The Beehive

Horrible handling of the drink outside/don't drink outside policy on match day.

1) One of the 3 bar tenders pours a £4.00 stout in a pint glass, then re-pours it into a plastic cup.

2) He tells it's £5.00, I then remind him that the price posted is £4.00.

3) I step outside to sit at one of the many wooden tables, to be confront by a member of staff explaining to me that drinking is not permissible out side today. Then the manager, who appears to be chewing the last bit of her lunch, watches... and eventually explains, just as poorly as the other member of staff, that due to the FA Cup final today, they can not have customers outside.

3a) If this information was explained to me prior to placing an order, I would have gone elsewhere. I ask for a refund... the manager relents - but ONLY because she recognized her error in not informing patrons as they entered the pub.

4) Some guy, who doesn't explain who he is, or how he is related to the pub, tells the couple next to me that they need to take their drinks and appetizer inside. No explanation. They inform him the "manager" said it was OK. Naturally - there's a dispute. Naturally - the couple leave, and rightly so. The woman comments she has NEVER been made to feel so unwelcome in a pub before.

4a) Five minutes later - the unknown guy, explains to me that I now need to go inside. I ask "Why?" He says because other patrons see me outside and they too want to go outside. I say "I'm leaving. This is the worst example of communication from pub to patron." He doesn't offer a refund to the couple... or me.

The true downside of this minor incident is the pub is a great location and has normally great service and atmosphere. If they had only taken the time to educate the staff, who are on the front-line of serving customers, poor experiences like this wouldn't happen.

I'm not inclined to ever go here again.
Comment on this reader review

2 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Disappointing.

On the day we went - a wet, windy October Sunday - the dining room was half-full but dull and lacked atmosphere. The unexciting and slightly kitsch decor doesn't help.

Service was lack-lustre and all over the place, the staff getting wrong all the little things that make a difference: plates not cleared before mains arrived, missing cutlery and dessert menu having to be asked for etc. The food was OK at best, but quite underwhelming in presentation and portion size for the price.

Had great expectations for this place from good reviews on this site and others, but won't be going back or recommending to friends. There are many other places across London serving this kind of food with gusto.
Comment on this reader review

ADL
5 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5
Sunday, November 01, 2009