BITE user comments - shottendenaveling
Comments by shottendenaveling
I called in here during the week just after lunch. The pub was busy and most folk in the garden. Very freindly bar man/manager who made a good freindly effort. I liked his pub, its what a back street pub should be. Beer was wellkept.
26 Jun 2015 22:17
Visited this pub twice this week whilst working in the area. The Master Brew is very kept and a choice of two other real ales was nice to see. The barmaid was very nice and freindly. I wish we could say the same for the landlord. No sign of acknowledgment for two "new" customers sat at the bar, grunted angrily about my friends dog (in spite of dogs being allowed in). The regulars are a pleasant bunch, beer is good and the Monday barmaid lovely - just ignore the grumpy unfriendly landlord.
16 Oct 2014 12:57
I had thirty minutes to spare in Harrietsham today (mid afternoon) so thought I would give the Roebuck a try. As others have said the interior is a bit social-club like, but otherwise clean and tidy. The beers were Goachers Mild and Harveys.
A request for a sample of the Goachers was met without question and a smile. Tasted good. I see they have free Wifi and a good menu. Would try again perhaps when it was a bit busier, but looked alright to me.
12 Sep 2013 20:05
Its got much poorer in recent times. My chief complaint is the beer, there is isnt any - unless lager is your tickle. Visited 3 or 4 times in the last six months so feel qualified to comment. Most recently this was the ale scene: Kent Best (very poor, vinegar overbite); Goachers Dark Mild (undrinkable, left half a pint)... the remaining pump had a cider and then an American Pale Ale (What???). I asked what bottled ales exisited, none... so we went home.
My final point is, dont let your grinning chef dominate the end of the bar chatting up the bar staff - it makes customers wonder if they are really being served by someone interested in them, or getting back to the chef and his charms!
A nice building, with reasonable food but no Beer.
8 Apr 2013 22:06
Oh dear, I had been looking to my visit to the Lion. Previous visits always yielded good beer, nice bar-maid and pleasant company. Usually London Pride plus one or two others. An evening of Pride and Curry and Pub conviviality, lovely.
Disappointment then to be greeted by sullen pimply Bar Boy, disinterested and fed up. But worse was to come, 13 Lagers (thirteen, including the fridge bound stuff) and ONE ale... Doom Bar. Never was a beer better named. I am not a fan of this stuff and would avoid it but it was the only choice. I enquired of mine host what other beer there was "thats it" was his poetic and informational response. I guess in a high street that also contains the Summoner and Bunters you can afford to ignore your ale drinkers safe in the knowledge that they have nowhere else to go... I score it 6, but based on prior experience. Please, fire the sullen youth, bring back the nice girls and get a bloody beer in.
23 Nov 2012 19:13
A football pub I am afraid. Lots of football shirts on show and some large tellies that seem to show a never ending stream of football... anyway, enough said about that.
Have called in a couple of times and each time disappointed by the short measures on the pint. When I quesioned this with the bar maid she got a bit funny and called her manager - good news I thought! But wrong, he just stared at me like I was making trouble. So I did... "Top it up Chief, since I paid for it" - angry stare at me from manager and barmaid "And its the law...". Reluctantly our hostess topped it up. Not been back.
If you enjoy a quick 7/8 of a pint in the company of blokes in football tops, shouting at football this is the place for you. I will give it a miss.
20 Nov 2012 20:02
I had read the reviews and frankly was not really looking forward to this, but headquaterers told me were eating there on the way home so resistance was futile. Beer was Spitfire and London Pride. The Pride was just about okay, the Spitfire when changed was fine. For the ladies they do an "endless soft drink"... you get the idea you can keep refilling it.
Service at the bar was prompt and helpful - not what I had expected.
Eating in the restaraunt was okay. We had a helpful waitress but just a bit too helpful. It sort of made me think I was being set up for a healthy tip. Still, you cant complain, she was pleasant enough. Food was average, buts that Beefeater for you.
Cleanliness, pretty much okay. So in summary, I was surprised it was as okay as it was. Taking a young family there: they liked it; would I drink there every night? no, but its okay for a bit cheap grub and a pint. You can do worse (see my comments on the Castle Inn Framlingham).
6/10 I think
19 Nov 2012 22:44
What a lovely little find. I was in Gillingham with a bit of time to spare so called in. I am not a fan of this modern pub naming malarky ("scuffy ducks"; "stumble Inn" etc) but dont let the name put you off this a lovely little place.
From the off, they had mild on... cracking effort. A quick London Pride followed it switfly after. The landlady, who was very nice, apologised for the lack of rolls (it was 5PM so to be expected).
I think recognising that I was new in there, the landlady asked a couple of regulars to keep the noise down a bit. I had not minded one bit, but the thoughfulness was a nice touch.
A good selection of newspapers. Bogs clean and tidy.
If you have time to kill, give this one a try and I dont think you will be disappointed.
8 Nov 2012 21:16
The Ringlestone Inn, Ringlestone
Its a funny old pub this one, we take clients there and sometimes its good and sometimes its not so good, and just occasionally its truly bad. I then forget the bad expereince and find myself back in there three months later.
Lets start with the positives. It has a nice fire which burns most of the year it seems. Local wines (if you like that sort of thing); a decent ale and bottled ales too - yes its a Sheps pub but I can manage a Master Brew or Late Red and not die. Sometimes the staff are pleasant (the landlady and her son are okay).
Now the not so good. A few of the staff need some serious training in manners, etiquette and simply how to serve behind a bar. I have an alergy to dairy products - the number of times the waiter or waitress make an issue over this makes me irritated.
So, why do we go back, well its quaint and our clients seem to like it. Yes you get the odd night where service is a bit ropey but on the whole its better than a lot of them in this area of Kent.
