please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Weir overlooks what was a rather swollen River Thames. The picture above suggests that it would be a nice place to spend some time in the summer. Encouraged by its entry in the 2018 Good Beer Guide, we tried it on a winter's evening. It was quite frankly disappointing. Greene King Abbot, Sharp's DoomBar & Hogs Back Surrey Nirvana were the only ales and there was no real cider. Perhaps we should have followed the previous reviewer's suggestion and not bothered when the weather is inclement.
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On a hot day, this is the place to stop for a beer while walking beside the river between Hampton Court & Walton on Thames. Loads of outside seats, beer (Greene King) a little expensive but I suppose they have to allow for the bad times when the weather is bad & no-one goes there at all.
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Plenty of outside seating overlooking the Thames. Food looked ok but didn't try. Three ales - Abbot, Doom and Andwells Gold Muddler as a guest plus two real ciders in small polypins on the bar.
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No real cider. Customer moorings.
They are making a fuss about the planned hydroelectric generator set in the weir, saying it will ruin the view. My opinion of that is - what view?? Looking over the river you see a huge corregated iron shed in a boatyard, a steel and concrete weir structure, and some suburban bungalows.
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Nice location by the river and ok beer & service.
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Cosy fire, nice old fashioned riverside pub, decent beer and excellent food.
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Good selection of ales and excellent location next to the river. The food is average. I had a burger and the other half had sausage and mash. I was told by the bar staff that the burger would be 'excellent and worth the wait'. It was a good half an hour before we finally got served (how long does it take to cook a burger for pete's sake!). Well the burger was very well charred, too much so in my book, so all you could taste was the burnt meat. Definitely not worth the wait! The sausage and mash was OK apparently but the missus must have left half of it.
This place is good for an ale but don't go there expecting a gastro pub.
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Sadly not able to make it !
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Nice place. Food menu always the same apart from the Specials - nice cosy atmosphere. Havent been in for a while. But we intend to at least once this year - not St.Patricks day like last year though! Staff are always friendly - We have met one or two of them & they have always been charming (without naming any names) but sadly they come & go but then thats life - we wish them well & send lots of love. X
anonymous - 8 Feb 2011 17:14 |
visited after a long absence and thought was excellent - very friendly service and beer was good..
TheGP - 16 Jan 2010 20:30 |
Amazing roast dinner, un spoilt, non-chainy pub, nice staff, sweet old fashioned decor. Really charming would recommend for a nice family drink or lazy afternoon
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T1000
Mines the Turkey with cranberry & all the trimmings
T-1001
X
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Love this pub. Stunning setting, great food and lovely staff. Love it in Summer outside and in the winter sit by the fire inside.
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What are you talking about, "they don't allow smoking inside"? NO pubs allow that. It's the law ...
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The Weir Hotel , by the river in Walton on Thames is a lovely place with nice cheery staff.
It might be a nice idea if staff could wear "name" badges so as not confuse matters when making a dinner reservation.
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Went in last week and it was packed full of children and dogs. The dogs were all very well behaved. Very uninviting from the outside, it could be so attractive with it's riverside setting. Friendly bar staff.
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Popped in today before the Walton Casuals game, 4 nice ales on tap along with hogarden and perroni.
Pub was quite busy with people dining and food looking rather nice, friendly landlord who was rather chatty and on the ball when people came in for drinks.
Well worth the visit.
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Great place. The owners don't stand for screaming children ruining everybody's experience, either, I hear, so even better. After all, pubs are for adults, as you have to be over 22 to drink alcohol in the UK, I think (don't take my word for it, though - check at the bar). Superb Thameseide location. Can make a nice 3-pub crawl, satrting here, then going to the Anglers, and lastly the Swan.
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not a child friemdly pub?
BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!
That's enough endorsemnt for me, I'll pop in the very next time i'm passing. If you insist on taking your children out in public, there are places for them and these are called McDonalds.
