BITE user comments - cellarbuoy
Comments by cellarbuoy
Greene King have completely ruined this once great pub, so they closed it down and sold it for redevelopment (i.e knocked down so a supermarket can be built there).
Is there any connection between Tout ltd (the developers) and greedy king? You bet there is
30 Jul 2017 21:07
A somewhat quirky pub, but cosy and comfortable. Good beers, both choice and quality, and knowledgeable staff. A nice place to spend an evening drinking.
Don't be put off by the wacky exterior, it's a fine pub.
29 May 2017 17:38
A nice enough pub, pretty standard in many respects, A good choice of ales, all tasting as they should/ Fairly standard looking pub menu. I comfortable village pub
29 May 2017 17:33
On entering the car park the first impression is that it's a bit of a dump. Old fridges and freezers abandoned here and there, and also various other junk ( old broken furniture etc) lying around. It looked like a bunch of pikeys had just moved out. Inside is also a bit scruffy, and in need of a good clean and a new coat of paint. But it was busy on a lunch time session and the quality and choice of ales just fine. Service was efficient and friendly . We didn't eat but food looked good (if just a bit pricey)
29 May 2017 17:30
Although it's quite an up market hotel and restaurant, it's also a great bar with a good selection of beers all of which were well presented, and bar food, although a bit pricey was nevertheless good. Service also first class.
The garden and outdoor areas behind the hotel are a delightful place to sit out on a sunny day, and great views of the castle too.
29 May 2017 17:24
The Masons Arms, Lower Odcombe
A great pub and well worth a visit if you are in the area. Although it looks very quaint and traditional from the outside, on the inside it's been modernised and is very clean and bright. They brew their own ales and do so very well and the food (Sunday Roast) was very nice, no problems there.
Behind the pub there is even a camp site, if you are into that sort of thing.
29 May 2017 17:19
A pleasant enough pub just a short distance from the town / village centre, but nothing special in any way.
29 May 2017 17:15
A run of the mill village pub. Beer quality and choice was good, and service as it should be, but not really worth making any sort of a detour for.
29 May 2017 17:13
The Anchor Hotel and Ship Inn, Porlock Weir
A lovely setting, just by the little harbour of Porlock Weir, and a pretty looking pub for sure, but the beers were nothing special. Still, a pleasant place to have a drink or 2
29 May 2017 17:11
Nice old thatched pub, cosy interior and a nice sunny garden. All the beers were just fine, and a good choice too. It's just of the bottom of the notorious Porlock Hill, so you can sit in the garden and breath in the fumes from over heated brakes and burnt out clutches.
Accommodation is available for those who want to stay, and menu look pretty good.
29 May 2017 17:08
Prince of Wales Ham Hill Country Park, Stoke-Sub-Hamdon
Not much change from my last visit. Crowded with families with kids running around. Terrible service, mediocre beers and very ordinary food.
Nice views.
29 May 2017 17:03
A run of the mill pub situated between a camp site / caravan park on one side, and a car boot sale site on the other and frequented by the enthusiasts of both. . Nothing very special about the beers, drinkable but only just.
29 May 2017 16:59
The Rose and Crown, Huish Episcopi
Old style pub with taproom rather than a bar. Beers ok but nothing special. nice seating area outside for when the weather nice
26 May 2017 21:40
Just a very ordinary pub with serving very ordinary beer.Nice garden area if you like drinking you ordinary beer beside a main road.
26 May 2017 21:39
Highly recommended by Camra, but alas not by me.It's a run of the mill boozer, (nothing wrong with that) but nothing exceptional.
20 May 2017 23:04
Palmers pub, palmers ales. Not everyone likes this stuff; IO don't but otherwise a decent enough pub
20 May 2017 23:00
A nice looking pub in a picturesque village. The whole scene is spoilt by a big "GREENE KING" sign hanging outside. In fact it a GK tenancy and once inside there is a pleasant welcome and a comfortably environment. Decent ales (Not Greene Kink thank god) and nice food. Do not be put off by the GK sign. it's unfortunate that these greedy bastards have bought this pub but thats business i gues.
20 May 2017 22:58
This pub does not exist, just a joke by people who were flooded out a few years ago.
20 May 2017 22:49
The King William IV, Curry Rivel
Closed. The owners are claiming it is un-viable as a pub so want permission to convert it into residential use ( and make a tidy profit). The only reason it's un viable is that they haven't a clue how to run a pub, simple. Local residents are trying to stump up the cash to buy it and run it as a going concern. Good luck to them, I hope it works out.
20 May 2017 22:47
The Wyndham Arms, Kingsbury Episcopi
A real nice pub, affable barman /landlord made the visit enjoyable. Good beer (both selection and quality and good food completed the package.
20 May 2017 22:42
The Brewers Arms, South Petherton
A really nice pub in a pleasant west country village. Good selection of ales, well kept, and a nice selection of whiskies and other premier spirits. Pleasant company and good food complete the package.
20 May 2017 22:40
The Duke of York, Shepton Beauchamp
Pretty much as it was 7 years ago, without the braying hooray henrys.
20 May 2017 22:37
I wanted to go in but it was empty at 9 pm on a friday night so I didn't bother.
28 Apr 2017 23:03
This place was Camra's pub of the year (Somerset) a few years back. It's hard to see why, now it's just a non- descript sort of a pub. Maybe it's changed hands, but right not it wouldn't rank very high on my list of Somerset pubs. An uninspiring selection of ales, and anyway it's mostly a dining pub, so no where to sit and enjoy a few beers even if they were enjoyable.
28 Apr 2017 23:02
Mostly a cider drinkers pub, you can tell before you get to the bar just by looking at the other customers. For cask ale drinkers there's not a lot on offer, Bass and something else, some sort of home brew. I had heard good things about this pub from people who should know better. A nice enough place but nothing special.
28 Apr 2017 22:55
The Holman Clavel Inn, Culmhead
Now up and running as a first class ordinary country pub. Yes they serve food too, but the beer (and cider) were first class served by a jovial old cove and 2 delightful barmaids. A good choice of beer served in good condition. Worth a visit.
19 Apr 2017 21:25
The Lamb and Flag, Blagdon Hill
Oh dear
Now transformed into a poncified food pub. However the beer was terrible.
The pint of Exmoor I was served was cloudy and sour. I asked for a replacement ( a number of other drinkers were also getting their beer changed). While one gormless barman was pouring the beer down the drain and serving up replacements, the second equally gormless barman was serving up the same beer to incoming punters having their first pint, knowing full well that the beer was undrinkable. Of course these punters were handing the beer back straight away. It never occured to either of them to stop serving this beer.
The beer I got as a replacement for my pint was Otter, which was even worse.
Terrible beer terrible service. will not return.
19 Apr 2017 21:22
They seem to have sorted out their hygiene problems (for the time being at least) They have a score of 4 out of 5 on the hygiene certificate
Still a nice characterful pub but beers nothing exceptional, could be so much better.
17 Apr 2017 20:56
The Rising Sun Inn, West Bagborough
Still a ponced up grockle parlour. Beers were either St Austel or Exmoor, neither of which were notable.They even have a baby grand piano in the dining area; how poncy is that for a pub in a small Somerset village?
17 Apr 2017 20:53
Alas now closed, boarded up and up for sale by Wadsworth (the owners)
7 Apr 2017 18:51
The Farmers Arms, Combe Florey
On fire this afternoon, with fire brigade in attendance. Probably not an insurance job; these fires usually start at night so the flames have a chance to get going before the firemen get there. Not sure yet whether it will be a write off or can be repaired, but it's going to be closed for a while at least.
11 Jan 2017 20:23
I can't remember the last time I saw this pub open. I pass it several quite often and it's always closed, even in the early evening, yet looking through the windows show that it is still a going concern. It was closed today at lunchtime.
1 Jan 2017 15:18
They couldn't be bothered opening today, so a big fat zero from me.
1 Jan 2017 15:16
It's now called "the Atlantic Radio Cafe". It was closed today.
1 Jan 2017 15:14
Now called the apple and Carrot. A large sign outside (from Punch Taverns) asks "Interested in running this pub?" Clearly the person currently running it isn't (interested) as it was closed today at 2 pm, so unable to comment on the service provided.
1 Jan 2017 15:12
I didn't realise that this was a greene king pub, otherwise I wouldn't have gone in. There is no GK signage outside and they didn't sell any GK beers. Only the small print on the menu gave the game away and by then it was too late. Could it be that even greene king pubs realise GK beer is crap? Maybe, or maybe not; I had a pint of some stuff that was sour and had to be changed, the replacement was only just drinkable, so maybe the problem is with GK managers would never seem to have a clue.
For those not interested in the beer, this is in a nice position just outside the historic docks (HMS Victory & Warrior) and it's a nice looking building, inside is full of sky tv and fruit machines and some of the regulars looked well dodgy. The food; as previously mentioned looks crap judging by the menu, with the aforementioned Pizza burger taking pride of place. There must be better pubs nearby.
30 Dec 2016 20:45
The Crown / Glastonbury Backpackers, Glastonbury
This place seems to have closed down. Basically it was just a doss house anyway
28 Dec 2016 15:24
The George and Pilgrim, Glastonbury
A fantastic old building full of interesting features. Not overly busy, but only one old chap behind the bar meant that service was painfully slow. Had a pint of Otter which was fine but couldn't be bothered waiting for a second (pint, the wait would have been ten minutes or more) so left.
28 Dec 2016 15:19
forget previous review _wrong pub. This one has a large cellar bar but was completely empty. Advertised 12 cask ales, but figured than all of the had probably been sitting in the lines since xmas eve so gave it a miss.
27 Dec 2016 18:51
Smelly dirty and over priced. Full of pretentious twats who seem to believe paying £5 for a pint must mean the beer is good. Believe me it ain't
27 Dec 2016 18:46
Nothing special whatsoever about this pub when compared with pubs generally, but for Bristol this is way above average. Beers OK but wouldn't like to have to plummet the depths in order to get to the bogs.
