on, the nearest farm must be 40 miles away???
27 Feb 2007 13:34
Used to be a cracking boozer, full of lads working on the railway and at the post office. Now like so many other places in Newcastle had tried to go for the Bohemian chic/grunge crowd- dirty unwashed feckers to you and me!! And for god sakes clean the ashtrays!
22 Feb 2007 18:19
Look, it's not THAT bad. I was visiting London on business and came in to have a quick pint and watch the football. Alright, it's too big, the staff are at best indifferent, but at least the fact that it is so obviously a tourist trap, keeps most of the local headcases out.
22 Feb 2007 18:11
I am almost loathe to post how good this pub is, for fear it will attract the attention of even more people. The fact that they keep excellent OB for �1.26 a pint is in itself a terrible indictment of all the greedy breweries and chains that charge double that for an inferior product! Just the greatest 'boozer' i've been to-and I've been to a hell of a lot!
19 Feb 2007 14:56
The Hope and Sirloin, Farringdon
Stopped in here for a quick half one lunchtime. Scruffy, but not in a good way. The whole area is run down and frankly smells. It was a warm day and the proximity to a meat market probablt doesn't help.
5 Jun 2006 19:43
I agree wholeheartedly with emcg. It is a nice relaxed sort of place, and has a beer garden-a rare thing in city centres and quite a bonus for the smokers given the ban in Scotland.
I went here with high hopes,expecting a decent well kept pint. Not a single real ale on, all keg. Even the excellent Peter's Well from the Houston brewery was on keg-a travesty that made the beer lose all it's flavour .
25 May 2006 14:39
Very very expensive! How they can justify a pint of Erdinger at �3.90 is beyond me! It's not as if you are paying for an at table sevice or fabulous surroundings. A place to rip off people who value style over substance.
And my God the 'jazz' band who were playing?? I'm not an afficiando but it sounded worse than my 5 year old daughter's recorder class.
12 May 2006 12:01
Fairly non-descript place. Not somewhere I would go out of my way to visit.
8 May 2006 17:01
'smoke on the water, a fire in the sky'. Any further comments needed?
Oh they sold a lot of snakebite when I was in, in fact I'm sure they advertised a 'cocktail'called a 'Castrol', which was snakebite with someting green dropped in it-could have been creme de menthe, I didn't stick around to find out!
4 May 2006 18:09
The scariest pub i have been in-even at lunchtime it puts the fear of God into me, and that's just if I walk past it!
4 May 2006 18:04
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...........whoever thought this concept was a good idea should be named and shamed. If your idea of a pub is somewhere that BOASTS about having 34 giant TV screens and topless dancers, then fill your boots!
4 May 2006 18:03
One of the top ranking boozers in Newcastle. I did prefer the layout in the 80s, two rooms-but then most things are better in your teens rather than your late 30s!
4 May 2006 18:00
It does exactly what it says on the tin-sells overpriced alcohol to people who don't know any better! Nice building(yes Stonch it was a Barclays Bank)though!
4 May 2006 17:56
not bad, pleasant staff who are eager to please and doesn't get too busy. There is something not quite 'right' about it though-and for the life of me I can't think what it is. It could be the fact that everyone who walks past it(and it is on a very busy junction)seems to stare in-you feel a bit of a zoo exhibit!
4 May 2006 17:53
The Metropole Hotel, Gateshead
Do not under any circumstances stumble in here by mistake! You have been warned.....this is a scary place!
28 Apr 2006 14:08
A pub I have frequented for over 20 years. Before people 'discovered' the quayside in the late 80s the only people who went to the area were Polish sailors,hookers and people who knew a good boozer. As a callow youth I was introduced to this place, the Cooperage, the Newcastle Arms under the Tyne Bridge (now called something else entirely and full of alcopops), and the Baltic. This is the only one of them that has not changed one iota-and what a relief. It's size is it's advantage-most 'groups' give it the swerve as it always looks heaving! Great beer, great atmosphere-go at lunchtime to revel in what pubs should be like!
31 Mar 2006 18:41
Just grim-has strange lighting so if you stand in a certain place your Guiness looks green. I would give it the swerve unless you are into sub-Batman gothic!
