BITE user comments - shoegazer
Comments by shoegazer
The Southampton Arms, Gospel Oak
I went for a couple of pre-Forum gig pints here and found a lovely oasis of tradition.
Good beer and in 'proper' 70s style pint pots. Very busy, even at 7pm on a Tuesday, so be prepared. I had a hot roast pork roll which was nice, and the pork pies looked tasty - and popular too.
Fair play to the hard working staff, incidentally. There's a real lack of pretension to The Southampton Arms which is a rare respite from copy and paste gastropubs colonising London. Let's face it, a pie, a pint and a convivial atmosphere is all you need, isn't it?
Just one small thing: It's cool to have the vinyl records playing, but you couldn't actually hear the music. Just a wee bit louder and this would be as perfect as a pub could be.
23 May 2012 23:48
I went there this evening to the public bar area for the Irish music session.
Really pleasant atmosphere and service with a smile from an attractive, friendly barmaid from Bulgaria. Good to see they have Sambrooks Pale Ale on tap which is hard to find in most pubs. Ship ahoy!
I'll be back.
9 May 2012 01:02
Doggetts Coat and Badge, Southwark
�4+ for a pint of Guinness? In a Nicholson's pub?
I realise location counts and all that but this is a joke.
Go elsewhere.
9 Apr 2012 01:42
The Pig and Whistle, Earlsfield
After looking at the pub's website prior to visiting, I was then charged considerably more for a pint than stated.
Update your prices please and stop taking the piss out of customers.
As for the pub? Meh. And the toilets stink.
The Wandle nearby is much better.
I won't be back.
8 Apr 2012 23:20
I have visited recently only to be ignored by the posing bar staff who blatantly serve their friends ahead of customers. Some of them should remember their manners. It is usually quite cliquey with the staff all jousting with each other rather than paying attention to what they should be doing.
Which is all very unfortunate because it is an attractive looking bar and the food is very good - if over-priced - needless to say. The beer selection is excellent, in fairness, apart from the fact that on more than one occasion a certain ale was off.
Nothing unusual with that - except it looks a bit silly and slapdash that a pub named 'The Wandle' can't even produce a reliable flow of locally-produced Wandle ale.
Popular with braying southern hemisphere Earlsfielders with credit cards, incidentally. Paying with cash is not the norm here, it seems.
Anyway, The Wandle has it's good points (beer selection, good beer garden) but whoever runs the place should understand that it could - and should - be so, so much better.
2 Apr 2012 00:37
"The artistic leanings of a young, upwardly mobile community"
You know, there are only so many silly haircuts/beards, wafer-thin cardigans, skinny jeans and plimsolls one can handle in a crowded pub of an evening.
The clientele of the Prince George are, in fact, actually a parody of themselves. Rich kids sporting charity shop ironic "chic" - I might just pop in next time with cream chinos and a cashmere sweater just to look alternative.
That said, it's a decent pub with an interesting selection of beers. Pints of Fullers' Honey Dew lager, for instance. Served (reassuringly expensive) in a large continental-style goblet. Sometimes, anyway.
Late opening too when I visited, which is always a bonus. Worth a visit, despite the proliferation of aforementioned arty weird beards.
10 Jul 2011 17:25
The Gazebo, Kingston Upon Thames
Visited this place recently, and if you are a fan of traditional Sam Smith's establishments, you'll be extremely disappointed.
In complete contrast to SS's central London pubs, with their attention to detail, etched mirrors and solid dark wood furniture/decor, The Gazebo has the aura of a hastily cobbled-together function room, with a few basic tables and chairs strung about a bare bar.
The barmaid was sullen as well, which there really is no excure for when a pub isn't exactly heaving.
In addition, the cackling and loud anti-social shouting of a couple of local ageing chavs reverberated across the otherwise silent bar. It was enough to spoil what little ambience there was.
Saving graces? Cheap pints and the riverside view if you want to take your drinks outside when it's sunny.
A pub that could have so much more to offer, but, frankly, you get the feeling the management just can't be arsed.
6 Aug 2010 14:39
Popped in here for a Sunday afternoon Guinness and thoughtit was a decent shop indeed. Very relaxed, although I guess it's a different story at night.
Love the framed photo of George Best & Mike Summerbee on the back wall... can I have it please?!
10 May 2010 01:01
The Princess Louise is top notch. Everyone I've brought to the place has commented very favourably on it.
Drinking cheap beer in beautiful, tasteful, traditional surroundings in central London? You'd better believe it.
A gem of a pub.
5 May 2010 23:26
A grand spot and very possibly my favourite Sam Smith's joint - and favourite pub - in central London.
The upstairs Opera Room is very spacious and perfect for kicking back with a few pints of Alpine lager at much cheapness. Perfecto!
5 May 2010 23:23
Pros: A proper 'local' and very relaxed
Friendly staff and landlord
Good, reasonably priced Thai food
Best pint of Guinness in Wandsworth
Cons: The substantial price hike on the drinks in the last six months hasn't gone unnoticed, sadly
5 May 2010 19:38
I like The Cat's Back, generally speaking. It's quite a kitsch looking place, so from that perspective it's certainly different.
Love the fact they stock Wandle ale as it's a local brew but.. as suggested earlier, why the hell do the staff insist on the Coors Light glasses? A small point I know, but if the pub could get the small things like this properly then it would go right up in my estimation.
Nonetheless, any establishment which has framed photos of Elvis and George Best overlooking the bar is alright with me. Just remember to get some proper branded Wandle beer glasses, please!
5 May 2010 19:33
This used to be a dedcent pub, until the owners decided to "gastrofy" the place.
What was once a top Arsenal pub, it has really drifted off into mid-table.
Prior to home games they remove the furniture in the front part of the bar to cram more drinkers in.
Also, when I went in before a game on a hot day last season, the heating was on! Another ruse to try and get you to drink more and faster.
These people must think customer's heads are buttoned up at the back.
17 Jul 2008 13:34
Best place for a sup in Wandsworth (which admittedly isn't a difficult challenge). Always a decent pint, reasonably priced beer and the Thai food is good too if you're feeling peckish.
A simple, cosy London boozer that's not hanging up it's arse like so many other places, especially the anaemic, raaraa Queen Adelaide across the road.
Great pub for a few quiet jars, and if you don't want your evening ruined by a crowd of braying yahs, then slip along to the Pole!
17 Jul 2008 13:13
Not a bad pub, although charging gastropub prices for pints when it is basically an orthodox London boozer was a little bit off. Apart from being on the pricey side, it's okay.
17 Jul 2008 12:44
The only thing that appeals about this place is the old traditional decor. Sadly even that is an irrelevance when assessing an empty and miserable establishment.
A pub badly in need of a makeover. When I went in, the place was deserted, save for a few regular dossers. One of the most depressing pub "experiences" I've ever had.
Avoid at all costs.
17 Jul 2008 12:38
The Princess Louise, Holborn
A word of advice about the 'reviewed' (ie, hiked up) Sam Smith's pricing to be found here. Unless you order an Old Brewery Bitter or Taddy Lager be prepared for a shock.
The whole point of using a SS pub like the Princess Louise was for the keen prices. Well, at least that used to be the case. The above beers are around the £3-3.25 mark. Try anything else (such as the organic beer or cider) and you're looking at an eye-watering £4.25 a pint. Yes, in a Sam Smith's, supposedly the foolproof home of a recession session.
If you want to drink designer beer, you might as well drink elsewhere. Otherwise, the Louise is a good staple and a decent boozer with some character. Just be careful what you order if you're watching the pennies.
18 Dec 2012 00:58