27 Dec 2016 18:44
A large black board behind the bar advertised the beers available and thankfully the prices too. £4.50 or more for a pint of beer? no thanks, at least not in a scruffy back street boozer in Bristol.
27 Dec 2016 18:37
The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer, Bristol
Stank like an blocked urinal, not the sort of atmosphere to make you want to drink there, so I left before wasting my money
27 Dec 2016 18:32
Full of gormless thuggish looking cretins probably from the nearby 1960's
distopian council flats. The beer was cheap but tasted watered down. Left before finishing the the beer; couldn't get away quick enough.
27 Dec 2016 18:28
The Reckless Engineer, Bristol
Closed at 15:00 on a busy bank holiday. Closed or closed down? difficult to tell.
27 Dec 2016 18:24
Empty at 13:00 on an otherwise busy bank holiday. The place stank of toilet duck and domestos, probably from xmas eve. Walked in, walked straight back out again.Such a pity as it's a wonderful building and deserves better.
27 Dec 2016 18:23
A miserable crappy pub in a concrete jungle of flats. Staffed by gormless unenthusiastic eastern european types with no ability or knowledge. It's youngs so the beer is always going to be poor despite the high prices. Halfway through my pint of Youngs bitter my guts started to complain and I had to dash to the bogs, no mean feat as they are some distance away, but just about made it. I had to break into (vandalise) the toilet roll holder in order to get any arse wipe. Needless to say I didn't finish the pint and will not return.
21 Dec 2016 21:10
Yet another fire in the last couple of days. Arson again, just to make sure and finish off what was started in July
20 Dec 2016 18:44
I remember this place when it was called the Oporto. A pleasant enough place then for sure. It's certainly bury now, but what is it about so called craft beers which seem to me to be nothing more than old style keg bitters? Still modern hipster types seem to like it.
10 Dec 2016 20:18
I remember it back in the Courage days.A good boozer then.Not so sure now it's Sam Smith's. Bar staff could do with some training in customer service for sure
10 Dec 2016 20:13
The Earls Court Tavern, Earls Court
I waited at the bar longer than I normally would just to see how long it would take for the gormless Australian barmaid to serve me.She had nothing else to but but still took 4 minutes before asking if I wanted anything (why else would I go into a pub if I didn't?). Told her I had given up a long time ago, just wanted to see how long it would take her to realise someone wanted to be served, and walked out.
10 Dec 2016 20:08
The one thing going for Sam Smith's pus is their cask old brewery bitter. This pub however does not serve it. Nevertheless, it's a pleasant enough place for a few pints.
10 Dec 2016 20:03
A great late night bar for the select few who know about it. Alas no more the late lamented Helen (of Troy) but the spirit remains.
10 Dec 2016 19:59
The Bricklayers Arms, Fitzrovia
A nice old Sam Smiths pub, somewhat off the beaten track. NOTE they do not serve Cask OBB, nevertheless not a bad boozer
10 Dec 2016 19:58
Always busy, and if you like cask ale the old brewery bitter is fine.Like all Sam Smith'spubs you do not get any propriety brands but for beer it's fine. usually crowded with a nice mixture of folks
10 Dec 2016 19:56
The Holman Clavel Inn, Culmhead
As mentioned, this pub is open again and is now advertising live music in the local (free) what's on guide. I must give it a try sometime
5 Oct 2016 20:48
It seems that someone has bought this pub, sacked all the staff and turned the pub around(or at least started to). The service was efficient and the staff seemed pleased to be doing their jobs. It has been cleaned up quite a bit, not least the toilets which used to stick,
That being said, it was fairly quite at the time of my visit, so perhaps they still struggle in busy sessions, but something about the general attitude suggests this is not the case. I have also heard that the food has vastly improved so lets hope they keep up the good work.
2 Oct 2016 19:46
Due to re-open this weekend as the Bavarian bierkeller where you can enjoy the authentic bierkeller experience. I am not sure how far the authenticity will be extended, but with the number of I.S. terorist attacks in recent weeks in Bavaria itself, it might be a good idea to give this place a miss for a while.
If you still want to go you can book a table by calling the "Bavarian booking team".
N.B. German NOT spoken (not that authentic then).
26 Jul 2016 21:38
Closed following a fire. The most recent owner (since 2015) evidently failed in his quest to revive this pub, so did a bunk, after which it "mysteriously caught fire". Fire service believe the fire was started deliberately;standard insurance scam.
The building is now structurly unstabe and will probably be demolished and not rebuilt
11 Jul 2016 19:31
Certainly open. Lovely pub in traditional Devon village, No bar, just a serving hatch.
Ales served straight from cask in an un-chilled tap room, but perfectly drinkable.
Nice seating outside, which is just as well as there's not much room inside as most of it was set aside for dining.
3 Jul 2016 20:01
A typical Irish pub, so no surprise to learn that the land lady was recently in court and charged with assault (guilty)
13 Jun 2016 08:46
More emphasis on style than quality.
I guess the hipster barman wearing a flat cap in the middle of the day on a hot day in June thinks he looks cool; in reality he looks a prat.
The pint of ale I was presented with was vile and sour . The aforementioned barman seemed surprised stating "it's been fine all week" which says it all.
13 Jun 2016 08:43
The Cross Keys, Norton Fitzwarren
Closed down for a refurbishment and after a change of ownership. It is soon to re open under the Chef and Spewer name. This means they will probably maintain the appalling standards of service and food as before.
16 May 2016 19:34
Due to open again any day soon, and guess what? they are changing the name back to the Moat House. However the new operators are only a temporary arrangement to expect it to either close or change hands again soon.
21 Apr 2016 19:56
Empty on a recent visit. They had 3 ales on , but all 3 were from greene king so I went elsewhere
21 Apr 2016 19:52
A big banner outside advising that the lease is up for grabs again, so expect a closure any time soon.
28 Mar 2016 13:14
Recently awarded just 1 star out of 5 by the food standards agency after a recent hygiene inspection. In other words steer well clear. A pity as it's a pleasant enough pub for a pint although having eaten there once or twice before, I wouldn't try my luck again.
23 Feb 2016 18:52
The White Horse Inn, Stogumber
On a recent hygiene inspection by the food standards agency, this pub was awarded just 1 star out of 5 which means it is inadvisable to eat there or drink for that matter.
23 Feb 2016 18:48
The Anchor Hotel and Ship Inn, Porlock Weir
Recently awarded a massive no stars out of 5 by the food standards agency on their hygiene inspection; the only pub in Somerset to get such a pathetically low score, so I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to eat there.I can't imagine they pay to much attention to hygiene in other aspects of the running of the pub to I figure the beer will be pretty vile too. Such a pity as it used to be such a good pub in a great setting.
23 Feb 2016 18:44
The Merry Monk, Monkton Heathfield
Something must have changed in the management of this pub and it's resulted in a vast improvement. Essential this is a food led pub, and if carveries are your thing this one is as good as any, and you'll have to book.
But this is a beer website. Well they do have a couple of cask ales, not a particularly original choice but served up as they should be
3 Feb 2016 21:02
The Naval and Military, Taunton
The building now houses a photographic studio. Doubt if it will ever be a pub again.
12 Jan 2016 22:34
As said, this has been called the apple and parrot for some time now, and just recently has gone bust and closed down. serves them right for giving what was once a great pub such a stupid name. I guess it will be sold and reopened. Only hope the new owners change the name back to the Moat House and run it as a proper pub again.
12 Jan 2016 22:32
Certainly not a pub for the discerning beer drinker; the beer was undrinkable, but worse than that was the attitude of the staff who just didn't care,
24 Dec 2015 16:43
Typical weatherspoons, This time they refused to serve a girl who suffers from brain damage following a hit & run; apparently they assumed she was drunk because of her slurred speech and asked her to leave.
The thing is whenever I go to a weatherspoons (which is rarely) it seems to be the case that everyone in the place is so drunk they cant even to manage to slur their speech, and yet they get served time after time until they cant stand.
Strange way to run pubs but some people seem to like them
22 Dec 2015 18:47
BULLSHIT ALERT
strange, no posts about this pub for the last 5 1/2 years and then two within 8 minutes, both of which are the only posts made by each of the people posting and both written in the same style that cries out" I OWN / MANAGE THIS PUB"
22 Aug 2015 19:10
A scrawled message in chalk on the outside blackboard says "under new management". Whether this was left by the out going manager as a farewell, or by the incoming manager as an invitation I could not tell and I doubt if it matters much anyway as it's the third landlord in 12 months.
21 Aug 2015 18:42
Now changed to a faux Italian restaurant, and not a very good one either.
They sell beer and other booze of course, but essentially it is now a restaurant not a pub.
13 Jul 2015 22:03
Closed down again, with a hoarding outside advertising the lease for sale.
Best advice would be to knock it down (before it falls down which it might at any moment)
3 Jul 2015 08:05
I take back what I wrote last October, that must have been a flash in the pan from the staff. Recent visits compel me to re post.
The service is at best mediocre; the staff simply have no enthusiasm whatsoever so expect a long wait at the bar while they check their mobiles and discuss trivia among themselves.
They often have an ale on, but this is a lager pub so the ale is more often than not undrinkable.
The food though not inedible is far from appetising and also expect longs waits for it. Like many places now they seem to think is chic to serve the food on an old plank of wood, Whats wrong with plates all of a sudden?
All in all a nice garden in the middle of town, and its popular with the kids, but hardly a serious pub
3 Jul 2015 08:00
I too agree with Mark888. Doombar is really pissy stuff since Coors took it over (the bottles stuff isnt even brewed in Cornwall anymore).
Spartan needs to sort himself out
18 Jun 2015 18:35
Well, it opened again after presumably recruiting more staff, but then had to close down again because the staff weren't any good ha ha ha.
