BITE user comments - juninhocrunch
Comments by juninhocrunch
apparently opening today at noon. looking through the window the other day it looks very good. 10 ales on. Robbies plus guests. with Cocked Hat at the other end of the market, this area will hopefully now be a good venue for a night out
11 Jul 2014 11:24
4 Lees ales on last night. MPA was fine but a couple of dodgy looking characters made me sip up quickly and go. the pub has been done up to a decent standard though. it's one to definitely try
11 Jul 2014 11:21
station bar now sells ale!!
there were 2 on last night. Old Speckled Hen and Green King IPA. I had the Green King and it was perfectly fine and acceptable. about £3 a pint which is average for town centre. Hopefully they will put some better ales on in the future and do the place up when the rest of the station is finished
11 Jul 2014 11:17
The Smithfield Hotel, Manchester
Smithfield is currently a building site. complete internal renovation. at least someone is investing some serious money in it. the bar with 10 handpumps is still in place thank goodness. hopefully it will be back to it's former glory when work is all finished
11 Jul 2014 11:15
ordered a half of Old Speckled Hen yesterday afternoon. cloudy and undrinkable. if they can't keep ale, they shouldn't bother selling it. it's a shame as the pub itself is quite nice
11 Jul 2014 11:12
went in last night for the Uruguary match. Quite dissapointed with my ales. Only 1 out of 3 was in condition. I hope this was a one-off as I have been in many times before and the quality is usually superb
20 Jun 2014 10:51
The Cheshire Cheese Hotel, Buxton
10 ales on now. half of which are Titanic. best traditonal pub in Buxton?
10 Dec 2013 10:30
got a pool table in the front room now. real open fire. 3 ales on. quality!
10 Dec 2013 10:29
oh dear. the worst thing you can do is visit the Church and Bulls Head beforehand, like I did. This is such a step down in quality from those 2 excellent establishments. This is not a bad pub, but when the other two have raised the bar so high, this just isn't anywhere near them. poor overpriced food. wasn't made to feel welcome. everyone standing around the bar not allowing anyone to get served whilst rest of pub is empty.
when staff eventually stopped chatting to mates and noticed me, they did serve an excellent pint of Dunham Massey. another plus point, it is very handy for the train and a big kiddy friendly beer garden in the back
2 Oct 2013 11:43
oh dear. the worst thing you can do is visit the Church and Bulls Head beforehand, like I did. This is such a step down in quality from those 2 excellent establishments. This is not a bad pub, but when the other two have raised the bar so high, this just isn't anywhere near them. poor overpriced food. wasn't made to feel welcome. everyone standing around the bar not allowing anyone to get served whilst rest of pub is empty.
when staff eventually stopped chatting to mates and noticed me, they did serve an excellent pint of Dunham Massey. another plus point, it is very handy for the train and a big kiddy friendly beer garden in the back
2 Oct 2013 11:43
this put is still superb. same team own The Church down the road. excellent in all areas. 7 ales on all perfectly kept. cannot fault this place. they even have snacks for horses! 9 out of 10 from me
2 Oct 2013 11:37
Now open after refurb and what a superb job they have done. Same owners as Bulls Head down the road. Felt like a kid in a candy store when I went in last week. This pub can now rival the finest in the land for atmosphere, food and drink. 4 ales on, all in top form. You’ve got to take your hats off to these people, The Church gets a rare 10 out of 10 from me. Have a look at their website and you will see what I mean.
2 Oct 2013 11:35
went last night and very impressed. food was excellent, pretty good range of ales as well. Had a good pint of Moorhouses Pride of Pendle. very busy with everyone sat outside in the beer garden. had ales in Ye Olde Cock opposite which were both undrinkable
17 Jul 2013 11:29
a must see in Chester, but only one Spitting Feathers ale on tap when we went in on Saturday. A bit odd for a brewery tap. 7 ales, 1 cider. Best ale was a 2.6% (!!)from Mobberley brewery
20 May 2013 11:44
this place is superb and well worth seaking out. ale on great form. previously went in the Spitting Feathers Brewery Tap and I'd say TW had a better selection (just in my opinion of course) 9/10
20 May 2013 11:41
The George and Dragon, Stockport
to update my previous comment last summer, i have been in a couple of times since and they appear to have resolved the issue with the ale.
the quality of the ale is now 100% better. In fact, i had an EPA last week and it was on top form. a complete turnaround!
