BITE user comments - marknorthfield
Comments by marknorthfield
Goose At The Station, Bracknell
Rough and lacking in any character whatsoever. Certainly not worth it if you're a real ale fan. Staff not particularly friendly either. A real shame considering its proximity to the station.
11 Aug 2013 19:20
One of my local pubs. Good Badger ale selection (rather more bottles available than on tap though). Food average and a bit overpriced for what it is. The ale ain't cheap either! Reasonably nice garden areas to sit out in on a warm day as long as you don't mind the nearby road. The interior is pleasant enough too, but very much a gastropub affair with only a small section for drinkers. Not bad for Bracknell, but the bar isn't exactly set very high!
11 Aug 2013 19:15
Fantastic pub which I invariably drop in on when back in Norwich. I like my real ales, but I'm also a cider/perry fan, and this place has top quality examples of both in abundance. Always a good atmosphere, friendly staff, reasonably priced tasty meals, bar billiards, board games to hand, only a short walk from the city centre... What's not to like?!
11 Aug 2013 19:04
Great range of real ales (Fat Cat and many others) and far more interesting to look at on the inside than the outside would suggest! Always an enjoyable and welcoming venue.
11 Aug 2013 18:56
The George and Dragon Inn, Garrigill
Lovely place. Stayed within staggering distance of the George and Dragon on our C2C ride this week. An unfussy, unpretentious pub in a quiet idyllic location with a few benches out front as you look across Garrigill's green village centre. Well kept ale (the Allendale Golden Plover was particularly fine for a summer evening) and down to earth tasty pub grub at reasonable prices. They don't take cards, but that's no big deal in such a rural area; you shouldn't expect it.
The icing on the cake for me was a friendly local bloke giving us plenty of good advice for future off-road biking in the area. Will definitely be returning when the opportunity arises. I'd definitely recommend this for anyone doing the C2C or walking the Pennine Way. (And I should add that there's a cheap - if slightly idiosyncratic - B&B just two doors down at The Old Post Office.)
11 Aug 2013 18:07
Easily the oddest pub experience of our recent holiday. The local ales were fine; the food OK (not amazing, but perfectly acceptable); the general decor charming enough. What really let it down was the service. There was one young man behind the bar doing his best to hold everything together, but the youngster taking food orders wasn't really up to the job and there needed to be at least one or two other people on duty for the place to run effectively, considering its size. Then there was an older chap, who I presumed to be the landlord, who didn't do very much behind the bar until about the time we were getting ready to leave. As we were paying up, he tried his very best to have an argument with another customer who wasn't happy with his Guinness and was very calmly asking to have something else instead (the old man loudly defended his inspection record and repeatedly and aggressively demanded the customer explain what was wrong with his drink). This completely unnecessary antagonism, though not directed at us, was almost as perfect a demonstration imaginable of how to ensure your customers will not return. Our subsequent online research away from BITE suggests this was not a one off affair. The friendly young chap with whom we were settling the bill at the time was physically shaking whilst this was going on, and we felt extremely sorry for him. We hope he finds a better employer sooner rather than later.
1 Sep 2010 13:15
Stopped off here whilst on holiday in the area. Definitely more restaurant than pub, they do serve up seriously great food (they obviously didn't get a michelin star for nothing). Considering the quality and what you might pay in similarly lauded establishments elsewhere, it was actually extremely good value; our meals were around the �10-11 mark each, and the portion sizes were pretty decent. Service was friendly and amusing; indeed, the landlady's impressive jugs are well worth checking out... :) Fantastic local cider on tap (Robinsons): proper cloudy stuff with the right balance of sweet and sour. Will definitely return if ever anywhere near the area.
1 Sep 2010 12:51
The Three Tuns, Bishops Castle
Truly excellent. Discovered this place on holiday in the area last week. Beautiful building; superb food; splendid ales from the brewery next door (partner loved the XXX); great atmosphere; friendly service. Couldn't ask for more.
1 Sep 2010 12:35
The White Hart, Littleton on Severn
Dropped by on way home from bike holiday in Wales. Beautiful old roomy peaceful place, no music or blaring TV screens (hallelujah), occasional farmyard sounds (and smells!) wafting through, views over the hedge opposite down to the estuary, plenty of tables both in and out; bit rustic but slightly posh with it. I enjoyed the Thatcham heritage cider on tap (so many places only offer the uninspiring sparkly stuff). Food fairly pricey (�10+ mostly), but the portions were generous and I noticed there were some cheaper trad pub meals on the menu. Shame we were just passing through; would happily drop in more often just to soak up the tranquility.
1 Sep 2010 12:29
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Old Manor, Bracknell
Pretty good for a Wetherspoons, and one of the very few decent pubs in Bracknell. A very old building sitting incongruously in a sea of concrete hideousness (although the northern third of the town centre just across from where The Old Manor is located is about to be completely rebuilt). Has a pleasant if shady little garden on one side, surrounded by trees.
TOM always has a good range of ales on tap, with variety between the top and bottom bars and one or two local offerings usually included. By far the best range of real ale available in Bracknell. Food is cheap n cheerful, as per usual for Wetherspoons, and of course the drinks are pretty darned cheap too. No annoying piped music either. There are the inevitable screens showing sport or news with the sound turned down. However, it is possible to escape them because the pub has a reasonable number of interconnected rooms.
Security is necessary at weekends, but the atmosphere is generally good. Staff are friendly and happy to let you have tasters of real ale. Not surprisingly, CAMRA folk quite like it and it has been both the local branch winner and runner up in recent years.
11 Aug 2013 21:44