Added to that, they have been reported for selling meat that was not fit for human consumption (I guess one of the staff grassed them up on that one)
All in all its becoming a bit of a soap opera
4 Jun 2015 18:44
Opened up, then closed down again.
According to the local paper they cant get staff of the required standard to work there so they have had to close.
There are plenty of good bar staff and waiting staff in Taunton, but I guess they dont want to work in this place and who can blame them.
No doubt it will open again soon, once they manage to recruit some staff with suitable low standards
21 May 2015 18:35
Its not often I feel sorry for weatherspoons (in fact this is the first time) but they have recently had to pay £24000 to a bunch of pikeys who they refused entry to this pub. The manager refused their entry because he assumed that they would either start to steal stuff or start a fight (or probably both).
Well every pikey I have encountered has been either stealing or fighting or both, so for once I do feel sorry for Weatherspoons, Its not Tim Martin (who can well afford the money) so much as the pikeys getting so much money (without stealing it)
19 May 2015 22:11
Used to know this pub well a fair few years ago, so to hear that it's open again is great news
13 May 2015 15:46
The Fox and Hounds, Croxley Green
Getting 95% of a pint from a greedy king pub is pretty good in my experience, which is why I don't drink in their pubs anymore
3 May 2015 08:59
Opened again, back to being called the Winchester. A new name, new paint job and new furniture, together of course with new management and staff.
They sell a couple of ales, nothing special, but drinkable on day of my visit. Most of the bar however seems to be stocked with the usual stuff the kids seem to want: WKD, etc. They also have a couple of fruit machines and plenty of TV screens all over the place so its pretty obvious what sort of market sector they are going for, and no doubt they will get it.
30 Apr 2015 17:22
Now open again. Interior layout is much as before, but the decor is a bit weird. They
have a number of sort of wire cages dotted around, not quire sure of the significance; but seems somehow reminiscent of a prison.
Also a number of movie quotes painted onto one wall but little else in the movie theme.
Staff are new and inexperienced and the one I took to be the manager seemed to be a tattooed thug who struggled to be polite despite calling everyone Sir or Madam.
Menu looked fairly standard, and already a group of prats seemed to be making themselves at home. The test will be whether the manager decides to chuck them out or sit down and befriend them. Time will tell
30 Apr 2015 17:18
The fact that most of bogus reviews have used to same double spacing strongly suggests that they have all been posted by the same person, almost certainly the owner / manager. They are all written to the same format too.
30 Apr 2015 11:15
Now taken over by Mitchells and Butler and due to open as a Toby carvery.
As carveries go, this place was one of the worst, so anything will be an improvement; even Toby
12 Apr 2015 07:52
A nice old building, once an art school I believe. The pub is trying to be uber trendy / shabby chic and just about manages this. However the staff and service tend to be more shabby than chic. Still, they usually have a couple of ales on and a good selection of spirits, and its a comfy place for a few. Weekends seems to attract the barbour brigade, and rather too many children for my liking, although they are of course v well behaved. Door staff do a good job of keeping out the dregs and theres a good vibe in the evening. A bit pricey but nothing wrong with that. Food nothing special.
2 Apr 2015 14:57
This pub suffers from the same problem as the nearby Castle Green Inn, only in this case, rather than unemployed low life, it's used by members of the yoof society, who have little money to spend and make the pub unpopular with everyone else.
Like the Castle Green Inn it has gone through a number of different names recently as various owners attempt to re market the place, but without success, and like the Castle Green Inn, unless the new owners chuck out the undesirables, things will remain the same.
2 Apr 2015 14:49
This pub suffers from the same problem as the nearby Castle Green Inn, only in this case, rather than unemployed low life, it's used by members of the yoof society, who have little money to spend and make the pub unpopular with everyone else.
Like the Castle Green Inn it has gone through a number of different names recently as various owners attempt to re market the place, but without success, and like the Castle Green Inn, unless the new owners chuck out the undesirables, things will remain the same.
2 Apr 2015 14:49
The thing about this pub is that it has always attracted scum bags, dossers and those who have refused service by wetherspoons. Changing the name of the pub ain't going to make a difference, the same unemployed benefit scroungers will continue to use it, thereby ensuring that decent members of society will avoid it at all costs.
Until someone is prepared to grasp the nettle and chuck out all of the dross, things will remain the same.
2 Apr 2015 14:44
The Conquering Hero, Upper Norwood
a pub for very ugly women; in fact the best looker was a pig, i mean a real pig
25 Mar 2015 20:39
Thrush can't see anything wrong about a traditional English pub that doesn't serve traditional English beer.
And he calls me an idiot?
24 Feb 2015 17:55
Its had upstairs toilets for decades (well, one bisex toilet to be precise)
20 Feb 2015 17:24
Not a great week for the owners of this pub: Mitchells and Butler.
Woke up to learn that following a machete attack one customer has been killed and a couple of others injured, Mmm nice place.
Yesterday we heard that the manager and chef of one of their pubs in Essex had been sent to prison for causing the death of one of their customers by food poisoning and falsifying documentation, for which M & B were fined £1.5 million.
A pattern seems to be developing here which suggests avoiding M & B pubs for a while (not that I was ever that keen on them)
24 Jan 2015 11:38
So where is this pub? Newton Abbott, Devon or Hampton, Middlesex?
11 Jan 2015 20:13
This place has opened up again, I guess on some kind of short term basis.
Cant imagine it will be for very long
15 Dec 2014 22:34
Whenever I visit this area, I pop in to the Hunters Inn in the hope that someone has bought the place, sacked all of the staff and turned it into the fantastic pub that it could and should be. It wouldn't be difficult as it is a nice building in a wonderful location.
Alas, my most recent visit was as disappointing as all others. The pub is still dirty and the service abysmal so I had one pint and left.
30 Nov 2014 16:14
Nice looking pub slightly off the beaten track.
Not overly busy on a Sunday lunch time but woefully poor service; so poor in fact that I gave up and left. The two barmaids chatting merrily between themselves were oblivious to my desire to spend money in their pub so I went and spent it elsewhere.
For the record, 2 ales on, Exmoor stag and Exmoor Gold
30 Nov 2014 16:03
The Cross Keys, Norton Fitzwarren
Oh dear,
This pub is now being run by the spirit group. Prior to this it was a reasonable pub serving basic but edible food at reasonable prices and a choice of ales usually just about drinkable.
It has now been revamped and the first thing noticable is that they have managed to cram in even more tables into what was already an over crowded area. This means you find yourself sitting right next to fellow diners who might pleasant enough but probably wont be.
The beer was sour and undrinkable, as if the lines hadnt been cleaned for several months, even though the pub is newly reopened.
The menu is confusing and the food itself absolutely revolting, just about everything coming from the deep fast fryers, and catering for the greedy and obese; truly down to the standards set by wetherspoons.
And if you think that at least it cant get any worse, consider this: Spirit group have just been taken over by green king, so yes, it can and certainly will get worse
29 Nov 2014 19:38
The Jack Horner, Tottenham Court Road
What I like about the last review is that it's just so up to date
19 Nov 2014 21:08
The Harbourside Inn, Charlestown
Not sure that there is any regulation amount specified for the sale of fortified wine as long as it is shown on the price list. exactly what measure you are getting for your money. Usually sold in 50 ml units but no reason it cant be sold in any other specified amount. Vermouths sold by branded optics (Martini etc) are often sold in 68 ml measure.
In fact apart from draught beer and cider, it's just whisky rum, gin and vodka that have statutary amounts specified (25 or 35 ml or multiples thereof
16 Nov 2014 21:23
Arsenalfan36 seems to prefer Wetherspoon pubs so almost by definition he is a retard. The 35 probably refers to his IQ.
Humour him, he's not quite right in the head
12 Nov 2014 19:42
Perhaps the guy in the bogs had seen GK's new menu with their 2000 calorie double doughnut burger, and was snorting coke as the health option.
12 Nov 2014 07:44
The Cross Keys, Norton Fitzwarren
Re previous post, it was actually closed down having been sold to "Fayre and Square" pub co which is a northern company with all their pubs up north )Manchester mostly) except for 2 in Somerset.
Fayre and Square sounds like a rival to Hungry Horse or something of that nature. No doubt they will introduce their northern hospitality to the place which will be worth avoiding, and I guess but hope I'm wrong that they will also introduce northern beers and all that that entails
10 Nov 2014 18:15
A pretty miserable example of an English pub, rather stale ales on offer served by rather stale bar staff. Two bug TV screens for those who like their footy
30 Oct 2014 18:21
Pretty reasonable pub, reputably haunted although other pubs in Poole claim to be even more haunted.
They do basic accommodation which is cheap and reasonable if you dont want anything fancy
30 Oct 2014 18:17
High prices and short measures, miserable staff. worth avoiding other than it stays open later than other pubs at weekends, at least a noisy downstairs bar does.
30 Oct 2014 18:15
Usued to be managed by a guy called fat eddie, he later moved across town to the cricketers which he renamed the "ale house". That pub is also now closed. Anyone see a pattern emerging here?
29 Oct 2014 19:52
Montie 49 needs to understand something: they aint such a thing as an excellent wetherspoons, they are just of the crap, for the crap by the crap
29 Oct 2014 19:49
The Cross Keys, Norton Fitzwarren
Closed at 10:30 on a Saturday night; how poor is that. I guess the staff were just too lazy to serve honest hard working punters who want to buy a drink at this hour.
very poor
25 Oct 2014 22:53
Closed at 10:30 on a Saturday night but not sure if it has closed down again, or just given up for the night.
25 Oct 2014 22:51
blue scrumpy, possibly not served due to being in a bunch of scouse footie fans; cant say I blame them
25 Oct 2014 22:48
Someone has spent a small fortune on refurbishing this pub. However the staff are completely useless so even on a Saturday night the place was less than half full, and its a big place. The beer was sour and undrinkable and the food just vile. On top of this the service was dire and more than this, no one seemed to care. Whatever happened to professionalism in staff.
