BITE user comments - mrfalafel
Comments by mrfalafel
Very popular quiz night on Tuesday. Nice little pub hidden away in the city centre. Definetly worth stopping by.
18 Mar 2009 09:43
The two room layout works well: smallish dark room up front for drinking and talking with the big room in the back for sports and food. Good prices. Can be full of kids at times though.
25 Feb 2009 13:31
Sweaty drinkers pub. Quick service but zero atmosphere. Pro drinkers abound. At least its not full of diners.
25 Feb 2009 13:29
I like this place. Solihulls version of a flat cap pub. Great place to watch local sports and an excellent curry house across the way.
25 Feb 2009 13:27
There always seems to be something no working here, or off. Have one or two choices of pints or menu items in mind when ordering as they'll certainly be out of something. This is really another cheap food place as opposed to a pub.
25 Feb 2009 13:26
Very friendly and efficient staff. Great seating on sofas by fireplace. Yes, its a chain but probably one of the best places in Solihull.
25 Feb 2009 13:24
Chav central. Well, Solihull's version of chavs... Service here is very poor. Expect to wait for quite awhile at the bar to get served. I've gone here a couple of times and its always the same: endless waits for pints. Service at Hogshead next door is much faster.
25 Feb 2009 13:23
Very decent pub, especially the outdoor area out front. Mostly office people having a pint after work.
25 Feb 2009 13:21
One step up from a Brewers Fayre and I don't mean that in a nice way. A restaurant masquerading as a pub. Better off just going into Solihull if you are looking for a non-food pint.
25 Feb 2009 13:19
This is not a pub, its a restaurant. Ok, maybe it used to be a pub at some point but its all about food. If you want a pint you can get one but all of the tables are full of diners.
25 Feb 2009 13:17
Full of happy older drunks in the evening. Friendly service, friendly people. They had live music on the friday night I was there and they were pretty good, too.
17 Oct 2007 16:08
Friendly staff, OK place. The jukebox has some of the worst most overplayed tunes ever, though.
17 Oct 2007 16:06
Dire! Flat caps and constant horse racing on the telly. Dodgy geezers in flat caps loudly shooting snooker.
17 Oct 2007 16:04
A 1,000-year-old Viking longship is thought to have been discovered under a pub car park on Merseyside.
The vessel is believed to lie beneath 6ft to 10ft (2m to 3m) of clay by the Railway Inn in Meols, Wirral, where Vikings are known to have settled.
Experts believe the ship could be one of Britain's most significant archaeological finds.
10 Sep 2007 14:18
I don't know why I like this place but I do. Not for a proper pub goers but if you want some good mexican food and a pint, you can't go wrong here. Music gets a bit loud later at night but the place kind of turns into a club then and people seem to like that kind of thing.
7 Sep 2007 15:23
Been going there for years but never for long as the cnuts in suits put me off. But now the suits are over in the yuppie bar across the street leaving the excellent Cockpit and its fine real ale selection unsullied by cnutyness. Top marks!
6 Sep 2007 18:24
Top pub for well kept real ales, perrys, ciders and classic pub surroundings. Best pub in the green.
2 Aug 2007 18:34
You can see the basement through some of the holes in the wooden floorboards at the bar. Whats not to like? If you're tired of the braying yuppies at other establishments you'll love this place.
20 Jul 2007 16:05
The Bricklayers Arms, Shoreditch
Re-opened as a pub/cocktail bar but it seems the old crusty locals have returned to it, which isn't a bad thing. Beer selection is now all trendy gassy beers though and the music is crap. Should have left good enough alone.
20 Jul 2007 16:03
Top east end boozer and everyone knows it as its so bloody crowded :)
20 Jul 2007 16:01
If you like endless queues waiting for hipper-than-thou trendoids to serve you over priced drinks then this is the place for you!
20 Jul 2007 15:59
The George and Vulture, Hoxton
Without a doubt the cleanest traditional looking pub I've ever been in. Spotless!There's something to be said about pubs run by women, they know how to look after a place. The staff are very friendly and the locals are too. Excellently kept London Pride. A little off the beaten track but a great place for a quite pint.
20 Jul 2007 15:57
Still a hangout for the local youth (they cut into the crickett on telly to watch the Simpsons!) but not a bad place at all. Local ales usually available.
