BITE user comments - palser
Comments by palser
The Bat and Ball, Leicester Square
Few drinks after work last night proved very pleasant in this place. Had one of the best pints of London Pride ever, although the mates I was with said that the Fosters could have been better. As is the common view, the best thing about this place is the prices. Friendly atmosphere and smiles of the bar staff give it that extra shine.
26 Aug 2005 09:33
Went there last night with a few mates and had a great time. A few beers whilst sitting on the most comfortable sofas in the Huttson Bar, then through to the Geneva Bar for a dance without the usual attitude that seems to have infested London bars/clubs. Must say that despite the other comments, I found the staff to be very friendly, even when no tip was being offered. Maybe I caught them on a good night! All in all, a good place to relax with friends, have a drink and do a bit of people watching - particularly the myriad beautiful women sauntering round the place.
26 Aug 2005 09:17
Tiger Tiger, Piccadilly Circus
Went here after 'Phantom of the Opera' the other night and I can fully understand the mix of positive and negative comments. Was good to see the beautiful women milling around (both behind the bar and in front of it) and the good range of cigars on sale. However, the comments about the bouncers are 100% accurate. Black overcoat clad meat heads who think that anyone shorter than their 6ft 6 inch frame is weak and unimportant but is still a major threat to the safety of THEIR club. There was also an abundance of the leering suits that night as well - one bloke so drunk and desperate that his romantic badinage to a barmaid consisted of "Can you give me some good head" (she was pouring him a pint at the time). If the drinks prices were lowered and the entrance policy made a little more even handed, then this place might attract the sort of customers who clearly want to have a good time without the arrogance and pomposity of many I saw that night.
27 Apr 2005 16:36
After the working week, a great place to go nuts on a Friday night! Went there a few weeks ago around 11.00. Service straight away (always seems to be huge open spaces along the bar devoid of other customers). Managed to get a table (standing, but what the hell). First move onto the dance floor resulted in getting dragged into an impromptu conga line with many beautiful women. Back to bar for a drink. Second dance floor experience interrupted by being dragged onto stage with four equally confused blokes. Grease music playing, so prayed it wasn't a Travolta lookalike competition. It wasn't. Won a bottle of champagne for drinking a pint of lager through someone else's sock. May not sound the most sophisticated evening to some, but it was a great laugh. And surely that's what a good drinking experience is all about!
26 Apr 2005 16:44
A little off the beaten track if you want to go drinking on a Friday night and be near the clubs - probably more convenient if you're heading into Croydon on foot and need to quench your thirst. Still, plenty of charm and a good pub for people watching.
26 Apr 2005 16:29
Nice enough place. Beer well kept and food served in large portions. Only downside now is that sitting outside in the summer has lost some charm, what with the trams thundering past every few minutes.
26 Apr 2005 16:24
The Pig and Butcher, Islington
A great little pub this - pricey, but you get what you pay for. Looks basic on the outside but once you get in there, the staff are welcoming and there are plenty of sofas dotted around the place to guarantee a comfortable drinking experience. Colourful place with traditional tiled floor, so at least there's some attempt to give the place character. Quite weird to be in there as it got dark, with the staff dashing around putting candles on every available windowsill, ledge and table with the gusto of circus performers!
26 Apr 2005 16:21
The Glass Works, Angel, Islington
Not particularly memorable. Formed the meeting point for a mate's birthday pub crawl and was extremely underwhelming. The London Pride was ridiculously warm, the temperature not changing despite the bar staff re-pouring it twice(service was quick though, which was a plus point). The padded chairs and cubes were pretty comfortable but the whole place just looks too garish and manufactured - too much psychadelic carpet and clashing colour. A number of tables were covered with empty plates and glasses when we got there and had still not been cleared when we left an hour later! As foxski said the toilets are above standard, but that's never going to be the most important thing in a pub.
21 Apr 2005 13:59
The Salisbury, Leicester Square
Part of a Friday afternoon pub crawl after lunch at Vertigo 42. Have been in there before but the decor never fails to impress. Place was pretty empty (having avoided the lunchtime rush) but it was a pleasure to be served by such happy and attentive staff - everyone coming in was greeted with a smile. Pub cosy and with pleasant background noise of staff laughing and satisfied customers chatting away. The fact that you can't hear cars and buses flying by outside also makes this place seem a world away from the hectic bustle and crowds of London in general and Leicester Square/Covent Garden in particular. Fully recommended.