I cant see this lasting for very long, either it will go bust, or more likely the manager will get the sack and they'll try with someone else.
22 Oct 2014 21:14
Well Eddie
If you want to avoid contact with people like me, i.e. discerning pub goers who appreciate good service, great beer and fine food, (or idiots as you would call us) all you have to do is carry on as before, running crappy pubs serving sour beer and revolting food.
I do have a question which I would like answered if you are prepared to do so, which I doubt. What is the name of your latest venture? I think it important that you let us know so we can avoid inadvertently entering the place.
20 Oct 2014 07:50
Nice pub poorly managed by some ignorant twat of a manager; best avoided which is a shame as it could be so much better in the right hands
14 Oct 2014 19:54
OMG what a horrible rip off joint this place is.
Rip off prices, piss poor service and undrinkable beer. If you complain that the pint of shite they have served you is undrinkable, they say "no one else has complained" even though every one in the place is complaining. Best not to go there.
Nice view.
14 Oct 2014 19:52
Always thought there was something dodgy about the barman here
4 Oct 2014 12:28
Not that bad, someone has obviously had a go at training the staff and achieved a modicum of success. They also have a cask ale available now which is also a step in the right direction. Nice garden area for during the day ( with heaters and canopies to keep out the inclement weather). During the evenings and especially at weekends, the clientele become more youthful and purile but its getting better.
2 Oct 2014 21:36
Ha Ha, after all of the discussions about this pub, what with the landlord pretending to be a bona fidea customer making a genuine comment and all of the other skullduggery, the fact is there is now a big sign advertising that the pub is for let (again) so the lard arse of a publican wasn't all he made himself out to be, and is just another failure, one of many that have tried to make a silk purse out of this pigs ear of a pub. Too be fair, he has lasted 18 months which is a lot longer than most people gave him, but now he has gone bust.
No doubt the owners will find another mug to give it a try, no doubt they will then change the name again and no doubt fail again.
29 Aug 2014 19:12
The Bedfordshire Yeoman, Luton
Demolished? thank the lord for small mercies; the place was a complete shit hole
thats the pub, not the town although shit hole is a good description of both
16 Aug 2014 23:42
Waited patiently to be served while the barman totally ignored me. Instead he went across to the other side of the bar where a stinking old dosser was waiting. At first I didn't mind the delay as I assumed he was going to chuck the dosser out, but no. Instead he shook the dossers hand, had a good old chat before serving him, all the time while I was waiting, as I had been since before the dosser turned up.
Reluctantly the barman then turned to serve me, but decided my money was too good for this hole of a pub.
0/10
19 Jul 2014 18:15
I believe it was "The Steam Rock Cafe" or some such. Its not that anymore and its not the Market house either because its closed down.
6 Jul 2014 16:54
Probably the best (of a bad bunch) pub in Taunton, and nice garden for the summer. Increasingly I find my visits spoiled by a loud mouthed "cockney wanker" / "Essex geezer" type. They usually do a pretty good job of keeping out the undesirables (of which there are plenty) but this bloke seems to be the exception. Oh well.
6 Jul 2014 10:16
Now reopened after a major refurb and called "The New Mill"
Inside it is as you would expect: Leather sofas, big cushions etc. looks dated already.
Beer choice:- Doom Bar, Bombadier, etc. Not particularly well presented and out of condition. Otherwise the standard range of eurofizz lagers
Food is straight out of the break bros catalogue.
4 Jul 2014 09:04
The Holman Clavel Inn, Culmhead
Closed down, hardly surprising, this is what happens when idiots decisde they can run a pub
20 Jun 2014 18:19
So good to see a once closed pub that has now re opened and seemingly doing well.
Now its just a pleasant well run and unpretentious pub and all the better for it.
19 Apr 2014 17:07
The Brewmaster, Leicester Square
Arsenall 228 you should realise this is greene king. If you write to them about the manager they will probably give him a bonus for hitting GK managers "being an arsehole" target
19 Apr 2014 16:11
Well here I am Dr Pangloss AKA cellarbuoy. Rumour has it this pub has gone into receivership again. Is anyone surprised?
4 Apr 2014 20:40
Its been closed down for ages. even when it was open it was much of a pub
24 Mar 2014 22:15
mainly just a bar / restaurant for the nearby business hotel, but useful for a cheeky pint if you happen to be in the area. Appalling service mind you
24 Mar 2014 22:11
due to re open under the Mitchell & Butler brand vintage inn, so not much of an improvement on its current status as closed. Still, with 100s of new houses going up in the area there will be a ready market of people looking for crappy service, which they will be sure to fine here
24 Mar 2014 22:09
Staffed by seemingly illegal foreigners (Brazilians pretending to be Portuguese, Moldovans pretending to be Romanians etc) so not the ideal bar to spend your money at if you vote for ukip or bnp
9 Mar 2014 20:46
Ex barman Charles Franklin has just been convicted of raping a customer on the floor of this delightful pub, presumably after closing time. Got a nine year spell in chokey
Charming place. Give it a miss
21 Jan 2014 17:04
No longer closed and not re-developed. It's now called Molly Malone's and is being marketed as an "Irish themed inspired venue" ( whatever that means) and comes complete with miserable sour faced bar staff for authenticity.
Ales were just about passable but no more than that.
Ok for those that like that sort of thing.
13 Dec 2013 22:03
Quite a big pub but with a very low ceiling giving it a gloomy feel. It seems to be staffed by South Africans which makes it gloomier still.
A sort of jazz trio were playing at he time of my visit, but the musicians couldn't play, and the singer couldn't sing. The beers were mundane and far from being in good condition so not really worth drinking, especially at their prices.
Cant see it surviving for long in this format
13 Dec 2013 21:53
Grubby, dirty, smelly unhygienic and in desperate need of a good scrub down with disinfectant, and that's just the barman. Consequently the whole pub is pretty much the same. No beer worth drinking, no food (although who on earth would want to eat there?)
8 Dec 2013 18:59
There's something not quite right bout this place, but not sure what it is. As the previous post suggests, the place is rarely busy. It is frequently empty, but generally we are talking single figures and rarely is it anything like at capacity, and it isnt a very big place anyway. However, they seem to get through beer at a phenomenal rate; with cask ales getting changed all of the time, even when the place is all but empty. An email promoting their real ale club tells us that they have 19 different ales in the cellar. Assuming these are 9 gallons each, we are talking over 170 gallons or 1360 pints. Thats in addition to all of the lagers, ciders etc. Who drinks it all ?, are they getting partly used casks from some other pub perhaps? The beer is usually fairly good (although you rarely get a full pint).
Something just doesnt add up.
8 Oct 2013 20:41
Went in today and was glad to see the Jazz bands had returned and the place was bustling. The beer was good although Im not sure of the purpose of the small sample bottles they have beside the pumps on the bar; surely a small taste of the beer would be a better option for those who want to try the beer.
On a down side, they have let back in all of the tossers, vagrants and benefit scroungers who blighted the pub before. At £3.30 a pint one wonders how they manage this, and realise what a grand job Ian Duncan Smith is doing by reducving the amount of tax payers money given to this lowlife.
Get rid of the scum bags and this could be a decent pub.
29 Sep 2013 19:42
Well, Cellarbuoy got it spot on (as usual) in his post of some 15 months ago by predicting this place wouldn't last long. It didnt. The owners who thought they knew it all didnt and went bust.
The new owners have a similar atitude, it seems
They have changed the name to "the Knights Rest" although the bar staff seem to think it means the "night Rest" and think that this is what they are in for whilst on the evening shift.
They should have taken the advice of cellarbuoy and re employed the lettering and signage (hopefully in storaage) andre named it the WINCHESTER
Cellarbuoy usually gets these things right.
Good luck to the latest owners. Will report later.
29 Sep 2013 19:36
Closed down and falling down too by all accounts. And just as about 500 new homes have been built in a nearby development. Shame.
8 Sep 2013 09:11
The Crown and Sceptre, Taunton
Now taken over by the incompetent fools who went out of business at the nearby Malt and Hops. Expect more changes soon
8 Sep 2013 09:08
Closed down and sold, probably for re development. To be honest it was always a poorly run pub and nearly always empty, but its a nice old building and its sad to see it go.
The bad news is that the publicans who ran it into the ground have now moved across town to take on another lame duck of a Taunton pub viz The Crown & Sceptre
They will fit in well there as that place has always been a dump. Its also opposite the so called "Ale House" and the Plough so there will be stiff opposition for the title of Tauntons worst boozer.
8 Sep 2013 09:07
It re opened in April as already stated but has closed down again in the blink of an eye. Now acquired by the Dorset Brewing Co (never heard of them) who intend to open it as "The Beer Society". Time will tell. Another new name (previously Castle Green Inn, before that the Firestone, before that the ferret & Trouser leg before that Clarkes Tap etc.
One to watch
8 Sep 2013 09:01
The Pike and Muskett Inn, Walton
Now xalled the "Walton Gateway" Gateway to what? sounds very pretentious.
2 Aug 2013 20:19
The sort of pub that's liked by semi literate cretins from Litchfield. For everyone else, it's just a bog standfard Marstons set up (l.e. utter shite food and similar beer).
23 Jul 2013 20:46
Well, its closed and boarded up.
It would seem that The Final Arbiter is not the only one who prefers pubs run by heterosexuals
16 Jul 2013 17:44
Went past here the other day. The whole bilding is cvered in scaffolding and plastic sheeting so maybe they are rebuilding it. I hope so as it was always a nice looking pub but I never had the time to drop in.
14 Jun 2013 23:24
Apart from this one and the one mentioned in the previous post, there is also the one mentioned in Harrow Weald (Old Redding and also one in Wealdstone. The name is a corruption of "Casa Alter" or "Old House" which is Spanish, although why pubs were named in Spanish in the first place beats me. Any ideas?
