This user has reviewed the following pubs:
Pinwall Pubs : Red Lion At Pinwall pub in Pinwall near Atherstone
'This cosy inn has everything that the thirsty traveller could want, good food, execellent beer and good company. The only drawback is that it is in the middle of nowhere and therefore transport is essential; not a good idea in these days of breathalyzers and vigilant police.
The interior is a mish-mash of furniture indicative of a non-chain inn, none the worse for that. On the wall by the entrance is diplayed a certificate, evidence that this pub has won the prestigious CAMRA Pub of the Month award.
The food is good and a wide choice is available. The beer is excellent, real (as in genuine Real Ale) and includes such classics as Timothy Taylor's Landlord.
Accomodation is available as well though prior booking is essential as this popular location gets filled quickly.
Strongly recommended, but take a non-drinking driver with you!'
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Atherstone Pubs : The Old Red Lion Hotel pub in Atherstone
'Though having a bar, the Old Red Lion is primarily a hotel, one that has probably seen better days. It has a long history and was in former times a stagecoach halt, testimony to which can be seen in the entrance archway.
The bar has a flagstone floor and occupies what probably was then the stables, now roofed over with a glass roof and entered also by glass doors from the rear car park. Next to the bar is a pool room and above the front entrance to the bar is a large back-projection TV, usually showing music TV stations and the occasional football match.
As a bar the Old Red Lion has little to offer. The beers on offer are the usual keg beers and lagers plus a meagre selection of bottled beers found in most average pubs. However, there are two genuine handpumps though availability of Real Ale is variable. During my stay there was John Smiths Cask though that was withdrawn later. There was also a beer from Elgoods brewery but that remained cloudy though drinkable.
As a hotel it has little to recommend it. You can find my full review here: http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/cityguide_travel/city_guide/hotels_in_warwickshire_in_general/_review/437278/'
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Aston Pubs : The Bartons Arms pub in Aston near Birmingham
'The Bartons Arms is situated on Aston High Street which is also the A34 so this is a main through-route. You'll find it easily; it stands out a mile.
It stands out because it is the oldest building around but not old and derelict; old and beautifully restored. If in doubt, look out for the imposing Clocktower that stands above the main entrance; you can't miss it.
The pub is one of just a few owned by the Oakham Ales brewery of Peterborough. This Victorian watering hole was built in 1901 and is without
a shadow of a doubt one of the finest pub interiors in England and probably in the whole of the UK. The only one its equal I have visited is the Philharmonic in Liverpool.
It was originally built as the flagship of the Mitchell's and Butler brewery.
It was listed as a Grade 2 heritage building in 1976. Oakham Ales acquired it in 2002 and set about restoring it to its former glory, a task that they have completed with distinction.
Much of the interior is original. Everywhere you will see rich mahogany fittings, engraved and stained windows, engraved mirrors and wall to wall tiles. Seating is a mixture of upholstered wall benches and free-standing chairs. The whole feel of the place is of tradition. However, this is not at the expense of gloominess or unfriendliness. The whole place is bright and spotlessly clean.
The building is roughly wedge-shaped with the bar at the 'pointy' end.
Behind the bar are further rooms, on an open-plan design. There is plenty of room for dozens of guests. The pub does have a car park .
It will come as no surprise to learn that Oakham's ales feature prominently
on the bar. During our visit the ales available were J.H.B. (3.8% abv), Bishops Farewell (4.6% abv) and Helterskelter (5.0% abv). All were in
tip-top condition.
The major ales are all Real Ales and served through traditional hand-pumps.
There are also keg offerings for those whose tastebuds are not sufficiently
developed to appreciate Real Ales.
Uniquely, there is also a tap for the REAL Budweiser; that's the Czech
version, 'subtitled' Budvar, rather than the American rubbish. If you ever see it in most bars it's usually only in bottles. There is also wine available.
However, the exceptional ales are not the only attraction. The Bartons Arms is also renowned for its food. Featuring exclusively a Thai style menu, the choices are extensive and offer very good value.