They have 3 ales available, doubled up as they have 6 pumps. However. they have now addressed the issue of notifying the customer when an ale is not available with the use of a little sign on the pump.
Furthermore, the whole pub was refurbished recently to improve the whole experience.
if you've not been in for a while, i'd recommend you give it another go and see what you think to the improvements
Keep it up G&D!! 7/10
10 Apr 2013 17:24
I'd agree with that last comment. I've never seen any trouble at the Magnet, not since it changed to the best ale pub in Stockport 3 years ago. I very rarely give 10 out of 10 but that's what I've given Magnet.
perhaps smellybelly has confussed the Magnet with the George opposite Debenhams
6 Feb 2013 10:45
apparently this has pub is now superb with lots of local ales. still called the Angel. all we need now is a couple more pubs like this and Duki will have a nice little crawl!
15 Jan 2013 20:05
The Glen Rothay Hotel and Badger Bar, Rydal
another quality lakes pub. 4 very well kept local ales. very friendly welcome. nice real fire too.
15 Jan 2013 20:03
went in for a pint early on Saturday evening. pretty busy. decent selection of ales, including two brewed just for the pub from local breweries. a proper old fashioned lakeland boozer!
15 Jan 2013 20:00
Wainwrights Inn, Great Langdale
I love this pub. so many great walks in the surrounding area. great range of ales - up to 7 pumps in use. they even do a beer bat where you can try 3 thirds for £3.45. Ulverston Flying Elephants was our pick! Good food too. Many meals available for £10 which is a lot cheaper than others in the area.
For me though, the best bit is the real fire. Heaven sent when it's freezing outside!!
15 Jan 2013 11:01
Tweedies Bar at Dale Lodge Hotel, Grasmere
went in on Saturday evening. probably the best range of ale in the lakes. up to 7 pumps for cask and 1 was a perry.
highly recommended!
15 Jan 2013 10:58
The Nursery Inn, Heaton Norris
went in a couple of days ago. still as great as ever. great bit of lunch. cracking ales - had a pint of Lancaster Blonde which was lovely. very friendly staff and locals
4 Jan 2013 11:05
The New Soldier Dick, Furness Vale
went in last weekend for a quick drink as I heard they now sell good ale. it's true, they had 4 ales on and well worth popping in. nice interior and friendly atmosphere. useful as a stop off point on the Buxton railway line. Another option would be to do a walk from here to White Lion in Disley along the canal - these are the two good pubs in the area - and get the train back
4 Jan 2013 11:02
The Anglers Rest, Millers Dale
nice to see a pub with a hiker's bar. however, I think it could do with a bit of a refurb. great location for walking etc.
4 Jan 2013 10:56
went in last Saturday. Still quality establishment. about 8 handpumps, 4 on each bar, I think 6 were ales and 2 were cider/perry etc. we only stopped for a quick pint but could not fault the cellarman. all of 4 ales we sampled were on top form. My personal favourite was one of the Thornbridge ales. Keep it coming!!
14 Dec 2012 17:09
The Hillsborough Hotel, Sheffield
a great way to start off our valley crawl. about 8 to 10 ales on tap. their own WSB (?) ales and about 4 from Oxforshire. don't judge the outside appearance, it's great inside!
