• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Henley On Thames
• Category: Restaurants

Henley On Thames RG9 2LS

RagingAardvark said
Potential - not execution
A short walk over Henley bridge takes you to the Little Angel. A funky-looking interior in an old building, with soft-lighting, comfy sofas and trendy dining.

It's trying really hard to be a modern British gastropub - the menu alone looks great! Prices of the drinks reflect these aspirations, and staff waft about in chic black.

To execute this type of vision though, your kitchen needs to be cashing the cheques that front of house is writing and, in the case of the Little Angel, that simply isn't happening.

The food, when it appears, is something that you could probably turn out yourself if your spent a couple of hours with a Jamie Oliver cookbook. The beer too, on occasion, has been pretty dire.

It's a nice place to sit outside in the summer - it's right next to the cricket pitch, so you can sup a few pints and watch the match.

Other than that, I can't think of a good reason to make that walk over the bridge.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Henley On Thames
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Henley On Thames RG9 1SB

RagingAardvark said
An ale drinkers heaven
Consistently a winner in the CAMRA real-ale awards, this quaint pub is an oasis in the desert of chain pubs and brasseries.

Usually with five or six guests on the go, the beer is kept in absolute pristine condition.

Do expect plenty of locals, plenty of dogs on leads and not a lot of kiddies crawling around. Do expect to be treated like a friend - not a stranger and for the prices to be more than reasonable.

The pub also boasts a good sized beer garden with some large aviaries to keep the kiddies interested.

The food is good and wholesome and, together with the charm of such an old building and the bon-homie of the landlord and landlady, circumstances will conspire to ensure that you return again and again.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Henley On Thames
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

Henley On Thames RG9 1AY

RagingAardvark said
Arrive at the station early ....
.... very early in fact. Because then you can walk through the ticket hall and into Tubbies Diner, and order yourself a cholesterol packed time-bomb of a breakfast.

It's a cafe like cafe's used to be. A few sparse tables, air thick with frying and a menu that would make your doctor weep.

The food is fantastic - more-so if you're trying to deal with a hang-over, and the service is pretty prompt too - bearing in mind the number of folks that pack the place.

Prices are extremely reasonable.

All in all, an absolute god-send within the town.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Henley On Thames
• Category: Restaurants

Henley On Thames RG9 2AU

RagingAardvark said
Old skool Thai
If nothing else, the Thai Orchid is always packed. Apart from a brief year or so when another (better - funnily enough) Thai restaurant opened on the Reading Road, this is the only such restaurant in Henley.

The food is probably best described as averagely authentic. A lot of the starters seem to be deep-fried from frozen, and many of the mixes on the mains could be classified as unusual - much like the Thai wines that are on offer.

Service is friendly and prompt, and prices are more than bearable.

There's not really a whole lot fault this place over. On the other hand, there's not really a whole lot to sing and dance about either.

In the words of the Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy;

"Mostly harmless"

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Henley On Thames
• Category: Nightlife

Henley On Thames RG9 2AA

RagingAardvark said
It's closed
Try the "Sports bar" instead.

• Added: 12th of September 2008
• Area: Henley On Thames
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Henley On Thames RG9 2AA

RagingAardvark said
Weird, weird, weird
I don't know what it is about this place, but there is something that puts me on edge.

The location is superb - just on the Marketplace - with a decent sized beer-garden. It's reasonably clean and tidy and the drinks well-kept and priced competitively.

They occasionally have a couple of tables out infront of the pub, so you can sit and watch the world go by.

Food is average, but won't kill you and the staff are all friendly and helpful.

So, why is it that I won't go into the place unless forced to? It really _is_ weird. There's just something about the place that I don't like - and this, from a regular at nearly every pub in town.

The atmosphere is pretty average, the clientelle are the usual town-pub type. It's not too noisy and there aren't hoards of kids screaming about the place.

Maybe that's it - it's grey with no real discernable selling point. Maybe it's that the crowd there are also grey with no discernable selling point. If aliens landed one day in Henley and built an airfix pub, then this place would be it.

The Argyll certainly won't offend you, but it won't give you goosebumps either.

• Added: 12th of September 2008
• Area: Henley On Thames
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Henley On Thames RG9 2BG

RagingAardvark said
Now closed ....
... and replaced with Strada.

• Added: 12th of September 2008
• Area: Henley On Thames
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Henley On Thames RG9 1AH

RagingAardvark said
The seventh circle of hell
Funnily enough, this pub wasn't listed in the Trustedplaces database. Probably because no-one could find words to accurately describe the place. Let me try;

A beautiful, old building with bags of charm and character. Twenty yards from the river.

That was the good bit.

Now, for reality. A Brakespeare's pub that is host to not only the most foul-mouthed and apparently alcoholic Landlord and Landlady, but also the slack-mouthed, window-licking clique of Henley's life forms.

As I said, the building is lovely and this place could be absolutely staggering given half a chance. Sadly, though, it looks as though it will remain as it is (and has been for the last several hundred years) until the current denizens are carried out feet first. That, or burned in the garden with stakes through their hearts.

The ale is generally in appalling condition, though the landlord - whilst his harridan of a wife swears at you - will insist that is how it should taste. The food is circa Rovers Return in the sixties. The atmosphere ranges from hostile to "special" depending if the guitar playing drunk is there or not.

If your idea of a good night out is being insulted by a complete stranger who you have just asked to serve you, being gawped at by village idiots and then drooled on by an over-fat Labrador, then make a bee-line for the Anchor. All this, and you get to pay for the most expensive booze in Henley too!

• Added: 9th of September 2008
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2E 8JD
020 7379 9696

RagingAardvark said
Thoroughly recommended
Maggiore's is a true find. A romantic, sophisticated restaurant serving superb quality food, attended by knowledgeable and discreet staff.

It gets very busy before the theatres open but, if you don't mind an early evening meal, they are happy to seat you on spec.

If you value your partner, then I can't think of a much better place for a romantic tete-a-tete. Why not precede with a drink at the Stafford in St James'?

• Added: 9th of September 2008
• Area: Henley On Thames
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Henley On Thames RG9 2ED

RagingAardvark said
A dying breed
Tucked away from the maddening crowds of Henley, the Row Barge is a gem of a pub.

Old and traditional - but lacking the usual cliquey crowd - the beer is kept really well, and the food is of good quality.

It's changing hands in November - so I pray that the new owners don't try to brasserie it.

Also has a couple of rooms if you're looking for somewhere to stay during the Regatta.