BITE user comments - Abteilung
Comments by Abteilung
Decent pub selling 3 ales of one is what I would call 'interesting', very much a locals pub with quiz nights and serving food, decor is quite nice. Proper pub with low beams, therefore which makes the local in the fluorescent jacket swearing like 'how's your father' at the bar seem a bit incongruous.
9 Feb 2013 17:23
This pub has had more managers than Chelsea. Has one or two fairly boring real ales on (usually one). 80s music on the screens. A complete refurbishment, a black and white theme with nice candles and sofas, the horrible smelly toilets are much better with an ornate mirror so you can admire your triceps in your cut-off T-shirt. A couple of friendly young boys serving behind the bar with the landlord looking wistfully on. Many of the male clientele do seem to be exploring their feminine side, although a couple of guys next to me looked a bit more butch with their short hair and identical lumberjack shirts, oh, wait a minute I think they might be women.
20 Jan 2013 23:24
Let me get the slight negative out of the way, they only do their own real ales not a policy that a beer snob like me approves of. Everything else, however, is a positive. McMullens have loads of money I heard and they have spent a shed load on this pub, completely gutting it and transforming it into some glass space ship that seems to have landed on a field in Marlow. Actually it has a nautical theme, so perhaps more cruise ship than space ship, certainly not 19th century war ship. All the glass makes it feel spacious but there are different areas for drinking and eating. I'll return.
20 Jan 2013 22:47
Lovibonds Brewery, Henley on Thames
Well it's the brewery tap but not really a pub, just a room out the back of the brewery where you can buy their beers and be flogged stuff. A few tables and an industrial flame thrower of a heater to keep the place warm and warm up their freezing, expensive and not 'real' beer. Only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You can't access it from the front of the building (look very carefully on the pavement, you will see original tram tracks for the brewery used in the old days) you have to go round the back through the car park. Good luck to them, a craft brewery that does actually do quite interesting and tasty beers.
20 Jan 2013 22:33
The Victoria, Henley-on-Thames
As mentioned in previous posts under new management, very friendly couple now running the pub and they actually knew our group of 11 were coming because they'd seen it on Facebook! Some interesting local real ales kept in good condition. Good standard of decor and a very comfortable place to relax. This pub is very close to the amazing, recently opened and hopelessly packed Henley Brewing Company, this pub compliments it and is a good alternative for a quiet drink.
20 Jan 2013 22:21
On the Berkshire side of the river, as you would expect from affluent Henley a well presented pub with an accent on food but a pub none-the-less and the 'drinking' side of the pub is on the left as you go in with a nice warm fire in the corner, we got a friendly welcome from the staff. Two fairly uninspiring real ales kept in reasonable nick.
20 Jan 2013 22:08
Expensive pub for beer, breached the £4/pint for real ale here, only for this to be exceeded at the nearby Meantime brewery (not listed on BITE) at £4.40. Rammed full of people trying to make their drinks last all evening. Accent is on food, for the tourists mainly. Reasonable selection of beers.
11 Nov 2012 18:52
The Plume of Feathers, Greenwich
Nice location, friendly staff and a decent selection of real ales in this cosy pub. Recommended.
11 Nov 2012 18:49
Large foody pub with a long bar and a good selection of real ales. Beer I had was quite nice. Lots of character and a pub I'd recommend.
11 Nov 2012 18:41
The Pilot Inn, North Greenwich
Largish Fullers pub with the full range of its beers, including Chiswick, not that common so I had a pint. Lack of condition was evident. The pub itself seems to cater for eaters as well as drinkers but welcomes both.
11 Nov 2012 18:37
A two roomed largish pub, you have to leave the pub to go into the other bar. Quite comfortable. A couple of real ales, Adnams & Doombar in fairly average condition.
2 Nov 2012 18:33
The Cross Keys, Great Missenden
Packed on a Saturday early evening. Perhaps the food is good, the menu looked good at any rate. Smallish, cosy and historic pub. A Fullers house that does a good selection of their beers, including Chiswick a weaker parti-gyle of London Pride and not that common. They also do a guest beer. The pint of London Pride I had wasn't very good with hints of vinegar but not bad enough to take back. The Red Fox, Fullers' seasonal autumn beer, I had was very good.
21 Oct 2012 15:29
The George Inn, Great Missenden
This pub on the face of it should be very good, 3 real ales on, 2 of them from The Vale Brewery. A real fire. Quite a large historic pub. It has, however a worn feel to it, the bar staff, whilst friendly, didn't know much about beer. The beer was variable but drinkable. On a Saturday evening it wasn't busy at all.
21 Oct 2012 15:20
Well it's a City foody 'pub' that also seems to have a decent wine list. Of course it isn't cheap but (for the City) it isn't that pricey either. If you want cheap food KFC & Subway are very close. Nice clean pub with very quick, friendly service. 4 real ales available, I had a very good pint from a micro brewery. The food I had was of high quality.
17 Oct 2012 22:19
The Prince of Wales, Farnborough
At the time of writing this pub has a 7.4/10. I am rather shocked by this. Fantastic range of real ales in great condition. Proper pub that's been in the Good Beer Guide for over 30 years. 9/10 for me.
13 Oct 2012 20:48
I echo McRoyal's comments below. They do seem to be making a real effort on the real ales. with 20% discount for CAMRA members & a real ale club card, drink 6 and get the 7th free (not in one go I hasten to add) and they should be applauded for that. My first visit since around 1985 and my expectations were low so I was pleasantly surprised. Very convenient for the train.
13 Oct 2012 20:41
The Queens Head, Henley-On-Thames
The Beer Tree was dead when I visited at about 9pm on a Saturday, then again most of Henley seemed pretty quiet as well. 4 hand pumps but only 2 real ales available, my half of 'Fields of Gold' was nice. Lots of fonts for various foreign beers and a large selection of bottled beers. Will return someday.
7 Oct 2012 15:08
A reasonable selection of real ales, my pint of Tribute was in fine form but another beer that was being sold was vinegar. They changed the beer and took it off sale. The pub itself is a traditional English country pub and long may it continue.
7 Oct 2012 14:54
Went at 4:20pm on a Saturday afternoon, fairly busy, virtually all men at the bar watching the football results coming in, swearing for England, some of them very drunk indeed, quite unpleasant, 2 real ales on Doombar & Pride I think, but I decided to leave without ordering a drink.
30 Sep 2012 15:21
The Hamilton Hall, Liverpool Street
Impossibly busy for a Tuesday evening, right on the station and has departures boards in the pub. Upstairs is a bit of a respite from the madding crowd. Pub itself is good and the real ale was in good form.
18 Sep 2012 21:02
A proper East London boozer, with friendly staff and a few characters. Some of locals seem to be interested in the racing on the TV when I was there on a Saturday afternoon, they take it very seriously with copies of the Racing Post being read. 80s music being played not too instrusively on the jukebox. There's a function room upstairs. About 4 real ales on, all in good condition, recommended.
22 Jul 2012 23:26
Right by the University, full of fit young female students and serves real ale especially the Loddon beers in good condition.
8 Jun 2012 01:23
The problem with BITE is that the score is based on times when a pub was bad, now it's much improved. The barman was very affable and the beer quality was very good. Three real ales, one of which is 'interesting' usually from a microbrewery. A light airy, very clean pub. It actually show football on a large screen but it goes back into a wall mounting after a match and you wouldn't know it was there. I will return.
3 Jun 2012 17:40
Beer quality tip top. I did have a slight gripe in that I was left waiting at the bar with no service for about 10 minutes, I could see staff coming in and out of a door at the back, a man came in to be served but gave up and left, it was only when I started shouting my order, much to the amusement of the punters in the bar, I got served. To be fair the staff came up to me later and apologised, they had a Diamond Jubilee party out the back. Despite this I will visit again as the beer is so good.
3 Jun 2012 17:33
Change of Landlord apparently in the last month. Dirty glasses and a barman who didn't really have a clue, the beer I had, Bingham's Brickworks was hazy but tasted OK. There is a large traveller's site in Twyford and this pub is frequented by many of them. You are as likely to hear robust opinions said in strong Irish accents than any other. A shabby pub that I will probably not visit again.
3 Jun 2012 17:27
A couple of beers on, Loddon Wilfred's Mild & Jenning's Old Tom, not bad pints. The place is in need of a refurb, lots of builders, painters, decorators when I was there & the Landlord (I assume) talking to one of them about the pub, so a refurb may well be on the cards. 10 minute brisk walk from the station & on the 280 bus route.
12 May 2012 14:48
The Rose and Thistle, Haddenham
Green King Pub, beer was actually very good, we were in the smaller bar, cosy & friendly.
12 May 2012 14:44
A really nice pub, with 2 or 3 real ales on. An Enterprise pub so there is the ridiculous situation where they can only sell one pub not on their portfolio (I think I'm correct in saying that) so the beer can be ready to drink but they have to wait for the 'other' beer to run out before they can put it on! A great pub, friendly landlord & landlady with quite possibly the best beer on our crawl.
12 May 2012 14:42
The Charles Dickens, Beaconsfield
Now called the Treehouse and could now be termed a typical Beaconsfield pub, i.e. a bit posh, slanted towards food to attract the 'right' sort of clientele. Nearly walked out as I couldn't see any handpumps, they are hidden from view. Actually they had a beer from the XT brewery and it was in very good condition. I've upped my rating for this pub.
6 May 2012 12:22
Went on a Friday evening, horrendously busy and the a bit short-staffed, however the flipping customers weren't helping, the woman in front of me was asking the hapless barmaid a myriad of questions about the white wine he was ordering, err, this is Wetherspoons love. After this discourse finally came to an end she pulls out a credit card, her round was about �7! Bloke next to me then pays by credit card for 2 drinks, I've only ever seen this in London, JDW should put a stop to it. Rant over, it's a functional pub with one or two real ales worth drinking.
12 Feb 2012 16:43
The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon
As atmospheric as an airport lounge. Was here on a Satuday evening when most of the surrounding decent City pubs are closed, also one of our party was hungry and we all like real ale, so to be fair to this place it was exactly what we needed at that time, the ale was decent too. No complaints.
12 Feb 2012 16:33
A mixture of regulars and, I suspect, travellers going to/from nearby Paddington, I was here because of the GBG and wasn't disappointed, Tim Taylor's Landlord well priced at �3.15 for London, lots of bric-a-brac in this characterful pub, maybe because of the International Rugby match just starting on the TV probably a bit busier than usual for a Saturday afternoon.
12 Feb 2012 15:02
The Seven Stars, Chancery Lane
An idiosyncratic pub, quite food oriented with the flavours of the food being served very evident. Great pub architecture and obviously a rather historic pub. Rather packed on a Saturday night we still managed to find a table. The toilets are up a steep staircase, en-route you can see a shambolic office and hear a Wagnerian opera blaring out and then there's the kitchen with the unmistakable smells of Eastern European cuisine accompanied by a woman loudly chatting in Russian on her mobile. The Sambrooks beer we had was superb, the best beer we had on our crawl, I will return.
12 Feb 2012 14:46
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street
Sam Smith's pub, I quite like there branding everything from the ale to the lager to the coke is Sam Smith's which is why it's quite cheap. Busy pub that was apparently extended a few years back in a sympathic manner to the existing pub. Beer was in reasonable nick.