20 Apr 2005 16:54
Boadicea, Charing Cross Station
Whenever you go to an airport, the bars there are generally bright and lively places. I suppose this is to alleviate the fear of impending doom that nervous flyers, allowing them to have a few drinks to steady their nerves. If you're scared of travelling by train, don't even think about drinking in the Boadicea. It will only depress and scare you further. It's a truly grimy and depressing affair and if I were to die in a train crash travelling from Charing Cross, I'd rather my epitath didn't include the fact that my last hour on earth was spent drinking warm beer in this place.
5 Apr 2005 16:27
This pub has to be seen to be believed. Although the bar is guaranteed to be crowded when the offices in the area finish for the day, you can still always find a free table. The Young's Special is superb and the pub has a welcoming atmosphere helped by the fact that nearly everyone who goes in there seems to know eachother. Good place to go for a few drinks on Friday evenings before heading on to Walkabout. Also, this place really comes into its own in the summer. Although there's a bit of building work going on next door at the moment, the beer garden is large enough to accomodate the merry mix of office types and barrow boys who spill outside for the gorgeous sunny evenings. Something I really can credit in regards to this pub is the staff. There are two regular South African bar staff who always look content with their job and the landlord, Dave, is an absolute legend. Any man who can launch a regular Tuesday evening quiz that costs 50p per person, promises a chip butty break and a pot consistently over �100 should be knighted anyway, but the final round that encompasses a version of Bruce Forsythe's 'Play Your Cards Right' is truly the icing on the cake!
31 Mar 2005 14:53
Walked into this pub on a recent 'snow day' to meet a mate and went from feeling chilled and damp to feeling upbeat and warm. The size of this pub gives it a very cosy atmosphere and the beautiful smell of freshly cooked food that greeted me will not be forgotten in a hurry. The staff were very friendly and the bitter was well kept. However, its the decor that is truly impressive. So good to see a traditional pub with lashings of wood panneling, comfy chairs and (most notably) tables with bars round them to stop your pint being knocked off. Puts the bland design and unwelcoming atmosphere of many chain pubs to shame
30 Mar 2005 13:17
I keep hearing (mainly from rival publicans) that The Ship is a pub to be avoided, apparently because of the risk of getting your head kicked in by gorilla-like regulars. I have since discovered this to be utter rubbish. Went in there during a Friday afternoon pub crawl recently and it proved to be the complete opposite of most pubs in Croydon. The music was varied but at a sound level where you could still engage in a normal conversation with the people on your table. The beer was well kept and the atmosphere seemed to be really friendly. Will definitely be returning soon.
29 Mar 2005 16:46
A nice little pub situated down a quiet country lane. Off the beaten track, so attracts a mix of drinking ramblers and 'weekend driver'groups hoping for a bite to eat. The quality of the food is good for the price (I can recommend the lasagne) and as someone has already mentioned, the desserts aren't bad either (go for the apple and cinnamon pie). They also do a good pint of Bass, which is always a bonus.
29 Mar 2005 16:39
The Moon Under Water, Leicester Square
If you go to a pub in the hope of getting both a table and a drink, get here EARLY!
9 Mar 2005 15:59
A great little bare boards pub that has excellent live music from Alexis on Sunday evenings.
9 Mar 2005 15:57
The Chandos, Trafalgar Square
Went here last weekend to meet a few friend's before heading to a mate's birthday celebrations at Covent Garden. Went to another Sam Smith's pub, The Cock Inn just off Oxford Street about a year ago and had always thought of it as one of the most welcoming London pubs I'd ever been too. I can now add The Chandos to that list. Although fairly empty (it was 2.00 in the afternoon), the staff made every effort to make you feel welcome and were constantly moving around keeping the place tidy. I know for a fact that I did a strange double take when the barman told me that 2 pints of bitter would be �3.40! It was amazing to finally be drinking at a London pub where you hand over a tenner and get over a fiver back in change. The 'bare boards' look of the place was comfortably inviting and even the toilets were remarkably well maintained. Will definitely be going back.
9 Nov 2005 16:26