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A review of nationwide pub chains:
Walkabout
Positives: Good quality drink
Good quality food
Top quality seating
OK atmosphere
Good drink offers
Over 18’s only
Authentic Australian bar staff
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Can take a while to get served
Ah where would we be without Australian themed pubs. As you walk in you’re greeted with big cans of Fosters hanging off the walls and aborigional art decorations all over the place. As you place your order the genuine twang of the bartenders Aussie accent finishes off the Down Under drinking experience nicely. There’s seating for every taste whether you want to park in a nice comfy leather armchair, perch on a high chair you have to climb up to get on or just sit on a nice wooden bench.
Drink and food quality is excellent and boy do you get BIG portions! A “snack” easily sets me up for the day, a few weeks ago I had a tuna and mayonnaise wrap for £4.95 and it was massive which I only just managed to polish off. If you fancy a challenge try and finish a large sized burger meal, you can’t actually get a proper bite into the burger and have to eat chunks out of the meat with a bit of the bun every other bite.
At times you can wait a good 15 minutes to get served and smoking is allowed throughout but Walkabout is a definite place to visit and a very enjoyable drinking and eating experience.
Food: 9/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Seating: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
Wetherspoons
Positives: Cheap drinks
Always one wherever you are
More non smoking ones opening / converting
Bouncers at night to keep out the trouble makers
Negatives: Poor quality food
Drink quality varies a lot
Takes ages to get served
Kids allowed in the day
No music allowed or volume on the TV
Poor atmosphere
I really don’t know what to make of Wetherspoons. The drinks are the cheapest you’ll find in any given place (my local one is £1.85 for a pint of John Smiths) and they’re strict on the door at night as to who they let in and seem to ID everyone but to me that’s a good thing.
On the negative side the food is terrible and I won’t eat in there anymore as the chips are always cold, the steaks are like leather and the curries always taste different even if you have the same one. They also have no atmosphere, OK they seem to “theme” their pubs (one of them in Derby is called The Standing Order as it used to be a bank and there’s a lot of banking related stuff on the walls) but no music and Sky News on the TV without sound isn’t my thing.
The quality of drinks also varies a lot. I’ve had some great pints in there but also some terrible ones as well, a recent pint of John Smiths was poured for me and it had a head about 2mm thick which is not good and that was after a good 15 minute wait as well.
For me Wetherspoons is just a pub you nip into on a night out for a cheap pint.
Food: 4/10
Drink: 6/10
Value for money: 10/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Seating: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Yates
Positives: Good quality food
Good quality drinks
Good atmosphere
Top quality seating
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Dearer than others
I enjoy a trip to Yates and will always pop in on a night out. They have excellent seating with big leather armchairs you can sink into and enjoy a pint in. The food and drink are always good quality and you get generous portions as well but the drinks are a bit more expensive than other pubs but like I say always good quality.
Being a non smoker I don’t like the fact that smoking is allowed throughout but that will change soon and on a positive side for me personally it’s only over 18’s allowed so there aren’t any kids running around screaming their heads off.
The sport on the TV and the music playing in the background (not blasting out) makes for a good atmosphere and a very pleasant visit.
Food: 9/10
Drink: 9/10
Value for money: 6/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Seating: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
Hogs Head
Positives: Good quality drink
Good quality food
Good drink offers
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
I get the impression Hogs Head is a student kind of pub that has offers on in weeknights to tempt the students in. 2 for 1 between certain times and special offers on shots seem to be popular to try and get people drunk quickly and the bar staff all seem to be quite young but these aren’t bad things!
Good quality drink and food can be expected and good comfy seating can be found with music and TV’s creating a good atmosphere.
Not the best but a nice drinking experience will be experienced.
Food: 7/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Seating: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
O’Neills
Positives: Good quality drink
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Quite pricey
Irish themed pub chain and a pretty good one to boot. Nice drinks and atmosphere with good music and friendly bar staff. A pint of Guinness is a must in any Irish pub and you get a good quality drink with a nice creamy head in here.
OK food wise but sometimes it seems like it takes ages to get served and it’s more expensive than other pubs however it does have the big leather seats I like to sink into to enjoy a pint.
Given a choice between this and others I’d probably go for others but it’s a nice pub to go into for a pint on a night out.