4 Feb 2012 15:14
The Knights Templar, Chancery Lane
Completely packed on a Friday night with a mixture of people, from the middle-aged enjoying the real ales to the students knocking back the jagerbombs, a great building to have a beer in.
4 Feb 2012 15:08
Couldn't find the pub at first, and went a nearby JDW, actually the beer there was better than the rather average Old Brewery Bitter. A very busy pub on a Friday evening, a deceptively large pub with lots of alcoves, interesting pub architecture and at quieter moments a relaxing place to drink.
4 Feb 2012 14:57
My last post was nearly 3 years ago so an update. I'm increased my score by one notch as the beer is a touch better when I previously reviewed, 3 real ales on, London Pride, Butt's Barbus Barbus and Loddon Hoppit, Mon - Thursday the Loddon Hoppit is priced at �2.50. The Hoppit is a personal favourite session beer of mine at 3.5% ABV and it was in great condition.
3 Feb 2012 14:41
A 'community pub'. If you are going to park in their car park make sure you are actually using the pub as they have attentive car clampers around the corner. Garish decoration and an interesting clientele. Part of the Tanners Pub Co. a chain of 18 pubs I believe, the landlord is actually quite enthusiatic about real ale, Loddon Hullabaloo when I was there, Loddon Hoppit was breathing ready for the weekend, he is also getting is own badged 'Chequers Ale' brewed by Tetley.
3 Feb 2012 14:36
Taken over from the Doric Arch a.k.a. Head of Steam as the Euston Station watering hole, I usually visit this pub at the end of a crawl as Euston Square tube is also quite close, however if you do this are are a bit hammered then the helical staircase can be a challenge, they do provide pint carriers for you, also plan your toilet trip carefully as their always seems to be a queue. The real ales selection is superb and I've never had a bad pint in there.
15 Jan 2012 15:28
Shepard Neame pub with a good selection of the brewery's beer including Autumn Red (in the middle of winter!), beer was in good nick. The pub is fairly large, light and airy, has a real fire.
15 Jan 2012 15:23
The Lord John Russell, Russell Square
Nice pub that was very busy in the late Saturday afternoon, I was part of a pub crawl that numbered about 30, so that might have had something to do with it! Not a huge pub, light & airy. Fairly boring real ales for a beer snob like me, 6X, Doombar,
I had Deuchars IPA which was well kept.
15 Jan 2012 15:18
CAMRA Good Beer Guide pub, great pub architecture complete with 'snob screens'. Youngs' Real Ales, augmented by other interesting ales from breweries such as Sambrooks. Beer was in reasonable nick, busy pub with reasonable, if a little pricey, pub food.
15 Jan 2012 15:12
Nice pub architecture. Green decor goes into Yellow as you proceed down the pub. A relaxing place to while away an afternoon. 3 real ales, UBU purity being the most interesting one, beer was in 'OK' condition and a little pricey.
15 Jan 2012 15:01
The Craft Beer Co, City of London
Based on the business model of 'if you build it, he will come', and people do. 13 real ales on when I was there, the 2 I had were is very good nick, if you are worried about through put of the beers, don't, the place gets packed in the evening (I went at lunchtime) and they sometimes turnover every barrel in an evening alone! They also have a wonderful range of interesting beers on keg. Central London is expensive for beer and we actually had more expensive beer in nearby pubs. The pub is fitted out very well and is a delightful place to 'must visit'.
15 Jan 2012 13:48
The Duke of Wellington, Twyford
A nice pub, fairly busy when I went and handy for the train station, the friendly Landlord greeted me on the way in and when I left. 3 real ales available, I had an average to good pint of Ringwood Fortyniner, one of the other beers was Brakespear's Oxford Gold, not that local as the brewery in Henley closed down a while ago and the beers now brewed in Witney. Beer is pricey �3.70.
14 Jan 2012 00:19
Twyford is a well heeled place and this pub/restaurant reflects that. Pleasant staff that are busier with diners than drinkers. 3 real ales available, London Pride & 2 from Twyford's very own Brewery, Bingham's, they were in reasonable nick.
14 Jan 2012 00:11
A great community 2 bar pub, went with a small group so that does water down the 'locals pub' atmosphere, having said that I found it a friendly place. It does basic pub fare, you can get some cheesy chips with your beer and there are nibbles at the bar which is a nice touch. The real ales were in good nick with the White Horse brewery represented when I was there, �3/pint which is good value for Reading. I will return.
22 Dec 2011 22:21
This pub has had a refurb, beer is more expensive, although the beer used to be fairly reasonable so it's now up to the average price for this area. A more comfortable pub and a little bit more food oriented. First indications show that the Chav count is reduced. It's a John Barras pub, had 2 real ales available, London Pride & Black Sheep Bitter, beer was fairly well kept.
10 Dec 2011 21:31
As detailed below the pub is under new management or to be more accurate under old management as the Landlord before Edgar has returned. Beer is now back to a very high standard. Because of the hiatus with the management the pub failed to get into the Good Beer Guide, this is of course rather unfortunate as the pub is better than before with the addition of a superb beer shop stocking wines and beers from around the world with a good emphasis on Belgium. To top it off, the 'Aylesbury Brewhouse', a new brewery is located on site and was opened yesterday (2/12/2011) by Roger Protz the editor of the afore-mentioned Good Beer Guide.
3 Dec 2011 21:20
Classic pub, just great pub architecture. ESPN on the TV when I was there but not instrusive, pub was busy and had the air of a locals pub. Very good selection of beers, I had a very flat pint of PUG IPA, no condition in it at all which was a shame.
20 Nov 2011 20:50
Decent pub, had a rather average pint of real ale but to be fair it was propbably the beer style that i didn't like more than anything, my fellow drinkers said their beers were decent. Food was consumed, hearty and good apparently.
20 Nov 2011 20:43
The Old Contemptibles, Birmingham
Great pub, interesting real ales and fantastic pub architecture, food oriented and so if you are just coming for a drink some parts of the pub are out of bounds and you may find yourself standing by the door when it's busy.
20 Nov 2011 20:36
This pub seems to be Wetherspoons wannabe and fails, beer is more expensive with a choice of 4 beers all boring to a beer snob like me. For some reason it was busy, it's in the Good Beer Guide, God know why, some of out party left to get a swift pint in the nearby Lloyds No.1, they reported it was the worst JDW they'd been too! I also spotted a Walkabout Australian bar nearby, I can only conclude this is a part of town where you don't come for the beer.
20 Nov 2011 20:29
A great pub but I'll get some minor criticisms out of the way first. Slightly pricey beer by Brum standards, the pub was extremely busy on a Saturday afternoon which is good to see but loads of tables & chairs that add to the crush. Sticky carpet. An enormous number of real ales available in decent nick and a must visit pub for real ale fans.
20 Nov 2011 18:21
A gem of a pub, busy which is good to see as this pub does 6 real ales of which 4 I would class as 'interesting'. Great pub architecture. I tried the food which was wholesome if a little pricey.
20 Nov 2011 18:09
The Crown On The Bridge, Caversham
Rough and ready pub, as its name indicates it's close to the Caversham Bridge. Great jukebox and a landlord that cares about his beers, 3 real ales on, Otter Bitter, Doombar and Youngs bitter
12 Nov 2011 13:26
Nice cosy pub. 6 to 8 real ales on, my pint of Poppy Otter was in fine form. Friendly attentive staff although I did have to ask for a top up. Interesting menu, �13 for Pheasant, Venison or Partridge anyone?
12 Nov 2011 13:22
Slightly smaller Wethersppons, nicely decorated with a 'mature' crowd on a Friday lunchtime, fairly chav free, decent selection of ales.
12 Nov 2011 13:18
An Oirish pub with no apparent connection to the Emerald Isle. The barman seemed interested that we were interested in the real ales, Greene King so nothing special but the beer was well kept. Lots of TV screens showing the football when I went and the pub was accordingly packed. There is a back room where the smokers are JUST outside an open door underneath an awning so barely legal, the smoke billows back into the room. If you want to hark back to the good old days of passive smoking and your clothes stinking of smoke, this is the place for you.
1 Nov 2011 20:27
Nice food and decent service. They advertised a beer festival of sorts but actually turns out they have 1 guest beer from a portfolio of 10 they are allowed! On a Saturday afternoon this is a screaming kid infested one-pinter of a pub.
1 Nov 2011 20:17
A refurbished pub, looks very nice and cosy. Beer is a bit pricey , 3 real ales to choose from, 2 'boring' and 1 'interesting' went for the Tring Sidepocket, it was about the right temperature and wasn't off but it had no condition, it was as flat as a pancake. I wish them well.
30 Oct 2011 21:07
Easily the best pub on my pub crawl, a real shrine to decent ale.
9 Oct 2011 16:34
Good Wetherspoon's pub with a decent range of real ales in pretty good nick and good value for money.
9 Oct 2011 16:29
Nice gem of a pub, Shepherd Neame beers pretty well kept, would return.
9 Oct 2011 16:28
The Buckingham Arms, Westminster
I think this pub has been in every edition of the Good Beer Guide, real ale not bad, the service was lacking with the staff not really interested in the customers and seemingly unable to operate the till. In front of the Guards barracks and with the odd squaddie necking pints, customers tend to spill out onto the pavement.
9 Oct 2011 16:25
St Stephens Tavern, Westminster
An architecturally historic building, right by Big Ben, the pub itself not quite as overrun by tourists as I thought it might be. Got served pretty quickly by one of the Eastern European members of staff, real ale was in good nick.
9 Oct 2011 16:13
What a great pub, full of people that make Marilyn Manson look a conservative dresser. A dark pub in many senses of the word, sticky tables, a mainly thrash metal and heavy metal jukebox, a friendly place. Saw 3 handpumps and as this isn't a pub that's really on the Oxford real ale map I wondered how well kept the beers would be, I shouldn't have worried they were in good nick, like many things with this pub, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
9 Oct 2011 16:07
A traditional English pub, friendly, with an excellent range of Real Ales. You can't get better praise than that IMHO, they had a small beer festival on when I went.
28 Aug 2011 10:17
Full of tourists coming in for that real English experience with not an Englishman or Englishwoman in sight. A nice traditional pub however and the beer was good with an interesting range.
11 Aug 2011 21:39
A large pub, set in a nice area with a decent beer garden. If you've come here, then it's probably for a meal. The food is good, not too expensive and the staff are attentive. A couple of real ales on, nothing exciting. If you want a meal I'd recommend this place.
31 Jul 2011 21:30
Went for the 'Grand Opening'. The new landlord & landlady are working hard to make a go of this pub. Initial indications are very good, real ales, a real cider and beer from the local 2 Bridges Brewery. The beer was in fine form, I will return.
30 Jul 2011 22:12
Large pub, with lots of seating, TV screens on the wall, catering for the JD Wetherspoon crowd. There are positives and negatives with this pub. The negatives, it is a bit chavtastic, there's a pool table that seems to attract the Wooburn Green 'Massive' and their bitches. Only one real ale on when we went, Abbot The positives, well the beer is cheaper than other pubs and the food was pretty good value for money, �8 something for an enormous plate of gammon and chips.