On this occasion I wanted just a snack and chose a Special Fried Rice style dish, with beef. At just £2.95 I thought that it would be just enough to 'put me on'. What arrived was an utterly delicious dish that I could have easily chosen a a main meal all on its own. So much for my snack! My colleagues eating with me chose other dishes at around £4-5 and also
proclaimed them excellent.
The Bartons Arms is also suitable for functions. They offer a Meeting/Dining Room that will hold about 30 and a private Function Room for about 100. For a party this location would be excellent although travelling to and from would need to be considered.
There is no doubt that this hostelry is of the very highest quality and deserves to be much better known than it appears to be, judged by the
numbers present during my visit. Maybe it gets a far better turnout in the evenings.'
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Camberley Pubs : Claude Du Vall pub in Camberley
'The Claude du Vall, named after a 17th century French-born highwayman, follows the proven and very successful Wetherspoons formula. Do not expect any entertainment; no TV, no music. What you do get is good beer and good food at very reasonable prices.
The beers on offer include a local gem, T.E.A. (Traditional English Ale) from the Hogsback Brewery in Tongham, about 6/7 miles from Camberley. You will also find such staples as Fuller's London Pride plus, for those of less discerning taste, various lagers.
The Claude du Vall is a reasonable sized pub but the size is all in length and not width. The shape was determined by the former premises. The frontage is only the width of the single shop, from which it was converted, so the only way that they could go was backwards from the street. This results in a few limitations.
As with many Wetherspoons, the frontage onto the street is open in summer and here you can sit and watch the World go by whilst enjoying your bevvy. However, due to the limited width of the premises, only a few tables enjoy this light and airy outlook. Behind, as the open room stretches back, the room gets gloomier and darker, there being little natural light.
A little relief is provided by a minute patio at the right side of the building where you can sit in the open at four to five tables that each will provide seating for around four people. The patio doors allow some light into the room at that side but this soon gives way to the natural darkness.
This has not been the most successful of Wetherspoons conversions but, given the limitations of the premises, it's difficult to know what else they could have done. Actually, it was Yates, who got the premises next door, that had the greatest promise and to which the more successful development has been done.
Nevertheless, the service and the quality of the food and drink is up to the usual excellent standard. Just bring your own candle.'
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Camberley Pubs : The Litten Tree pub in Camberley
'This bar has been closed for quite some time with no signs that it is going to reopen. It had been going downhill for a while and, with the abundant similar competition in the town from the likes of the Goose, Wetherspoon's Claude du Vall and Yates, it was going to need extensive refurbishment in order to get back on anything like equal terms.'
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Camberley Pubs : Square Bar pub in Camberley
'This pub is no longer the Ancient Foresters. It was refitted and redecorated some time ago and has now been renamed, "Square". '
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Camberley Pubs : The Litten Tree pub in Camberley
'Owned by SFI Group, owners also of the Slug & Lettuce chain, this bar had been going downhill even before the group went into receivership. The bar has been closed for some time with no signs of any likelihood of it reopening.
Always a Wetherspoons wannabe, it gave the appearance of being little loved by either customers or owners. Short of a major refit, it was always likely to become a casualty in a town that is not short of good drinking outlets.
No great loss!!!!'
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Camberley Pubs : The Dolphin pub in Camberley
'Sadly this pub has closed. Looking through the windows it is apparent that all of the bar fittings and furniture have been removed. There is no information as to if/when it will reopen.
Though not my local I drank here a couple of times and found it very enjoyable, with good food and well kept beer.
However, it is located on the A30 a good 10/15 minutes' walk from the town centre and so hardly a natural drop-in when out shopping. It is in a residential catchment area and, with the demolition of Overs removals depot, replaced with apartments, it should have had a natural on-the-doorstep clientele. Perhaps they're all teetotallers!'
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Frimley Pubs : Ye Olde White Hart pub in Frimley near Camberley
'This pub is currently closed and undergoing extensive renovations, including replacing the roof. It looks like the owners have big plans for the place. It will be interesting to see the outcome. I expect it to reopen in 2009.'
