BITE user comments - StoneBlack
Comments by StoneBlack
No real ale on due to lack of demand in summer, settled for a pint of keg of sorts which was ok.
Obviously this pub has seen better days but the landlady was chatty and knew a lot about the local pub scene, hopefully things will improve?
4 Sep 2016 22:36
The Winchester Gate, Salisbury
Excellent pub with a nice selection of well kept ales on tap.
Friendly staff and chatty locals on our visit, obviously dog friendly too.
A decent pool table, and plenty of Salisbury history/CAMRA pamphlets and prints evident too.
Definitely one of the areas better pubs and well worth the short walk from the town centre.
4 Sep 2016 22:31
The Haunch of Venison, Salisbury
A must visit pub on a Salisbury crawl...but I'm not sure why?
Much better if you can secure a seat,standing room is fairly limited by the nature of the old building.
The pewter bar and various brass pipeworks visible bely a usually disappointing range of drinks at tourist rate prices, some staff do not seem particularly engaging either.
4 Sep 2016 22:22
I've visited this pub several times and would describe it as average.
The only point of distinction is the peculiar sight of people queuing in single file to be served even though several bar staff are usually on.
Its the only pub I have ever witnessed this in and can't fathom why it occurs...are there signs I never saw, or is it a local custom?
4 Sep 2016 22:12
Appeared to have no ale on when visited recently, the bar fonts all appeared to be lager/ciderfizz/wine.
More of an alcohol dispensary than a pub, we didn't bother staying for a drink.
4 Sep 2016 22:06
Visited recently and found it to be much improved over a frankly disappointing experience several years ago.
Things have clearly changed for the better and though not a real ale paradise as such the Abbot Ale was fine, the place appeared clean and tidy toilets included and the staff friendly and efficient.
A decent selection of bar snacks too, and a few quiz/gaming machines for amusement...will definitely go back on the crawl circuit for future Salisbury jobs.
4 Sep 2016 21:48
Good beer as always (usually) with a decent selection from the current Spoons beer festival range, local CAMRA types are often seen at the bar.
Staff are efficient and friendly, though at weekends they really could do with more on, a common Spoons problem it seems.
The decor is beginning to look a little tired in places, mostly due to food/drink stains on the seating...some new cushions in a darker colour would transform the place without major expenditure though.
19 Mar 2016 23:56
"19th Mar 2016 – The Dolphin, High Street, shall be closing on 28th March due to the leaseholders being unable to come to an agreement with the premises owner regarding renewal of lease."
Taken from the rather good "Portsmouth Pubs" website..another one gone?
19 Mar 2016 23:45
Clean toilets, very handy on the way to the station.
Beer range inconsistent, recent evening visits have seen more on the floor than anywhere else.
Could be worse, but not worth seeking out IMHO.
30 Dec 2015 00:14
A decent pint of HSB as always in here, lots of wine for the ladies too.
You enter through beautiful curved wood/glass doors, and find a world of tweed jackets and usually well healed ale drinkers within.
Food is served and a large portion of the pub set aside as such, but the casual drinker is always welcomed in my experience though on rare occasions the place is overrun with loudly braying Tarquin types for reasons unknown to me.
Slightly off the beaten track near the cathedral, on leaving it's usual to bump into some confused sort who has been trying to find the pub for the last hour or so...
29 Dec 2015 23:56
Consistently excellent, decent ales with chatty staff and barfly's usually.
All sorts of junk on every surface, and hours worth of graffiti in the gents loos, not recommended for PC types for sure!
If Polly was still behind the bar it'd be a 10/10, ah well...
29 Dec 2015 23:23
Popped in here this afternoon in the hope it had improved since I last visited in a previous incarnation years ago.
It hadn't: no customers apart from staff cronies, no atmosphere and no beer aside from the dreaded Doom Bar.
Declined the above and went elsewhere, nostalgia is not recommended!
29 Dec 2015 23:01
A damn site better than it used to be in here for sure.
Decent selection of ales these days, and usually a smile from behind the bar.
The only downside is the pricing seems to be based on the Old Vine across the road despite hosting a very different clientele in general.
29 Dec 2015 22:07
I like this place, but tonight the prices were near criminal.
(Having said that the service was swift & ultra polite as always)
Tim Taylors Landlord: £4.40 per pint
Hoegaarden: £5.50 per pint
Presumably the above will return to realistic levels once the festive season has subsided?
29 Dec 2015 21:52
New management as of this week, Paul & Margaret no longer in place.
A bit of a shock on entering with some obvious changes being made, but hopefully it will retain its place as a haven for ale enthusiasts?
1 Sep 2015 00:33
Last reviewed around 6 years ago?
Christ knows how many managers/landlords/whatever have passed through this place since then...has spent more time closed than open too.
Always pointless in the company of the far superior Newport (RIP) and Dog & Crook, particularly since Braishfield has become very much an exclusive dormitory village of weekend homes for well heeled London types in the last few years...local farmer types not welcome any more!
2 May 2015 20:40
Ah nostalgia...
The long wait is over for the Fullers bean counters, no need to be a pub any more when sold...rejoice oh destroyers of Gales Ales!
Planning permission for conversion into £250K flats with no parking is virtually assured, they can't knock the place down but they will try to erase it from history...
No effort needed really though, the local CAMRA lot forgot the place a few minutes after the last pint was poured a couple of years ago :-(
2 May 2015 19:27
Newly refurbed (badly needed) and trading as The Phoenix.
The days of being Romsey's premier fighting pub seem to be over...
3 Apr 2015 19:43
The Village, Salisbury
Usually our last pub on a crawl before heading for the station.
A pub with some character although it seems to be diminishing as a lot of the railway clutter has been removed in recent years...to be honest I preferred it as it was, it now could be in danger of becoming just another scruffy boozer for middle aged men.
Beer is usually ok and the staff will take it off sale if turned, CAMRA discount available though the bar can be hard to access as regulars sit in front of the pumps and some don't appreciate visitors wanting to peruse the pumps.
Still a favourite, but probably trading on nostalgia these days...
4 Sep 2016 22:56