BITE user comments - smorgasbord
Comments by smorgasbord
Can't remember when in the last year we started dropping in to the Lamb but I do know we were tempted in by their chalkboard proclaiming family farm-sourced food. Having said that I've never had anything other than the cheeseboard in there which was humble (borderline frugal) but enjoyable. The landlord(s) are warm and efficient, amongst their regulars they are clearly well-thought-of and their attention to music and atmosphere has made this place a growing success through the past 12 months.
I do remember going one night in the winter and seeing a fire-walking event taking place in the beer garden. Quirky and typical of the 'folk' feel to the place. I wouldn't be surprised to see a skiffle band in here at some point or a local meeting of an environmental group.
I'd suggest not sitting by the back door as you get a waft from the gents and a draught from the beer-garden door but the small round tables nestled against the left wall are perfect for couples and friends to gather in the low-light over drinks. Alternatively there are a couple of couches and a smattering of bar-stools generally occupied by the regulars.
Can't remember what I usually drink in there so apologies for not commenting on the drinks.
27 Aug 2009 13:43
A quiet, local pub. Amstel on draught which - as a lager drinker - I like. They take cards which - as someone who rarely carries cash - I like. A great view of the setting sun over Hampton Court and the river. If you crane your neck a bit. The regulars are mild-mannered and friendly but there aren't many of them. A recent refurbishment in 2008-9 feels only partially completed and the pub's decor is an acquired taste but it certainly doesn't feel characterless, just that perhaps the fun-times here were in times-gone-by. After the re-fit (which mainly involved a lot of work on the patio out the front) there was an interesting looking Italian menu being served but - as of August 2009 - there is no food being offered. Just looking around at the number of people in on a Saturday night will tell you all you need to know, there just isn't the trade.
Surbiton has quite a few pubs really and here, perched on the end of a residential 'river road' and facing a busy Portsmouth Road it just feels a bit isolated and forgotten. Perhaps when the students return in the autumn it will fill-out again, sitting on the pilgrimage between Seething Wells halls of residence and Kingston-upon-Thames. Other nearby pubs and bars offer more in terms of style, wines, views and food but the Fox and Hounds is honest & friendly. It certainly deserves some attention and investment from the local community and perhaps a bit of work to improve the interior layout from the owners though - I suspect - this might be a challenge given the low trade at the moment. The landlord confessed the other night he didn't have Sky, I suspect cost is the issue here too. It all just feels a bit precarious.
27 Aug 2009 13:22
Walked along from Kingston-upon-Thames and stopped here. Large garden, cycle friendly, good service and range of drinks. Accept cards at the bar (bonus) ... only downside was that ir is heaving with kids on a sunny weekend. There are kid-free (licensed) areas of the garden but the best bet would be to drink inside on a nice day.
23 Jun 2008 16:30
A pub for people who work in the area so expect a mix of meedja (sic) and fashion types as well as some more salt-of-the-earth types. Musky, dark interior which seems incongruous and sad in the post-smoking era but I wouldn't change it, such character must be preserved.
Well-priced Sam Smiths considering its location in the heart of the consumers' London. Easy to see why crowds flock here from midday toward the end of the week and why many stay long into the evening on a Friday.
12 Apr 2008 19:02
Positives first. A good selection of food with a clear Mediterranean-orientation, a great location for all seasons, a stylish decor and a good variety of seating. A nice selection of wines and winter drinks, good lager and clean toilets.
Negatives now; The bar staff are a little frosty, more often than not because there simply aren't enough of them. Sadly the place took a hit in the summer of 2007 and had to lay-off staff. When trade improved they found themselves short-staffed and clearly resourcing when trade is pretty transient has caused them problems. I'd like to see some girls behind the bar as the lads get a bit arrogant and rude. Culturally this place can be a bit too middle-class, it's 'family friendly' so expect to see push-chairs and a big crowd on Mothering Sunday when gran's brought down to see the kids.
On the other hand, a strict sportswear / baseball cap rule keeps the more nefarious fashion-shy pillock out.
Clearly at its best on a hot sunny weekend in the summer but a worthwhile place for hard-working commuters to relax during a stressful week.
12 Apr 2008 18:53
Used to be my local when I lived on King Street with a friend. Regularly there during the week and the landlord's a friendly, approachable guy who runs a good little pub with a range of chilled lager. The food's good too, the staff are friendly and attractive (never does any harm) and, bar the odd boisterous suited chap, you could do far worse in the centre of Norwich.
Downsides? An over-looked and under-developed outside seating area that, with a bit of vision and money, could become a real asset.
12 Apr 2008 18:41
Feels nicely Fitzrovia, whatever that means to you. The place clearly attracts a BBC crowd and, in such a narrow little spot, can feel crowded when busy (where doesn't?!) but the lager's good, there's atmosphere and, ignoring the geeks, there's little to fault.
12 Apr 2008 18:34
Often B.I.T.E. reviews are either wholly negative or positive, the middle ground doesn't get much of a look-in; the consequence perhaps of the obvious apathy in posting something that simply says 'average', let me redress the balance.
