BITE user comments - virginiaplain
Comments by virginiaplain
Quality hostelry in a beautiful Cotswold location, Stroud Tom Long on good form and the food was very tasty,with generous portions. One to walk to someday for a proper day of ale sampling.
25 Jan 2011 13:31
The Southampton Arms, Gospel Oak
Visited a couple of weeks ago on the strength of other users' comments and was not disappointed - only had time for one delicious pint, but there seemed to be an impressive range of ales, and the music was good quality and unobtrusive. I'm eager to return later in the summer and work my way along the pumps, good to see St Peter's produce amongst those on tap
26 Jul 2010 16:14
Far be it from me to question the wisdom of Greene King, and perhaps the Swan's been losing money hand over fist recently, but i have to say i was distraught to call in a fortnight ago to find that the place has been significantly altered for the worse. Gone are the kegs of guest ales and comfy seating and in come big tables, high chairs and lots of menus - the look and feel of the place is now bland chain pub, and i can't believe i'm the only punter dismayed by this. For so long an oasis of affable supping in bleak central Brentwood, the swan's been hollowed out and blandified horribly, but if you like wine you'll enjoy the many shelves of shiny bottles which occupy the space those pesky ale barrels used to reside in. It may not have been thw world's greatest pub but i was fond of it and could rely upon it as a decent alternative to the soulless holes in the same street - i suppose it's the longer trek to the Victoria on the Ongar Road from now on, a pleasant boozer that now represents the best option for the swan's refugees like myself. Surely i'm not the only one?
26 Jul 2010 16:06
The Pride of Spitalfields, Shoreditch
Arrived here at the end of a Spitalfields pub exploration as laid out In Bob Steel's excellent book of London pub walks. The evening had been a bit of a mixed bag up to this point, but the Pride, tucked just off Brick Lane, ably compensated for any underwhelming establishments already visited - cosy and atmospheric inside, and was delighted to be able to introduce my companions to Essex's finest in the form of Crouch Vale Gold, decent pork scratchings as well. Must pay a return visit soon at the start of an evening's supping to appreciate it even more.
21 Jun 2010 19:29
I've called in here sporadically over the last ten years of visiting the Brentwood area and the quality and selection of ales always impresses, similar to the Viper several miles distant or even the Swan in Brentwood, in that it's a proper pub that allows you to sample a decent variety of ales in a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere- that said, there's usually a decent crowd when I've visited, even in mid-afternoon, and the local's banter creates a pleasant and unobtrusive background hubbub. It is a bit out of the way but well worth the effort, and there are worse routes to a pub than through Weald Park, and once you've had your fill you can toddle back to the Ongar road for a bus.
21 Jun 2010 19:17
was recommended to us by our b&b hosts, terrific drive down dark country lanes to a place that feels properly middle of nowhere. Once inside, friendly service, good ale and food and plenty of cosy alcoves, would love to get back sometime without a car and settle in for the evening, well worth making the effort to find. i'd also recommend the place we stayed, Sannacott farm near South Molton i think.
16 Jun 2010 11:31
Called in a few days after Christmas, having been walking in the area, and found it most welcoming with decent ales (i had a Dark Star something) and friendly staff - very convenient for the railway station as well
16 Jun 2010 11:23
The Charles Dickens, Southwark
Have only visited twice, but found ale selection to be very impressive both times, am looking forward to returning in the near future. it's also conveniently located close to some other quality pubs like the Royal Oak, King's arms and Lord Clyde, all easily do-able in a few hours wandering between waterloo and London Bridge
16 Jun 2010 11:19
Stopped in for one after an afternon's exploring and found it pleasant enough, my friend was most impressed by the quality of his guinness and the fragments of ships on the walls, and it's nice and close to the harbour for catching the ferry back.
12 Feb 2010 12:25
Like the Portcullis, a real effort made to provide an interesting ale selection and inside it feels like a proper old boozer, good to see Crouch Vale and Nethergate produce in the West country, particularly nice spot for winter supping.
17 Jul 2009 13:41
This place is a few minutes from my brother's house, so we tend to pop in whenever i'm over, and i 've grown very fond - excellent array of guest ales that change regularly, a cosy layout, and cheery service. There's plenty of pubs in the clifton area, but this is the one that's worth the most effort to get to, my brother was a committed lager drinker until he stumbled upon it but he's now getting into his ales and being made to feel a welcome regular by Ned, by the way make sure you seek out its sister pub the Victoria as well.
17 Jul 2009 13:35
Only my second visit last week, but shall definitely return soon - terrific selection of old vinyl records which virtually guarantee you'll get decent tunes all evening (though my brother failed to warm to Captain Beefheart), very friendly service as well.
17 Jul 2009 13:22
Tucked away in an alley near the city centre, worth the effort to find - pleasant surrounds and intriguing selection of ales.
17 Jul 2009 13:18
The Hillgrove Porter Stores, Bristol
Alcoves with leather armchairs, good selection of ales, including one from Brentwood Brewing Company that was top-notch (impressive amount of Essex ales in Bristol recently!), an inviting spot.
17 Jul 2009 13:16
Hadn't heard of this place before last week, found it on the way to Hillgrove nearby, very cosy spot with variety of Bath ales to enjoy, worth the steep trek (or precarious descent), yet another high quality Bristol hostelry.
17 Jul 2009 13:13
Another delightful pub in beguiling Belgravia environs - my cricket-loving companion was enraptured by the wall displays,a lovely quiet spot, slightly suprised that the pubs in this area open on saturday afternoons given how empty they were, though we weren't complaining!
17 Aug 2008 15:07
Elegant place to stop for a Fuller's ale, leather armchairs and we particularly enjoyed the prints on the walls - the picture of a man reading while being observed by a heron was top-notch, will definitely return.
