BITE user comments - mikegtn
Comments by mikegtn
The No 2 Refreshment Rooms (Under the Clock), Cleethorpes
Interesting little place. Welcoming, clean and busy with locals around the bar. Surprising amount of real ales available for such a small pub. The small fenced 'beer garden' area on the station concourse was busy too. Beer quality good and service quick and friendly. Ideal for a pint while you wait to escape from Cleethorpes!
22 Aug 2008 09:08
Visited The Coopers for the first time in a year or so last week. Sad to see a place decline so fast. The staff were slow, rude and frankly looked unclean. Very few of the regulars who used to use the place still there. The beer was poor, and resulted in me feeling unwell the following day. Sad to say, but avoid at all costs.
21 Aug 2008 08:43
A sprawling, well used and well kept local pub located in the village center. A large, partly decked beer garden at the rear provides additional seating. Popular for the food offer, but the beer is reasonable too - three real ales during my visit, including well-kept Bass which was a rare treat! Well-patronised during the day on weekends due to the unfortunately restricted opening hours of other local pubs.
11 May 2008 11:03
A pleasant Wetherspoons location with a good beer range, well-kept and a fair amount of product understanding in the staff (certainly enough to challenge an 'expert' talking rubbish during my visit to the bar!). The pub can get busy, but on warmer days is an air-conditioned oasis, as the lack of outdoor seating sends the punters elsewhere in town! Food is standard Wetherspoons fare, but is well-prepared.
11 May 2008 11:00
Friendly town local with large bar and a function room, situated adjacent to the railway and bus stations. There are always two cask ales available - usually Banks' Bitter and a seasonal guest, along with Thatcher's Heritage Cider. The ales and cider are always in good condition and staff appear knowledgable about the product. Food is also excellent.
27 Apr 2008 11:30
Only ever managed to get here in the daytime, so can't substantiate the concerns about how dirty things get in the evenings. A fine old pub, with lots of character and regulars drawn from all walks of life. This gives the place an air of accepting all-comers, which is rare in such places. The beer is undeniably excellent, with lots of brews from smaller local breweries which makes every visit something of an education. The food is also good and very keenly priced, and the staff are always ready with a smile and a joke - even at their busiest, and this place can get very busy indeed when customers arrive by the trainload!
21 Apr 2008 07:41
As Wetherspoons outlets go, this is one of the more characterful and pleasant to drink in, though its hard to work out if that's because it is in fact the Queens Hotel of my mis-spent youth under a new name. The pub is busy, with an excellent seafront location and a number of distinct drinking areas inside, reflecting the former floorplan of the hotel it replaces. Some of the areas which are more distant from windows appear dingy and at busy times these are often the only empty seats to be had. Service is adequate, but like many Wetherspoons the Reeds Arms is often understaffed at peak times. Two or three real ales appear to be the maximum at any time, and these are usually well-kept if a little chilly. Newman's Brewery's 'Wolvers Ale' is a notable regular appearance. Food appears to be up to the usual Wetherspoons standards.
20 Apr 2008 15:03
Royal Artillery Arms, Highbridge
Its difficult to review this pub without sounding over-sentimental about my local, so I'll be sticking to the facts here. The Royal Artillery is a small, single room pub with a skittle alley, easily reached by public transport and situated somewhere between West Huntspill and Highbridge depending on your opinions and allegiances. With a total of eight handpumps, there are rarely fewer than six perfectly kept real ales on offer. These are often drawn from local suppliers such as Moor, Cotleigh and Cheddar Ales - and there are of course always excellent RCH offerings to be had with Double Header a regular beer. Two Thatchers Ciders are also on offer, as well as frequent local guest ciders. Well cooked and generous bar meals are also to be had at reasonable prices. The building is undergoing a lengthy refurbishment to correct many years of neglect, but this doesn't detract from an excellent atmosphere at the bar or the chance for a quiet pint in the lounge area - both of which share a wood-burning stove. Service is always good, and prices are reasonable for the area. Well worth a visit.
20 Apr 2008 14:54
The Coopers has had mixed fortunes over the past year, following a couple of changes of landlord and a brush with the unsavoury side of Highbridge. Some concessions to modernity have followed, including installation of satellite TV, security cameras and an outdoor smoking shelter. Beer range continues to vary, but unfortunately quality is not always up to scratch. The Coopers is now a very quiet pub in a fantastic location next to the railway station. Let's hope the lure of redevelopment doesn't spring to S&N's mind!
15 Apr 2008 12:41
No 1 Refreshment Rooms, Cleethorpes
Larger than the No. 2 and accessed via the station car park, the No. 1 is a sprawling place with lots of little nooks and crannies in which to sup a quiet pint. Beer range was limited during my visit, but was excellent quality. Friendly, with a choice of a boisterous atmosphere in the bar where football was on TV, or a quieter time in the lounge.
22 Aug 2008 09:10