A bit like Gordon Bennett's down the road, The Grove appears to have a policy of limited seating to encourage a standing and mingling crowd. This is fine on a busy night when atmosphere takes over but when you go in on a sunday evening and there are just enough people there to take up all the seats so you're the only ones standing, it can feel a bit sparse.
I quite like the decor inside since the re-fit but concede it's not to everyone's taste. It's more of a spring-to-autumn pub now as the lack of furniture and curtains means it feels a little cold during the winter when black windows look out onto the street. However, The Grove provides a healthy alternative to chintzy chain pubs and isn't so 'gastro/wine-bar' to have lost all charm.
The staff are generally quick, take cards for small payments and on the occasions I've been i'd find little to complain about. It's not going to blow you away or even become your regular drinking hole but it will often tempt me away from the high-street and even Gordon Bennett's from time-to-time.
12 Apr 2008 18:32
Gordon Bennnett bar + kitchen, Surbiton
D'you know what, this pub should be nauseating. It's not really a pub, more of a wine bar come gastro-pub but frankly it's got a really welcoming charm. Not quite somewhere "where everybody knows your name" but certainly the place we go to most often in Surbiton. The lack of 30-somethings with kids in there is great. It serves decent lager, has a great wine list (popular and drinkable favourites, not pretentious pseudo-sommelier-selected crap) and the food, whilst a little pricey for the smaller dishes, is quick to arrive and genuinely tastey.
The staff are young and friendly and the music selection is top drawer. The only downside is that it can get a bit chilly inside in the winter and that a smoking crowd outside often means smoke creeps into the bar through the windows.
During the day it becomes a bit more coffee-bar like with good free 4MB/s broadband, papers and good snacks.
You might even spot the old famous face in there. A solid destination for mid-week drinks.
12 Apr 2008 18:22
I came here to post a negative review fully expecting it to be in the minority, I'm sad to see it's a common occurrence.
We stumbled into the pub at lunchtime last weekend after a snowy walk up at Leith Hill. The pub was packed with walkers and cyclists, there were a couple of dogs and a roaring fire. The decor was typical and welcoming. The landlady, however, was not.
Asking for a hot-chocolate received short-shrift: "not when we're busy", so I modified our order to two cokes. Adding a cauliflower soup I was presented with the cost, I handed my card and was told "you can't pay on card", so I raised my eyebrows - I had no cash on me. She deigned to accept my Maestro but for a 70p charge. In doing so she barked at the barman next to her to charge all cards under �10 the 70p fee. Eventually I submitted my pin and took a seat.
I should say at this point that the soup was jolly nice when it arrived and that it was a little cheeky to ask for a hot chocolate in a pub.
Country pubs are not Starbucks, I accept that and, having grown-up in a small village in Kent with a pub that has had to adapt I know that drink driving laws and the smoking ban have taken their toll on revenues. Village pubs MUST adapt and The Plough benefits from being in a glorious walking area with plenty of business by the looks of things. What puts people off however is shoddy service and it simply isn't that difficult to improve. On the surface of it the service is polite here: a fixed grin and smatterings of 'please' and 'thank-you' cannot hide some customer experience calamaties though. Charging a fee for card transactions is unacceptable; there was a time when CREDIT CARD transactions cost businesses a percentage fee but these days the decline in cash usage means that you simply have to accept that people, especially arriving on impulse will expect to pay, without penalty, on card.
Secondly, this preposterous 'tap water' argument: I saw her lovely laminated sign which ranted that tap water wasn't free. Well, technically no it might not be but what price a bit of hospitality? The negative effect of charging hugely offsets the pennies they'll recoup from charging people. Look at these reviews for example.
Whilst I concur that the halogen-lit gastro-pub is a disappointing trend in hospitality, the fact remains that any place where the slavish adherence to outmoded principles will ultimately die whereas an establishment that embraces a new customer-centric approach and retains the authentic character (for the two are not at-odds) would thrive.
So come-on, focus on relaxing the rules a bit, welcome drop-in trade, offer free tap water and promote the excellent soup and authentic pub experience.
12 Apr 2008 17:36
The Waggon and Horses, Surbiton
Well-rated pub that has learned to adapt and embrace a broader culture than evening drinkers. Offering free coffee throughout July (or was it June?) was a nice touch that brought us in on a Saturday morning for brunch where we'd previously been lunch and evening customers.
Has a few different areas catering from various customers: the front bar with stools and a sport-showing TV, a large back-lounge with big sofas and large tables, a dining lounge with a large log fire and a cosy drinking room in middle-left side.
Good food in generous portions though the suggestion that the sandwich menus have been pulled is worrying - they did a great-value chunky sandwich which I'll be mortified if it's not available now.
Not seen any of the theatrical output so can't comment there.
If they've over-done anything it's the transport and local-tourism posters from the early part of the last century which pepper the large lounge. I'm all for local history but it does feel like the London Transport Museum in places and the sea-grass matting and cabana feel of the (smokers') garden is peculiar.
Service, quick and friendly. Wines are good though not extensive and beer/lager is averagely priced. If it was closer to Surbiton town-centre it would be rammed and all-the-poorer for it. Placed on the Kingston-end of the town we're not always inclined to trek up there but when we do we're annoyed we don't go more often. Up there as one of the top 3 places to spend an evening in Surbiton, definitely.
27 Aug 2009 14:02