The Three Horseshoes, Bourne End

Oddly, the only decent canalside pub for miles around. Great location, lovely trad Sunday roasts served out by the canal as you watch the barges go by with a pint of decent ale. Located down a very awkward single-track country lane but there is a handy car park once you get down there.

29 Jul 2013 12:21

The Goat, Berkhamsted

A local source of noise and disturbance, not known for its finesse or classy clientele. Mostly a sports bar with big-screen sports and live bands, at closing time its punters spill out onto the street and a quiet town street is transformed into a scene from Hades with bellowing males and screaming laddettes staggering to the kebab shop, while taxis queue up to ferry the incapable back to Hemel.

29 Jul 2013 12:17

The Fellow, Camden

Food passable, very very poor, unsmiling service. Staff priority is getting diners out of the door when they've finished. Surly staff more interested in crowd control than customer service.

Typical London pub/restaurant identity crisis - invite drinkers in, chuck 'em out when we want to play restaurants. We booked in for 25-seat lunch, spending vast amounts of cash and yet:
*denied access to roof terrace due to it being booked 4 hours later;
*diners given the old "kitchen closed" story and then only allowed one dish off the menu to fit in with what's convenient with chef: chicken pie (vegetarians can stop reading now);
*asked to vacate table for subsequent booking (we all stood around for 30 mins gazing at empty table held for party who never showed up);
*final straw was teenage bar staff asking us to stop laughing because we were lowering the tone of the restaurant.

Really poorly-run business: decent beer, adequate but underwhelming food, customer service rock bottom, treated diners like cattle - AND they wanted a tip!! To be avoided.

17 Apr 2010 22:09