BITE user comments - wilf880
Comments by wilf880
We were up in the Dales for the 1st time in July and fell in love with Muker. The Farmers is the only pub in the village and it's just perfect for walkers, bikers, passing sheep farmers and soft southerners in 4x4's, (us),
Here I discovered Black Sheep Best Bitter and my mate settled for draught Thatchers Cider. The food is good wholesome well prepared English grub, reasonably priced and served by friendly staff, in fact everyone we met was friendly and ready for a chat. PS. Asda do a bottled version of Black Sheep Bitter which is very pleasant, pour yourself a glass and imagine being in the Dales. Perfick!
11 Sep 2013 10:24
The overflowing sewer in the car park should have warned us, we were there for a drink and a bite to eat after the funeral of a friend, just as we had been a year earlier for her husband. What a difference a year makes! The designated room was in a filthy condition with old food, chips, peas etc. liberally scattered on the wooden floor. The coffee machine was broken so they'd laid out the cups with a bowl of teabags and instant coffee, the sandwiches were of the British Rail variety, hard, stale and tending to curl.
The furniture was tired, torn and looked as though it had been purchased at a boot fair. The exterior wasn't any better strewn as it was with rubbish and litter.
The beer? 2 on tap were Doombar & Fullers London Pride, both in good nick, it's a pity the pub's not!
10 Apr 2013 07:09
You waltz into a pub and ask for a table for 18, the girl behind the jump doesn't bat an eyelid but musters the staff and does the business. The beer's good with several bitters on tap including the local brews by Goddards & Yates. The food is excellent and the service sublime. Nuff said, 10 points!
26 Aug 2012 13:57
I must admit I'm a Youngs man, I went to school within spitting distance of the bewery and I began drinking mild & bitter long before it was legal for me to do so. I'm also very fond of the Buddle. I don't get to visit the IOW as often as I would like but always try to get to the pub when I do. I have never been disappointed, so it was great to see Youngs London Bitter on tap and an Isle of Wight crab salad on the menu.
Six bitters, including the local brews, Goddards & Yates (how I miss Burts) and my mate was suprised and delighted to see and taste Flowers Bitter, albeit on keg, but then wasn't it always?
Service, as usual, was swift and efficient, the staff and customers very friendly and the weather just the job for a bit of al fresco dining. I have no hesitation in rating this pub maximum points
26 Aug 2012 13:47
At last! A local pub where I can enjoy the simple pleasures of life, great beer, great food and a good old fashioned chat. It's no suprise that the clientel tend to be of a 'more mature' age, this is a haven dedicated to the enjoyment of British ale, a drink not popular with the 'youth' whose tastes are somewhat different.
Most pubs seem to have more staff than punters on a normal Saturday afternoon but The Hope was gently buzzing and never empty. Finally a word about the staff. Fantastic!
1 Apr 2012 08:58
Spent a very pleasant weekend in Winchester and had lunch both days in this boozer. The beer was excellent, Ruddles at �1.90 a pint went down very well thank you. I tried a couple more, one of which had Zulu in the name and was just as good. The pub grub was pub grub, hot tasty and filling and the staff were friendly, polite and somewhat overworked. Several people in my party liked it enough to return on the second day which must be a good recommendation.
30 Mar 2012 17:45
On a cold grey February day there's nowhere I would rather be than in a warm friendly English country pub. Give me a decent pint of Harveys Best, a log fire, the Daily Telegraph provided by the pub, (a small thing but so rare nowadays), a steak and kidney puddin' that tasted just like me Mum's and I would be one happy punter. Well this pub ticked all the boxes and at reasonable prices. Well done!
22 Feb 2012 18:25
I'm a Youngs man, through and through and although I agree with most of the comments regarding the demise of their pubs which I have known and loved, this website is about beer so I'll stick to that subject for my review, well maybe!
Went in for lunch today and a pint or two of 'ordinary', I was served by a young man who pulled the pint and then held it up to the light to examine it. He explained that it was a new barrel and he wanted to be sure it was okay. I told him I would soon let him know if it wasn't. The pint was fine and I was very impressed with the barman who seemed to care about the product he was selling me. I took my pint into the Swan Bar, which was empty, read my paper, enjoyed the view and my Ploughmans, then had another 'pint for the road'. I hope the Swan Bar remains as it is, but more important may the Youngs never change
18 Nov 2011 21:18
Woodforde's Wherry was on the hand pump at this quirky but very friendly boozer and wherry good it was too (sorry). Don't expect a slick operation at this pub, they seem to be facing problem after problem with malfuntioning tills and kitchen equipment but they carry on stoically and this is half the charm of the place. The staff are wonderful and I wish them every success.
