BITE user comments - halfafarthing
Comments by halfafarthing
Had a lovely Sunday lunch here today. Not cheap but excellent food, good selection of ales and really nice and attentive staff.
Definitely recommend the food here.
27 Oct 2013 17:58
My word this place has gone downhill. Popped in today with some friends and family (we had booked) and had to wait over 90 minutes for a bog standard sausage and mash. All the hallmarks of bad management were there: slow and ineffecient staff, badly kept drinks (we had to twice take back some soft drinks because they were flat) and terrible service. There was no apology for the late food and the staff were surley and unhelpful.
Could and should be a lovely pub, as it was a couple of years ago, but needs a change in management.
1 Jan 2011 22:36
A very good pub for comedy (the upstairs bit often has big name comics trying out new material for a few quid) but I've never found it to be a nice place to drink. The pool table tends to attract a grotty crowd and it never feels very homely in there. The guest ales are very good but it's not the most friendy pub I've ever been into.
12 Oct 2010 16:16
The Dulwich Woodhouse, Sydenham
Youngs really need to sort out this pub. It's in an absolutely lovely location and has so much going for it, such as a large garden for the summer and nice, cosy enclaves for the winter. But my oh my is this place badly run. The last few times I've been there has been meltdown because people's food was late or unavailable. The times I've eaten there it's the food has been very poor.
The manager seems a decent guy and I fear he isn't being given the resources to run such a large and busy pub. The place always seems understaffed. He could however make a few immediate changes. 1. Make the menu less reliant on fancy cuisine that takes ages to cook. Focus on good pub staples - homemade pies, sausage & mash, fish & chips etc. If the quality is right then people will like it. 2. In the summer have a bottle bar in the garden so the main pub doesn't get swamped by people who are just after a cold lager. 3. Do some promotions to attract locals. Have some guest ales. Stop some locally sourced bar snacks. Introduce a loyalty card. Make people feel like they are welcome. 4. Employ more staff!
I really hope this place does improve as it could be a really great pub in the SE and hope that Youngs get a grip on the situation.
12 Oct 2010 16:12
The East Dulwich Tavern (EDT), Dulwich
Used to be a good pub, now rapidly disappearing up its own arse.
18 Jan 2010 15:33
The Dartmouth Arms, Forest Hill
Went in last weekend and they appear to have got rid of the restaurant bit and serve bar food now. Not before time. Still lacks any real atmosphere. Requires a bit more warmth (both visual and heating), some real ales, board games and a DJ rather than just pumping out random music. Could do better.
18 Jan 2010 15:29
Horribly expensive for drinks and food. As others ahve said it's a restaurant rather than a pub and they tend to frown on you just having a drink. Go over the road to the Woolpack instead.
18 Jan 2010 15:21
I'm a regular and don't recognise many of the negative comments here. On the whole the food is excellent, especially the Sunday roasts. The last thing I ate there was a freshly cooked beef and ale pie and it was fantastic.
They have a good choice of real ales and the staff are generally warm and polite.
The only area they really need to address is how cold it can get in the winter!
Otherwise a really nice pub.
8 Dec 2009 14:05
The Forest Hill Tavern, Forest Hill
Went in for lunch on Sunday, can't complain about the food or service and the manager in particular seems a good guy. But I'm afraid that the clientele lets it down as it seemed choc-full of loud chavs and their families. I don't want pubs in Forest Hill to turn into the type of pretentious boozers around East Dulwich but the FHT seems stuck with lots of boorish, white-working class who spend an afternoon drinking strong lager, getting progressively more pissed and lairy and shouting and swearing at each other across the room.
It's sad because it could be a really nice place (and FH needs some nice pubs) but is let down by its current punters.
8 Dec 2009 13:40
The White Hart, Crystal Palace
Am interested to read previous comments as I've always found it to be a ovely pub, very nice staff and gorgeous Sunday dinners.
25 Nov 2008 17:48
Back to halfafarthing's profile
The Old Crown, Bloomsbury
I held a party here recently and the staff were really friendly and helpful. The food is also fantastic - amazing burgers and hotdogs.
Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area for the food alone.
27 Oct 2013 18:02