Review – The Old Grey Mare, Cottingham Road, Hull

There was a time when the Old Grey Mare was a place to avoid. The food wasn’t great and the service was pretty poor. However, all that changed a few years ago and we have eaten here on a fairly regular basis, preferring to come here now compared to the sister pub, The Fair Maid, in Cottingham.

So, how did this visit stack up.

I phoned up in advance, booking a table for us for a busy Saturday evening. The pub shows live sport and you can never tell if you’re able to get a table without a reservation, so it’s always better to book in advance.

Arriving at the pub, you are greeted by the smokers, hanging around the doorway for a crafty fag. It’s not ideal because the smoke does drift back into the pub and you can smell it near the door. However, once you get sat down, you don’t notice it.

There is always a game we play at The Old Grey Mare called “Find Your Table”. Joking aside, this is the only real gripe I have. The reservations are on pieces of paper which are moved left in the menu holder, and almost impossible to see without walking up to random tables to see which one has your name on it. Surely in this day and age we could embrace technology?

Anyway, enough about gripes. We found the table and sat down. The table hadn’t been cleared and cleaned from the last customer, which was a little disappointing, and I have to say, not the norm. I asked one of the staff if they could give the table a wipe down, and he was quickly on it, returning with spray and a cloth before heading off to fill up the cutlery pot as well.

I ordered at the bar, and returned to the table with our drinks. The pub has a good selection of wines and spirits and quite a few lagers. It’s a little bit lacking in terms of real ale, with a couple of standard brews on offer.

Although the pub was fairly busy, we weren’t waiting too long for the food and were soon tucking into our order. The grills are served on a hot skillet which does keep the meat hot. It does have the unfortunate effect of continuing to cook the meat as well, but the staff at the Old Grey Mare seem to have mastered the art of transferring the meat onto the skillet before it’s quite ready to go.

We were left to enjoy our food, but the waiter did come back for a meal check half-way through. Having worked in the restaurant trade, it’s always nice to experience this. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to happen so much anymore.

We passed on desserts this time, although when we have had them here, they have always hit the spot.

The menu is typical pub food, and price-wise it’s very reasonable. The prices are not the cheapest in the area, but the food is of a good standard and I’m happy to pay a little more.

Overall, it was another good meal at the Old Grey Mare. Long may it continue.

Service (out of 10) – 7 – The table wasn’t ready when we got there. It was quickly rectified but should we really have to be asking?

Offer (out of 10) – 9 – Maybe it could offer one or two more pub staples, but, it’s a pub, serving pub food!

Value (out of 10) – 9 – Prices went up slightly with the menu change, and there are cheaper options, but this is good value for money.

Review – Dalton House, Paddock Lane, Dalton

We were in Newcastle for a wedding. Our original choice of a generic brand of hotel was further away from the reception than we wanted and so I looked again, trying to see if we could find something a little nearer.

I came across Dalton House and since it looked nice, the reviews were good and it was only about 4 miles from the reception venue, I changed our booking and I’m so glad I did.

I received a really helpful email on booking which gave directions to Dalton House. It’s set back from the road and if you aren’t sure where you are going, you could well miss the turning.

Our welcome when we arrived was really friendly and we were shown into the B&B. We passed through the sitting / breakfast room before being shown up to our rooms.

The rooms were nicely decorated, both having an ensuite bathroom (with really powerful showers and clean towels) and a view over the garden.

There are kettles in both rooms and we were also welcomed with a slice a lemon drizzle cake. Nothing better after a long drive. There is also internet access with the WiFi code printed in the welcome pack.

The beds are really comfy and with the location of the house being set back from the road and the rooms being at the back of the house, we all slept really soundly.

The breakfast was fantastic, with a choice of cereal, fresh fruit, brioche, bread and yoghurt as well as bacon and eggs.

It would have been lovely to have another night to be able to take advantage of the log burner in the lounge but we had to head off.

The owner, Diane, is so welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble and she made us feel so at home.

Without a shadow of a doubt, we hope to return here to take in some Northumbrian scenery and enjoy another stay.

Service (out of 10) 10. Can’t fault one single thing.

