BITE user comments - Heatonian
Comments by Heatonian
Another cracking traditional Sam Smith's boozer with their usual bargain prices and the atmosphere of a proper pub.
9 Feb 2014 11:45
Closed on 31 December 2013. Current boarded up and for sale.
27 Jan 2014 15:29
Still a characterful, busy, multi-roomed pub with a good pub atmosphere. Very few pubs round here retain a separate vault. 5 different Thwaites beers on. Well worth a visit.
25 Jan 2014 16:45
Wetherspoons have reduced the prices to a more reasonable level since the review from 2011 - now guest ales are a standard £2.15 a pint. Still has the standard Spoons characteristics, but as a conversion of an existing pub has more pub atmosphere than many of their outlets. Also, a rarity for a Spoons, has a small car park.
27 Oct 2013 11:24
Didn't much like this pub - while outwardly a traditional stone-built street-corner local, inside it has been given a trendy pastel makeover and all bench seating removed, so it doesn't feel at all "pubby". Beer was OK, though.
27 Oct 2013 11:13
Beautiful old building that still manages to be a proper pub in the downstairs bar - I second the other recent comments.
10 Sep 2013 22:53
Excellent, unashamedly basic pub with a wide choice of real ales on gravity dispense and its fair share of characters around the bar.
9 Sep 2013 23:00
Pleasant pub extensively refurbished by StAustell brewery, but rather lacking in character.
9 Sep 2013 22:59
Hmm, sweary argumentative drunks at the bar mid-evening on a Monday - doesn't give a very good impression.
9 Sep 2013 22:44
Despite claiming on its website to open at 12 noon on Sundays, it was firmly shut at 12.45.
11 Aug 2013 14:59
Nice, atmospheric pub, but sadly experienced very slow food service at a time when it wasn't at all busy.
19 Jul 2013 22:35
Quite a pleasant, comfortable pub. Reasonable choice of cask beer, although all from the Marston's stable. Food choice looked dull and predictable, and distinct lack of snacks and sandwiches on the menu. Guy ordered Carling by name and was disappointed they didn't stock it - eventually plumped for Foster's as "the best of a poor selection".
22 May 2013 00:03
Totally devoid of customers at 9.30 on Sunday evening (when other pubs were busy). Front door wedged open despite being cool outside.
21 May 2013 23:21
Probably the best pub in Llandudno for pub atmosphere, but a pity there's nothing other than Greene King beers.
21 May 2013 22:52
Busy pub with a decent choice of cask beers, but very food-oriented, and menu distinctly pricey.
21 May 2013 22:50
No cask beer, despite advertising it outside. Only meals on offer seemed to be on a "2 for £12" offer. Clientele seemed to be mainly local boozers. As it's the only pub as such on Porthmadog High Street, no doubt a fair few tourists will wander in and be disappointed.
21 May 2013 22:26
Still a classic pub with a great atmosphere, but disappointing that the Marstons management have now removed Draught Bass, which used to be the staple beer in here.
30 Mar 2013 23:06
Decent atmosphere in the bar, and a reasonable pint of Salopian Shropshire Gold but, as others have said, essentially a locals' pub.
30 Mar 2013 23:03
Tried to visit today (30/3/13) but found it firmly closed at lunchtime, and not looking very active in general.
30 Mar 2013 23:01
Physically a nice little half-timbered pub with a cosy rear lounge. Had a decent enough pint but had to wait ages for really poor quality food. Just pop in for a swift one and then move on somewhere else.
14 Sep 2012 09:15
Definitely closed 12/09/12. However surely in such a prosperous location there is scope for someone to reopen it.
14 Sep 2012 09:13
Good little proper pub, with real customers. Far preferable to the poncey Old Vine.
11 Sep 2012 21:54
Excellent traditional Sam's boozer with an unspoilt multi-roomed interior and a good crowd of locals.
28 Jul 2012 21:58
Very pleasant old Robinson's pub with small rooms and real fires. There's an especially characterful wood-panelled back room.
