BITE user comments - Four.one
Comments by Four.one
This is a proper pub serving a really good range of ales including the superb Dark Star Hophead. This establishment is faultless!
31 Mar 2014 16:17
Excellent little pub with loads of character. Superb range of ales and the food was good (I had the whitebait) but food service was a bit slow.
Highly recommended in my view!
31 Mar 2014 16:07
Superb range of draught ales and plenty of bottled options as well. If you really feel flash with the cash then you could have a 75cl bottle of Brooklyn Bamboozle for £19.95!
A word of warning - this is not a quiet pub!
28 Apr 2013 18:23
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
Perhaps we caught the landlord on a bad day but he was a grumpy old *** when he served the seven of us yesterday. When we came to ordering another round it was a question of 'do we want to give him any more of our hard earned cash'?. The answer was 'no', so we left! It really isn't difficult to be nice to your customers is it?
28 Apr 2013 18:14
Revisited this pub after a 2 year absence and it's still as good as it every was. Excellent range of ales, good service and nice ambience. Best pub in Hastings in my view!
28 Apr 2013 18:10
This place has now re-opened as a hotel/pub. �12.05 for a regular sized glass of NZ sauvignon blanc and a pint of ale! What a complete and utter rip off.
22 Oct 2012 21:26
The Swan Inn and Lodge, Claygate
�9.50 for an ale, a lager and some VERY salted peanuts. This place is just too expensive for me,
27 Jun 2012 21:14
This riverside pub is expensive! �9+ for a pint of ale and a glass of wine! The food is nothing to write home about,I had the burger which was the size of a sixpence, they just padded the plate out with chips and an oversize bun. On the plus side the ale was good. Overall it's an OK place but if you want a burger go to Byrons just along the river, excellent value and they sell good bottled ales!
8 Mar 2012 20:56
We've been to this pub a few times now and although it has an excellent range of ales I'm afraid the ale is always served far too cold. The ale must be stored in the same part of the cellar as chilled lagers. So you can order a pint of Hopback Crop Circle (as we did last night) but you won't be able to taste it fully until it's reached room temperature. Sorry to be negative as this is otherwise an excellent establishment.
20 Nov 2011 18:28
I completely agree with the previous reviewer. We were really looking forward to a nice pint and something to eat, but the kitchen was closed for no apparent reason and the place was like a morgue! This was on a Thursday evening when I would have expected some activity! On the plus side the ale was in good condition (Hopback GFB).
11 Oct 2011 09:25
This place probably has the most expensive ale in the UK. �3.76 for a pint of London Pride! It's a nice pub but I don't see how they can justify the prices.
13 Sep 2011 08:49
The Weir Hotel, Walton on Thames
Good selection of ales and excellent location next to the river. The food is average. I had a burger and the other half had sausage and mash. I was told by the bar staff that the burger would be 'excellent and worth the wait'. It was a good half an hour before we finally got served (how long does it take to cook a burger for pete's sake!). Well the burger was very well charred, too much so in my book, so all you could taste was the burnt meat. Definitely not worth the wait! The sausage and mash was OK apparently but the missus must have left half of it.
This place is good for an ale but don't go there expecting a gastro pub.
9 Aug 2011 17:28
I think the previous reviewer must have been having a bad day as we found this to be a great little boozer. Two real ales on tap Fullers Summer Ale and a Whitstable Bay. The bar staff were very pleasant, and the locals were friendly enough. Definitely worth a visit if your need proper ale in this neck of the woods!
11 Jul 2011 13:10
This place has some serious personality and I am glad to hear that the building is listed. It has some amazing stained glass windows and the interior has a nice old world charm to it. The selection of ales was good and even included Triple fff Moondance from way down in Hampshire. Definitely worth a visit.
11 Jul 2011 12:56
Excellent selection of ales in this immaculate pub. Has a very upmarket feel to it, almost too posh! Worth a visit but if you prefer a bit more old world charm I suggest you head over to the Bow Bar or Ryries Bar in Haymarket.
11 Jul 2011 12:50
This pub is easily missed! We walked past it twice and we were looking for it! However once inside had a nice spacious feel and was not crowded We could easily find a table to sit at (this was on a Friday evening). Excellent selection of ales and impressive menu of whisky. If I had one criticism then it would be that the ales could have been a little cooler. This must have been one of the very few pubs I've been to recently that did not do food. Lets hope it survives!