Offer (out of 10) 10. Perfect. Great location, great scenery, great offer.

Review – McDonald’s, Cottingham Road, Hull

McDonald’s is a sort of go to easy option in our house. When we are moving kids around between A and B with not much time, it has always been a quick win.

On this occasion, this was exactly the case. Or so I thought.

I pulled into the drive thru lane and expected to be ordering fairly quickly. After about 2 minutes, it was apparent that this wasn’t going to be the case.

Finally, I got to order and pulled round to the payment counter. It was apparent, even at distance, that the young lady working on the paynent counter didn’t know what she was doing.

However, no one came to help her or go find out why customers were moving slowly through the drive thru lane, or why the volume of traffic was building up.

After a few more minutes, I was able to pay and edged forward to collect the food. The staff serving the food didn’t have a clue either and were totally confused as to what was being served to who.

Finally getting the food I had paid for, we set off. As we drove away, I was told by my child in the back that “this is cold!” I pulled over to check and have to say that it was not only cold but it was freezing. The food had obviously been stood for a good amount of time to cool down. In my opinion, it shouldn’t have been served.

We didn’t have time to go back and put this right, but to be honest, even if we had, I’m not sure we would have got a satisfactory response.

The food was cold and the service was poor. I won’t be back.

Service (out of 10) 3. Poor. No one seemed to know what they were doing.

Offer (out of 10). 2. Cold food.

Review – The Marine, Marine Drive, Hornsea

A walk along the seafront can be thirsty work, and on a Saturday evening, why not stop in a pub for some refreshment?

Well, that’s what we thought.

The Marine is located at one end of Marine Drive, not far from the Floral Hall. It has some good views over the beach and the sea, and the outside area looks like it could be a bit of a sun-trap  in warm weather.

There was a breeze whipping around when we visited, so we sat inside, although when we were leaving, I did notice a sign offering blankets for people who wanted to be outside.

The table we sat down on was clear of glasses, although it was coated in ring marks from its previous occupants and was a little sticky. We did consider ordering food, but ultimately decided against it. The menus were a little sticky as well.

There were several TVs dotted through the bar area, showing sport with the volume turned down, so conversations were happening.

There were also plenty of people in the pub, a mixture of locals and visitors based on the interaction with the bar staff.

I was quickly served, and ordered our drinks. There was a 3 or 4 hand pulled ales, which is always a bonus as well as a few lagers on tap. I was also able to get cash-back at the bar, which is great to know since more and more of our ATMs are disappearing.

The table we were sat in was a little cozy for 4 people, but we managed, and had an enjoyable time looking out to sea and talking. A bit of a novelty in a pub today!

Overall, it was a pleasant enough visit. The food looked nice enough from what we saw, but was a little more than we wanted to pay. I’d come back here.

Service (out of 10) – 10. Pleasant and welcoming. Drinks served quickly.

Offer (out of 10) – 8. Food is a little bit more expensive than many pubs these days. The tables could have done with being wiped down too.

Review – The Seafront Chippy, Marine Drive, Hornsea

An impromptu family trip to the beach on a sunny September afternoon saw us looking for somewhere to eat.

Having walked along the beach, heading towards Bridlington, we were at the wrong end of the town for our usual haunt, and when hunger called, The Seafront Chippy was the answer.

There was a small queue in front of us, which is never a bad thing. We were served quickly though. Since we were having a large fish, it had to be cooked to order (I always like to see this) and we sat on the stools at the front of the chippy waiting for our food.

We didn’t have to wait too long. Like a lot of chippies now, you buy a little sachet of sauce to go with your food, so armed with ketchup, as well as curry sauce and mushy peas, we tucked into our food.

The batter on the fish was really light and tasty. I like fish and chips, but often find I’m disappointed by the quality of the batter. Not on this occasion! The fish was fresh and the chips were good too.

There is a small area at the front of the chippy that you can sit in as well as a few tables outside.

Best of all (if you’re 8 or 80), there is an ice-cream stand that is attached to the chippy, so we were able to get ice creams / waffles after we’d finished our fish and chips. No complaints there either!

All in all, a great alternative to our normal haunt.