20 Jul 2007 15:52
Not sure what's happened here. After a change in pub landlord last year the regulars have all wandered off. Even on a weekend night the place is a tomb.
20 Jul 2007 15:50
They've put a pool table right in the middle of the great old lounge room in the back, ruining the decor of the room. Rest of the pub is great, though, with local ales on tap and an excellent area for smokers.
20 Jul 2007 15:48
Big on food now. Excellent freshly cooked meals with huge portions for great prices. Always 3 real ales on the go. Accomodations as well.
20 Jul 2007 15:46
Best pub in SE5, hands down. A bit pricey but that helps keep the flat cappers and chavs out. Real ales.
20 Jul 2007 12:21
The Joiners Arms, Denmark Hill
Been here twice now and both times no real ale was available. Some professional drinkers in this place, though.
18 Jul 2007 10:16
Jack Beards at the Plough, Camberwell
A very decent, if quiet, pub. Friendly landlord and staff. No nonsense decor. Good place to escape the yuppies across the street and read a paper.
18 Jul 2007 10:12
The Robin Hood and Little John, Camberwell
Its true, the staff are friendly. This is one of those pubs built into a council estate but don't let that put you off. Pool table, darts and sports emphasis.
18 Jul 2007 09:21
Pseudo yuppie pub. A big focus on food but they do offer one real ale (rare for this area). Good outdoor seating and free movies on Tuesdays.
18 Jul 2007 09:19
The Rose and Thistle, Camberwell
Not a place to bring your mum. A truly scary old man pub. Tired ladies behind the bar, scruffy men watching horse racing and the place hasn't been cleaned since 1974.
18 Jul 2007 09:18
Amazing gastro-pub hidden way up in the hills with fantastic views over the bay. Top quality real ales (including local brews), excellent wines and probably the best food in 30 miles. Not just pub grub, top quality local ingredients cooked by talented chefs. Worth a stop. I do wish it wasn't so out of the way!
6 May 2007 08:58
Proper, not up its own arse, working class pub that welcomes all. A breath of fresh air in the area. A couple of real ales, hardwood floors and tables with plenty of room.
The hotel rooms upstairs are not bad at all, either.
15 Aug 2006 21:58
The Plume of Feathers, Greenwich
Best kept secret kind of place. If you're a CAMRA-esqe pub traditionalist there is no finer pub in the area. Best pub in Greenwich.
14 Aug 2006 20:03
Not a lot of differences between this place and the Admiral Hardy. I found the staff to be quite pleasant and beers well kept.
14 Aug 2006 19:55
Marks for modernising while keeping a bit of local colour/history. 3 cask ales and a few attractive ladies propping up the bar on a monday night. Works for me.
14 Aug 2006 19:51
The Spanish Galleon, Greenwich
Average tourist orientated pub with overpriced food and weird Shepherds Neame beers. Not bad, though. Just average.
14 Aug 2006 19:38
A bit old man looking but actually a great pub compared to the corporate blandness or tourist orientation of the other pubs in the area.
14 Aug 2006 19:35
I've tried to get a pint here twice now. Walk in at 6pm on a Tuesday and there's a queue at the bar. Tried again a couple of hours later, still a queue. Tried today, and still a queue.
If you like queues, this is the pub for you. If you like beer, then I would recommend elsewhere.
14 Aug 2006 19:32
Absolutely souless. Like a hotel lobby or a bar in an airport. Luckily there are plenty of other good pubs in Greenwich. This isn't one of them.
14 Aug 2006 19:25
They've done this place up! New management and staff. It's all hardwood floors and tellys everywhere playing sports or music videos. Pool table now. Very loud with all of the wood flooring. They were charging �3 for a Stella but everyone stopped coming, so the price is back down to �2.75. A bright but seedy place.
1 Jun 2006 10:03
Robinson Crusoe, Stoke Newington
Been back twice now and it's actually a pretty good pub. Even during Arsenal home matches the regulars are very welcoming and the crowd polite.
The excellent service from the barmaids means there's rarely any wait for a pint.
The free books piled in a windowsill is a nice touch.
This is obviously a very well utilised locals pub that treats locals and visitors very well. Not a place to take your girlfriend maybe but your mates would thoroughly enjoy watching a match here.
