The Ship, Cobham

Pretty on the outside and in an attractive village. Beer on handpump was Greene King IPA and Adnams Ghost Ship, both very good. The food menu is very small, which should be a good thing, and the pub is popular (I visited on Friday lunchtime), although I personally don't like the gambling machines, televisions and music. My fish pie was enjoyable, with creamy sauce, chunky and flavoursome fish, melted cheese on mashed, not creamed, potatoes, but the peas and carrots were served on a cold plate. My wife's ham, eggs and chips also were served on a cold plate. We had waited over an hour for our food so there's no excuse for cold plates. My wife had the dessert of profiteroles with caramel chocolate and sauce, but they were frozen almost solid, as if the kitchen was not expecting anyone to ask for them today. The waitress was pleasant. The men's toilet was clean but in need of some maintenance. All in all, not out and out bad, but not somewhere I'd go back to or recommend.

8 Jan 2016 15:23

The Black Horse, Thurnham

The recession is biting and Christmas is looming, and my wife and I were the only customers at 12 o'clock on Saturday (although a few more came in later). We were welcomed cheerfully, and seated ourselves by a warm log fire. Food was tasty (steak in ciabatta, with chips) but salad was meagre. We both had sticky toffee pudding. This was a basic pub lunch, nicely prepared and pleasantly served, but the prices reflect the cost of keeping three uniformed waitresses. Grander dishes are available if you want to splash out. We will definitely go back when the weather is better and we fancy pottering along the Pilgrims' Way on our bikes.

If you go to the toilet you might need a string or a trail of crumbs to guide you back to your table - this pub is a fascinating maze!

3 Dec 2010 09:35

The Shakespeare, Victoria

Things may have improved since the other reviews were written, but I still wish I had seen them before having lunch in this pub.

My wife and I were greeted cheerfully by a smart waitress, but she would not let us take a 4-seat table although there was only one other table occupied (at 12:55). By the time we left the tables still weren't fully occupied.

I asked for draft beer and was offered Fosters, Stella or Carlsberg. I had to drag out of her the fact that they also had London Pride. Only discovered they served Leffe after a visit to the toilet. My wife's tea was a cup of hot water in a thick mug - already too cool to make good tea.

We waited at least 20 minutes for our food, and then my wife's wedges were forgotten. They arrived after she had finished the rest of her dinner, so we rejected them and asked for a dessert instead. The toffee pudding and custard was served cold; is this normal? We expected it to be hot. My fish, chips and peas was OK but not of the quality that would make them "world famous" as advertised on the outside of the pub.

This pub is in a prime position and is likely to be used by many foreign visitors - how embarrassing! There are plenty of other eating places around, so how does it survive?

6 Jan 2010 22:00