I can only assume that Gordon Ramsay is now in residence at the Dulwich Wood House. They are today charging £8.50 for pate as a starter!!!!!
Just sent back microwaved lettuce and soggy bread so it is possible that he isn't there.
I've emailed Youngs after this visit. I didn't want a refund, I wanted nice food in the first place.
SydenhamHillWife has burned her mouth on the crazy nuked lettuce - please avoid until further notice!
Gordon Ramsay at the Dulwich Wood House
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SydenhamHillAndy
- Posts: 116
- Joined: 20 Jul 2007 15:01
- Location: SE26
I must admit to mixed feelins here
We organised a wake in July at the Woodhouse and the food , service etc was great,
But the couple of times I have been up since , both lunchtimes not at all great. Food and drink overpriced in extreme and also piped music ( for want of a better name ) piped throughout the establishment.
I did complain to couple of the staff about the music but they looked at me like I was from another world.
Great shame remember the Pub in the 70's , although still a basis pub was even then more upmarket than others in the area.
We organised a wake in July at the Woodhouse and the food , service etc was great,
But the couple of times I have been up since , both lunchtimes not at all great. Food and drink overpriced in extreme and also piped music ( for want of a better name ) piped throughout the establishment.
I did complain to couple of the staff about the music but they looked at me like I was from another world.
Great shame remember the Pub in the 70's , although still a basis pub was even then more upmarket than others in the area.
There have been other threads on this.
The DWH is a pub in turmoil. The owners and staff seem devoid of any pro-active ideas.
I hope they sort it out soon, because its reputation has taken an absolute hammering over the past year. I am still in possession of a 'refund voucher' (after complaining of two horrendous visits to the place) entitling me and friends to a meal and drinks. I haven't used it because the place needs to up its game considerably before i venture back.
The DWH is a pub in turmoil. The owners and staff seem devoid of any pro-active ideas.
I hope they sort it out soon, because its reputation has taken an absolute hammering over the past year. I am still in possession of a 'refund voucher' (after complaining of two horrendous visits to the place) entitling me and friends to a meal and drinks. I haven't used it because the place needs to up its game considerably before i venture back.
The investment that has gone into the place over last couple of years must be costing the brewery a fortune.
What market are they aiming at and is that market there in big enough numbers?
A remember when we went to book the wake the , I think new assistant manager , said he was unable to disturb the manager ( who was talking to the area manager ) to confirm date free. It seems amazing that an internal meeting takes precedence over a booking , at a normally quiet time , for 100 people. In the commercial world I lived in the customer came before internal meetings.
I must say however that the wake went very well.
I know they do not want what used to their regulars , whom I assume have been relegated to The Talma etc.
The Unnecessary music really annoys me. Last time was bout 2pm in Sept in the patio ish area. Total clients in all pub about 7. Average age over 60. Yet music was rap etc. As U said I complained and they looked at me as I was mad. One of many establishments when music for staff not customers.
What market are they aiming at and is that market there in big enough numbers?
A remember when we went to book the wake the , I think new assistant manager , said he was unable to disturb the manager ( who was talking to the area manager ) to confirm date free. It seems amazing that an internal meeting takes precedence over a booking , at a normally quiet time , for 100 people. In the commercial world I lived in the customer came before internal meetings.
I must say however that the wake went very well.
I know they do not want what used to their regulars , whom I assume have been relegated to The Talma etc.
The Unnecessary music really annoys me. Last time was bout 2pm in Sept in the patio ish area. Total clients in all pub about 7. Average age over 60. Yet music was rap etc. As U said I complained and they looked at me as I was mad. One of many establishments when music for staff not customers.
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stone-penge
- Posts: 292
- Joined: 5 Nov 2004 14:40
- Location: Newlands park
Stone
I am not sure whether you are praising or criticising the Woodhouse.
I beliebe The W would not like to be refered to anymore as just a Pub.
A restuarant or very least gastro pub would , i think , be their intention.
I think there are many people who would pay over the odds for good food , atmosphere and service. Buit from what I have seen and heard to often all 3 are missing.
