Stage Door, Dartfordback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Recomended, I visited during the recent great power cut and was impressed that they made the effort to stay open without electricity, when many other pubs shut.
Excellent pint of Spitfire, helpfull friendly barstaff, no food due to power cut.
Garden very pleasent until it got too dark, and I fell over the furniture.
Bar was sufficiently lit by candles.
They had a portable generator, but this was reserved for freezer and beer cooler, not lighting.
Efforts to work to the TV from the generator failed due to no power to an aerial amplifier or similar.
Full marks for trying, when others gave up.
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Recomended, I visited during the recent great power cut and was impressed that they made the effort to stay open without electricity, when many other pubs shut.
Excellent pint of Spitfire, helpfull friendly barstaff, no food due to power cut.
Garden very pleasent until it got too dark, and I fell over the furniture.
Bar was sufficiently lit by candles.
They had a portable generator, but this was reserved for freezer and beer cooler, not lighting.
Efforts to work to the TV from the generator failed due to no power to an aerial amplifier or similar.
Full marks for trying, when others gave up.
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If you're interested in slow food - this is the place !
8 meals ordered on a Saturday lunchtime (only two other people ahead of us). First meal arrived after 55 minutes - the other 7 at 5 minute intervals with the last one arriving 1 hour and 25 minutes after ordering.
Unless you have nothing better to do than watch the piant dry, go elsewhere
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Was once called the Smiths arms if anyones remotely interested.
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I've always by-passed this place because it's never looked too appealing from the outside (not helped by the tatty road it's in, opposite the derelict Co-op)
Looks, in this case, can be deceptive. Once you're inside it's a far more welcoming affair. The bar staff are friendly and welcoming, the Shepherd Neame beers seem to be of a comparable standard to The Royal Oak and the home cooked food is also of a high (but affordable) standard.
As others have mentioned, the interior does feel a little tired and it could do with brightening up a little. The signed photos dotted along the walls of "stars" who have performed at The Orchard are intriguing, if nothing else. If you're interested in TV comedians from the 1970's then you've struck gold in this place.
Overall, a decent town centre pub that does the basics well enough: good beer, good food, friendly staff, pleasant enough regulars and a surprisingly impressive beer garden for those who enjoy drinking their beer al fresco.
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With the exterior repainted and a new rear garden, only the interior to refresh. Beer is still great and staff are still friendly. This remains my favourite watering hole in Dartford. Definitely one to support.
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A nice pub if nothing spectaclar.
A good size, good atmosphere and genuinely friendly bar staff. I agree with other comments on here that the more unsavoury characters locally seem to bypass it; the people inside don't seem to frequent other pubs locally and maybe rightly so.
The decor is a little tired but quite cosy and inviting, particulary compared to other pubs in the area. The beer is of good quality and there is a decent range.
Overall, well worth a few pints; in another town with a great many better pubs, there is no doubt this pub would be nearer the bottom end of the scale but because it stands out against so many poorer pubs, it is well worth a visit but not one to go out of your way for.
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One of my favourite pubs in the area. Beer is well kept, the food is good quality and prices are very competitive. Maybe the surroundings are looking a little 'used round the edges' but still more inviting than many in Dartford.
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Nice Shepherd Neame pub, serves a decent lager Hurlimans or Orangeboom (obviously). The place is a bit small, nevertheless id still reccommend it to anyone. Nice curry house next door, I usually go for a swift pint in the stage door before having a madras!
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One of only 2 Shepherd Neame pubs in town (the excellent Royal Oak being the other), the Stage Door was originally called the Smiths Arms until the nearby Orchard Theatre opened in 1982 and the pub changed its identity to maximize the trade from its new neighbour. The exterior has an interesting balcony as can be seen in the magnificent photo above (taken by myself of course) although the upstairs part of the pub is not accessible to the public. The interior is a bit cramped in places but they do make good use of the space available and I have never failed to get a seat somewhere. Note the old wall lines at the front where the pub was extended to create a bit more space in front of the bar and create the aforementioned balcony above. The latest structural addidtion is the small intimate recess to the left of the bar up the stairs. Naturally things are themed around the theatre and the walls are adorned with old photos (many autographed) of the actors, comedians and musicians that have appeared in the Theatre. It is not unusual find the occasional celebrity holding court or propping up the bar depending on who�s in town. There is always a good selection of Shepherd Neame beers and the quality has always been first rate on my frequent visits. They have recently added a plasma screen but to my knowledge they don�t have sky so it is a bit wasted. A corridor leads to a decent sized rear beer garden for the summer months. The busiest times are pre and post theatre shows and a useful tip for anyone going to the theatre, it is actually easier, quicker and cheaper to head for the Stage Door during the show interval rather than try to get served at the Theatre Bar. All in all, the Stage Door is one of my favourite local watering holes with a pleasant, hassle free atmosphere, something that many of the other town centre pubs severely lack.
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A Neame pub serving master brew and spitfire away from the high street its got photos of all the actors like John Inman and comedians like Jim Davidson on the walls who have played at the local theatre.Beer garden is great at the back if you want to avoid the lovies.
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Never thought that the Stage Door was run down. A little frayed around the edges yes. Run Down no.
Still as the previous comments touch on; it is a local pub for local people, to borrow a phrase from the LoG. And it seems to be bypassed by the hordes of pissed up yobbo's that descend on Dartford at the weekend.
Another Neame pub, so the beers are normally well kept.
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Pleasant enough, and Master Brew OK, but mainly for locals
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Situated just off the main high street, The Stage Door is a run down, yet friendly enough locals pub with nice beer garden in the back. There are better pubs in the area, but if you wanted to avoid mayhem of Dartford on a Saturday night, this place will do nicely.
HTM69 - 14 Aug 2006 22:17 |
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