The Watermans Arms, Rochester

Solid-looking Shepherd Neame pub with a mostly opened-out and comfortably refurbished L-shaped interior (although there is a lounge area behind a partition beyond the bar counter. It does food, and there is a beer garden to one side. However, temporarily, one thing it almost doesn't do is beer (due to a lack of drivers for deliveries). None of the four handpumps was working, and all but two of the keg taps were also dry (leaving just Fosters and Guinness). I opted for a bottled Master Brew (£3.90), but won't mark the place down for reasons clearly outside of their control.

A modernised Victorian village pub, first licensed in 1858 and currently owned by Shepherd and Neame- The pub has lost almost all its rural character in favour of plasticky furniture, bland smiles and carpets - a shame given the fine architectural features that these mask, making the Victorian fireplaces look out of place. The downstairs has been knocked through into a single large L-shaped bar, there is a garden with playground apparatus (oversized plastic pigs) for children to haunt and a complete lack of real ale – unforgiveable in a S&N house. The pool table and dartboard were not in use, the noise from the jukebox was awful. I would like to come back when they've sorted out their act but for now it's not worth it.