I am not sure whether you are praising or criticising the Woodhouse.
I beliebe The W would not like to be refered to anymore as just a Pub.
A restuarant or very least gastro pub would , i think , be their intention.
I think there are many people who would pay over the odds for good food , atmosphere and service. Buit from what I have seen and heard to often all 3 are missing.
I think stone-penge you are giving undue credit where it is not really deserved.
All Young's pubs in good areas have undergone extensive remodelling in the past few years. They're a bit identa-kit. Heavy flock wallpaper, leather arm-chairs etc. They all look at bit like a 3*** hotel lounge. In that sense there are some similarities with The Dolphin. Sydenham Hill has a fair bit of cash so they decided to concentrate on the foodie route rather than the boozy route.
That is where any favourable comparison with The Dolphin begins and ends. They are diametrically opposite in terms of execution. The DWH has poor food, is dark and if it were not for the climes it finds itself in I would no longer ever go to the DWH. To be crass, it's sh*t.
Eagle's earlier post just about sums it up. To play R&B or 'street' music when the clientele at that time is almost exclusively retirees is bordering on downright bloody rude. Seven 60year olds are your only customers and you're playing Dizee Rascal!!??
What price DWH becoming another set of converted flats on Sydenham Hill in the not too distant future? A bit like the 'White House' or whatever it's called on Crescent Wood Road.
I can see it happening.
All Young's pubs in good areas have undergone extensive remodelling in the past few years. They're a bit identa-kit. Heavy flock wallpaper, leather arm-chairs etc. They all look at bit like a 3*** hotel lounge. In that sense there are some similarities with The Dolphin. Sydenham Hill has a fair bit of cash so they decided to concentrate on the foodie route rather than the boozy route.
That is where any favourable comparison with The Dolphin begins and ends. They are diametrically opposite in terms of execution. The DWH has poor food, is dark and if it were not for the climes it finds itself in I would no longer ever go to the DWH. To be crass, it's sh*t.
Eagle's earlier post just about sums it up. To play R&B or 'street' music when the clientele at that time is almost exclusively retirees is bordering on downright bloody rude. Seven 60year olds are your only customers and you're playing Dizee Rascal!!??
What price DWH becoming another set of converted flats on Sydenham Hill in the not too distant future? A bit like the 'White House' or whatever it's called on Crescent Wood Road.
I can see it happening.
I don't think he is. Best pub in Sydders by a [very long] country mile.bensonby wrote:stone-penge wrote:the best Pub in Sydenham:The Dolphin.
you are taking the mick right?
I've given all the others at least two goes...and frankly places like The Golden Lion et al were lucky to get that.
Twice bitten, they'll never get another penny. And frankly, they need it. I reckon without their Jazz nights The Golden Lion would be closed down.
I would agree that The Dolphin is probably the best pub in SE26 now.
Golden Lion not bad and indeed improved no end since smoking ban.
In my lifetime of drinking undoubtably the best pub was The Bricklayers in the era from 71 to about 80 when Tom and Daisy were in charge.Doubt if we will ever see the like again.
Golden Lion not bad and indeed improved no end since smoking ban.
In my lifetime of drinking undoubtably the best pub was The Bricklayers in the era from 71 to about 80 when Tom and Daisy were in charge.Doubt if we will ever see the like again.
At the risk of repeating what I've said before on other threads, I think that the Dolphin is very good at what it does but is not a traditional pub (i.e. it has events such as plays, has a well designed garden and good food, and it does attract people who might not go to other pubs in the area) but that the Golden Lion has a very different "offer" (sorry for the horrible marketing-speak) that really does appeal to a mostly rather different demographic - it's an old-fashioned place with good beer and a friendly atmosphere that you might call an "old man's pub". I don't think there's anything wrong with either approach and it's perfectly natural if you prefer one or the other, or even that you're quite happy to go to both. "Best pub in Sydenham" is I think the wrong thing to think about - it's what you prefer that matters. Sydenham is a diverse area, so having a real choice and variety is a good thing. After all, wouldn't life be boring if every pub was the same?