11 Dec 2012 11:00
what a great find!! the most eccentric pub in the valley crawl and we all loved it!! £2.10 a pint of their own ale - you can't go wrong. I could spend all day in here but with another 5 to visit, we could unfortunately only stay for one. it's a 9 from me
11 Dec 2012 10:58
the most dissapointing venue on our valley crawl. nothing wrong with it, but don't go in if you want to drink the best ales. only 2 real ales on tap. much better over the road at Wellington or KIT and Fat Cat. this is mainly a food place, bit too posh for us lot
11 Dec 2012 10:56
my personal favourite on the valley crawl. not to everyone's tastes, I'm sure. I wouldn't go in with my wife. a proper blokes pub and no frills - just the way I likes it!!
11 Dec 2012 10:54
after doing the valley crawl, most of us thought Fat Cat was the best. I'm giving it a 9!!
11 Dec 2012 10:53
The Kelham Island Tavern, Sheffield
not sure about all the awards, I can think of a dozen better in the country but this is certainly a great pub for ale. I guess it's all about personal tastes. We all thought Fat Cat was the better pub
11 Dec 2012 10:52
The Crown Inn, Grange over Sands
correction to the above address, this is in a village called High Newton. Off the main A590, so very easy to get to. Handsome main room with real fire and comfy sofas. 2 ales were on tap when we went which were on top form!! well recommended
26 Nov 2012 10:50
The Queens Head Hotel, Troutbeck
superb olde front rooms - with bar made out of 4 poster bed. 8 hand pumps with large range of Robinson ales, although not all are in use. Ale pretty good for Robinsons but beware to bring a deep wallet - a pint of Cumbria Way and half a pint of Coke cost £5.50!!
26 Nov 2012 10:45
The Wasdale Head Inn, Wasdale Head
this place appears to have sold out.
not like I remember 10 years ago. the brewery has gone and they now serves average ale in its place. feels to me like they are more interested in making money than keeping up the traditional hiking values. more interested in selling their wedding services than accomodating the walkers
if you want a proper hikers bar, go to ODG in Langdale
22 Oct 2012 18:06
The Strands Hotel, Nether Wasdale
brilliant. best pub in Wasdale. great home brewed ale. just �2.30 a pint for Ermmm....!! Great food as well. I would recommend the Duck!
22 Oct 2012 18:00
nice place to escape shopping with the wife. Boggart brewery tap. However, I still need convincing that the quality is up to scratch. Had 2 halves last month and both were rather average
24 Sep 2012 23:07
The Briton's Protection Hotel, Castlefield
Howard Town Wren�s Nest on top form last Friday
24 Sep 2012 22:55
Good choice of ales last Friday evening. Keep it coming!
24 Sep 2012 22:54
The Smithfield Hotel, Manchester
Oh dear. What a shame. Not so long ago, the Smithfield was my favourite pub in the City Centre. Used to serve the best ale in a 5 mile radius. How the mighty have fallen.
The legendary pool table is still there, but the previous high standards have dropped alarmingly.
I had heard some rumours of the pub�s demise and went in last Friday to see for myself. They have got rid of the old kitchen and they have got rid of the quality ale as well. In its place were Marston�s Hobgoblin and EPA and 2 of their own Smithfield ales. I had a half of their Smithfield Bitter (�1) and it was undrinkable. I had 2 sips, put it back on the bar and left in disgust!
Have they got new owners? Has Marston�s bought the pub? The atmosphere used to be great but now just somewhere to avoid. �2 a pint will be an attractive proposition for some but if it tastes awful, what�s the point?
24 Sep 2012 22:51
Went last Friday evening. Still a great pub with great character and lots of events on.
However, it doesn�t seem to be as good with real ale these days. I remember it being one of the best real ale pubs in the city centre at one time. In my experience, the ale is ok but not great. If you want quality ale, there are now a lot of better places to go. Joshua Brooks and Molly House being two nearby.
