BITE user comments - ickleprincess
Comments by ickleprincess
Went to the "new" Dev on Thursday before a gig after hearing it had real ale and such goodies now - and it was great. The bar staff were really friendly which wasn't always the case before. There is a better range of beer, including Hoegaarden on draft and some real ales - which my husband said were all really well kept.
Now if only they'd sort out the loos it would be perfect!!!!
17 Dec 2007 15:12
Went past it the other day and a sign outside said they're now doing pub food.
7 May 2007 15:46
Went here on the last Friday before Xmas after work and although it was busy we found a little snug corner to stand in - could've got a seat later but we were leaving to meet others.
My husband had a couple of pints of good real ale and the atmosphere in there was that of a proper london pub. Nice interior as well.
The only downside was the loud Christmas music being blasted out of the speakers - what is the need for this in pubs??!! Isn't it nicer just to hear the people you're with when they speak!
26 Dec 2006 19:52
Went to the "new" Intrepid Fox on Friday night and it was just fine - same old rubbish choice of lagers though (When will an alternative/rock pub in London realise that we'd like some VARIETY!!!). Apart from that a good little venue - bigger and cleaner than the old Fox. No problems with any door staff - we just walked in and not all of us were wearing black!!
Running out of JD half way through an old skool metal night wasn't the best but hey they had vodka so I could keep drinking! The upstairs bar is v.nice and I can imagine sitting there in Summer watching the world wander by!
26 Dec 2006 19:47
A really nice little pub - with gorgeous interior. Staff were friendly enough and I had a lovely pint of Hoegaarden and my husband enjoyed some nicely kept ale. As usual in the city full of braying twonks but alas this cannot be avoided if you want an after-work drink in this area.
A big dead moth in the ladies did scare me somewhat though but I haven't marked it down for that!
13 Dec 2006 14:49
This place is alright on a Saturday after you've done some shopping.(Stonch - Canary Wharf is quite busy on a Saturday - its got a good shopping centre and some of us actually live nearby you know!)
We visited during their Beer Boutique and had some nice Kriek and Wies Bier. The bar staff even questioned someone who asked for ice to go with their lovely Aspall's cider as to whether they were serious - I'd have personally thrown him out for such a heathen crime.
13 Dec 2006 14:47
The Greenwich Union, Greenwich
Sarah - what I acutally said was they give you 5 minutes to drink it not that I bought it 5 minutes before closing! The bar actually shut 10 minutes BEFORE 11 when I went there with no last orders being shouted, no time etc. There was no drinking up time at all - the girl actually just shouted "go home" at everyone. As for the rude comment - I dont think anyone deserves one actually - a civilised "Time" usually suffices in most normal drinking establishments - at the end of the legally allowed drinking up time. If they're going to close early they should perhaps advertise the fact that they dont operate normal opening hours
13 Dec 2006 14:26
Robnest - thanks for re-affirming that for me- I realise that not everyone is a happy go lucky kinda person but if your'e in a customer service profession I do think being civil makes a lot of difference. A little smile goes a long way!
Mitomighty - thanks for the tip re Nelsons - I dont want happyclappy service, if I did I'd go to the Disney Store - I'd just like people to be civil is all. As my mother used to say "Treat others as you'd expect to be treated" - maybe I'm just too polite for todays society and should just grunt lots instead of being pleasant and smiling!! Or just go to the Real Ale shop in Richmond - lovely, friendly, old-fashioned service with a smile :)
13 Dec 2006 14:18
The London Stone, Cannon Street
It saddens me that most of the reviews on here are regarding food - its a PUB not a restaurant. If you're after fast food and a coke theres a Mcdonalds nearby.
Rating it as a pub (I've never eaten there as I go there to drink) - have been here quite a few Saturday nights for their clubs and its a good little pub - it seems less "themey" than the other Eerie pubs I've been to and I like the layout as its quite spacious for a basement bar.
Could do with some good Belgian beers or ales but for a late night drinking venue in London its well priced and the staff are really friendly and nice. Where else can you listen to Manowar on a Saturday night while drinking Jack Daniels?
Hail and kill
15 Nov 2006 00:10
The Greenwich Union, Greenwich
Having visited this pub for the second time last night my review is slightly different than it would've been if I could've remembered my password after my first visit.
GREAT range of Meantime beers HOWEVER the bar staff didn't seem to have much idea about what they were serving - when asked what % the IPA was by another customer the girl stated "I dont know its like lager". Last orders was called VERY early (10.25ish) with time being called at 10.50 (which resulted in a loud WUHU from aforementioned barmaid). My husband went to the loo just before time was called and came back to a dimly lit pub with loads of chairs up on the tables - he thought he'd fallen asleep and we'd all gone home.
We also ate food there - it was nice but uninspired really. And I realise pubs aren't all about food (god forbid) but I do expect a fish "goujon" to contain fish - call me finniky but thats how I am.