11 Jul 2011 12:44
My comments will be much in line with others that have been posted previously...the pub has some good bits and some bad bits. We had meal here on a Friday evening, having booked the table previously. I ordered the special Veg curry and my partner had the scampi. The food arrived quickly - bit too quick as I get suspicious its just been microwaved. Well firstly the nan bread was placed on top of the poppadoms a la Wetherspoons! I don't know about you but I hate it when the the poppadoms are soggy. The curry itself was disappointing - the veg was not fresh and really could have been from the same caterers as Wetherspoons. This dish was �9 or thereabouts - overpriced in my view when compared to Wetherspoons Curry and a pint for �4.99.
However my partners scampi was an entirely different story - it was excellent. Nice and fresh tasting and crispy. Could not fault it.
The beers were OK for Badger, good condition.
Would I go again? Yes, but I won't be ordering the curry.
Forgot to mention the service, which was very good, absolutely no issues with the staff.
27 Jun 2011 19:26
We visited 4 pubs in Hastings today and this was definitely the least favourite of them all. The pub was devoid of atmosphere considering it is the oldest in Hastings. This was made any better by the miserable barmaid who really should find alternative employment, i.e not in a customer facing role! The beers were all from Shepherd Neame and lacked the variety of say The Dolphin further down the road. Perhaps this place is better on an evening as we visited mid Saturday afternoon.
27 Feb 2011 12:07
The Filo (First In Last Out), Hastings
They brew their own ales in this establishment, with the Gold ale at 4.8SG being the best ale in our view. The pub is well managed and cater for the rugby fraternity with a flat screen TV in the extension at the rear. Good pub.
27 Feb 2011 12:00
The Cinque Port Arms, Hastings
Not a bad little pub, the landlady and locals at the bar were friendly and a nice place to have a quiet pint. Harveys Best and ESB on offer.
27 Feb 2011 11:55
The pub is an absolute gem. The ales on offer were in perfect condition, the food was superb and the service top notch. We couldn't fault this pub and without doubt the finest in Hastings!
27 Feb 2011 11:52
Nice pub. We went for Sunday lunch, got there for 12 and found a good spot to sit in the bay window at the front. The ales on tap, Landord, Ringwood Best and Doombar. We ordered the roasts which took a very long time to arrive but the wait was worth it. Not cheap at 14 quid odd. Overall the service was good - our only gripe was the restaurant was too hot, they had the thermostat on 30 degrees! Bit OTT considering it was packed out with customers. Next time come in a t-shirt and shorts!!
14 Feb 2011 18:49
Sadly this establishment has gone downhill in the last six months. A change of management has again meant someone else thinks they can do a better job then the previous incumbent. The range and quality of the ales has taken a dive and the food has not been great when we have visited. We will keep testing the water to see if things change and I will post a comment here if it does.
12 Dec 2010 09:53
The Kings Tun, Kingston Upon Thames
We thought we'd give this pub the benefit of the doubt and venture in for a burger and ale after shopping on a Thursday evening....... big mistake. Walking to the bar we both received a strong smell of SICK! Obviously someone had thrown up (the pub is frequented by the younger crowd) and the bar staff had not properly cleared it up. So it was a quick U turn and back out into the fresher air of the one way system! Needless to say we won't be going there again.
16 Nov 2010 09:14
Nearly nine quid for a ham and cheese sandwich and a pint of Youngs Ordinary is making this establishment pricey. Also had to wait the best part of 45 minutes to be served when ordering at 2.15pm on a Monday afternoon. Why does it take that long to make a sarnie?
5 Oct 2010 10:16
The Swan Inn and Lodge, Claygate
This pub was absolutely dead when we went there last saturday evening for something to eat. The young bar staff and manager do not seem to engage with the customers and the whole place lacks atmosphere. However the beer was good and the Thai for was reasonable. However beware of the Thai beef salad which the chef much have off loaded his entire stock of red chillies on to, as it was almost inedible! Won't go back in a hurry.
29 Jul 2010 08:50
The Skimmington Castle, Reigate Heath
The beers were OK (Tribute, Adnams, and a Horsham ale) but the food could have been so much better.
We had our doubts about the food when we saw how few people were in the establishment at 7.30pm on a Saturday night - possibly only 4 tables occupied.
I had the pan fried liver and bacon with new potatoes which was good but the boiled mixed veg that came with it was obviously the frozen packet stuff and was unappetising. My partner had the Red Thai curry with mini garlic bread nan and was in her words 'the worst curry she had ever eaten'. When the waitress asked if the meal was OK we gave her our opinions and as compensation had the cost of a glass of wine removed from the bill.
