• 3
• A shadow of its former self

I booked our usual table for grandma's birthday recently, but got a horrible surprise when we turned up. At 7pm they were already pumping out loud music and it felt like a city centre bar, not the cosy pub we knew and loved. While we were debating whether to stay, there was a tense atmosphere and we then realised the landlord was threatening to call the police if a drunk didn't leave. When I booked, they hadn't even bothered to tell me children were no longer welcome after 7, so we wasted an hour and two taxis. We eventually went to Food for Friends and had a great time. I never thought I'd say this about a veggie pub, but I hope it closes soon! There's still chance for someone else to turn it back into the friendly, family pub it always used to be. ...and what's the deal with the 5-star rating system? I want to give it 0, but the lowest available rating is 2. Grrr! Updated from previous review on Sunday January 02, 2011 Update, 6 June 11: > I bowed to family pressure and we gave it another go recently (17:30 on Saturday). Much nicer atmosphere today. The decor is much improved (from a year ago) and the clientele was chilled. Music still upbeat but not too loud for my hearing-impaired mum to cope with. The standard menu was pretty, erm, standard: burgers, falafel, etc. The list of specials was much more appealing. My thai curry was spot on. The risotto looked sodden and overcooked, but still got the thumbs up for taste. Great to see my previous experience wasn't representative, but it still struggles to compete with my favourites (Iydea, Loving Hut, Food for Friends, Planet India).