Nick S.

Review of Axe & Cleaver

20 May 08, 11:22

Absolutely stunning

Everything about the Axe and Cleaver is brilliant. The location down a country lane in the beautiful Dunham, the food, the staff...all perfect.

This is a typical country pub but a big one at that. There is plenty of outside space for the rare British summer's day. It's really tranquil outside and a great place to go just for a drink or for some food. The food is actually as good as the place itself, superb. All freshly cooked and a real selection on the menu. You can't leave without trying a dessert which will leave you feeling really full but satisfied.

The staff are friendly, it's a family run pub on a large scale, everyone is there to make your experience a great one.

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Review of Moon Under Water

17 May 08, 17:28

Once upon a time it was the biggest

I remember back in the day, the Moon Under Water claimed it was the biggest bar (the actual bar itself) in Europe, that was the main attraction but sadly that was it. It probably still lives off that fact but the truth is, there are so many better pubs in the centre of Manchester. It's a Wetherspoon pub so you know what to expect, cheap drinks, no music and an age range from 18-80.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Dukes 92

17 May 08, 17:02

Inside and out, brilliant

If you get a summer's day in Manchester, head for Dukes for the perfect afternoon lazing around.

The bar is set next to the canal in Castlefield which is a really trendy part of Manchester. Outside there is a lot of space and in the summer they have a huge bbq, it's all very chilled out here, these people are the cool crowd in Manchester, waterfront living and chic bars and all that...BUT it's not pretentious by any means.

Inside it's spacious and again designed with the young in mind, wooden tables etc. Dukes serves great food at reasonable prices, the roast on a Sunday is worth waiting for, the bar is well stocked and there are always plenty of cold beers in the fridge for that perfect BBQ in the sunshine

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Bull's Head

13 May 08, 11:20

Good cheap hotel as well

The Bulls Head Pub is a good little pub, but I am going to review the hotel which is just next door and a part of the pub.

The hotel is very cheap and very convenient for the airport if you don't fancy staying right next to the runway. The rooms are a decent size and have everything you need. The staff are helpful and friendly and food is served either via room service or next door in the pub which is where you go for breakfast.

Overall, a good pub and a good little hotel which is well worth considering if you can't be bothered to drive home after the pub!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Hampton

13 May 08, 09:45

It's out of town and ok

I've only been here once and i found it ok. It's not the biggest place so space is at a bit of a premium. The drinks were reasonably priced, I didn't try the food.

There is seating outside if you feel too cramped inside. The toilets were not the best I have seen, the staff seemed ok but not always that cheerful.

This place is set back from the main city centre so that's a bit of a bonus, it's not that well known by chavs so that IS a bonus

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Wharf

12 May 08, 11:37

Perfect setting

I will give The Wharf 5 stars even though I was pooed on by a seagull once when I was here.

It is a great pub situated in Cardiff Bay overlooking the water. Inside it's cool as well, there is a big conservatory part, the main bar and an upstairs room which you can hire out.

The food is exceptional, better than most other pub food I've had. Sit outside and enjoy the weather, the food and the Brains beer. Superb pub

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Woodville It's A Scream

12 May 08, 11:06

Great local

This was my student local and it was by far my favourite pub in Cardiff.

It's near the Uni so I challenge you to walk home without popping in for a quick pint. The drinks and food are cheap but the food especially is really good. They always have drinks deals on and it's always a great atmosphere. A perfect place to enjoy the afternoon and evening with mates safe in the knowledge that non students dare not enter

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of George It's A Scream

12 May 08, 11:04

Perfect...for students

If you're reading this and you're not a student then you should really stop reading. It's a student pub for students....full stop.

The drinks and food are cheap but very good, if they still do the Scream student card then it's even cheaper. They always make an effort for nights like Halloween and it's a great laugh. Definitely a good pub to go to

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Prince Of Wales

12 May 08, 11:01

Good cheap drinks

This is a Wetherspoon pub so you know what you're going to get....cheap drinks, cheap food, no music and lots of old people. This is no different to that stereotype, but it is still a good place to go for the first few rounds. It's in the old Prince of Wales theatre and it's impressive inside. There is loads of space if you're going in a group and it's clean inside so there's a lot worse places to drink in Cardiff

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Doctor Brightons

12 May 08, 10:43

Trendy bar

I can't believe I just used the word trendy but this place is, it's a cool bar for the young people of Brighton. It has quite a large gay following as it's not far from the bars in Kemp Town.

