BITE user comments - BlindTiger
Comments by BlindTiger
Excellent range of draft beers, all of the 5 I tried were in excellent condition. Pub had a real local feel to it, with friendly, efficient staff. Pizza from 5 PM that was good for �pub pizza�-topping was excellent, the base was so-so, went down very well with the beer though! My only complaint was that the level of light meant it could be tricky trying to read in there in some parts of it (where one attempting to work-from-home in there!!)
3 Sep 2010 14:53
Proximity to Angel Tube and a decent pint of Harvey�s make this place worth a try if you�re in the area. Was a bit surprised too see it in the CAMRA guide, which I felt was over-rating it slightly.
3 Sep 2010 14:52
Lovely little back street pub, will superb tiled exterior. Inside Landlord and Old Speckled Hen on draft, the latter was in decent nick. Free WiFi and all day British cheeseboard!
3 Sep 2010 14:51
The Old China Hand, Clerkenwell
O�Hanlons Yellow Hammer and Port Stout as the only 2 draughts both were excellent however. Several draft lagers including Freedom Ale which was great too. Superb range of bottled beers from all over the world plus an interesting looking Dim Sum.
Can understand the comment below that it�s not very pub like, it was however spotlessly clean, comfortable and very friendly- would definitely return.
3 Sep 2010 14:50
The place has grown on me over the years, the beer is a good as anywhere in London and the staff are tremendous. It can be a victim of its size and success but is a joy to visit off-peak.
3 Sep 2010 14:50
Was packed on a bank holiday Friday night with a mix of after work crowd, rail travelers, visitors for the Challenge cup final and real ale enthusiasts. The combined effect just seemed to overwhelm the place, it was uncomfortably hot and many of the beers had run out. Realise this may have been a one-off but the pub also had a strong reek of fried food throughout that was pretty unappealing
3 Sep 2010 14:46
The Land of Liberty, Peace and Plenty, Heronsgate
Have been coming here on and off for over 5 years. It remains a real find with an excellent range of beers. Pretty genteel clientele, the Torygraph tends to be paper of choice for most coming on lunchtime but adds to the quiet atmosphere, super beer garden too-recommended.
2 Aug 2010 09:36
The Southampton Arms, Gospel Oak
First visit yesterday, left extremely impressed with the place. Some excellent beers from Saltaire, St Peter's, Kelham Island and Dark Star to name just a few. Reasonable range of bar snacks but no hot food, proper drinking pub. Nice twist on the background music with the bar staff putting on vinyl records but not to a level where it was not easy to chat-definately will return.
18 Jul 2010 18:24
Appears to be trading of its former reputation. Cod and chips that given the pubs location should have been excellent, had the look and taste of Iceland fish steak with accompanying oven chips. Add in a group of shouty blokes at the bar, I would rate the place at around 3 or 4 out of 10, as opposed to the 8 here. The Harvey�s was o.k. but have had far better quality/choice in the region- very disappointing.
4 May 2010 14:31
The Pride of Spitalfields, Shoreditch
Love this place! - Crouch Vale Gold was sublimely good, highly recommended if around Brick Lane, or east of the City and fancying a decent beer.
5 Oct 2009 13:39
The Pride of Spitalfields, Shoreditch
Love this place! - Crouch Vale Gold was sublimely good, highly recommended if around Brick Lane, or east of the City and fancying a decent beer.
5 Oct 2009 13:39
Being a Canary Wharf dwelling, real ale bore, I would have to grudgingly admit this place was no where near as bad I was expecting! Life on the Wharf though does cause you to revise your expectations of pubs (they are mainly bars) down significantly. The service was very speedy, they had among others Palm and Budvar on tap which was a welcome surprise. As for expense I was part of a very lavish leaving do, so only bought a couple at the tail end of the night. Taking the North Pole as the best pub around here by a distance, followed by a Ledger, this place would seem to be the most palatable of a whole slew of non-descript bars (Via Fossa being especially grim)
5 Oct 2009 13:35
Being a Canary Wharf dwelling, real ale bore, I would have to grudgingly admit this place was no where near as bad I was expecting! Life on the Wharf though does cause you to revise your expectations of pubs (they are mainly bars) down significantly. The service was very speedy, they had among others Palm and Budvar on tap which was a welcome surprise. As for expense I was part of a very lavish leaving do, so only bought a couple at the tail end of the night. Taking the North Pole as the best pub around here by a distance, followed by a Ledger, this place would seem to be the most palatable of a whole slew of non-descript bars (Via Fossa being especially grim)
5 Oct 2009 13:35
The Old Dispensary, Whitechapel
Can see this place becoming a favourite with me! On second visit was struck by what an impressive building this was. Service was excellent again, hung around long enough to get two complimentary plates of entrees ,which were very welcome. Still only 2 hand pumps on this visit, however one of which was the wonderful Hop Head.
