BITE user comments - essjaydee
Comments by essjaydee
Went back here last weekend and was still a very pleasant place to visit. Not crammed full of tourists as we didnt go until around 9pm, but still busy none the less. A large range of draught ales, but nothing over 4.5%, so for any that prefer the stronger/premium ales, you would be dissapointed.
New management so i'm told, which hasnt done many favours (again, so i'm told), but I still enjoyed a nice pint there.
14 Oct 2009 22:55
Went here last weekend after walking past and thinking it looked nice... once inside it was more than nice - a lovely old-style pub with high ceilings and immense character. Old Speckled hen was very very good - probably the best pint i've had from a pub to date.
Will def be back next time i'm in town. Highly recommended.
14 Oct 2009 22:49
Seems to have gone downhill since the smoking ban. Always very quiet in there (or was the last 4 or 5 times I've been). Same old drunks/thugs hanging around making lots of noise though - but as I said in my old review, we have never encountered any trouble and have only ever seen one fight/scuffle in the many years we've been going there on and off.
Food is still fine and value for money and while not exactly gourmet cuisine, is always cooked properly and tastes good.
Still a pretty good selection of real ales, although not as many on at any one time as there used to be. Always seems to be at least 3 or 4 of the pumps with a 'coming soon' label on them (coming soon was on one particular ale for at least 4 weeks - havent been back since to see if its still there!).
As my local I am still happy to go here for a few drinks with friends, but it is never going to be the greatest pub in the world - just avoid any run-ins with the regulars if you can!
21 Sep 2009 06:51
Really nice little pub - one of the smallest i've ever been into! Nice secluded beer 'garden' at back, which is good during warmer weather.
As other reviewer said, a few too many screens inside for such a small place, but then I guess if you want to watch sport, it's ideal.
Friendly staff - from what I can tell just by ordering a few drinks and reasonable prices.
21 Sep 2009 06:28
Now owned by a 2 Michelin Starred Chef. Food is very nice as is the service - all at a reasonable price. Have been for two meals there and was very happy both times.
Much more of a restaurant now than a pub, but still nice to sit outside during the summer.
21 Sep 2009 06:25
Poles apart from when this place was the Parkside. Nice pub with friendly staff and landlord/lady. Only downside is that the drink range is quite poor and prices are pretty steep compared to most other places in the local area (but the pub as a whole is much much better). Think it was virtually �3/pint last time I went.
During the week it tends to be completely dead (literally 5 people max in the whole place) but get's busier at weekends.
3 Apr 2009 14:59
I have been here four times now and each time I had a good experience.
It is more a restuarant than a pub to be honest - you wont find too many people just there for a drink - and serves good homecooked food which I have always really enjoyed.
Only downside is the whole 'going to collect your own food', which can be annoying, and the 'pa' system can be a bit hard to hear over the noise of a crowded pub.
A decent pub with a few good ales and very nice food.
19 May 2008 14:15
To sum up in a sentence - thinks its one of the best, but in reality, is one of the worst.
OK... i'm going into more sentences now but I feel i need to....
This really is basically a hang out for 1) Essex girls who reallllllly want to be either page 3 models or 'IT' girls, 2) Guys who earn too much money and use this to attract No1. 3) Z list celebrities who still crave their moment of stardom.
After we were told to come up for the night by a friend (an 'IT' girl type admittedly) we thought why not and she put us on the guest list. Turned up and after being stared at like we were some kind of scum for 30 seconds or so by the bouncers and the 'i'm very important as i have a clipboard' woman, we were told that we were not on the guestlist at all. My friend came out and had a bit of a row with the clipboard wielding idiot and finally we were 'allowed' in - wow thanks pop you've done us a massive favour!
�15 entrance fee - oh dear - and then �14 for two drinks (bourbon and coke - not even a decent brand).
Inside, the bar is very small and cramped, with a small 'VIP' (if you can call them VIPs) area roped off.
All in all the bar is a place for the real 'look at how great/how well off i am' types and should really be avoided at all costs - unless you are given a totally free night out there, but even then i'd think twice.
19 May 2008 14:01
Went in here on a nice summers afternoon and had a pleasant experience. Was fairly quiet due to the time (4pm-ish) but I would imagine that it gets much busier at peak times. The beer was good, with a few decent ales on tap and was nice to sit outside by the river.
Not the best pub you'll ever visit, but I can think of a lot that are much much worse.
19 May 2008 13:48
Not a bad place all in all... although the bar and more important pool tables could do with some updating - cloths very thin!
Friendly staff and not too pricey drinks, and as mentioned previously a good pager system to alert you when your table is ready.
Worth booking if you can for Friday and Saturdays as it does get very very busy.
19 May 2008 13:34
The Cottage of Content, Barton
Great little old fashioned pub - the way all pubs should be (in my opinion). I have family in the area and they all swear by this place and therefore I have been there 15-20 times now.