3 Dec 2011 20:51
As of today this pub is closed and boarded - looks very sad.
3 Dec 2011 20:50
Reported in June 2011 that this pub is to close and be turned into retail premises. No surprise there - it was wrecked when it was converted from the old Unicorn into Corbans.
24 Jul 2011 17:01
This is the more traditional of the two Bowdon pubs, with lots of dark wood and plenty of comfortable bench seating. I agree with a previous reviewer that the interior is a bit lacking in natural light, though. When I called there were six cask beers on, including three from the Marston's stable. It was much quieter than the next-door Griffin, but possibly this was due to the kitchen being closed for refurbishment.
24 Jul 2011 16:48
Ordinary pub, thoroughly knocked through inside, with an incongruous glass door. Cask beers were Doom Bar (yawn) and Otter Bitter, which had a slight off-flavour.
7 Jul 2011 23:52
Attractive on the outside, but ordinary inside. Two cask beers - the dull and ubiquitous Doom Bar, and "Man of Ross Ale" which on close inspection of the pumpclip turned out to be brewed by Joshua Tetley. OK but unremarkable pub food. Having said that, none of the other pubs in the town seemed to offer anything more.
7 Jul 2011 23:51
The Royal Oak Hotel, Leominster
Definitely closed and rather dilapidated in July 2011. Sad, as I have stayed here in the past.
7 Jul 2011 23:47
Another pub that was totally deserted at 9.30 in the evening (when the nearby Lichfield Vaults was buzzing).
5 Jul 2011 23:29
Excellent multi-roomed pub with good, slightly bohemian atmosphere. Outside drinking/smoking area was rammed on a Monday night in July. Very cheap beer for the area, and in good nick. Undoubtedly the best pub in Hereford.
4 Jul 2011 22:59
The Lichfield Vaults, Hereford
Nice cosy little city-centre pub with extensive wood panelling. Good to see Greek-Cypriot specialities on the menu - not just the usual identikit pub grub. Not the world's most exotic beer range, but my pint of Bass was fine.
4 Jul 2011 22:55
Disappointing to see that this once classic pub had become a gastropub and had been radically altered inside. It could have been done with far more respect to what it once was.
4 Jul 2011 18:08
The Kilvert's Hotel, Hay on Wye
Slightly trendy pub-cum-hotel, good outdoor drinking area at the front on a sunny day. �3.40 for a pint of Butty Bach was a bit steep, though.
4 Jul 2011 18:05
Friendly little old-fashioned pub right in the town centre Had a good pint of Brains and a decent baguette.
4 Jul 2011 17:51
Ye Olde Anchor Inn, Upton upon Severn
Attractive little olde-worlde half-timbered pub, but very quiet on a sunny Sunday lunchtime when you might expect more trade. Beer range was an uninspiring Bombardier and Theakstons Best - the Theakstons was OK but rather too warm.
3 Jul 2011 23:30
The Spread Eagle Inn, Hereford
Virtually deserted on a summer Sunday evening. Had a very poor pint of Hereford Brewery Black Bull.
3 Jul 2011 23:27
Disappointing, run-down pub. Just me and the landlord on Sunday evening. Surely this has a lot of potential given the location.
3 Jul 2011 23:24
No real ale on sale in September 2010 - in fact I got a funny look for having the cheek to ask for it.
20 Sep 2010 16:37
A very attractive pub from the outside, although the interior doesn't really live up to the promise. I was disappointed to go in and order a pint, then try to order food, only to be told the kitchen was closed that day because of a flood. Surely they could have put up a sign outside saying "No food today". Having said that, I'd still give it a try if I was in the area again. There are public car parks within 200 yards, so it can't really be said that parking is a problem.
18 Sep 2010 16:36
The Old Restoration, Cheltenham
Very wide - perhaps too wide - selection of ales, but most customers seemed to be drinking lager. The old-worlde exterior belies the modernistic interior. Gives the impression of trying to ape Wetherspoons.
