BITE user comments - pipsby
Comments by pipsby
Friendly welcome from landlady and pleasant pint or two of Harveys yesterday afternoon, having walked down the river from Lewes. Good, old fashioned pub and a great place to while away an hour or two looking across the harbour entrance towards Seaford.
4 Jan 2011 14:17
This is an absolutely excellent pub, and I can think of few better. Friendly to regulars and visitors alike, consistently good beer range and quality, and just what's needed after a chilly ramble in the Nottinghamshire countryside. Lovely turkey sandwich yesterday to boot!
29 Nov 2010 16:02
I visited for the first time last night and it was excellent. Really good range of local beers- drank some very fine Sambrook's, locals and staff made us feel welcome and really pleasant atmosphere. We didn't try the food but it looked interesting and good value. Beating my mate at pool just made it even better.
19 Nov 2010 13:00
The Charles Lamb, Angel, Islington
Good little pub this. Very crowded yesterday but great to see a pub doing well and I think there was a leaving do on as well. Excellent choice of beers- I enjoyed Old Slug Porter- and mulled cider on offer too. Worth leaving Upper Street for.
15 Nov 2010 14:25
Mark one London gastro pub, serving one local beer and the ubiquitous Doombar and Broadside. Nothing bad to say about it but nothing to make it stand out either. The food might be brilliant for all I know, but I didn't try it. Minor detail, but chalking up the same tired old quotes about alcohol, drinking and pubs just adds to the rather tired uniform of these places and really irritates me for some reason!
15 Nov 2010 14:22
Had a very pleasant drink (Bruges Zot) and lunch (Waterzui Fish Stew) yesterday during lazy walk/pub crawl along the canal. Atmosphere, staff and service all very acceptable on my visit.
15 Nov 2010 14:10
Have been meaning to add a second review here for a while. I took a group of friends here a few weekends back and, having read several negative comments about the food, I warned them of this in advance but needn't have. All six of us had excellent meals, which I didn't think were overpriced, given quality and quantity. Coupled with the brilliant beer range I'd recommend this place to anybody. The staff, including the owner whom we had a chat with at the end of the evening, were extremely friendly and accomodating. I'm sorry other posters have had negative experiences of the food and service here but on my two visits both were pretty faultless.
8 Jul 2010 14:46
Heaps of praise to the current landlords for turning this from a very so-so pub in recent times to one of the finest Lewes now has to offer. Great range of beers - Dark Star American Pale Ale and draft Bruges Zot were both fantastic last night - and a reasonably priced but imaginative menu. The live jazz was excellent too. I hope Lewes drinkers will reward the fantastic efforts that are being made with this pub.
9 Mar 2010 09:51
St Margarets Tavern, St Margarets
A cretin perhaps, but he can at least spell, my dear fellow!
4 Sep 2009 16:24
Many's the happy night I spent in here with the legendary Huey "the goose" Leonard. He used to have a glass eye and a badger on a bit of old rope that used to try to bite anyone who wasn't a regular. The glass eye fell into some middle aged floozy's campari and soda one night and she screamed the place down. The badger got a bit up tight and the whole place kicked off. Legendary - wouldn't get away with it now.
4 Sep 2009 15:58
Beer and food are fine, staff are friendly, and it's a pleasant looking traditional little pub. Unlike a lot of good Lewes pubs (Brewer's Arms, Gardener's Arms) however, the regulars, particularly in the front bar, can spoil this place. More of a clique than a community and too many oddballs as opposed to characters. Luckily Lewes has plenty of friendly pubs and people to offer as alternatives.
1 Sep 2009 10:30
Can only comment on quality/range of beer available and friendliness of staff - both great. Didn't try food. We had a table outside in the evening sunshine and drank Kwak and Westmalle Dubbel - both lovely. I haven't found many places serving such a range of Belgian beers at better prices in the UK and I'd definitely recommend it.
10 Aug 2009 17:28
The Seven Stars, Chancery Lane
Nonsense, it's a great pub. Returned on Wednesday for 4 and a half perfectly served pints of Landlord (3 other real ales available), a delicious plate of herrings and potato salad, and half a plate of cheese. Bar staff and fellow drinkers more than pleasant. Go to this pub.
27 Mar 2009 14:03
The Jeremy Bentham, Bloomsbury
This pub is hugely improved. Around 5 real ales in good condition served by a very friendly landlord and staff. Great atmosphere and food is hearty and pretty good value. I stopped coming here for a while despite it being my work local but would strongly recommend it again now.
23 Mar 2009 15:54
Redhill already has a top notch pub - The Garland. Not THAT far from the centre...
23 Oct 2008 14:16
The Hampshire Bowman, Dundridge
Stopped here on recent cricket tour. Great beer range but quality not exceptional and prices way o.t.t. - especially for food.
3 Sep 2008 09:37
Hard to add to the comments below really! An excellent pub and I wish I'd had time to spend longer here on my recent visit.
