BITE user comments - pinga
Comments by pinga
The Imperial Arms, Farnborough
A much-improved pub under the new ownership. I have been more in the last time than I had in my entire life before! Good food and ale.
3 Jan 2012 18:23
Definitely not shut, unlike what this page says! Fantastic real ales. Excellent food but not cheap.
22 Sep 2011 20:51
Excellent food - good value, decent portions. Worth a visit when they have a beer festival on. Number of beers available can vary but are generally in good condition. Do ring before making a special visit to check they are open!
11 Sep 2011 14:24
We went here for dinner having had good experiences in the past but were disappointed. Our waiter was friendly but he seemed to be the only one waiting tables, and there was quite a delay between orders being taken, food arriving, drinks arriving etc. Bizarrely, the pub had no straws (I like a straw in a cold, sweet drink). The cappuccino machine was also broken. When our food arrived, it tasted ok but some of the dishes were missing ingredients which were in the description. We told our waiter but a manager didn't come until we had virtually finished, by which time it was too late and he didn't offer us anything - a gesture would have been nice. (Incidentally, the waiter said the dishes just come from head office, so there couldn't be anything missing!)
The toilets were ok but not the best - a hand dryer didn't work and there were problems flushing.
11 Sep 2011 14:14
This is an ok pub but I am always disappointed when I visit - perhaps because it is hyped up so much by others. Yes, it has 6 handpumps for real ales but these invariably serve bitter, so no choice of beer styles! I have also often found my first choice is not available, but the pump clip is not turned nor is there any other indication the beer is not available.
Food is over-priced for what you get. This is something people rave about but I've had meals which look like they could come from any chain pub, where you could buy the same thing for half the price!
The pub is often very busy. I have generally found staff at the bar cope well with taking orders as quickly as possible, but sometimes there is a delay in receiving the food.
30 Dec 2010 18:04
The Ball and Wicket, Heath End
Whenever I have been to this pub I have felt a bit intimidated by the locals all sitting at the bar. The real ale quality is too variable to make the trip worth it unless you are already local - I have had fairly good beer but on other occasions, beer so bad I only had one sip.
I can't comment on the food having not tried it!
29 Dec 2010 20:37
This pub does not seem to know what it is aiming for. I went in with a friend who recommended the food. It was around 7pm midweek. There were candles lit on all tables and a nice roaring fire...but also annoying techno/disco music over the speakers and the place was full of families with noisy young children and parents who were just as loud.
Also on the bad side: tables took a long time to be cleared - we moved glasses from one to be able to sit. It also took a long time to get served at the bar. The toilets were horrid - the floor covered in wet mud and the sink area covered in water.
On the plus side, food arrived in a reasonable time and the burgers are good. However, no condiments were offered - I had to go ask for these.
I will admit, perhaps the bar was just unexpectedly busy but it really put me off going again.
29 Dec 2010 20:32
More a restaurant than a pub. The food is generally good, although maybe slightly over-priced. It is possible to go in just for a pint and sit on the stools by the bar, but really this is somewhere you go for a meal.
29 Dec 2010 20:23
This pub has really been turned around. I'm just annoyed I no longer live nearby! Great real ales and a friendly atmosphere, with great views of the river on sunny days.
25 May 2009 22:56
Unfortunately this pub is closing on Saturday 20th September, having been sold by Enterprise Inns. A sad loss - the beer and sandwiches were great!
18 Sep 2008 20:19
Fantastic beer
range (2 dark ales to keep me happy and a Belgium fruity thing for my
non-beer drinking friends!) and a no-frills pub with a very chilled out
atmosphere for a lazy Saturday afternoon.
19 Jun 2007 21:35
Fantastic service and real ale. Nice relaxed and clean modern atmosphere.
10 Dec 2006 20:24
Much smarter now, beware of the dangerous rugs - I nearly fell over stepping on to one on the slippery wood floor! Food ok, service good. TVs were showing football but didn't seem too obtrusive - we could sit and chat without being disturbed.
31 May 2006 21:57
The Hare and Hounds, Guildford
Friendly welcome but beer seemed expensive (�2.70/pint). I also found the food over-priced as it seemed to use cheap ingredients - my turkey and mushroom pie tasted like it contained tinned food.
9 Jan 2006 14:43
Fantastic real ale pub. Always a mild available. Good food available weekday lunchtimes.
13 Dec 2005 12:17
Great food with big portions served in the evenings too. Reasonable selection of real ales - only over-shadowed by the pub down the road! Nice old pub.
13 Dec 2005 12:16
Beer (London Pride) lacked flavour and condition although I understand there are normally 3 real ales available - I didn't try the other 2 - and this may have just been the end of a cask. Food menu looked good and barman was friendly.
9 Jun 2005 12:47
The Imperial Arms, Farnborough
Beer quality has been poor the last few times I went in this pub so haven't been back. Always seems quiet.
4 Jan 2005 14:03
The Prince of Wales, Farnborough
Excellent real ales and the events I've been to have all been good- beer festivals and BBQs. The food is good but only served lunchtimes (Mon-Sat).
4 Jan 2005 14:02
Beer and food variable. When my food order came out wrong, it looked like they just took it away, chucked some spices on and reheated it!
4 Jan 2005 14:01
The Varsity Bar, University Of Surrey
University sports bar but open to the public. Three real ales all at a fixed price. Fantastic food served lunchtimes and most evenings.
4 Jan 2005 13:34
The pizzas are great but the pasta dishes are not good - pizzas are freshly made but the pasta comes out of packets. Cocktails are nice, the beer's ok. Service speed is variable. Non-smoking area is tiny and sandwiched between 2 smoking areas.
4 Jan 2005 13:31
The William Bray , Shere Guildford Surrey
Looks nice, I assume this pub has been recently renovated. Lovely outdoor tables, although slightly chilly still year!! However, I ordered snack food and half an hour later it had not come - I went to check to find it had not even started to be cooked yet! TO be fair, I was given a full refund when I asked as I said to cancel the food then but there was no automatic apology.
8 Jul 2012 15:33