15 Sep 2010 22:05
Disappointed in this as it seems to have recently gone over to Greene King beers despite being listed in the 2011 Good Beer Guide with a variety of independent brews. �3.00 for a pint of Morlands Bitter is steep too.
15 Sep 2010 22:01
Can't really disagree with the last commenter, and the Donnington BB was very good value for the area at �2.40 a pint. I had an appetising and good value baguette, but to my mind some of the menu has "gastro" aspirations that don't really match the pub. Having said that, it certainly draws the customers in.
A lovely situation looking out over the village green.
15 Sep 2010 21:58
The Catherine Wheel, Marshfield
Beer was reasonable and I had a decent lunch, but it had a slightly snooty atmosphere that I found a little offputting.
14 Sep 2010 22:54
The Golden Heart, Nettleton Bottom
Didn't have a meal but found this a very atmospheric and characterful country pub that I would certainly call in again if in the area.
14 Sep 2010 22:51
The Black Horse, Clapton in Gordano
Excellent, atmospheric country pub. There were 5 different real ales on, which surely is more than enough for a mainstream pub - it doesn't set out to be a specialist beer pub. The two I tried were at the right temperature and not lacking in condition.
Good choice of straightforward food - hot and cold baguettes, rolls and ploughmans with a few specials.
All in all thoroughly recommended.
14 Sep 2010 22:49
The Bulls Head And Lodge, Hale Barns
Attractive pub in a good location, but seems to have gone downhill over the past few years. On a recent visit, at a time when one might have expected it to be busy, it was virtually deserted. Only one cask beer on - Unicorn - which was warm, tired and lacklustre.
28 Jul 2010 16:44
Having finally managed to find it open, I have to say it was everything it promised to be - an unspoilt rural alehouse in a lovely setting by the canal. Homely and basic, yes, dirty certainly not. The Wadworths 6X was fine.
However, that doesn't excuse the fact that the opening hours in the Good Beer Guide are misleading - and it would make sense for pubs that open unusual or limited hours to display a sign saying what their hours are.
11 Jul 2010 15:12
Yes, it is atmospheric, but I was given a vile pint of cask Tetleys Bitter, and the general feel seemed a bit run-down and grubby.
2 Jul 2010 21:07
Nice enough little bar, but I too had a pint of cask beer that had to be changed, and even then wasn't much good. Do they sell enough of the stuff to keep it properly?
2 Jul 2010 21:06
Small, plain pub with too many people sitting at the bar and blocking access. The cask beers (which were good) are the only real attraction.
1 Jul 2010 23:06
Typical of many Wetherspoons - OK pub in an impressive building. On my visit was extremely busy with the two bar staff ridiculously overstretched and working like Trojans. Do the management not realise that Perth Races will bring in extra trade? Probably very pleasant on a quieter night.
1 Jul 2010 23:04
A characterful city-centre bar with extensive wood panelling. On my visit had three cask beers on, including two from Harviestoun. The beer I had was in pretty good nick. No karaoke (fortunately) when I called in - the atmosphere seemed very welcoming to casual callers.
1 Jul 2010 23:01
This is a pleasant, comfortable little bar with plenty of wood in the decor. It seems to be popular in the evenings with residents of the numerous guest houses just up the road. The only drawback is that there is no cask beer.
1 Jul 2010 22:57
Spinner and Bergamot, Northwich
Dreadful foodie pub with a "greeter" inside the door of the lounge side to give you a menu and show you to a seat - so much for the casual drinker. There is a public bar, but totally spoilt by a noisy kid playing. The Robinson's beer was indifferent and overpriced. Any lover of proper pubs should give this a wide berth.
1 May 2010 16:51
Sounds nice on paper, but when I visited seemed to place too much emphasis on the restaurant and the bar side was virtually deserted. It also took an age to attract the attention of a member of staff.
8 Apr 2010 19:23
Disappointed to find no cask Sam Smith's beer available - only keg Old Brewery Bitter. I remember having a good meal here many years ago but there was no food. A pub with a lot of potential but sadly seems a little run-down and neglected nowadays.