28 Mar 2006 18:51
Beer is not great, some of the lads look a bit scary, but it's not THAT bad. There are better pubs close by(Tilleys, The Forth), so I don't really know who would go into it
28 Mar 2006 18:50
Mmmmmmmm, can look a bit scary from the outside, but really just a lot of 'canny lads' getting tanked up on the cheap
28 Mar 2006 18:48
Decent pub, beer well kept, civilised crowd, and part of the Bodega, Tilleys, Head of Steam quadrant so four similar style pubs very close to each other.
Bit of a gripe would be the real ale selection can be a bit limited at times, although there are three different beers on normally(Deuchars,Landlord and Mordues) often is the time that I have been in and only the Workie Ticket was on. But still, friendly staff, a little 'bohemian', but I'm sure they'll all grow up to be solicitors and doctors!
28 Mar 2006 18:47
Just a revist on this pub.
There is a (new)very unpleasant young lady working there, who could damage the pub's excellent reputation. On a recent visit on a friday night my pal lit up whilst next to the bar-the barmaid/manageress 'told' him not to smoke there,not asked. Fair enough, no complaints fag out! But what happens next, is the same girl is seen standing at the other end of the bar sucking away on a Lambert and Butler. Now please if you want the punters to comply, you do to!!
My pal is refusing to go back on a matter of principle-which is a shame, as it is as previously stated a great boozer!
28 Mar 2006 18:35
This IS a fabulous looking place, but that is about it. Cold, expensive and just too big! i was in on a Wednesday and there were 8 punters!
Would make a great museum or library though!
25 Jan 2006 19:02
Good pub, can get a bit full of young heavy metal types on a saturday-but hey they've got to go somewhere, and i'd rather sit next to them than some alcopop swilling headcase in Ben Sherman
12 Jan 2006 17:03
Just horrible if you are over 25!Best give it the swerve unless you want to watch screaming teenagers being unable to hold their drink
10 Jan 2006 17:26
Standard Wetherspoon's i.e. big soulless place, with more than it's fair share of scary drunks. Probably fine during the day-best avoid late on a Friday .
10 Jan 2006 17:23
Good boozer, a real bolthole if you want to escape the fleshpots of Sauciehall St on a weekend.
10 Jan 2006 17:21
Pleasant enough....not really a pub, more a winebar or a restaurant bar when you are waiting for a table. Good place to watch people walking down Ashton Lane though
10 Jan 2006 17:19
A little bit too trendy for it's own good. It is really trying for Boheemian chic and it shows! A word of advice-if you try this hard to be fashionable it only comes across as desperate. BUT......the Guiness is always well kept, the music is interesting and not too loud.......but does it have to be so dark????
10 Jan 2006 17:16
Great pub-Deuchars is spot-on......eclectic clentele, but great place to just sit and chill/read your paper without hassle.
10 Jan 2006 17:14
Looks good,beer good, barman friendly.....what more do you want.
Strange thing is i went in here with a local, and although I had been several times(I only visit Glasgow fortnightly)he had never been in. I think the fact he wanted to take me to All Bar One explains more about him than anything else!
10 Jan 2006 17:12
As a regular visitor to Glasgow, I never miss the opportunity to pop in. Good for a quick pint, or a decent session; every beer is well kept, the landlord obviously takes pride in the quality of his ale-as he should
10 Jan 2006 17:08
Popped in for a quick pint-whilst nothing special the manager was a real gent. He went out of his way to help, recommending somewhere to eat and phoning ahead to see what time they stopped serving. All of this wasdone without me having to ask,take note that it was a landlord/mananger should be like.
9 Jan 2006 14:05
It does what it says on the label-provides over priced alochol to people who don't really know better yet!
9 Jan 2006 10:17
A little too 'earthy'. Barstaff were a bit rude,I had a suit on, so ok I looked a little out of place, but I do deserve a little civility.
The beer I had(Summer Lightning)was well kept though, and there seemed to be a good range.
Recommended-but dress down to not get stared at!