23 Jul 2011 12:51
Large pub with decent beer garden in a densely populated area. I visited at 7pm on a Saturday, there was a wedding party and so fairly busy, well staffed at the bar. 2 Real Ales on Bombardier & London Pride, the Pride was a bit cold bit but in good condition. A nice pub that I will return to.
16 Jul 2011 20:01
25 years ago I used to watch films here, it was just about the only cinema in Swindon, the multi screens are out of the centre nowadays and this is a large JDW, the usual Wetherspoons formula but 16 real beers were on, 6 of them real ciders & perry. Will return.
17 Jun 2011 00:46
The Charles Lamb, Angel, Islington
Ok, so it's a little pretentious, but it ticks a lot of boxes for me, the room with all the maps is great. I was here for the beer however, had 2 different real ales and the quality was just superb, it's in the Good Beer Guide and deservely so, I think it was also a finalist for the North London CAMRA pub of the year. Will certainly return if I'm in the area
12 Jun 2011 15:24
Large pub, tables and chairs outside the front plus a beer garden out the back, quite comfortable, some of the furniture is fashionably knackered. 2 real ales on at �3.30 a pint, quality was reasonable, watch out for the occasional short measure.
12 Jun 2011 15:18
Maddona drinks Tim Taylor Landlord here don't cha know? Yadda, yadda, yadda, well I didn't see her. Anyway I've been here a few times, touristy given it's location, small and invariably packed. Beer's pretty good and will return.
28 May 2011 13:02
In tourist ridden Soho it's good to find a typically English pub, although Rugby biased when a match is on you may hear an Aussie, Kiwi or S'th Efrican twang. Great selection of Real Ales from Brodies and there was a beer for the Redemption brewery.
28 May 2011 12:54
Was here just before a Reading v Cardiff game shown on Sky Sports. It was busy, so they must be doing something right I suppose. The bar staff were young and inexperienced. The pub has apparently had a makeover unlike the clientele. When they are smoking, they crowd the entrance, when they are drinking, they crowd the bar. Do not try and get past, you will be invisible to them. Served a cold, flat pint of London Pride. This is Fosters territory after all, the power of advertising to White Van Man runs deep here with the occasional rebel drinking Magners Oirish cider only because he watches a different channel.
14 May 2011 00:29
The Vine (Bull & Bladder), Brierley Hill
A classic pub with various rooms, very popular at Midday on a Thursday! Pies are their speciality, hearty food, faggots & gravy, that sort of thing. Beer is cheap and great, I had the Batham's Mild, lots of beer tourists and locals alike.
4 May 2011 23:04
The Oakford Social Club, Reading
3 real ales on, Black Sheep, Deuchars IPA and Dragon Ale from Devon (�3.25). I rather liked this place, larger than I thought looking at it from the outside, a slightly younger crowd but fairly mixed, I spotted someone with a beard and sandals though!
23 Apr 2011 12:54
The building is nice, got served fairly quickly, beer is cheap, Real Ale is good, I had Concrake from Orkney Brewery, no complaints. Here's the rub, Dear Reader, this pub is in Sheffield, located in East Kilbride or Torquay, it'll be considered a good pub maybe GBG material, but not here, there are many better.
21 Apr 2011 19:35
Has some nice ornate pub architecture, the windows being of particular note, not sure if that makes it National Inventory material though. Beers are good. Has 2 rooms, one is a fair bit smaller than the other.
21 Apr 2011 19:29
You could be fooled into thinking this was a JD Wetherspoon by the size of the place and the layout, the give away is that it's better, much better, in almost every aspect. Around 11 Real Ales, well priced and in good condition, no horrendous wino types, and kept much cleaner than a JDW and nicelt decorated. There's a student hall of residence next door but has a mixed crowd. This is the place for bottled beer, especially of the Belgian variety. I had the food which was good wholesome pub food.
21 Apr 2011 19:27
The Hillsborough Hotel, Sheffield
The Crown Brewery tap, in an area of Sheffield that has seen better days and now is a testament to Britain's declining manufacturing industry. The pub, however, is an oasis, nicely fitted out with a conservatory to look out over the hills, the gas works and the Mecca bingo super centre surrounded by barbed wire. Around 8 real ales in excellent condition and highly convenient for the tram makes this pub weel worth a visit.
21 Apr 2011 19:22
Rather different to most Real Ale Sheffield boozers, light and airy with photographs on the wall for sale. There's a conservatory type affair out the back and the pub seems to have had a fairly recent refurb. Bar Billiards can be played. The Real Ale is very nice, wide selection with the Sheffield Brewery heavily featured as it's the brewery tap, prices are good too.
21 Apr 2011 19:10
Little Ale Cart brewery tap. Watch out for the 'Real Ale Twats' Viz cartoons on the wall near the gents, very funny. Over-sized glasses. There are a lot of 'must visit' pubs in Sheffield and this is one of them.
21 Apr 2011 19:01
The Kelham Island Tavern, Sheffield
Kelham Island the place but not the brewery nearby, just to be clear. The standard lunchtime food was reasonable. Quite a large 2 roomed pub, one of the staff is an active CAMRA member by all acounts.
21 Apr 2011 18:57
I re-iterate the positive comments below, there's another bar where some people were eating when we arrived. The beer is of course excellent, a characterful, ramshackle pub with lots of breweriana on the walls. There's a small beer garden that can be a pleasant sun trap, look out for all the cats, not real ones, but little sculptures or paintings peering at you as you sup your beer!
20 Apr 2011 19:37
A large pub with a large range of beers, 11 on my visit, at reasonable Sheffield prices. A large selection of meals. Pint to the line oversized glasses a major plus point for me, we went on the Monday as was informed that was why the beer was a bit cheaper than advertised.
20 Apr 2011 16:59
My first introduction to Real Ale in Sheffield was via this pub located just off platform 1 of Sheffiled Rail Station. A modern but traditional feel to the place, lots of handpumps with Thornbridge heavily featured and also quite a few keg fonts serving more interesting fizz such as Czech Bernard beers, a must visit pub when accessing or egressing Sheffield by train.
20 Apr 2011 16:53
The restaurant upstairs, 'Il Gusto' is Italian & Greek, haven't tried the food but plan to. 4 Fuller's beers ESB, Pride, Seafarers and Discovery. The pint of �3.30 London Pride I had was in very good condition. Largish and very convenient for the train station.
9 Apr 2011 17:27
Probably about 70 - 80% Czechs & Slovaks with various English friends along for the experience. An interesting building reflecting its history dating back to after the 1st World War and the creation of the Czechoslovak state. A beer hall type affair with popular table top football being played in the corner. Czech beer from the majors and authentic Czech & Slovak cuisine, I had the duck & dumplings in a cabbage sauce, it was much better than it sounds and all for �8.
26 Mar 2011 12:17
Historic pub very close to the British Museum but a living part of our history! For a beer snob, well yes it has 7 real ales but it's obviously from a portfolio of 'national' brands although there was a JW Lees beer that was of interest. Quite food oriented and busy when I went but not overwhelmingly so. The beer was kept very well indeed, my Timothy Taylor Landlord was in top form.
26 Mar 2011 12:11
A small pub where the clientele spills out onto the pavement outside when busy, there is also an upstairs and an alleyway out the back so a bit more space than at first it seems. Quick friendly service from the staff in a crowded bar area, the real ale was in good form with a great selection. It's CAMRA's national pub of the year, not 100% convinced about that but a very good pub none-the-less.
26 Mar 2011 12:06
A rather inaccessible pub to say the least, you will need a car. On the drive to the pub you see the gated estates where the other half live, well the 1% that own the other 50% maybe be more accurate, they probably look down on poverty stricken Wargrave with disdain! A nice traditional pub of course, with plenty of space for those requiring a meal, the beer is Brakespear's and well kept with 3 beers on tap, slightly pricey though. Members of my party ordered the bar meals which were well received. Friendly staff and an amiable place to visit.
17 Feb 2011 22:47
A fantastic pub, 9 real ales, soon to be boosted to 10, 2 regulars & 7 guests from a diverse number of breweries and in excellent condition. I paid �22 for a 3 course meal, worth it in my humble opinion, most food is sourced locally, it's a bit 'nouvelle cuisine' if you want to be filled up buy some pie & chips from the chippy down the road, otherwise enjoy the wonderful flavours of the food. GrahamH's comments down below regarding the lunch time meals have been forwarded to the local CAMRA branch who did their survey on 5th February 2011 for the GBG 2012 guide and the entry should be amended.
6 Feb 2011 18:10
The G W Hotel Bar and Grill, Swindon
Firstly the beers, Arkells, the beer was in good nick and the Moonlight beer I had was tasty. The pub (bar?) itself is, quite frankly, a bit weird. Harsh lighting, decoration that is all over the place, some crazy flowery wall paper on one side, walls painted in a sort of shocking pink on the other. TV screens that no-one seems to watch, busy(ish) on a Satuday night full of mainly blokes all dressed the same and probably all within about 3 years of being 30, with a few fat middle-aged blokes in the corner. I only realised the bar was so big when I went to the bogs as it carries on around the back of the bar, there are magazines laid out for people to read. The music too was all over the place, with Stereophonics, Oasis and then an R&B track. I quite like this place!
6 Feb 2011 18:03
I've been going to this pub for well over 20 years, has a smaller front bar and a large back bar, I remember it being it being sympathically refurbished and enlarged around 1991. A Wadworth's pub with a good range of their real ales and a guest, I found the beer quality to be pretty good when I went, hasn't changed much over the years which is no bad thing.
30 Jan 2011 22:51
The Waggon and Horses, Twyford
I echo the comments below, a nice pub. I went on a Saturday afternoon so quite quiet. The beer range is pretty good, had Rebellion IPA, a couple of beers too boring for a beer snob like me to remember and Bingham's Brickworks Bitter, the new brewery in town where they brew literally down the road. It's nice that a pub is supporting a local business, also nice to hear that the beer is being consumed with gusto.
22 Jan 2011 17:02
Is this pub the Princess or Prince of Wales? Most confusing. Came here on the strength of the BITE reviews and was sadly disappointed, only 2 Young's beers on and a bit average in quality too. A comfortable enough pub but if you like your real ale make the effort to walk to the Trafalgar on High Path off the Morden Road.
28 Dec 2010 12:41
Can't really fault this pub, it's in the GBG and rightly so. A large range of real ales costing �2 or �2.15, the beers we had were very well kept and the service at the bar was fairly quick (although it was a Saturday afternoon). The usual JDW cavernous pub, tables, tables everywhere but not a place to sit, a victim of its own success. Can't understand the BITE rating probably hampered by previous ratings when it wasn't so good perhaps?
28 Dec 2010 12:36
An historic listed building, I found the windows were rather amazingly detailed. Actually all along Croydon you can see interesting buildings reflecting a bygone age behind the facades of 21st century retail britian. Only had Young's beers on as the 'guest' beer was sold out, the Winter Warmer was well kept and the staff very friendly, the jukebox was well used playing the sort of decent music that I grew up to in the late 70s, early 80s
28 Dec 2010 12:30
8 real ales with 2 on gravity and interesting mix of beers, a lot of them Christmas themed. First beer we had pulled was cloudy, the barman re-pulled the beer without question and it was in fine form. The beer prices are reasonable for the area, there's an upstairs that is slightly weird and wonderful and music oriented with a bias towards jazz (nice!). They seem to have bands on and open mic evenings too.
