BITE user comments - scissorkicks
Comments by scissorkicks
Fantastic place - very influential in my formative years, and better than ever now. Great bar with good beer - downstairs bar usually has three ales on - two Adnams and one guest. Brooklyn Lager in the fridge also!
4 Sep 2009 10:09
Have heard rumours of an August re-opening... anyone got any news?
17 Aug 2009 21:33
The Crown and Sceptre, Kensington
A real shame if this is shut, but things didn't seem right on a recent visit. Tuesday evening, very quiet. Hog's Back TEA and HOP both in pretty rough condition (the HOP was simply undrinkable).
12 Aug 2009 17:30
The White Horse, Parsons Green
Paid my first visit here for the American beer festival yesterday. The selection of beers was staggering - never thought I'd get to try American cask ale in the UK. Wonderful stuff. Also enjoyed the Meantime Special Porter on cask (only a half, mind, as it's 9.5%!).
But, as has no doubt been said a million times, THE LOCALS. I could feel the latent class warrior in me rise to the surface as they brayed their way through their �50 bottles of wine, and let their long-haired children run riot. Seeing someone desperately try to squeeze a HUGE pram into the already packed outdoor area was both hilarious and terrifying. We managed to keep focused on the beer, but when we were joined at our table by a couple of "forever 40s" (one of whom needs to sue her Harley St plastic surgeon as her face was well on its way to Michael Jackson levels of wrong-ness) we had to admit defeat. Will definitely be back for the American festival next year - although I'll probably take a day off and doing it on a Friday lunchtime to cut down on the insanity.
5 Jul 2009 22:18
Paid a visit on a Saturday afternoon. After the mayhem of the White Horse American beer festival (cracking beer but OH the hateful poshos and their children!) this was blessed relief. Wonderfully relaxed pub with a lovely interior and - most importantly - cracking beers. Had a pint of the TT Dark Mild, which was as wonderful as ever (as said above, a Sparkler can definitely give it even more life, but it was still great). Followed it with a pint of Pilsner Urquell - wonderful to see this quality lager on tap - which was cold and deliciously hoppy. Divine.
It's a bit of a trek for me, but I can definitely see myself returning to this place. It's wonderful!
5 Jul 2009 22:09
Paid a brief visit on a Saturday afternoon. Don't often venture to these parts, but wanted to check it out after seeing its high position in the charts.
It really was pretty pleasant - served a cracking pint of Harvey's Sussex Best. Managed to cadge a sofa and couple of armchairs, so we were really comfy. There are some interesting looking pictures on the walls - even in the gents.
It's hard to elaborate further - I really did like it, though.
5 Jul 2009 22:05
Paid a Saturday afternoon visit. Outside area absolutely RAMMED with whinnying "Rah-Rah" types (as mentioned in a comment below). Barbecue smelled good, but the ridiculous PA system announcing orders were ready (reminiscent of an old boating lake "COME IN NUMBER 19, YOUR TIME IS UP!" was horrible, and even louder than the screeching moneyed idiots on the terrace. Which is a big shame, because the pub interior is really nice. The back bar in particular is nicely simple and pretty traditional-looking. Ale selection enhanced over your average Young's pub by including Deuchars (had a pint, which was perfectly fine). No quality lager on our visit, which is a shame - Pilsner Urquell or Budvar would have gone down a treat on a roasting afternoon. It is a bit remote, as others have commented, but the client�le in evidence yesterday put me off paying a repeat visit. I'd say The Ship's position in the top 20 is weird, but I've long since given up trying to fathom how the BITE ratings actually work :)
5 Jul 2009 22:01
Very sad to hear the management are moving on - woe betide the new management if they try to tinker too much with the place, as it seems to be working well. Was in last Friday - really busy, great atmosphere, fantastic food, superb beers. Will be paying a Good Friday visit to the festival to give them the send-off they deserve!
7 Apr 2009 09:22
HEARTBREAKING to see this still hasn't re-opened. What a wonderful pub.
