The Idle Hour (Barnes)

Awful, AWFUL evening here with lack of beers and a totally regrettable food experience. The owner needs to learn a great deal about customer service, as we recieved none.
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1 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Friday, September 23, 2011

We went for Sunday lunch. The choice was minimal: a' roast '(hot chicken or cold ham); a burger; or a pasta dish. We chose the chicken and the burger. The chicken itself was fine, but the accompanying 'roast' new potatoes were not roasted at all, just tossed in a bit of butter. The accompaniments on offer to go with the roast were all cold (i.e. salads) - there were no other cooked vegetables. Merely providing a roast chicken (to carve oneself and served in a cold dish) does not constitute a traditional 'Sunday roast'. There was only one waiter who was very pleasant but obviously overstretched - apparently the manager was upstairs asleep. The two course meal took three hours. There is very little that would induce me to return. The feedback on the 'award winning' burgers was not particularly good either.
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3 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, August 30, 2011

First time ever to this pub having moved into the area. Order a salad and burger. We were first in the pub. It took 45 minutes to receive the food. The rare burger was over done and French fries in goose fat cold and re-heated. Despite sending it back, all I got was a plate stuck in the microwave and re-heated again.

My appeal to speak with the manager was rebuffed. He had just got out the bath and couldn't be bothered to come downstairs and speak to me. First night off since Christmas apparently. It's August!!

Manager proceeded to tell he made 300 burgers a week without complaint. He had had the same chef for 6 years.

All then awards for 'fine' service date back to 2006/2007. Speaks volumes.

Awful service, awful food and the response of the manager just topped it.

Shame. Quaint pub, lovely setting, let down by the above.
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Adam
3 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, August 24, 2011

After appearing to what looked like a very nice pub from the outside and inside, I was already put out when the bar tender ignored myself and my colleges even when free, having then placed an order at 9.15 for 3 very simple burgers with fries, we went and sat down upstairs where there was 2 other tables.

After an hour we got a bit restless but gave them the benefit of the doubt, an hour and half later still no food so we mentioned to the waitress who would find out for us, surprise she never did, 2 hours later now 11.30pm our food arrived!

The fries were freezing! The burger was ok but I wouldnt wait 2 hours for it! Only to find out later they had run out of fries and these were left overs from others..nice!

The table next to us never got their mains only 4 of them 2 missed out and the resturant appeared not to have noticed.

When leaving they truely expected payment for the food and was extremely rude when comfronted about why we should pay!

NEVER EVER EVER WOULD I GO BACK! APPALLING IN EVERY WAY!!!
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0 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, June 09, 2011

I have been sitting here for 2 hours waiting for my food. It is no busier than the number of tables suggests they expect. I'm starving.
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Hungry
2 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, June 07, 2011

a really nice local pub but a few serious problems that are driving clients away - apalling music clearly picked by the college bar staff who sit on the floor when not serving - no joke happened again last night. Also cat sits on the bar and on the tables !
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S Perry
5 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 6
Saturday, April 17, 2010

well - this place certainly polarises opinion doesn't it !

I'm not going to help either - because I think most comments have some validity. "The Burger", I think is excellent - the crab good, but at £45 wayyy too expensive - the wines are good - the staff lovely (but always too few- i.e only one - and thus overworked) - and it really needs a sympathetic touch of paint.

The owner has just bought another in Fulham - and sadly I suspect that any available cash and effort will go in that direction, not here in Barnes.

I have been there when the cask beer has run out "because of a big night the night before" once too often now - a pub should have beer, period.

If this seems as I'm doing a downer on it - hmmmm on balance I'm not - I like it as a local, I do like the food, and as long as I'm in NO HURRY WHATSOEVER I can live with the service.. but for the want of a teeeeeensy bit more effort and the expenditure of a bit of cash to make it feel fresher, it would really be a top 50 pub... it has a unique feel which I like in London.

(The Brown Dog is fine - but just like a 100 other places.. I'm lucky to have both but I'll wager I end up at the Idle more often than not..)
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7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

I went yesterday to Idle, well, what a dissapointement!!!!

Pub looked not very clean, only one waitress to serve all the table and probably that is why she looked very angry all the time.

Just to mention that we waited for an hour and a half for the roast to arrive, although we have prebooked our lunch. And while waiting for the roast, and very hungry, we beg for a piece of bread, still it took her to serve the bread 10 minutes before the roast appreared.

the food was ok, to be honest i could cook it much better.

for dessert we order the sticky pudding and the chocolate brownie, 45 minutes to bring them!!!!!

The toilets, hm, no light at all in the toilets, plus they should pay more attention to this.

Something else that I would like to point out, I notice that people bring their pets to the pub and i dont have any problem with that, but I do have a problem when i saw the waitress touching a dog, and then after a while touching with her hands the cutlery and glasses, I dont like that..not the cleanest place and I wont ever go there again...
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Aliki
2 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 2
Monday, October 26, 2009

The pub looks a little bit shabby on the outside. I'm not sure we would have gone in on spec, but we had read good reviews.

It is small inside, but cosy. There is a small garden at the back.

We ordered the slow roasted belly pork with bramley mash and a side order of veg. As we were hungry we also ordered a side order of chips fried in goose fat.

The pork was deliciously tender, the mash a lovely consistency and the vegetables perfectly cooked. We needn't have bothered to order the chips, but I'm glad we did as they were heavenly.

Unfortunately we were so full we could only manage one sticky toffee pudding between two. It was beautifully light with a lovely sauce. The beer was pretty good too.

Service wasn't quick which was fine, as we weren't in a hurry, but the bartender-waitress didn't ooze charm. The gents was vile.

We paid about 19 quid each.
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Bell Pezz - View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Saturday, October 03, 2009

We've been a few times and particularly enjoy the burgers! Have to agree with the comment on 'laziness and complacency' though. There has only ever been one member of staff in the bar when we've been there, however busy it is (and there are tables inside and out) - taking orders for drinks and food, serving, clearing away etc - hopelessly overworked and consequently AGES to wait for food. The decor in the pub is nice - lots of clocks on the walls, and flowers around- but the loos are AWFUL! Look as though they haven't been decorated for 10 years, or swept / cleaned for as many days, and I gather the men's are just as bad. What a disappointment!! A facelift for the loos and extra bar staff would be money well spent!
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5 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Sunday, August 30, 2009