28 Dec 2010 12:24
The Claret Free House, Addiscombe
A pub but a 'public house' if you know what I mean Has a sort of 80s feel to it. Has a TV showing the horse racing complete with punters shouting at it for that short duration. An older crowd, virtually all of them drinking one of the 6 real ales on offer that appeal to a beer snob like me and reasonably priced for London at �2.90.
27 Dec 2010 22:55
Right next to Jolly Woodman q.v. Open and airy pub with an attempt at a trendy design. Served by a barmaid who seemed rather uninterested and looked like she'd rather be somewhere else. 2 gas fires to warm the cockles. 3 real ales, Courage, Tribute and Westerman Ales' 1965 a well kept fruity little number, yours for �3.50
27 Dec 2010 22:45
Next door to The Oakhill, q.v. A traditional pub with a front bar and seating towards the back. Super friendly pub dog. Had 5 real ales, 3 of them you could get in a decent real ale pub, the other 2 probably harder to track down and appeal to the beer snob like me. My Betty Stogs was very good and my friend's Port Stout was in fine form. �3.40/pint so not cheap.
27 Dec 2010 22:39
Chequers Brasserie, Cookham Dean
A gastro pub in a posh part of the world. Nice traditional decor with a real fire. If that's want you want then this pub will more than suffice. 2 beers on when I visited, Adnams and Rebellion IPA, the IPA was in fine form. I was in the happy situation whereby I didn't have to pay, so I cannot comment on the prices, however the food was good. The staff coped admirably with our party of 30 and were attentive and friendly.
11 Dec 2010 02:24
Greene King, groan, expensive but 4 ales on and the beers are pretty well kept so perhaps I'm letting my beer snobbery get the better of me. Quite a large and thriving pub, 2 bars, the main bar is traditional and when I went on a Thursday it was nicely busy with a bias towards a slightly younger crowd, lots of seats and a relaxed atmosphere. The other bar is an abortion of a design nightmare, sparkly granite worktops for the bar, harsh lighting and an attempt at some funky furniture. The staff were friendly although quite busy and the owners did seem to care about their customers.
18 Nov 2010 23:36
The Robert William Loosley, High Wycombe
A Lloyds number 1, not bad. Remember there are 2 bars, a downstairs and an upstairs, Wycombe was a centre of chair manufacture and this fact is celebrated by the pub. Does what it says on the tin, cheap food, �1.75 for some quite well kept real ale and a struggle to get served despite some hard-working staff. The bar man was friendly, knowledgable about real ale and a self confessed 'beer snob', the pub that he drinks in his own free time? The Bootleggers!
13 Nov 2010 12:46
The Sausage Tree, High Wycombe
Finally got through the front door, no private parties or irregular hours to transpire against me this time. It's effectively a restaurant that allows people (that aren't riff-raff) in for a drink, the place was fully booked so the 5 of us were crammed along the bar with the drinkers and the eaters getting into each others way. I guess the food must be good and there is an Africa meat theme, Camel, Kudu, Springbok, Camel etc very pricey though. 2 Rebellion beers on, IPA and Smuggler, not bad.
13 Nov 2010 12:39
A likeable pub, went on a Saturday when it was fairly busy and had a band on. The beer selection is obviusly pubco tied but having said that it was quite varied with 4 or 5 real ales on.
13 Nov 2010 12:29
Firstly the pub architecture, Victorian at a guess and what a gem, lots of dark wood and fitted out nicely in a minimalist kind of style. The bar has original glass fronting at the top advertising the areas of the bar to get Ales, Whisky, Sherry and Foods. It's had a chequered past and had a load of licensing conditions imposed on it, however quite possibly irrelevant now as the place is transformed, no machines, real fire and 4 real ales, the Loddon Hullabaloo was in top form. It's as if SotonAleDrinker's comment below "A good landlord, a bit of commercial creativity and some nice pictures and lighting could turn this from a fairly ordinary, down at heal pub into a really nice boozer" was heeded! The Landlord scored a nice bit of publicity in the local paper and consequently the real ale was going quick. Very convenient for my bus in Blagrave Street and just around the corner from the rail station means I won't be visiting the 3 Guineas quite as often.
24 Oct 2010 14:41
Large gastro-pub, refurbed and paid for by �3.40 per pint and fairly pricey food. Now re-named Albert Cook. Fairly full with some customers playing board games, is this a recent Reading innovation as I had just come from The Nags Head where various board games were also being played? Good range of real ales, had a Beartown beer (from Congleton) and it wasn't good, gone off in the pipes perhaps, bad batch from the brewery, who knows, who cares? I'm a customer and so I complained, thenceforth a 'customer is always wrong' exchange then ensued. 'It's a fresh barrel' was repeated ad nauseum. It was drinkable, but only just, after drinking about half of it, I went back to the bar and about to give up and go home after telling the bar maid what appalling customer service I'd experienced. She referred me to the Manger who was very apologetic, pulled me a pint of Purity, which incientally was on top form. Why couldn't that had happened in the first place?
24 Oct 2010 14:29
Recently in the GBG, beer was good, food was a bit pricey but my �8.50 Ham, egg and chips was very nice, locally sourced and was a fairly generous portion size. It seems that they have to recoup some of the cost of a refurb. Beer was good and I will return sometime.
3 Oct 2010 19:47
A large pub in a leafy part of Reading, A high ceiling and a racing theme with the footy scores interrupted for a race on the TV. I spotted 2 pub cats. Seems a bit of a locals pub. Had 1 real ale fff Moondance, it tasted like vinegar, after our group voiced their opinions the offending beer was taken off and a new barrel was put on, it was very nice.
3 Oct 2010 19:44
A complete change to the Chav pub that occupied this site a few years. Has had a makeover, I would say it's 'female friendly', dim lighting, candles, nice decor, comfy sofas etc. A place to bring your girlfriend. Had an acoustic session upstairs with the music piped downstairs. Beer in the Greene king range but wasn't bad. A cut above the pubs in this area.
22 Aug 2010 23:22
There are some styles on Real Ale I'm not too keen on, luckily this is quite rare, but I ventured my opinion to the bar manager about a beer I really thought was rather 'odd', I suspect it was rather 'sulphurous' using the Burton union brewing method. Rather than getting defensive, the Bar Manager took my comments seriously, pulled a glass for himself to taste, pulled a second pint in case it had gone off in the pipes and offered me an alternative beer should I want one. As the overtones I smelt in the beer weren't of vinegar and it tasted better than it smelt I stuck with my original beer. I think this is probably the best customer service I've had in a pub. I went in for 1 pint after my shopping and came out having consumed 4. This is a very hard pub to leave!
6 Aug 2010 14:15
greeted by a couple of attractive Eastern European barmaids. Talked to each other in their own language, probably saying something like "Why don't we get to serve nice young attractive men instead of these fat middle aged blokes?" Anyway it's a Fullers pub, had a London Pride and it was in reasonable nick. Fairly food oriented, we ordered a rather nice Indian meal, filling and reasonably priced especially. As I walked from this pub to Kensington High Street tube station I realised what sort of area it was, the sort of place where they treat Top Gear as an actual car show for info on what car they should purchase next, which makes this pub a bit of a gem.
6 Aug 2010 13:50
Apparently this pub fits into the 'if you build it, he will come' category of taking a run down pub, doing it up, putting loads of decent real ales on, decent food and spinkle some good customer service into the mix. The Nags Head in Reading, Hop Pole in Aylesbury are other examples. Beer range astonishing, 14 to choose from I think. A must visit pub!
11 Jul 2010 17:42
A well kitted out pub, the real ale range is superb, some of our party tried to eat there but they're are a victim of own their success and all tables were fully booked. Close to rail station. Perfect really.
11 Jul 2010 17:36
The Mad Bishop and Bear, Paddington
Fuller's Real Ales with a good range and in good condition, as usual for most Fuller's pubs very pricey. Large pub, plenty of tables and chairs, upstairs in Paddington rail station, so ideal for a last/first pint on a rail journey.
9 Jul 2010 11:33
Right by the railway station, about 7 real ales from around the country but you'll always find a local brew, a nice selection of styles too. Bottled beer range is very good, have a look around the other side of the bar and there a couple of large glass fronted fridges with various beers from around the world on display. One thing to note is that they do not allow any football colours in the pub, including the England shirt.
26 Jun 2010 14:45
A Youngs pub that has some guest ales, not bad condition but not fantastic either. Very food oriented although retains that 'olde English Pub' idyll for the tourists, of which there were many.
18 Jun 2010 23:37
Was here early for a pint and the big breakfast, like a lot of JDWs good, but not brilliant, I wish the food could be just be a little warmer. Got served very quickly and the staff were friendly and courteous. The real ales were very good however and of course very reasonably priced. Quite a cavernous pub and the building itself is quite interesting, they used to make cars here once upon a time.
30 May 2010 12:30
This pub has very recently been extended. A very good range of real ales, seems to concentrate on the more well known ales but you will also find a couple of the more unusual beers as well, I had the fff Alton Pride which was in very good condition. I think this pub is free of any tie. The beer garden is large and is very nice on a sunny day. Convenient for the train station too.
30 May 2010 12:20
Lots of scaffolding outside but it's definitely open. A nicely furbished pub with comfy chairs, only one real ale on, Bombardier, well kept.
30 May 2010 12:12
Now re-renamed back to 'The Wheatsheaf'. Has Sky sports and real ale, which was the reason why I was in there. It was busy on a Saturday afternoon and I was about the only person didn't have facial piercings, tattoos and wasn't shouting at the top of my voice. I'll probably never go back there, but the barmaid was friendly, the beer wasn't too expensive for London Pride and it was actually well kept.
23 May 2010 17:40
The Bricklayers Arms, Aylesbury
This pub and landlord haven't changed for donkey's years apparently, a good honest boozer. Had 3 unadventurous real ales on, 6X, London Pride and Adnan's Broadside. Had a pint of Pride and found it to be in rather good condition.
16 May 2010 19:26
An independent pub, so no pub company or brewery tie and this is fairly obvious from when you walk in, the real ale range reflects this too. It's all bare brick and wooden beams but light and airy. Food oriented but mainly a pub at heart, can get fairly busy. One minor gripe was that my beer was a good 4 degrees too warm, probably because they weren't getting the turnover at the time I visited.
16 May 2010 19:23
Real ale is very good and this pub is an oasis amongst the mainly chavvy pubs you'll find in Aylesbury centre. A nice relaxing place in the heart of things, the courtyard tables are full on a nice day with virtually no smokers, a sign of the clientele perhaps? A place to have a conversation with your friends.
16 May 2010 19:18
Judging by the previous comments the clientele was a bit different than usual as I visited on a Saturday evening and therefore Reading was doing it's usual 'English Town Centre Binge Drinking War Zone' impression. Real Ale was cheap, local brewers represented, and well kept. A fairly standard JDW pub.
11 May 2010 22:54
Real Ale was in good form and cheap, other than that a standard JDW. Very busy as it was a Saturday evening.
11 May 2010 22:48
A bit of an odd pub, difficult to classify, great location and a very good beer range, the real ales were in good condition. Quite a big, airy pub, perhaps lacking in atmosphere, quite a high student count. Dare I say it, it was like a good chav-free JD Wetherspoons. The location and beer are 2 very good reasons to make this a must visit pub.
