3. Angel - Over the bridge - Remenham (Brakspears)

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"I presume the owners of the Little Angel don't have children of their own. Would explain the cold and uncaring attitude to welcoming children into their pub." - Rani, November 2007

"The Little Angel gave me a warm welcome on my first visit to Henley. They accomodated 8 of us before a wedding for a quick, replenishment before heading off to the church. The food was fresh, delicious and arrived quickly to the table - with the staff fully understanding our time allowances. The decor was modern and funky, but not pretentious and the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming. I definately will re-visit and would recommend others to do so." - James, May 2007

"I am simply appauled by the owner of the Little Angel's attitude to diners with small children. I had lunch in there today and my baby son dropped some bread and crumbs (the bread was pretty stale so fell apart very easily and I later discovered we had been charged £1.50 for it!) on the floor and chair. He had not been any nuisance to any other diners, had been as quiet as a mouse, his only crime was crumbs, yet the owner was incredibly rude as he swept up the crumbs underneath him and told us that was precisely why he didnt have high chairs in the pub and that basically we weren't welcome. Having been just about to order our deserts and coffee we decided to leave and wont bother to ever go back. A shame as I was just thinking how nice the rest of his staff were." - Kristaat, November 2006

"Having popped in briefly to The Little Angel about a month ago I decided to arrange a few birthday drinks last week before we headed into town, meeting at 7.30pm on a Saturday night our rather strange costumes were welcomed and our quick drink turned into a couple of hours chatting with the friendly staff and the other customers in the bar. The food is excellent, the relaxing set up accommodates quiet dining, or a great place to meet with your friends for a chat before hitting the noisy and over crowded bars in the town centre and the chances are you'll probably end up staying. Simply put; A nice place to be, whatever the occasion." - Dave, October 2006

"I popped in to the Little Angel last thursday for a pint about 5.30 not having visited for a few years. There was one other gentleman at the bar, I waited for about 10 minutes to be served, when another couple walked in after a further 5 minutes they were served first and I was left to wait. I thought the barmaid showed a very unprofessional and unfriendly approach and coupled with the price I was immediately put off. I was looking forward to spending the evening with some friends over dinner but this slack front of house approach was very offputtting. We had a most enjoyable evening in the Baskerville instead." - Mick, October 2006

"After reading all the recent glowing reviews of the pub I decided to pop in for a pint one Saturday evening at about 9 pm. As I approached the pub I thought it was shut. There were no cars in the carpark, and no one in the pub. I walked in, confirmed it was open, and confirmed the pub was empty! Very odd indeed. I left without buying a beer." - Nick, August 2006

"Well done Steve & Lydia. Obviously two more impartial, honest individuals who have no agenda!! I too have relished this new arrival into Henley, albeit two years old. The pub is transformed in every way and only that it's a bit of a walk over our famous bridge or a drive and a taxi in the morning!...it's pretty much the nicest place in Henley for style, comfort and good food. I feel really comfortable there, even if I'm early to meet my friends. I am made feel really welcome. I love it, always a real good buzz there. Just wish the weather was warm all the time so I could sit in their garden and watch the cricket (love it) and watch the world go by. I simply don't understand all the bitching on previous accounts. It's a pub not a forum for inter business slagging sessions (I have been reading between the lines*)!! There are a wealth of other wonderful pubs in the surrounding area that can afford the same accolade, hope this site accommodates them. I only hope the present owner stays at The Little Angel, goodness knows what it'll turn into if and when they move on. Over and out - carry on." - D.Bollier, August 2006

" This pub is now better than it has been at any time in the last 20 years. Great atmosphere, tremendous service, excellent food and good real ale. I can thoroughly recommend it to people who are looking for a contemporary, upmarket, quality place to visit for a reasonably priced meal, a decent place to go for a few relaxing drinks with good friends, for an afternoon coffee etc etc etc. I rate it amongst my favourite venues in Henley along with the redeveloped Bull and the brand new but not ostentatiusly priced Hotel du Vin. I am not exactly sure what eclectic dining means, but I think it applies to all three of these venues. Oh, and if you want a really good pint and a meal, visit the Crown at Pishill, about ten minutes drive away in the direction of Nettlebed and then Stonor." - Steve, January 2006

"I organised a meal here on Thursday 22nd December for 17 old friends. After reading the reviews posted here i must confess i was a little worried in the lead up to the meal... it turned out i was worrying unnecessarily. The staff were very helpful, the food was fantastic and the surroundings superb! I have organised similar meals for the same group for the past 5 years at various restaurants in and around Reading. Our experience at The Little Angel was the best we've ever had. I and all of those who came to the meal would highly recommend The Little Angel as a great place to relax and enjoy good food." - Lydia, January 2006

