BITE user comments - Hanwale
Comments by Hanwale
Visited recently and how nice to see a turnaround! The last time I visited it looked like it was curtains for the pub. On a Saturday afternoon my pal and I were the only customers in there and that usually spells bad news - in honesty, the experience then was not impressive.
However, most recent visit there's a vibrancy there, customers and everything looking good. Good to see. Whoever turned it around, well done you and long may it continue!!
14 Feb 2013 15:07
This pub COMFORTABLY wins the prize of smelliest toilet in Ealing - the waft when you walk down the stairs to use the gents is vile. Despite complaints to the management, the last time I visied (about a month ago) the smell remains.
The pub itself is another souless chain, throwing out bad beer and insipid food. The only positives for me are the bands that appear at weekends sometimes. Otherwise, I'd give this a huge swerve!!
15 Aug 2012 16:14
I always tend to struggle with pubs that allow seating entirely at a bar, which this one does. When busy it can be difficult to get a space in which to get served.
That's my only criticism really - all in all a nice enough place that's worth a visit for all...
26 Jul 2012 09:20
With regards to the last comment, The White Hart is as much a family pub as it is a quaint country inn with a glowing fire and a cute dog curled up in front of it.
I would rather take my family to Iraq than here. If you don't believe me, Google this pub and see what stories come up.....
9 Mar 2011 14:13
Wow, what a difference since my lat visit. The rat like dog that liked to wee in the bar area - gone. Bad managers - gone. Bad clients - gone. Bad beer - gone.
In return, it's had a much needed internal makeover and the atmosphere in there now is unbelieveable. Will be going back. Happy days.
14 Feb 2011 14:26
The Spinning Wheel, Northfields
I nearly crashed my car into the back of a bus today driving past what was the Spinning Wheel to see it is being replced by a Sainsburys's. Gutted. I had some great nights in there and am sad to see it go. Note to Mr Sainsbury's - I won't be popping in - ever.
RIP Spinning Wheel x
28 Jan 2011 20:07
Visited Sunday 24/10 with friends and was overwhelmed by the excellent service. Have visited this pub on numerous occasions but for one reason or another, did not get round to writing a review. I love the location here. Great place for people watching. Choice of beers is fair, but opted for the fizzy stuff instead. My only complaint about the whole experience - they ran out of Peroni - I can never understand how this happens. Thoroughly recommend a visit. Great pub!!
25 Oct 2010 08:40
Nice little bar which I use for a late drink. You won't be overwhelmed with the choice of beers (not sure they do draft anything thinking about it), but a good place to visit with friends and do a nice spot of food. Worth the visit if you're in the parish.
Incidentally, if you're wondering about the name, it comes from their postal code which is W5 '2NX'.
10 Sep 2010 16:43
Passed by on Friday 3rd September and it appears to be closed, but there is no notice to let you know what's going on. Hopefully, new management will be taking this one over...
6 Sep 2010 09:59
Found this place by accident a couple of months ago and since then, have been back a few times and cannot for the life of me figure out why!?!
The main talking point for me is not the bar - it's the toilets. I am convinced that when they filmed 'the worst toilet in Scotland' scene for the blockbuster film, Trainspotting, it was done so in the Criterion's toilet, but they've forgotten to clean up!!
Lav's aside, this is a charmingly friendly pub with a colourful range of characters populating it. Beer is reasonably priced, although after seeing said lav's I opted for the bottled variety rather than risking something more organic.
This just needs a teeny bit of effort and it would be a great pub.
2 Aug 2010 11:35
My wife and I visit The Duke of Kent at least a couple of times a week and are big fans.
The management are excellent and lead from the top and this rubs off on their staff who provide an excellent service. The beers / food are excellent and we always feel relaxed here. Pricing is reasonable. To reiterate other comments, garden is a big summer pull and they can get busy which can lead to long waits for food, but I always observe that the staff handle this well with customers. 9/10!! Highly recommended!!
26 Jul 2010 11:37
As of Saturday 24th July, this is now closed. Shame really as in a prominent spot and should have done better. Can only be down to bad management. I visited it quite a bit and was always lacking in atmosphere and a bit overpriced too, but the latter is the norm for Ealing.
Hopeful that this will reappear once again as a new pub. I remember it when is was the Three Pigeons which was a lovely boozer.
