Reviewing pubs

[london calling]

Is it acceptable to review a pub without having a drink in it.I will only drink in a pub that has beer I want to drink. When it has smooth keg or bland lagers I give it the elbow but when a pub is busy you can often have a wander round without troubling the bar staff.On Pubs Galore Is the first rule- there are no rules or can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs.

[Mobyduck]

Is it acceptable to review a pub without having a drink in it.I will only drink in a pub that has beer I want to drink. When it has smooth keg or bland lagers I give it the elbow but when a pub is busy you can often have a wander round without troubling the bar staff.On Pubs Galore Is the first rule- there are no rules or can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs.
Personally I wouldn't review a pub I haven't stopped to have a drink in even if I have mistakenly walked into a pub with no real ale ,I'm not about to hang around. I know that many on this site want to do(tick) pubs regardless of the content and that's fair enough. For me ,I love finding new pubs , but they have to do good beer that I want to drink, in my case usually real ale, but I diversify , in short if I haven't had a drink in the establishment I don,t feel I could give a full review and wouldn't review it.

[sheffield hatter]

I've written reviews of many pubs that I haven't had a drink in, but I always make it clear that I didn't have a drink, and why I didn't have a drink, and I don't give a rating. So the answer to your question, "can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs" is "no", in my view.

[gillhalfpint]

Well that's me told then. I am quite happy sticking with Good Beer Guide pubs in future where I know I will get a decent real ale. I thought I was doing the site a favour by going round all the central York pubs that had no review and checking them out, and putting what I found. If it is not what you want on here, fine. I didn't put a rating on any that I had no ale in as it happens anyway.

[sheffield hatter]

Well that's me told then.

Perhaps you didn't see the last few words of my post: "in my view". So your view may be different, feel free to express it. I no more speak for the site than you do! We're all entitled to our views and this forum is where we express them. On another thread I applauded your efforts in going round all those unreviewed pubs in York - do you think I'm such a hypocrite that I'd have a go at you on a different thread? I merely expressed my opinion when asked, which is that I would review but not rate a pub where I walked out (for whatever reason) without having a drink. That's my view, and I wouldn't dream of imposing it on anyone else. (Hope you're enjoying the beer festival, by the way.)

[Strongers]

I've written reviews of many pubs that I haven't had a drink in, but I always make it clear that I didn't have a drink, and why I didn't have a drink, and I don't give a rating. So the answer to your question, "can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs" is "no", in my view.

I’ve not written many reviews without having a beer, but like SH I’ll always say why I’ve not had a beer. That said, I can remember rating a couple of pubs without drinking either because there was no beer, the service was outrageously rude or the place was a violent death trap.



Well that's me told then. I am quite happy sticking with Good Beer Guide pubs in future where I know I will get a decent real ale. I thought I was doing the site a favour by going round all the central York pubs that had no review and checking them out, and putting what I found. If it is not what you want on here, fine. I didn't put a rating on any that I had no ale in as it happens anyway.

I commend you for checking out places that you have little interest in and I see no problem with reviewing a pub that you haven’t had a beer in. I’ll drink anywhere, but if I have a limited time in an area reading a review that says that “there are only bottled beers” or “this is more of a restaurant but one can still sit at the small bar” I will give them the swerve in favour of a proper pub. I couldn’t care less whether the informant has had a beer there or not if it saves me wasting my time.

I think that the problem reviews are ones that start “I’ve never been in here but….”

So in answer to the original question, I think that there are no rules as long as the review is gospel.

[PaulOfHorsham]

Since the website is "Pubs Galore", there seems to be no reason at all why you should feel obliged to purchase before reviewing. I know that most of us have a preference for ale and the choice and condition varies and that is going to be a factor in deciding whether we wish to visit. However, casual visitors to the website may simply wish to know whether they can get a pint of Carling without being bothered by children, televisions or DVD sellers.

It seems to me lc, that, as long as what you contribute is fair comment, there's no obligation to buy at all, although you may want to say why you didn't stop for a drink.

[gillhalfpint]

Perhaps you didn't see the last few words of my post: "in my view". So your view may be different, feel free to express it. I no more speak for the site than you do! We're all entitled to our views and this forum is where we express them. On another thread I applauded your efforts in going round all those unreviewed pubs in York - do you think I'm such a hypocrite that I'd have a go at you on a different thread? I merely expressed my opinion when asked, which is that I would review but not rate a pub where I walked out (for whatever reason) without having a drink. That's my view, and I wouldn't dream of imposing it on anyone else. (Hope you're enjoying the beer festival, by the way.)

Sorry but it wasn't you Sheffield Hatter, it was the first thread on here that I felt was having a pop at me. I should have put the quote on when I replied. I was ok with what you said, honest.

Gill

[Mobyduck]

Is it acceptable to review a pub without having a drink in it.I will only drink in a pub that has beer I want to drink. When it has smooth keg or bland lagers I give it the elbow but when a pub is busy you can often have a wander round without troubling the bar staff.On Pubs Galore Is the first rule- there are no rules or can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs.