4 Jun 2013 22:15
The two previous posts cannot be considered bone fide. Both are gushing in praise for this dump of a back street boozer. Fluffy's post is his one and only post, and Rugby has made a total of 4 posts, two about this pub and the other two about the other dump of a back street boozer that is owned by the same fat slob. Ex military? do me a favour, the guys just a slob, end of
18 May 2013 22:44
The Rose and Crown, Huish Episcopi
Would seem like there is a rat about the place but if so, it must be in the BITE offices rather than in the pub. Nevertheless this is a great pub and deserves to be in the top 10 pubs
12 May 2013 21:23
Well, a series of scruffy signs in the windows asking for bar and kitchen staff suggests that this will be opening again soon.
The notices themselves appear to have been written by a six year old using old scraps of paper retrieved from the waste paper basket, which does not indicate a great deal of proffesionalism and I expect the pub will we run with in the same way.
No doubt the new owners of the business will feel compelled to change the pubs name again.
'tis a pity as the pub is in a nice setting but the signs aren't good. (excuse the pun)
13 Apr 2013 09:17
Getting its act together, albeit slowly. The beer is usually pretty good, and there's a nice cosy atmosphere in there. And thankfully they seem to have kept out all of the tossers.
Food a bit poncy though; look forward to the cricket season to get going, as this pub will be a nice addition to a day watching cricket.
11 Apr 2013 22:09
HOW MUCH? £4 for a pint, sod that, I thought and walked out leaving the pint on the bar and the barman insisting I have to pay.
Went to the nearby Sainsburys and got 3 x 500 ml bottles for £5, and people wonder why so many pubs are closing down.
11 Apr 2013 22:05
Not being harsh at all. I went in to check it out, the place was empty except for some obese slob with his feet on the table totally engaged with his laptop. After about 5 minutes (and after looking up to see me still waiting), the slob managed to get his arse off the sofa and get behind the bar to serve me. Seems like this lard arse was actually the publican (Mr E Cullen). Presumably he eats the pubs burgers and probably nothing else by the look of him, so I guess the burgers must be edible; the beer (something from a cask) was hardly drinkable; ominous for a pub named the ale house.
8 Apr 2013 20:56
The Cross Keys, Norton Fitzwarren
Open again after the flooding, but no better than it was before (i.e. poor) OK for people who live nearby, and there are plenty of houses being chucked up around here, but not much use for the discerning eater or indeed diner
28 Mar 2013 23:15
A sign outside advises booking a table for sunday lunch, but when I went past last sunday the place was empty, no one in at all. I was going to have a beer but didnt bother.
I can only assume that they want you to book so that they can inform the chef if he needs to get up on a sunday morning or not. My guess is he has a lot of lie ins
28 Mar 2013 23:11
Nowhere nearly as busy as it should be. Sad to think that this place was once top of the BITE league tables but that was a long time ago. Now it cant even get the local chavs through the door although clearly it is they who the owners are marketting the place at.
15 Mar 2013 14:01
'fraid to say Paris has got this one wrong; no pizza parlour or anything else (for a while at least) as I reckon it'll be closed for a while despite being right on the newly refurbed castle green.
15 Mar 2013 13:58
The good news is that someone is going to have another try at making something of this place.
The bad news is that it is the same outfit that are making a fist of running the Winchester Arms in town.
They may be gluttons for punishment but not many punters will be.
15 Mar 2013 13:57
Oh well, they've got another mug to give it a try. Changing the name to "The Ale House" which sounds promising but I doubt it'll change much, The usual scum bags from the nearby doss house will return. Never sure why everyone who comes to this pub feels it necessary to change the name so often but they do.
The signage states "REAL ALE REAL BURGERS" Made with real Polish horse meat no doubt.
Suppose I better give it a try, but its at the arse end of town so I expect too much
2 Feb 2013 17:20
This pub has its name on the outside in big letters.
Unfortunately the "L" has fallen off so it now reads "BATHPOO" which sounds like the sort of thing that happens when you misjudge a fart.
Quite appropriate for this place to be honest.
27 Jan 2013 14:56
Well, its open again, but I was the sole customer throughout a friday lunchtime, so things dont look good.
They plan to start serving food next month and are kicking off with a gourmet night (think Faulty Towers).
The dining area has only got about 20 covers so it is difficult to see how anything other than Brake Bros cook from frozen stuff is going to be viable.
A pity, its a nice clean comfortable pub, but going in the wrong direction again
26 Jan 2013 10:55
Dr Pangloss hasnt stopped posting either ( nor has Final_Arbiter). Just using a different name Ha Ha.
And once again Paris Hilton is correct; this place is still a dump
20 Jan 2013 22:36
DO NOT EAT HERE
the term food to die for takes on a new meaning
4 Jan 2013 14:02
Signs in the windows suggest this place is t re-open as a hairdresser / cafe / coffee shop / wine merchant"
Nothing like hedging your bets says I
Still, there might be a chance of being able t get a pint, so I guess it needs to remain on BITE, for the time being at least.
18 Nov 2012 17:08
Tacky Tacky Tacky, why spoil the roadside with so many horrendous !A! boards advertising their crappiness.
For anyone leaving the motorway and heading south, just cary on; there are far better pubs than this nast rip off joint
18 Nov 2012 17:03
The Square and Compass, Ashill
A traditional country pub with large music venue behind where some well known acts play/ There is also a sort of motel accommodation block along side too.
The pub itself is nothing special, fairly regular sort of menu, 3 ales, 2 from st austel and one other. The st austel stuff was really not worth drinking and since beer is what this site is about I have scored accordingly.
11 Nov 2012 21:28
Trendified village pub (all low leather settees, big cusions and low coffee tables etc) Usually in these sort of pubs they have shelves full of books that no one has ever read; here they havent bothered with that, they have wall paper printed to look like books on shelves. Its the sort of pub that when you ask for a packet of peanuts, they give you a small bowl of nuts from a communal jar full, ovwer slated to disguise the fact they are old and stale.
The beer? well its a youngs / Wells pub so it was bombadier and youngs bitter, neither of which were worth drinking. Altogether a pub that is worth avoiding
11 Nov 2012 21:24
Well, not sure what the attitude of the "new" manager was, but whatever it was it wasnt much good. The place never seems to be open (i.e. it has closed down) so the new manager lasted about three months. Blink and hes gone. Still, no great loss except the dross that did use this pub will now move on to somewhere else. However there are enough piss poor pubs in town that will be happy to accommodate them.
8 Nov 2012 20:08
The Merry Monk, Monkton Heathfield
Oh dear, what a mess of a pub. Clearly the owners havent got a clue about either running a bar or catering. They fail miserably on both counts. Although the beers were expensive they were also all but undrinkable, but the food side of things was even worse, possibly the worst pub meal I have ever had (although I havent ever eaten at wetherspoons). Over cooked shrivelled up meat and cold soggy veg. The service was also extremely poor; the girl seemingly in charge was about 16 years old and clearly the poor girl was way out of her depth and should have been doing her school homework instead.
The owners should be ashamed of themselves, and one can only hope this pub goes out of business soon.
2 Nov 2012 21:39
I dont like to say "I told you so", but this place is CLOSED. The sign on the door says for refurbishment, but the "TO LET" signs tell the real story; they went bust.
If only the owners had heeded the advice given by me in April of this year or by Stuee in June the pub would still be open and doing well. However the week management has led to the pubs demise by allowing the aforementioned tossers to ruin the place, as predicted.
15 Oct 2012 13:33
I thought TimP's phrasing sounded suspiciously like that used by others writing their own praises, and guess what? a first time poster. Clearly he has something to do with the pub (owner, friend?) 0/10
13 Oct 2012 09:55
Its closed now, possible to be sold and converted to a private house, although local residents (who never went there when it was a pub) have been trying to form an opposition group, sticking posters up in the town centre and so on.
Cant imagine anyone buying it as a pub, but neither can I imagine anyone wanting to live there much either.
oh well
30 Sep 2012 21:13
Its got a cask marque accreditation sticker on the door so you know the ales are going to be crap, and they sure are.
Although the place looks welcoming it is anything but, the staff look bored and disinterested.
Didnt eat, but if the ales arent right, theres no reason to suppose the food will be.
15 Sep 2012 21:17
Closed down, now an Indian resaurant (purple mango). Might be a better curry house than it was a pub.
20 Aug 2012 09:50
Closed down again, and this time it loks fairly permanent, what with the economic climate and that. No great loss, always was a dump.
20 Aug 2012 09:49
There is a large blackboard outside which says
"NEW MANAGER, NEW ATTITUDE"
Doesnt say what that attitude is, but the old attitude was "COULDNT GIVE A TOSS" so I guess it cant be any worse than that. Will have to pay a visit.
6 Aug 2012 21:02
Well, the good news is that its open again. The bad news? It's now owned by the same dragon that runs the nearby kings head. That pub is one to avoid, o to will this one no doubt.
6 Aug 2012 21:00
The Worlds End, Bradford On Tone
Perhaps not ideal as a plain boozer (i.e. drinks only) although the beer is fine it is also a bit pricey.
Basically its a food pub. The food is very good and the service a delight with some absolutely charming young staff. The recently refurbed garden very pleasant and inside a large spacious pub.
29 Jul 2012 17:21
Dont know where pocket calculator lives, but to say this is off the beaten track??? It is situated between Shaftesbury Avenue, Charring Cross Road, and New Oxford St. Tottenham Court Road and Oxford St are no more the 1/4 mile away, this is in one of the world's major cities. Hardly the back of beyond.
A great pub when run by Courage (S&N) but still great now.
