BITE user comments - beergibbon
Comments by beergibbon
I liked it but the overall impression was Fawlty Towers!
Nice garden for a drink on a summer evening with plenty of seating in a peaceful setting.
Decent food heavily biased towards seafood and a good selection of steaks. Priced towards the upper end of the range.
Bizarre waiters who all look like they have been working there for 40 years and everything comes on doillies! But polite and efficient.
Three ales on, unfortunately Green King and an Adnams which are not the most exciting but at least there was the local TEA.
14 Jun 2011 07:20
Came back here after my previous visit on my stag do (see November 2009 entry), this time it was my new wife plus my 5 week old son. Got a cosy sofa in front of the fire and had a really tasty meal. Thoroughly recommend this place, although I concur with a previous review that it is a mixed bag of old building and newish interior.
Recommended.
27 Nov 2010 23:40
The Boat and Railway Inn, Stoke Prior
"This is a local pub for the local people". Not what they said but what it felt like. Got there at midday and there were 4 or 5 locals who are probably there all day every day. Barmaid was miserable. Beer was fine though, with two local ales.
27 Nov 2010 23:38
Oh this was not good. Walked up the canal and eventually found a pub. It was so devoid of character that two of our group of four didn't have a drink. To give you an idea of the class of this place there is a two for �10 meal consisting of gammon and chips followed by Vienetta (this is advertised outside the pub!).
Avoid.
27 Nov 2010 23:36
Four Alls Inn, Welford on Avon
Dreadful place, no atmosphere and very unwelcoming. Thankfully won't need to return; it was the only place within a short walk of a cottage we stayed in last weekend.
20 Sep 2010 16:13
The Volunteer Inn, Chipping Campden
Didn't go here but ordered a takeaway from the attached Indian restaurant during my recent stay in Chipping Campden. Excellent food.
27 Jul 2010 17:07
The Red Lion, Chipping Campden
Continuing a theme, I wasn't impressed by a pub in Chipping Campden.
The pub has two areas, a foody front section and a separate building at the back for drinking, which we were directed to. The decor was awful and the beer reasonable.
Ok for a quick pint but wouldn't fancy spending an evening in the concrete garden.
27 Jul 2010 17:06
Overpriced pub food. Portions very small and not good value for money.
Full of pretentious middle-aged locals, dressed up like they were heading somewhere really special and swigging champagne at the bar. More image than substance. Reflects the general feel of the village.
One real ale on tap, I won't be returning.
27 Jul 2010 17:02
Promises a good selection of beers as there were 6 pumps but only 2 were on when I went in. The upcoming beers are listed and the barman asked which I would prefer. If they actually do take into account the wishes of the punters I'll be impressed!
Also given a choice of 'straight' or 'tankard' which was a nice touch and I always use a tankard if possible!
Better than it used to be although didn't see the upstairs area.
11 May 2010 16:33
Popped over here for lunch, hadn't been in for 12 years or so. Lovely small village pub with a selection of 6 real ales and good honest pub food.
My wife and I both loved it and will be returning again soon, this time with reinforcements!
11 May 2010 16:30
I really like the Keep, although its secret may be out as it was very busy on Saturday night. The reason I usually go there is that it is tucked away and serves two local ales...
2 Mar 2010 16:48
I went here last night with some work colleagues and some contacts of ours. When booking the lady on the phone was very polite.
First off, the picture of the pub shown above is old and doesn't do it justice, it has been done up since then.
We had a few beers and dinner out in the back room, booking advisable.
The food was excellent homemade fare and reasonably priced (�9 for a burger and chips, �13 for rump steak etc) for its quality. Food piping hot. Service was good and quick.
The beers on tap I saw were Tribute, Directors and Youngs Bitter and were well served.
I dont normally make a habit of going to tied pubs but made an exception as my workmate who lives in Epsom says that the pub choice is pretty poor overall. The only real issue I can see is that the selection of beers won't rotate given it is a Youngs pub; one of the things I love about going to certain pubs is that you never know what gem or rotter will be guesting!!
