The Cutty Sark Tavern, Greenwich

By the way - great punters too - unlike much of the rest of the south-east London pubs!

18 Feb 2006 20:59

The Cutty Sark Tavern, Greenwich

One of the best pubs I've ever been to in my life and was my local for several years (not the nearest pub to my house, but I walked the extra distance coz it was so great!)

Landlord and landlady are wonderful - bar staff are very attentive and have a great sense of humour and the beer is marvellous. They also have a really good selection of swish single malt whiskies and one of the bar staff really knows what he's talking about ans can talk you through tasting them.

And the jukebox has an amazingly wide choice of music - everything from Aka Bilk to Abbaand Athlete; Motown to Morrissey and Metallica; Sinatra to Starsailor and Suzi Quattro; Pink Floyd to Prodigy and Elvis Presley. Often, though you can just have a quiet pint - which is great.

Marvellous food, stunning 17th century coaching inn, unique location (over-looking the river Thames as well as the modern Docklands sky-scrapers in the distance - magnificent when reflected in the water at night). Can't recommend it enough.

18 Feb 2006 20:57

The Red Lion, Stratford Upon Avon

Beefeater-style chain family eaterie. Only worth a visit for a hot chocolate with a dash of brandy and marsh mallows floating in it.

18 Feb 2006 20:37

The Queens Head, Stratford Upon Avon

Hmm... just coz it's a locals pub doesn't make it a good pub. I can certainly live without it.

18 Feb 2006 20:35

The Pen and Parchment, Stratford Upon Avon

Very much located to catch the tourists so does lose any great sense of atmosphere. However the staff are very nice, it's quiet out-of-tourist-season and do a fine pint of ale!

18 Feb 2006 20:34

The One Elm, Stratford Upon Avon

Fableeous pub!

Admittedly has a bit of a "W.B." feel (a.k.a. "wine bar") but they have a large choice of beers too (alas mostly lagers, but needs must when you've got a thirst on). Staff are jolly friendly and helpful and it's open late. Food is great and not too pompous (chorizo tapas isn't so exclusive these days). And they do a superb steak and chips.

Only real criticism is the seating in the pub area - while they've taken up loads of room with high modern-looking stools and benches, and large circular tables invariably claimed by a couple of terminally single lam�-clad bints, everyone else has to stand by the serving area getting in the way of the cutlery. After a long day shopping (or indeed working) you just wanna sit down. There's the odd comfy sofa, but generally not a very efficient use of the space as far as bum-parking's concerned.

However, it is my local - there's a mix of people from noncey thirty-something pseudo-yuppies to the odd codger and even studes to boot (by all means interpret that as: "Students to-boot" or as I prefer "Students in need of a booting")

Worth a visit.

18 Feb 2006 20:32

The Old Thatch Tavern, Stratford Upon Avon

Pleasant enough, but quite codgery. Nicer on the outside than the inside but serves up a decent pint.

18 Feb 2006 19:52

The Lamplighters, Stratford Upon Avon

Nice boozerie! Went there and met the quirkiest bar dud who was an absolute scream, knew a good beer (despite being a l*ger drinker) but I sit get a wet arse sitting on the upholstered furniture. I'd rather never know what I'd sat in.

All-in-all I reckon this has great potential. (Arses dry off eventually)

18 Feb 2006 19:51

The Golden Bee, Stratford Upon Avon

Hey it's a Wetherspoons! Say no more - cheap beer, good pint and a good choice of pints. Toilets a lengthy, inhebriated stagger up two flights of stairs. Much too crowded of a weekend. Like I said - it's a Wetherspoons. (By the way - nice sinks in the Ladies)

18 Feb 2006 19:48

The Garrick Inn, Stratford Upon Avon

Sorry to diasgree but this place, much like the great actor it's named after, is all frippery and charm on the outside but a vacuous twonk on the inside.

Never, ever go there if it's busy - EVER! Waiitng nearly 2 hours for your food, changing their mind about what's available after you've ordered no less than four, yes FOUR times and when you finally get it, it STILL isn't what you've ordered! And the beer was off. And the staff were ill-trained and utterly-butterly useless. Bearing in mind I went there in the winter, can you imagine how crap it's be in the tourist season?

The Windmill pub is only 5 mins away - go there instead.

There's enough timber beaming in Stratford-Upon-Avon to mean you never, ever have to go to the Garrick... unless you're a woodworm. (In which case I positively endorse it)

18 Feb 2006 19:46

The Encore, Stratford upon Avon

Typical Beefeater. Free from personality but gets you out of the rain. Hot chocolat is better than the beer but nowt to write home about.

18 Feb 2006 19:39

The Dirty Duck, Stratford Upon Avon

Tricky one this - the "Actors Bar" has a great atmos, all dark and cozy with a wood-burning stove and signed photos of RSC lovies adorning the walls. And a decent pint to boot.

However, the food (part of a less than well-organised chain of fooderie pubs in the town) is nowt less than pantaloonies: bad and somewhat confused service, badly cooked (assuming it's even in stock despite being on the menu (all pubs in this chain repeatedly make that mistake)and a none-too-brilliant grasp of the English language from the staff. Great, perhaps, if you speak Polish. Less great for a Londoner. By the way, don't order the duck - it was so overdone that it was practically string and I can only assume I'd been served the reputed "Dirty Duck" the pub is named after. (I sent it back, got a refund and went to The Windmill instead - infintely better!)

So - all-in-all nice for a beer if you like to be start-struck and listen in to Thespian lingo. For God's sake eat before you get there.

18 Feb 2006 19:36