18 Jul 2012 19:27
Although its called the Farmers Inn, it is doubtful if shit covered wellingtons would be very welcome here. It all very chic, low settees with big cushions, that sort of thing (getting a bit old hat nowadays)
As alluded to before the owners of this pub really dont have much of a clue, with the many bar staff giving a running commentry on their inability to do their jobs which isnt very reassuring. The choice of ales consisted of the ubiquitous Tribute together with Proper Job. Also had pumps badged as selling Otter and Butcombe, but these not available. The Proper job wasnt worth drinking and I couldnt be bothered with the Tribute. Its not cheap either.
Mainly a food pub I guess, but if they cant get the simple things right, I doubt if the food would be much good.
Not worth going to, if you are in the area, better off going to the Greyhound or Nags Head.
17 Jul 2012 22:45
They have got the same Mr Bean look alike working there that used to work in the nearby Royal Oak, where he always gave short measures and usually in dirty glasses.
5 Jul 2012 19:27
Never been to this pub but heardabout it on the news so I thought I would find out what people think of it on BITE.
Amazing, must be one of the worst pubs ever and the owner, Jo Brown or whatever hes called sounds like a complete shit. No wonder hes called brown
I hear there is a campaign to boycot the place. Good luck to them
27 Jun 2012 18:00
Noticed today that the big gold lettering "WINCHESTER ARMS" have now been removed; perhaps the new owners read my previous post.
One can only hope they have put the letters away somewhere safe as I reckon the next tenants will be wanting them soon.
25 Jun 2012 19:52
Im not a great fan of carveries, but as far as they go, this is one of the best. NOT the usual soggy veg and dried up old meat. The meats were cooked just right and they didnt scrimp as some carveries do. Veg also well prepared.
The problem with carveries is that if they are popular you find yourself queuing for your lunch like in a works canteen, and if they're not you get dried up meat and soggy veg. This place seems to have got it just right so well done for that.
Oh and the beer? Mostly St Austell, well worth drinking, and a nice garden and surperb views
24 Jun 2012 22:45
Now re opened and re named "The Drawing Room" even though it still has "WINCHESTER ARMS" in big gold letters as in the photo.
This pub has been opening and closing like you know what over the years but always attracted arseholes.
Now, with a new name and a lick of paint (still smells of paint inside) the new owners hope to turn things around. Good luck to them. They seem very young and somewhat naive, and all to over familiar which is typical of someone lacking confidence. I was tempted to tell the barman to mind his own damm business when he asked me how my day had been.
It aint cheap, �3.20 for a pint of mediocre ale. I guess these prices may drive away the benefit scrounging low life, but alas they will also drive away everone else. Me for sure. In a town of mediocre pubs, there is no more room for one other, even one with with a daft name
20 Jun 2012 08:06
Totally agree with stuee. Its the same bunch of scum bags that also appear from time to time in the Castle Green and carry on there in much the same way. Once again the staff and management dont do anything either.
Otherwisw this group of utter little shites are barred from most other Taunton pubs.
The worst is the rat faced little shit who always wears a flat cap.
20 Jun 2012 08:00
Nice interesting old pub. Typical west country village affair. Very pretty and a nice garden too. Beer from Badger brewery (Hall & Woodhouse) was more than adequate, food above average but only just.
18 Jun 2012 15:46
CLOSED.
Not to be confused with the Lord Poulett in nearby Hinton St George which is a gem of a pub, this place used to open and close like the proverbial.
Now seems closed for good.
wont be missed, although could be made into a nice pub, there is plenty of competition nearby.
18 Jun 2012 15:44
I was interested to read the previous comment on the quality of the beer served in this pub by honeybadger, especially as he is an ex award winning publican.
It puts the early disagreements between the masons arms themselves (and others) and Dr pangloss. It would seem that on this occasion Pangloss has been proved right (as usual). I only hope that the suppliers of the ales served in this pub are aware of the low standards and lack of knowledge of the landlord.
11 Jun 2012 12:47
closed down but planning to open again soon, but for how long? who knows.
9 Jun 2012 13:48
Barking dogs, crying kids, drunken idiots shouting and swearing at each other across the pub, drunken pikeys singing traditional Oirish songs out of tune, and all at 1:00 in the afternoon. Camra pub of the year? do me a favour
9 Jun 2012 13:47
The Naval and Military, Taunton
Quite how montie49 can give 10/10 for a pub he has never drunk in and which was closed down by the police many years ago and has since been de-licensed is anyone's guess. My guess is he's plain stupid.
9 Jun 2012 13:42
I can only re iterate what others have said about this pub. A nice pub, good choice of beer and well worth drinking but avoid the food unless absolutely necessary,
5 Jun 2012 09:02
Absolutely superb rural gem. Ales were in great nick, a good choice of ciders and the atmosphere a delight . Excellent food and very busy but relaxed feel to the place. A bit off the beaten track so its free from those whose idea of a good pub is w'spoons to of place, and all the better for that. 10/10
5 Jun 2012 08:49
The Royal Oak, Hardington Moor
A great pub, nothing fancy, good beers although the choice somewhat limited, pleasant staff and company, good food and a loverly setting. Well worth the detour if you are on the A30 between Yeovil and Crewkerne, Some might think it basic, but its a god old fahion village pub
3 Jun 2012 20:20
The Mandeville Arms, Hardington Mandeville
Closed (closed down) not sure if it will ever open as a pub again, the owners should be ashamed; it could be a great pub under the proper management.
3 Jun 2012 20:17
Rest and Be Thankful Inn, Minehead
We only visited this place because it was recommended by Camra on its somerset pub trail. This would suggest that it is one of Somerset's finer pubs. Believe me it aint. Loud electro "music coming from the juke box and the crack of balls from the pool table, not to mention the constant swearing from the bar area added nothing to an otherwise mundane atmosphere.
Rest and be thankful? well, you can be thankful that there are other far better pubs than this in the area.
1 Jun 2012 22:56
An excellent evening entertainment, with a real ale festival and a music festival both going on. The place was busy, with bands playing both inside and out. I'm not sure if this music was a regular event or just something for the jubilee celebrations, but an great night was had by all.
Ales good but could be better.
1 Jun 2012 22:52
A very nice pub, very picturesque and a very warm welcome. A good choice of ales available and a good vibe. Would liked to have stayed longer. Its strange, but although I have driven along this road many times before, I have never noticed this pub before let alone visited it, but will return.
1 Jun 2012 22:49
Pretty much as I said before except it was open. Fairly busy, usual selection of local ales, reasonably drinkable, but woefully short measures. Still, worth a visit if you are in this neck of the woods
1 Jun 2012 22:44
A very nice pub with a good selection of ales and ciders on offer; those tasted were very good. A great asset for the village and worth going to if you live there, but hardly worth taking any detour just to visit the pub
31 May 2012 17:25
The Rose and Crown, Cannington
I was encouraged into this pub as its on Somerset CAMRA pub trail.
An old building with a nice garden (somewhat spoiled by the proximity of the outside bogs)
Inside, there is a lot of paraphenalia and curios (AKA junk) hanging from the ceiling gathering dust, and lots of old pump clips on display, which the Camra boys seem to consider to be a sign of a good pub.
Camra are trying to promote local breweries by encouraging publicans to stock them; the ales on sale here consisted of two, GK IPA and Abbbott, all the way from Suffolk (best part of 250 miles away) and 1 from Scotland. There seems to be some tie with Greedy King, and the pub was reminiscent of one of the old Magic pub co's outlets that were bought by GK in the 1990's
The deuchers I tried was as sour as the barmaids face, and I could not finish it.
A pub well worth avoiding, Camra should be ashamed. Dont go there
30 May 2012 08:21
Closed and closed down, no used as the HQ of a driver training centre (hgv, cpc etc)
30 May 2012 08:07
A nice looking pub and a friendly welcome . a good selcetion of ales and ciders, and a great asset for the village, for which it is probably the social hub.
Worth a visit if you're passing but check beforehand if you plan to dine
30 May 2012 08:04
A regular road side pub, perfectly usable and no doubt ideal for those living nearby.
A good selection of ales on offer, no issues there, but hardly a destination pub
30 May 2012 08:00
A perfectly good pub if you live in or near the village, or are visiting someone there, but hardly a destination pub as some suggest.
The beers are fine, and no doubt the food too, but otherwise its just an ordinary west country village pub.
28 May 2012 17:14
Beautiful country pub recently refurbished but in keeping with the tradition. A good selection of ales and ciders (ales served by gravity, as is increasingly in vogue, but still worth drinking.
Food served but untasted on this visit.
Dont be mislead by the address as Chard; it is in fact several miles away on the edge of the Blackdown Hills.
28 May 2012 09:20
I too am somewhat purplexed by the "gushing comments". It's a nice pub for sure if you like thing traditional, basically just a couple of bare rooms in a decrepid state of repair, with a bar in one of them. But it certainly does have something about it, the sense that things have changed much here for many decades (despite the BMWs and range rovers outside). and a number of Hooray Henry types (obviously not natives of Somerset) seem to have installed themselves there.
The beers are served from the back room by gravity, but despite this they were fine and very drinkable.
The front garden is a delight in the summer, but the drinking area in the adjacent meadow somewhat spoilt by a number of obviously underage drinkers making a nuisence of themselves.
28 May 2012 09:15
The Rose and Crown, Huish Episcopi
Excellent and totally eccentric pub, with a beautiful exterior and wonderful tradional interior. (dont look for the bar, there isnt one!
The beers, served by gravity were all fine well worth drinking.
Forget about the stinking exterior toilets and take a trip down memory lane to enjoy this fine pub
28 May 2012 09:07
Needless to say that since the previous posting this pub went out of business (in Feb 2011). A pity really as its a nice building in pleasant surroundings. The latest news is that it is re opening and reverting to its former name "the Farmers Arms". The bad news is that the new owners havent any experience whatsoever in running a pub or restaurant. To disguise this shortcoming they have appointed a "Marketting and publicity officer" OMG LOL.
Could be interesting to visit for a laugh, but I think I'll wait and see before spending my money there, after all, I would think twice about visiting a dentinst who had no previous experience of dentistry; wouldn't you?
