17. Victoria - Fawley Court

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"I stumbled accross this site accidently and was dismayed at the snobbery of the reviews. As the Victoria has been my preferred drinking hole for the seven years I have lived in Henley, I felt the need to have my say! The Vic is not posh or classy, it doesn't claim to be! But, if you want a pint in a friendly, down-to-earth, traditional boozer, then the Vic's the place to go! It's comfy and familiar and there's always a freindly face to talk to, personally that is exactly what I want from a Pub!!! Oh and as for the 'mass brawl' you can't believe everything you read in the paper - the reality wouldn't have made quite such a good story! As a single woman, I can honestly say i don't know of anywhere i feel safer!" - Jo, July 2007

"Rumour has it that after the recent trouble at the pub and a series of complaints made by people living nearby that the landlord and landlady are going to sell up and move." - Nick, August 2006

"Stuck my head around the door thinking I may go in for a pint and left! Later that day there was a 'Mass Brawl' (to use the words of the local newspaper - further details) in the pub." - Nick, July 2006

"i lived in the vic for 2year [sic] and it was a **** hole when we moved in and now it the place to go in henley. all the young people go in there now so i think u [sic] need too go back in if u [sic] think its a **** hole cause [sic] its [sic] really nice. it was even better when i was livin [sic] in there it has good food and even better drink." - Abbie, March 2006

"I have drunk in Henley since I was 16 and I can tell you now that the vic as it stands today is without doubt the worst pub that there has ever been in my 36 years of drinking, you might as well stay at home put on the tv and the radio as loud as you can, becuse you will have a more enjoyable time than any normal drinker. When I last went in there it was with my 18 year old son. It's just as well that we didn't want to talk to anybody becuse it would have been totally impossible we even had a job to make the barman understand what we were ordering (MODERN PUBS YOU CAN KEEP EM)" - Mark, November 2005

"The Victoria in my opinion is the best pub in Henley and this is due to a number of reasons;
It is one of the only pubs that actually puts its regulars first. This is very important especially at Regatta time when many pubs are more interested in making money not looking after its regualar customers who give them their business 51 weeks of the year.
It has a happy medium and attracts a variety of customers from students to professionals.
It offers live music every Friday and Saturday night.
The staff are friendly and are always smiling and ready to have a chat unlike some of the robots that work at the Slug or The Catherine Wheel.
In relation to the comment made by 'Nick': The Victoria may have been dead when you visited which was probably due to everybody giving themselves a rest after a hectic Xmas and saving themselves for New Year. If you had visted the pub on Xmas Day evening you would have got an idea of what the pub is really like and what a good atmosphere there is. It seems that the only real criticism is that there is no 'real ale' and if this is the only thing that is a problem was it really worth writing a review that doesnt reflect what the pub is really like?" - Jess, January 2005

"I'd just like to say that although I don't really drink in Henley at night - I often go to the Vic during the day on my lunch break, I have always found it very pleasant,clean and comfortable and the staff are really friendly. They serve food that's really good and very reasonable - the pizzas are the best...better than over the road! Ocasionally there are a few students in there playing pool, but that doesnt bother me..I was there once! " - Laura (Joanna), January 2005

"I completely agree with Joe! Nick - whoever you are you dont know what your talking about!!! ! The Vic is without doubt the BEST pub in Henley. Everybody is friendly and there is a complete mixture of age and character - thats what makes it good!. I agree that in the past it did have a bad rep but thats yrs ago & it has changed so much and in many ways! The New Landlord is brilliant and has turned the pub around so much - appart from the massive face lift the place had it also now offers live music every friday and saturday night ( and open till 12 ) - which always gets everybody dancing! The pool table was brought back and there are pool comps to enter,The Garden area is all decked and a real suntrap in the summer, it even has an IT box!!! I suggest that those who wrote negative rewiews, go and have a pint on Friday eve and see what you think now." - Jo, January 2005

"After this site was threatened with legal action because the last review for this pub was dated 2003 I decided to pop in and check the 'bar cafe' as the Victoria is now marketed. I popped in around 9:30 pm one evening between Christmas and New Year and the place was dead (other pubs I had been in that evening were quite busy). The Victoria is now a very light and 'airy'/modern bar and when I visited there were only about 10 people present and it seemed to sell only 'fizzy' beer. No sign of real ale. I did note that the pub offers live music on Fridays and Saturdays, and a pool table (according to a large banner on the side of the pub)." - Nick, December 2004

"I have read the brief review of the Victoria Arms on the Henley pub review page and was dismayed to see it labelled one of the worst pubs in Henley. I am 24 currently which makes me younger than the reviewer(probably) so therefore our tastes may vary but I believe the Victoria is one of last good pubs in Henley." - Joe, January 2003

"The pub had a close call in March 2000 due to a gas leak! Customers carried on drinking as the kitchen filled with gas and the fire-brigade was called. Brigade officials were surprised when they discovered the building had not been evacuated and the only action taken by customers was to shut the kitchen door and put-out their cigarettes." - Nick, March 2000

"It is a close run thing between this pub and the Queen's Head for being the worst pub in Henley. The place has a real run down feel inside. The music is loud, the lights bright, and some of the tables are those high kind which you need bar stools to sit at. The pub also has a pool table and juke box in a back room, and a set up for one of those big screen projection televisions. One point of entertainment is the bar staff who like to dance to the music. Beer was OK and I had a reasonable pint of London Pride." - Nick, January 1999

"For my first few months in Henley this was my favourite pub in the town (I can imagine the horrified expressions of people reading this). There was a friendly atmosphere, the jukebox was good and the beer was perfectly agreeable. I've heard it said it's a bit down-market but I don't think so at all, but then I had a pint of Becks in the Catherine Wheel on Saturday!" - Graham, November 1997

"This pub has gone through major interior renovations in recent months, and no longer seems to have the 'bucket of blood' appearance of years past. The problem with any pub immediately adjacent to Falaise Square (Market Place before the twinning with the French town) is that it popular with the kids. This causes noise, and occasionally trouble. The Victoria is the opposite corner to the Henley Police Station, which perhaps lends some degree of normalcy. Recently we dropped in for a pint or two, found a friendly landlady, and a decent ale." - Bill, September 1996

"Last time I went in there a guy was sitting smoking with a doberman in a muzzle by his side... he was the landlord! No... no really, but this is the sort of customer. All hairy and dirty with concrete in their hair... you get the feeling that if you put a foot wrong you will be bottled. Very local orientated. Pool table but you wouldn't like to use it incase the guy with the doberman suddenly wanted to! Not the most wonderful pub in Henley. They do food.... I've never tried it. Would only go in there if there was nuclear fall out and it was the only place to shelter from it.... well, no I think I'd rather sit in Falaise square on second thoughts." - Luci, August 1996

"I have never been in this pub. Charlie tells me that the beer is good, so perhaps it isn't Brakspears. It has recently been refurnished. Luci's friend Max works there, she is a vegetarian." - Mary, July 1995

"This is another pub that I have only been in a couple of times so I haven't really got a lot to say about it!" - Nick, July 1995