"Having seen all the new reports I decided to pop in for a quick beer. It was the Sunday before Christmas, around 8:30 pm and the place was dead. There were three people watching telly and us. I had a pint of beer (ordinary) and it was drinkable, but not great. One beer and a small wine cost £6.30... We left after one drink and went to the Bird in Hand." - Nick, December 2005

"I was surprised to see such a volume of unpleasant reviews of this pub. I went there with a friend recently and found it to be a great space where you could have a lovely meal and a good conversation. I particularly enjoyed the sense of space. It was quite expensive, but apart from that thumbs up!" - Fiona, December 2005

"Since its refurbishment this has become one of the best pubs in the area. Great ambience, good music, fine ale & delicious Sunday Roast!" - Jon, December 2005

"What a nice change to find a pub that's 'got it all'! A great place to watch the rugby on a Saturday afternoon. We enjoyed the atmosphere supplied by the locals so much that we decided to return for dinner. The pub is quite a different place in the evening, very relaxed with welcoming staff and great food. The wine recommended by the owner was delicious and not a bad price either. Definately worth the walk over the bridge." - Kathryn, December 2005

"I had a very disappointing meal at this pub towards the end of last year which was only made up for by the great service and charming staff. However I have been back with my family for sunday lunch this summer and the charming staff all seem to have gone and been replaced with an arrogant landlord and surly barstaff. Food better but staff and service disgraceful." - Sue, August 2005

"We had not visited the Little Angel since last summer as a result of a terribly disappointing meal, accompanied by staff who are highly lacking in manners. We thought we would give it another chance due to new management and refurbishment. So disappointing. Super decor, such a shame about the pretentious sour faced staff, bland food and slow service." - Sally, July 2005

"After a threat of legal action against this site I decided to pop in to the 'Angel over the Bridge' for a beer. The pub has undergone an extensive refit and now appears light and airy. The new bar service are has definitly improved and looks a lot better. The pub now has extensive dining facilities with a large area dedicated to 'eating'. We had a meal. The steak was very good (£20) and the other dishes (we had six items from the menu) were good/OK. The beer was interesting. The 'ordinary' was quite good but the special had an odd taste. These days it is difficult to tell if the quality of the beer is due to the pub or the brewery as Brakspears seems to have had some quality issues since moving out of the town. I personally suspect the 'odd taste' was due to the brewery." - Nick, December 2004

"I would like to inform you and the rest of the world that The Little Angel underwent a £200,000 renovation in the Summer of 04'. The pub is now run by Douglas Green who was the Ops Director for a group of 16 very sucessful Gastro pubs in London. The pub is now spacious, stylish, eclectic and very, very comfortable with sofas, fantastic design, relaxed atmosphere and wonderful food - including the best Sunday lunches. Forget all the bad press below this review, this pub is back and is better than ever and I would welcome your visits." - Lolly, December 2004

"We have just taken over The Little Angel Pub and restaurant in Remenham Lane, Henley, and have noticed we are listed on your site.
I would like to update the details as we have a new menu, staff and phone numbers." - Rob, May 2003

"Decided to try a Sunday lunch at the 'famed' Little Angel as it had been suggested to me by a few colleagues. What a mistake!
To begin the bar had no Guinness on tap, nor did it have my second choice - Brakspear Special.
We had a a brief wait while a table was set for us (without condiments). As the roast beef had all gone, we chose a £10.95 Sausage with Red and White Onion gravy, and a £13.95 Duck with Lentil Confit. Pricey for a pub meal and we expected two quality dishes. Both were to come with roast potatoes and vegetable..
Now maybe I'm wrong but if I order sausage and onion gravy I would hope to see a heavy sauce loaded with onions and full of flavour. The sausages were not too bad - very meaty but a bit bland and not the sort of 'homemade' style you might expect. The gravy was worse - in fact not gravy at all but a watery brown substance swimming around the plate which had to be carefully flicked onto the fork and mostly ran off before you could get it near your mouth. Oh, and my plate was cold.
The duck looked well presented but was so undercooked as to be almost inedible. Surely the duck fat should cook through and tenderise the meat - well this was all quite tough and the fat on the outside was just that and no sign of crispyness
The roast potatoes were also a misnomer, a few small new potates in their skins that had been par-boiled and finished in the oven. Not good.
For both of us the side veg were reasonable varied and nicely al dente, though the portions were small and it wasnt very hot.
The service was also poor - the waiter whisked our plates with a "thank you", but without enquiring how we had found the meal, and later returned with menus for deserts and coffee. I suggested that we weren't having anything else as we found the whole thing disappointing. He showed no interest in finding out why and walked off!
The bill arrived after the waiter had quietly spoken to the manageress/proprietores(?). They had taken £5 off the main course, but still left a £20 bill, plus drinks and a 10% service charge had been added on. I asked this to be removed, we paid and as we left the manageress said "Thank you, goodbye" but still made no attempt to discover why we hadn't liked the experience.
Overall the impression given was slightly chaotic in terms of table setting, bar service and table service. It would seem that the Little Angel is surviving on reputation alone - it was quite busy after all, but in terms of quality and value for money, we could have had a better time at any number of other places back across the bridge in the town centre and not come away feeling let down and (still) overcharged. We won't be going back" - Jon, March 2003