The food is a bit on the pricey side considering the iffey quality - �8.95 for the liver and the same price for the curry.
I would suggest going elsewhere if you want food, although the nice place for a quiet pint.
4 Jul 2010 13:04
Good selection of ales and bar staff provide a good quality service. Recommended.
4 Jul 2010 12:27
The pub looked promising as we approached it from our canal boat however we were soon put off by the attitude of the bar staff and the quality of the beer. I chose the Banks Bitter which was dispensed electronically (even though the beer had a hand pull on the bar). After two presses on the button a pint had been put in front of me. I then queried why the beer had not been hand pulled even though a hand pull existed on the bar. The bar maid response was not very nice at all as she pointed out that it was dispensed with a switch. I thought this type of 'keg' ale had been done away with in the 1970's!
Anyway we sat down out side and I tried drinking this 'beer'. Oh dear, it was too cold and had no taste or flavour.
We decided to cut our losses as go to another pub in Penkridge - The Star Inn where the service was with a smile and the beers were proper hand pulled ales.
I would strongly advise avoiding the Cross Keys and make the short walk the the Star Inn. You will not be disappointed.
4 Jul 2010 12:05
We had some very decent pints of Dorking Red India here last night. �1.89 a pint. Other ales on offer included Triple fff Moondance and ales from the Hogs Back brewery.
It would appear that some Wetherspoons pubs are making a real effort to support local breweries.
Lets hope it continues.
29 Jan 2010 16:45
We had a sunday roast here which was excellent, had to wait a while but it was worth it. Highly recommended.
13 Aug 2009 11:50
For real ale enthusiasts this pub has potential as it has a good variety of ales on offer however.........when we order a pint of Ascot Ale it was cloudy -so I said to the barman 'this looks cloudy'.. to which he responded - 'sorry I don't know anything about ale', at which point he walked off! Perhaps he thought real ale should have bits of gunk floating in the beer. The bar manager was also made aware of the cloudy beer but chose to ignore me.
So judging from this little episode I suggest avoiding this place until the management get the customer service sorted out. AVOID.
29 Jun 2009 15:05
Excellent pub, good ale selection, friendly bar staff, cosy atmosphere. Highly recommended.
24 Mar 2009 14:33
The London Apprentice, Old Isleworth
Excellent pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord here, highly recommended.
31 Aug 2008 17:46
Typical Weatherspoons set-up with cheap real ales and cheap food. However the low prices mean we have poor service and the beers are unreliable. I suggest you avoid this pub unless you are desperate for a low cost dining experience.
31 Aug 2008 16:52
If you enjoy a good pint of Timothy Taylor Landord bitter, seated next to the Thames overlooking Home Park then this is the place for you! I cannot comment on the food except they do not sell peanuts.
31 Aug 2008 16:46
The Buckingham Arms, Shoreham by Sea
I had high expections with this pub knowing it had many real ales on tap....however I do not have much to recommend it. Yes the beers were reasonable, but the over riding impression was the attitude of ALL the bar staff, which was dreadful. Absolutely no sense of humour and a complete lack of understanding of the basics of customer service added up to a very bad experience.
I cannot understand how such poor service can be tolerated by the good folk of Shoreham on Sea. Perhaps a change of management is required.............
31 Aug 2008 16:39
This pub always has 4 real ales on the go, two regulars (Broadside & London Pride) plus 2 guest ales. The service is excellent at present with Matt managing the bar. The bar food is good although a little pricey but it is cooked by the same chef that cooks in the attached French restaurant!
17 Apr 2008 08:41
This pub is now NO SMOKING (from 1st Jan '07). If you wanna smoke you can pop outside......
6 Jan 2007 10:23
The Old Kings Head, Hampton Wick
If you like Timothy Taylor Landlord and home cooked curry then this is the place for you! Resonable prices as well. Note that they do have live bands playing some nights, so not a place for a quiet chat.
2 Dec 2006 10:13
Excellent but pricey beers, good food, non smoking, nice staff. Excellent.
2 Dec 2006 10:02
We had high expectations after the recent complete renovation, but were disappointed to find is was still a smokers paradise and attracting the younger element who can't hold their drink (we witnessed one 'lady' who threw up in the pub). Nice.
2 Dec 2006 09:57
Rights of Man, Lewes
This pub was acquired by Harveys in October 2012 and has quite a 'corporate' feel to it. The pub has been decked out with a lot of new oak paneling which really lacks character and is in complete contrast to many of the other pubs in Lewes.
The Harveys ales are of course good but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit this place again.
31 Mar 2014 16:33