BITE user comments - owenontour
Comments by owenontour
So many beers, so little time! Wish I lived in the area so it could be my local.
20 Dec 2008 15:34
My experience at the Bountiful Cow was nothing but pleasant - steak was fantastic and cooked just right (and I asked for rare), sauces tasted freshly made and the red wine a perfect match for the food. Atmosphere was good too, just the right amount of buzz. Check it out.
20 Dec 2008 15:20
Sounds like the last reviewer came in on a bad night. I really like this place, it's a cracking little local, not my closest pub but worth a walk. About a year ago it used to be such an old man pub, ugly wallpaper and dirty carpets caked with dog hair. Plus random Guinness memorabilia screwed to the walls, but this is London not Galway. Just an average boozer.
The new owners gave it a decent makeover with a proper telly for watching sports (it was recently a quiet haven for watching the Euro's away from the crowd crush of Angel) and they've opened up the outside area at the back for BBQ's. Ales are of good quality (Landlord + guests) with the standard lagers on draught. The wine list keeps the missus happy too. Never had a problem with the staff, some of them Aussie, some English, so getting your order understood is not an issue. Overall a fine little local pub that is not trying too hard to be anything it's not.
4 Jul 2008 17:21
No longer the Grand Central - has changed to be a Brazilian place of some description.
27 Jun 2008 14:27
I have !
Jamie's is a nice enough riverside pub that gets busy in summer but copes well with the patronage, unlike some others over in West India Quay. Decent-ish selection of beers and wines but no ales unfortunately. They show live sporting matches on the big occasions. If you are a 'Wharf worker it's a good place for having your leaving do or team drinks as they have a versatile space. Also good for downing a swift one while waiting for the Thames Clipper ferry which docks nearby at Westferry pier.
30 May 2008 16:50
Service in this place is absolutely dire. Not because the bar is short - it must be 10m length in total - but it gets ridiculously packed on Thursdays and Fridays without the staff on board to cope. Drinks are as pricey as you will find in West India Quay and the house music they play on Thursday nights is pedestrian at best. Nice loos though. I am a 'Wharf worker and only come here when someone's made the poor choice of holding their leaving do here.
30 May 2008 16:44
The 11th Commandment, Blackfriars
This place is closed.. went there last night, it was vacant.
5 Dec 2007 11:00
Great looking place in both decor and clientele. Good range of beers, wine list is strong and cocktails well made. Staff can be a bit slow to serve you on Saturdays when you've clearly been standing there 10 mins waiting to order, but this isn't always the case. The DJ's mix eclectic, punchy, very Islington tunes which get the floor moving. Food is good for the price bracket and I've never had problems with the service. Get involved...
24 Nov 2007 19:17
The Hoste Arms, Burnham Market
Went there on the weekend and had a really good time. No I am not a Sloaney - we were camping. Ale was nice, can never really fault Adnams. For the standard of food (great) we thought it was not too pricey, have had many average meals at the same price (�75 for two incl. several wines by the glass). Staff were friendly and service good apart from having to wait a while for our mains - I think they forgot them and only brought out the dishes after being reminded. Only wish that I wasn't driving so could have spent more time in the front bar getting sloshed and spotting the proper Norfolk accents from the tourists.
29 Aug 2006 10:34
Moved in around the corner back in mid-April and from first glance it looked like the biggest chav pub going. Garish colours on the outside, bright lights and hooded youth inside. But after a few visits I like it. The lady who served me the other day when England vs. some south american country was on the telly is very friendly and we utilised the pool table and dartboard over a few Guinnesses. It's by no means classy or trying to be anything it's not, just an honest working-mans pub. Wandering in the lounge bar with a suit on will draw some looks though...
16 Jun 2005 14:00
Errr I don't think the last comment was actually for this pub.. any lease will be extended as it is the best-performing Walky in the region, Big Scotty who runs the place makes a killing every week. I try and limit my Shey Bu Walky attendance to once a month max (was more when I lived in the area and the crew wanted to get maggot there every week) but I must admit I do enjoy getting loose there with a like-minded bunch of people all there for a good time without any pretention. Where else can you chop Snakies like there's no tomorrow while dancing around in thongs (flip-flops to the welcome British who join us there) after watching a plethora of different sports on the screens, while your mate smashes plastic pint glasses on your shoulder in the name of a laugh? Don't glam up and don't be afraid of getting a little spillage on your toes, it happens. Don't bother with the draw on Thursday nights though cause it's a sham to get you to stay there til midnight. Hey Pete Bro?
Oh and the bouncers are much friendlier than the imported heavy-handers at the Redback in Acton (toilet of a place by the way)
26 Nov 2004 14:42
The Saracens Head Inn, Symonds Yat East
Went here recently on Easter Sunday. Very busy due to its riverside location and once you order some food and drink here you will understand that they take advantage of their monopolisation on the pub options around this area. We ordered three "slates" of bread with accompaniments for �4.95 each, to our surprise they were delivered to our table as just a few small pieces of bread with some pesto oil drizzled over them with three small ramekins of toppings - one with butter with grated cheese on top (weird); one with a few small olives and pickled onions; and one with more pesto oil. These went very quickly and were not worth the asking price.
Next came the roasts and other dishes we ordered, the roasts being a little bit on the small side to say the least and the pork roasts were missing the crackling which was advertised on the menu. OK yes, it is a bank holiday weekend and the kitchen is busy, but that is no reason to short-change your customers on their orders - far better to inform the front of house staff that certain meals have run out. When we enquired about the lack of crackling and asked about a substitute, the waitress rudely said to her colleague "they want something in place of the crackling" in a gruff tone, right in front of our table! The substitute of chips we requested was declined as not possible (chips are expensive in these parts perhaps?) and we were offered roast potatoes instead - go figure.
Beers, ales and the wine on offer were fine (the local IPA a highlight), but rude service for sub-standard food doth not a good pub make.
14 Apr 2009 18:25