The Coach and Horses, Mayfair

We attended a conference in London and were invited to "The Coach and Horses" in London (Mayfair) by a local, who is a regular at this traditional pub, which is uniquely located in a posh commercial area of London just off of Bond Street, sandwiched between two large office buildings, which reminded us of the famous P.J. Clarke's at 915 Third Avenue on the northeast corner of 55th Street in New York City, a holdout against the skyscrapers. The Coach and Horses in London has stairs to the right of the bar leading to a dining/meeting room above the main floor, where we spent most of the evening and so our review can not fully cover the pub life downstairs. The beer in any case was good and so also was the service. The pub had a pleasant ambience and in our case added a nice touch to the London experience. (Note: do not confuse this pub with the similarly-named pub "Coach and Horses", also in Mayfair.)

19 May 2010 00:49

The Old Spring, Cambridge

As out-of-town visitors in Cambridge staying in a nearby ****hotel, we found the Old Spring near the boat houses on the River Cam while touring the city on foot. The pub is quite large and roomy and was frequented by many well-behaved guests who were all having a good time. We managed to find a nice table in spite of the fact that the pub was very busy. The beer, food and service were excellent.

19 May 2010 00:03

The One Elm, Stratford Upon Avon

This food was great and the service was better than outstanding. We -- man and wife -- were out-of-town customers from the continent who were not all that familiar with the beers on tap, so the waitress offered to bring us each a small sample of several unknown beers of our taste, something which has otherwise never happened to us anywhere else in the world. This is surely not a standard practice at "the one elm", but we were instantaneously converted to love this "foodie" and somewhat "pricey" pub, which had been recommended to us by the ****hotel that provided our accomodations in Stratford-upon-Avon. We proceeded to have a fantastic evening, each having several pints, which is not our custom, and delighting in the sumptuous snacks. The other guests were of all ages, well-dressed, well-mannered and friendly. It was an evening to remember. Thank you.

18 May 2010 23:22