5 Oct 2009 13:27
Excellent Sams pub, although it would not be among my favourite beers on draft but their bottled beers make up for it (although much pricier than the draft option, the Oatmeal Stout is particularly fine)
14 Sep 2009 15:35
The Prospect of Whitby, Wapping
Wonderful pub, the Doom Bar was on top form! Just a little more effort on sweeping up the outside area would be good.
14 Sep 2009 15:30
Pure tourist trap. Beer pretty insipid, was served one of the shortest pints ever, the barmaid didn't even blink. Was topped up without a problem but was just left with the feeling that if they could have got away with they would.
14 Sep 2009 15:28
The Princess of Prussia, Tower Hill
Pleasant enough Shep pub, was busy on the Friday night a visited. Spitfire was in good nick, as was the sandwiches we had. Only downside was a radio playing through the PA at a volume that made chatting quietly an impossibly. Though fair play to the staff, they did turn in down without any grumbles when asked.
14 Sep 2009 15:21
The Old Dispensary, Whitechapel
Was very impressed with this place on first visit, an excellent addition to the area's pubs. Immaculate interior, welcoming staff-only minus mark was only 2 hand pumps on when I visited, both Nethergate. The one I had was admittedly superb, will definitely return.
14 Sep 2009 15:17
In on Fri 27, had Sulwata KnockenDock(easy for me to say!), which was excellent. Scotty on good form as always.
30 Jun 2008 16:19
Welcome addition to an area short on decent pubs. Wide range of real ales, friendly service. Worth visiting if having to brave Euston or even Kings Cross.
19 May 2008 17:04
Excellent beer range, Hawkshead Lakeland Gold was fantastic. My visit was soured by having to ask for the �10 my change should have contained. One of the locals kindly pointing out that he noticed how expensive my round was, smoothed things over.
19 May 2008 17:02
The Hole int' Wall, Bowness on Windermere
My opinion on this place is biased by my dislike of Robinson�s beers. Pleasant enough place but the beer�.
19 May 2008 17:00
The Black Bull Hotel, Coniston
Wonderful pub- fantastic Connision beers, excellent haddock and chips.
19 May 2008 16:59
The White Horse, Parsons Green
Large bar with huge range of beers attracts a relative young crowd. Beer quality is excellent the price though varies from the good (�2-50 for a Harveys) to the painful �3-75 for a Meantime stout. Some of the overseas drafts were over �4 a pint (maybe why this was why so many customers were paying on cards). Given the quality and the tremendous range I don�t my paying personally. Service was bit slow but then the place was extremely full on an early Sat evening and as stated using cash did not appear to be in fashion-well worth a visit on balance (try and pick a quieter time though)
11 May 2008 11:17
Visited for the first time yesterday-loved the place. Fantastic beers (the full TT range + 3 Dark Star beers on). Very friendly relaxed atmosphere- highly recommended, really should be in the top 40 on this site.
11 May 2008 11:15
Excellent spot, in an area full of cracking pubs- 8 real ales as advertised. Deservedly in the Camra 2008 guide.
2 May 2008 16:13
Well worth seeking out, Tim Taylor, Harvey�s Sussex and Wherry on tap. Take the 7 Stars on Carey Street, subtract the pretention and the lawyers-wonderful. Very friendly Landord, will be back.
2 May 2008 16:11
Wards Freehouse, Harrow On The Hill
Would be a great pub anywhere, for Harrow it�s a gem. Great place to watch sports, especially the racing. Wonderful staff-recommended.
15 Mar 2008 16:19
The Cat And Canary, Canary Wharf
North Pole, �2-50 for a Pride, also has Landlord and Old Speckled Hen. Far better pub, better beer-no contest.
22 Dec 2007 16:12
Very interesting addition to the Holborn circuit, handy for the Mitre and the JT. Very friendly, great choice a beer-hopefully will become a fixture.
20 Dec 2007 20:54
The Cat And Canary, Canary Wharf
Overcrowded, overpriced Wharf pub. The acoustics in here make conversation a struggle, over the noise of the mob.
28 Sep 2007 16:04
Sparsely populated on a Sunday lunch, this was later explained when sampling the food! Beer was decent enough, good pint of Duchy Organic-sticking to the beer appears to be the way forward in here.
18 Sep 2007 17:06
The Old Doctor Butler's Head, Moorgate
A hidden gem-serves the whole Shepheard Neame range on draft, beer quality superb
17 Aug 2007 09:47
Very handy for the train station but far, far better than your average station pub. Great ales, food is worth trying too.