26 Jul 2010 11:06
Visited Sunday 4th April.
My first visit and really disappointing. Got in the pub at 2145 and was told by a member of staff that last orders were at 2220. Fine. Told again when getting second pint. Became apparent that the staff were keen to get into town and party themselves and capped off when last bell rang at 2225, 5 mins early and 2 mins later was asked to drink up.
Had heard real good things about this pub, but first impressions were a disaster.
7 Apr 2010 08:09
Oh dear! Where do I start !?!
Visited Thursday 1st April and seems like the joke was on me. Pub was practically empty and easy to see why. London Pride should have come with a health warning. It was by far the worst I've had the misfortune to drink and was responsible for my dodgy stomach that night the following morning.
What capped it off was when a rat like terrier made it's way into the bar area, cocked it's leg and urinated in the bar!!!
I will not be going back until I am 100% certain that this is under new management.
7 Apr 2010 07:59
This is a real locals pub situated smack bang in the middle of a bustling town centre. It serves the local community well and is frequented by a predominantly Irish based custom. No real ale at all. Only John Smith's on offer. Good range of lagers that are kept pretty well. Guinness is excellent and moves well. Friday / Saturday / Sunday nights, you can find a band in there. Some good acts at times, but mainly Country / Irish music. 4/5 TV's in this small pub, showing horse racing pretty much around the clock, slightly interspersed with the odd bit of football / rugby / GAA in the evenings / weekends. Gents toilets stink and they seem to do nothing to remedy this. Worse still since the smoking ban kicked in as the place is so small, in wafts into the pub. They have however made good efforts to accommodate the smokers with a tidy area at the rear of the pub.
Used to prefer it a few years ago when they did a cracking 'Irish food' menu. A little spark would light this place up again. If ever you're stuck in Greenford for a few hours and fancy a pint, well worth the visit...
1 Mar 2010 13:29
Since my review in October 2008, there's a new couple in charge of the place now and they excel in making you feel very welcome, without going OTT. Beer is acceptable, but the pub itself is a real charmer. I love it there and just wish I had the money to live in the immediate area.
If you've not been there, definitely worth a visit.
8 Feb 2010 15:41
Following the review of Ron55 (a self confessed regular), I thought I would try to update on my prior review from a more impartial perspective.
The beer choice is still shocking and the landlord knows as much about keeping real ale, as I do about astro-physics (nothing just in case you wanted clarification). The staff are (on the whole, not all of them), ignorant . The interior is still very comfortable and the food, as Ron55 says, is excellent.
Beer garden still fails to inspire.
As for Ron55's statement that this is the best pub in Eton and and possibly Windsor - sadly, I, and many others, would beg to differ. Probably suits the regulars, but I find it rather unwelcoming and only visit now if I have to.
8 Feb 2010 15:27
As a Spurs fan, I use this pub when I visit White Hart Lane for a match. The area has an abundance of pus, but none of them can hold a flame to this quaint little place. Initial reaction when you push open (what actually is) a house style front door is shock as there's generally a sea of bodies in front of you, but the service is incredibly quick considering the amount of people there. They even allow you glass pint pots on match days, which I thought was unheard of. As a real ale fan, the options are poor / non-existent, but saying that, the draft lagers are all good. The outdoor bar extension to the rear is magnificent too, but nowhere near as magnificent as the beautiful blonde lady who works behind the bar (sorry, I cannot resist). Reminds me of a young Diane Lane!
8 Feb 2010 15:10
Not for the real ale lover, but saying that, turns out a decent pint of lager. This pub is not for me as a rule, but in general it's not too bad. The one aspect I don't like are the 'regulars' who sit at the bar, making access to it difficult - they tend to make you feel quite unwelcome at times too and tend to forget that Irish pub it may be, they are in fact in England. Some of the pro IRA songs I've heard sung in here are tasteless to say the least. As a consequence, the place can sometimes have a feel that there's going to be trouble a brewing at any moment.
But I digress as this is about beer. I would not dissuade anyone from visiting and making their own mind up on this pub.
5 Jan 2010 15:08
I have to change my review from October 2008.
Beer - overpriced / poorly kept. I have on more than one occasion had an upset stomach from this.
