The Prospect of Whitby

Oh dear. I stopped in at the POW on Saturday afternoon for some lunch on the way home from a Wedding the day previous. This was my first visit in about 18 months, and I must say it has changed. The previous owner/management were pleasant and friendly; the new bunch are rude and despondent.

I ordered a starter described as "a selection of sausages with a mustard dip". What I got was 15 of the same sausages - and no mustard dip. I asked the waitress where this elusive dip was - she responded by grimacing and by pointing to the pot of colemans that was already sat on the table. I tried to explain by pointing at the menu (English clearly wasn't her first language). She replied this time by slamming a pot of wholegrain mustard on the table infront of me.

Undeterred by this experience I thought I'd give the miserable girl a chance to redeem herself with main (which was the scampi by the way). When it arrived she plopped it infront of me without a smile and hurried away. There was no lemon nor tartare sauce so I approached the kitchen hatch where I beckoned over one of the staff. I politely asked for some lemon and some tartare sauce if it wasn't too much trouble. This chap (who didn't appear to speak English) just gave me a gormless stare and continued to pick at his teeth - saying nothing before walking away. I eventually managed to bag a dish of limes off the barman - although my dinner was lukewarm by this time.

My advice is - if you fancy a pint a nice view of the Thames then the POW will suffice. If however you desire good food, service with a smile and a decent atmosphere - keep well away.
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Mr G Silvester
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 2
Sunday, August 10, 2008

Just to let everyone one know!! We will be taking over on the 10/11th March - everything that has been noted on this site has been taken into consideration and will be dealt with! My name is Terry Standing along with my team we hope that you will give this great pub one last chance........
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Terry Standing
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Thursday, February 28, 2008

This is my first ever restaurant review but I feel compelled to say something.

I visited The POW last Sunday and it is a lovely pub to look at with a definate sence of history to the building. But the pleasure ends here I'm afraid. I wished I had read the reviews from this site before we decided to eat here. "The old lady" that others have referred to, is I'm sure not that old, but has the worst temper and manner for service I have ever seen. She actually yelled at the people sitting next to us because they asked for their table to wiped down from the previous inhabitants.

The food was ok but the menu severely lacked variation and they could do a lot more with it. At 3pm they had run out of the only roast on the menu on a sunday as well.

Someone needs to take over that place and turn it back into a little gem again.
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Patto
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Thursday, February 21, 2008

I had a bad experience here,

i made a reservation for a special leaving do dinner here and called twice to check the booking which i was repeatedly told was all ok.

However, when i arrived on the day, the staff just denied i had a booking and said the kitchen is closed and were just not interested.

This is not what you expect and was a real disappointment.

So, if you ever want to make a bookign here, BEWARE!!!!
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Sarah
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, February 03, 2008

Shoddy service.

I know what the last review was saying about food orders going wrong..& comming miles apart.

That old woman..!!

Dont even get me started, Boy is she stroppy.

As for the manager ....

Like i say dont get me started.

Apart from that nice door ........(on the way out)
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Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, January 09, 2008

What a huge disappointment this place turned out to be! Do not bother eating there. Terrible service from the miserable old woman and her sidekicks, orders wrong and no apology or alternatives offered, and main meals turning up more than 30 minutes apart for our table of 4. And we weren't the only ones suffering... there were 2 other tables in our immediate area that were both struggling with this inept, incompetent and inhospitable service.

I don't think I will even contemplate going back just for a beer.
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Matt
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Monday, October 22, 2007

Amazing place, stonned flor, parts of mast, view of the river, reminds me the greatest days of old taverns. Good selection of beer. Food was delivered unbelievable quickly, and the potato mash was a pure pleasure. I do recomend this one.
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Inishi
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Monday, August 20, 2007

The last review is entirely correct. The Prospect was a great boozer. It was closed down in the summer for a "refurb". In went the big leather couches and brass, out went the atmosphere. A real shame. I'm sure Samuel Pepys is spinning in his grave. The food was awful too - same old pub chain rubbish.
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Matt
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Saturday, December 09, 2006

I have some terrible news, I am afraid, the Prospect was killed. Killed dead. They killed him dead, man..

I went there the other day with my new bloke (the Irish geezer) to stuff me face with pie and ale and show off my East End knowledge when I sat down in our usual table by the window/fireplace and said: "eine minute bitte! There is something wrong here!".

I cannot describe the horrors I have then noticed all around me, it truly shivers me cherry timbers: m-o-d-e-rrrr-n stuff.. like thooose you seeeeee in comerrrrcials from Habitat.. freshly painted walls in non-1567 colours (Edwardian green instead!) ... and the worst was still to come, I looked up, and guess what I saw??!! a new straight cealling stained black with a silly B&Q ronsell stuff!!! At that moment I had to be restrained as I was about to jump/fall from the tall, yes you read it right, t-a-l-l table and scream at everyone "what have you done!!!!??? You bastards!!!" (The Irish man really did say "calm down now"..). I sulked in, well, tried to sulk in properly in a bloody tall bench, it really doesn't work, then I spotted the unthinkable:

a girly girl all dressed/done up drinking white wine...oh, my god, it was then that I realised, with great pain, that the Prospect had died forever, murdered, mutilated, "they made this trendy...they finally killed the last of the great ones"... I was unconsolable, shocked and worst of all!, sober...

As I walked home in a daze, I swore that I would never go back there, but with the death of the Barley Mow and now the Prospect, I found myself in a world of trendy East End bars whithout an old's man pub to go... the Irish bloke was supportive, he said patting my back "don't worry, there is the K***'s Arms.."(name has been hidden to protect its old man's pubness) "yeah," I said, "untill the smoking ban..."

Ar (Retired Female Pirate)
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Ar
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Beautiful old pub with a great atmosphere, but slooooooow service. Ok if you have time to chill - not for you if you're really hungry or in a rush!
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Monday, May 01, 2006