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From the
https://www.newsshopper.co.uk 1st August 2002.
A cold reception for Pub Spy at the Rose of Denmark.
ON a recent and extensive crawl in Greenwich, I was generally very
impressed by the quality of the boozers in the town.
All, but one.
I remember drinking in the "Rose of Denmark" on Greenwich High Road
before I became a professional spy, and being highly impressed by
the quality of the atmosphere and the service.
So I expected good things on a return visit, but sadly, I think
things have taken a turn for the worse.
The atmosphere inside the pub was one of ice-cold indifference.
Various lone older men sat about with looks on their faces like the
world was about to end.
Decor-wise, things are looking really knackered. But the real killer
is the service.
My pal (a spying recruit who can only be identified as AV) asked me
what I was drinking and I decided on a pint of Websters bitter.
The lovely barmaid snapped back: "No."
I wondered why not. Was it perhaps that she didn't want to serve us
at all or just that there was no Websters?
I replied: "Is if off then?"
She snapped: "Yep," in the sort of tone that would suggest I was
stupid to even ask in the first place.
I marked her a 0/10 for politeness and customer care, but a
resounding 10/10 for succinct sarcasm.
I managed, with some difficulty, to order a pint of John Smiths and
my pal and I repaired to the pool table for a few lazy frames.
Seeing as a couple of bar-hoggers were sat right next to the pool
table, we were unable to place our pints on the bar without getting
in their way, so we put our drinks on top of the sizeable radiator
on the wall.
But a few minutes later, the utterly pleasant barmaid spied our
beers, and screamed: "Oi! Take your glasses off there!"
We were dumbfounded, but also angry at this, especially because the
tone of her verbal assault was similar to one employed by a mother
chastising a misbehaving toddler.
Why did this barmaid feel she could be so downright rude to us? Why
did she make us feel as if we were lucky to be served at all?
Except for a large, friendly Turkish man, just about everyone in
this pub when we visited was gloomy-faced and thoroughly
unwelcoming.
With more decent pubs within a square mile of this place than I can
count on my hands, I thoroughly recommend you avoid The Rose of
Denmark when visiting Greenwich.
Doubtless there will be regulars who disagree with me, but the
service I encountered was quite honestly some of the worst I've ever
come across in south east London. |
