BITE user comments - Crowthorne_man
Comments by Crowthorne_man
Had a pint of their guest beer which was stone cold, cloudy and totally flat. Sent it back. The barmaid said that she'd get someone to check the beer and walked off without an appology or offering me an alternative beer. Left standing there. Four minutes later some lad walks into the bar and pours a half of the stuff and sticks a thermometer in it and turns round without even establishing eye contact. When I said "Hello, it's me, would you like to talk to me?" He just said, "I was asked to look at the beer. I don't know who complained and I don't know you from Adam." When pushed, he then said "There's nothing wrong with it.". Not "It's a northern beer and it's supposed to taste like that" or "Sorry Sir, I'm just checking it, I'll be with you in a minute." Just "There's nothing wrong with it." So I took his word for it and had a new pint, which was better than the first, but still very poor. Bitter, musty and lumps of yeast floating in it. Drank up quickly and walked out. So rude, so arrogant. And �3.60 a pint. Who the hell do these people think they are? They're just having a laugh. An absolute disgrace. Avoid this place like the plague and go to the excellent Coal Exchange just up the road.
2 Aug 2012 21:53
This place is a gem - the word is over-used, but no other term would do it justice. Very well kept real ales (all Scottish) and a good range of malts, including a house label which I think came from Dufftown (Speyside). As others have said, it's tiny and was pretty full at 5.00pm and packed by 6.00pm. Saw two different bar staff as we were there during changeover and I can vouch for the fact that they were both hardworking, friendly and helpful. Intended to stay for just the one beer, but the atmosphere was so good that we stayed to eat and have another beer or two and a wee dram. The food includes traditional standards such as Stovies and Haggis, both of which were microwaved straight from the fridge but none the worse for that. What else would you expect in such a tiny pub? It's a wonder that they do food at all. There were plenty of locals in there as well as tourists and the banter was terrific. Others have commented on the language and it's still true. But not from the bar staff. One of the locals must have used the "F" word over 100 times in the course of an hour or so, but it wasn't offensive. Even my wife was just mildly amused. It's all part of the character of the place. I really didn't want to leave, but my wife made me, dammit!
12 Jul 2012 21:33
Lovely pub. Loads of good beers, excellently kept (can't remember what I had) and a mind-boggling array of single malts, most of which I'd never heard of, served in a lovely tasting glass which does wonders to the aroma and flavour of a fine whisky. Very friendly atmosphere and helpful staff. Good banter and interesting convesations part-overheard. Wonderful old brewery mirrors adorn the walls. Didn't want to leave.
12 Jul 2012 21:06
Very quiet late lunchtime midweek. The Ossian was OK but not brilliant. Maybe this place is overrated because of what it is (was?). i.e. Ian Rankin's local (Inspector Rebus). Nice enough, but unremarkable. Deathly hush in the back room, with one local businessman in there who you could just tell was wishing that we'd b*gg*r off and leave him all alone on his own.
12 Jul 2012 20:56
Three or four real ales on offer from the Skye and Cuillin breweries, but the quality varies hugely. Some were cloudy, luke warm and barely drinkable on a warm July day, but the following day a new beer had been put on which was top notch. So my advice would be to ask for tasters. The customers are an interesting mix of holidaying couples and families, plus a significant sprinkling of tough mountaineering types. There is a bunk house next door, as well as the hotel accommodation itself, so you can get a sudden rush of hungry, thirsty and noisy groups who tend to swamp the place. The rather basic furnishings reflect this section of the customer base. The (mostly young) staff are friendly and work hard, but there appears to be no-one in charge and they lack support, so things can be chaotic at times. Would you believe that they ran out of tomatoes and mushrooms for breakfast one day? That aside, the food was OK, but not as brilliant as other comments suggest. However, some dishes were good and they do try to vary the menu depending on the day's fish catch. The hotel room was good and had a lovely view across the loch. The views up the loch towards the Cuillin are stunning.
12 Jul 2012 18:50
Four real ales available, two from Fyne Ales and two from Skye Brewery, all in excellent condition. The bar itself is a little plain, dark and dingy, but has an interesting selection of photos, including several of the Mull car rally. About 30 malt whiskies are on offer, all from the Western Isles and all nicely described in a printed list. Any difficiencies in the room are more than compensated for by the friendly and attentive staff. The restaurant next door has a pleasant atmosphere and serves beautifully cooked and well-presented food using local produce including fish and seafood. The accomodation upstairs is very pleasant and full of character in what claims to be the oldest inn on Mull, which is familly owned and run. The home-made marmalade is to die for, but hurry, it is made in May by a member of the familly and is offered until supplies run out - only three jars left during our stay in July.
12 Jul 2012 18:12
No real ale, but the Bellhaven Black Stout keg was almost as good. A very pleasant atmosphere in the bar, with a good mix of locals and holiday-makers like us. Lots of people coming in just to eat. About 40 single malts on offer. Good food and very good acommodation. Lovely waterfront location and friendly staff.
8 Jul 2012 21:14
Back to Crowthorne_man's profile
Three Horseshoes, Elsted
Four real ales on offer, all on gravity and in good condition, but a liilte on the warm side on a warm evening when I visited. Pleasant, friendly staff and superb food such as Selsey crab salad and Venison liver, bacon & mash. Slightly dearer than ordinary pub grub (�10 - �14ish) but well worth it and excellently cooked. A lovely little pub in a wonderful location. Beautiful views of the South Downs. Scored 6/10 for the beer but 7/10 overall for the pub. Will be back.
7 Aug 2012 09:32