Royal Albert, New Cross

This place is by far the best in the area � the food is excellent although I would tend to agree with the other comment that some of the 2nd hand furniture could do with being replaced, imagine getting into a sofa and not being able to get out as all the springs and support are shot!

Great food though, good value for money and not a bad range of beers and wine.

14 Apr 2009 16:38

The Ship and Whale, Rotherhithe

This place like moby dick has taken a nose dive and I don�t see it blowing to the surface in the near future � avoid like the plague unless you want sub-standard food and the service of a surly manager who looked and acted like some out of work banker trying to make a fast buck to pay the over-inflated mortgage on his new build docklands high-rise by taking on a �gastro� pub during the credit crunch and in the process trashing anything good about it. That said when I did ask if it was under new management said surly manager assured me, actually assured would be a generous adjective to use given the zero hospitality customer service SM (surly manager) displayed, rather TOLD me that he had been there for years�? Maybe the other side of the bar methinks�

Moving on from SM�s appalling attitude the food is now AWFUL! The previous full rack of juicy, succulent and finger licking ribs that needed no more then a finger bowl to accompany has now been replaced by a sticky mess of sweet BBQ sauce covered, fatty, tough, processed meat with some bones thrown in so you know what it�s supposed to be� very disappointing� and the steak we ordered was sent back to the kitchen before even a morsel was tasted, mainly because we couldn�t chisel a piece off, ordered medium rare it would have doubled as a replacement sole for my husbands brogues it was so tough! Sides were rank � whole experience was very, VERY disappointing.

Recently I had read a couple of questionable reviews of this establishment but considered the �reviewers� to perhaps have unachievable high standards as we�ve always enjoyed the Ship and Whale experience, great food and uber friendly staff but now realise they were right � PEOPLE SAVE YOUR MONEY, do not think you will get the same experience of not more then a year ago � the worm has turned again at the Sh1t and Whale!

So close to the sides of the Thames yet this place is SHIPWRECKED!

10 Apr 2009 00:23