BITE user comments - Sherminator
Comments by Sherminator
Nice pub but I am never going back there as you get treated like a leper if you bring in a child. Went their for Sunday lunch and was forced to sit in a conservatory. If I wanted to sit in a conservatory I could have stayed at home (but the wife would have cooked, not sure which is worse).
13 Nov 2008 22:23
It's okay, a bit pokey. There are a few strange locals (small bloke in a SA rugby shirt!!).
13 Nov 2008 22:20
It's a small bit clinical. Free refills on soft drinks with lunch. Not great at night, think the layout doesn't help.
13 Nov 2008 22:17
The place could do with deep cleaning, if it was a hospital it would be a hot bed for MRSA. Everything about it is dirty, I feel dirty walking in their, it's as if other people's sweat is airborne and sticking to me. It is worth a visit for the live music (have a shower when you go home) on a Sunday night.
13 Nov 2008 22:15
Not the same since Gerry left. Echo the comments from others here about the locals!! Especially if they are sitting at the bar, they look at you as if you've walked across a family grave if you dare push through to order a pint.
13 Nov 2008 22:13
I always liked this place but most of the people drinking their are a mile up their own rear ends and the beer is very expensive (suspect it is the dearest in St Albans?).
13 Nov 2008 22:10
It's improved recently. The new landlord seems a decent bloke. The rude woman who worked there (previous manager) is gone. The chavs are deserting the place (and there was me thinking people on benefit wouldn't feel the effects of the credit crunch). I still think the Guinness is a bit iffy.
13 Nov 2008 22:08
Went here on a pub crawl recently. Was tempted to ring Environmental Health - the place is filthy.
26 Jan 2008 17:46
I'm not sure what the level below rock bottom is but the Crown is there. It's almost worth visiting to see the state of the gents. Was in there last Sunday and about 15 people were thrown out after two women started fighting. Am almost sure the lager had me sitting on the toilet several times the next day.
26 Jan 2008 17:44
Worse than awful. The sooner it is turned in to a house for some yuppie city worker the better. And I have never seen a more miserable looking bar manager.
30 Aug 2007 20:11
The comment about the dogs running wild is true! My Sunday Roast was violated by a dirty looking mongrel. That will teach me to eat in a bar which allows animals to wander around. Local marginally better.
30 Aug 2007 20:09
The nice garden I praised in a previous post is useless because only 2 people at a time are allowed out there after 9pm (this is policed by an over zealous bouncer with a school teachers tone). And the furniture looks and feels like it was bought in Homebase (all garden furniture).
2 Jul 2007 16:21
Rubbish, if you are on a stag do in Dublin I would steer clear.
23 Jun 2007 23:29
Doesn't live up to it's high rating. Very average, there was a beer festival on when I visited, very scummy crowd in, everyone who bumped in to me wanted a fight, food average, beer average, no smoking nice, garden nice.
23 Jun 2007 23:25
Looks nice, that's about the only positive. The inside of my roast chicken was frozen solid, was offered a free alternative but declined. Souless joint trying to take advnatage of the middle classes living around it.
23 Jun 2007 23:22
Avoid. One out of ten. Very peculiar, it's like a school open day gone wrong, lord knows who will be at the table next to you.
23 Jun 2007 23:18
The Salisbury Arms Hotel, Hertford
Not bad. Has a bit of character. But the smoke was unreal, primarily because of the low ceilings.
23 Jun 2007 23:13
I think it is clear to anyone who ever visited the pub that the last three entries were written by people with connections to the pub. It epitomises everything bad about modern England, �3.20 for a Guinness, full of footballers wives types and souless. It is a bad sign of Hertford that there is a queue outside this place at nine o clock. If you are visiting the town I can genuinely tell you that this place is awful. A real London wannabe. Avoid at all costs.
23 Jun 2007 23:10
Very ordinary, a real Royston Vasey feel, it takes ages to get served if you are not "local", lovely building.
23 Jun 2007 23:04
Re-opened as O'Neill's. Not the chain, owned by the same people who have O'Neill's in Welwyn GC. Has gaelic football and hurling on the box every Sunday for all you Irish. An improvement, seems to have cleared out the previous clientele, staff and manager are very helpful, TV in the garden. Bit smokey, roll on the ban.
23 Jun 2007 23:02
The manageress told me tonight that another company has taken over!! Praise the Lord. In the mean time they are not accepting cards at the bar. Ideal for a quiet drink because the place is deserted.
23 Jun 2007 22:59
The Blacksmiths Arms, St Albans
Was there tonight. Terrible pub. There is an air of menace hanging over the place, seems to be full of people from London Colney, Park Street and Hemel.
23 Jun 2007 22:57
Very average. If you are a football fan you will love this place mid-week as it is populated by Spurs and Arsenal players. Like both clubs this place is over priced for very average performances. Food isn't bad, it is a long walk to the toilets and the clientele is very "sauf London".
23 Jun 2007 22:54
A dire pub. It has a funny smell and looks like it could do with a thorough clean. Chav central, particularly if there is a football match.
14 Jun 2007 20:57
I can't believe the average rating for this bar, the owners and staff must be busy posting! Full of chav's of both sexes, it looks like an IKEA Bar on the inside, expensive beer.