8 Nov 2012 21:03
A big miserable disappointment. Went in just after lunch, to kill a long wait for a bus. I was the only customer and soon learned why.
Very loud music to the point it was hard to hear the barmaid - still, never mind, she was not exactly friendly. I asked for it be turned down a bit "just to stop my ears from bleeding"... humour did not work with the "hostess with the leastess". I tried engaging her in witty conversation - no, still miserable, but it passed the time until three local lads wandered in and began a discussion that seemed only to consist of swear words - including the one you should not use in front of a lady. Beer was sort of alright.
You kind of get the gist, a pub that no-one seems to care about and where you can 'eff and blind' at volume, the staff dont care and one can be guaranteed of a miserable experience. Wouldn't Bother.
7 Nov 2012 21:05
Foul. We tried it once. Drunk aggressive men drinking Lager, intimidating and run down. Walk down to the Red Lion and forget this dump.
7 Nov 2012 20:48
The Flying Horse, Boughton Lees
A great little pub, I have called in on mostly late afternoons on about 4 or 5 times a year over the last few years. I am impressed that the landlady always remembers me and is welcoming. This is a smartly presented pub, clean and well cared for.
The ale is well kept, we have tried a selection over our visits and always been very happy. A lovely big garden at the back. If you want a nice pub to take a lady friend this would be my choice.
7 Nov 2012 20:44
A good village pub that has worked hard to build a reputation a nice, sociable place to visit. Busy on Friday and Saturday evenings with locals, always pleasant staff behind the bar. Well kept ales. Does simple food, at reasonable prices. Nice on a winters evening when the log fire is ablaze.
7 Nov 2012 20:36
The Who'd Ha Thought It, Rochester
Just re-visited this pub after a break of ten years. I am pleased to report its still good. A nice straight forward boozer. Good beer, nice company. A plesant lunch time can be had here. We visted at halloween and a huge effort had been made to decorate the pub.
6 Nov 2012 22:43
It is a rare occasion that I leave a nearly full pint on a table in a pub and walk out. From the off, this was not a pub for me (or my drinking mate). A newish pub, lots of plastic and hard surfaces. Asking for ale you would think we had committed a sin... two pints of Spitfire (IIRC) were produced. Flat muck. We supped at about an inch of it. Crisps - clearly a big issue for the woman serving who was more interested in another customer to who she seemed to be related or at least wanted to be... crisps were stale. After five minutes we left our beer and found a real pub. Dont worry it will be shut down in a year.
6 Nov 2012 22:34
Appalling, avoid. The outside is deceptive. Large tasteful signs welcome you with "Great Food and Great Service". The inside looks like a time warp from the 1990s - possibly about the last time it was cleaned. If only we had turned around on entry. A mug was dumped on our table with the legend "great service, great food - leave tip in mug" scrawled on it. Sorry, but we dont tip overcooked inedible chips and food just dumped at us on dirty tables.
Bar staff were rude, locals seemed to delight in being overbearing-cos-its-their-local. There was nothing charming or plesant about this expereince, it could have been so good - next to the castle with excellent views. Even the beer (Sothwold) was skank in a dirty (it seemed) glass - not sure if it was first off. I would have complained but there seemed little point.
Possibly the worst pub I have visited this year - just a shame I was with the family on holiday... ooh just remembered bring your waders for the toilets. Rank, avoid.
6 Nov 2012 22:21
A very disappointing experience at the end of a holiday. My duaghters dinner was practically yanked from her by the "waiter cum chef" - when I remarked that she had not finished he simply sneered and sighed and huffed off.
Bar staff were unhelpful, curt and certianly not welcoming. Food was transport cafe average. Our evening was only made pleasant by the company we made on the next table.
Finally, the yokels seemed to delight in swearing as much as possible and preventing me getting to the bar, well they are welcome to their dismal little pub with dismal staff. Avoid please.
6 Nov 2012 22:10
Love it, favourite pub. Atmosphere, log fires in the winter, a large garden. Family oriented but with a freindly group of locals and regulars. A free house so a changing selection of beer.
Worth a drive out to. Heartily recommend.
6 Nov 2012 22:04
This is a good honest back street pub (albeit on the main road, but you can guess what I mean). It aint grand, it doesn't pretend to be, but it does have a welcoming landlord, decent friendly locals who will happily chat and pass the time with you. Beer is well kept, Sussex has been a regular for a while and is very nice. Simply cheap food is rustled up by the landlord and dogs are welcome.
I have been using the Jug on and off for about ten years and always enjoy it. If you are passing through Upchurch try it.
6 Nov 2012 21:59
A pub that has become very much the poorer since Mr Brices' ownership. Curtness/rudeness are his stock in trade. If you fancy an evening of feeling that you have invaded someones sitting room, want overpriced beer and get the feeling the yokels will be glad when you leave, then the KGV is for you. This is a real shame, it used to be a lovely pub.
6 Nov 2012 21:53
This is an odd pub. The London Pride is okay, and most of the locals are freindly enough, the thing that lets it down is the landlord who is rather rude. If you want a backstreet pub in Gillingham I would walk another 5 mins for the countryman and be in better company.
6 Nov 2012 21:48
First time in this pub, it was warm an inviting. The bar lady was freindly as were the two locals (came up to speak to our dog). London Pride in bottles which was good, sadly only Toby on draught from an ale point of view but a minor point. Good humour from staff and locals alike.
We thought this was a very nice pub, and would come back again.
6 Nov 2012 21:42
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Roebuck, Maidstone
What a shame. Went ba k in tonight after a gap of two years, and disinterested staff.The landlord sat our side of the jump tapping into his mobole phone, no a knowledgement or interest. Bored staff and unfriendly. Wont go back.
7 Dec 2015 22:54