7/10 (down from 8/10 for being a Youngs pub)
19 Feb 2010 10:22
I like this place, keep meaning to go there for the food but don't get around to it. They have recently added another ale pump so there are now 4 real ales on tap methinks.
Also you can sign up for emails which let you know about events and special offers, so it's keeping up with the times!
2 Dec 2009 12:10
I agree with chapchap, this is a proper pub. Yes, proper may mean that it's not been decorated recently or has flashy furniture but you get good real ale and food.
I'll be stopping here on Saturday on the way to my wedding(!) for a cheeky pint with the best man and ushers.
2 Dec 2009 12:07
Modern interior but the front area is small enough to be cosy. Erdinger on tap in tall glasses and three real ales means most beer lovers will be happy.
20 Nov 2009 18:15
A nice little local pub full of characters. Got a few weird looks being "not from those parts" but we had a good time nonetheless. 8(!!) real ales on tap, this is one for real ale lovers...
16 Nov 2009 18:48
The Bricklayers Arms, Fitzrovia
We met the bearded manager guy on Saturday night, who told us that we would finish our drink and then get out or he would 'remove' us. He hadn't even been in the pub all night as he had been out drinking somewhere with friends and had returned just to lock up in a half-cut state. Really poor attitude.
Otherwise the pub is standard fare Sam Smiths - the beer is ok and you certainly gets what you pays for.
5 Oct 2009 13:59
Grecian playing quiz machines, well I never ;)
I've been going here for many years now and the feel of the place has changed slightly in the last few visits. Maybe it's just me getting older but I'd rather head to the Whitehouse or The Keep where you're not surrounded by kiddies.
And the landlady needs to learn to smile a bit, she is pretty young but already looks like she's got 20 years of putting up with pub punters on her shoulders!
12 Sep 2009 19:50
So Shorty, you have been to many pubs in Guildford but the ONLY review you have ever left is this one....hmmmmmm.......next!
5 Aug 2009 14:47
Excellent little local pub, the kind that I wish I had in my village.
6 real ales on, the lunch was good and proper homecooked stuff (don't go there expecting anything fancy).
Older clientele but I like that at a lunchtime. Landlord chatty, and knowledgable and enthusiastic about beers.
I will be returning.
27 Jul 2009 11:09
If you're like me (30, like proper beers and good old fashioned pubs) then this isn't the place for you. Full of posers, very loud and expensive. Over-rated in my book and has been ever since it became the Five and (S)lime (wasn't it some 'wreck' called the Mary Rose or something before?)
28 Mar 2009 21:46
Went here last night and was not impressed. Middle-aged meat market, too noisy and busy and it was �3.40 for a pint of Bombardier.
One for the upper stratum of chav.
28 Mar 2009 21:42
Went here for lunch today with my t'other half after recommendations on this site. There were seven real ales on and four ciders plus all the other normal lagers etc. I didn't end up driving back as I fancied trying a couple.
The food was very good, real pub fare so don't eat here if you are after anything fancy. Lots of homemade pies on the menu, most main courses were around �8, sandwiches and Jack Tatties were between �4 and �6.
Much recommended.
21 Mar 2009 19:05
The Frog And Nightgown, Faygate
All comments below still applicable.
Definitely worth a visit and we'll be heading back there for another lunchtime pint one day (getting out of Gatwick/Crawley is well advised). Had a pint of Harveys bitter which was excellently kept.
The landlady is chatty and full of old time stories.
The dog Spitz is very friendly (according to the landlady he is a dobermann/alsatian/greyhound mix).
9/10 for old school charm
20 Mar 2009 14:24
Overcrowded but it was a Friday evening after all.
Good selection of beers and I only had two so can't really comment on anything else.
16 Mar 2009 20:22
The building and bar were nice but the clientele and prices put me right off this place. I didn't buy a round but my spitfire was apparently about �4 which is daylight robbery.
People were swanning around like they owned the place, the guy who particularly annoyed me was some greasy 40-something wearing a tweed long coat supping from a bottle of champagne.
Avoid if you like the traditional pub like I do.