Food: 7/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 6/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Seating: 8/10
Overall: 7/10
Walkabout
Positives: Good quality drink
Good quality food
Top quality seating
OK atmosphere
Good drink offers
Over 18’s only
Authentic Australian bar staff
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Can take a while to get served
Ah where would we be without Australian themed pubs. As you walk in you’re greeted with big cans of Fosters hanging off the walls and aborigional art decorations all over the place. As you place your order the genuine twang of the bartenders Aussie accent finishes off the Down Under drinking experience nicely. There’s seating for every taste whether you want to park in a nice comfy leather armchair, perch on a high chair you have to climb up to get on or just sit on a nice wooden bench.
Drink and food quality is excellent and boy do you get BIG portions! A “snack” easily sets me up for the day, a few weeks ago I had a tuna and mayonnaise wrap for £4.95 and it was massive which I only just managed to polish off. If you fancy a challenge try and finish a large sized burger meal, you can’t actually get a proper bite into the burger and have to eat chunks out of the meat with a bit of the bun every other bite.
At times you can wait a good 15 minutes to get served and smoking is allowed throughout but Walkabout is a definite place to visit and a very enjoyable drinking and eating experience.
Food: 9/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Seating: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
Wetherspoons
Positives: Cheap drinks
Always one wherever you are
More non smoking ones opening / converting
Bouncers at night to keep out the trouble makers
Negatives: Poor quality food
Drink quality varies a lot
Takes ages to get served
Kids allowed in the day
No music allowed or volume on the TV
Poor atmosphere
I really don’t know what to make of Wetherspoons. The drinks are the cheapest you’ll find in any given place (my local one is £1.85 for a pint of John Smiths) and they’re strict on the door at night as to who they let in and seem to ID everyone but to me that’s a good thing.
On the negative side the food is terrible and I won’t eat in there anymore as the chips are always cold, the steaks are like leather and the curries always taste different even if you have the same one. They also have no atmosphere, OK they seem to “theme” their pubs (one of them in Derby is called The Standing Order as it used to be a bank and there’s a lot of banking related stuff on the walls) but no music and Sky News on the TV without sound isn’t my thing.
The quality of drinks also varies a lot. I’ve had some great pints in there but also some terrible ones as well, a recent pint of John Smiths was poured for me and it had a head about 2mm thick which is not good and that was after a good 15 minute wait as well.
For me Wetherspoons is just a pub you nip into on a night out for a cheap pint.
Food: 4/10
Drink: 6/10
Value for money: 10/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Seating: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Yates
Positives: Good quality food
Good quality drinks
Good atmosphere
Top quality seating
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Dearer than others
I enjoy a trip to Yates and will always pop in on a night out. They have excellent seating with big leather armchairs you can sink into and enjoy a pint in. The food and drink are always good quality and you get generous portions as well but the drinks are a bit more expensive than other pubs but like I say always good quality.
Being a non smoker I don’t like the fact that smoking is allowed throughout but that will change soon and on a positive side for me personally it’s only over 18’s allowed so there aren’t any kids running around screaming their heads off.
The sport on the TV and the music playing in the background (not blasting out) makes for a good atmosphere and a very pleasant visit.
Food: 9/10
Drink: 9/10
Value for money: 6/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Seating: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
Hogs Head
Positives: Good quality drink
Good quality food
Good drink offers
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
I get the impression Hogs Head is a student kind of pub that has offers on in weeknights to tempt the students in. 2 for 1 between certain times and special offers on shots seem to be popular to try and get people drunk quickly and the bar staff all seem to be quite young but these aren’t bad things!
Good quality drink and food can be expected and good comfy seating can be found with music and TV’s creating a good atmosphere.
Not the best but a nice drinking experience will be experienced.
Food: 7/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Seating: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
O’Neills
Positives: Good quality drink
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Quite pricey
Irish themed pub chain and a pretty good one to boot. Nice drinks and atmosphere with good music and friendly bar staff. A pint of Guinness is a must in any Irish pub and you get a good quality drink with a nice creamy head in here.
OK food wise but sometimes it seems like it takes ages to get served and it’s more expensive than other pubs however it does have the big leather seats I like to sink into to enjoy a pint.
Given a choice between this and others I’d probably go for others but it’s a nice pub to go into for a pint on a night out.