25 Apr 2010 16:27
A 'saved by the ale' pub, decent beer, which should be your primary reason for visiting. An ordinary pub in other respects, fairly disinterested barmaid, not very busy except for some chavs feeding a quiz machine (either that or a fruit machine) in the corner.
25 Apr 2010 16:22
Pub was heaving when I was there in the early evening on a Saturday. I get the impression that the management run this successful pub by looking after their customers. A good selection of real ales, fairly large pub with TV screens that aren't too instrusive. Go visit.
25 Apr 2010 16:18
The Glue Pot (Castle Arms Hotel), Castletown
A nice enough pub in the picturesque town of Casteltown, fairly busy and with a decent range of ales including the ever rarer Okell's Mild. It was in quite poor condition which is a shame, bit of a vicious circle, if it's bad people won't drink it, if people don't drink it, it goes bad.
25 Apr 2010 16:15
Nice pub especially when it's sunny, sit outside and watch the trams go back and forth, a great location. Decent pint of real ale. Outside there are council public toilets, initially I thought they were the pub's toilets as they are actually nearer to you if you're sitting in the beer garden.
25 Apr 2010 16:09
Selection of Okells beers well kept. Quite a foody pub and nice for a sunny day to eat outside, right on the front so you can watch the world go by. Largish pub with 2 bars. Nice looking pub architecture in one of the bars.
24 Apr 2010 16:54
Decent real ales, nice interior with a sort of Gentlemen's club feel about it. Probably the closest that the Isel of Man gets to a London city pub with it's sometimes suited and booted clientele. A nice friendly pub to visit. Real Ale was good.
24 Apr 2010 16:45
The Crown Liquor Saloon, Belfast
If you only ever do one pub in Belfast, do this one. The pub architecture dates from a bygone age and the staff play the part being well dressed, friendly and attentive. Bring your camera. One of the few real ale outlets in Northern Ireland so a bit of a double whammy. It was quite amusing watching some Spanish students wrestling with the NI accent at the bar! The Belfast Black beer had lots of taste, contrast and compare with Guinness.
24 Apr 2010 16:41
JDW pub, does well in a city that's a bit of a real ale desert, they had the beer festival on and had a good choice of real ales in good condition. Had displays advertising Hilden's brewery so gets a thumbs up for promoting real ale too. As previous reviewers have noted, it's a cut above the rest of the JDW chain.
24 Apr 2010 16:33
Traditional pub, inland a little bit and not touristy at all, quite a community pub with caricatures of what I assume to be locals on the walls. A relaxed feel to the pub and some good real ale, worth a diversion if you're in town
20 Apr 2010 23:21
Real ales pretty good and that's it really. It's a rough pub, 2 bars, one very rough the other just rough. Did I mention this was a rough pub?
20 Apr 2010 23:17
The real ales are very good, it has a jukebox, it has lots of different rooms. The toilets are pretty grim and have a smell of disinfectant that overwhelms probably worse smells. It was last decorated in about 1986 and the furniture has seen better days, 'friendly' locals (i.e. permanently pissed) are usually outside chain smoking. A pretty rough pub saved by the ale.
20 Apr 2010 23:15
Well JD Wetherspoons have improved the pub experience of air travellers, in the case of the Flying Horse, only just. Pricey by JDW standards, the JDW beer festival was on and the beer wasn't bad at all. Had a lukewarm all day breakfast, when asked if everything was OK, I replied that it was not very warm, it came back about 5 minutes later still just as warm.
19 Apr 2010 23:29
Very much a food oriented place, we sat at a table and was almost immediately asked "were we eating", no, so we got moved off the table to a much smaller 'drinkers' area. 5 real ales on in excellent condition, if memory serves me right there is a 30p/pint discount for CAMRA members. Right on the canal, rather pleasant and relaxing on a warm sunny day.
19 Apr 2010 23:22
Lovely pub architecture, great real ale. Quite a foody pub and pretty large with lots of seating and 'comfy chairs'. We went on Sunday evening and it was pretty busy. What's interesting is the clientele, a pub that has customers right through the age ranges from students to senior citizens.
19 Apr 2010 23:10
The Sun Hotel and Bar, Lancaster
I hope this review doesn't sound too gushing! This pub really is the sort of pub I like, 8 real ales in good condition, 4 from the Lancaster brewery, also a selection of Belgian beers. I ate here and the food was pretty good. I also stayed here and our room was great, got a �5 drink & food vocuher for booking on-line. Staff very friendly and attentive. I just cannot fault this pub.
19 Apr 2010 22:00
The Sekforde Arms, Clerkenwell
Young's pub, not a bad pint, has a bit of a local's feel to it. Dart playing was very much in evidence, cor blimey leave it out guv'nor. Our group escaped to a function room upstairs which was completely empty but fufilled our needs.
10 Apr 2010 12:57
Metropolitan Bar, Baker Street
Certainly on of the better JD Wetherspoon pubs, seemed to have lots of friendly East European staff. They had the beer festival when I was there so a good choice, the beer was good and cheap for London. I liked the way they've fitted out the pub with the coats of arms around the ceiling. Bang next door to Baker Street, so very handy, can be shut down by the police when large numbers of footy fans are in the area, FA Cup final day being an example.
10 Apr 2010 12:52
The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell
Last came here in the mid '90s and it hasn't changed a bit. Had the Mild, as previously described it's the outlet for St. Peters beers, they had 4 beers on the 'cask' (although doubt it's cask conditioned). Quite busy, people are allowed outside (before 10pm I think) but only with plastic glasses.
10 Apr 2010 12:46
Ok let's get the negatives out of the way first. It's over-priced and more than a little pretentious. Not that busy on the Friday evening I went, not a bad thing after all the super busy pubs I'd visited earlier on. However the beer was in good condition with a nice choice, a pub I would return if I was in the area.
10 Apr 2010 12:42
Came here on a Friday evening, it was absolutely packed, could hardly move, there is an upstairs which was slightly better. Does a roaring trade in Scotch Eggs! Well staffed, got served pretty quick, expensive Fullers pub but I had a pint of the very excellent Pale Rider. One slight gripe is there is a covered area just outside the pub that gives the appearance of being part of the pub, used by the smokers, borderline legal if you ask me.
10 Apr 2010 12:36
Had an OK pint of London Pride, expensive as all Fullers pubs seem to be. Pub architecture is interesting, hope it's listed it would be a shame to lose it. Friday evening so rammed with city types.
10 Apr 2010 12:30
Historic pub, went on a Friday evening and it was packed with city types. 8 real ales on in good condition and cost about �2.85 which isn't bad for London. Had the food which was OK and uncomplicated.
10 Apr 2010 12:25
Not a bad pub, was pretty dead when I went on Saturday during the day, large pub, seems to have 3 real ales on usually although only 2 when I was there. Worth the walk from Marlow centre if you're in town.
6 Apr 2010 23:12
Handy for the train station and err, that's about it. Had a pint of London Pride that wasn't in good condition and was far too warm. I was only here as I didn't have enough time to get to the Bounty across the bridge before my train left.
4 Apr 2010 13:31
Queen and Albert, High Wycombe
A massive improvement from my last visit especially on the beer front, 4 Rebellion beers in good condition. A change of managers in the last few months apparently and much busier from my last visit. Also has Sky sports on the TV.
4 Apr 2010 13:27
The Royal Standard, Wooburn Common
Went during a beer festival, not just any old pub beer festival either, a lot of different beers were on, all in good nick, about 13 beers from the very excellent Dark Star alone! Served in over-sized glasses which makes for the slighty high prices. Friendly pub which is slightly slanted towards food probably for commercial reasons but if you're 'here just for the beer' you will not be disappointed.
4 Apr 2010 13:23
They do 6X, it's in plastic glasses, not great but not bad, loads of people drinking it on a Saturday and they ran out of it. A gig venue, saw 2 bands, both very good, probably the best �6 I've spent in a long time.
28 Mar 2010 02:55
Whatever you do, do not ask for a sampler of the beers in this pub! An impressive 8 real ales on tap in a pub in Swindon's historic Railway Village. A right old boozer of a pub with partitioned seating with a pretty varied crowd, 2 of the 3 kids near me were drinking the real ale so a big thumbs up for that. Pretty much an automatic entry for the Good Beer Guide.
28 Mar 2010 02:48
Very friendly 'hands on' landlord and landlady, both wearing Rugby shirts when I was there. 3 real ales, boring for a beer snob like me, I tried 2 of them, the St. Austell Tribute wasn't bad, the Adnams was passable. They advertise their Cask Marque credentials with gusto, work it out for yourself.
20 Mar 2010 22:22
A locals pub, not unfriendly and the Doombar was in pretty good nick. Fairly busy so must be doing something right in these recessionary times. I would pop in for a pint again.
20 Mar 2010 22:11
Very much a locals pub. It has to be said the locals do like to imbibe! Real ales were Tim Taylor (Landlord), Loddon and West Berks brews, so 2 local beers and they were in tip top condition. Must have one of the hardest working landlords in the business who really did seem to care about his pub.
20 Mar 2010 22:04
Foody pub, a bit posh and seems to have had a make over. I thought this pub was quite lovely. They had 4 real ales on, the 2 I had were in excellent condition. Flowers, Brakspear's Bitter, Otter and Good Old Boy (West Berks).
15 Mar 2010 19:49
A large pub, slightly suffered from a lack of staff, although out party of 11 didn't help much! They are advertising for more staff so they are aware of the problem. Brakespears, Bitter and Special were on and in reasonable condition. Next to an infamous ford that does get deep on some occasions, despite the warning signs plastered everywhere and the depth gauge, people think they can drive their 4x4s into it, well they can't when the water is 4.5 foot deep!!
14 Mar 2010 12:54
Standard Ales for Brakes. Bitter, Oxford Gold and Hobgoblin. Food oriented with a Thai kitchen, thought the pub was going to be overwhelmed with food orders when we came in but they coped admirably. Although not advertised as such, my food was obviously 'Thai spiced' I had the sea bass for about �12, it was rather nice I have to say. There is a TV screen at one end that was showing the Scotland England Rugby match. Kids do seem to be allowed in the pub so mind your language!
14 Mar 2010 12:49
The Red Lion, Mortimer West End
Foody pub, a bit posh and seems to have had a make over. I thought this pub was quite lovely. They had 4 real ales on, the 2 I had were in excellent condition. Flowers, Brakspear's Bitter, Otter and Good Old Boy (West Berks).
14 Mar 2010 12:43
Large pub, food oriented but I was here for the real ale, interesting variety, micros well represented, the beer quality for my beer was superb.
14 Mar 2010 12:35
The Star Inn, Waltham St Lawrence
Waddies pub, Henry's IPA, Bishops Tipple, JCB and 6X, fairly busy on the Saturday afternoon I went. Couple of dogs in the bar, probably belong to the pub, a few local barflies to complete the picture. Nice English pub worth a visit.
14 Mar 2010 12:33
This pub is surrounded by the high rise hotels and hurley burley of Heathrow, so of course it has somewhat transient trade. It is a proper pub however and much, much better than the very over priced and fake 'Oirish Pub' recreation in the Holiday Inn serving fizz to loud chavs. Had London Pride and another real ale on, tried the London Pride and immediately thought to myself 'what a wonderful pint' whereupon my fellow traveller and CAMRA member of 20 years said, without any prompting, words to the same effect.