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Newton Pubs : The Queens Head pub in Newton near Cambridge
'A wonderful, atmospheric old pub, with flag floors and open, roaring log fires in winter. The saloon is relatively small and probably not suitable for children due to its unprotected fire. The public is much bigger with a lot more sitting space and tables.
The beer is served from stillage behind the bar for both lounges and regularly offers the finest ales. The food is a little bizarre, with a regular item, the soup, classified by colour (dark brown to light green) rather than ingredients! Very tasty nevertheless.
Definitely a "must visit" if ever you are in the area.'
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Cambridge Pubs : The Mitre pub in Cambridge
'An excellent pub with a great range of beers and regular changes of guest ales. They even host evenings where a brewer comes and talks about his experiences.
Food is good and reasonably priced. Friendly staff and obviously popular as the place had a decent number of customers even early in the morning when we were there.'
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Heatherside Pubs : The Wheatsheaf pub in Heatherside near Camberley
'Typical 70s estate boozer. Located in small shopping precinct. It has a small, tidy outside garden that is well used in summer. Since the smoking ban there is also a covered area beside the garden for those addicted to the weed.
Not a particularly attractive place but functional and serving the usual fizz. A few handpumps are sometimes connected but as the pub gained then lost its Cask Marque accreditation the quality is possibly questionable?
Sky Sports available on the TV.'
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West End Pubs : The White Swan pub in West End near Southampton
'This delightful pub sits well back from the road and right beside the river, which flows past the rear terrace. Eating can be in the main lounge, wher you enter or in a dedicated dining area to the left. If the weather is good you can also eat on the rear terrace.
There is a reasonable range of real ales available plus the usual fizz for those less discerning. A decent range of wine is also available for those who enjoy it better with their food.
Food is extensive and excellent. There is a blackboard listing the dishes available although these are only those listed on the printed menu and not extra specials.
We enjoyed our visit for food and drinks but would have liked to have seen The Ashes on the muted TV screen instead of Sky Sports News!'
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London (WC) Pubs : The Montagu Pyke pub in London (WC)
'I picked this pub as a location for a lunchtime meet in London, during a recent visit. I had not previously visited it so had no preconceptions about the place.
It turns out that this pub is a former cinema and also was the final home of the famous Marquee Club. However, Wetherspoons' conversion has been far less successful than I have experienced of other cinema conversions that they have done.
The main bar area is in what was undoubtedly originally the seating area of the cinema. This area is still open to the curved roof high above. There is a tiny mezzanine above the actual bar, which is reached by stairway and from which lead off the toilets.
To the right is a raised seating area but the majority of the floor is open with free-standing stools and tables. There is also another bar area to the rear, behind what looks like it may have been the original stage.
Unfortunately this all makes the place lacking in atmosphere and, when there are few customers, unlikely to entice new ones in.
The drinks are typical Wetherspoons at Wetherspoons prices, which is good for London where the £3 pint is the norm rather than the exception. This is, however, pretty much the only attraction. Food is reasonable, cheap, tasty but unexceptional.
Much more redevelopment would be needed in order to make this a place I would want to visit again. Dividing the main area into two, with a proper upper mezzanine, so lowering the downstairs ceiling would be a good start.'
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Fordingbridge Pubs : The George Inn pub in Fordingbridge
'We visited this pub to take our daughter, who is at Southampton Uni, out to lunch. A beautiful location by the river, it is a natural tourist trap in a region of England which is not short visual delights. The weather was cool so we decided not to sit outside. We got a table in the conservatory that overlooks the river in more comfortable conditions.
The pub has a couple of Real Ales available and dispensed in excellent condition when we were there. There is also the usual fizz and an extremely large selection of wines, distinguished by the common feature of very unusual names.
The food tends towards the gastropub pretension. It's good but nowhere near as good as it likes to think it is. Nevertheless, we didn't have too much to complain about other than that my daughter's chips weren't properly cooked initially but they were taken away without any dispute and returned more appropriately cooked.
The pub is comfortable and clearly popular. The setting is delightful. A visit can be recommended, just don't expect world-class cuisine.'
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