3 Sep 2008 09:35
Why do H&W do this to pubs? Gift of a location, perfectly friendly staff (very friendly actually to be fair) and an enjoyable pint of Badger. BUT the menu is the same old ropey, tired hotch-potch of would be traditional pub favourites you get in so many of their pubs. My steak was served well done despite asking for it medium rare and my partner's salmon was over-grilled, tough and unappetising. What has been done to the interior too? A random selection of second hand books don't add anything, especially when the rest of the interior has been sanitised beyond recognition. Please don't go down the Greene King route of turning pubs with character and individuality into this bland, middle of the road nonsense. I want to like H&W. I have a century old family connection with the brewery and I like your beer - but stop ruining pubs!
27 May 2008 14:23
Could do so much better despite trying so hard! Neither a top notch pub for food nor a relaxed and convivial place to drink. If half the effort went into the product as has gone into the marketing this place would be worth visiting.
23 May 2008 10:39
Got a fantastic welcome here from landord and locals, on our first day walking the Coast to Coast. Decent enough pint and very welcome meat pie. Great little unpretentious pub.
14 May 2008 12:19
Is it possible that each course being served by a different waitress was part of an elaborate theme? Was each one dressed to reflect a different period of the pub's history? Or perhaps as a different local food?
22 Apr 2008 17:10
Absolutely as good as it gets. A pub by which all others should be judged.
22 Apr 2008 14:14
Friendly but rather bland - spent some pleasant Sunday evening here when staff will chat to you and make you very welcome. At busier times it's rather a food tread mill however.
16 Apr 2008 12:39
Best pub in Hassocks, by some margin. Friendly, excellent choice and quality of beer and no nonsense menu. Enjoyed playing bar billiards in here, though losing to a pair of 11 year olds was chastening!
16 Apr 2008 12:37
The Rose Cottage Inn, Polegate
Another superb trip yesterday. Arrived late for lunch but still allowed to order roast or ploughmans. Great pint of hophead. Remains a favourite Sussex pub.
14 Apr 2008 12:54
The Rose Cottage Inn, Polegate
Absolutely first rate pub. Friendly, good beer, tasty food, wonderful setting and a parrot on the bar. They don't come much better than this.
25 Feb 2008 12:39
Comes a very poor third out of pubs in the centre of Lindfield (I don't count the White Horse, it's a restaurant). Bland, chainey and soul-less. Do yourself a favour and cross the road for some great real ale and charm in the Stand Up or walk up the High St to the Bent Arms for a more authentic village pub serving better food.
18 Feb 2008 16:58
The Empress of Blandings, Copythorne
What is the significance of the Wodehouse-inspired name of this pub? Anyone know how long it has been thus-called?
18 Feb 2008 16:07
Put simply, this a great pub. I was lucky enough to stay here while on a walking holiday and was rewarded with great beer (Black Sheep), warming home-cooked food, a friendly lamb running around the place, and an even friendlier landlady who let us drink till 1am. Got it spot on without appearing to have to try!
1 Feb 2008 10:49
Excellent pub. Friendly, very good quality Harveys beer and more than adequate food - not stunning but very acceptable after a cold tramp on the Downs. I visited on a busy Sunday lunchtime, but I could see this being a nice spot for an evening pint by the fire. I will return.
14 Jan 2008 11:57
Shamefully, made my first visit to this pub on Sunday. Superb atmosphere and great range of Dark Star and other ales. Best pub in Brighton!
24 Oct 2007 17:51
Biased because it's my local, but in general I'd say Adam keeps a good range of beers on - the fact you can always get a decent pint of Pride in addition to 3 or 4 other ales says a lot! Good fish and chips and curries too. We are indeed lucky to have this one in Deptford.
27 Sep 2007 14:34
The Duke Of York Inn, Sayers Common
I'd got so much into the habit of despising this pub that I'm finding it rather hard to admit it's not too bad now. The current managers are pretty friendly, certainly compared to previous draconian incumbents, and the barmaids are especially good natured. Good enough choice of beers (Harveys Best, Pride, Spitfire) and I've had a couple of very acceptable meals in here recently. It's never going to be a great pub, due to to location, tired decor and a lack of atmosphere, but it's trying quite hard at least. It does still have the frankly disconcerting painting of naked children outside the toilets so some things will never change!
31 Aug 2007 10:43
Had a good meal here while looking at houses in the area. Pleased to see the bear in still in residence. This used to be my rather far flung local while living in HH in the early 90s and had some excellent nights on Badger or K&B Sussex. Can't speak for the accomodation!
30 Aug 2007 17:35
This used to be my local when I lived in Foundry Lane, and my flat mate at the time used to pop down for last orders in her dressing gown and slippers. Does everything a good pub should - serves great real ale and cider and provides a welcoming haven.
28 Jun 2007 12:43
The Kings Head, Lewes
I think the previous review is a little harsh. This pub certainly has moved in the gastro direction but there's plenty of space to sit and drink, the beer is excellent, the staff very friendly and the food I had was excellent and fairly priced. I think Lewes is big enough to accommodate a range of pubs and, while I agree the GA, Brewers and Snowdrop are all excellent at what they do and visit them regularly, I think the new managers have improved the Kings Head which never did much for me before.
31 Mar 2011 11:45