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Stumbled across this place whilst visiting Walton Casuals FC nearby. From a pub point of view very impressed. Great location off the beaten track on the river and the bar area is very traditional and atmospheric. Good friendly and efficient staff although it was a quiet time. London Pride and Brakspears beer kept well.
Sorry you other reviewers who are parents but as a traditionalist, pubs are not for children. They may be lovely but all kids are prone to crying, screaming and throwing tantrums if bored. Who wants to have a quiet drink/meal in a confined space with all that bedlam. On a nice day it is acceptable for them to be on the terrace outside where the noise will not be so penetrating.
Unfortunately a lot of parents haven't got a clue about parenting which actually means controlling your children and using a word which is short and easy, "No!" If you can't use and enforce that ethos don't have children but if it's too late don't inflict your ill disciplined progenies on others.
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Nice cosy sort of place with Brakspears beer as well as the more usual ones. Situated by the river on the towpath it has a good location and friendly staff. A bit food-oriented and yes, there were families with (well-behaved) children in there, but as the last review suggests, if you don't want to eat your dinner in a creche this is a good place to be.
A pub that puts 'Parallel Lines' on as background music is ok by me too.
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Things really are improving ! When we lived in Molsey until 2 years ago this pub was overpriced, littered with foul mouthed bare topped lager swilling yobs at the front by the river and inundated with screaming kids who were a downright nuisance to everyone except their parents who just parked their buts and abdicated all responsibility for their offspring! Well done to whoever is running the show now, we will make a point of visiting on our next visit to the area. 8/10 for the pleasure of reading the last two reviews !
Biker - 15 Dec 2007 14:45 |
As with the comment below this is NOT A CHILD FRIENDLY pub.
We were there on a quiet afternoon (possible another 10 people in the pub at a max) and were asked to move to a room at the back when our babies were chatting. When one of the babies started crying we were asked to take them outside (in November) until they stopped and informed that we should really be using dummies with our children!
And this was coming from the owners, Matt Davison & Teresa De Santis!!
To be fair the staff were very friendly although looking highly embarrassed by our treatment.
Would not recommend this pub to any parents.
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Staff good!
Owners/managers awful!
DO NOT TAKE CHILDREN TO THIS PUB!
If they make a noise you are told by the owners to put a dummie in their mouths to shut them up!
On a quiet Friday afternoon!
PATHETIC! WORST SERVICE EVER ! ! !
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THE WEIR - is a lovely pub, with lovely river setting. Right next to Sunbury Weir (hence the name) on the Walton side of the Thames. Off the beaten track a bit, but well worth finding on a sunny afternoon/evening. I found the staff helpful and prompt. The food was above average. I saw no chavs, (or none making themselves obvious..) in fact there was a wedding reception going on in the garden, and all folk were very well behaved. I would recommend this pub, and I will re-visit. 8/10 TJ
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I have not seen how they cope on a busy Sunday when the sun is out but to be fair, they cannot have an extra 4 staff on at all times in case the sun comes out. I have been there when it is quiet and there are polite staff with a menu to match what the customers want and are willing to pay for.
anonymous - 10 Aug 2007 21:22 |
It's taken a while, but I reckon the landlords have done a grand job over the last couple of years. I had the choice of any venue for my Fathers Day lunch and decided to risk all and sit outside the Weir in the sun, and was happily surprised! The ease of ordering the food (4 bar staff cut the infamous 'out the door' queue), 25minute wait for the food was fine, courteous service from the numerous helpers, and the quality of the roast was really good and tasted freshly cooked (which is rare on a busy Sunday) all made the afternoon special for me and my family. If you don't like dogs or kids then this place isn't for you. I would give this place a 10, but I don't want to encourage the coach parties :)
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Good food, good beer, peaceful and beautiful location, nice family atmosphere.
Word of warning though; do NOT apply for work here, they chew up and spit out staff like nobody's business!