Beer selection isn't the greatest I must admit, and the pub can get unbelievably cramped on a busy summer night, but it's the sort of place where you dont mind these things - also if you are over 6ft, as I am, expect to have to duck a fair bit with the very low ceilings and beams!
You'll end up having conversations with everyone in the pub - all the locals I have encountered have been more than friendly and welcoming, as have the landlord and lady and you'll wish you never had to leave after an evening of good food and good conversation.
19 May 2008 13:32
A dump with dodgy beers coupled with dodgy families.
I have been here a few times but only as a last resort to watch footie - the one good thing is that they have sky sports. Safe to say it will be a last resort situation before i return again.
16 Apr 2008 16:08
Cracking pub, one of the best i've ever been in. Had a lovely selection of ales on and the staff were efficient and friendly.
If you enjoy old pubs with a lot of character and appreciate decent beer that isn't Fosters or Carling then i need say no more... The Starre's your best bet!
Lovely stuff!
16 Apr 2008 15:57
Had a nice lot of character and a decent ale selection to match. Sat in the front part of the pub and just enjoyed a few pints over the course of a very pleasant afternoon.
Toilets were a real state though - even for pub toilet standard! That said the place is definately worth a visit for a decent pint.
16 Apr 2008 15:52
Really liked this place, as commented on before it has a really mammoth range of cocktails which i had a couple of but also a few decent bottled beers - Desperado's are really nice.
Didnt find it at all pretentious as another person commented before, in fact all the staff were friendly as were the other drinkers.
The only downside is that it can be a long wait for a drink - luckily it wasnt that busy when I went in, but a friend who lives in York said that they actually used to take drink orders and give you a time to come back to the bar to get them - i.e. go to another pub/bar for an hour then return.... crazy!
16 Apr 2008 15:49
One of the biggest variety of ales/ciders available out of any pub i've ever visited. Got taken in here when visiting a friend and was pleasantly surprised. A few decent beers and a huge mound of chips with (very) hot chilli-con-carne later and I was a very happy man!
16 Apr 2008 15:44
Not the best of places, very loud, always packed to bursting and far too expensive, especially as they dont exactly have anything to write home about drinks-wise.
OK for the odd drink here or there, but better places to spend your money and time within the surrounding area.
16 Apr 2008 15:39
The Cat And Canary, Canary Wharf
The only real decent pub in the Wharf where I have spent many a nice Friday afternoon long lunches with colleagues and many after work pints. Not the finest pub you'll ever go in I admit, but it serves a few decent ales on the pumps and a few in bottles and also does not bad food. Pretty good prices as well compared to other places in the area.
16 Apr 2008 15:32
I like this place, its neither too posh nor too common, usually plays pretty funky music but not too loud so you can still hold a conversation without screaming! They have a decent selection of beers - draught and bottled - so if you're into trying new things, or are an accomplished beer drinker there is bound to be something for you. Bottles of Pawel Kwak are good and they serve them up in what looks like something from a science lab (you'll see what i mean if you get one!). Prices are fairly high, but not any more or less than anywhere else in the Wharf - not counting Wetherspoons, but if you like that then you dont deserve to go into 1802!
16 Apr 2008 15:25
bit of a dump. only used to go there as some mates knew people there. would have gone elsewhere otherwise. quite a 'grunge/alternative' people pub that is pretty dingy with pretty poor drinks. pool tables are the only real plus point. on a nice note i did steal a sign from there once. go me. erm yeh.
14 Sep 2006 20:16
nice 'old style' pub. good place to sit with a few friends for a chat and a good beer. nice range of beers & ales. does get very very busy at the weekend though.
14 Sep 2006 20:12
very nice bar, although anytime i have been there it has been absolutely ram packed and takes about 10 minutes to get to the bar and get a drink, and even longer to get to the toilets. but a nice place with good beer... the one eye spy was right about veltins, its really good stuff.
def the best place in bwood.
14 Sep 2006 20:10
went there for the 1st time ever last week for a meal.
was fairly expensive, but i think the extra money was well worth it.
nice interior, and great food and a nice selection of drinks (not the usual fosters, carling, carlsberg lager rubbish). the staff were very friendly and helpful.
all in all it was a very pleasing experience with good food, and a nice atmosphere.
14 Sep 2006 20:08
only been here a handful of times, but each time was a pleasant experience.
a nice old style pub which was busy enough for a good atmosphere but not so rammed u cant move.
drinks were slightly expensive but not ridiculous compared to other places.
jukebox as well which is always nice.
19 Mar 2006 19:10
i havent been here since it has been done up, but in regards to how it used to be, i couldnt really stand the place.
it had two things going for it, cheap drinks & good music, but that was about it.
even walking around the place was a challenge in itself due to the inch thick layer of broken glass which covered the entire floor... meaning u were constantly scraping ur shoes to get rid of the glass stuck on them.
the people there werent the friendliest either, with a constant crowd of 'thugs' standing along the walkway which led to the toilets.
all in all it wasnt a good place.
