BITE user comments - dmj1962
Comments by dmj1962
Large roadside pub on the A25 with an historic core and large beer garden. Separate dining area.
We had lunch there recently: the food was OK though a ham ploughmans was basically ham, bread and pickle with garnish. Harvey's on tap, which was decently kept, but served with a large head. The barman gave me a sour look when I asked for a top up, and was tight-lipped with me after that, so my mate had to order the food. Not somewhere I'd rush back to, which is a pity, as the building and location has loads of potential.
10 Aug 2011 23:49
The Battle of Trafalgar, Brighton
Traditional local pub just up the hill from the station, with a deceptively large beer garden at the rear. Good rotating choice of real ales on tap. It has a very mixed clientele of loyal regulars.
12 Oct 2010 18:46
The pub is in a Grade II listed building and dates back to at least 1788, although the current 18th/19th century exterior encloses a much older, possibly 15th century, building. The interior is very traditional - lots of beams and some low doorways; there's a large car park to the side and an even larger beer garden behind, with an exterior covered dining area.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter was on tap, and reasonably kept; the other pump had Fuller's London Pride, but this wasn't available on our visit. The young barman was friendly and efficient. There's an extensive menu with several vegetarian options, but we didn't eat here.
12 Oct 2010 18:42
I stopped off recently after a long walk across the Downs, and had great expectations of the pub after wandering through this pretty village (the village guide describes the pub as having been an historic Coaching Inn)
The pub itself is now actually more of a restaurant than a pub, serving Italian food. The staff are friendly and obliging, but it doesn't really feel like a pub, not helped by the rather severely modernised interior. As others have said, it's hard to get away from the noise of the nearby A23, and the front of the pub is dominated by the car park and BP service station. The beer garden and large restaurant conservatory at the rear are more private, although the traffic noise is still noticeable outside.
My pint was also rather disappointing - slightly cloudy and definitely on the turn.
26 Jul 2010 10:51
An excellent community pub tucked away behind Seven Dials, with regular fund-raising events for good causes and a very loyal clientele. Always a very good choice of well kept real ales of the Fullers/Gales family. They know how to serve a pint - no need to ask for a top-up, and the staff are obliging friendly. They also do good pub grub at reasonable prices, with a special curry and pint evening. The pub quizzes are fearsomely difficult, though...
14 Jul 2010 00:54
Very friendly gay pub (they have also taken over the Bedford Tavern in West Street) of two halves; on the left, busier and noisier with piped music; on the right, quieter with more chairs and tables. It's a lot less manic than some of the pubs in the area if you want a quietish pint. Always a few real ales on.
14 Jul 2010 00:49
A very nice village pub in a lovely spot, although it does get very busy indeed on nice week-ends with visitors. Well kept Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter and - as others comment - decent and good value pub grub with generous servings. There's a large car park on the opposite side of the road junction. There are some nice walks up to Arlington Reservoir if you want to work off your beer/food afterwards.
14 Jul 2010 00:46
Hugely improved thanks to the new management, who are both very friendly and making an extraordinary effort to get the pub back to something like its heyday. The decor has been restored to give it a cosy, traditional feel, and the clientele have improved to match.
The regular beers are Harvey's Sussex Bitter and Old Speckled Hen, both decently kept. They've also just started doing food on Sundays, with a good vegetarian choice alongside traditional roasts.
15 Mar 2010 17:22
The County Court Hotel, Woolton
Decent corner local, with very friendly staff as others have said. Real ale on tap was decently kept on my visit. We asked for a top-up on the first round, but afterwards the pints were poured to perfection.
21 Jul 2009 10:41
An unsurpassed selection of beers - 12 real ales were on the other evening, as well as high-end lagers and fruit beers. regular ale festivals, too. The building has a stunning art-deco frontage, though not much of it survives inside.
Very popular and justifiably so from the beer choice, but on the week-end it's becoming a victim of its own success: it was absolutely jam-packed on our last visit, and I'm not a fan of drinking standing up, being jostled as people push past, and having to shout to my neighbour to make myself heard (or of having to queue for the toilets). I'm not sure what the answer is - maybe to open up the upstairs regularly as another bar area?
21 Jul 2009 10:34
Now under new management, and getting back on its feet following an extensive refurbishment. The said refurbishment has delivered a pub of two halves: a modernist bar with snazzy seating, looking more like a 50s cocktail or coffee bar, and a more traditional and comfortable area at the back. (We went for the latter).
They had several real ales on when we arrived, which seemed in pretty good condition, including Rev James from Brains, but they ran out of two as the evening went on, leaving only one. Friendly and apologetic staff, though. Overall, not a bad place for a pint, and better still if they can judge the turnover better.
21 Jul 2009 10:26
This has gone from a very nice pub to a soulless bar (apparently after several changes in management in just a few years): the traditional decor has been painted over (badly), the modern furniture looks out of place and the lighting is harsh and unpleasant. On our visit, the bar staff, though willing, got our order wrong twice; and we were among only half a dozen customers. We left after one round.
14 Jul 2009 10:34
Grade II listed building adjacent to the church: olde worlde feel with lots of rooms and plenty of genuine half-timbering (dating from the 16th century) above a vaulted medieval undercroft, probably contemporaneous with the church (hence the 1180 claim). It claims to be the oldest hostelry in England - doubtless along with many others.
The beers - Harveys - were well kept, and I didn't eat here, but the disinterested service during the middle of the day reflects others' comments. Not bad, but could be something really special.
14 Jul 2009 10:29
The Bell Inn, Godstone
Large pub with loads of parking and a patio and garden area outside; we only had soft drinks there, after we'd been walking. A coke and a pint of soda and lime (most pubs charge about a quid) came to a breathtaking �5.60. So we went somewhere else for a beer.
10 Aug 2011 23:52