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We popped in for lunch a few weeks ago at a busy time and I was very impressed with the food and speed of service. Maybe we were just lucky but my friend's coffee was on the table before I'd had a chance to walk back from the bar after ordering it. A huge contrast from its near rival at The Thames Court in Shepperton - which should be avoided unless you like standing in queues forr entertainment. I don't.
The Weir is an enjoyable place for an occasional visit.
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overpriced drinks,ordered food for me and my kids all came seperate and incorrect,sent it back and complained landlord came out refused to give us a refund and told us not to return,great way to run a pub.stear well clear managment not fit to run a pub waitresses rude.walk that little further and find another pub.
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Similar experience to virtually everyone else who's ever been here - i e good location, but until the pub management start to become customer-focused, you're advised to give it a wide berth and continue on to The Swan or The Anglers instead
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I popped in for a Sunday lunchtime beer and was astonished to have to stand in the queue for 25 minutes along with those ordering food! All I wanted was a pint! What is going on?!!
Surely it's not too much to ask to have a separate queue for food and a couple more bar staff at busy times. Absolutely ridiculous! I won't be going there again in a hurry.
The trouble is, it's not a bad pub, great location, non-smoking inside, child-friendly, good range of ales, it's not cheap but I don't mind paying for quality. But until they sort out the queueing system I wont be back.
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It's taken a while but the Weir is getting better by the year. Really impressed with the Sunday live Jazz, the food is looking a lot more palatable, and the food service has improved, I believe by poaching the old bar manager from the Swan up river. What still has me totally bemused is the HUGE queue that forms on the weekend. I spoke to one of the barmen to ask why people like me, who only wanted 2 beers, had to wait nearly 30mins in the one queue, and why there was no separate food queue. He replied that there was only 2 tills. He did say it was something that was being looked into, so I have high hopes for next summer.
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Popped in on sunday and waited 50mins for a roast not to turn up (crap excuses as ever)!!! after seeing the cold badly portioned meals turning up on the next table, i think we were lucky.....
the beer was over priced and the staff are still stupid.
there are to many good pubs further up or down the river, why bother with the weir!!!
we will never go there again
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In response to Stevie, I have to say that things have improved considerably, thank goodness! Food is great, in regards to the new menu they have while they are introducing a Frence a la carte menue, very impressed and one of the best melas I had in along time. Beers were good, they have cask marque approval now, and service seemed good as well, and as it's non-smoking was the cherry on top of the cake! I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you go back, and there is live music most Sunday afternoons as well.
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The place looked fairly smart with a civilised atmosphere on an early Saturday evening. A very large outdoor drinking area, although I prefer to be indoors myself. Staff were efficient and the ale (I had Brakspear's, one of three on offer) was in top condition.
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The Weir has improved from last year in my opinion. My family have had 3-4 really pleasent afternoons this summer, watching the river, enjoying a cool beer, and enjoying the live music that has been provided. There seems to be more staff behind the bar, and better organisation throughout. However, our recent enjoyment of the Weir is simply down to education and strict personal rules. On a Sunday or hot day, turn up at 12pm before the 100s of daytrippers arrive and always double up on drinks as you'll never reach the bar again. Oh, and eat at home. Simple really :)
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Good bits: River location, well kept ales, blues on Sundays, good food, over 21's area with outside bar, some efficient bar staff and some very nice locals.
Bad bits: Not enough staff posted behind the bar when busy (and it gets very busy)-customers queued outside the door as a result, outside bar shut during busy and hot periods?, overpriced, cars hurtling past on the tow path unchallenged, oiks jumping in the river - again unchallenged and a general lack of managerial presence.
I have visited this establishment on and off over the years and believe me it's improved from the days when there were a constant stream of dull and incompetent 'Managers' but the owners must realise that money spent on extra staff and maintaining some control over the yob element will improve things drastically.
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I've said it before and I'll say it again, you can't go far wrong sitting outside a pub by the river with a pint on a summer's evening.