10 Oct 2011 16:21
The last review being over a year ago, we thought it was worth a visit, I mean, things could only be better, couldn't they? Wrong! Two real ales on offer, London Pride and Courage Special, we opted for the Pride. It was a super sunny September day, not a cloud in the sky.....just in the beer, which tasted foul! This place is now advertised as a carvery, only when we arrived there was a sign on the door saying that due to a failure of a vital piece of equipment the carvery was unavailable. As the only piece of equipment you need to roast meat is an oven and as the rest of the menu was being served we guessed that the vital piece missing was the cooking operative. We settled for a Ploughmans for 2 at �9.50. Most people can picture a Ploughmans, a wedge of Cheddar, maybe some Brie and if you're lucky a hunk of crumbly Stilton. If this is what you expect, give this place a wide berth or take your own. The plate, sorry slate, that arrived consisted of 2 types of cheese purporting to be Cheddar and Wensleydale, not wedges but small tasteless thin strips and bits, half a tomato and some wilted leaves. This pub could and should be so much better than it is given it's idyllic location, somebody.......anybody should get in there and sort it out!
1 Oct 2011 07:12
Wandered in on a Monday evening for a bit of grub and a pint, had the place to ourselves until gradually people began to turn up clutching musical instruments, violins, guitars, accordians etc. and gave us a concert. The food wasn't bad when it eventually arrived the beer was good and the music, given that they were rehearsing, was very acceptable.
29 Aug 2011 15:59
If you book a table at this busy pub and don't try to blag a discount on a room you will find the food is excellent and inexpensive, the beer is top class especially the Thos Watkins OSB and the staff friendly and helpful. It's a lovely Welsh country pub, pure and simple!
19 Aug 2011 06:40
Classic pub on a village green, staff friendly, other customers friendly, food good, beer excellent, we had TEA, view magnificent. Knocked a couple of rating points off cos the veg was undercooked, no, actually raw, otherwise they'd have got a 10 from me. After we went to the Hogsback Brewery at Farnham to visit a wonderful shop, full of beer!
25 Jul 2011 08:03
Came across this pub by chance, right next to the beach and lifeboat staion at Selsey. The ale was good and the grub delicious, fresh that day seafood at reasonable prices, I can heartily recomend the Crab Salad. This is not a poncy place but an honest, down to earth, locals' pub.
15 Jul 2011 13:11
Four of us had lunch here on a rainy June day. Staff, quiet and efficient, food, inexpensive but very tasty and well presented. Pub dogs, 2 Springers, great entertainers. If I have a complaint it's a minute one, on the day only one draft on tap but as it was the admirable Shepherd Neame Spitfire, I withdraw the complaint.
7 Jun 2011 15:23
The Original White Hart, Ringwood
Nice pint of Forty Niner, I managed several over a recent weekend, nice breakfast too, the rooms weren't bad, a bit tatty but as we were leaving they were starting a refurb. A friendly pub in a friendly town and ery nicely placed for touring the New Forest.
19 Jul 2010 20:31
First, the good bits. As already mentioned a good looking pub in a fine location. The River Stour, clean and fresh looking with plenty of fish, the garden alongside, very pleasant on a summer's day as it was when we visited and next door an old Norman? church, now sadly no longer in use but worth a visit. Inside the pub it's as 'village pub' as you could want, it sells a few decent bitters, I had Masterbrew, a good old Shepherd Neame regular and the atmosphere is friendly. So far, so good.
We've visited before for Sunday lunch and enjoyed the food, so turned up this time expecting similar, it wasn't to be. Sunday roast costs �14.95 for 2 courses, that's not cheap and if you only want the roast it's still �14.95, anyway the four of us ordered from the set menu. The veg appeared to be fresh, but the portions were stingy, my wife ordered the lamb and asked if she could have a yorkshire pud with it, the answer back from the kitchen was no! My daughter had chicken and ham with very little, if any ham and me and the missus had the lamb. At first we couldn't tell if it was lamb but then decided it could have been shank from out of a plastic bag, or even scrag end!
In my local which I shall shamelessly plug, The Rose and Crown, Butter Hill, Wallington, Surrey a Sunday roast will set you back the princely sum of � 5.99 and if you close your eyes you will imagine your Mum cooked it.
I'm fed up with being ripped off by pub landlords who think they can get away with it, go to the Fordwich Arms by all means, but take sandwiches!
24 May 2010 18:44
We went into Harrods for lunch, and me a working class bloke from Battersea! Harrods was rammed, it was like a bad tempered crowd in a London railway terminus, we went straight in one door and out another, still I can now say I've done Harrods and if I never go back it won't be too soon. Craving food we ended up at the Beauchamp in Beauchamp Place, we got a round in and ordered food, it's pub grub but hey, any port in a storm. On tap they had Green King something or other and Cornish Blonde an English wheat beer, the first I've ever had. Three pints later the food had not arrived but an apologetic member of staff presented us with a dish of olives and a promise that the food was on the way. Twenty minutes later he came back and treated our group to a free round of drinks and our lunch.
The pub is shabby and in need of much TLC, however the beer was good, the food was good, and the staff, just 2 of them, hence the long wait, were excellent and for those reasons the place deserves a 10!
4 Apr 2010 06:52
I liked this pub, we visited on a Saturday lunchtime when Oxford was rammed. Coffee and cream tea was the order of the day for our party of 8. The pub had a friendly air about it and the staff were a credit to the pub. Give them a pay rise!