Food: 7/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 6/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Seating: 8/10
Overall: 7/10
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A review of nationwide pub chains:
Walkabout
Positives: Good quality drink
Good quality food
Top quality seating
OK atmosphere
Good drink offers
Over 18’s only
Authentic Australian bar staff
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Can take a while to get served
Ah where would we be without Australian themed pubs. As you walk in you’re greeted with big cans of Fosters hanging off the walls and aborigional art decorations all over the place. As you place your order the genuine twang of the bartenders Aussie accent finishes off the Down Under drinking experience nicely. There’s seating for every taste whether you want to park in a nice comfy leather armchair, perch on a high chair you have to climb up to get on or just sit on a nice wooden bench.
Drink and food quality is excellent and boy do you get BIG portions! A “snack” easily sets me up for the day, a few weeks ago I had a tuna and mayonnaise wrap for £4.95 and it was massive which I only just managed to polish off. If you fancy a challenge try and finish a large sized burger meal, you can’t actually get a proper bite into the burger and have to eat chunks out of the meat with a bit of the bun every other bite.
At times you can wait a good 15 minutes to get served and smoking is allowed throughout but Walkabout is a definite place to visit and a very enjoyable drinking and eating experience.
Food: 9/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Seating: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
Wetherspoons
Positives: Cheap drinks
Always one wherever you are
More non smoking ones opening / converting
Bouncers at night to keep out the trouble makers
Negatives: Poor quality food
Drink quality varies a lot
Takes ages to get served
Kids allowed in the day
No music allowed or volume on the TV
Poor atmosphere
I really don’t know what to make of Wetherspoons. The drinks are the cheapest you’ll find in any given place (my local one is £1.85 for a pint of John Smiths) and they’re strict on the door at night as to who they let in and seem to ID everyone but to me that’s a good thing.
On the negative side the food is terrible and I won’t eat in there anymore as the chips are always cold, the steaks are like leather and the curries always taste different even if you have the same one. They also have no atmosphere, OK they seem to “theme” their pubs (one of them in Derby is called The Standing Order as it used to be a bank and there’s a lot of banking related stuff on the walls) but no music and Sky News on the TV without sound isn’t my thing.
The quality of drinks also varies a lot. I’ve had some great pints in there but also some terrible ones as well, a recent pint of John Smiths was poured for me and it had a head about 2mm thick which is not good and that was after a good 15 minute wait as well.
For me Wetherspoons is just a pub you nip into on a night out for a cheap pint.
Food: 4/10
Drink: 6/10
Value for money: 10/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Seating: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Yates
Positives: Good quality food
Good quality drinks
Good atmosphere
Top quality seating
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Dearer than others
I enjoy a trip to Yates and will always pop in on a night out. They have excellent seating with big leather armchairs you can sink into and enjoy a pint in. The food and drink are always good quality and you get generous portions as well but the drinks are a bit more expensive than other pubs but like I say always good quality.
Being a non smoker I don’t like the fact that smoking is allowed throughout but that will change soon and on a positive side for me personally it’s only over 18’s allowed so there aren’t any kids running around screaming their heads off.
The sport on the TV and the music playing in the background (not blasting out) makes for a good atmosphere and a very pleasant visit.
Food: 9/10
Drink: 9/10
Value for money: 6/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Seating: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
Hogs Head
Positives: Good quality drink
Good quality food
Good drink offers
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
I get the impression Hogs Head is a student kind of pub that has offers on in weeknights to tempt the students in. 2 for 1 between certain times and special offers on shots seem to be popular to try and get people drunk quickly and the bar staff all seem to be quite young but these aren’t bad things!
Good quality drink and food can be expected and good comfy seating can be found with music and TV’s creating a good atmosphere.
Not the best but a nice drinking experience will be experienced.
Food: 7/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Seating: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
O’Neills
Positives: Good quality drink
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Quite pricey
Irish themed pub chain and a pretty good one to boot. Nice drinks and atmosphere with good music and friendly bar staff. A pint of Guinness is a must in any Irish pub and you get a good quality drink with a nice creamy head in here.
OK food wise but sometimes it seems like it takes ages to get served and it’s more expensive than other pubs however it does have the big leather seats I like to sink into to enjoy a pint.
Given a choice between this and others I’d probably go for others but it’s a nice pub to go into for a pint on a night out.