31 Mar 2009 13:13
Popped in here yesterday afternoon. Batemans XB was an unexpected surprise. The cost of �2.56 was another - fantastic.
And to top it all off, the regular that reaks of urine was nowhere to be seen. Marvellous.
24 Mar 2009 23:53
It seems churlish to criticise this place for the size of the room and the "outside" gents, when there's only one reason to visit this place - the beer. I love a good pub with one or two great beers available as much as the next man. But if you want to try something you're rarely going to see anywhere else in London (or the UK for that matter), this is the place to go. On my visit last week, they had Schlenkerla Rauchbier on tap - only the second time I've seen it outside Bamberg. Yes, it's pricey (although not as insanely as the White Horse in Parson's Green), but you truly get what you pay for. I've not had a problem with the staff - they've usually seemed as attentive as they possibly could be in such a cosy place. However, like other posters I have found myself being a touch embarrassed by the more stereotypical beer bores that sometimes gravitate to this place. I don't let this bother me too much, though - just concentrate on enjoying the excellent and / or unusual beers.
18 Mar 2009 11:02
This place is a gem. Superb ales (Mild, Pale Ale and Porter all on top form on my last visit), food looks superb (I didn't eat, but eyed up my neighbours meals hungrily), furniture and features are gorgeous. Will be back here many times, I think.
18 Mar 2009 10:55
Paid a brief visit last weekend - quite enjoyed it. It's a little twee, and yes - "boho" is probably accurate. But it was pleasant enough, the beer was good (Dartmoor Best and Tribute were on the handpumps), snacks were excellent (chunky pork scratchings and delicious wasabi peas). I must also confess to having a bit of a geek-out at the painting of The Shadow on the side wall coming up from the main road. Marvellous!
18 Mar 2009 10:52
The West Brewing Company, Glasgow
Have had a few visits to this place in the last few months, and always enjoyed it. I've found the beer to be of thoroughly decent quality - I've visited Bamberg in the past, and while it's not quite that good, West's beer is certainly comparable considering it's a very new venture - and have also enjoyed the food (in particular the Sauerbraten and Wienerschnitzel). The "Bonfire Beer" (late 2008 special) was particularly good - dark and smoky.
Was in there last Saturday, and there was a wedding reception going on there. So busier than usual, and certainly helped the atmosphere.
I don't know what it was like before changing hands, but I'd definitely recommend a visit now. I've also seen their excellent St Mungo Lager on sale in the Three Judges at Partick Cross.
4 Mar 2009 17:16
The Three Judges, Partick Cross
Had a great night in here last Saturday, and certainly can't agree with the opinion below. Beer was excellent, served at appropriate temperature in all cases, staff friendly and toilets acceptable.
Will be back next time I'm in Glasgow, for sure!
4 Mar 2009 17:08
Was very disappointed to be served a pint of vinegar masquerading as a Jennings ale ("Cross Buttock", I believe) the other week. While I realise this could easily not be the fault of the pub or the staff (real ale is "live", after all), I don't appreciate being told "it's meant to taste like that". It was VINEGAR for crying out loud. I was being told this by someone I gathered is either the landlord or the manager, and this shows a sad lack of knowledge about the products you're selling. A real shame.
Food decent as ever, but a disappointment on the beer front after some excellent Brakspear and Ringwood guests around Xmas.
19 Feb 2009 23:40
Finally visited this place the other week, on an unexpected "snow day" off work. Smaller bar to the right was fairly busy, but felt a bit intimidating - I was on my own, and felt I was getting a bit of a stare for not being a regular (despite being a local). Went to the other bar on the left, which was quiet. Had a fairly ordinary pint of Young's Bitter (a fairly ordinary beer, so fair enough). Table had remains of a previous diner's food on it, which wasn't too pleasant. Overall it was a strange experience - the pub just didn't feel too welcoming. It's hard to put my finger on. Nothing too objectionable, but I doubt I'll be back.
19 Feb 2009 23:34
Have had a couple of superb sessions here lately - one Friday night with some friends enjoy superb pizzas along with the ales, the other a Sunday afternoon watching the football.