27 May 2012 09:08
Only visted this pub as its on the Somerset CAMRAs pub trail. God only knows why as it does deserve to be on any good pub guide (except perhaps a Yeovil pub guide)
Not much of a choice of ales, tribute, Adnams and something else. �3.40 a pint, bloody hell, I should have walked out there and then. Even at that price it was far from exceptional.
Although I drive past here regularly I have never been here before, and I wont be back
26 May 2012 23:01
The Devonshire Arms, Long Sutton
A strange place this. It is a small hotel with ideas far above its station. Someone has spent lots on creating the "Shabby chic" style that is so popular nowadays (soft leather sofas, big cushions etc) but this is a small (ish) Somerset village.
Not a great choice of ales, but they had a good selection of keg beers available. The service was casual to say the least. An interesting building I'm sure, but quite why CAMRA think it worth a place on their 2012 pub trail is beyond me, especially with both the Rose andCrown (Eli's) and BITES current No.1 pub the Halfway House both nearby
26 May 2012 00:35
Prince of Wales Ham Hill Country Park, Stoke-Sub-Hamdon
re - visited this pub as its on the Somerset CAMRA pub trail. Nice pub on top of the hill, and crowded too with bloated chavs getting sun burnt on the first hot day of the year.
The view away from the beer garden is splendid and it should be a great pub, but isnt.
A large banner states "a wide range of real ales". This range consisted of just 2 ales, Butcombe and one other, both drip served from casks on the back bar but at least they had cooling jackets on (more than can be said of the customers). The service was slap dash, but the Butcombe wasnt bad. Evenso it was hardly an ale drinkers paradise.
26 May 2012 00:28
The Skinners Arms, Kings Cross
Fluffer you are SO WRONG.any landlord who doesnt know which beers are going to be good or otherwise shouldnt be a landlord. Hey, he's supposed to taste the stuff before putting it on sale. If it isnt good enough he shouldnt have ordered the dam stuff in the first place.
The fact of the matter is that this is a greene king pub and the manager has no choice; he tries to sell whatever greene king tell him to s=sell. If its shit (which with GK it usually is) he still has to try.
FACT real ale drinkers do not always want to try different beers from all over the UK, especially when they know they will taste like crap, as they usually do in the case of GK
21 May 2012 22:17
Yup, two flattering posts from first time members within 2 days gives the game away, especially after so many poors comments left before.
In other words I smell a big fat RAT
20 May 2012 18:09
The Crown and Sceptre, Taunton
I've said before (under a different name) that some pubs deserve to go out of business. This pub is one of those. Not only has the inside been turned into an appalling chav fest, but the windows and outside walls are now plastered with badly written posters advertising all thats on off: Poker nights, kaoroke, pool tables, juke box, live sports (on the tv) live bands, food etc etc, which means you cant escape the shit even if walking past or stuck at the trafffic light outside.
20 May 2012 08:53
Popped in here while passing to see if was really as bed as the ratings suggest (0.7 / 10). In fact its possible worse than that, but I dont understand why as its a nice old building (an old nursery I believe) and could be a good pub, but the owners clearly dont have a clue and it shows
19 May 2012 16:21
A nice traditional pub which brews its own beer on the premesis as mentioned before. They also had a couple of beers from St austell, bet their own stuff (tornado) was fine. Well worth a return visit when in the area and hope the place flourishes
19 May 2012 16:16
The Brewers Arms, South Petherton
Nice pub in the centre of the lovelly hamstone village of Suth Petherton. Ales were first class, and the place is big enough to have diners and sports on the tv together with darts etc without one annoying the other.
Worthy of being on the Somerset CAMRS's pub trail (which is more than can be said of many others on the list)
19 May 2012 16:10
The Wyndham Arms, Kingsbury Episcopi
Traditional village pub, the beer, Butcombe was very nice and the landlord / barman pleasant. Food seemed good, but didnt try it myself. Cosy atmosphere and pleasant clientelle
19 May 2012 16:07
Nice enough pub, mostly given over to dining, but still a pub too. Beers fine, nothing exceptional but perfectly drinkable. Plenty of pump clips stuck on the walls around the bar, which the CAMRA folks always take a being a sign of a good pub, but it was just ordinary
18 May 2012 21:57
The Holywell Inn, Holywell Lake
Finally found this place to be open. Not withstanding that b1ggy is the landlord blowing his own trumpet and ixus one of his mates, this is actually a nice pub to visit. Most of it given over to dining, with plenty of nooks crannies and alcoves for that purpose, but there is a small bar area and the bees were served in excellent condition.
18 May 2012 21:54
Not actually in Minehead, but in Alcombe, which is a bit out of town, away from the butlins crowd and local chavs, and is quite a picturesque village. The windows had "Cask Marque" stickers which is always a bad sign.
The choice of beers were Courage Best, Spitfie, Bombadier and something from St Austell, hardly local ales. Nice atmosphere but nothing special.
18 May 2012 21:46
The Queens Head Hotel, Minehead
Visited on the Somerset CAMRA pub trail. Nice to see ten hand pumps, all being used, although none of the beers tried were in first class condition.
The pub itself is a bit of a mess, all fake wooden beams etc, and the pool tables and loud music dont add anything. Certainly not one of the best pubs in Somerset for sure.
18 May 2012 21:40
Some of the punters in here looked like extras from shameless. The beer itself was OK but the service was poor and it felt like being in the front room of a family you dont know or like much.
possibly one of the top 2 pubs in a village with only 2 pubs
13 May 2012 16:35
How can you give any other score but zero for a pub that cant be bothered to stay open on a sunny afternoon
13 May 2012 16:33
The Holywell Inn, Holywell Lake
Nice country pub so I thought I would drop in for a beer. Bloody place was closed; useless
0/10 for being so useless
13 May 2012 16:31
lovely pub in stunning surrounding. On a beautiful summers day, with plenty of people out and about, thought I'd stop in for a beer. Guess what, Bloody closed.
A big fat 0/10 for lack of enterprise
13 May 2012 16:29
The Duke of York, Shepton Beauchamp
A fine village pub. Beer was ok (as you would hope for) the food a bit poncy, but that seems to be the way they want it. A party of braying hooray henrys made a lot more noise than was quite necessary, but I guess they meant well
12 May 2012 15:59
A run of the mill village pub, nothing fancy, doesnt try to be and no worse for that. Beer was fine, as you would hope for.
12 May 2012 15:56
The Old Stage Coach Inn, Crewkerne
Visited as its on the Somerset CAMRA pub trail. A nice enough pub next to the station ( the old railway hotel) Very quiet on a saturday lunchtime. Beer (moors) was fine as it usually is, service ok, totally unexceptional
12 May 2012 15:52
The Lamb and Flag, Blagdon Hill
One of the few pubs on this years Somerset CAMRA pub trail that deserves to be on the list.
Good beer pleasant surroundings and jovial company. Didnt try the food, but the "scores on the doors" for hygiene of 4/5 suggests the problems noted by dr pangloss have been dealt with
11 May 2012 22:16
The Farmers Arms, Combe Florey
Visiting as part of the Somerset CAMRA pub trail. The pub is very pretty indeed, with a nice garden and thatched roof etc, but outside toilets in the 21st century? Come on, I know this is Somerset, but indoor plumbing is nothing special nowadays.
The beer was no better than ordinary even though they claim to have been awarded some kind of award for the quality of their beer.
Basically seems to be a food led pub, although I cant comment on the food, the menu looked too poncy for me.
10 May 2012 20:43
Called in at this pub is on the Somerset CAMRA pub trail, although I cant imagine why. Its OK but unexceptional in every way, The beer was far from perfect and the service slap dash. Just an ordinary run down pub trying to survive and just about managing
10 May 2012 20:38
Called in here on the Somerset CAMRA pub trail. Its just a run of the mill pub. Nothing special, nothing particularly bad either.
The beer was acceptable, nothing more. the service adequate but no more than that.
10 May 2012 20:35
This pub is on the Somerset ||Camras pub trail, therefore one of the best 43 pubs in Somerset (according to CAMRA).
Believe me it aint, not even in the top 100.
Its just a regular back street boozer seving overpriced under conditioned beer. Doubtful if its even the best pub in Wellingtonm
7 May 2012 19:36
As said previously do not confuse this pub with the Winchester arms in Taunton. Came here on the Somerset Camra pub trail, This is a nice village pub, a warm welcome and good beer. Worth visiting if you are nearby
6 May 2012 18:32
The Bird in Hand, Bishop's Lydeard
Another run of the mill boozer that we visited today as part of the Somerset CAMRA pub trail. Beers were fine but nothing exceptional.
Staff seem to prefer serving the locals (who all seemed related to each other and the staff) than other drinkers.
6 May 2012 18:30
The White Horse Inn, Bradford on Tone
We visited this pub as its on the Somerset CAMRA pub trail. Its a run of the mill village pub; not too bad but nothing special either. OK if you live in the village but not worth the effort otherwise.
6 May 2012 18:27
The Cross Keys, Norton Fitzwarren
Came here today as its on the Somerset CAMRA pub trail. CAMRA need to understand that just because a pub has half a dozen ales on, it aint neccesarily a good pub, especially when none of the ales are worth drinking and the place is awash with kids running amok
6 May 2012 18:25
We got lured here as its on the Somerset CAMRA pub trail. A poor choice of ales none of which were particularly drinkable. and the place was full of low life.
Cant imagine why CAMRA would promote this place as its a bit of a dump all round
6 May 2012 18:22
Yup, Shit corner this is. 3 of the worst pubs in Taunton all within vomitting distance
5 May 2012 21:16
Even worse than before now that the nearby Black Horse has closed down, and its clientel started to use this already awful pub.