6 Mar 2010 18:06
This is a characterful pub but never quite seems to live up to its potential - possibly due to being pub company owned. On my visit I had a good pint of Taylors Landlord, the other beers available being Theakstons Best Bitter and Wells Bombardier. I didn't eat on this occasion but the menu seemed very much standard pub grub.
31 Jan 2010 22:36
It's often said that "all publicity is good publicity", but this is the exception that proves the rule. What an absolute disgrace!
31 Oct 2009 16:06
Good range of Slaters beers but, as the previous poster says, a rather strange looking place that at first sight is a touch offputting. The main bar is in my view excessively basic and faux-rustic and is lacking in comfortable seating.
3 Oct 2009 16:34
The Good Beer Guide says that the opening hours are 12-3; 7-11 (winter hours vary). Now, I wouldn't call October 3rd winter, and surely for pubs the winter season doesn't start until the clocks go back. Yet this lunchtime, having gone some distance out of my way to visit what is supposedly an unspoilt classic pub, the door was firmly shut at 12.50 on a Saturday, with no sign to indicate when it might be open. Very nice location, it must be said, but it seems the pub isn't interested in attracting customers.
3 Oct 2009 16:27
I think this has now been renamed the Duke of Devonshire and is trying to pretend to be a Spoons.
18 Sep 2009 00:47
Very good pub with a community atmosphere - a proper local, but still welcoming to casual callers. The Harveys Best was some of the best beer I've had in months.
18 Sep 2009 00:05
This place has a lot of things going for it, but the food is expensive and I experienced very poor service. Coffee was served before the dessert (which is a total no-no) and they then had the cheek to add a 10% service charge to an already expensive bill. I struck this out, but they deducted it anyway. When I complained, the money was given back to me with ill grace in shrapnel.
Having said that, the frites were some of the best I have experienced in this country for years - if only more restaurants did them like that rather than the all too typical chunky, half-cooked, inedible efforts they usually dish up.
17 Sep 2009 23:58
Characterful olde-worlde pub, but I have to agree that the food seemed very much overpriced, even for the area.
17 Sep 2009 23:42
A conspicuously well-kept, comfortable pub, which also has one of the best "outdoor" covered smoking areas in Stockport, on a south-facing terrace at the rear.
31 Aug 2009 15:38
I'd agree with everything oldboots says. The prices aren't too bad, actually - a half of the Bernard Svetly Lezak (4.7% ABV Czech lager) was �1.45, which is less than what you would pay in many York pubs for Stella.
23 Aug 2009 12:34
Very pleasant Sam Smith's pub in their usual traditional, tasteful style, and with their usual excellent value for money prices. Has a main bar area with a lounge at one side and snug on the other, and a games room/public bar at the rear. Seems to appeal more to older customers.
23 Aug 2009 12:31
Nice little terraced pub in an attractive village on the fringes of the Peak District. Pleasant multi-level beer garden at the rear, ideal in today's sunny weather. Beer was well-kept, although Banks's Bitter and Everards Beacon was a somewhat unimaginative range - why not try something from a local micro-brewery in Cheshire?
9 Aug 2009 16:27
Sadly this characterful former Marston's pub has been closed for several years.
7 Aug 2009 22:52
The Shrewsbury Hotel, Shrewsbury
Disappointing range of beers - Pedigree, Abbot and Ruddles, plus two guests, one of which was off, the other being a touch hazy. I've visited this pub a number of times over the years and have never had a decent pint.
2 Aug 2009 17:49
A nice traditional pub handy for the station, but the lack of any real ale is regrettable.
2 Aug 2009 16:32
Good range of beers and nice to see they have won a CAMRA Pub of the Year award - but a serious dearth of comfortable seating restricted my visit to one pint.
1 Aug 2009 20:36
The Admiral Benbow, Shrewsbury
To tarkatheotter, I tend to regard carpeted floors and comfortable bench seating as signs of quality in a pub.