It's always a treat to see a pub with so many handpumps at the bar, but even more of a treat to see them almost always in use as they are at the Hop Pole. I love the Pembury Tavern in Hackney, but on occasion I've found many of the pumps disused there (not often, though). At the Hop Pole you never know what you're going to find - and even if you just stick to the Vale beers you can't go wrong. Particular favourite on a recent visit was the Mordue IPA - delicious!
I love this pub so much, I wish I lived in Aylesbury. Can there be any more striking a recommendation?
3 Feb 2009 20:58
Pleasant afternoon visit yesterday. Enjoyed the Milton "Tiki" (3.8%) and Blanche De Brux in particular. The mead was a welcome warmer as well.
Keep up the good work!
11 Jan 2009 16:15
Paid a late-afternoon visit this afternoon. I'm from outside the area (Wendover/Aylesbury), and my friends who live around the corner had commented on the refurb and the quality of the food. We'd already eaten, but popped in for a couple of drinks and a chinwag.
Hats off to Richard and Teri - in its previous guise, I'd never have dreamed of drinking here. But it has been transformed into a thoroughly decent put. Four ales on - 3 usual suspects (GK IPA / London Pride / Bombardier), and one unusual guest (Butcombe Gold).
We visit the area quite a lot, and I'm over the moon that there's a decent local pub now. Best of luck - here's hoping it thrives.
2 Nov 2008 21:04
Superb afternoon yesterday for the Bier-Mania Oktoberfest @ Zeitgeist. Superb selection of German beers and excellent food. Love this place.
12 Oct 2008 22:05
OH - forgot to mention my other main gripe about the ale on my previous visits since the refurb - SPARKLERS! Perhaps it's a Marston's-wide policy, but personally I can't stand them. I know people argue about the effect they have on the beer, but I can't help feeling the extra agitation has a negative impact on the flavour.
12 Oct 2008 21:54
Hi Martin,
It's nice to see you're making an effort on the beer front. I've only made a couple of visits since the refurb, and have been disappointed by the ales available. I'm not a fan of Marston's beer, and even the other brewers now in the Marston's portfolio all seem to succumb to the same blandness eventually. When you mention guest beers, will these be from brewers outside the Marston's empire? If so, I'll be very keen to pop along and try them.
The beer festival sounds like a great idea as well - will definitely make it down for that. One thing, though - and I know this will probably come across as a bit anal - referring to ales as "bitter" is a bit misleading, as Bitter is just one of many styles of ale. Now, where's my anorak gone?
12 Oct 2008 21:53
Had a pleasant enough sunday dinner here today. �12.95 for two courses - not "cheap", but not unusual for the area. Three ales on when we were in there - IPA, London Pride, Old Hooky. A fourth pump wasn't in use, but it's a shame they haven't got something from The Chiltern Brewery, which is a stone's throw away.
Hooky was in good nick, and it's pleasant inside (we ate in the pub area, not the restaurant. Like many similar places, I'm not sure how well it succeeds as a "pub", but it's a pleasant place to get a meal. Tons of potential, though - and they've made a decent start.
31 Aug 2008 21:32
This place is a real conundrum. For a pub that's part of a National Trust site, the decor seems strangely incongruous. It's all a bit flowery and semi-modern. It doesn't really feel like a pub at all.
It also suffers from the same affliction as many pubs that also serve food - whenever I come here, I often find myself wondering "if I'm not eating, am I allowed to sit there?". I'm all for pubs serving food as well, but if you leave the punters who only want a drink wondering if you're allowed to sit down, you're in trouble.
But when all this is said and done, there are always some good ales on. The Chiltern Brewery ales are always worth supporting - the current Cobblestones summer ale is very good indeed, and I enjoyed the mild earlier in the year. I've seen the odd interesting guest here as well. I haven't eaten here yet, so can't comment on the food.
18 Jul 2008 12:39
Appears to be open again. "Under New Management" signs outside. Will try to pay a visit this weekend.