9 Mar 2010 22:54
2 bars, 'saloon' bar had a real fire and was quite cosy but dead, other bar was a bit more busy full of locals. Wasn't oozing friendliness, had 3 beers on but only 2 in the public bar so missed the probably superior Alton FFF beer, my Deuchars IPS was OK but nothing special, the other real ale was Courage I think. Part of the local CAMRA real ale trail, went there to meet the local branch but no one turned up!
27 Feb 2010 17:39
Lots of tables being prepared when we were there, looked like some sort of birthday meal. 2 Rebellion ales on, IPA and Mutiny in reasonable nick. Seemed the pub was all things to all people but not succeeding. Nice enough though and I'll probably return.
21 Feb 2010 08:49
The Flint Cottage, High Wycombe
Now called the Bootleggers, 7 real ales, a shrine to real ale, lots of bottled beers, a worthy addition to Wycombe.
20 Feb 2010 15:06
Foody place, lovely real fire in quite a large pub. 2 real ales on Pride and Bitter & Twisted (�2.60), in good nick too.
20 Feb 2010 14:50
The Charles Dickens, Beaconsfield
Average boozer, Sky Sports on, 3 boring real ales, my London Pride was freezing cold and had seen better days
20 Feb 2010 13:41
The Old White Swan, Beaconsfield
Nice pub, 3 beers on, Pride, Adnams, Rebellion, in reasonable nick. Lunchtime food. Friendly place.
20 Feb 2010 12:57
Royal Saracens Head, Beaconsfield
Most definitely open, large cavernous pub, comfortable, bit posh but it is Beaconsfield. 3 real ales on, Pride, TT Landlord & the very excellent UBU from purity. Bit foody but a likeable place.
20 Feb 2010 12:09
Long narrow 'cellar' bar, has a band playing when I was there and therefore forced the punters near to the bar which made things a bit cramped. Has a fair range of ages although slanted towards a younger crowd, maybe due to the band. A good range of beers with Moles ales well represented, they even had their Black Rat cider on. friendly staff, will go again.
14 Feb 2010 14:52
The Saracens Head Hotel, Highworth
OK so it's Arkell's beers but served from the barrel. I had the moonlight and it was in very good form indeed. There is a spit and sawdust small public bar and a large lounge bar that obviously caters for food. Both bars had a welcoming real fire.
14 Feb 2010 14:46
Quite a range of beers although hamstrung by Punch Taverns list, however there is usually at least one beer to satisfy the beer snobs. The landlord is very friendly and enthusiatic and is very much into single malt whiskies, there are about 90 available! A fairly large group of us came here for a pre-ordered/pre-booked meal, they cook coped admirably and I must say the food was excellent.
14 Feb 2010 14:43
I haven't rated this pub because despite a couple of attempts to go there it seems to have rather restricted opening hours so I was thwarted. A guy outside was rolling out the barrels and informed us it was closed until about 6pm whereupon another couple of punters arrived, at least he could see the demand for having his pub open even if he didn't care!
8 Feb 2010 18:03
Friendly staff, another pub that is making lots of effort to please the discerning real ale drinker, Bristol seems to be filling up with these type of pubs, long may it continue! Beer quality was excellent.
8 Feb 2010 17:57
A sanctuary from early Sunday closing times, 3 real ales and a real cider on, pictures of banknotes adorn the walls, a few studenty types present, I get the impression you could get a bit 'over refreshed' in here and get away with it!
7 Feb 2010 22:53
Real fire keeping me nice and warm, real ales usually 4 on, couple from BBF. Slightly minimalist modern design inside a back street boozer. Staff knowledgable and enthusiatic. An 'alternative' feel to the pub.
7 Feb 2010 21:24
Modern jdw, usual clientele, perhaps slightly less chavvy than normal, cheap beer prices and reasonable beer range, beer quality was good
7 Feb 2010 20:32
The Hillgrove Porter Stores, Bristol
OK so a little pricey, other than that flawless 10 real ales, 2 real ciders, interesting music piped out to the punters. Run by people who really seem care about their pub, a real ale paradise!
7 Feb 2010 14:56
Good back street boozer, came on a Sunday lunchtime, had 1 BBF & 3 Butcombe beers in splendid condition, quite a few people in for the reasonably priced Sunday Lunch of which the people next to me exclaimed 'well that was bloody good' as they emptied their plates! A fair few people drinking red wine too.
7 Feb 2010 14:00
Here on a Sunday, nicely decorated pub, Butcombe IPA in good condition. Fairly large pub. Last here about 12 years when it was the Smiles' Brewery tap. Pleasant comfy chairs.
7 Feb 2010 12:59
A juxtaposition of old and new, both in the fabric of the pub, the clientele and the music! 4 ales on, slanted towards the excellent Bath Ales and kept in good condition too.
6 Feb 2010 23:19
A very likeable pub, well OK it's a barge, the views are fantastic, the beer is 'Bristol Factory', great tasting & well kept. Such a cool place with quite a mixed crowd.
6 Feb 2010 20:29
Nice range of the wickwar beers in a small cosy pub, barman friendly and attentive. I loved the beer glasses kept on a low slung beer shelf above the bar. Gem of a pub
6 Feb 2010 18:22
a spit and sawdust type pub, live music is sometimes played, beer was excellent quality & very reasonably priced with a great range.
6 Feb 2010 17:55
Beer very good, back of pub is historic but has a 'new' inside of a tram transplanted into it. Well worth a visit.
6 Feb 2010 17:50
was grntlemen's club & the architecture is probably lost on 90% of the clientele, beer was very good as well, of course it's full of the usual JDW chavs, prices are cheap so don't complain!
6 Feb 2010 17:27
small pub, cosy, has a vinyl record collection that customers can select and play! 4 handpumps biased towards Bath Ales, quality was excellent, had a change of ownership so excluded from GBG but hoping to get into 2011 edition.
6 Feb 2010 16:54
large pub, visited during 6 nations rugby so packed but it's so big with lots of cubby holes so got a seat. Full range of Fuller's beers kept in good nick, slighty pricey though, the London Porter is superb however & the bar staff took time out to give taster glasses of a new beer. Highly recommended.
6 Feb 2010 16:37
Fairly standard Wetherspoons, it's big and on 2 levels but you can enter the upper level at ground level around the side, the winos tend to inhabit the bottom floor. The Real Ale is good with a decent selection and cheap.
30 Jan 2010 16:33
Can't add anything much to oldboots' review, he's got it spot on. You really can't do Head of Steam without visiting this one!
29 Jan 2010 21:06
The Head of Steam, Huddersfield
Good range of ales, mine was in good nick. Had the food here and it was near to Burns Night so had the Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, very nice. A transient crowd as one would expect. Watch the potato wedges, they are very filling especially if you woof them down and try to neck a heavy porter just as the train is arriving!
29 Jan 2010 20:52
Scarborough on a Sunday in January should = dead, well this place was quiet but certainly not dead and I think that's testament to the great selection of real ale in good condition. it is technically a bar in a hotel (The Bedford Hotel I believe) but to all intents and purposes it's a great Scarborough pub, one of the top 3 pubs in Scarborough, the others are The Valley and The North Riding. The Scarborough pub scene is suffering right now but this pub is doing well, work it out for yourself! Always has the very excellent Durham beers on tap.
29 Jan 2010 20:42
If you're a fan of pub architecture you'll love this, long narrow pub in a long narrow lane, the stained glass windows advertise 'luncheons' talked to friends of mine that have remarked that it's completely unchanged as far as they could remember and that's no bad thing! The beer I had was in very good form.
29 Jan 2010 20:22
OK firstly the beer, in excellent condition, decent range, very good. Now the pub; well it's historic and was actually closed down for 16 years apparently, now seems to having a restoration, the ceiling is something to behold, 3 rooms as far as I could gather. 2 of them are with afore-mentioned history but the snug, good heavens, some previous owner in the past was totally clueless when it comes to pub architecture, it's worth seeing just for its awfulness, an MFI book case painted brown next to fake brickwork over an equally fake fireplace!
29 Jan 2010 20:14
The Smithfield Hotel, Manchester
Gem of a pub, due to the real ales in the most part, great selection and in tip top condition, they seemed to make an effort for the MWAF refugees by putting on a beer festival.
29 Jan 2010 20:03
Had a 'locals' pub kind of feel to it, slightly alternative which was a good thing. Beer was pretty good as well.
29 Jan 2010 20:00
Bit busy when I visited, got a table however, National Winter Ales Festival being probably gave it a boost, had a low gravity with great taste. There was a lot of rushing about by the staff fulfilling food orders, so I guess that's a good part of their business.
29 Jan 2010 19:57
A classic pub. Great pub architecture, a dining area towards the back. Had a large selection of their beers in fine form, it was completely packed with a mixed crowd. When in Manchester again I will endevour to visit.
28 Jan 2010 23:48
Whoops regarding previous comment, NWAF not MWAF, National not Manchester (although it is held in Manchester of course)
25 Jan 2010 19:54
Under new management who have the old clientele who are lager boys and blue WKD girls. A rough and ready pub that had the Acorn Ales on when I visited, I must say probably one of the best pints I'd tasted in Manchester and considering I'd been to the Manchester Winter Ales Festival (MWAF) and some classic Manchester pubs that's high praise indeed. These are the sort of pubs that CAMRA should be supporting.
25 Jan 2010 19:16
The West Riding Refreshment Rooms, Dewsbury
Great jukebox, nice and loud with a heavy bias towards punk and ska, probably worth 9/10 in its own right! But it's the ale that the great thing, great quality and variety. Full of passing trade on rail ale trails.
25 Jan 2010 18:55
Mr Foley's Cask Ale House, Leeds
Likable pub, great selection of ales in very good condition. Now run by the York Brewery I believe, certainly had a few of their beers on, probably aimed at a slightly trendy crowd with the emphasis on the word 'slightly'
25 Jan 2010 18:42
I liked this place, probably would appeal to the younger crowd, for example the music (although not too loud) playing was of 'The Editors' ilk. Modern design, trendy I suppose, yadda, yadda. Quite busy on a Saturday afternoon and retreated uptairs where we could sit comfortable at a table. Beer was good and for me that's important, lots of different ales available and spreading real ale to a slightly different demographic too.
25 Jan 2010 18:36
The longest standing pub for good beer, ales in pretty good nick. Large projector type screen for footy, it's about 5 doors down from the 'must visit' Valley
25 Jan 2010 18:29
Now closed and up for sale, to cut a long story short, thriving pub making it's reputation on good beer sold to pub chain for loadsamoney, working from a beer portfolio so start losing customers, managers come and go, then pubco puts it up for sale for �225,000, no takers so drops it further to �165,000 out of desperation.
25 Jan 2010 18:26
Cosy traditional pub close to the throng of Basingstoke over the M3 but far enough away for that village feel. I've been here a few times over the last couple of years, serves the Real Ale from the Punch Taverns portfolio, had TT Landlord, London Pride, Ringwood Bitter and Sharp's Doombar on during my last visit. Beer was well kept. I've eaten here a few times and the food is pretty good with decent portions. recently 11 of us booked the function room, the room itself is smallish, 11 was about the right number for the size of the room. Despite having a large number of people eating in the main part of the pub all the food arrived in good time and was of truly excellent quality. The staff, despite being rushed off their feet, managed to cope admirably. A recommended GBG pub.
