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.