The Admiral Benbow is an excellent pub concentrating on local micro breweries. The beer in my experience is consistently good. It has extensive indoor seating and an excellent outside area for the smokers.
Just a pity it only opens in the afternoon on Saturdays.
1 Aug 2009 20:34
Closed and boarded (June 2009).
Once was a reasonable pub - nice stained glass in the front bow window.
15 Jul 2009 22:47
An excellent, characterful multi-roomed country pub with well-kept, good-value beer. Very pleasant beer garden for the occasional sunny day.
11 Jul 2009 16:20
Although this seems to be a local CAMRA favourite it is a totally characterless modern pub that (as others have said) appears to be dominated by regulars. In my experience the beer leaves something to be desired as well.
11 Jul 2009 16:12
The Swan With Two Nicks, Little Bollington
If you just want a drink the best place to go is at the front, where there are two distinct areas with comfortable bench seating. Good to see the pub offering a range of beers from the local Dunham Massey Brewery, although they're not cheap!
11 Jul 2009 16:10
This pub has now been taken over by local family brewers Robinson's, but everything else the previous reviewer says still holds true. Had a good pint of Unicorn Bitter on my visit.
11 Jul 2009 16:01
It won't have a smoky atmosphere any more!
I've always found this a good, traditional pub with a strong local following.
5 Jul 2009 19:17
Pleasant enough traditional two-bar pub, but nowhere to smoke :-(
27 Jun 2009 23:47
A classic multi-roomed no-food local pub, with consistently good beer. Has a surprisingly spacious beer garden at the rear.
27 Jun 2009 23:44
The Great Western, Wolverhampton
I second the comments of many others here. It's a friendly, rambling pub with a variety of interesting spaces and loads of railway memorabilia. I've never found the beer less than excellent - a selection from the Holden's range plus a guest or two, usually including the superb Batham's Bitter. Well worth the effort to find. Unusually for a pub near to a city centre, it has a fair-sized car park too.
27 Jun 2009 23:24
The interior doesn't really live up to the very attractive sandstone exterior. Has recently (June 2009) introduced pay and display parking.
27 Jun 2009 23:17
The Griffin Hotel, Heaton Mersey
Brilliant, traditional, down-to-earth Holts boozer with a stunning glass-panelled bar. In my view the best pub in the Heatons.
Let's hope the brewery don't ruin it by turning it into a food house, which has been mooted.
27 Jun 2009 22:33
A nice old multi-roomed pub but comes across as very cliquey.
27 Jun 2009 22:30
The Harrington Arms, Gawsworth
Superb, unspoilt pub that has been carefully and tastefully restored and improved. The room to the left of the front door with its tiled floor and old settles is a classic. One of Cheshire's dwindling number of must-visit pubs.
27 Jun 2009 22:28
A typical example of the Brunning & Price chain - good for locally-brewed real ales and locally-sourced food, but not remotely cheap. Not the place to go for an authentic down-to-earth drinking experience.
27 Jun 2009 22:26
I can see why some people find it a bit up-market but it is genuinely welcoming to all-comers - try sitting in the tap room to the left of the main entrance.
An excellent all-round pub of great character with good beer and food.
27 Jun 2009 22:24
This pub has regrettably been closed since Autumn 2007. A great shame as it was the last truly traditional, multi-roomed pub in the area. No doubt another victim of the smoking ban.
27 Jun 2009 22:19
A pleasant, comfortable roadside pub that is all one room but has distinct lounge and vault ends. Popular with older regulars. Consistently good beer - for a number of years it won Hydes Brewery's annual cellar competition.
27 Jun 2009 22:17
Excellent down-to-earth pub for locals and regulars at the centre of the town. Consistently good beer. Doesn't serve food - but some may see that as a good thing ;-)
27 Jun 2009 22:15
The Lion of Vienna, Bolton
Oh, and the pool tables have now been restored in the vault although, thankfully, there is still no TV or piped music.
9 Feb 2014 11:58