18 Jul 2008 12:28
Paid a visit to the current festival on Wednesday, and it was more than worth the trip in from leafy Buckinghamshire. Superb selection, everything I tried was in top nick. The Moravka lager is a great addition, as well! I had the Thai fish cake for dinner, and it was excellent as ever.
Love this place - it *almost* makes me wish I still lived in London, which is saying something.
18 Jul 2008 12:23
Paid my first visit to this place last night, and it's a cracker. Terrific, well-kept ale selection. Cosy, comfortable interior. Great post-matchday atmosphere - there were even some away fans still there, and everyone was good-humoured and well behaved. Music in the back room, as well.
All in all, an absolutely fantastic pub. Highly recommended.
16 Mar 2008 22:18
I'm a Wendover resident, and I'll definitely be checking this out when it re-opens. I'm hoping that Marston's will take the refurb as an opportunity to put some of the more interesting ales from their range behind the bar. Fingers crossed.
7 Feb 2008 00:59
Had a terrific (and cheap!) Sunday Lunch in here a couple of weeks back. Ales in top-notch condition, as ever. Wonderful place.
7 Feb 2008 00:40
Yet another lovely visit to the Pembury last weekend for a pre-birthday celebration. Only the Milton ales and a terrifying-sounding cider - Wobble Juice - were on, but it didn't matter as they were all in great nick.
Just wish the Marcus Aurelius (7.5% or thereabouts) wasn't quite so tasty. I was in a bit of a state on Sunday :)
7 Feb 2008 00:38
Saw the sign outside yesterday. Slightly worrying. This was (is?) a very pleasant pub for a summer walk out of Wendover. Also usually had a few interesting ales on - my last visit saw a couple of Hook Norton ales and Banks's Mild.
21 Dec 2007 10:21
Had a few pints here a couple of weeks ago. Was playing a gig across the road in a horrid wine bar type place, and this was blessed relief. Good Adnams, shame that the other handpumps were Courage Best / Directors (had a directors when the Adnams went off - very bland).
Pub itself is cosy and inviting. Bar staff friendly.
Only drawback... it closed at about 10pm on a Friday night, which is a shame.
24 Oct 2007 14:27
Very happy for this to be my new local. Friendly landlord and staff, and always a decent selection of ales. It's a Fuller's pub, but there's usually a guest from outside the Fuller's portfolio (recently it was Steerage from Titanic, which was terrific).
15 Aug 2007 21:29
Popped in here last Friday at about 4.30pm for a cheeky pint after skiving off early from work. I've recently moved to Wendover, and this is the first pub I've tried.
It was quiet, but that's to be expected for the time of day. Had a rather toothsome pint of Gales' Butser - at a thoroughly reasonable price of �2.27. The young chap serving was very friendly, as I recall. It's hard to give a definitive view after such a brief visit, but I certainly did enjoy it.
20 Jun 2007 18:22
The Royal Standard, Wooburn Common
I'd visited here once before, early on a winter's Friday night with my girlfriend, and got an ever-so-slightly bad vibe from the place. There was nowhere to sit, and it felt a little intimidating to not be an obvious local. The ales were superb though.
However, after a sunny afternoon visit on Good Friday, I saw a completely different side to the place. It was bright and welcoming, with friendly staff and absolutely top class real ale. As mentioned below - five handpumps, and five more out the back on gravity. I tried two from the gravity selection - Dark Star Old Ale (midway between a mild and a porter - absolutely delicious), and a Scottish ale called Ossian (golden and delicious).
My only regret about my visit is that I was driving, and couldn't sample the rest.
7 Apr 2007 12:02
This place is now completely boarded up, and as I as speak some tree surgeons appear to be chopping down and chipping the trees in the garden.
31 Mar 2007 10:32
oops - realised I've mistaken ladnewton for the landlord. apologies
27 Mar 2007 22:19
ladnewton : do you have an e-mailing list for when there are festivals and other events coming up? I don't live in the area any more, but would definitely make the trip into town as the festival I came to last year was so good.