9 Jan 2006 10:14
The Pitcher and Piano, Newcastle
Everything a pub shouldn't be, but unfortunately so many are!
Rude staff who serve good looking girls first(tip, stand next to a good looking girl and when she gets her change handed to her, order your drink).
30 Dec 2005 15:21
Oh dear,am I getting old or is this the way things are going? This used to be a PUB, now it doesn't seem to know who it want to attract. Not really much to recommend, and especially disappointing because it has fallen a long way from its' zenith!
12 Dec 2005 12:57
Worth popping in to, and is next to the Bodega so not a bad stop off point. Can get a bit crowded, and is VERY dark. But beer decent as is the atmosphere.
A word to the barmaids though-yes we know you want to chat to your pals/boyfriends when you are working, but don't be so rude-all I want is a beer, not to feel like the invisible man!
12 Dec 2005 12:54
The Saddle Hotel and Grill, Alnmouth
Family orientated pub/restaurant-even had a games room with toys for kids of all ages so you can have a drink whils your little darlings run riot without impunity! The beer and the food were ok-exactly what you would expect. Definitley a step up from a Brewsters, but not somewhere you would go for a boozy night out.
28 Nov 2005 17:52
The Hope and Anchor Hotel, Alnmouth
Pleasant enough boozer. The beer is well kept, but not a great deal of variety(do Theakstons own this village-Black Sheep everywhere)?
The pub had the feel of someone's front room-not in itself a bad thing.
Restaurant attached which looked nice.
28 Nov 2005 17:49
Decent drinking pub. The Black Sheep is well kept, although a lack of guest ales is a bit of a minus.
This is obviously a popular bar in this village-Sky Sports and Quiz nights are well advertised.
Nice real fire.
Pool table
28 Nov 2005 17:47
The Schooner Hotel and Restaurant, Alnmouth
I went into this pub based on its excellent location at the end of this lovely village with a view over the sea. It says a lot that the ONLY positive thing I could find to say about it was the location.
Where do I start....the plant pots outside were full of discarded alcopop bottles(not a good start). On entering the lobby area the there was an overpowering smell of stale beer and cigarettes.The 'displays' of memorabilia were shabby.The real ale was sour, and when I complained the staff were rude. There was a preponderence of what appeared to be 16 year olds(maybe I'm just getting old), shouting and screaming at each other in a drunken and gauche manner.
I was not brave enough to even contemplate the food.
In summary if you like pubs to be welcoming, clean, serve good ale with pleasant staff-avoid!If your idea of a pub is similar to Dante's vision of hell-this is the place for you!
28 Nov 2005 17:41
One of five pubs in this small village. The beer is always well kept, normally 2-3 real ales and good menu. Child friendly, no smoking policy with excellent beer garden.
If you like a pub to be a pub, i.e adults only and smoky avoid. Otherwise enjoy a real fire in winter, and a beautiful beer hgarden in the summer with great views out to sea.
28 Nov 2005 15:02
Eclectic decor-you certainly pay for it though. Two pints of IPA for �6, and it wasn't even the real ale version!
Worth a visit if you are in the area, but definitely not worth going out of your way for.
24 Nov 2005 10:59
Good pub but can get very busy and slow to serve. Beer is always excellent though, staff helpful and you can generally avoid a lot of the lager boys/alcopop girls who frequent this area.
21 Oct 2005 13:33
When a much loved pub closes and reopens sometime later,you naturally worry when recrossing the threshold. There was no need to worry, The Bacchus has retained its' original charm, but is now brighter and cleaner than before. Beer still of a high quality, which is ,let's face it why we visit pubs!
17 Aug 2005 15:05
A big up to the Bodega-best 'pub'(as opposed to bar which Newcastle is now full of) in town!
10 Aug 2005 14:30
I visited this based on the high rating. Whilst there was nothing 'wrong' with it there was not much that could justify such a high rating. No real ale, no atmosphere(monday night granted),pleasant enough staff though.
10 Aug 2005 14:25
The Sun Inn, Alnmouth
The old landlord has left and it shows. An obdurate lesson in how to turn a good boozer into a bad one in 3 months!
25 Oct 2007 17:44