Well that's me told then. I am quite happy sticking with Good Beer Guide pubs in future where I know I will get a decent real ale. I thought I was doing the site a favour by going round all the central York pubs that had no review and checking them out, and putting what I found. If it is not what you want on here, fine. I didn't put a rating on any that I had no ale in as it happens anyway.


Sorry but it wasn't you Sheffield Hatter, it was the first thread on here that I felt was having a pop at me. I should have put the quote on when I replied. I was ok with what you said, honest.

Gill
Am I missing something here?
I thought the thread posed a straight forward question that has brought forth a few different thoughts on the matter ,and having read them tend to agree with most and possibly changed the way I thought about things. I saw no accusation's or finger pointing at all.:confused:

[gillhalfpint]

OK guys sorry if I was over sensitive on the matter and read it wrong. Will go and get some ale today in the proper pubs in York after 2 brilliant days with loads of decent beer at York beer festival.

[Mobyduck]

OK guys sorry if I was over sensitive on the matter and read it wrong. Will go and get some ale today in the proper pubs in York after 2 brilliant days with loads of decent beer at York beer festival.
Have a good day Gill

[Soup Dragon]

It is all individualistic isn't it. Each of us has a definition of what a pub is - or a beer garden for that matter.

For me, and this combines with other threads (and Sheffy's comment on that club, he has just posted):-

1. I never rate a pub out of 10 anyway
2. If a 'place' is on, i leave it on, just supply clear context ("this is in fact a club", "this charges a fee to get in", "this place does not do any draught beer" and "by Odin's teeth, what is it doing on PG?" .... and so forth.
3. I try to have a drink in every pub, in order to give it enough time to note if there are twigs or not; this may be a pint, half (several at the Lancaster!), soft drink, or coffee - but i always say what is on and what i have had.
4. If i can't do this, or chose not to, i usually say "this is a comment rather than a review".

It is all about context.

All-in-all, we are here to have fun and a beer, but use the opportunity to inform each other, and anyone else that cares, what is available at each place we visit. I bet half the people that read my reviews will go to the pubs i hate (modern, keggy places) as they know they will like them. For all the description, history and beer assessment I may or may not supply, some will just want the "best pint of Carling in the area" comment! So - any comment, review, or in the case of some, essay, is better than no entry at all.

Keep up the good work, all

[Farway]

Since the website is "Pubs Galore", there seems to be no reason at all why you should feel obliged to purchase before reviewing. I know that most of us have a preference for ale and the choice and condition varies and that is going to be a factor in deciding whether we wish to visit. However, casual visitors to the website may simply wish to know whether they can get a pint of Carling without being bothered by children, televisions or DVD sellers.

It seems to me lc, that, as long as what you contribute is fair comment, there's no obligation to buy at all, although you may want to say why you didn't stop for a drink.
I am with Paul on this, I have reviewed & rated pubs that I have not had a drink in, but always [I hope] give the reason, such as fed up with waiting to be served or perhaps ignored in an near empty bar while person behind bar chats to mates for instance

[hondo]

Is it acceptable to review a pub without having a drink in it.I will only drink in a pub that has beer I want to drink. When it has smooth keg or bland lagers I give it the elbow but when a pub is busy you can often have a wander round without troubling the bar staff.On Pubs Galore Is the first rule- there are no rules or can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs.

If you visited a pub and walked out because they had no real ale post that particulary if it has no other reviews off to the fitba now then tick off some more Edinburgh pubs trying to get Edinburgh into the top 20 list by % off pubs reviewed

[Bucking Fastard]

When I "Add" a pub to PuG,I sometimes leave an unrated comment if I know a little more about this pub apart from the fact that it is not yet on PuG.Normally something to do with availability of real ale,or the name of a chain it belongs to.I hope these comments are useful,but they are clearly not reviews.

In time,I do often get around to reviewing these "added" pubs in which case I will over write the comment with a review.

[ETA]

All-in-all, we are here to have fun and a beer, but use the opportunity to inform each other, and anyone else that cares, what is available at each place we visit... So - any comment, review, or in the case of some, essay, is better than no entry at all.

Keep up the good work, all

Brilliant summary Soupy - thanks.

[Aqualung]

All-in-all, we are here to have fun and a beer, but use the opportunity to inform each other, and anyone else that cares, what is available at each place we visit. I bet half the people that read my reviews will go to the pubs i hate (modern, keggy places) as they know they will like them. For all the description, history and beer assessment I may or may not supply, some will just want the "best pint of Carling in the area" comment! So - any comment, review, or in the case of some, essay, is better than no entry at all.

Keep up the good work, all



Brilliant summary Soupy - thanks.

I can't agree more!

[sheffield hatter]

Brilliant summary Soupy - thanks.

Especially the bit about Odin's teeth. :D

[Soup Dragon]

Mind you - with all the closures I have faced in Smethwick, and now Brum, I am less inclined to call them pub reviews - they are more site visits!:(