Botanic Inns

[Bazza]

So would my suggestion of having a future Friday meet in the Bot, to try out my extensive range of Coors/Bavaria/Bud and Miller clones, not be a popular one?

-Barry

[stanwellback]

So would my suggestion of having a future Friday meet in the Bot, to try out my extensive range of Coors/Bavaria/Bud and Miller clones, not be a popular one?

-Barry

as popular as cask breathers at camra

[Bill_00]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22515615

Wish I could shelve my debts as easily as Mr Magorrian seems to have been able to...

[Bazza]

Yeah, had to laugh when I saw that on the news last night. Maybe I'll default on my mortgage and change my name to 'Horatio'.

The silver lining is that the 2 bestest bars in the whole wide world are saved: The Elms and the Fly. I'm off down the local chapel to light a candle in thanksgiving.

-Barry

[Bill_00]

The irony of Horatio Todd's not being on the list of venues he's taken over?...

[Bazza]

The irony of Horatio Todd's not being on the list of venues he's taken over?...

Yep, a rat was well and truly smelled there. And I'm not referring the the Bot's delicious tapas platter.

-Barry

[Bazza]

Actually, thinking about it, the fact that they saved possibly the 3 worst bars in Belfast (forgot to mention the Whig in earlier post) may not necessarily be a bad thing. They'll hopefully continue to keep the majority of culchies and spides out of the decent bars.

-Barry

[Bazza]

At the risk of digging up a very old thread here:

Botanic Inn's, while providing nothing particularly special, don't really have a "bad" bar..and they all have a strong food offering.

I take it you've never been to the Elms then? It's possibly the single worst bar in the UK. It's a seeping pustule in the arse crack that is the bulk of the Belfast bar scene. A truly awful place. Never liked it, never will.

Well, here's a case of be careful of what you wish for. I know I'm a little late to this news but it appears the Elms has closed down to be replaced by a Tesco. Much as I hated the bar, do we really need another bloody Tesco?

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/community-telegraph/south-belfast/last-orders-at-the-elms-as-landmark-pub-closes-29733836.html


Seems to be a trend where (apparently due to drink licenses), but the recently closed Rosetta Bar, round the corner from our house, also looks likely to be replaced by ...guess what... a Tesco! Bloody Hell.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/community-telegraph/south-belfast/community-fights-plan-for-tesco-at-rosetta-site-29772179.html

In my 5 years living in the area I never actually made it to the Rosetta (though I frequently threatened to) but I hate the idea of a pub being replaced by something as unimaginative as a Tesco, especially when there's already a Co-op next fecking door.


-Barry

[Bazza]

Think of the possibilities! You don't have to travel as far now to buy overpriced stuff!

Yeah, but there was always the Co-op next door for that.

-Barry

[Quiet_Man]

Jeez, Bazza. I feel your pain. Not another b***** Tesco. We're surrounded by them!

They did the same on the Ormeau Rd, opening a few doors down from the Centra. There was already 4 Tesco within 5 mins in the area.

Mind you, I've lived in the area 11 years, and I only ever threatened to visit the Rosetta Bar. There's always the Parkview/Continental at the bottom of Ravenhill? Classic.

[Will_D]

Could be worse:

It might have been a Fek**n shoe shop!

At least in a Tescos a man can find something to spend hard earned cash on!

Shoes: Fe**k em all I say!

Queue the 4 Yorkshire men sketch (AGAIN)

[Bazza]

There's always the Parkview/Continental at the bottom of Ravenhill? Classic.

Don't joke, but I used to work for a firm in Ravenhill business park down there and we used to go to the Park View for Friday lunchtime pints. What can I say; it was close. 

Anyway, one day we were politely told to never come back. Lovely place.

-Barry

[Bazza]

So I was out on Thursday night to one of the bars previously owned by Botanic Inns - McHughs.

We had our work team Christmas dinner there, booked a couple of months ago. We always have a vote from about 5 possible venues and I voted for McHughs, remembering great food from previous visits and the fact you were guaranteed a couple of decent local ales on tap.

Well, not so any more, on both the food and the beer front.

The waiter was genuinely taken aback at my face of total despair when, upon me asking what ales they had on tap, he answered 'Em, Bass'. He explained that in the couple of months since we booked the place it was bought over (name escapes me but they've bought a few bars recently) and they changed all the taps for the generic collection of fizzy piss. I settled for a bottle of Copperhead, but I can drink bloody bottles at home. We ordered a few 20 quid bottles of shiraz which tasted like oven cleaner. A real throat-burner.

As for the food, most of us ordered steaks (a guaranteed McHughs winner from past experience), but this time around, the nicest comment I heard about the steak was "well enough cooked but small and completely tasteless - Tesco value cuts all round". £30 (plus £4 supplement for the bloody steak) a head for a 3-course meal that lacked any effort or thought towards the paying customer. I was only glad that work was paying for it, otherwise I'd have felt completely ripped off.

On the plus side we had the downstairs disco pretty much to ourselves all night, and the DJ at our disposal, so I got me 'Safety Dance' fix, plenty of Tequilas and a new fear of going anywhere near Facebook for a year or so.

Pint-wise I settled on the Staropramen but it tasted watered down.

Another example of a decent bar being 'saved' but going to the dogs at the same time. Never again.


-Barry

[DEMPSEY]

Had many a waiter with a shocked look on them when I asked what was on offer But then again I do like to ask just to get a response  and will continue to do so  : 

[Bazza]

Had many a waiter with a shocked look on them when I asked what was on offer But then again I do like to ask just to get a response  and will continue to do so  : 

Hah! Yeah; that's half the fun. Didn't help my case when I replied loudly to his face 'No ales on tap - that's the only reason I voted for this bloody place!' Felt a little bad; it's not like it was his fault. Still, if it gets passed upwards it all helps.

-Barry