19 Mar 2006 19:07
this was always the 'grunger' pub when we first went there, and we always received many evil stares and comments about being too 'trendy' to go there.
it was a nice pub though where u could usually get a seat, and reasonably priced beers.
i went here again for the first time in a couple of years several weeks back, and it was still the same pretty much, not as busy as it used to be, but still good prices, and seats available.
not sure if this is still the 'grunger' hangout of old, but it didnt appear to be.
19 Mar 2006 19:04
this is a pretty decent venue, although im pretty bored of it these days having been countless times, so havent been for about 6 months.
its an ok place where u tend to get mostly the 'pretty boy & girl crews' hanging out as its on the cooler end of the specrum within romford.
expect to queue at the weekends, and expect to have to spend 15 minutes to walk 20 feet due to it being so packed all the time. dnt worry about previous comments about the booth seats - unless u go during the day, or get there bang on when it opens in the evening - u wont get one!
drinks are pretty expensive as well... think it was about �3+ for a bottle of lager last time i went.
overall its a good place, bit too busy and at times a few idiots in there as well. but excellent music and generally a good atmosphere to start a night.
19 Mar 2006 19:00
this is an ok pub, as has been mentioned the drinks are very cheap, cheaper than even wetherspoons, which takes some doing, and they have a couple of ok ales, and a pretty decent range of lagers.
its a very mixed clientel within the pub, with the older generation of 60+ making a good dent on the percentages, and then the 'goths / grungers' & also the local 'rudeboys' & 'hooligans' also taking up some of the numbers.
i've never encountered any trouble in there.
the only downsides are that it gets very crowded and at times takes absolutely ages to be served because it would appear the bar staff have no memory whatsoever as to who is next to be served, and they just move randomly around the long bar, so being served is a lucky dip, also the toilets are a pretty sorry state, usually overflowing, with a huge dent in the trough, which seems like someone has gone head first into it at some point... lovely....
other than that though its an ok place if you are with friends, or an old man wanting a dark corner to hideaway in.
19 Mar 2006 18:50
i really dislike this pub, and cant really understand why its always so busy, its not very nice inside, and the people who attend on the whole arent the sort of people i would like to be in a confined space with.
and the lame attempt at a beer garden is laughable.... who wants to sit in the middle of a busy main road roundabout breathing in car fumes!
12 Mar 2006 20:22
indeed this is the custom house now, and i attended last week for my b'day on a friday night, it was a nice venue, well decorated and had a nice set of people in there, aged from about 23 - 30 at a guess, which makes a change for romford, the staff were friendly, and service was quick.
it could have been slightly busier, but was nice to have a bit of room for a change. will def go back.
12 Mar 2006 20:16
not a bad place, but gets so so busy at the weekends it can be a nightmare to get served, and get a seat.
as with all wetherspoons u cant argue about the low low prices.
wide variety of people go here which is pretty good, altho of course u still get the romford scum in here typically.
worst thing is - its like it in most wetherspoons, but particularly bad here - is that the staff call time so ridiculously early its a joke.
last time i was there we had just bought another round of drinks, then 2 minutes later were told to drink up and leave for closing, when we questioned this we got told 'well you shouldnt order your drinks so late', obviously we had none of this and replied 'well why did u sell them so late', but got told we had to leave anyway, so had to down 3/4s of a pint and leave. not good.
12 Mar 2006 20:14
this place is not good at all, the clientel are all the local thugs and the staff are unfriendly as well, with the bouncers being really arrogant.
the drinks are reasonably priced which isnt too bad, but i really wouldnt ever go here unless i had to (not that i ever would).
12 Mar 2006 20:10
The Orange Tree, Havering Atte Bower
its a nicely decorated smallish pub, but gets very busy at times, so can be very hard to get a seat. quite good selection of drink, and nice clientel in there. friendly staff and nice food, altho id say overall the whole place is a bit expensive compared to other pubs, but a nice place for an drink every now and then.
28 Feb 2006 23:54
this is a total craphole pub for want of a better word, have been here a few times, and its basically where the local drug dealers and thugs meet up.
if u dont like a decent pint, and want a fight... go here.
28 Feb 2006 23:27
This is a good and bad pub at the same time. its a wetherspoons so obviously prices are reasonable, and has a good selection of real ales, world lagers and also the more 'commercial' beers & spirits.
down side is that it can get extremely busy, and with the nearest pub (the white hart) being shut down recently it has made it a lot worse... one saturday it took about 20 minutes to get served which was extremely annoying for what i consider to be a quiet local.
other problem is some of the clientel arent very desirable characters, with the same old faces loitering around the tables nearest the bar, always drunk and extremely loud, but with it being a large pub its easy to avoid listening to them, and we have never encountered any trouble in there.
the best pub in the area for definite.
28 Feb 2006 23:25
The Golden Fleece, York
Really like the pub - cosy at the front with a great atmosphere. Just as good, if not better than the last time I was in town. Centurion's Ghost is a lovely ale!
14 Oct 2009 22:57