27 Mar 2007 22:18
This place appears to have been shut since at least the beginning of January 07. Also lost its sign during the recent gales.
5 Feb 2007 13:50
Paid two visits to the Doric Arch last weekend (early afternoon followed by a late evening visit after a disappointing few hours at Mabel's Tavern over the road).
Hadn't been in since the Fuller's takeover and refurb. Was overjoyed to see that, in addition to 3 (I think) Fuller's ales, there were at least another 6 handpumps in operation with various guests. Tried the mild (Batemans, was it?) and Dark Star Hophead (an old favourite) and they were both excellent. Prices for both seemed very reasonable for central London - �2.60. The previous night, I paid �3.10 for a pint of Deuchar's IPA down the road. Make of that what you will.
In the afternoon it was pretty rammed for the rugby, but not intimidating at all. Returned at 9.30pm or so, and it was quiet but not dead. Just how I like it.
As someone else mentioned - what a shame the bar is still smoking since the refurb. Roll on July.
5 Feb 2007 13:47
Not sure if this place has changed drastically since the CAMRA North London award, but I honestly can't see what it did to warrant the award. Spent an early evening in here last weekend. Football was on, and a number of "colourful" locals were in. Thankfully, the most over-served members of this contingent wandered off when the footie finished.
As ever, the Shepherd Neame ales are distinguished only by their total mediocrity. I swear I couldn't tell the Master Brew and Kentish Best apart. Didn't try the Bishop's Finger, and thankfully the Spitfire (aka Loony Juice) was off.
It's a shame, as I really like the look of the pub from the outside, and it's not too bad inside. There's a bit of effort gone into the menus - had a pleasant enough sarnie early on, which was satisfying and reasonably priced. But it looks a bit like the place is in danger of drifting quite badly into neglect. The prevailing smell in the bar is a none-too-pleasant nostalgic mix of stale tobacco and beer. The gents were fairly nasty, also.
Also, after the footie they switched the big screen to a piped-in music channel, which was just loud enough to be annoying.
By no means a bad pub, per se - but it really falls far short of justifying the award in my eyes.
5 Feb 2007 13:42
The oldest pub in Lacock - apparently there has been an in on the site since the 12th century. Like the nearby Red Lion, it's another Wadworth's establishment, albeit much smaller and more cosy. Three Wadworth's pumps were on when I was here - JCB / 6X and IPA. The pub has a wonderful fireplace, and a spit which was originally attached to a wheel driven by a "turnspit" - a dog specifically bred to turn the spit. Very good food was available on my visit - I had the home made faggots, which really were excellent. My only slight criticism would be that there's not an awful lot of space to sit down if you just want a drink. I was in Lacock for the weekend, and on my first visit (the Friday night) the restaurant tables were quiet, but there was nowhere to sit. Still, this isn't a big deal as the food is so good that it's worth going the whole hog and getting a table.
7 Nov 2006 12:43
Terrific Wadworth's pub in stunning surroundings. When I was here they had three Wadworth's ales on - IPA, 6X and the seasonal Malt'n'Hops. All kept well and tasting very good. Superb b&b accomodation, and incredibly helpful and welcoming staff. The food on offer is excellent also - especially the option of having kippers for breakfast. Divine! I can imagine this place could be a bit hairy in the summer when the tourists are around, but if you're looking for a decent pint in the area - or even a place to stay - this is well worth a look.
7 Nov 2006 12:32
Had Sunday lunch at the Three Horseshoes today. It was rammed, and it was easy to see why. As previously mentioned, this is effectively the Rebellion brewery tap, and they had six of Rebellions ales on - including the divine dark mild. Food really was excellent, and (unlike the experience of the previous reviewer) the staff were attentive and helpful. I tried the mild and the Mutiny, both of which were (as you'd expect) superbly kept. Great pub, well worth a visit - just be sure to get there early for sunday lunch, or be prepared for a bit of a wait. It's worth it, though.
