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The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon), Maidstone
Maidstone
ME14 1RF
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Graham Coombs left this review about The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon)
A modern Spoons in an office block, very handy for Maidstone East station. Despite the lack of history and architecture, this felt like a rather more pleasant place for a pint than its central cousin, and it was certainly friendlier and more efficient. There were also three good local guest ales on - two from Tonbridge and one from Three Acre.
On 11th January 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon)
One of two branches of Wetherspoon's in Maidstone, this one is convenient for the start of or finish to a crawl from Maidstone East station.
Located in an ugly looking office block, the L-shaped interior feels quite modern, light and airy. There is an outdoor courtyard, used by both smokers and for those that like drinking/eating al fresco.
The usual trio of Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best & Sharp's Doom Bar were on, alongside 3 guests - Fuller's London Pride, Thornbridge Jaipur & Twickenham Naked Ladies. Ciders were Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon & Weston's Old Rosie.
Customers in here seemed a bit rough and ready. Their language was choice. However, service was efficient.
Apart from its convenient location, there's not really much to recommend this one.
On 17th May 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon)
Modern 'L'-shaped bar with a reasonably-sized patio area in the 'courtyard' between the two ground floor sections of the office building above. Mostly on the same level, but there is one seating section up a couple steps on the outside corner. Nothing special, but the two banks of five handpumps usually offer a few local ales, although the six real ales available on this visit included Lees Plum Pudding (£2.29), another seasonal beer and Jaipur, along with a perry. Handy for Maidstone East railway station if you are waiting for a train.
On 22nd December 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a large, modern Lloyd’s No 1 bar, conveniently located next to Maidstone East station. It’s a bit of an ugly concrete and glass edifice built into the ground floor of the slightly dystopian-looking Brenchley House. A large L-shaped room interior has been filled with all the usual mixed seating options, some underneath huge floor to ceiling windows at the front, that offer good people-watching opportunities. It’s a fairly featureless space, even by the usual Lloyd’s bar standards, with the servery running along much of the right-hand wall, all strewn with fairy lights, but otherwise fairly plain in itself. Large mirrors and a few of the usual local history boards, plus a small bookcase next to the slot machines, account for the sum total of visual distraction, and the pub’s most interesting feature turns out to be a courtyard garden with lots of metal frame seating, some large umbrellas and other such bits of shelter, plus views back into the pub, through the large side windows. The pub was doing a roaring trade on my midweek lunchtime visit, with limited seating remaining to the rear and out in the courtyard.
On the bar, the usual three ‘Spoons cask ales were present alongside three guests, from which I chose the Black Sheep Astronomer, which was in decent nick. The staff seemed friendly enough and went to great lengths to replace one of the ales for another customer.
This felt like a pretty basic ‘Spoons with nothing other than the courtyard seating area and proximity to the station to set it apart from others in the chain. The beer range was okay and they seem to know how to keep the beer well, but with several more interesting pubs a short walk from here, I’d reserve this place for pre-train drinks only in the future.
On 21st December 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon)
A mediocre Wetherspoons at the base of an office block close to Maidstone East station. The upper office use means that here the toilets are downstairs instead of upstairs. A large room with full height glazing to the front corner, there is an outdoor area to the rear LHS. Two banks of five, nothing really exciting on, the Otter Christmas ale was ok.
Very busy indeed Saturday lunchtime and service was perfunctory and indifferent. I’ve been in better of the chain.
On 11th December 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a totally uninspiring Spoons from the outside as it takes up the ground floor of a very boring modern red brick office block. Inside it's the predictable large single room with the bar on the right and a paved outside area on the left. On my 11:00 visit it had a fair number of the daytime brigade in as well as people out for a late breakfast.
The bar has two banks of five hand pumps with the two GK beers, Adnam's Broadside, Butcombe Crimson King and Wold Top Wold Gold on the nearest one. On the far one there was Marston's Revisionist Red, Exe Valley Mr Sheppard's Crook, Hopdaemon Incubus, Stonehenge Pigswill and Adnam's Sixpoint Make it Rain. I went for the Wold Gold (£2.20) which was hazy and didn't taste that great.
The best thing I can say about this place is that it is very handy for the East station and had a better beer selection than the Muggleton. Apart from that I thought it was below par despite the GBG 2015 listing.
On 4th May 2015
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon)
The Society Rooms is a large Wetherspoons opposite Maidstone East Station and as usual it was the busiest pub on my wander around town. The usual deals on food and drink are present and I counted ten hand pumps drawing the usual stalwarts and some guests. The front of the pub has floor to ceiling windows so it is very bright, but at the rear it gets a bit duller in more ways than one. There is some mildly depressing outside seating at the rear that is covered by three jumbrellas. Breakfast is available from seven and I found the service to be very good.
There are more interesting pubs in Maidstone.
On 11th November 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon)
The Society Rooms is a typical JDW in many respects, although the actual building is stranger than many. It's a pub of two halves, an office block converted to give an open, glass fronted arena which feels like drinking in a goldfish bowl, while the rear half is darker, gets crowded and has an annoying number of gaming machines; this gives it the ambiance of a seedy amusement arcade. Staff were a bit apathetic and I didn't really feel welcome. There were 7 ales and three ciders on, a good range and a fair amount of choice. I had Ace Ale which was realy rather enjoyable, served at the right temperature and in good condition. This isn't somewhere I'd want to spend a whole evening, but it's fine for a crawl or a quick pint during the day.
On 9th November 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3285 recommendations about 3250 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Manky Badger left this review about The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon)
It's a Wetherspoons. Within reason, you know what you're getting before you walk through the door. If you don't like JDW, go somewhere else...
It's not the best Wetherspoons I've been in, but it's a long way from being the worst.
On 18th June 2009
- rating: 5
[User has posted 155 recommendations about 154 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Society Rooms (JD Wetherspoon)
Large modern Wetherspoon's selling a fair range of real ales.Outside drinking area.Opposite Maidstone East railway station which is handy if you are waiting for a train.
On 18th January 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]