Crown Inn, Cerney Wick

Nice pub, if a little tired in the decor. Landlord is very interesting and friendly as are the staff. We always use this pub as a base for getting to the Air Tattoo at Fairford - they do camping for a tenner. There is always a selection of well-kept ales and the food is basic pub food but tasty and plentiful. As a nice surprise, there was a live band playing when we were dining who were excellent.

18 Jul 2010 11:09

Green Dragon, Downend

I managed to book a table for 4 in the restaurant for this evening; got there early to try out the bar.

This place is great - a reason not to head into Bristol!
Now, I'm going to try not to gush because it's a first visit, and things can change, but tonight was one of the best nights out I've had in a long time. To be fair, the bulk of my and my companions' praise is for the restaurant side of things, because essentially we went there for a meal, but I think that still counts for a revue. Got there for pre-dinner drinks and was reasonably happy with the choice of beers - standard draughts, cider (think it was Thatchers) and three hand-pumps: Doom Bar, Bath Gem and a guest, which was Severn Vale "Session" - I had the latter, and it was *perfectly* kept - fresh and just under room-temp. My friends had the Doom Bar which was also in top condition.
The bar area is modern but very cosy and is split into multiple little areas. When the weather is fine there are tables out front and in the reasonably sized beer garden to the rear.
When we arrived, it was very busy (as seems to be the case on every night), but the staff are very efficient and a barman/waiter enquired if we were OK and invited us to the end of the bar to get drinks and said to come back and ask when we were ready to dine.

When we were ready to eat, we were taken to the restaurant area, which is equally cosy - they have the atmosphere setup just right. From the a la carte menu (choice of 7 starters and about 12 mains), we had the mushroom-stuffed half chicken with saffron rice, the mediterranean fish stew, the swordfish in a creamy curried sauce and the Somerset pork. All were very high quality, beautifully presented, and very reasonably priced @ �9.95 each. For dessert we opted for chocolate brownie with rasberry and mango jus and ice cream, the winter-berry Eton mess and red-wine poached pear with berries and cinnamon ice cream. Again, all amazing for the �4.95 price.

The staff were all so nice (I've never noticed these people in Downend before - I'm sure they've bussed in the beautiful people from somewhere else!) and we left with nothing really bad to say and plans to return soon. If there is to be a gripe, it's that if you're driving there, there is very limited parking in the carpark in front of the pub and you might have to park some way away.

I'm going to have to try it out as a Saturday afternoon drinking joint!

19 May 2010 23:14

Green Dragon, Downend

Does anyone know what is happening with this place at the moment? It seems to be getting a very heavy makeover - i.e. they've gutted the place and are putting in new windows etc. Green Dragon sign is still the old one outside!

6 Feb 2010 17:16