12 Mar 2006 19:41
The British Lion (the Pig), Crewe
Just 5 minute walk from Crewe station. If you're making a connection this pub is a nice change from the horrible pub in Crewe station.
Just head out of the station and turn left. Walk for a 3-4 minutes and you bump into it.
5 Mar 2006 16:51
Soon to be under new management. One of the barmaids has taken over the lease. Expect some changes for the better!
5 Mar 2006 16:45
Good for a pint and a bit of footy on the telly. Some cask ales usually.
5 Mar 2006 16:41
Great old pub servicing thirsty shoppers. Always busy on weekend afternoons, especially with older folks who all seem to know each other. Very friendly.
5 Mar 2006 16:39
Pleasant enough pub for a quick pint. Not really a place to hang out for a long time. A bit pedestrian and not very comfortable. Quite a number of the regulars are from the local council estate, it appears.
But the staff must have changed since the summer as I've had nothing but good friendly service when I've stopped by for a Bombadier. Big sofas in the back room to watch big screen sport events. Haven't tried the pizza but the ones I've seen served near me look pretty good.
1 Mar 2006 11:02
The Twelve Pins, Finsbury Park
Why bother going to Ireland when all of the Irish are enjoying a pint at the Twelve Pins?
More of a facility than a pub but it's well run, despite its cavernous size.
26 Feb 2006 19:46
A unique treasure hidden away in Clerkenwell. They even keep the outside lights dimmed to make it hard to find for first time visitors. Despite that, it's quite friendly. And it's THE place to be on a warm summers evening when you can take your pints outside and site on the church steps across the street. Quite simply one the very best pubs in London.
12 Jan 2006 12:04
Excellent pub away from the 'suits' who usually fill the pubs in the area. Staff have lots of character adn the Thai food is great and a bargain. Excellent place to while away a weekend afternoon as well.
12 Jan 2006 12:00
Robinson Crusoe, Stoke Newington
Walked in and walked right back out again. Scary old man pub.
9 Jan 2006 16:59
Nothing special but the staff can be very friendly. The clientle are a strange mix of council estate chavs, old guys and local lads. They frequently have to 'clean house' by banning certain regulars but it's perfectly fine for the casual visitor.
9 Jan 2006 16:55
Souless pub only used on game days. Avoid unless going to/from a match.
9 Jan 2006 16:53
Getting a bit dingy but still a good alternative to the 'old man' pubs in the area. Friendly staff despite the amount of 'hipper than thou' clientle. Fun jukebox and the DJs can be pretty good if you drink enough Stella...
9 Jan 2006 16:50
Refurbishment is excellent! Real ales on tap, great selection of top-shelf spirits, one of the best jukeboxes in London, friendly staff and just about anything you want from a neighborhood pub. By far the best in the area and can be quite busy even on off nights. Live music some Monday evenings!
9 Jan 2006 16:47
It's a family gathering in a pub. You know, Christmas and all that. A number of us gather in the bleak mid-winter Sussex countryside in a carpark that could double as the parade ground for a gulag. The chill oozes out of the soil and leeches the colour from the recycling and bin bags tastefully stacked behind the kitchens.
Because we are a group bigger than four, the pub asked us to save Chef from the insuperable task of preparing meals from orders at the table. We have, as requested, pre-ordered two weeks in advance and my wife has a copy of the menu with initials beside who has ordered what, because of the absolute certainty that no-one will remember.
My choices were a mistake: Let me run you through the dismal smorgasbord:
To start with, chicken goujons. Unlike the dictionary definition, which specifies "narrow strips" of fish or chicken, these goujons were stale lumps of armour-plated, deep-fried battered chicken. Lukewarm. Tasteless.
Oh, who am I kidding? They were Chicken Dippers. The reconstituted, emulsified, mechanically-recovered meat that people grill for their kiddies' tea. They serve it in bowling alleys as a attempt at fast food.
There was a small ramekin of inappropriately sweet sauce of the sort the pizza company gives away free. At the side of the plate sulked a desultory mound of vegetable peelings. A ring or two of red onion. Some grated carrot. Something else perhaps. A lettuce leaf? No mayonaise, just raw.
I ate the vegetables, and left the rest of the dish.