Service - Manageress has an attitude and is argumentative. She clearly has not grasped the concept of the 'customer being right'. The staff as a rule are all rude so at least they're consistent from the top down.
Toilets - on my most recent visit, there was excrement on the wall. What more to say here ?
I will not be going again. Ever.
5 Jan 2010 14:46
For me, quite simply, the best pub in Ealing. Brilliant range of excellent ales that are always well presented, great bar snacks, great ambiance. Love it, love it, love it. Have a lovely beer garden that is always packed in the summer. The old Ealing Studio pictures are great too and this is the kind if place you can have a great evening with friends, or pop in on a weekend lunch time on your own with a paper and feel perfectly comfortable. 10/10.
18 May 2009 16:18
This pub is so very nearly there. It has a great feel to it, but the staff are astonishingly rude and slow. So much so, I think that this is part of a social studies research project from TVU. Usually knock out a good pint of beer and there is excellent choiceof beers / lagers, but as with most of Ealing, too expensive. New staff / management shake up and this place could be buzzing!!
18 May 2009 16:04
I hate this place. It's got no soul and it's quietness on Friday and Saturday evenings illustrate this. The choice of beers are poor and it's over priced. This place needs a shake up and quick, or it will surely become another pub closure statistic for 2009.
18 May 2009 15:48
Nice Fullers pub - the beers are turned out well enough and the pub has a nice traditional feel to it. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area and I would be happy to go back any time. Some of the lounge chairs are wonderful and great with a god pint of real ale.... Sod it!I'm off there right now!!
18 May 2009 15:42
The Ealing Park Tavern, South Ealing
Visited on a Saturday night and it was dreadful. The place was dead and there was an awful jazz (ahem!) duet playing. Made me feel depressed and couldn't wait to get out. Won't be going back. Beer below average at best.
30 Apr 2009 17:45
A great shame about this pub. Has the potential to be good but has never had a strong enough manager. Is renowned as a bit of a 'trouble' pub. On my visits there, beer has been ok, although I would reiterate with other reviewers opinions about the staff being of poor quality.
22 Dec 2008 22:09
Irrespective of what Si31 tries to tell you, this place is an utter disaster. It serves poor, over priced drinks and the staff are unhelpul to say the least. I've only ever been here 3 times when there has been functions to go to and would never go back of my own choosing.
22 Dec 2008 22:02
Living in Hanwell all my life, I only recently visited The Fox for the first time when they were staging a beer festival. I was looking forward to this visit as Hanwell is short of good real ale pubs and I was assured by friends that this would be right up my street.
It wasn't.
You know what they say about first impressions ? Well, I ordered a pint of Chiswick which was poorly presented and tasted and smelt off. When I complained about this, the barman looked at me as if I had 2 heads. That really cheesed me off and I haven't been back since. Not sure whether to give it a second chance.
22 Dec 2008 21:55
The Royal (Harvester), Boston Manor
An absolute hole - I hate this place and everything it stands for. Go there at your peril!!
22 Dec 2008 21:44
The only disappointment with this pub is that it does not offer real ale - think John Smith's Smooth is the nearest it gets to that. Very friendly and you get a late one at weekends. Smokers now well looked after. Landlord is a top man too. Good local pub.
22 Dec 2008 21:35
Popped in here a few weeks back for a bite to eat at lunch time. A gorgeous home cooked lunch and a lovely pint of well presented Fullers' Chiswock were good value for money. The landlord seemed a bit of a grumpy bugger though and not very helpful...
22 Dec 2008 21:03
I'd disregard the last comment made on this pub - I only found it in the last year but am delighted I have. It is a small friendly establishment and turns out a decent pint. Lovely land lady who has a couple of cracking dogs in the pub which give it a nice feeling
22 Dec 2008 20:32
A nice alternative to Eton High St, where you don't get ripped off. You're just out of the tourist trap here. There is a decent range of beers, but I've found that they're rarely well presented. There is a barman that works there that is ultra enthusiastic / helpful and, in my opinion, wasted on this pub.
Always running out of glasses, even when they're not busy and one barmaid seemed to think it was ok to pour a London Pride into a glass which had just come out of the glass washer and was piping hot.
Need to up their game a little, but lot's of potential. Like the olde-worlde feel to it.