It's also a good place to go for a quick drink before a gig at the Brighton Centre if you don't fancy the hell of West Street. It's tucked away near the Thistle Hotel so you might not see it at first but look carefully and you shall find it, and enjoy it you will

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Font & Firkin

12 May 08, 10:36

Not a bad place

I think the reason I like this place is that it reminds me of my student days. It's a big place set out over 2 levels so there is no problem finding a seat...apart from during the big footie games. This place has a great atmosphere for the big games, I watched England in the World Cup here and it was fantastic.

The student comparisons definitely apply to drinks prices, much cheaper than some of the local pubs. Just a great place to start a night

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Bridge Inn

12 May 08, 10:28

Not the best

In theory this is a nice pub overlooking the river...that's about the only good thing.

Inside the Bridge Inn is quite dated and I felt a bit of an outsider when I walked in, the locals all stare at you as if you have something growing on your face.

I stayed to watch a football match but felt like i didn't want to be there all the time so I made the decision not to go back.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Yew Tree Inn

12 May 08, 10:25

Good food, not bad for sport

This is a decent pub between Preston and Walton le Dale. There is ample parking for the designated drivers amongst you. The food is good and cheap, there are screens to watch sport on, they have regular quiz nights and entertainment and there is a separate restaurant and bar area. It is in a good position too, if you need somewhere for a quick bite to eat before escaping Preston, it's not far from the Motorways

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Warwick

12 May 08, 10:23

Champions

I like this place, probably because I watched Man United become Champions in it....apart from that I do really like it.

If you want somewhere to watch sport then it's perfect, loads of screens, qualilty flatscreen tv's, smaller tv's, a large screen and TV's above the bar so you won't miss anything queueing for a drink.

The food, although I didn't eat, looked good and was quite cheap. It was clean, the staff were friendly and the clientele was young professional looking people with not too many chavs. An overall good place to go.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Sussex

09 May 08, 12:07

Decent enough

This is a great place to drink and chill out, in the summer because you can be outside. Inside is a bit dreary and old fashioned but there are a lot worse places to meet mates and chat.

Outside is great because of the location, there is always something happening on East Street whether it's a musician or an artist, you can people watch and relax in the sunshine.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Steamer Inn

29 Apr 08, 09:07

The most repulsive food

That's not an exaggeration either, the food here is terrible and it feeds off the fact that it is on the esplanade and in a fantastic location in Shanklin...there are so many better places to eat though.

We came here on the first day of our holiday as it was in one of the brochures as a good place to eat. I will take the blame for eating the Triple Burger, 3 burgers with cheese, pineapple and onions....I know it's a piggy thing to order and you expect it to be big...well it was, the only problem was that it was SO unbelievably greasy. They said that the burgers were griddled but I'm sorry, you don't get that much grease from griddling meat. Everything just oozed fat and was sliding about everywhere.

When we told the loud manager who was shouting around the place like some sort of wannabe stand up comedian, he just said, "of course it's greasy it's a burger" which surprisingly wasn't the response I wanted.

Don't be fooled by the look of this place in magazines, it's shocking

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Providence

18 Apr 08, 11:19

There's better out there

I never expected too much from The Providence, from the outside it doesn't exactly inspire. I did however think it might bring me back to my student days, cheap drinks and somewhere decent to watch the football, it doesn't even do that really.

The drinks are not too badly priced but the main point for me going was to watch the football, it's just all in the wrong place. The screen is in a weird place and not that many people can see it comfortably, they do have a few tv's which are ok but it just wasn't a comfortable place for me to watch football. You might find it different to me, give it a try.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Victoria

18 Apr 08, 11:00

You'd be surprised

This is actually a decent place in terms of cost of drinks, cost and quality of food and the fact it has a pool table, darts and a jukebox.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't make a concerted to go there, it's not that good, but for a boozer near work and the train station should you be unfortunate enough to be stranded in Portslade, it's ok!!

The drinks are cheap, since the smoking ban it's no longer a vile smoke filled pub, the food is good for the very cheap prices and for those rare sunny days, there is a decent beer garden/terrace.