16 Mar 2009 20:20
Went here while staying in Ironbridge for the weekend.
Good little pub tucked away up a steep hill from the town centre. Impressed with the selection of five real ales and managed to sample a few of them during my quick stay. Would recommend the Salopian beer that is currently on. Nice selection of cheap snacks (hunk of warm bread and olive oil/balsamic vinegar was �1 and we got through a bowl of jalapenos. Chips were not so good being oven chips.
We found a cosy seat and settled in. We were also impressed by the selection of belgian beers for which there was a menu at the table, so we tried a few of these. Not cheap but a nice change to the usual selection.
Overall well recommended.
17 Feb 2009 17:11
Went here tonight for a skittles night with work. Pleasantly surprised by the food we were served up and the selection of beers, being Horsham bitter, Old Hooky and Abbot Ale...nice.
Guy behind the bar (not sure if he was the landlord) was friendly and seemed happy to serve.
I live just down the road so I will return soon to try again at a non-work event.
27 Jan 2009 22:54
Hehehe certainly spot on with the description of the estate agents there Mr Happyheating. What a bunch of overblown plebs in their cheap shiny suits and pointy Aladdin shoes. I've been in there in my suit but I am an accountant so hopefully didn't get mistaken for an estate agent!!!
The pub is a nice place to go and will be much the better when the above-mentioned folk are back on benefits. Only real issue is the lack of choice of real ale.
21 Jan 2009 16:40
Went on Friday to meet up with some old school friends. Place hasn't changed much since I frequented it during my sixth form years.
Always the same beers on tap whenever I visit being Jack Frost, Gales HSB and Pride if my memory serves me correctly.
Not my favourite pub in Guildford but better than any of the bar drivel on Bridge Street.
19 Jan 2009 11:55
Strolled up here one day as I live in a neighbouring village, I was expecting it to be a bit "League of Gentlemen" and I wasn't disappointed. The guy behind the bar wasn't that friendly and there were only two ales, being Pride and Courage Best, a poor selection in my book. Two empty pumps, meant to ask if they normally have four ales on but forgot....must be my age!
The garden has the potential to be nice in the summer but don't think I will be returning any time soon as it wasn't a cosy pub.
13 Jan 2009 10:18
The landlady was a bit odd and the mulled wine came out of a funny machine which heated it up so a bit disappointing. I'm all in favour of olde worlde pubs but there is a difference between that and a pub in need of a revamp. Not returning.
30 Dec 2008 17:13
Contrary to the previous review the service when I went was good, with the barman showing a keen interest in local ales. And what a range of ales there were, I think about 8 ales in total of which 5 or 6 were locally brewed. Can't fault the ones I tried but the standout beer was Ludlow Gold (or something similarly named), a truly delicious pint.
Atmosphere good, I liked the bar in the middle of the room and the nutcracker. I will return if I come back to Ludlow.
30 Dec 2008 17:09
Louise82, Graham78 and garethhanna seem to me to be the same people. If you read their reviews they are all written in exactly the same style, with some very similar minor spelling errors. And Louise82's unsubtle attempt to NOT look like a newbie by giving the Royal Oak a one line review five minutes before praising the Apple Tree is pretty laughable by all accounts. I wish people would stop doing this, it is so obvious. Cue a new user leaving a review of the Apple Tree written completely differently.....
As for my review of the pub.......I cannot give one but I can comment that I would not go there because of it's location, which is as good as a review for people not from Guildford searching for a pub to visit. I have lived in Guildford for 25 years and have never been there nor wanted to go there. If you are from out of town, head into the centre of Guildford for food and drink, there are plenty of reviews of other pubs on here.
It is good to hear that the new landlord/lady are making an effort to turn the pub around though and all the best to them.
Greetings also to beersupper, biker and giveusabeer who seem to be fellow regular contributors to the Guildford pub scene.
Neil
22 Oct 2008 10:30
My favoured lunchtime pub with work. Only the one proper bitter (Harveys). The food selection is standard pub fare but reasonably priced. I have a special dietary requirement of large portions and this pub never fails to impress on that count, I can well recommend the 8 oz rump steak or the gammon, eggs and chips.