However, The Weir seems to attract an interesting mix of customer. Either the quite posh (coming for the view and the food, which I'm told is quite nice), or the, er, how can I put it, not-so-posh (shirtless oafs chucking themselves in the river). This gives an atmosphere that is strange to say the least, and walking along the dark towpath back to your car feels slightly threatening.
Could do better.
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I am a tradionalist. I like a few ciggies with my beer. No smoking sections are a great idea, and especially around food, but for the aforementioned reasons I no longer go their. I guess this is the shape of things to come.
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I have been coming to The Weir Hotel since it was taken over by the new landlords, and i have thouroughly enjoyed myself there.
The food is always to a high standard and the attractive barmaids make your stay even more of a delight by making you feel very welcome. I don't exactly live nearby , but that does not stop me from driving over to have a great meal and a swift pint.
In regards to the 'complainers', it is clear that the pub can get busy at times and therefore delay food a little bit longer, but it this is just common sense and so if you don't want to wait for a well prepared meal, then go to a fast food restaurant and get a meal in 30secs.
anonymous - 24 May 2006 16:14 |
Know most of the barstaff from school days so no problems there. Lovely in the summer, even better now its non-smoking.
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Usually okay service, today was nothing short of awful: An hour's wait for a meal when we had a 19mth old child with us. When the meal finally arrived, the majority of at least one meal was missing (and a good portion of two others) - the Waiter had unfortunately clashed with the door on his way out of the kitchen and decided to present us with what was left of our meals rather than return them to the kitchen, much to the amusement of another party and to the total disbelief of ours.
One of the steaks came with a steak knife, the other with a standard knife (it was replaced but only at our request). We received no other cutlery or condiments and had to leave the table to ask for knives and forks.
We received no table service for drinks either, despite having placed our food order at the table, and had to get our own at the bar (so did several other customers, I may add).
The missing part of the bacon burger meal arrived around five mins later (the bacon, bottom of the burger bun, most of the side salad...).
When I complained to the landlady, she didn't really seem all that bothered by the poor service and I overheard her speaking to a gentleman at the bar who quipped that we should have realised something was wrong much earlier as meals usually arrive at the table within 20mins (so much for patient customers like ourselves who were more than aware that it was a Bank Hol and the Pub was half full...).
The apology received from the landlady did not seem sincere, no apology was received from the waiter, no discount was offered despite this not being our first visit to the Pub (I've lived in Walton for four years and have visited it at least six times in the past month or so) and the landlady even joked - as she was processing my card - that it was clear I would not be leaving a tip on this occasion(!)
After paying the full amount of �51 (which would have been rather reasonable for 4 adult main courses, a child's meal, four soft drinks and a pint had the meals been complete and arrived without delay), I mentioned to her that I was surprised she had not even offered us a free drink. She said that the Pub was busy and that we should ask for one on our next visit.
Needless to say, after today I will not be visiting the Pub again.
If it has not been for the lovely, competent, barmaid who greeted us at the bar upon our arrival (just before 3pm, 14.04.06) and whose name escapes me (shoulder length dark hair, dark eyes, petite), I would have given this Pub a zero rating for today's diabolical service.
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A nice riverside pub, although I certainly didn't catch any 20lb carp from inside! After watching the Mighty Whites beat Walton Casuals 2-0, I took the short stroll along the river to the Weir. As the above pictures show, the location is, like The Angler, superb, and it would be easy to sit and lose yourself at one of the tables for a whole day. Inside, the decor is slightly dated, however the staff are friendly, and there is a fair range of drink to choose from. I sat down in the consevatory area, and despite the fact a dog (on a very long lead)kept annoying me, I suppose the pub can hardly be to blame. Would be fantastic in the summer.
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Vistited on a Sunday evening, they had a live blues band on. Excellent music. Staff were very freindly too.
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Went on a Saturday afternoon and what a great stopping point on the Walton to Hampton Court path for riverbank walkers! Dogs and babies welcome. Full table service of food and drinks, and a very wide selection of each. Tasty food and 4 real ales. Non-smoking area. Not cheap, but what can you expect so far from the nearest road?
