The White Bear Reviews Summary

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "The staff were helpful and handled everything well even though it was busy."
• "We had my boyfriends 30th there this weekend and staff could not have been more helpful!"
• "The staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was absolutely delicious."
• "Everybody was very friendly and welcoming."
• "Additionally, the staff was great, kind and extremely friendly."
• "The staff did help. Highly recommend."
• "The service is fast and friendly."

Cons:

• "Pretty bad experience at the restaurant... waiters very clumsy."
• "Service could improve. No eye contact, no knowledge of who was first so you end up waiting far too long."
• "I've never experienced such bad bar service when it wasn't even busy."
• "Local pub with decent food, however the service is ALWAYS terrible."
• "Stood at the bar waiting for service for over 5 minutes."
• "The service was shockingly slow and unprofessional."
• "The bartender was rude, very late and ended up returning the bottle of wine we ordered because 'there are no two glasses'."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The food here is sensational, and if we could have ordered one of every dish on the menu, we would have!"
• "Had a vegetarian option roast dinner with a beetroot, freekeh, mushroom and spinach Wellington which I recommend and very much enjoyed."
• "Consistently creative pub menu offering superb quality in Kennington."
• "The food was glorious and the location is perfect with so much outdoor space to enjoy in the sun with a cider in hand too."
• "The flavor of all the dishes was spectacular, the meat pie is a must try and the best representative of London food."
• "The food was amazing well worth the money."
• "The food is extremely delicious. Cooked very well and served in good time."

Cons:

• "The fish finger sandwich contained two thin overcooked and dry fish fingers within two massive pieces of bread."
• "The chips were greasy, having been refried too many times."
• "Food was awful my sausage and mash was small and in a soup bowl and the mash was lumpy."
• "The vegan roulade was strange and slimy (seemed to have been defrosted), and also small."
• "Pork belly roast was not crispy."
• "However...I ordered my food and was pretty disappointed."
• "Food could be great but was poorly timed (my companion's meal was stone cold)."

Atmosphere and Decor

Pros:

• "The pub is absolutely massive and it has a really cozy feel to it."
• "It makes you feel like one of the regulars with the local pub ambience."
• "What a lovely place, very comfortable, friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere."
• "The decor and vibe of this pub is worth spending an evening here."
• "Really interesting layout and decor as far as pubs go."
• "This pub is charming and full of character - a great place for a drink."
• "Really nice gastro pub, great layout, plenty of seats."

Cons:

• "The pub seems to not know what it is."
• "It tries to cater to all personalities and I think in doing so, loses its own personality."
• "Kids, dogs and babies have no business being in a pub for hours on end."
• "It's not a pub atmosphere anymore."
• "It's such a shame, though, to be smelling like a toilet the moment you step in."
• "Has a nice cozy atmosphere but is in need of some serious updating, especially toilets and carpets leading upstairs and into the theater."
• "The theatre itself was really small and unprofessional amateur sort of theatre."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "Great service (and no service charge added to the bill whether you got good service or not), great prices (both food and drink)."
• "Wine list is decent and well priced."
• "The prices were very reasonable."
• "Food is good."
• "The food is really nice and fairly priced."
• "Prices are fair."
• "Absolutely massive roast dinners, tasty and insanely filling with a good choice of beers to go with it."

Cons:

• "Bar is also eye-wateringly expensive."
• "£21 for a pie with steak and ale pie with scarcely any steak was a bit much."
• "Wine is expensive however, most £30 and upwards."
• "To top it off, the prices have gone up and really aren't worth it."
• "A little over priced."
• "I feel like London just charges what it wants knowing most people won't complain."
• "Very expensive and I won't be returning."

Inclusivity

Pros:

• "The team are all so friendly and helpful."
• "The service and wait staff are friendly and hospitable."
• "Great option for hot days with large outside, plenty of tables and air con inside."
• "I am definitely looking forward to going again! It felt super welcoming."
• "The pub is just the right balance of local and welcoming."
• "All the staff were friendly, knowledgeable and attentive."
• "The staff are extremely helpful."

Cons:

• "Loved going there before COVID-19... Went there today for the first time in half a year. It's as though they haven't heard of the pandemic."
• "Would not recommend to any member of the LGBTQ+ community. This establishment is not an ally."
• "Member of staff made what we (as the only gay men in the restaurant) interpreted to be a targeted comment, which completely ruined our experience."
• "In 2023 I have zero patience for homophobia in even the smallest instances."
• "Awful experience with one member of extremely rude staff."
• "This member of staff needs an attitude check and some training."
• "Bar staff are not friendly and treat customers like they are an inconvenience."