7/10 for the food, wouldn't come here to drink though. The garden is pleasant enough.
22 Sep 2008 11:59
Well, what can I say. My work dept has had 2x lunchtime buffets here and I have never consumed so much grease in one sitting. Everything is battered and deep-fried. Chicken fillets, battered mushrooms, spring rolls etc.
A bit soul-less, can't comment on the beer as I have had soft drinks each time.
4/10, go to Ye Olde Six Bells in Horley instead, my favoured lunchtime work eatery.
22 Sep 2008 11:55
Agree with some of the other comments about the place looking better than it actually is. We went on Saturday and paid �12.25 for 2.5 pints of lager and a glass of leffe!
The upside is its location right next to the river, pretty idyllic but there were no seats so we sat inside and watched some chap aged about 65 who had a gold hoop and thought he was dapper but looked ridiculous in his stripey suit jacket, leather waistcoat and jeans.
6/10
22 Sep 2008 11:34
Had a pint of shere drop in the garden. Very tidy outside, one of my friends commented that the inside of the pub is stuck in the 80's and needs updating. 6/10, not sure what MrReasonable's comment re. busy roads are about, the pub isn't on a main road???
22 Sep 2008 11:29
Went here on Saturday whilst walking from Guildford to Bramley with some friends to get some fresh air. Took in pit stops at the Weyside in Gford, The Parrot in Shalford and finally here. Best out of the three for real ale.
Unfortunately aforementioned (see previous post) landlord was not present but there was a nice young girl serving who joined in our conversation about beer gardens being discriminatory (what if you want to have a wine outside!). 10 or 12 real ales on tap, what a great selection. We were able to sample a few at the bar before making our choice.
Sat out in the PUB garden (hmmm, we were all drinking beer though, so maybe it is a beer garden after all), which is not the nicest (concrete and brick, no grass at all).
I'll give it 7/10 for now on the basis that I'll return soon and hopefully bump into the landlord for an updated review.
22 Sep 2008 11:27
Went here mid-week for lunch; fish and chips was alright but not the best meal I have had here.
The big south african guy did a good job making us feel welcome though. 6/10
22 Sep 2008 11:22
curious george's glowing review of the percy = his/her first review. I'm going to put 2 and 2 together and come up with 4.
17 Sep 2008 14:24
Well the landlord of the Jolly Farmer (if it is actually him) sounds like he has got a chip on his shoulder and a pole up his ar$e. I was intending visiting as I live in the next village and a friend of mine has just started working in Bramley.
Will update you once I have been in the next few weeks. If his attitude in person is anything like his review then it could be an interesting visit after which he will be losing some potential new custom.
8 Sep 2008 11:53
The Cat Head Inn, Chiselborough
Went Saturday night, the food was top notch and was all cooked by the landlord, who chatted with us at the bar afterwards. Landlady even more chatty, although this may be because my parents are semi-regulars.
Good selection of beers too, which is obviously very important, I didn't even have any of the wine we'd bought!
26 Aug 2008 10:05
Only had a diet coke as I was driving. My parents live in the village and reckon the 2x rump steak dinner for �12.50 is good. They also said not to expect anything fancy there.
Good moustache on the landlord. When I walked in it could have been something out of The League of Gentlemen!
26 Aug 2008 10:03
Land lady very friendly.
Not sure about the whole layout though, bit odd standing out the front on the concrete and having a few benches on the opposite side of the road next to the car park and campsite. 3x real ales on tap, although two of them were summer varieties and were very similar.
Won't be making a special return trip at any point.
28 Jul 2008 14:01
Now has a decent beer garden out the back, which adds to the summer appeal. I will be eating here Saturday night so will update on the food front soon
3 Jun 2008 11:23
Sat out the front on Saturday and had a couple of pints, lovely. Unfortunately it was not so nice on Sunday when there was a cricket match; I imagine sitting there watching the game would be tres relaxing.