Saying that, ale is not important to everyone and this pub ticks all the other boxes
24 Sep 2012 10:46
outside's been done up a little now. still great inside with quality ales from micros. the place to go for good informed conversation
8 Aug 2012 13:12
wet in last night, final stop on a 4 pub crawl around Stocky - Ye Olde Vic, Ye Olde Woolpack, Crown and Magnet. Being a long standing fan of the Crown, I'm afraid to admit that The Magnet has now finally taken the mantle of best ale pub in Stocky. The punters seem to think so too, more people in the Magnet on a Wednesday night than in the other three combined. Superb range of ales, all kept and served with great care and passion. Hopefully the new brewery and other improvements will be done soon to make this place even better. Don't get me wrong, The Crown is still quality, it's just that The Magnet is just that slightly bit better now.
Keep the Liverpool Organic coming!!
26 Jul 2012 11:30
The George and Dragon, Stockport
the ale is truly awful. they have 6 pumps each with a different clip on, but they only put one on at a time to stop them going off, so the barmaid told me. however, the black sheep I had was undrinkable, so what's the point in that?!
surely having all 6 pump clips on show makes the punters think they are all available, like I did. but as there;s on one at a time, is this not false advertising?
then again, I've been going in there for years (don't know why!) and it's always been the same.
21 Jul 2012 13:52
have been in numerous times and even though the staff are very friendly, the choice of ale is generally poor. They have a large number of pumps, but they all dispense the same beer. all they would need do is serve a light/blonde ale and a stout, is that too much to ask?
31 May 2012 23:56
I don't know if we saw this place at the wrong time. some good ales but everyone was watching Eurovision in the back room which we all found very odd behaviour! not as good an environment as other pubs in the area in my opinion.
29 May 2012 11:30
quality pub. lots of great ales. nice place to sit outside. well worth searching for. next to a NCP car park but you won't see that from the pub
29 May 2012 11:28
the photo at the top doesn't do this place justice. very nice pub. good selection of ales. their house ale was top quality. good food too
29 May 2012 11:26
The Champion of the Thames, Cambridge
nice old pub inside, not bad ale. we had a lock-in after 11pm
29 May 2012 11:22
Update from my previous post. Been in a few more times and they have recently started serving Timothy Taylors which was served perfectly!
Food still as great as ever.
21 Mar 2012 17:34
10 real ciders on hand pump, numerous others in bottles - this has to be the best cider pub in the north west. Can someone else name a better one? For non-cider drinkers, still a very good selection of 5 ales via hand pump.
Previously comments about it being dead are true, but I'm guessing they went in the evening during the week. This place is mainly for lunchtimes for nearby office workers, when it will be busy. Very cheap lunchtime meals (�3.50 main course).
If you like cider, you have got to give this place a try
20 Mar 2012 11:27
The Old Market Tavern, Altrincham
went in last month. 11 ales available on a Sunday afternoon. Friendly barmaid was very informative about the different ales on offer. Not a flash pub but some of us don't like that sort of thing. Sky sports occasionally available in side room
4 Feb 2012 23:22
many quality micro brew ales. lots of sky sports screens - visited when Newcastle stuffed Man U 2-0 in the league
11 Jan 2012 11:25
still terrible. my wife and I went in, stayed 10 mins, downed our drinks and left. no-one else in there except the staff!
1 ale, pretty average
11 Jan 2012 11:19
if you find yourself in Scarborough and want some quality ales, this is a good place to try. quite a walk from the centre. They brew their own beer, Scarborough Brewery, is I remember correctly. 5 or 6 ales on.
10 Jan 2012 14:08
now renamed The Macc. 6 ales, 2 of which were Redwillow when I was in last saturday
10 Jan 2012 13:59
all changed now. sold up to 8 real ales when I was in on Saturday. 5 of them Bollington Brewery. All done up inside. Another quality addition to the real ale scene in Macc
10 Jan 2012 11:15
pleased to have found this gem. what someone calls dark is atmospheric to another. Can see how this might not be some people's cup of tea but a lot of people wil like this.
2 real ales on when I went last weekend.
It's somewhere to have a pint in, not spend the night in!!