28 May 2007 19:12
Truly great pub-has remained such in the 20 odd years since I first was taken there. In today post-cricket, beers superb as always.
28 May 2007 19:10
Fantastic pub, wonderful Harvey�s Beers-comfortably one of London�s finest.
18 May 2007 13:34
Agree with Mr Shaw's review below-shame I did not get to sample the pies. Surprised to find such a shrewd pub reviewer stranded in Qatar though.
13 May 2007 19:30
Ended up here, after giving up on the prospect of an extremely long wait, to get into the Reading beer festival. 12 ales on tap, very friendly- a place that really deserves to succeed. Hope that some of the hundreds that were queuing to get in to the festival start to patronise this place.
6 May 2007 17:14
Solid community pub, with excellent staff. Ale quality can vary but never a problem getting a beer changed.
30 Apr 2007 12:41
Was closed at 5, on Fri 20th of April, is this permanent?
22 Apr 2007 21:06
The Pride of Spitalfields, Shoreditch
Friendly community pub, with excellent beer quality- both the Sharp's Doom Bar and the Brewer's Gold spot on.
22 Apr 2007 12:55
Very handy for Waterloo but tucked away, up a quiet residential street. Excellent meeting point to avoid the horrors of Waterloo itself. Fair beer choice, all well kept.
25 Feb 2007 14:35
The Pontefract Castle, Marylebone
Two pubs for the price of one! The upstairs bar, crowded, noisy and hectic-with all forms of life on show. The downstairs non-smoking relaxed and laid-back. Take your pick.
19 Feb 2007 20:14
Well deserved entry in the 2007 Time Out Eating & Drinking guide.Calling Scotty's haircut "fierce" though a touch strong
13 Feb 2007 20:13
Have been in this place a good dozen times, as I have the misfortune to work on the Wharf. An excellent local pub, which will one day, sadly be swallowed up by the remorseless march of steel/chrome, as the Wharf expands. Don't be put off by the lowly rating. Whoever put this down as 5/10 either knows nothing about pubs (doesn't rule out many of the local workforce!)or is bearing a grudge. Only negative is that it can get very smoky at times-aside from that, if you're on the Wharf it deserves your support. What will be left when its gone?- Bar 38, Via Fossa et al.
12 Feb 2007 20:34
Popped in at lunchtime, food was good, beer excellent-Dark Star and Cottage. Sadly some road/building works going on nearby meant, it was not the most relaxing of lunches-this may only be temporary though.
12 Feb 2007 19:47
The Uxbridge Arms, Notting Hill
Excellent pint of Landlord, friendly staff-some of the punters though,could have come straight from the pages of "Hangover Square".
10 Feb 2007 11:28
Pub that scores highly for being both a genuine Sports Bar and a real Irish pub. Great place to watch football or horse racing. No ale choice but decent Guinness, other downside is it can get very smoky.
1 Jan 2007 20:08
Wonderful pub, which I�ve visited many times over the years. Was quite taken aback, last night at the state of the Gents. If you can get beyond the appalling stench, the filth/graffiti and peeling painting work complete the experience. Shocked to see a Sam Smith�s pub allowed to get like this. Shame when you have such a stunning interior, that no time is being invested in basic hygiene.
28 Nov 2006 09:10
A real find. Recommended place for a beer in Camden, now that the Devonshire has gone goth. Stunning range of bottled beers, good friendly service.
7 Oct 2006 13:26
A truly great pub. Run by Scotty from the Minerva, for any Hull exiles around-Geoff, if you're out there, hope all's well. Superb ale- far better range than under previous management. The Mitre could take the easy way out and trade on its unique location/history, but refuses to do so.
4 Oct 2006 20:40
The Ledger Building, Canary Wharf
Excellent choice of real ales, comfortably one of the best pubs on the estate (faint praise I know). Staff are friendly. Full of financial and banking types?-odd that given several of the worlds largest banks have multi-storey offices here. Clientele are down-to earth, hardly the home ground of bonus kings.
29 Sep 2006 17:03
The Ledger Building, Canary Wharf
Excellent choice of real ales, comfortably on of the best pubs on the estate (faint praise I know). Staff are friendly. Full of financial and banking types?-odd that given several of the worlds largest banks have multi-storey offices here. Clientele are down-to earth, hardly the home ground of bonus kings.
29 Sep 2006 17:02
Was very impressed to receive a sympathetic BITE message from the bar manager, regarding my negative comments. I did pop in today as a result. Had an excellent pint of Caledonian and the normal very friendly bar service had been resumed-well done to her for valuing her customer's opinions.