1 Oct 2006 15:53
Just moved to the area and paid a brief visit this evening.
Two real ales on (Brakspear Bitter and the local Rebellion IPA - tried the IPA and it was excellent). Menu looked very promising (although I wasn't able to stay long enough to find out for sure).
Beer garden has an absolutely stunning view over the chiltern hills.
Initial impressions - this seems to be an excellent local with friendly staff and some decent beer on. Particularly pleased to see a local brew on - the Rebellion IPA.
Will no doubt be visiting this place a lot in the coming months.
26 Jul 2006 20:44
I desperately want the Pembury to succeed.
Paid a visit yesterday with my girlfriend and two other friends. When we arrived there were only three or four other people in the whole place.
Worryingly, a large number of the handpumps appeared to be off - although if it's always this quiet, then it's hardly fair to expect the landlord to stock a wide range all the time.
We ate lunch there, and it was excellent. My girlfriend and I both enjoyed the sausages with posh mash / gravy and red cabbage. One of my friends had Tillapia (it's a fish.. I wasn't sure when I saw the name) fillets and said it was excellent also. Had a couple of excellent pints too - "Wot's Appenin", and my old favourite, the Minotaur mild from the Milton Brewery.
So why is the Pembury so quiet? There are probably myriad reasons for it. The old Pembury, by the time of its closure, had a very bad reputation. I suppose this means you're on the back foot from the very start. But I honestly believe there are problems with the current configuration of the pub that need to be addressed (although I fully admit I'm not a licensee, and all of this is an attempt at constructive criticism from a layman).
As mentioned in reviews below, the doors are a big problem. They are large, dark, and have no windows in them. When they're closed, the pub looks *closed*. Combined with the windows being frosted on the bottom half, it makes it very difficult to actually see inside the place, and even be sure whether or not it's open.
As for the interior - yes, it's clean - even bordering on sterile. But it seems a little silly to criticise a pub for this. I think perhaps the modern decor combined with a minimalist redesign has resulted in a lot more space. This, combined with no music at all, means that when the pub is quiet, your every word reverberates around the place. I'm not sure how this would be best tackled. I worry that if the pub did become busy, it would run the danger of being unbearably loud and reverberant inside.
I'm not sure it's time to start radical changes regarding music, interior decor etc right now (although replacing the doors with windowed ones, and perhaps taking the frosting out of the windows would be a great help). I honestly think a good first step would be to get some decent signage up on the walls outside. Hell, maybe even do a quiz once a week! I know it sounds naff, but it's something I always make a mental note of when passing a pub, as it's something I like to do with friends sometimes.
But all this criticism should be tempered by my assertion that the one thing the Pembury does fantastically well is the beer - and after all, that's what we're here for isn't it? Now with the addition of excellent food, you really owe it to yourself to check it out if you can.
24 Jul 2006 10:18
Has anyone else been to this place recently (March 2006)? I've just moved nearby, and wondered if it was worth checking out.
15 Mar 2006 21:24
Have passed this pub many a time, but only just got around to visiting it. What a pleasant surprise! A summer Saturday night in N1, and this place is mere yards away from the meat market that is Upper Street, and had 4 real ales on. Truly a rarity in this area. Staff were really friendly and welcoming - there were a few obvious "regulars" in, but by no means did this make us feel unwelcome. An oasis for N1 drinking.
3 Jul 2005 01:54
Back to scissorkicks's profile
The Flint Cottage, High Wycombe
This is a great addition to Wycombe, and in a prime location (right next to the train station). Good cask selection. Mostly terrific bottle selection (if I were being picky, there's too much run of the mill pasteurised British ale in bottles - a bit pointless when you've got 7 cask pumps - and the German selection is very poor - nothing from Franconia at all... and Becks!?!?).
Anyway, this is a great place and it will be great to see how it progresses in the summer. One thing though - PLEEEEEEEEASE can the management sort out the massive typos on the signage both outside and in. It's really embarrassing. Sorry to be so anal :(
3 Feb 2010 00:20