17 Jan 2010 21:16
The White Horse, Parsons Green
A very busy pub, I luckily got a table. The old ale festival was on with some rather interesting foreign beers including some Italian loopy juice, I also had an infamous brewdog beer. The 'normal' real ales at the bar were in fine form. This pub will probably always be on the agenda for a visit if I'm in the area.
30 Nov 2009 00:20
I saw this pub on the BBC, an article about high beer taxes, the government had increased duty to offset the VAT decrease, now that VAT is going back up they aren't reducing duty. The pub looked so good on Telly I felt I had to go there and I wasn't disappointed. If I was to open a pub, this is the sort of place I'd go for. The bar staff were friendly and enthusiastic. There were 5 Tim Taylors beers (The whole range I believe) and about 4 other beers, the beer was in exceptional condition too.
30 Nov 2009 00:11
Trafalgar Freehouse, South Wimbledon
It is a 'community pub' there is a tower block right next to it, but don't let that put you off at all, the locals were very friendly. It was a cold day and there was a lovely coal fire keeping the pub nice and warm. The beer range was excellent, sourced from micros mainly and the quality of the 2 beers I had was exceptional.
30 Nov 2009 00:01
A very likeable pub. I must say the Hop Back beers were absolutely spot on, I was on a crawl but to have just one beer there would be criminal, so I had two. Highly recommended. Incidentally the pub cat seemed to be more interested at looking at the wildlife through the windows rather interacting with the customers!
29 Nov 2009 23:57
The Hole In The Wall, Waterloo
Found this place by accident, I had to go via Waterloo after a crawl as there were problems on other rail lines. About 6 beers on, fairly boring for a beer snob like me, however I did have a very good pint of Hogback's TEA. Very convenient for the station and I'll return no doubt.
29 Nov 2009 23:51
A nice pub tucked away very close to the train station, very good for quality real ales and if you're waiting for a train then it's a must visit.
10 Nov 2009 22:18
My third visit to this pub in about 18 months, beer quality was excellent, nice pub with a bit of 'life', footy on the telly and quite busy for the time of day. It's what an English pub should be like!
25 Oct 2009 16:59
Improvement on my last visit, some interesting beers, they had decked out the pub for Halloween. Beer wasn't great, a little cold and not bad but not great either, the pub is improving which is a positive.
25 Oct 2009 16:56
Nice Fullers pub, I was here for the beer and I'm a fan of Fullers London Pride, however is was a bit cold and had seen better days. I will return however.
25 Oct 2009 16:53
A little bit pricey and slightly pretentious, but the food portions were quite generous. A couple of real ales on, fairly average but OK, some reasonably interesting bottled beers available including a lovely Australian Coopers Dark Stout.
25 Oct 2009 16:50
Better than average Wetherspoons, the beer was well kept, local and interesting. Fairly slow service, but more because of their success rather than incompetence, the client�le probably don't help!
17 Oct 2009 22:21
The beer was in the 'typical Reading prices' category, so a bit pricey, but (more importantly) it was very well kept and the range was good and interesting. The pub is traditional and could be part of a 1982 TV drama with virtually no alterations, which is a good reason as any to visit it!!
17 Oct 2009 22:15
Really liked this pub with its classic pub architecture. The staff were very friendly and the beer was very well kept.
17 Oct 2009 22:09
Had a very good pint of Wadworth's Stronginthearm here, it was Friday and packed so a slight victim of it's success. The staff were friendly and efficient. A quirky place with good no nonsense food. Can't wait to go back.
26 Sep 2009 13:55
A Fullers house with a large range of beers including guests. Beer quality was good.
26 Sep 2009 13:52
A fine pub, low beams with the obligatory 'Duck or Grouse' sign which I didn't read as it was just above (my) head height, taller, I'd have seen it, shorter, I'd have passed under it. Apart from the pain of whacking my head everything else was great, the real ales were fine, location great. We sat outside on a fine sunny day glad that pubs like these exist.
24 Sep 2009 23:36
Came in here after a visit to the Tring Brewery, a successful independent business in these recessionary times, and the same can be said for this pub. A great selection of ales (although no Tring beers at that time) and some interesting food, �8.80 for a rather exotic and really very tasty curry. I have never been to Tring on a pub crawl before, if I were to return this pub would be a 'must visit'
24 Sep 2009 23:30
The Anglers Retreat, Marsworth
At the end of a pub crawl so a bit hazy but friendly staff, a great location and great beer, so a great pub really!
22 Sep 2009 19:10
There's a high price to be paid for low prices. �1.89 for a fairly decent pint of a Loddon ale, the Bimbo that served me was fairly inept. A very shabby pub that needs a refurbishment But oh the Chavs, the Chavs! If only they could be refurbished. I suspect this is one of those places that is busy at 3pm on a Monday.
30 Aug 2009 15:15
A really friendly pub so close to the Thames I nearly fell in it! The pub management don't mind muddy boots, dogs or walkers using the toilets (according to the sign at the front). A quirky pub selling the Rebellion beers and given them additional names, like Grumpy Cow instead of IPA, when I went it was very busy. No road access and so the beer apparently comes by boat. I will return again and again.
30 Aug 2009 15:07
The Sausage Tree, High Wycombe
It clearly says on the website that this pub is open all day Saturday, it isn't, fruitless journey made and rather annoyed about that, I haven't rated it, I will do once I actually get through the front door.
30 Aug 2009 15:01
Queen and Albert, High Wycombe
Average pub, fairly dead in the evening. The pint of London Pride I had wasn't too bad but was cloudy.
30 Aug 2009 14:59
A really nice pub, very traditional, they do occasional beer festivals but they are part of the Greene King evil empire, having said that the beer I had was well kept
30 Aug 2009 14:58
This pub has apparently appeared on the Real Ale Rader in the last few months. It's in an area that is relatively good for Real Ale, so it's got to be pretty good for me to go there. Well it's very good, 6 real ales, all 'interesting' many of the smaller breweries represented and very reasonably priced for the area, the local branch of the Round Table were running a beer festival out the back, with a BBQ and local farmer's market style of stall. The ambience of the place was great and everyone seemed to having a thoroughly good time, I shall return. Apparently it's too late to get into the Good Beer Guide for 2010 which is a shame as it's a very worthy contender.
26 Jul 2009 18:33
Fantastic pub architecture, the service from the bar staff is also worth a mention, they took the 25 pints being ordered (I kid you not) from our coach party in their stride and even had the time to get me a taxi as I had to depart all too early. Oh and the beer was both cheap and lovely. An absolute must visit pub if you are in the area.
28 Jun 2009 18:41
Great beer, near the end of a pub crawl. Friendly pub, shame I had to leave.
28 Jun 2009 18:35
The Jolly Crispin, Upper Gornal
Lots of beers available, bit of a beer tickers dream, not too many locally produced beers so worthwhile if you want so you something a bit different.
28 Jun 2009 18:18
A great pub to while away a Saturday afternoon, beer in very good condition.
28 Jun 2009 18:14
The Coach and Horses, Weatheroak Hill
Had their brewed beers, keeping the beer miles to about zero! Had cod and chips, simple great food, I was surprised how quickly we got the food especially as I was part of a large coach party and most of us were ordering food. Large beer garden. Highly recommended.
28 Jun 2009 18:11
Legendary pub, visited on my annual beer pilgrimage to the Black Country, a 6% Mild, a beer garden and sunshine, doesn't get much better that this!
28 Jun 2009 18:04
The Land of Liberty, Peace and Plenty, Heronsgate
One of those 'here for the beer' pubs, they had a beer festival on, so lots of choice and the beer was in decent nick.
31 May 2009 16:59
Very friendly pub, the landlady welcomed us as we came (even though she wasn't at the bar). Nice beer garden and a conservatory, quite a foody sort of pub, we didn't eat but other customers were complimentary about the food. 2 real ales on, McMullens AK and a guest, both in very good condition on a hot day,
31 May 2009 16:58
This is an interesting pub, right on the river a great location, a friendly locals pub, quite an amazing collection of tattoos on display from the local clientele! However I was here for the beer and the new landlord had put up stillage for a beer festival, beer was great. What does deserve a mention is that people who may not have even been bothered with real ale may have been getting their first taste. The young 'jack the lad' and his mates in front of me waiting to be served being a case in point.
25 May 2009 18:06
It's the Reading & Mid Berks CAMRA pub of the year for 2009, so very well done and richly deserved. 12 real ales adorn the bar, sourced from the more interesting breweries, something that appeals to a beer snob like me. it's May so a few milds were on, nice to see them supporting this style of beer. I had 2 pints here mid way through a pub crawl of Reading (and Goring of all places!) and their beer was the best.
25 May 2009 17:55
I suppose you could describe this pub as an ordinary English pub, what makes it extraordinary is the 8 real ales on, 6 of them from the Hop Back brewery. An absolute must visit for fans of real ale.
25 May 2009 17:41
Arrived at 12:00 exactly when the pub opened, it was a Sunday and we were the only ones in, we ordered our food, the time on my receipt was 12:02, I got my (wrong) order 53 minutes later!! How long does it take to cook a Pizza and a chicken salad? An 'OK' experience, but will not bust a gut to come back.
24 May 2009 20:54
If you are going up North on the train, I was about to travel on the Caledonian Sleeper to Glasgow and was in need of some sleeping potion, then this is the pub for you. The Fullers beers plus about 3 guest beers, all in pretty good nick, an efficient although somewhat 'alternative' bar staff, the young fruity barmaid needs to pull a full pint however. Not quite in the station but literally 5 minutes walk from the platforms.
28 Mar 2009 16:58
I went on a Friday after I couldn't get into the London Drinker BF (due to sheer weight of numbers), this place was absolute mayhem too. Credit crunch? Real Ale dying out? No one seems to have told the patrons of this pub! They were running their own beer festival when I went, getting to the bar was quite a challenge and the beer was running out. I'll go again when it's quieter.
28 Mar 2009 16:53
A nice cosy bar tucked away behind the hotel. I had the 2 Arran beers available, Arran Blonde and Red Squirrel (there was a third, but they had run out), the lady at the brewery told me that out of season it's the only real ale outlet for them on the Island. The beer was excellent, really very good indeed, but it was �3.35 a pint! The 'beer miles' for those particular beers being 1.5 miles.
28 Mar 2009 16:39
Was here for the Man Utd 1 - Liverpool 4 game, just about full, with a fairly mixed crowd, probably rather busier than usual due to the match, only one person serving and she made heroic efforts to keep people in beer. They seem to have one guest beer among the Brakespears & London Pride, locally sourced from Hampshire and in very good nick, probably on the gravity (the bar maid went out the back to get it). I'll return for footy matches if i can't be arsed to go to The Nags Head in Reading.
15 Mar 2009 21:29
Far From the Madding Crowd, Oxford
Had a beer festival when I went there, well 6 casks out the back on gravity in addition to the selection on the bar so 12 in all I think. The pint I had was very good although my friend's pint did lack a bit of condition. We had over-sized glasses so top marks for that. Has a modern feel to it and attracts a more thoughtful clientele across the age range.
