Kings Arms, Maidenhead

Immaculate C17th coaching house. Multiple rooms, roaring fires, friendly bar staff and manager. It was the Rebellion Brewery signage outside this freehouse that tempted me in. The IPA was in superb condition. £4.40.

An old hotel still with a multi room layout and even with bench seating in the front bar, there's a little sitting room down a step beyond it. The other rooms are generally for dining apart from a vertical drinking area near the counter, which is equipped with a cask for a table and a few high stools. Carpets throughout as this is a posh hotel with service to match, efficient and coldly impersonal from the Rosa Klebb charm school, although two middle aged women were treated with a little more respect than myself but then they'd spent more money than me. The barman was not American so not the same git that Quinno had.

Large multi-roomed restaurant pub with a bit of character (well, perhaps chintz…). There’s a large rear beer garden but it’s also no smoking (there’s a couple of tables on the not-so-lovely side courtyard for that). O2 WiFi. Three ales; Doom Bar, Rebellion IPA and Everards Xingu (came out pretty well). What was otherwise a decent visit was spoilt by terrible service, some hopeless Amercian barman who was serving out-of-order, ignoring anyone who didn’t look loaded and then got in a mess with a very simple bit of change. Shame.

Official site of the Kings Arms, contains menus as well as beer and wine lists - www.thekingsarmscookham.co.uk

Described on the web page as a traditional pub and below as containing many features that add to the traditional charm and character of the building. Well Its been done up again since my last visit as it continues to try and keep pace with all the other up market brasseries in Cookham High Street, and frankly it's a million miles from a traditional pub interior which it used to be many moons ago. And as for many features that add to traditional charm , maybe, if your idea of traditional is Ikea meets footballers wives. Obstensively it punts for the food trade and the majority of the pub area is set up for dining, but there is still a decent size area either side of the rectangular central bar if you just fancy a beer. And importantly, there were three real ales on, Adnams Bitter, TT Landlord and Rebellion IPA from the Marlow brewery, and certainly could not fault the Rebellion, which was in fine nick. Also the food menu is wide a varied and reasonably priced (which is a rarity in Cookham) and has been OK on the couple of occasions I've tried it. Traditional it ain't, but if you are just after standing and having a decent pint in Cookham High Street, then this place is OK.

Official site of the Kings Arms, contains menus as well as beer and wine lists - www.thekingsarmscookham.co.uk