BITE user comments - ooblyboo
Comments by ooblyboo
The Hare and Billet, Blackheath
This is a nice, cosy pub in a great location but it is let down by poor service. The beer is generally kept fairly well and the food is ok, but not really any more than ok. A good pub for a session if the Princess of Wales down the road is too full but I wouldn't exactly go out of my way for it.
16 Dec 2010 15:21
The Princess of Wales, Blackheath
I was a regular in this place for a long time, but abandoned it a couple of years ago when the food and service went rapidly downhill. I recently decided to go back for the Tuesday night quiz with friends. Initially I remained unimpressed - sometimes I would go in and the beer would either be off or not tasting how it should, and service was sloppy.
But in my last couple of visits I have been impressed. The London Pride was tasting how it should - really enjoyable pint. And I had a Welsh rarebit sandwich which was delicious, even if the portion was a little on the mean side for the price. Service is still erratic - you always get someone coming up to your table and asking if you ordered a dish when you haven't (next time I am saying yes). But I can live with that. In the summer it's great to enjoy the garden and the heath, in the winter it's cosy. Yes there are lots of children but sorry folks, now the smoking ban is over you're going to have to live with it. I am happy with this pub again.
16 Dec 2010 12:09
I came up from London to take my wife out for an anniversary lunch (she wanted to see St Albans) and was not disappointed. The service was great - breezy and efficient. The food was equally excellent. I gather the menu changes regularly and is based on local produce. The starter of scallops and crispy pork belly was lovely. The scallops looked as if they had been ever so slightly overcooked, but were still sweet and succulent. My main of roasted pheasant was just fantastic, and dessert of chocolate brownie (which I only sampled thanks to very generous portions) was also very good, if a little on the indulgent side.
I also sampled a pint of Rusty Anchor, which I gather is specially brewed for the pub. Very pleasant.
All in all, this is a great foodie pub. I see the suggestion that this is one of the best pubs in Herts was greeted with a little suspicion. I don't know enough pubs in Herts to comment, other than to say I can believe it.
16 Dec 2010 12:01
The Danson Stables, Danson Park
There can be few pubs as disappointing as Danson Stables. By rights, its setting in acres of parkland, in a beautiful building (even if it is just an old stable block) ought to make it a real gem. Unfortunately, it is anything but. I have been here twice now, on the second occasion just to see if it could be any more awful than the first. It was. Where to begin? There's a rubbish selection of real ale, even if the ones the keep are kept ok. But it is horribly let down by the food, which you can order off a menu that looks like it was time-warped out of 1982. Fancy a sharing platter of pigs in blankets and microwaved Camembert? I didn't but it looked like one of the less wretched options so I ordered it. What a mistake. Measly portions for almost �10, with just two slices of bread (although they were gracious enough to provide more for free), the dish was loaded with incredibly over-salted low grade meat products I wouldn't ordinarily give to my own dog. I wasn't expecting the best, but come on guys, this is an utter rip off. I should have known when, on ordering my food at the bar, the two staff had a conversation in front of me (but not including me) about the relative merits of the dish. It ended with the second member of staff proclaiming that she had never tried it because she didn't like the look of it. Great service guys.
As for the cleanliness (or lack thereof), I won't bore you any more than I have, but suffice it to say that everything feels sticky from tables, to floors to bar tops and there's a rather odd smell in the place.
In short, it needs a major kick up the backside. It could be a really good family pub. It isn't.
19 Oct 2010 14:46
The Royal Standard, Blackheath
As previous reviewers have said, this place has had a bit of a dodgy reputation in the past but the current management really turned things around. Nice atmosphere, lots of seating, really well kept beer with some really interesting guest ales. It looks like it's doing well. The decor isn't exactly to my taste but this is a good solid local pub.
16 Dec 2010 15:23