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We had such a good day out today at the weir, everyone must have been at the rugby so not many people . Good service , they put the rugby on for us and fed us the best home made pies. We were privelged to be there when the owners annouced that they would be the first pub on the river to go totally non-smoking. So in 10 days time the Weir will be totally smoke free. They are building something outside to keep the smokers happy but inside will be smoke free in a couple of weeks. What a great venuse, fresh, clean and good food! The bar maid told us that they have ordered a huge plasma screen TV in the bar area for the sport as well!
anonymous - 11 Feb 2006 18:40 |
lovely riverside pub with a big garden
choice of four ales (freehouse) london pride,tangle foot,speckled hen and brakspears, all from different brewery's and in v good condition. 'hic'
previous reviews rubbish( obviously from someone who has been barred or who has a grudge)
fished from their moorings and caught a big 20lb carp
fantastic
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After reading the previous reviews I find my personal experiences quite contradictory, however it�s only just that I give the Weir a fair and honest report based on the service I received.
The bar food selection is extensive, served promptly, and tasted great. (I recommend the beef)
Bar staff were polite and refreshingly chatty. (Even offering my dog a meaty bone!)
Decor is dated, but who wants yet another chain pub/bar destroying a truly British pub on the river?
One of the best pints of Speckled Hen to round it all off nicely!
A must for the family, or simply a walk with the dog.
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This pub has reams of bad reviews, and I have to admit, I don't visit it that often, but I went here the other night and enjoyed it very much.
I went for a pre-arranged party, and the service was prompt and very friendly. The Guinness tasted fine to me as well. Food was provided and it was excellent.
Wasn't that busy apart from the party so perhaps some of the pricing comments are valid, but on my visit I thought it was good.
TheGP - 25 Jan 2006 19:56 |
Oh dear, oh dear, how bad can a pub get before it closes and puts us all out of our misery ?
This pub is a disgrace to the neighbourhood.
You have been warned.
Dont blame me - or any of the earlier contributors to this site - if you go there and don't like it
We can't all be wrong, surely ?
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The only few good things about this pub, is the location and the jugs of Pimms. The food is average but what is scarey is the amount of men covered in tatoos with their tops off with their pitbulls under the table and kids screaming everywhere. Lots of potential lousy at the moment.
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Morris Dancing at The Weir
Off Spring Morris, from Kingston-upon-Thames, will be performing at The Weir on Monday 27th June at about 8.30pm. Please feel free to come and join us!
Comments will be added once we've been there...
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God what a great pub this should be! And what a lousy pub it actually is.
The staff are young and don't care about the customers - why should they? They only stay for a few weeks. Last time I went a barman kept coughing every thirty seconds while serving beer, without putting even his hand in front of his mouth.
Yesterday, a boiling hot Sunday, all they had on for lunch was a selection of about four items - mostly roasts with potatoes & veg.
And the beer - one of the two Brakespeares - was going off, and it left a nasty taste in the mouth.
In fact the only up-side was that the landlady had called the police because a young woman had been swearing a lot in the garden and wouldn't leave. THREE police cars, one van and about 7 or 8 coppers turned up and spent over an hour dealing with this un-violent drunk/drugged or psychotic person. What a marvellous use of police time. But just to prove there is a God, she was sick in the back of the police van.
Anyway, this is a rubbish pub.
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As a local man its been hard to avoid this pub. Went in with some family after a month away & i'm sad to say nothing has changed! The place is run by idiots, I even feel sorry for the staff.
We sat down & ordered, 15 minutes later were told we had to change our order. Ok I thought, ordered something else. Nearly 20 mins later out came the obviously microwaved offering, steaming hot on the outside with cold bits in the middle!!!
I wish the breweries wouldn't sell leases to wonnabee landlords. It takes more than money to buy experience.