Food: 7/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 6/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Seating: 8/10
Overall: 7/10
Walkabout
Positives: Good quality drink
Good quality food
Top quality seating
OK atmosphere
Good drink offers
Over 18’s only
Authentic Australian bar staff
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Can take a while to get served
Ah where would we be without Australian themed pubs. As you walk in you’re greeted with big cans of Fosters hanging off the walls and aborigional art decorations all over the place. As you place your order the genuine twang of the bartenders Aussie accent finishes off the Down Under drinking experience nicely. There’s seating for every taste whether you want to park in a nice comfy leather armchair, perch on a high chair you have to climb up to get on or just sit on a nice wooden bench.
Drink and food quality is excellent and boy do you get BIG portions! A “snack” easily sets me up for the day, a few weeks ago I had a tuna and mayonnaise wrap for £4.95 and it was massive which I only just managed to polish off. If you fancy a challenge try and finish a large sized burger meal, you can’t actually get a proper bite into the burger and have to eat chunks out of the meat with a bit of the bun every other bite.
At times you can wait a good 15 minutes to get served and smoking is allowed throughout but Walkabout is a definite place to visit and a very enjoyable drinking and eating experience.
Food: 9/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Seating: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
Wetherspoons
Positives: Cheap drinks
Always one wherever you are
More non smoking ones opening / converting
Bouncers at night to keep out the trouble makers
Negatives: Poor quality food
Drink quality varies a lot
Takes ages to get served
Kids allowed in the day
No music allowed or volume on the TV
Poor atmosphere
I really don’t know what to make of Wetherspoons. The drinks are the cheapest you’ll find in any given place (my local one is £1.85 for a pint of John Smiths) and they’re strict on the door at night as to who they let in and seem to ID everyone but to me that’s a good thing.
On the negative side the food is terrible and I won’t eat in there anymore as the chips are always cold, the steaks are like leather and the curries always taste different even if you have the same one. They also have no atmosphere, OK they seem to “theme” their pubs (one of them in Derby is called The Standing Order as it used to be a bank and there’s a lot of banking related stuff on the walls) but no music and Sky News on the TV without sound isn’t my thing.
The quality of drinks also varies a lot. I’ve had some great pints in there but also some terrible ones as well, a recent pint of John Smiths was poured for me and it had a head about 2mm thick which is not good and that was after a good 15 minute wait as well.
For me Wetherspoons is just a pub you nip into on a night out for a cheap pint.
Food: 4/10
Drink: 6/10
Value for money: 10/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Seating: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Yates
Positives: Good quality food
Good quality drinks
Good atmosphere
Top quality seating
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Dearer than others
I enjoy a trip to Yates and will always pop in on a night out. They have excellent seating with big leather armchairs you can sink into and enjoy a pint in. The food and drink are always good quality and you get generous portions as well but the drinks are a bit more expensive than other pubs but like I say always good quality.
Being a non smoker I don’t like the fact that smoking is allowed throughout but that will change soon and on a positive side for me personally it’s only over 18’s allowed so there aren’t any kids running around screaming their heads off.
The sport on the TV and the music playing in the background (not blasting out) makes for a good atmosphere and a very pleasant visit.
Food: 9/10
Drink: 9/10
Value for money: 6/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Seating: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
Hogs Head
Positives: Good quality drink
Good quality food
Good drink offers
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
I get the impression Hogs Head is a student kind of pub that has offers on in weeknights to tempt the students in. 2 for 1 between certain times and special offers on shots seem to be popular to try and get people drunk quickly and the bar staff all seem to be quite young but these aren’t bad things!
Good quality drink and food can be expected and good comfy seating can be found with music and TV’s creating a good atmosphere.
Not the best but a nice drinking experience will be experienced.
Food: 7/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Seating: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
O’Neills
Positives: Good quality drink
Over 18’s only
Negatives: Smoking allowed throughout
Quite pricey
Irish themed pub chain and a pretty good one to boot. Nice drinks and atmosphere with good music and friendly bar staff. A pint of Guinness is a must in any Irish pub and you get a good quality drink with a nice creamy head in here.
OK food wise but sometimes it seems like it takes ages to get served and it’s more expensive than other pubs however it does have the big leather seats I like to sink into to enjoy a pint.
Given a choice between this and others I’d probably go for others but it’s a nice pub to go into for a pint on a night out.
Food: 7/10
Drink: 8/10
Value for money: 6/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Seating: 8/10
Overall: 7/10