3 May 2012 22:54
The Bell Inn, Creech St Michael
Awful pub. Totally amateurish in all aspects. shoddy decour, incompetent bar staff, poor management. If anyone wonders why village pubs are closing down, with people preferring to buy their booze from supermarkets and drink at home, they should visit this place. Says it all
30 Apr 2012 20:45
Dont you just hate it when you are out with a group of mates who insist on visiting a pub that you know is crap. Thus I was forced to visit the plough against my better judgement, as I have known this place to have been a shithole in the past.
Well, I can confirm it is still a shithole now. Sour beer, dirty glasses, stinking toilets, disgustingly unhygienic staff, and not cheap either.
It didnt take much to convince my mates to move on, and not to return.
30 Apr 2012 20:38
A nicely refurbed pub (done a few years ago now) However very few people go there as there always seems to be a small group of absolute tossers there who spend very little money but drive good punters away.
Unless the latest manager does something, the situation will continue and the place will go bust, but without strong management I'm afraid this is what will hapen
29 Apr 2012 10:00
Thus boozer has been closed down for a few months now. No great loss to be honest except that the great unwashed / Ran Nesbit look alikes that drank there have moved elsewhere. Luckily there is a wetherspoons nearby and they have been made more than welcome there, even though they think it a bit posh for their sort.
29 Apr 2012 09:56
Rumours abound that this will soon reopen as a greedy king pub. It is difficult to understand how anything could be worse than the way it was, but I.m afraid with GK it will be
28 Apr 2012 18:12
The Cross Keys, Norton Fitzwarren
Cant say I agree with the previous posts opinion of the new manager (not landlord) I found him unpleasant and more interested in talking to his mates than serving other customers. This pub always promotes itself as being a real ale haven, but in truth the beers arent always in good enough condition, and youre lucky to get anything like a full pint. Really not good enough for a pub on a busy road like that.
28 Apr 2012 17:59
Totally agree with the previous post. The beer is always tip top but otherwise the place has lost its mojo. Cant understand how it got to be Somersets pub of the year, bribary probably plays a part.
As for the undesirable specimens of humanity, I dont know why they are llowed into the pub as the are driving away other punters in droves.
28 Apr 2012 17:32
Nice looking pub tucked in around the back of debenhams dept store.
Walked in. No real ales. Walked back out again.
21 Mar 2008 10:27
Great quiz on a sunday night.
As with everything to do with this pub, even the quiz has a touch of class about it.
30 Mar 2007 21:19
The Rising Sun Inn, West Bagborough
The opening times shown on the sign outside are totally fictitious, which is a real sod if you've just walked down from the hills for a pint and find the place closed.
28 Mar 2007 19:18
The Naval and Military, Taunton
This pub isn't as bad as people make out. Take it at face value, enjoy the company of some of the town's local charactars and let the atmosphere overwhelm you.
It's not the worst pub in town (surely the crickers) and it just ouzes.
11 Mar 2007 10:57
There is no atmosphere here at all. Totally sterile.
Someone has previously said that its "food to die for"
Of a heart attack, I imagine, they certainly go for quantity over quality, and the locals seem to like that if the pile it high and eat it quick brigade are anything to go by.
Oh, and a few lights in the car park wouldn't go amiss either
5 Mar 2007 20:52
The Exchequer, Crookham Village
May be worth a visit if, say, your car broke down right outside, but it's not worth make a journey of any distance to get to it.
Far too pretentious. They seem to think they know all there is to know about pubs: they know very little.
Food O.K. service anything but.
4 Mar 2007 18:29
The White Schooner, Peacehaven
1) Yes, it was once known as the Retreat, and before that, the Castle, until the battlements fell off.
2) Yes, it was a shit hole back then. The managers lived in a caravan in the car prk, as I remember.
3) Yes, it is still a shithole now, although the managers have moved on.
28 Feb 2007 14:01
A nice looking pub from the outside, but he manager / owner should realise that if he's only going to have one member of staff on on a friday afternoon, he should find one who's more interested in serving customers than playinmg fruit machines all the time while customers are waiting.
28 Feb 2007 13:10
I used to go to this pub decades ago when it was run by Fred & Rene Bannagan. Guess you can figure out some of the puns that were made on that name. It was a cracking little 2 bar boozer back then. I glad to hear that it still is, and long may it remain so.
27 Feb 2007 23:31
This pub is forever winning awards for this, that and the other. I can never figure out why. It's not that there's anything wrong with it: far from it, it's a very nice, pleasant pub, but it's never struck me as being anything more than that, and certainly not an award winner to my mind. Maybe I'm missing something.
27 Feb 2007 20:25
The Exmoor Forest Hotel, Simonsbath
Always a welcoming sight after a long hike across the moors. The beers always good, and the staff are fairly tolerant of muddy boots (as long as you take them off) It's a pity they don't open all day (maybe they do in summer, I not sure) as there's nothing worse than walking half the day to get to a pub, only to find it has just closed. Apart from that it's almost faultless.
27 Feb 2007 20:16
The Lord Poulett Arms, Hinton St George
A gem of a pub. A bit remote if you plan to drink. The food is well worth making a visit for.
27 Feb 2007 20:11
If you are out walking and need to stop for a beer, this is about the only place worth going to. Far better than the going to Withypool, which is the only other option. Great on a sunny day.
27 Feb 2007 20:08
Great place to eat drink and enjoy ones self/ It somehow manages to be a pub, a restaurant and a wine bar all in one. The cask ales are all well kept and the wine list if fantastic.
26 Feb 2007 15:20
This used to be a delightful back street pub. Back in the 1990's it was run by Bass Charringtons. It was then operated by the sites owners; Youngs.Called the three cups throughout this time, the name has masonic connections, I believe.
22 Feb 2007 11:05
just about as good as a pub gets. excellent beer, fanastic food, super efficient staff. just about everything about this place is great.
Please j.p. stay in Taunton.
This is not the best pub I've ever been to, but it's pretty damm close
18 Feb 2007 02:43
not bad, but there is certainly plenty of room for improvement. I did not find the staff rude, just totally indifferent. Beer quality wes poor, food not much better.
11 Feb 2007 18:25
Don't be misled by the wonderful situation of this pub, The beer is undrinkable, the food uneatable and the service un-thinkable.
12 Jan 2007 22:48
The Farmers Arms, Combe Florey
Great pub if you enjoy being ignored by the bar staff.
No wonder Auberon Waugh, who lived nearby, was such an miserable old cove.
12 Jan 2007 22:44
If one wants to drink at wetherspoons pubs then I suppose slow service is what turns you on. However the service here is so slow that it is quicker to walk up to the other wetherspoon's pub in town, buy your pint there and walk back to the coal orchard.
Your mates will still be waiting at the bar in this shit hole,
12 Jan 2007 22:25
This pub is run by Heavitree, in Exeter. The idea of having barrels on the back bar is one they have in nearly all of their pubs. God knows why
IT DOESN'T WORK.
It is possible to have a cooling system for doing this, but this is obviously too expensive for these cheapskates. The beer gets too warm, it goes off too quickly, and every time a pint gets served, the equivilant volume of air gets sucked into the cask to replace the beer. In a cellar, this means cool clean air. In a bar it means smoke, sweat and farts.
STICK TO THE PUMPS!
11 Jan 2007 23:51
Closed at 10:00 on a Wednesday night. Is this the shape of things to come?
11 Jan 2007 00:10
This pub is just a few doors away from from a wethersoons boozer. If anyone finds the ambience of wetherspoons rather too chic and sophisticated, then this is the pub for them.
It's very socialable, everyone seems to be everyone else's best friend; in fact one guy seemed to be the best friend of everyone else in the pub.
If you want to fit in, it helps if you come from Scotland, or at least the north of England.
11 Jan 2007 00:08
The Moon Under Water, Cheltenham
The last comment is a strange one. I had always assumed that it was wetherspoons policy NOT to check I.D's or to go into the trading area to check that all is ok. I had always assumed that Mr Martin, or whoever's in charge of these shit holes wanted them to be the way they are. Now I read a comment from someone who has worked for them for eight years who criticises them for sloppy standards.
Does he feel guilty or ashamed for having worked for this outfit, or did he get the sack for trying to improve on company standards?
8 Jan 2007 22:02
The White Horse Inn, Bradford on Tone
Watching the world go by?
The rest of the world by passed Bradford on Tone decades ago! Nevertheless, this is a nice village pub.
7 Jan 2007 10:39
This, like all weatherspoon pubs is an absolute shithole. In just about every town in the country weatherspoon pubs are nearly always the worst, and best avoided. In Harlow, however, this is one of the better pubs. It's still a shithole of course, it's just that all of the other pubs in Harlow are even worse. It says more about Harlow than it says about this pub.
Avoid it if you can (both the pub and the town)
7 Jan 2007 01:02
This place seems to have gone from being one of the best pubs in Clifton, to being one of the worst, in the space of about 12 months. God only knows how much the manager is getting paid for screwing things up this bad, but if they are going to offer weatherspoon style service, they could at least have the decency to charge weatherspoon prices.
7 Jan 2007 00:28
Brazz, Taunton
A strange set up to be sure. As soon as I sat on a stool by the bar a foreign waitress appeared on my side of the bar with some sort of hand held device and asked me if I wanted to order, I asked for a pint (Bath Ales) and she tapped this into the device.
A waited and waited until a foreign bar man (on the other side of the bar) asked me if I was being served. I told him the waitress had taken my order and the two of them discussed the matter between themselves.Eventually the barman poured the drink and handed it over. The waitress then asked me if I wanted to pay her or the barman. Since she was quite pretty I decided to pay her and gave her the money. She handed this to the barman who rang it into the till and gave the change to the waitress who was standing next to me, and she in turn gave it to me. 5 minutes for 2 staff to serve 1 pint of beer.
Well I suppose it provides employment for foreigners, and to be honest the place was empty so they had nothing else to do, but still, very strange indeed.
Oh the beer wasn''t too bad and a nice looking bar / restaurant.
18 Aug 2017 10:14