BITE user comments - surgecommodore
Comments by surgecommodore
I love Badger and the beer here won't disappoint. I visited on a Sunday and found the place not to busy. The fires were crackling and the atmosphere was relaxed.
On the downside, it's expensive. Also, the barmaid served my pint a good inch below the rim of the glass -- no head, just a low level.
The Carpenters Arms is a short stagger away, with plenty more choice but a little less atmosphere.
13 Nov 2007 17:24
Very disappointing. The staff are stressed and rude at lunchtime. Everything seems to take forever, and is never worth the wait. Poor menu. Sour beer.
The Swan is a few doors down and compares well. The Lamb (Youngs) and The Rugby (Shep'Neame) are the other end of Great Ormond St, and both are much better.
13 Nov 2007 17:18
The Shakespeare Tavern, Durham
Great little pub. It's a bit cramped and labyrinthine, but that somehow adds to its charm. I had a guest ale that was first right.
I visited on Remembrance Sunday. A real mix of drinkers: blokes in suits, soldiers in uniform, folkies, middle-aged couples and a group of chav-ettes. Nice atmosphere, very relaxed.
13 Nov 2007 17:08
The Swan and Three Cygnets, Durham
Very mediocre Sam Smith's pub. The place is just uninspired, and uninspiring.
The student-staff were know-it-alls, especially that fella wearing a cardigan who got a mention in someone else's review.
The food was disappointing, too. My steak pie was from frozen, served with chips instead of vegetables. Very bland.
13 Nov 2007 17:03
For my money, this is the best ale pub in Faversham, and that's really saying something. The guest ale was a delicious cask mild, and there's a regular keg mild on tap. And the usual Shepherd Neame ales, of course.
We popped in for lunch one Saturday after doing the Brewery Tour. The food is hearty, traditional and excellent. The decor and welcome were both relaxing and comforting. I could have stayed all day, except that we were doing a circuit of the good pubs in town.
I really can't find fault with The Bear Inn, except that it isn't right next door to where I live.
7 Nov 2007 11:37
The Carpenters Arms, Marble Arch
I had a lovely pint from one of the six hand pumps on Sunday. I'll go out of my way to visit again.
29 Oct 2007 11:25
Fantastic place. A nice selection of their own brews. My fellow drinkers were a colourful and friendly mix.
18 Oct 2007 11:39
I like the idea of this place: a microbrewery beside Borough Market, with upscale food.
But I'm always disappointed by the overly starched atmosphere and the smell of expense accounts. I perch at the bar and *always* feel unwelcome.
The brewed ales are not great, and are served far too cold.
16 Oct 2007 12:04
Clerkenwell? Surely Bloomsbury?
I'm not the World's biggest Shepherd Neame fan, though I am coming around to Spitfire, MasterBrew and the seasonal Late Red -- all of which are on tap here and in good condition.
The staff are friendly and the food is fair. It fills up with suits after work, but empties by 8pm or 9pm.
16 Oct 2007 12:01
There's a lovely atmosphere in here, usually rippled by an overly loud American accent somewhere. The London Business School crowd do tend to swarm in and make it their own, but if you happen across a quiet evening or a slow weekend, this place is a real find.
Lovely, well kept beers.
The Sunday Lunch is disappointing (tough beef, dry chicken, frozen vegetables). You're better off at The Volunteer down the road, if you can get in.
16 Oct 2007 11:56
A nice Sam Smith's pub tucked away in Marylebone. I've enjoyed a decent pint and a friendly crowd every time I've popped in on the way home from work.
16 Oct 2007 11:52
A real mixed bag. The beer selection is fair, the crowd and decor are hip, the menu is good. On the downside, there's usually an ale tap off, the staff are variable, the place is packed most evenings and most weekends.
It was my local for a time while I was in a wheatbeer phase, but now I just feel crowded out by afterwork suits and weekend tourists. Plus I got a little tired of foreign barstaff pouring ales like lagers or not knowing the names/types of ales they sell (e.g stout, bitter, "landlord").
16 Oct 2007 11:51
The Hope, Tottenham Court Road
A great place for a lunchtime pint and a ploughmans, but fat too crowded after work.
16 Oct 2007 11:43
A lovely Sam Smith's pub. Great for a quick pint at the bar. There's nothing outstanding about the place -- the food, the punters, the decor -- but it has a nice atmosphere.
16 Oct 2007 11:41
London's hardest pub to find? Possibly, but well worth the effort. Very snug and very popular.
The sausages are good, but they always go quickly. The rest of the menu is functional, but uninspiring.
The beers are very well kept. I'm no fan of Adnams, but the Deuchars IPA and guest ale are always good.
Whenever I have overseas guests in town I always include The Mitre on the itinerary (along with The Lamb and The Cheshire Cheese).
16 Oct 2007 11:38
Marquis of Cornwallis, Bloomsbury
I loved this pub when it re-opened as The Marquis of Cornwallis. The Goose was a dive.
The Cornwallis started off well, but has slipped. The staff are usually indifferent to the service they give, and I've found them rude more than once. The food can be very hit and miss.
Prices are a little high, and pints are a little low. It packs out some nights and you won't necessarily get the pint you asked for. Whatever time of day, or day of the week, there'll always be at least a couple of the taps off. They can be very slow to replace an empty barrel.
The guest beer is the only thing that brings me back now. Sadly, The Cornwallis doesn't have much decent competition nearby.
16 Oct 2007 11:31
Not a bad pub, but not great. The beers, decor, menu and staff are all pretty average. The Theakston's Old Peculier can be lovely, though I've had a sour pint more than once.
Much better than The Queen's Larder on the corner, though The Lamb and The Rugby Tavern are only a short walk away.
16 Oct 2007 11:25
Fantastic pub. Great selection of ales, including mild. The bottle range is staggering. The staff and drinkers are very friendly.
16 Oct 2007 11:15
The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell
A rare opportunity to enjoy St Peter's beer. Space is a bit tight and no weekend opening. Otherwise, a real gem.
16 Oct 2007 11:11
Lovely atmosphere in this market-side boozer. I'm not a fan of Mansfield beers, but this place gets an honorary mention for it's charm.
The eskimo on the pub sign can be traced to the Town Docks / Maritime Museum, where you can see his kayak and sealskin suit. He paddled up alongside a Hull ship somewhere icy and asked to come aboard.
9 Oct 2007 11:43
One of Hull's best pubs. Lovely, big fire. Historic. Nice ales. Good staff.
9 Oct 2007 11:38
If you visit only one pub in Hull, make it this one. Great range of tap beers. It loses a point for the Goth/Hallowe'en decor of recent years, but still a fantastic, historic boozer.
9 Oct 2007 11:37
A great pub tucked away in an industrial area. Great crowd, great beers, great time every time.
9 Oct 2007 11:36
A lager and electric tap affair. Friendly staff and customers, but the bitter is far too cold.
9 Oct 2007 11:35
A lovely pint of Sam Smith's. Always great locals in the Bell. My favourite thing in the green man carved behind the bar.
9 Oct 2007 11:34
Fantastic Sunday Roast, and the Steak Pie is great too. ice pint of Landlord plus at least one other top brew.
9 Oct 2007 11:32
My favourite pub in the whole world. I love it best on wintery afternoon. I remember warm, orange glows from open fires and old fellas in flatcaps nursing their mild.
9 Oct 2007 11:26
Back to surgecommodore's profile
The Ship and Shovell, Charing Cross
This is becoming a favourite. Lovely Badger beers. A few snugs. Central location. Great old pub feel. What's not to like?
13 Nov 2007 17:26