I'd definately say if you like Meantime beers to pop in for a few drinks but take lots of cash (it is rather expensive) and dont buy a pint too late on in the evening as you have about 5 minutes to drink it before they start asking you to leave.
Actually if you're after some Meantime beer go to the Market Porter as its a nicer pub
15 Nov 2006 00:06
This has now re-opened as the Royal Albert - a stripped down, reclaimed furniture type bar. VERY cosy, nice bar with a really good range of beers. I had a lovely bottle of Framboise and a couple of pints of Korenwolf (in the correct glass with cute hamster on!!) - all of which were lovely. My husband had a good pint of Timothy Taylor (in a jug!) and a few pints of Stowford Press cider which certainly put a glow in his cheeks.
Bar staff were really friendly, nice loos (all important to us girlies!) and the music wasn't over-powering conversation. Also when we went on a Monday night it was suprisingly lively.
Definately the best bar in the New Cross area with a good selection of well priced beers (most others only stocking stella etc and no ale). Making this my local for sure
14 Nov 2006 23:59
The Benleva Hotel, Drumnadrochit
Myself and my husband had a fantastic time when we visited the Benleva for their Beer Festival in September. A friendly welcome awaited us when we arrived and it just got better from there.
I'm not a real ale drinker but my husband enjoyed every pint he had and I enjoyed a good drink, or 10 as well. The food was fantastic, including a hearty breakfast the next morning.
The staff are great, and made sure everyone had a fantastic time - and the hotel/pub dogs were really friendly too and made a nice addition to a cosy wee bar.
We shall be back next year for sure - I'd recommend quiz night as its great fun.
14 Nov 2006 23:15
What an ABSOLUTE find - my favourite pub EVER I think. Visited when we went to Scotland on holiday and shall definately be back.
Lovely looking pub in gorgeous surroundings, small cosy bar, friendly welcome and a STUNNING range of beers, ales and spirits.
My husband and I sampled several of the belgian beers on offer as well as well as the ales. Jim was a great host and suggested some beers that we'd like and my husband was chuffed to have someone to chat to about how great ale was!
The locals were all really friendly and although we didn't try it, as my mum had cooked for us before we went out drinking, the food smelt and looked absolutely gorgeous and we shall definately be trying it when we return in September 07.
I'm rating this pub 10 out of 10 - if it was a little closer to London this would be my local for sure! Any chance of opening a second one down South?
14 Nov 2006 23:11
What an excellent little pub. Have been a couple of times now on Saturday nights and have had some lovely Meantime Wheat Beer while my husband has sat (yes we did manage to get a seat with 2 very nice locals) with a HUGE smile on his face enjoying his ales.
The only thing I can find fault with - why the music? The first time we went it was v.loud in the background and quite irritating - this is the kind of pub people come to drink in and chat to the people they're with not listen to Capital Gold or whatever it was.
I dont think I'd say its better than the Wenlock, soley because the Wenlock has Kriek on draught (and the barstaff are nicer) but is a very close second to it. One of the finest pubs in London for sure
14 Nov 2006 23:06
Really good range of beer sold at their Borough Market stall HOWEVER perhaps the owner (?) the incredibly rude ginger haired chap should spend a little time on his customer service as after years of visiting and putting up with his really rather condescening attitude I have decided to give this place a wide berth from now on. I'm sorry but I do not expect someone to grunt in response to a question - I have spent a lot of money in this place (it is NOT cheap - and a lot of the beers can be bought in Sainsburys/Waitrose so aren't THAT rare) and expect some form of customer service. I went on Friday to buy my husband some nice Winter ales and the man was so incredibly rude I was acutually speechless - he grunted when I said "hello" upon taking my drinks to the counter to pay, he grunted the price and chucked my change back at me - no hello, thanks for coming, NADDA!
Its not a one off either - he seems to have a certain distain for his customers, not just me. He sneers and snarls at them like they're bothering him and invading his personal space - perhaps he doesn't realise he is running a business.
As I said a good range of beers but quite overpriced and lacking a certain customer satisfaction. I shall buy online or from the Real Ale shop in Twickenham from now on.
My rating is solely because I have managed to get a lot of good ales for my hubby here and they have a good range
14 Nov 2006 23:01
Went here last night before The Cult gig at the Academy and it was quite dreadful to be honest. Got to the bar and got pounced on by one of Brixtons less pleasant residents. Found our friends and stood with them - they were sitting opposite a couple who were later joined by a friend. They didn't buy a drink in the 3hours we were there - they did however keep a very close eye on everyone in the vicinitys handbag!!
My mate got groped when we went up to the bar again and my male friend found someones used syringe in the loo.
The best thing about this pub - trying to look on a positive side - the drink is cheap! Double Jack Daniels and coke is �2.25 and the barmaid/men were pleasant to us and made sure we didn't have to wait too long to get served.
