The Lytton Arms, Knebworth

Visited late June 2012. Good selection of real ales. Cellar management could do with some improvement. 4 ales tasted with 2 average at best. Strong germanic lagers available. Bar staff focus poor - waited 3 to 4 minutes with no acknowledgement although once served the repeat rounds being ordered were not a problem. The pub appears to want to be a gastropub with real ale and wet led the add on. Food area/restaurant was very busy. Wine list appropriate for the food and the food was absolutely fine but brakes brothers format (or seemed to be). The pub has good parking and garden area and is itself an interesting building.
Just didn't get that sense of warmth from it but would recommend it if you fancy a bite to eat or a real ale or two. Could be a great pub with focused strong pub management and customer care as in a great location and a 'get away' destination.

8 Jul 2012 10:40

Our Mutual Friend, Stevenage

Last in here 12 months ago. Went late June 12. Real ale selection is superb (6 barrels at any one time) and cellar management has improved too. Offers fantastic array of ciders but have to ask for the list. Superb malt whisky selection - one of the best ever seen in over 40 years for a southern english traditional local community pub.. Real ale focus on micro and local/regional brewers. Bar staff focus and attention between the two separate bars also improved greatly. This pub very much concentrates on being a proper open doors local community pub with no trouble, no aggression and no loud music. It was interesting to see how the mix of customers has grown here (last time we went it was the real ale 'experts' holding court at the 'snug' bar to the detriment of other customers) with a now wider variety of backgrounds and ages. They do food here and it is excellent old fashioned pub grub (exactly what it should be!). The young chef makes it effectively from scratch. SO nice to see this as opposed to the usual banal pubchain brakes brothers rubbish. They should advertise it more (menus and signboard hidden away above eye level!) Decor and toilets desperately need refurb but noticed new benches outside and car park works so imagine this is planned as the pub grows financially. The atmosphere is very good here with no loud music and eclectic bunch of customers.
Summary: incredible selection of real ale, cider and malt whisky in community pub.Unusual to see this in a 'new town'. Parking available as is traditional pub grub. Poor decor and toilets but improvements to customer focus and service. Very much a growing pub rather than a pub in decline and visit it for the oddity of the location if nothing else.

8 Jul 2012 10:32

The Stag, Enfield

Went to the room upstairs for a meal for a hen party. I was stacked with notes and happy to spend them. However, the two waitresses refused to bring us drinks to our tables (they told us to go downstairs to get them) they wouldn't even bring us a bottle of wine! The terrible service didn't end there, the food came out at different times, one dish nearly an hour after the others. The waitress argued with one of the party about a steak which was nearly burnt, she'd asked for it rare. The waitress actually said, " No, that is rare!" We were shocked at the terrible service! The food was average, mostly lukewarm too. It all came out in dribs and drabs. When we ordered dessert, she kept tutting when people ordered the profiteroles, and kept saying " why do you all want this? We don't have enough!" I am still in shock at the rudeness of them! They ignored our request for jugs of water. The chocolate sauce on the profiteroles was just melted chocolate ice cream! Plus we only got two of them each, I would expect at least three. I will never go there again or recommend it to anyone. We didn't finish our meal until 11pm, despite siting down at 8pm. The food took over 2 hours to arrive.

The barmaid that served us downstairs, a tall, slim blond lady was very good and friendly, but this is the only thing to recommend the pub. We left early, despite it's late licence, desperate to go somewhere that actually would give us drinks!

They even accused us of stealing a plate of food, which is disgusting. I don't know how the manager can accept service like this. No wonder the place was empty. Downstairs was pretty empty too as we left.

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!!

3 Jul 2011 15:54