Service (out of 10) – 10. Served quickly, no messing with the fish. No complaints

Offer (out of 10) – 10. It’s a ronseal here. It does what it says on the tin. 

Review, The Horseshoe Inn, Levisham, North Yorkshire

My only previous visit here was 25 miles into a 26 mile walk. I remember never having been so glad to see a pub!

This time, it was a slightly more relaxed atmosphere (although we did do a 6 mile walk afterwards).

We visited here for lunch. Based on how busy it was on a Saturday lunchtime, I’d say that a reservation is a must. We arrived a few minutes late but were greeted warmly. We ordered drinks and were shown to our table.

We were given a few minutes to decide. There is a well-stocked specials menu as well, so this added to the decision making process, but when we were ready, a member of staff came to take our order.

One member of the group ordered a sandwich which wasn’t on the menu but this wasn’t a problem for them. The rest of us stuck to the script and ordered a selection of burgers, sandwiches, and a kid’s portion of sausage and mash.

The pub was filling up, and orders were going in to the kitchen quickly. However, despite this, it wasn’t too long before the food was being served and we all tucked in.

The food was excellent. The steak sandwich that I ordered was really filling. The steak was well cooked, and the baguette it was served in was crusty on the outside and soft in the middle. The only complaint would be that there weren’t really enough chips on the plate, especially looking around at other tables. However, since I need to lose a few pounds, I won’t complain too much!

Others in the group were just as complimentary about their food (minus the chip gripe).

The meal finished, we resisted the call of the dessert menu and settled up, ready for the 3 mile walk ahead. The fact that it became a 6 mile walk is a different story!

All in all, this was a good place for lunch. The smell of food going to other tables and being prepared in the kitchen was delicious, even after we’d eaten. If I’m back in the area, I’ll definitely be back.

Service (out of 10) – 10. Great service at a time when the pub was busy. You can’t really ask for better

Offer (out of 10). – 10. There’s a part of me that wants to mark it down because of chipgate, but the food is too good. 

Review – Bank Top Camping, Newton on Rawcliffe, North Yorkshire

I’ll admit that it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I headed here.

My only experience of camping in the last 20 years was a very washed out and miserable couple of nights in a tent that took far too long to pitch about 10 years ago.

However, here I was, arriving at Bank Top Camping as the sun began to set.

The campsite is located just to the north west of the small village of Newton on Rawcliffe which is about 4 miles north of Pickering on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. The location is very scenic, and there are some good walks nearby, including one or two of the longer challenge walks.

The tents were pitched quickly and we sat out, eating dinner, enjoying a drink and some conversation and watching the sun set and the stars (and full moon) come out. The site wasn’t full by any means. There was one or two other tents and a number of caravans and motor homes.

The campsite is very well maintained. There is electricity hookups for those that need them (we went old school). There is also a well maintained shower / toilet block, washing up facilities (washing up liquid and pan scrubs are provided).

As silence began to fall on the campsite, you could hear a variety of different types of owl in the nearby woods, and a little later on they were joined by foxes.

Although the site is in the heart of the country, Low Moor Road was a little busier than we expected, with traffic flying along there quite often. It doesn’t take away from the tranquil nature of the campsite.

You can arrive at the campsite from 1pm, and need to be off the site by 12pm.

That said, if you are walking nearby, you can pull your car down to the front while you walk.

We had a great stay here and it’s even convinced me to give camping another go. You never know, I might just be back here again.

Service (out of 10) – 10. Friendly and accommodating.

Offer (out of 10) – 10. Everything you need from a campsite. 

Review – Gino’s, Hallgate, Cottingham

Gino’s is a local pizza takeaway which has been popular with locals and students alike for a long time.

A busy Saturday saw the family deciding that pizza was the food of choice. Deciding on a couple of 12-inch pizzas and a garlic bread, I phoned the order through. The phone was answered quickly and politely, and I was told that the order would be ready in about 10-15 minutes.

Heading straight up there to collect, I found that the pizzas were ready inside the 10 minute mark and were sat, boxed up, on the top of the pizza oven.

I paid, picked up the order and headed home. Despite having been ready for a few minutes, the food wasn’t cold, and we were soon tucking into some really nice pizzas.

