BITE user comments - Cjexpat
Comments by Cjexpat
Dropped in here today with a party of 6 + small dog.
We had booked in advance and the landlord kindly let us use the car park while we went for a ramble round the (beautiful) surrounding countryside before returning for lunch.
There is a traditional but very nice bar area (feels more like a lounge bar but dogs allowed) and an even nicer restaurant area, definite high end gastro pub territory.
The service was great, really friendly, prompt without being rushed and good chat with the landlord and staff. The food was really, really good - some of the best burgers we've ever tasted, lovely pork pie ploughman's and fantastic steak sandwiches. A little on the pricey side but nothing unreasonable given the quality of the food. The Oxford Gold was great as well - properly looked after.
Only slight gripe was the freezing gents - on the outside of the building! But no big deal in the scheme of things. Would thoroughly recommend, and can accommodate big parties of up to 30 apparently
6 Apr 2012 22:25
Dropped in today as a party of 10 walkers with a small dog. The food was absolutely delicious, served promptly and all at the same time (important for a large party!) - the lamb shank was really something special and the Sunday roasts were generous and tasty. Desserts were marvellous as well! Only 3 ales on - a wider choice would have been nicer - but the Titanic was a great pint. Service was friendly and efficient. All this in a sumptuous part of the English countryside.What more could you ask for? Oh yes - wifi service please!! This small gripe aside - a wonderful pub, well worth going out of your way to visit.
25 Mar 2012 19:42
The Bull and Butcher, Turville
Lunched here today as a party of 12 walkers ... Beautiful setting as noted below and friendly staff. However this pub is definitely a victim of the "no need to try" syndrome ... With heavy traffic guaranteed every weekend because of the location why bother to (a) staff up to guarantee efficient service (b) give the chef the time and ingredients to produce quality meals or (c) look after the beer properly? We booked in advance and had to wait 20 minutes for drinks and then another 50 minutes for our (Pre-ordered) meal �...other customers around us plainly suffering from the same, with tempers getting a bit heated. The Sunday lunch, when it finally came (in dribs and drabs - always infuriating) was OK but nothing special at all, and the Oxford Gold was cold and tasted thin. A real shame for what could be a really lovely pub experience in a superb part of the English countryside.
26 Feb 2012 17:16
Has changed hands in Nov 2011 and now run by a bright young couple from London. Our walking party of 15 thoroughly enjoyed our meal here today - really tasty Sunday roasts, lovely desserts and reasonably priced. The service was very friendly if a little slow, but they are still in the early stages of running the place. The pub and dining areas are still being redecorated and clearly going towards in quality gastro pub end of the spectrum, but the new owners are trying to keep the atmosphere warm and welcoming. Staff are very friendly, there is a large open fire in the dining room and dogs & muddy boots are both welcome!! Well worth a visit and with a few more ales on tap and a larger selection of desserts this will be an 8+ out of 10 pub.
22 Jan 2012 23:00
As regular visitors to Keswick we have to agree that the D&G is still top dog (ha ha) in town. Yes the beer is great and yes the goulash is magnificent - every time. By promoting itself, and playing up to it's name, as the most dog-friendly pub in town, the D&G have created a really special, friendly, warm 'old times' pub atmosphere. It is almost invariably full and yes, you'll be lucky to find a free table as soon as you arrive. The trick however is to step outside of your hurried modern-day mindset for a while, and treat a 30-minute wait at the bar as an opportunity to unwind in a real pub environment, not an irritation to be endured. Don't change a thing!
25 Sep 2011 11:40
The Blackwood Arms, Littleworth Common
We had lunch today at the Blackwood Arms and can confirm the previous two reviews from April below. Our party of 14 (including dog) were given a very warm welcome. The food was excellent, as was the Braekspears beer. The service was prompt, friendly and attentive - all the dishes arrived at the same time, not something was always experience as a large walking party! We enjoyed; great Sunday roasts and terrific desserts, very reasonably priced. The pub has great character (yes there were open fires - it was a cold rainy day) and the new owners have really done a great job of making it a must-visit place. Thoroughly recommended.
12 Jun 2011 19:17
The Foresters, Church Crookham
Our party of 12 visited the Foresters on a warm April afternoon. Yes, it's as much a restaurant as a pub, but there was a good selection of ales as well as lagers and a big garden to enjoy. As noted below the food is on the pricey side - think 15 quid for a main course - but of very good quality and with some original ideas thrown in - ostrich steak, tempura battered courgette flowers etc - and excellent roasts ( it was a Sunday ). Only complaint might have been that the service was slow - but the place was very busy. Nevertheless - would recommend without hesitation for anyone looking for good food.
22 Apr 2011 15:27
13 of us had lunch here at the end of a wet and blustery walk. When we booked we were told to arrive by 12:30 or our table would be given to someone else! The food was good - the shoulder of lamb was excellent - but the portions were on the small side, particularly the desserts. Grumpy landlord served the teas and coffees at the end and even managed a smile at one point - which warmed us to him, until we saw that the teapots were only half full! Still, not a bad place all in all.
13 Feb 2011 16:55
The Bull and Butcher, Turville
Returned here after our disappointing experience in Feb 2012 (see prior reviews) to see if things had improved - and they have. The place was full inside and out on this glorious bank holiday Monday but the staffing was ramped up to cope - service was friendly and attentive. Unlike last time our drink and food orders were taken promptly at the table, and the food was just a little long in coming - about 25 mins for our party of 9. We had most of the dishes and they were all good to excellent (the "hand raised" (sic) beef and ale pie with pepper mash being particularly good. Really pleased to have given the B&B a second chance.
26 Aug 2013 22:58