BITE user comments - hexenductionhour
Comments by hexenductionhour
Had a nice pint of Sierra Nevada in here last night. Cute barmaids. Lots of people eating food, which I suspect is the main focus here. Not a place I'd lounge around in, but I got a better vibe than in the Bree Louise.
31 Aug 2008 10:56
Popped in here last night on the way to a curry on Drummond Street. Good range of interesting ales on, well kept, but I'm afraid the quality of the beer can't make up for the fact that the ambience is awful. Lights far too bright, uncomfortable furniture - just feels really unwelcoming in that way most railway pubs seem to manage. If you go for the beer, you won't be disappointed, but bring your own atmosphere.
31 Aug 2008 10:54
The Queens Head / Easton, Clerkenwell
I can only echo the previous comments on the quality of the service here - appalling. Disinterested, poser staff who consistently got even the simplest of orders wrong.
30 Aug 2008 18:13
Food here used to be really good - used to work in Putney and it was a frequent lunchtime destination when we were sick of Nando's. Went downhill in about 2004 and I'm not sure it's ever recovered but it's useful as a haven for a pint when faced with the antipodean lunacy of Putney High Street.
3 May 2008 12:07
Not bad, self-conciously 'funky' interior and clientele who obviously like that kind of thing. Quite self-regarding, impressed with itself, but the Pride is always quite nice and the food range is at least always trying to be a bit progressive.
3 May 2008 12:04
Now slightly above its station, the Duke's Head has suffered from the rolling refit of all Young's pubs that has halved the range of beers and doubled the prices. And yes, it can often now be stuffed to the rafters with posh yobs and rugby types. It's not terrible, though, and opens late on a weekend. Don't expect much and you'll be fine.
3 May 2008 12:03
Never really been able to make my mind about about the Bloater (nickname unexplainable on a family site) - the music's often far too loud (and I like music in pubs a lot - but I also like talking) and the beer's variable but I suspect that's not really the point of this pub - there's a lively Putney crowd and always lots going on. I'd rather tackle the Jolly G around the corner but there's definitely worse pubs in Putney.
3 May 2008 12:01
A gem for ale drinkers - full Tim Taylors range on draught and a good selection of 4-5 bizzare ales from around the country. Relaxed atmos generally. I like it a lot.
3 May 2008 11:58
Very tired inside, but I guess some people like that. The ceiling beams are still covered with those rubbish quotes and phrases about drinking that became all the rage (thankfully briefly) in the mid-nineties. My CSI-style forensic deducing leads me to conclude that this explains the state of the interior.
Beer's nothing great (IPA was rubbish) and the place has a slightly down-at-heel feeling generally.
3 May 2008 11:57
The Hare and Hounds, East Sheen
Beer garden good, beer itself average, clientele a little edgy on a Saturday night in my experience, although I have a feeling I caught the aftermath of a football match. There are better options in Sheen, let's face it.
3 May 2008 11:50
I don't get on with most Badger ales for some reason, often taste like someone's done something unspeakable in the glass. Nice pub though and the Export's a decent session lager if that's your thing. Best option in the Mortlake station area, certainly.
3 May 2008 11:45
Bit of a gem in Barnes, very individual. Beer garden nice in the summer, although I'm generally lamenting the disappearance of Young's Pilsner as a superlative thirst quencher in the warmer months. This is the fault of Young's rather than the Coach though.
Scouse rat-tailed pop poet Roger McGough often spotted in here. Always tempted to ask him about the Beatles and GRIMMS but generally looks like he'd rather be left alone.
3 May 2008 11:43
Trad, functional pub, interesting yet unchallenging quiz night on Tuesdays. Bar always crowded with regulars, can make jostling for a pint a tactical game of chance.
3 May 2008 11:40
Cosy little place - people rave about the food but the last burger I had there was cold - sent it back but the replacement wasn't great either. Have a feeling I caught them on an off day as normally it's a nice place to be. Slightly pretentious, yes - but this is Barnes after all.
3 May 2008 11:38
The Sun is the Marmite of Barnes boozers - opinion is always strongly divided. Myself, I like the range of interesting beers (Kreik, Sierra Nevada both excellent) and relaxed atmos that compensates for the prices and occasional overabundance of horsey types bragging about their latest 4x4/BMW. Weekend staff tend to be disinterested, spoilt local teenagers though so don't expect attentive service.
3 May 2008 11:36
Great pub for the location (by the river and 3 minutes from my house!), but not very much else. The Ordinary is badly kept and Special seems to have disappeared from all Young's pubs since the Charles Wells merger. Tatty inside - needs some money spending on it to raise the game a bit and match the sometimes breathtaking pricing structure.
That said, if you find yourself a table outside it's a nice place to while away a few hours by the Thames and less chav-infested than the Old Ship.
3 May 2008 11:32
Ah, the Lakeside - back in the day (well, 1994 for me) it was surprisingly a place to be seen on a Friday night- indie video jukebox, cute Jarrow girls and cheaper than going to the Toon. Went back a year or so ago and could barely recognise the place. I guess everyone goes to the town or Shields these days..
3 May 2008 11:28
Pretty much as described - old school, sticky carpets, tatty, great beer. Definitely one for ale drinkers such as myself. Respect to the wasted guy with the high-waisted jeans puffing on a massive spliff outside inbetween pints.
3 May 2008 11:10
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The Idle Hour, Barnes
Went recently for dinner but despite inviting menu and decent quality starters/desserts, both our mains were pretty awful. I got the impression the cook they had on for that night (a Saturday) wasn't the main guy and was just winging it. Kedgeree was more risotto and was overpowered by cloves, and cod fillet was dried out and tasteless.
The wine selection is great and the ambience is usually nice - just don't go for dinner!
16 Mar 2009 13:58