"I visitied the Little Angel in Henley for the first time in Feb. 2003 for lunch with a friend. We enjoyed a quiet meal and attentive service and I am now looking for the pubs details on the net in order to book an evening meal with my husband. I have come accross your site and feel I should try to balance some of the extremely negative views also expressed here. The main people who have such poor opinions of this pub seem to be a. somewhat obsessed with knocking it and b. looking for a typical English pub, serving many beers and traditional pub fayre. Fair enough. But, as far as I can see, the Little Angel is not trying to fill this niche - there are plenty of other local pubs which do this very well. The Little Angel serves a reasonable selection of well kept brakspears bitters (I always drink bitter and we had a couple of pints and found it perfectly drinkable - nice even!) and an excellent selection of imaginative and tasty dishes, mostly using seasonal and very fresh ingredients. I also appreciated the fact that the dishes incorporated foriegn cooking styles but tended to English themes and flavours. There was tempting game and fish on the menu, but I had pasta with walnut pesto(ok, not English at all, but different, hearty and tasty) and then rice pudding with (real) raspberry coulis - delicious. The decor of the pub IS bright and not like that of a twee English pub and the lunch was expensive, but I dont think the owner means it to look like a traditional pub, and I accept that fresh, original and tasty food, never is cheap. Now, where will I find the details I need to book my next meal there.." - Eve, February 2003

"I appreciate that most of the comments about this establishment relate to the "pub" side, but I just wanted to let you know about the fantastic meal we had there a couple of weeks ago.
I'd not been there to eat since June last year, when, to be perfectly honest, the food was nothing to rave about. However, having heard that there was a new chef at the helm, we thought we'd give it another try. We're so glad we did. Our starters (Goats Cheese with poached pear in honey dressing and Roast Calamari with chilli and spinach stuffing) were delicious, and the mains (Maple Glazed Salmon with braised leeks and Braised Lamb Shank with garlic mash)were exquisite. We had little room for dessert, but opted for the ginger Creme Brulee and the Lemon & Lime Tart - both a fantastic end to a fabulous meal.
Talking to the waiter, he informed us that there is indeed new Head Chef, who started in November. The standard of food is very high and I would urge anyone who enjoys their food to give The Little Angel another try. You won't be disappointed.
I can't comment on the Brakspears as I'm not a bitter drinker, but enjoyed a good bottle of Sauvingnon Blanc." - Mike, February 2003

"I would like to add my comments about this pub after having a very disappointing reunion with some old friends there yesterday. When I first looked at the menu, I was amazed at how expensive the dishes were but presumed this would be reflected in the quality. However.... the roast beef was stringy and tasteless - a snip at £11.99! My friend had the soup of the day and could manage little more than a few mouthfuls as it tasted like the chef had poured a whole packet of pepper in there. I opted for the 'meal sized' risotto and was glad I had as it was not exactly huge - although the plate was!
To add insult to injury, today we realised that my husbands card had been overcharged - twice....
All in all, I have never had such an unappetising and over priced lunch out - I would strongly recommend you go elsewhere!" - Claire, February 2003

"As promised I popped in to the Angel - Over the Bridge for a quick beer. The pub was really busy and packed out. Lots of people coming in. Got served very quickly which was excellent. However, I was slightly surprised when I asked for a pint of ordinary and the barman asked what I wanted! Beer was £2.50 per pint and, I regret to say, awful. Strong sulphurous smell associated with the beer and the after-taste was all wrong. At the time I did not know if this was due to the pub or the recent changes in the way Brakspears bitter is brewed. The beer was also served at a very low temperature. Later in the evening I was in the Crooked Billet and the Brakspears bitter tasted like Brakspears bitter of old. Therefore, I think the beer taste in the Angel - Over the Bridge must be due to the pub.
A quick survey of the bar showed that most of the people were drinking wine or larger, in fact I could not spot another beer drinker.
As the beer warmed the taste became worse. I could not finish my pint, and the person with me left most of theirs.
Couldn't see much of the rest of the pub as it was so busy and therefore I didn't see the 'tapas' look. However, the front bar was covered in small red tiles which were coming away from the bar surface in a number of places." - Nick, December 2002