30 Aug 2006 18:32
A very friendly, small but perfectly formed pub. Very handy for a post National Gallery drink. Add in the fine beer and it is comfortably one of the best pubs in the area. However to have it as one of the best in the land, is overrating it.
29 Aug 2006 17:15
Classic backstreet local. Very welcoming, serves up an excellent pint of Spitfire.
27 Aug 2006 15:34
Absolutely superb place. Great choice of ales had the Oakham Helter Skelter and the Barnsley Acorn, both were excellent. Don't usually believe in eating in pubs but the grilled cod was sublime. Bar staff let you run up a tab along with your meal, which was a very welcome touch.
27 Aug 2006 15:31
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
First rate brew-pub, recommended if in Hastings.
27 Aug 2006 15:25
The Royal Exchange, Paddington
A real Irish pub-its quality reflected by the low staff turnover (for a boozer). Food available, live horse racing always on the go-far more pleasant than the Praed Street Corals. A pleasure to visit if in Paddington area.
25 Aug 2006 21:57
The Land of Liberty, Peace and Plenty, Heronsgate
Solid enough pub, good choice of ales. Were I local would use it all the time. However as a City wage slave, not sure that I would make a visit from the teeming metropolis out here.
25 Aug 2006 21:46
First ever visit to a McMullen pub. Staff were welcoming, house beer however was grim. Here or the Land of Liberty.......no brainer.
25 Aug 2006 21:40
The Carpenters Arms, Marble Arch
Very decent option if you happen to be in the Marble Arch/Edgeware Road area. Had an excellent Cottage Ale-very friendly barmaid.
25 Aug 2006 08:36
One of the best in York-TT Landlord is always superb here. Disappointed that it was closed at lunchtime on the first day of the Ebor meeting, did not open til 4.
23 Aug 2006 09:42
The perfect local pub. Superb beer, particularly the sublime Roosters Yankee.
23 Aug 2006 09:40
The Charles Dickens, Southwark
Had a sneaky second visit-reinforced the good impression of the first. Barmaid called a punter a departing punter back in, who had left an expensive jacket behind. Beer quality and choice was again superb.
21 Aug 2006 19:37
Left the Blackfrair feeling like Darrell Hair. All looked set fair- stunning interior non-smoking pub and great beer. Sadly the beer was served up very short- had to embarrassingly ask for a top-up. The unspoken truth here is that you are accusing the team of cheating.
21 Aug 2006 19:33
A cracker- touch gloomy inside but that's a few hundred years of history for you!Excellent beer.
17 Aug 2006 19:37
The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell
Was certainly full of suits on my lunchtime visit but that reflects an area honey-combed with lawyers. Both the Organic and the Golden Ale on draught were superb.
17 Aug 2006 19:29
The Greenwich Union, Greenwich
Staff always friendly, beer is excellent-perfect if you can get a table outside in the sun.
16 Aug 2006 18:27
The Ashburnham Arms, Greenwich
Pleasant enough pub, tucked away half way up a residental street. Decent Shepherds Neame beer, decor more that of wine bar than a pub but comfortable. Only downside was the choice of CD-some sort of 80's compilation(Spandau Ballet, Gold drove me to the patio out front!)
16 Aug 2006 18:23
The Charles Dickens, Southwark
An excellent pub, well deserving of the high-ratings on here. Friendly,comfortable, had a fine pint of Sharps Atlantic and has live Premier league footie.
16 Aug 2006 18:16
Superb interior but lack of any hand-pulled beers lets it down
11 Aug 2006 09:17
One of the best in town-no contest. Friendly staff, excellent beer which you can enjoy outside in the sun and watch the world go by.
30 Jul 2006 09:17
Staff friendly, enjoyed the end of England beating Pakistan-with the volume up which makes a nice change. The Spitfire was pretty decent too.
30 Jul 2006 09:12
I had considered this to be one of best Wetherspoon's in London for beer quality till yesterday. Was served a pint of White Star, which was clearly off. The barman disputed this in an aggressive manner and tasted it himself-he thought it was fine. I was going to point out that as he was chewing gum, how could he taste anything, but thought the better of it. I was told that my complaint was "1 in a100". My replacement pint was served with a single pull, dumped on the bar, with a surly comment of "enjoy". As it frothed away merrily, one of the other staff did offer to top up the mess his colleague had served up. I decided not to bother and walked out. Not sure if I'll ever return. Shame as in most cases the beer is excellent and the staff very friendly.
30 Jul 2006 09:09
The Penderel's Oak, Holborn
One of the better Spoons around, always a good ale choice had Saltaire�s on a recent visit which was excellent
3 Sep 2010 14:57