21 Nov 2011 11:31
decent Howard Town Bleaklow the other day. 3 other ales available
20 Nov 2011 23:41
ale was on good form last week. it's certainly improved since a few years ago
20 Nov 2011 23:36
The George and Dragon, Stockport
must have been in 100 times and can count the number of times I've had a good pint on one hand. More cellar training me thinks
20 Nov 2011 23:34
can't agree more with the last comment. this place would be brilliant if they could only sort the ale out. some days it's great, others it's off. I think they don't bother changing the barrels when the ale has gone off. Seems to be ok at weekends, bad during the week. Perhaps this is why they aren't in the GBG anymore. It would also be nice if they tried some variety with the selection. How about a mild, stout, IPA occasionally? Also, I'm sure the locals would go for a local brew as a guest.
besides the ale, food is excellent. Restaurant quality at pub prices.
lot of events on. a real community pub
20 Nov 2011 23:31
seriously lagging behind other pubs in Heaton Moor. poor ale selection.
similar to George and Dragon in Heaton Chapel. A pub that does everything (food, drink, pool, darts, sky sports) but delivers nothing.
A real shame as this could be so much better. With no other pubs within 10 mins' walk, they could make a killing if they put a bit more effort into it.
20 Nov 2011 23:26
Brilliantly run pub. Best in Heaton Moor!
Great ale, food, events. Real community spirit. There's even a book club!
Why can't all pubs be like this?
20 Nov 2011 23:15
This place really needs to take a look next door to see what's happening in The Plough.
Poor ale selection and quality
20 Nov 2011 23:12
went in one Sunday afternoon whilst the wife was shopping. In fact, I would expect a lot of this pub's trade coming in this way.
I've been in the Railway numerous times and can never quite make up my mind as to whether it's brilliant or a bit average.
One one hand, you've got 14 real ales on hand pump and very good value (�2.40ish a pint). However, on the other hand, too many times I've had a pretty average pint in there.
Instead of going for quantity, I think they should concentrate on quality. Why not reduce the ales to something more manageable like 6 or 7?
On my last visit, the first pint was cloudy and average. However, the second (Blonde Witch) was superb. The best pint I've drank in many months.
Will the real Railway please stand up?!
20 Nov 2011 23:05
why such a low rating guys? if you like ale, what more could you possibly want? I've been around the country to hundreds of multi ale pubs and this is as good as any
I agree the interior needs work but the essence of a quality pub has to be the beer, no problems here!
6 Apr 2010 17:37
I was in here on opening night last year, what a great place! It might not look like much from the outside but inside it's real ale heaven!
14 pumps, lots from Wales/Shropshire/Wye Valley, all perfectly kept. With the Crown (16 pumps) just 5 mins away, and Railway (15) another 5; does this make Stockport the Real Ale Capital of the North?!!
20 Mar 2010 23:55
have been in twice in the last couple of months with some mates and we all agree that the ale was a little disappointing. I hope this isn't a trend but it seems that now they have 15 pumps, they have gone for quantity and not quality. Used to be the 2nd best pub in Stockport (behind Crown), now The Magnet has taken over and I fear people will go there and Crown instead.
Please prove me wrong!
25 Feb 2010 18:25
Went in last Friday at about 10.30pm. The 'To Let' sign is still up. Bit of a shame that only 2 of the 10 hand pumps were in use.
8 Feb 2010 12:37
now open!
Just looked through the window, looks like there were quite a few in. Food still served, looked good value.
27 Nov 2009 11:06
Walked past last night and counted 16 hand pumps! Have they got a festival on or are these now permanent?
20 Oct 2009 11:23
Back to juninhocrunch's profile
The Hope Inn, Stockport
11 ales on. about 4 of their own, 2 from Outstanding and the rest are guests. another quality establishment in Stockport. they also do quality pork pies. I think they need to do up the ale room (turn right) slightly to match the continentals room (turn left) but other than that, this place is a must
23 Jul 2014 10:10