"I visited the Little Angel 2 weeks ago (November 2002) and having not been for a couple of years was very impressed by the new decor and theme. The food was excellent and the service was friendly & efficient. I have just found your page whilst searching for the Little Angel to see if they had a web site and I must say I am surprised by the previous negative reviews especially as some of them are 7 years old. Much can change in that time and the evening we went it was very busy and the atmosphere great. The Little Angel has much to offer and you should definitely try it for yourself. We have already booked to go back at Christmas.
One further comment to the person who complained that the decor was the wrong colour...we met the landlord and landlady that evening and as the landlady is Spanish she would seem to be in a better position to decide what authentic Spanish decor should be rather than someone who spends the occasional week in Toremelinos!" - John, December 2002

"Received an interesting e-mail from 'the proprietor' (whatever happened to landlords?) of the Angel - Over the Bridge. Below is a copy of the e-mail and my reply." - Webmaster, November 2002

"Dear Ashley,
Again, thank you for your comments.
I have had a look at the site and would like to take this opportunity to raise a few points.
The website has been running since 1994 and yours is the first complaint I have received. I have received many requests for information and also many e-mails thanking me for a useful resource.
The website was founded in the early days of the world-wide web and follows the free and open traditions of the internet.
One point in your e-mail I must correct. The postings are not anonymous and I have the original e-mail for every post. In addition, I have visited the Angel on many occasions, I personally know a number of the people who have sent messages, and I tend to agree with most of the material posted.
My last visit to the Angel was in late June/early July and I did not see anything that I felt needed to be added to, or corrected on, the website. I will visit the Angel in the next few weeks and file a new report if necessary.
If there are any specific points you would care to address I would be willing to consider them.
Thanks again for your input,
webmaster@rg9" - Webmaster, November 2002

"Dear Webmaster
I am the proprietor of The Little Angel, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon
On your site as Angel over the bridge
I cannot believe that in this day and age of litigation you are prepared to put up on your site such comments not knowing anything of the background or authenticity of the writer.
I would like the negative comments removed as they have now been there for long enough
These views are extremely personal to the writer and not helpful to anyone else especially to my business
Would you kindly remove either all negative comments or the complete listing
I await you confirmation of receipt of this e-mail and your response
You cannot hide behind a disclaimer regarding content on your web site
You are very much responsible in the eyes of the law and the internet services providers and domain name authorities
I await in anticipation
Ashley Bundock
The Little Angel
ashley@thelittleangel.com" - Ashley Bundock, November 2002

"This "pub" is HORRIFIC ! It's pretending to be a Spanish Tapas bar with bright orange walls (terracotta is more usual) and tacky decoration. The tapas menu is very poor and very unimaginative as well. The main restaurant area is a huge soulless barn of a place. The whole "pub" has a very musty smell, not very pleasant. They have obviously done something nasty to this pub as there is a retrospective planning permission outside for changing a listed building (very naughty).
NOW THE BAD NEWS !! They had Brakspears Bitter on handpull. We had a pint each, 'five pounds please' said the barmaid ! £2.50 for a very average tasting, freezing cold, pint of 3.4% beer. Even worse, having looked at the bar prices menu a pint of lemonade is also £2.50 and a 32p bag of crisps costs 50p.
Disgusting place ! Don't even think of visiting!" - Ian & Kevin, October 2001

"Having worked in this pub in the early 70's my subsequent visits have disappointed. From a wonderful local pub making all their own food, even the mayonnaise to a tacky copy of a not so good London eatery... exploitation at its worst !" - Lorraine, June 2001

"Angel Over the Bridge - looks promising from the outside because of the location, next to the cricket pitch, the sign claiming that it's a building of special architectural interest or some such, and the colourful window boxes. But inside is a mess. Oppressive, bright red decor (last time I was there, at any rate) and a tacky conservatory for food sales. I'd say it's trying to stop being a pub and to be a restaurant instead, which is a shame." - Tim, May 1998

"A little pricey, but good food and one of the more extensive dining areas (actually several dining area). This is the place to take someone out for a bite to eat where privacy is important. Since it is next to the Henley cricket club grounds, aficionados can enjoy a good pint while watching the game on summer weekends." - Bill, September 1996

"Nice atmosphere.... business people a lot of the time, even in the evenings. Can usually find a seat here because there are loads of tables and space. Do a great fancy dress on New Years Eve. Restaurant available (Nice food, good quality). Garden backs onto the busiest road in Henley! Very tranquil (not!). Not a place to meet people and get chatting... and personally I find the service REALLY slow... I have walked out of there before because they were soooo SLLLOOOOWWW." - Luci, August 1996

"I do not like this pub. It has no atmosphere and is expensive. Bar staff made Luci wait for a drink once." - Mary, July 1995

"I also am not very fond of this pub. The few times I have used it I have found it pricey and slow!" - Nick, July 1995