The pizzas tasted good, with plenty of topping. The bases were crisp and the sauce didn’t taste artificial. The garlic bread also tasted nice, with not a hint of garlic powder.

Gino’s justified it’s place as the got-to pizza takeaway shop locally.

Service (out of 10) – 10. Does what it says on the tine

Offer (out of 10) – 10. Pizza takeaway selling good pizzas.

Review – Shoreditch Inn, Shoreditch, London

I travelled down to London for work, and needed to be in the Old Street area. London is never cheap, as we know, and I was booked to stay here. The reviews looked promising.

First things first. I arrived in London late in the evening and headed to the Old Street tube. Walking along Old Street was OK from a safety viewpoint. There are plenty of people around. However, as I got closer to the hotel, I began to feel slightly less safe. I’d suggest anyone who is a little concerned about there safety gets a taxi here.

Entry to the hotel is on a buzzer system. The reception area is small, but functional. There is a PC with a printer and internet access. The greeting was friendly. They checked my ID and asked for a credit card for a security deposit. This isn’t the norm in my experience in the UK, and wasn’t advertised on Booking.com, so be aware that you will need to have a credit or debit card even if you stay here for work.

I was checked in and headed to my room. I was staying on the first floor, facing Hoxton Street and I didn’t hear any noise from the road, either at night or the next morning.

The room was well furbished, with a comfortable bed, tea and coffee making facilities and a TV. The en-suite was well finished too.

As it was late, I didn’t make much use of the room apart from sleeping, but as I said, I had no complaints, although an alarm going off in the hotel woke me at 6am. I was then woken again about an hour later as the builders started work on the room opposite. Not exactly a restful nights sleep. To be honest, if it had been a Premier Inn, I would have been asking for money back at this point.

The stay included breakfast, so getting dressed, I headed down to the lower ground to eat. The breakfast offer, styled as Continental, consists of Babybel cheese, cold Danish pastries and croissant, cereal and cold hard boiled eggs. You can help yourself to coffee and tea and juice cartons.

Service wasn’t great in the breakfast room. The staff were busy having a conversation, and there wasn’t a cleared table to sit at, so I made some space for myself, at which point a member of staff pushed past me to clear the pots. However, perhaps the best bit is being able to listen to members of staff as they go to use the disabled toilet which is directly off the breakfast area.

I quickly ate my breakfast, headed back to the room, packed, and left.

All in all, it wasn’t the greatest stay. I get that alarms go off. However, getting builders to start work at 7am is entirely the choice of the hotel. The breakfast comfortably goes down in my list of worst hotel breakfasts.

Needless to say, I won’t be back.

Service (out of 10) – 6. The reception greeting was good. However, the service in the breakfast room really let it down.

Offer (out of 10) – 4. Rooms are nice enough, but having the builders start work at 7am isn’t good. The breakfast offer was poor to say the least. 

Review – Nenno, Islington, London

An unscheduled catch-up with a an old friend led us here.

We arrived about 9.45pm and although the restaurant was very empty, the food smelt great.

We were greeted and seated promptly and given a few minutes to pick over the menu. There was a good choice of pizzas and pasta dishes along with some more substantial main courses, sides and starters.

We were left waiting a couple of minutes to order, nothing too long, but just long enough to question whether they had forgotten us in a mostly empty restaurant.

Once we had ordered, the drinks came out really quickly and the food wasn’t too far behind.

The food looked good. Plenty of toppings on the pizza and plenty of meat in a good looking carbonara sauce.

We tucked in, and the food tasted as good as it looked. It was really well made and very tasty.

My friend had to ask for parmesan cheese, which was a little disappointing though.

At the end of our meal, the plates were cleared promptly and we were left to finish our conversation before asking to settle the bill and leaving. We were asked as we left if we had enjoyed our food but until that point, we’d had no contact with the staff since we were served.

If I was in the area, I’d eat here again, but I wouldn’t rush back.

Service (out of 10) 6. Could do better. We had to initiate almost everything.

Offer (out of 10) 9. Great choice of food. Just needed a calzone and a dessert menu to top it off.