17 Aug 2008 15:02
another belgravia pub located a little off the beaten track,amongst well-heeled mews, cosy lower bar area, some impressive paintings of fish, good quality Adnams fare
17 Aug 2008 14:56
Popped in here at the start of a day's london pub exploration, and rather enjoyed it - very limited ale selection but it tasted pleasant and the girl behind the bar was an amiable presence,food didn't look that appetising though.Overall, worth visiting for attractive location, get there early if you want a seat!
17 Aug 2008 14:53
St Stephens Tavern, Westminster
Beautiful interior, impressive array of Badger ales,an ideal refuge for a damp wintry afternoon
10 Dec 2007 16:38
The Fountains Abbey, Paddington
Have to agree that the service is very swift and friendly,we stopped in on the way from paddington at friday teatime, and though very busy,we were able to drink without feeling crushed,nice to see Wadworths 6x available
10 Dec 2007 16:35
The Seven Stars, Chancery Lane
An intriguingly odd establishment,had a lovely pint of Harveys and revelled in the rare opportunity to drink beside a ruff-wearing cat,must also mention terrific journey to the toilet,steep staircase leading to glimpses of strange, ramshackle rooms - its just not a proper day out on the crawl in London if the toilets aren't located either up or down tricky steps with low beamed ceilings!
10 Dec 2007 16:30
The Nell Gwynne, Covent Garden
Well worth a visit - friendly staff,limited but tasty choice of ales,a jukebox that seems to play only great stuff (and at an acceptable volume too),and a thrillingly precarious descent to the toilets,of the type I'm discovering more and more while visiting London's hostelries!
10 Dec 2007 16:24
cosy spot, we got in before it filled up too much, excellent cornish beers.
10 Dec 2007 16:09
Stopped in here about a month ago and enjoyed several fine ales, in particular the Crouch Vale Gold.It's a cosy little spot and the stroll from Ingatestone station certainly helps to stoke up a thirst,if you're in a walking mood you can head on to the equally top notch White Hart a couple of miles distant,both pubs are well worth the effort.
24 Oct 2007 17:30
The Inn at Freshford, Freshford
Called in here in July and spent a delightful couple of hours supping ales from the Box Steam Brewery (I think this place and the nearby Cross Guns are the only pubs selling this lovely stuff).Nice little garden at the back,and I was asked if I'd like my ale in a jug - what's not to like? Also, its only a 5-10 minute walk up from the train station and afterwards you can head on to Avoncliff and the Cross Guns(about a mile's pleasant strolling)and get the train back from there - if you're heading back to Bath and Bristol for further ale sampling as we were!
9 Oct 2007 18:01
This place really does merit the gushing praise it gets.The ales have been many and varied on my several visits and all have been delicious,particularly the Cotleigh Tawny Owl and the pub's own VIPA.It's also located in an area replete with excellent walks across fields and through woods,and it's a delightful stroll in summer up from Ingatestone station,just watch out in the dark for deer crossing the roads in the vicinity,I've had a couple of near misses in the car.
1 Oct 2007 15:53
Visited here in the summer as part of a Wapping/Rotherhithe pub crawl my friend had devised.I can't comment on the food but we had a pleasant pint on the deck overlooking the river,and it's very close to the Brunel museum,if that intrigues you
1 Oct 2007 15:37
This place is just splendid,it was very busy when I was there but it's worth the effort to enjoy some Deuchars and Adnams in such a delightful,tucked away location,though it's not really too hard to find.Should definitely be incorporated into any Holborn/Fleet Street/Clerkenwell type crawl,though I think it is shut at weekends
1 Oct 2007 15:32
We stayed in a cottage right beside this place,a terrifc harbourside location where I first got to experience the delights of Doom Bar
1 Oct 2007 15:25
The Carpenters Arms, Marble Arch
Excellent ale selection,I had an Everard's Sunchaser which was most agreeable,the staff were as friendly as I've encountered in London,will definitely return.
1 Oct 2007 15:22
Got to agree with John, this pleasant boozer doesn't deserve to be overshadowed by the more famous Ship Inn across the way - they're both excellent,lookinf forward to trying the Swan next time I'm down that way
1 Oct 2007 15:14
It took me a while to stumble across this place on my travels,very glad I did.Good beer,attractive interior,worth seeking out
1 Oct 2007 15:04
Only been here a couple of times,but I really like it.Decent couple of ales on both times and I quite enjoyed the fact it was dark!Recommended for a rewarding pint after a dander in nearby Thorndon Park,and it's worth continuing on to the Old Dog on up the road to Billericay,just watch yourself on the corner when you're crossing the road!
1 Oct 2007 15:00
Found this to be a bit soulless after the refit (not that it was stunning before),but the beer selection has improved,some nice german stuff but far too expensive
1 Oct 2007 14:54
Definitely the best pub in Brentwood High Street,it's pretty basic inside and all the better for it,there's a good selection of guest ales, friendly service and customers who appreciate a bit of peace and quiet
1 Oct 2007 14:50
The Thatchers Arms, Great Warley
One of the first pubs I visited when i started coming to south Essex on a regular basis,so I have a lot of affection for it,it's got a lovely location and is great for a warming pint after a winter day's walk.The choice of ales is never anything radical,but the likes of Youngs,Theakstons and Bombardier do the job nicely,and the food's not bad either
1 Oct 2007 14:36
Back to virginiaplain's profile
Golden Fleece, Stroud
Cosy place to sup on the excellent local produce fom Stroud brewery, a proper haven in a town not exactly brimming with top-notch pubs. You may even be asked to choose what music you fancy listening to by the jolly barkeeps, it's not all jazz either!
25 Jan 2011 13:35