The DWH though seems to have alienated its old customers without attracting new ones - they've tried to attract a newer, richer clientele but so far as I can see have largely failed, because they don't do well so many of the things that the Dolphin get right. The real danger, as Ulysses rightly points out, is that it ends up being converted into flats, and what a shame that would be.
The DWH though seems to have alienated its old customers without attracting new ones - they've tried to attract a newer, richer clientele but so far as I can see have largely failed, because they don't do well so many of the things that the Dolphin get right. The real danger, as Ulysses rightly points out, is that it ends up being converted into flats, and what a shame that would be.
A well balanced reply Thomas. I'd like to retract my earlier attack on The Golden Lion. It's an OK pub. Certainly it ought not to be bundled in with the 'Two Halfwits' of this world.
That written, I'm a stickler for judging any pub as much on it's ambience/beer/clientele as on it's loos. And in this regard The Golden Lion fails miserably. Last time I was in there there were cracked tiles galore, leaking pipes and a very unappealing lavatory. If I find that in a restaurant or bar I tend to do a swift volte-face...
Perhaps they have been renovated since last I was there?
That written, I'm a stickler for judging any pub as much on it's ambience/beer/clientele as on it's loos. And in this regard The Golden Lion fails miserably. Last time I was in there there were cracked tiles galore, leaking pipes and a very unappealing lavatory. If I find that in a restaurant or bar I tend to do a swift volte-face...
Perhaps they have been renovated since last I was there?
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Trawlerman
- Posts: 318
- Joined: 17 Sep 2009 13:56
- Location: Sydenham
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SydenhamHillAndy
- Posts: 116
- Joined: 20 Jul 2007 15:01
- Location: SE26
I have heard back from Young's Brewery. I had pointed them at the threads about the Woodhouse on here and the regional manager said that he was aware of the them.
A new chef will be starting on the 25th of January and they are reviewing the menu. I'll be giving them a go once new chef has settled in and I hope to be able to write a positive review then.
A new chef will be starting on the 25th of January and they are reviewing the menu. I'll be giving them a go once new chef has settled in and I hope to be able to write a positive review then.
Well I suppose it could be good news, though the problems were more than just the chef – in fact I'm not convinced that the chef was necessarily the problem. But we'll see.SydenhamHillAndy wrote:I have heard back from Young's Brewery. I had pointed them at the threads about the Woodhouse on here and the regional manager said that he was aware of the them.
A new chef will be starting on the 25th of January and they are reviewing the menu. I'll be giving them a go once new chef has settled in and I hope to be able to write a positive review then.
I haven't eaten there for ages because I thought it very overpriced and the menu very odd, but if they want some tips here they are:
Don't have millions of things on the menu, just have a few, and DO THEM WELL, and consistently well, not just sometimes.
A meal should come with all the things you expect of a balanced meal. I don't want to have to order a side dish of vegetables that will be far more than one person can eat.
The meals should be normal sized portions (they were a bit meagre last time I visited).
People eating in the restaurant part should be brought bread for free, otherwise it's a flaming cheek to not let 'drinkers' sit there.
There. Those are my demands! The DWH is two minutes walk from where I live and I want it to be good!
The problem with the Dulwich Wood House extends way beyond the food. It's the quixotic nature of the refurbishment that has determined it has dropped off this posters list of destinations in the local area.
I fail to see what was wrong with the previous lay-out. Now, it appears if you're only there for drinks you are shoe-horned into the lean-to, the garden [weather permitting] or a few tables near the bar. Far too many tables are given over to the restaurant area, which hardly anyone is ever using as the food is so poor...
If they want some tips, as with Julwz, then I would remind them that the chilli with 'rustic hewn bread' that was on the menu when they initially reopened was good.
I fail to see what was wrong with the previous lay-out. Now, it appears if you're only there for drinks you are shoe-horned into the lean-to, the garden [weather permitting] or a few tables near the bar. Far too many tables are given over to the restaurant area, which hardly anyone is ever using as the food is so poor...
If they want some tips, as with Julwz, then I would remind them that the chilli with 'rustic hewn bread' that was on the menu when they initially reopened was good.