So all in all, it's really not as bad as it should be but don't go if you want luxury!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Freemasons Tavern

17 Apr 08, 12:53

Great place to go

This place benefits from being in a great location for the Hove-ites walking into Brighton. It's also across the road from one of my favourites, Barneys.

Freemasons is like a pub downstairs, good size with seats if you want, good drinks as well. The best bit is upstairs, a non-pretentious cocktail bar where you can sit with your mates. They do other stuff apart from cocktails so don't worry if you don't want a pink drink with an umbrella.

It's not just somewhere to go for a quick drink before town either, you'd do a lot worse than spending your night here

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Griffin

17 Apr 08, 12:39

A good local

This place is home to some real superstars, well it was anyway. Roy Keane used to come here before he was barred and then moved away. Bryan Robson still drinks here with Viv Anderson, Sam from the Allstars also comes here...what do you mean WHO?!

It's a good local, with the Stamford Arms next door it is one of 2 pubs which are great in the summer, plenty of outside space, a car park for the designated driver and considering you are in the heart of footballer land, the drinks aren't too expensive either.

Don't bother on Christmas Eve though, they run out of glasses and then have to stop serving while they try and collect them in...my only criticism though. You haven't lived until you've been to The Griffin

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Ancient Mariner

15 Apr 08, 23:03

Don't sit near the back door

Nice pub this, friendly staff and always busy with a nice atmosphere. The food is good too with the special sausage and mash combo they've got going on, there is another normal non sausage and mash menu as well if you want.

The drinks aren't the cheapest around, maybe the arty types don't mind spending that little bit more. It's a nice place though don't get me wrong, just try and avoid sitting near the back door which opens all the time with the smokers going outside, it can get cold!!

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of The Station

12 Apr 08, 17:50

Great pub, pricey drinks

I really like this place, it's convenient for the train station so if you're a commuter you can get off the train and come here for a quick drink. It is a little bit expensive for the drinks but Tuesday nights well make up for it with 2 for 1 pizza. They are really large pizzas cooked in an authentic pizza oven and if you can't finish it then they're happy to put it in a box for you to take home. The Hoisin Duck Pizza is sensational!!

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of The Blind Busker

12 Apr 08, 16:54

A perfect local

I love this place. It's the first choice for watching football, big screen, big plasma tv and 2 other small tv's as well, plenty of seats as well although it does get quite busy. One secret that you might not have known is that you can reserve a table to watch the game which is a great service they offer, sometimes there is table service for drinks so you don't even need to get up!

Food here is really good, the Sunday roasts, the baked camembert, the sandwiches, the burgers...everything is good and served quickly but not at the expense of quality. The staff are friendly and attentive, the prices are ok for food, the beer is quite pricey though.

They also do cashback which is better than having a cash machine which charges you £1-50 every time. The Sunday night pub quiz is enjoyable as well.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Sportsman Brewers Fayre

12 Apr 08, 16:38

Go if you really must

The best thing this place has going for it is the location, if you're going to the football then you really might as well go here...when Brighton move to their new stadium I wouldn't be surprised if this place closes down.

It's a chain which is obvious as there is very little life in this place, bright with colourful furniture and lots of seating. The food is pretty bland, my friend had the salad which looked awful with loads of lettuce leaves and huge pieces of vegetables, not the most attractive looking meal i've seen. It gets 2 stars because to be honest i wasn't entirely surprised about how bad it was in there.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Fortune Of War

12 Apr 08, 16:28

GO HERE!!!

I'm not a huge fan of some of the clubs on Brighton Seafront which is why this place stands out for me, given that it's a pub anyway means it stands out already.

As the only pub on the seafront it could rest on its laurels and not make the effort but it hasn't done that. Yes it looks old but it's not too expensive, it's comfortable and there's plenty of outside space. Get the right seat above the bar on a summer's evening and you can enjoy your pint with one of the finest possible views.

If you're planning a trip to one of the clubs then make the effort to go here for one first

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Hove Place

12 Apr 08, 16:14

Great in the summer

So many pubs around Hove but so few with a nice beer garden, let alone an 'Italian' beer garden whatever that is! This is definitely a great place to go on a sunny day.

From the outside it looks fairly inconspicuous but there is a lot of room inside when you don't fancy sitting outside, prices aren't too bad either, the same as other places nearby but it is the garden which makes this place stand out from the rest

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.