28 Apr 2008 11:01
I have to say I agree with beersupper's view on 'fake' reviews. Sorry!
But I do like this place, not somewhere to sit and have a few pints though.
2 Apr 2008 12:13
Large selection of beers, including a few unusuals. I liked it and it wasn't packed like some of the other pubs in Guildford, perhaps because it is slightly out of the centre of the town centre (if you know what I mean)
28 Jan 2008 16:08
I enjoyed my trip to this pub. Popped in when passing by for a quick pint and ended up trying two of the Raven beers. Would have had more if the girlfriends had not dragged us to the Pump Rooms for afternoon tea!
Didn't have one of the pies but they looked greeeaaaat (as Tony T once said).
Camra Bath and Borders pub of the year 2006 according to a certificate on the wall.
25 Jan 2008 11:03
Stayed there recently. Portions of food huge but a bit "10 years ago". B&B room was adequate but a bit basic. A fair pint though.
23 Jan 2008 09:29
I like this place. It does get absolutely packed at the weekend with youngsters but I can just about hold my own as I haven't hit the big 3-0 yet!
They serve hobgoblin and Hogs Back Tea.
The terrace and garden are good in the summer months
5 Dec 2007 10:05
Been here twice for lunch on Saturdays recently:
First time, the wait was appalling and one of our mains never turned up! They did knock some money off our bill but they needed to have more staff there.
Second time the place was less busy, food was served promptly and was freshly cooked.
I think the moral of the story is to check how busy it looks before going in - if it is busy, keep it to just a drink (don't go there expecting to get any bitter though)!
5 Dec 2007 10:03
The Guildford Hotel, Guildford
Always seems to be quiet, quite often with some very drunk person propping up the bar. Used now and again apres work.
5 Dec 2007 10:00
Not bad for a post work drink but I wouldn't be going there socially with my friends for either food or drink
5 Dec 2007 09:58
Popped in for a quick lunch time pint, the pub was fairly quiet but the decor was pretty good. Only 1 bitter on tap though (Greene King IPA), could do with more.......
29 Nov 2007 15:08
Been here a few times since moving to the village, the pub is well known for its food. The garden is really well done.
Asked Debbie the landlady if I could leave a tankard behind the bar, she said that was fine, so I was happy (I am easily satisfied).
Three real ales on, most recently Greene King IPA, Spitfire and one other (Abbot Ale perhaps?).
I will be going there for my birthday meal this weekend.
5 Sep 2007 09:42
The Bricklayers Arms, Shamley Green
Just moved to the village and thought I would try it out. There are 5 real ales (as the pub mentions above) and the landlady was very friendly. I will be going back on Saturday night for some birthday drinks after a meal at the Red Lion down the road.
5 Sep 2007 09:38
Only eaten in L'Auberge but the food is ace. 2 course meal is �10 at lunchtimes (�2.50 supplement for the steak) and for that price I couldn't complain. Had a Deuchars and IPA, which were both well kept.
16 Mar 2007 13:51
Great wonkiness inside due to the multiple levels and general age of the place. Now a bit of a hangout for the emo crowd but at least they are easy-going.
We turned up last week dressed as a Russian person, Frenchman, matador, Morris dancer and Scotsman and no-one even batted an eyelid!
16 Mar 2007 13:46
I like this pub and have had many a good evening in there. Much better than the drivel on Bridge Street, which should be avoided unless you are wearing Burberry and have a penchant for fisticuffs.
5 Oct 2006 13:42
Nice place to sit in the summer but drinks are overpriced compared to other pubs in town.
5 Oct 2006 13:38
The Withies Inn, Compton
I liked it but the overall impression was Fawlty Towers!
Nice garden for a drink on a summer evening with plenty of seating in a peaceful setting.
Decent food heavily biased towards seafood and a good selection of steaks. Priced towards the upper end of the range.
Bizarre waiters who all look like they have been working there for 40 years and everything comes on doillies! But polite and efficient.
Three ales on, unfortunately Green King and an Adnams which are not the most exciting but at least there was the local TEA.
14 Jun 2011 07:20