7 Dec 2008 14:00
Very good quality real ales, a must for anyone who cares about beer in Banbury and beyond. I'm a bit late posting this comment as I visited about a month ago but I'm sure it hasn't changed much!
7 Dec 2008 00:07
This pub ticks several boxes, 10 real ales, the 2 I had were top notch quality, there were tourists trying the ales alongside several of the younger generation, all drinking real ale. Very reasonable prices for the South of England too. A White Horse Brewery pub and I am sure this venture will be a success despite the current economic climate.
6 Dec 2008 23:54
Appalling attitude, I'm a middle-aged drinker who likes real ale, I was refused a drink because of the military combat jacket I was wearing, first time this has happened! Avoid this pub. Shame on them!
6 Dec 2008 23:40
A nice pub, I was here for the beer though and the 'beer miles' is about zero as it is sourced from the Twickenham brewery. I must say the beer was in excellent condition and a nice end to the evening.
26 Oct 2008 13:09
Seemed to have the full range of Fullers beers, my Red Fox was nice, �3.10 a pint though. Sports oriented but not a 'sports bars' as such, had the Footy on when I was there, but Rugby is the main game here judging by the paraphernalia on the walls.
26 Oct 2008 13:06
Fantastic pub, was really busy with students because of 'Matriculation' when I went, nice to see the youngsters drinking the real ale too, the age range of the clientele is across the board though so certainly not a kiddie pub! They get the turnover of ales so it's pretty much top notch stuff. A great place to relax and have a laugh.
22 Oct 2008 20:40
My last two visits were marred by extremely slow service, in fact on my last visit I walked out after standing at the bar for too long.
28 Sep 2008 22:08
Pretentious pub, one handpump that promised real ale, but alas it had just run out and they couldn't really be bothered to change the barrel, so has a pint of Hoegaarden in a plastic 'glass' because it was a race day, I didn't know that racegoers to Royal Ascot were so violent!
28 Sep 2008 22:01
In the early evening in central Reading, the town is just getting very busy, but not here. It's a bar rather than a pub and I felt like I was in a David Lynch film. First pint of real ale was freezing cold and tasted like vinegar, the staff replaced it and took it off, the replacement beer wasn't very good though. I won't hurry back.
28 Sep 2008 21:57
The Morland's bitter was pretty good and reasonably priced for Wokingham. A traditional pub with lots of character. On the day I went the Police and Paramedics turned up after a (one-sided) fight took place outside the pub, probably the last place I expected something like that to happen! I'm sure it's a rare occurrence though and wouldn't put me off visiting again.
28 Sep 2008 21:53
Broad Street Tavern, Wokingham
First of all the negatives, it's a bit pricey �3.25 for a pint of Holden's Special and the service is slow, that said, the beer quality is excellent and the outdoor seating area is very pleasant.
28 Sep 2008 21:47
Went during a beer festival unfortunately the beers were somewhat out of condition, as I didn't try the beers on the handpump in the bar I can't comment on those, overall a great pub I'll return to.
7 Sep 2008 17:04
A decent pint of Hancock's HB, 1st pint was at the end of the barrel and was changed without too much prompting. Traditional 2 bar boozer.
25 Aug 2008 13:51
Had a bombardier, a bit on the cold side, wasn't too bad after it had warmed up a bit!
18 Aug 2008 21:34
Up station road to the railway, sadly Dr Beeching saw to the end of the actual railway in 1963, but the railway theme lives on. A 'mash-up' of a pub with funny blinds and signs and things. Premier footy on large screen. One beer on, London Pride in good nick.
18 Aug 2008 21:30
Walked in, bar straight ahead with 5 handpumps. No pumpclips though and informed one real ale on the gravity, had 2 pints of vinegar served up, didn't drink it, we didn't pay for it and so, dear reader, we were back out the pub in less than 5 minutes. It was more of a resto-pub than a pub.
18 Aug 2008 21:22
I get the impression that the Landlord & Lady work hard to make this Greene King pub a success, chatty and friendly, beer in reasonable nick & reasonably priced. The pub itself is a rambling type of affair, with separate pub for the TV.
18 Aug 2008 21:17
Oh Lord what has happened to this pub? Last time I was here it was a joy to behold. It's a nice interesting pub that now serves indifferent beer and was deservedly void of customers.
18 Aug 2008 21:12
A bit out of the way from the main drag, a friendly locals pub, had good value for money pub grub. Beer was reasonable, I had a Sun Dance ale, not too pricey. TV screens showing footy results.
18 Aug 2008 21:08
Under new management apparently, light and airy resto-pub, had a pint of Sharp's Doombar, not bad but not great either.
18 Aug 2008 21:02
Ate in the Thai restaurant, staff were friendly, had the red snapper, bit pricey but you got what you paid for, it was absolutely wonderful! They had Rebellion Overthrow on, very nice indeed.
27 Jul 2008 17:05
The Slug & Lettuce aka The Hogshead, was on a works do and I was with a younger crowd (some were half my age) and so we went here, I did my best to persuade people to go to The Bounty in Bourne End but I failed. But wait a minute there's 2 handpumps with London Pride actually rather well kept, I was happy.
27 Jul 2008 17:01
The Greyhound, Whitchurch on Thames
The beer was on the gravity hooray, it was very warm oh dear, go when it's 12 degrees outside.
27 Jul 2008 16:51
A slightly quirky pub, which is probably why I liked it, sat in a room away from the bar with a massive TV screen that almost seem to dwarf the room, It wouldn't surprise me if they'd got the furniture from a bankrupt curry house! The beer was excellent and sourced from the local area.
27 Jul 2008 16:43
The Ferryboat Inn, Whitchurch on Thames
It was a hot day, and other pubs beer was suffering so this is the test of a good pub, Real Ale should be served at 12 degrees centigrade, cool in Summer warm in Winter. This pub didn't pass the test, the Black Sheep bitter was 'on the turn' didn't quite merit getting it changed though. Ate in this pub, reasonably priced, after all pubs have to make a profit, I enjoyed my infusion of saturated fat.
27 Jul 2008 16:33
Went during the day on a Saturday, pool table, juke box, a couple of locals already quite drunk, you get the idea. Having said that I put 'She's Lost Control' on the juke box and enjoyed myself. Greene King pub, beer was reasonably good.
27 Jul 2008 13:28
Nice pub, Greene King beers so nothing of interest to a beer snob like me, they changed one of the beers because it was a bit cloudy (we didn't have to prompt them to do this), Good ambiance.
27 Jul 2008 13:23
I have little memory of this pub, not because I was on a pub crawl and had too much to drink, simply because it seems so ordinary, a nice standard English pub with Brakspeare's on tap and err, that's it!
27 Jul 2008 13:17
Nice to see a dark beer like Hookey Dark on, very nice indeed, a characterful pub to while away a Saturday afternoon.
27 Jul 2008 13:13
Well it's 9/10 for the view and little else, minimum wage foreign labour serve Greene King and old Speckled Hen, all very indifferent.
27 Jul 2008 13:09
The Elephant Hotel, Pangbourne
Unusual Restaurant come pub, Elephants are the order of the day, I remember reading those stories when I was a kid. A great place to come if you have lots of money as the somewhat pretentious menu is a bit pricey, especially as we just wanted lunch time bar food. However the real ale was reasonably priced and had two local West Berkshire Beers in fine form, so from that point of view I'd heartily recommend it.
27 Jul 2008 13:05
Pleasant pub in a nice town, beer selection was pretty good and a nice beer garden to enjoy it in.
27 Jul 2008 13:00
Bit of a shambles of a pub, I guess you call it character. That said, it's very likeable and relaxed, and the real ales are always interesting and kept in very good nick.
11 Jul 2008 23:44
Convenient pub and great range of real ales in good condition, Three Guineas is �3.15, only 10p to go until the beer is 3 Guineas a pint!
26 Jun 2008 22:55
Not a bad traditional pub, but had a pint of Mild that was 'on the turn', Good Beer Guide have to do better than that!
26 Jun 2008 22:51
The Betjeman Arms, St Pancras International Station
A likeable pub and for a railway station pub it would be very difficult to beat, the real ale I drank was interesting (Sharp's) and good quality, not too pricey by London standards and served in traditional jugs, a nice touch. I can't quite understand the 'joke' with the toilets, a 60 second walk through a dining room to get to them, hardly a problem!
19 Jun 2008 23:09
Slightly pricey beer, but in this place I guess you get what you pay for as the Real Ales are top notch. The pub has characters and a few characters too!
1 Jun 2008 19:08
Difficult to know how to make this pub any better but that doesn't stop the Landlord & Lady from trying!
Real Ale, Real Cider, Belgian Beer you got it. Amzing value for money for what you get. I've seen the hard work that has gone into this pub over the years, nice to see it paying off for them.
1 Jun 2008 19:00
North Riding Hotel, Scarborough
There are 2 pubs in Scarborough vying for best Real Ale in town, this is one of them, never had a bad pint in there and never likely to. One bar is noisy, fun, jukebox, footy, pool. The other bar is quiet, real fire and great for socialising.
1 Jun 2008 18:56
I cannot comment about the food but always seems to be a lot of people eating there. The beer on the other hand has improved dramatically in the last 6 months, I visited in May and there were 2 Milds on both in excellent condition.
1 Jun 2008 18:50
A locals pub, cheap food. Real Ale is very hit and miss, I've never had an undrinkable pint but never a great one either. Good for Footy, you can see a screen from where ever you stand.
1 Jun 2008 18:46
A Ramshackle pub of character, maybe not to everyone's taste, has a 'lived in' feel to it. Friendly staff and the Brakspear's Oxford Gold was very nice.
1 Jun 2008 18:42
The Bird In Hand, Henley-On-Thames
Why aren't more pubs like this? Very friendly staff, the Real Ale is utterly superb, nice to see a mild in the month of May. They like a good rugby match on the telly!
1 Jun 2008 18:39
The Catherine Wheel, Henley-On-Thames
Well it does real ale and I have had a decent pint at a good price but it's very hit and miss, the food is cheap of course. The beer range is also hit and miss, it was super boring for a Real Ale snob like me when I last visited it!
1 Jun 2008 18:30
As noted it is very food oriented, this is the sort of place you would take someone out to eat. The beer was superb but as it's a short walk from the Rebellion Brewery it should be! The bus stop is right outside the pub so easy access to Wycombe and Henley/Reading. I will certainly visit again.
1 Jun 2008 18:26
I really liked this pub, didn't have anything to eat but the menu looked interesting and not too pricey for the area. The Brakspear's Oxford Gold was in fine form and the pub oozed charm and character.
1 Jun 2008 18:19
A rather average and slightly expensive Brakspears Bitter was served. Pub is pleasant and the staff friendly.
1 Jun 2008 18:16
A Locals pub, an indifferent pint of Rebellion IPA, i won't be in a great rush to come back.
1 Jun 2008 18:13
The St George and Dragon, Wargrave
Great views over the Thames, the food was good but pricey, some of the staff clearly do not like their job! Service at the bar was slow. Real ale was kept fairly well, nice to see that they source from the Local Loddon brewery.
1 Jun 2008 18:10
The Royal Oak, Tilehurst
4 real ales on, in good nick and from interesting breweries. A nice place to have a drink with plenty of tables to sit down and have a chinwag.
9 Feb 2013 17:26