29 Mar 2010 08:23
The Racehorse once had a good reputation for food, then, like the Fox and Hounds, staff changes sent that reputation plunging. We visited on Saturday for lunch and what a disappointment. Yes the kitchen door was open,revealing 2 people inside, one was a washerupper, the other one wasn't. He must have been the microwave operative. We ordered lamb shank, pork belly and smoked haddock, the food duly arrived and first impressions weren't good. The meals were not prepared with someone with a passion for cooking, the food was dumped on oversize soup plates, it looked most unattractive and the side order of seasonal vegatables arrived in a tiny dish, maybe it was a redundant ashtray! This is not cheap pub grub, 4 main courses cost us �50, but that's not the point, in a country where pubs are closing at an alarming rate, only the best will survive.
An English pub, on a winters day, should be selling classic English dishes. Meat puddings, stew and dumplings, chops, liver and bacon, shepherds pie etc. cooked on the premises using local produce, the aroma of home cooking wafting out onto West St. would pull the customers in, it aint rocket science, my Mum did it for a large family for many years.
10 Mar 2010 07:16
Bit late putting in this review but we visited this pub in July while holidaying at Sandford Park. We arrived, mob handed, 10 adults and various kids aged from 10 months upwards, found a large room which was closed off and asked if we might use it. The staff and the manager couldn't have been more helpful even when we barricaded ourselves in with a couple of chairs to stop our boisterous babies from escaping. The food was good and the service was excellent.
18 Oct 2009 10:24
The Clay Pipe Inn, Holton Heath
We visited this pub back in July, ( it's about 100 yards from Sandford Park caravan site), they must have thought we were a small coach party, 10 adults and several kids but it didn't phase them at all, the service was friendly and prompt. The food was good honest pub grub and we sat outside under a huge brolly and enjoyed our meal. Hey, give it a try!
17 Oct 2009 23:31
The Skimmington Castle, Reigate Heath
Visited today after seeing it mentioned in the Daily Telegraph good pub guide. Well worth a visit, especially on a sunny day, (which sadly it wasn't), sunny atmosphere inside though and we were made to feel welcome. Smashing pint of Greene King IPA gave me the appetite for the fish pie which didn't disappoint, my wife had the lamb which she really enjoyed. The friendly staff and great service made it a very pleasant experience. We'll be back!
17 Oct 2009 23:14
The Rose and Crown, Wallington Corner
Recently Luis and Lesley became tenants of this friendly family pub and it shows. With more freedom to serve the food they know their customers will enjoy, and to stock a more varied selection of ales and wines has made the Rose even better than it was before. They've introduced a Tapas menu due to popular demand, (mainly from the locals), and by prior arrangement will creat a Paella which is as good as any I've tasted. Quality food, well prepared, at a reasonable price accompanied by a decent pint of bitter or glass of wine is all I want from my 'local' and it's been my families local for over 25 years.
21 Mar 2009 12:58
After a very pleasant visit to Kiplings house we were looking forward to a pub lunch. The Bear in the High Street seemed to fit the bill so the 4 of us piled in. From the blackboard menu 3 picked the sirloin steak (medium rare) and 1 the plaice. When the food arrived the steaks were tough, overcooked and completely inedible, we complained and the girl serving asked if we would like them replaced. We foolishly agreed and a man who could have been the chef or the manager brought the replacements. He apologised and explained that it was the butchers fault and that he'd had complaints from customers on the previous night! We were gobsmacked! If they'd had complaints why on earth didn't they withdraw the steak from the menu and send it back to their dodgy butcher?
The replacement steaks were marginally better than the originals but by now we had lost interest. This wasn't cheap pub grub at �12.95 a go but that's not the point. It ruined our day out and earned the pub this bad review. In conclusion, enjoy the splendid view from the garden and order the plaice! Better still, drive past and find another pub, there's quite a few in the area.
29 Jun 2008 10:37
We'd called at the Abinger Arms about 3pm on a warm October Saturday only to be told that they'd stopped serving food, "Try the Wotton Hatch" they said.
Used to motor out to said pub years ago, it used to serve pretty good food and was, sort of, comfortably shambolic with a good buzz about the place. How times have changed! Considering the location and the weather we should have been fighting for the seats but the place was practically empty. Now, for better or worse, I enjoy a cigarette after eating and although there was a machine selling fags and no signs forbiding smoking there wasn't an ashtray to be seen so I asked the only member of staff in the pub whether there was a section for smokers? "No smoking in the pub" came the surly reply. "Fine" says I, "we'll eat outside"
"No you won't!" comes the reply, "we don't serve food outside"
I won't be returning to the Wotton Hatch even after I've kicked the smoking habit!
21 Oct 2006 09:31
The George and Dragon, Salisbury
A few of the locals from the Rose & Crown (the best pub in Wallington, Surrey) decamped to Salisbury for a masonic weekend in the local hotel (The Milford Park Hotel, see review). Seasoned pubgoers, all we needed somewhere where we'd be catered for in a manner to which we were accustomed. The George & Dragon (or should it be the George & Parrot?) did not disappoint. Friendly staff and customers, good pub grub, three or four real ales, all in first class condition and a nice garden overlooking the Avon. Luis had long and meaningful conversations with the resident parrot and we all enjoyed our two visits. We will return.
8 Apr 2014 08:51