The next course was another poor choice on my part. A cauliflower and broccoli bake. You know how you fancy something light and healthy from time time time? So shoot me.
The cauliflower and broccoli had been boiled artfully from September. Such was Chef's skill, that every molecule of taste and most of colour had been eradicated, while leaving the shape and form of a vegetable intact. It had a sprinkling of what resembled sawdust on top. It tasted like sawdust and added the only flavour i could detect to the whole sad slop. It may have been baked as long as you interpret 'baked' to include boiling. I was able to mash it with a fork and turn it instantly into something a baby would spit out. The water the vegetables were boiled in would have carried more flavour than this insult.
The accompanying vegetables were, if anything, worse. The baked parsnips were rubbery. The cold carrots were overcooked by a week or two. The roast potatoes were utterly dreadful. Iron clad and chemical-spill orange, the interiors were a tasteless mush.
I left the entire dish.
Which left cheese and biscuits. Even my wife hissed, "Come on, how can they get cheese and biscuits wrong?"
Let me explain how they managed to get cheese and biscuits wrong.
The three handsomely proportioned offcuts of cheese were some sort of Camembert, a Cheshire and Red Leicester. The last two are the blandest cheeses known to man, devoid of flavour and bite. The Camembert lookalike was a perfectly white, immature, fresh-out-of-the-chill-cabinet lump. The rind was a quarter of an inch thick and the flesh as firm and fresh as the day it was made. Which was probably yesterday.
The biscuit selection consisted of one each of a Jacob's cream cracker, a Ritz, a sweet Hovis thingy, and a handful of other offerings with all the appeal and yumminess of a Ryvita.
I left the entire dish.
The other members of my party may well have dined on the food of the gods with a nectar coulis. Though judging from the sauce on my wife's duck, which oozed up the plate like a massive meniscus, thick as an oil spill, brown as diarrhoea, I doubt it.
The worst meal I ever had in my life was, by comparison, tasty, nourishing, well cooked and delightfully presented. But for the dysentry, it could have made the top ten best in my life.
As I was under written instructions from my wife not to make a fuss and spoil the mood, I just pushed every appalling dish to one side and sat there playing hits from the 1970s in my head until I was given permission to escape.
23 Dec 2005 11:24
Amazing hidden jewel of a pub in a tiny old village forgotten by time. Everything you could want from a 17th century farming pub but completely unspoiled. Next to a river, amazing food with huge portions, cask ales, friendly landlord.
19 Sep 2005 13:38
Popular with local pool players, this pub has reasonably priced beers but is nothing special. Monday nights is a popular folk music night open to all.
27 Feb 2005 09:47
Large soulless restaurant / pub out by the marina. Good selection of beers and occaisonal entertainment on weekends. Popular with families and the retired folks who live nearby.
27 Feb 2005 09:44
Care-worn locals pub popular with the 'pre clubbing' crowd on weekends. Lots of fun! Family friendly during the day with good value meals on offer.
27 Feb 2005 09:41
Posh bar in the main hotel in town. Excellent food available until 9pm but steep prices. Best selection of beer and wine in town.
27 Feb 2005 09:39
Tiny atmospheric pub with stone walls and fireplace. Used to the be the waiting room for the Liverpool ferry! Ask for a plastic cup and take your pint out to the quay on summer evenings.
27 Feb 2005 09:38
Excellent food pub and gathering place for golfers. Warsteiner on tap! Entertainment some weekends. Patio is great on sunny days.
27 Feb 2005 09:35
A pub frozen in time. Old guys playing dominos, sheep dogs on the wooden floor in front while elderly ladies enjoy the formal lounge in the back. Very much a locals place but stick your nose in for a look at the decor.
27 Feb 2005 09:33
Small local pub with a few hotel rooms to rent upstairs. Best real ale selection in Conwy.
27 Feb 2005 09:31
Excellent pub with fireplace, food and a few cask ales as well as the usual stuff. Friendly staff.
27 Feb 2005 09:29
The Old Station Hotel, Llandudno Junction
Chav central. Not recommended for tourists.
27 Feb 2005 09:26
The Crown, Birmingham
Well worn professional drinkers pub. Flat caps and commuters quaff quickly amid the fading Victorian splendour. Not a place to bring a date. Enjoy it while you can as its can't last like this for long.
18 Mar 2009 09:46