Good for a pint, not my choice for a meal out (The Smiths (Carlton))

Member Name: Rook252

Product:	The Smiths (Carlton)
Date:	03/11/09 (32 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reasonably priced drinks

Disadvantages: Expensive meals, poor quality food

The Smiths is a local village pub which serves food. As it is in the next village along from us, it's in a very convenient location. My fiancee used to go regularly several years ago, so now we've moved back to the area we decided to give it a try.

The Smiths, formally The Smiths Arms is a village pub on one side, and a gastro pub on the other. Both sides are completely seperate and have very different characters.

The gastro pub side has a small bar, and is decorated in a semi basic farm house style, vintage style details on the whitewashed walls and functional, chunky wood furniture.

The pub has undergone a change of ownership in the last year, and I can't say it has improved the menu. The prices have remained fairly high at around £12-£20 for a main course, but the standard of the food has dropped, from interesting and existing modern pub food, back to deep fried cod and chicken parmos. There is always a place in my heart for traditional pub grub, but I don't expect to spend more than £10 on a main course for it. In addition last time we went the chips were disgusting, very greasy, and old grease at that.

Often I can excuse expensive food if there is good atmosphere or excellent service, but again The Smiths fell short. The waitresses stood by the bar chatting, and we waited over 20 minutes for the bill, despite being one of only 3 tables occupied.

We have gone back and tried the menu 3 times since the change of ownership, keep thinking its just taking them a while to settle in, but it hasn't changed or improved. There is a lot of competition in the area, and for the money (around £45 for two people for three courses), we'd rather go elsewhere.

However the other side of the bar is fine, the bar is reasonably priced, and there are large screen flat screen tvs showing sporting events. There are a wide variety of on tap ales, and a variety of wines and spirits. The actual 'pub' side is great for a quiet drink with the guys.

Summary: Not my first choice