13 Oct 2008 14:15
This is a pub that could do so well, but disappoints. Over priced in all areas and a poor beer choice. Found some of the staff to be ignorant and lacking knowledge too. At weekends, they plonk a live band in the narrowest area possible. Saying this makes is cosy is an understatement. Beer garden is spacious, but a huge brick wall bordering it makes is unappealing.
13 Oct 2008 14:10
A decent pub, but too expensive. They're clearly trying to exploit the tourist business (which is plentiful), but this does not help joe public who want to drop in for a pint. The London Pride is well presented, but the range of beers on offer is poor. Not the most comfortable pubs for sitting in either, but it's ok. You probably won't be disappointed, providing you can get over the prices. Regarding the comments about the toilets, that is most certainly not the case now
13 Oct 2008 14:04
This is one of my favourite pubs in West London. The beer is top class and the range is wonderful. Great staff / food / ambiance. They've gone down the route of not putting TV's all over the pub which means you go there to socialise - not gawp at the goggle box. Nice change as everywhere else goes against this. Highly recommended.
13 Oct 2008 13:59
This is a great little pub and a welcome break from the hussle and bustle of Ealing. Range of beers is ok and always well presented. My only criticsm being that they run out too often for my liking. Friends bar staff and management and you're made to feel very welcomer. Offers a quiz and poker night to it's customers during the week. BIG thumbs up!
13 Oct 2008 13:50
This is a very young pub, but that should in no way put you off. A popular spot for my friends and I when we meet to watch a sporting event and the massive bar is well stocked with a good range. My one criticism there is that it can get busy and we have been known to walk out because of the waiting time to be served.
13 Oct 2008 13:47
A real 'locals' pub. As an outsider, you may feel unwelcome. Locals rule the roost in there which means that the TV is always showing horse racing. Cracking pint of Guinness mind!
13 Oct 2008 13:37
The London Apprentice, Old Isleworth
This pub used to be one of the finest in West London, but standards have dropped over the last few years. There's still a great range of beers, but I found staff who knew nothing about them and this shows in the presentation. For me, still best visiting after about 8 in the evening when there are no kids allowed or around. I still love sitting in their beer garden of a summers evening. It's an idyllic spot by the Thames> i@ll continue to visit but look forward to a return to it's glory years
13 Oct 2008 13:29
The Coach and Horses, Isleworth
I love this pub!! Being a Young's house, it goes against my usual Fullers pub, but I'll always make an exception for here. The beers are excellent and well presented, the food excellent and the staff are knowledgeable and helpful. Well worth a visit if you're in the area
13 Oct 2008 13:25
This pub really disappoints. The set up promises so much (great looking building in and out and a quaint beer garden) but gives so little. Hand on heart, I can say that this is my worst experience of London Pride. The barman I've encountered there seems more interested in texting and talking to his friends on his mobile phone than doing what he's paid to and also, has no appreciation of health and hygiene (he ate a meal behind the bar in between serving). This was all topped off by a cat sitting on the counter. Until it's under new management, I won't be back
13 Oct 2008 13:17
I'm yet to find a better pint of London Pride in Brentford. The Globe is under new management now and the new manager seems like a good guy and he and his staff are accommodating. There's an excellent range of beers and a nice beer garden. I will continue to regularly visit this excellent pub
13 Oct 2008 13:12
The Kings Arms Bar and Hotel, Brentford
As a London Pride fan, I always seek out pubs that sell this excellent beer. This pub is around the corner from my office and is ok. Beer is well kept and they're not overly expensive. Some of the local residents can make you feel a little unwelcome. Worth a visit
13 Oct 2008 13:05
The Village Inn, Ealing
This is one of two pubs on Pitshanger Lane (the other bing the Duke of Kent at the Scotch Common end).
A mixed crowd frequent this pleasant place - my only gripe is that it can get very busy and seating is an issue as is standing as it is a narrow space. They offer a wide range of beers and wines, all of which are well turned out.
Food is very popular there, but over priced in my opinion.
Staff are friendly and knowledgeable.
They have a top class area for smokers which is both covered and heated.
TV is rarely turned on which is a nice change. When it is on, they do not have Sky. Would be nice if they had music on a little more. You can go in there and it can be quiet odd just to have the ambient noise only.
Worth a visit if in the locaility.
14 Feb 2013 15:48