The White Hart, Hook

I’ve been part of the Hook community for 15+ years and a customer at the White Hart for over a decade, but my recent 4-night stay was appalling. From the moment I arrived after a 6-hour journey, Linda’s attitude was aggressive and hostile—first over a bar tab issue caused by her own staff, then publicly confronting me about a booking change when my son joined me. Despite seeing me daily, she later stood outside my room with a cleaner, claiming “duty of care” because my Do Not Disturb sign was up—an unnecessary and intrusive move that felt targeted. On my last night, she refused to let me pay my small bar tab (just after 11pm), then barred me from the premises for “not paying,” even though I tried in cash and settled it immediately on my return. The whole stay felt belittling, intimidating, and unprofessional. If you want a welcoming place in Hook, go to The Raven—Sam, Miranda, and Emma treat guests with respect and care.

I arrived here on a Friday afternoon in thickening snow. Parking at the side and the rear of the pub requires registering your vehicle at the bar. Also at the rear of the pub are several rooms for accommodation. The interior feels much more traditional with low beamed ceilings and a number of pillars creating individual drinking areas. Service wasn't the quickest with the barmaid choosing to serve people she knew first rather than myself who had been waiting at the bar longer. As with all pubs in Hook, the real ale choice was uninspiring with just London Pride & The Rev James available. However, it was also the only pub with real cider in the village. So, I opted for Weston's Family Reserve from a box in the fridge. CAMRA discounts are offered here, but not on real cider. TVs were showing Sky Sports News, whilst I sat next to a stained glass window which seemed to have some history behind it. Probably just about the pick of Hook's hostelries.

An olde-worlde sort of place in M&B's Innkeepers Lodge group, with a hotel part behind. The pub section has a nice rambling interior with lots of beams, brick and glasswork, and a good collection of pump clips arranged round the ceiling. Sadly this was just teasing and, in mid-Covid, only Doom Bar was on offer and they were having some problems serving it "because the gas is wrong"?? They did however apologise for not having their usual range of guest ales, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. It felt a bit commercialised but has the potential to be a good pub.

An erstwhile coaching inn on the main London to the South West road and still retaining a great deal of charm with low ceilinged darkness inside providing a wealth of cosy corners, nooks and crannies. It's a long thin bar with the counter at the back, inglenook fireplace at one end and a more airy dining room at the other. The counter snakes along and is home to six handpumps with regular Doombar and during mid-week a single guest from one of the smaller breweries, the other pumps with clips had little blackboards telling us the beer was coming next or just settling in the cellar. The beer quality could not be faulted and the service was mainly pretty good although the levels in the glasses varied alarmingly from the typical thin southern scummy layer to a deep northern head requiring a substantial top up. GBG listed and I'm with CAMRA and Moby Duck on this one.