Bad things - strange people hanging round not drinking watching bags, loos were revolting, men wandering round groping/irritating girls
I think I'll go elsewhere for a drink pre-Academy from now on
My rating is solely for the cheap drink
23 Sep 2006 21:31
Excellent little pub!! I was really impressed with their range of beers (gorgeous Kriek on draught!) and their food was absolutely devine. It was a bit chilly in there though - is this the new London idea to get us to drink more or something as I've noticed boozers dont have that cozy feel anymore! Chillyness aside a great pub and I'll definately be back again!
18 Mar 2006 18:52
The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell
I'm a fat lass and I was fine in this pub :)
It was a nice little boozer - my husbands an ale drinker so loved it - I had some lovely cider there and found that although it was quite a basic looking pub it didn't lack atmosphere in any way. I did think that it got far too busy far too quickly though and a lot of braying into mobiles occured! My only disappointment was the opening of the back door to let out the cigarette smoke - sorry but it was about zero degrees outside!!!
18 Mar 2006 18:49
I actually really like this Wetherspoons/Lloyds bar. It is more of a bar than a pub but as long as they continue to sell nice Hogaarden and Fruli at such low prices I'll keep coming back. Also one of the few pubs in Camden (Apart from the dev) where the person sitting next to you hasn't used their own trousers as a toilet!
1 Jan 2006 19:41
The Marlborough Head, Marble Arch
Another example of theme pubs done badly. The theme is here horror yet since its been opened they just seem to have given up on it and hope the goth and metal crew will keep coming along (and they do like sheep!!!)
The place is in need of (1) a good clean (2) re-decoration and (3) some decent beer served at a decent price - a small fortune for a frothy pint of Kronenburg is not my idea of good value for money - and Im not willing to pay extra for my beer just because i'm in a theme pub either
Like John (below) I'll be sticking to the Dev if I want an alternative night - at least its original not just a ready made alternative venue
1 Jan 2006 19:39
Was absolutely heaving and full of braying city workers but the decor made up for it. Really nice looking, old fashioned pub - with a real fire which was much appreciated on a wet and dreary December night.
Had to drink Duvel as they only had typical lagers such as fosters on offer but my husband was pleased with his pint of ale.
1 Jan 2006 19:31
The Crown and Sugarloaf, Bride's Lane
Visited this pub for the first time after working in the area for years - and was pleasantly suprised. The decors really nice and includes a real fire which was nice. Could live without so many lights especially as the place is full of mirrors - it became blinding after a while. The staff were friendly and the clientele weren't the usual braying city plonkers.
As its a Samuel Smiths pub the beer was cheap and I have to say it was better kept than in several of the SS pubs I've been to however I do find their beer isn't something I can drink a lot of.
1 Jan 2006 19:29
As I've worked in the city for years we decided to take advantage of the quiet Xmas period and have a wander round some of the pubs we'd not visited yet.
This was possibly the worst on our mini-crawl.
My husband is an ale drinker and as this pub has been taken over by the dreaded Greene King (enemy of the real ale drinkers) there wasn't much to offer I have to say - he ended up drinking a pint of Abbott Ale as there was little choice - I'm not sure if this is recommended by CAMRA but if it is I'll be writing to them to suggest it isn't any longer.
The lager on offer was the usual awful fosters and such - I ended up with a vodka and coke - which I drank while listening to the bar staff shouting in Polish to all the other Polish customers - for an Irish bar it wasn't very Irish.
Not recommended - my rating is for the decor only
1 Jan 2006 19:25
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The New Cross Inn / Bar Alchemy, New Cross
I've not been to the New Cross Inn since it "gentrified" itself and became Bar Alchemy..and after the appalling night I had there last week it'll be even longer till I return
Firstly the service is appalling. God forbid we interupted the petulant madam reading her newspaper to serve us. When she finally put her paper down she poured a pint for my hubby and then I asked for a diet coke. Seriously I've never had such a palava over a soft drink - she couldn't get any of the dispensers to work so kept filling the glass with the water that comes out when the things empty and then finally some syruppy stuff on top. I then asked what other soft drinks they had....NONE. Joy. Also the beer (guiness/newcastle brown) is more expensive than the Underworld in Camden and thats a gig venue.
Then the loos - no soap, no hand drier. Typical dive you may thing - till approx 8.30 pm when a woman takes up residence in there (and I'm told a man in the gents) SELLING you soap and hand towels - seriously this is a crappy gig pub in NEW CROSS - not some socialite club in Knightsbridge! PAYING for soap - utter joke.
If students and people with silly fringes are willing to pay their trumped up prices then let them - I for one will go to the Albert down the road, where I can wee and wash my hands in peace after a good choice of beer or soft drinks.
27 May 2008 17:02