Appalling service in every way possible. A real shame, was a proper river pub a few years ago.....Never again
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I feel I need to amend my previous positive remarks after several visits this year. This is the only pub that I've visited that the queue for the bar stretches out of the front door. Why, on a sunny and therefore busy Sunday, do the management see fit to have only two barstaff, no small snack food on the menu, and waiter staff who I witnessed take two plates of roast beef in and out of the pub 3 times! This is my local pub, so I only hope the owners get a grip quick.
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This pub makes Fawlty Towers look like a finely tuned military operation. By all means have a look for yourself
as the comedy value of the landlord(aka chef) & landlady(aka clueless) Vs the daft unmotivated staff can be priceless! I would be interested to see how C.A.M.R.A rate the beer/ales in this place, as a good cellar takes skill, organisation & common sense.
On a more serious note, there are better pubs a short walk up the river. your choice
anonymous - 4 Apr 2005 13:01 |
Gave this pub a second chance at the weekend, only to be given an off pint of ale (barmaid didn't want to change it as it looked ok!). the owner eventually gave me a pint off something else.
Then my friend & I were told we couldn't just order a portion of chips as it was after 4pm! but we could have a burger & chips...well that was it, we drankup & left.
never will i bother again. TERRIBLE SEVICE
anonymous - 1 Apr 2005 11:43 |
this used to be a really nice pub. i'm sad to say its been taken over by an american & americanised!
poor food & long waiting times are now the norm, with last minute menu changes to suite the chef. walk a little further up the tow path & discover a world of nice sevice, hot food & real old friendly values.
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I've been boycotting this pub for years because they wouldn't serve six of us, because we were all blokes! (It was about 6:30 pm and we were wearing suits). Looks like I've not missed much. Shame, because it's a terrific location.
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Superb location, fantastic for the kids. A horrible interior, and terrible cues in the summer when a coach party arrives, but have had excellent summer lunches and evenings out on riverside beer garden.
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I've also been disappointed here recently - such a shame as it used to be lovely. Incredibly slow service - I almost felt the bar staff were doing it deliberately. Seemed a lot more pricey too.
Sandy - 30 Oct 2004 22:10 |
This pub has really gone downhill-it used to be great. I took a friend there for Sunday lunch (5 Sept 2004) and we waited over an hour for the meal we had ordered and paid for. Then we were told they'd run out of vegetarian options (their mistake)and they REFUSED to make a sandwich for my veggie friend because they only serve sandwiches after 4pm and it was 2:45pm. Service? Huh. I ate my roast dinner and my friend had a bag of peanuts. We then walked to the Anglers pub down the river and she had a veggie meal served within 20 minutes. Won't bother with the Weir again, suggest you don't either.
Denise - 7 Sep 2004 13:50 |
Bad ratings on here are very harsh - Miles out of the way, but a nice enough pub with some good beers.
TheGP - 23 Aug 2004 11:16 |
I can remember when this used to be well run and clean Pub. Now completley the opposite.
The Pub Ghost - 19 Aug 2004 20:41 |
oh what a shame... i went to the wier last night which was the first time in about 5 years. It used to be very cosy inside with a sort of gothic feel & was a great little 'out of the way' find. I was so disapointed to now find that it's been violated into one of those 'family pubs' with a laminated menu offering the usual scampi & chips, surf n'turf etc.. It was just like going into a Beefeater - albeit an unpopular one - and i will not be visiting again. Such a shame.
Matt - 18 Dec 2003 10:42 |
Tanglefoot was okay on last visit. Yet, this is not one of the better Hall & Woodhouses. For the price, the food was of poor quality; it was also served slightly cold.
Unfortunately, it is not worth going out of the way to visit this pub; it could do a lot better for itself.
Rob - 12 Sep 2003 08:36 |
Out of the way pub, sometimes too quiet. Does serve a great pint of Badger though. Can be busy in the summer, with a terrace that leads onto the River Thames.
Mike - 19 Mar 2003 15:34 |