14 Jun 2007 20:55
Lovely bar, friendly and relaxing, good beer, hard to fault it really, a little gem.
14 Jun 2007 20:53
Looks better on the outside than the inside, a real locals pub, you nearly have to climb over one of them to get a pint as the desperately hug the bar.
14 Jun 2007 20:50
Shockingly bad, it doesn't have one redeeming feature. You can smell the Red Bull when you walk past the place, full of just 18's, a bit on the rough side.
14 Jun 2007 20:43
The Slug and Lettuce, St Albans
Exactly what you would expect, pretty souless chain bar full of people wearing the same clothes. Service slow, music loud enough to deafen, food okay.
14 Jun 2007 20:41
Nice bar, very trendy if a bit on the expensive side. No smoking throughout which is great, excellent beer garden, decent food. Busy place in the evening, no riff raff!
10 Jun 2007 22:29
Bouncers were fine on my last visit. It's a busy young persons bar, populated by students and grungy ex-students. Bar service is very quick for such a busy place. Don't wear nice/suede shoes - they will get destroyed!
10 Jun 2007 22:27
A bit souless. It has a great terraced patio garden which should work well with the smoking ban. Someone needs to go out and buy some decent seats, they have these 1 foot high plastic things that look like mushrooms, you get cramp in your legs sitting on them (and a sore backside). Expensive, I think they want people to drink bottles (various draught lagers off when i visit).
10 Jun 2007 22:25
Wouldn't bother with it, small and smokey without having the "cosy" factor. I think it could do with a good clean as well. Closes at 6pm on a Sunday.
10 Jun 2007 22:22
Very average. I wouldn't bother walking out from St Albans, not worth the effort (if you're not killed trying to cross the road and get in there). Food and drink is alright, it's nice during the summer sitting outside.
10 Jun 2007 22:20
My friends love this place but I ahve to say I don't like it. It feels like drinking in a working man's club or the British Legion (how I would imagine them to be having never been in either). Pool table, darts etc for "sports" lovers. Drink in there is fine.
10 Jun 2007 22:19
The Hare and Hounds, St Albans
Can't decide whether I like it or not, prefer the lower section. Avoid on football nights, mainly because it's so popular you won't get in the door.
10 Jun 2007 22:15
Okay - wasn't blown away by it, spent a lazy Sunday there a few weeks back. It's a very quiet pub, ideal for chilling out but not the place to go if you want a fun night or are hoping to meet someone!
10 Jun 2007 22:13
Oh dear. It's not just the gents that is disgusting, have a look at the carpet. There's a layer of cigarette tar on everything. Ordered a pint, the glass didn't look clean (greasy), bought it back and had to argue the toss about it. I'm not sure what the future hold for it, I think the smoking ban will finish it off because everyone in there chain smokes (including the dog). Sadly, in this state it will be no loss.
10 Jun 2007 22:10
Nice - very St Albans. Their greatest achievement has been to change the clientele completely. Had a wrap for lunch, was very nice, free refills on soft drinks. Had a few pints and a cocktail later that night, all very good. BTW - the bar counter is very high! Feels like you are trying to buy a drink over a wall!!
10 Jun 2007 22:07
I can echo all the comments about slow service. It was a nice sunny weekend so the bar was always going to be busy - did it ever occur to the management to have the right number of staff on? Waited 20 minutes for a pint before giving up, numerous others did the same.
10 Jun 2007 22:05
I thought the old sign was terrible, was delighted when they got rid of it. The food here is good hearty fare, great chips. It's a bit on the small side but that gives it a cosy feel, friendly, helpful staff and nice relaxed feel. very nice in the winter when the fire is lighting. Am surprised about the dirty comment, it's normally very clean.
10 Jun 2007 22:03
The food is very good, the garden is nice, it's not a bad bar. But it is expensive, one danger sign (of a pub that wants your money!) is that when you order a vodka and coke (for example) the coke comes in a little bottle that you are charged �1.50 for. Get's a funny mixed crowd, one hand you have trendy St Albans 30 somethings but you still get people who drank there before it was revamped (3 years ago) - dirty old men!
10 Jun 2007 22:00
Went there on Friday night. It's a dump, no other way to describe it, dark and dirty. While I was there a large group was asked to leave the garden for bringing in cans - that's the kind of people who drink there. Staff are very friendly and drink is reasonably cheap. The Guinness is the worst I've ever had, it doesn't taste like anything I've ever drank before! Toilets could do with a clean. I bet that when the smoking ban comes in it will struggle because the smell of smoke is masking a lot of odours!
10 Jun 2007 21:56
The glory days are returning! Neil is back in the kitchen, great food. Bar is lively and busy again, garden has been revamped and looks great.
10 Jun 2007 21:54
It has reached rock bottom. The lease is up for renewal, a saviour is needed. Last time I was in there there was a flood in the gents and no one cared. The lady running the place isn't the most customer oriented, I handed in a �20 for two pints and said I had the change so she could give me �15 change "too slow" she said and handed me a lload of coins!
10 Jun 2007 21:53
The Dolphin, Kings Cross
Strange place. The landlord barely acknowledged me, the locals are rough, you do get stared at (Deliverance style).
13 Nov 2008 22:27