Guest stewie_iom Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 can't beleive so much whinging... people have been complaining about nothing to do and no where to go for ages. so the courthouse comes along and you all slate it. so many people whinge about paramount and colours.. so go to the courthouse club!! its £5 to get in and its such a nice atmosphere it's trying to be different than all that brewery stuff they have been poisening us with for years and it isn't full of chav's. the main bar is huge, no wonder it takes a little time to get served... what's the rush anyway?? you can still talk to people while you're waiting. so many times i see people standing around the little entrance to the actual bar as well so none of the staff can get in or out. being a barman, i think customers should pay more attention as usually its them that slow down the staff anyway! drink prices are no more or less than anywhere else really you should all give the place a chance and do something different to the usual outback, havana, colours etc. open your eyes a bit it's a brilliant bar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 No foyet. edit to add And if I was connected to this establishment, I'd be reading this with interest and acting accordingly where practical. They may well be rather critical on here but they are after all, the customers. Anyone who doesn't listen to customer feedback is seriously off track even if it's not all oooh and ahhs of praise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 can't beleive so much whinging... people have been complaining about nothing to do and no where to go for ages. so the courthouse comes along and you all slate it. so many people whinge about paramount and colours.. so go to the courthouse club!! its £5 to get in and its such a nice atmosphere it's trying to be different than all that brewery stuff they have been poisening us with for years and it isn't full of chav's. the main bar is huge, no wonder it takes a little time to get served... what's the rush anyway?? you can still talk to people while you're waiting. so many times i see people standing around the little entrance to the actual bar as well so none of the staff can get in or out. being a barman, i think customers should pay more attention as usually its them that slow down the staff anyway! drink prices are no more or less than anywhere else really you should all give the place a chance and do something different to the usual outback, havana, colours etc. open your eyes a bit it's a brilliant bar Have to agree with Stuart, even though he works there..lol I enjoy lunch at the CH.. Fishfinger butties,, are the bomb !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Voice of Reason Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 drink prices are no more or less than anywhere else really I think you're way off beam there my friend. £2.05 for a diet coke, £1.00 in another hostelry not 100 yards away. Given the money spent on the place, yes one would expect to pay a small premium. But over double, when presumably both places pay a similar price from the wholesaler? Anyway I suppose you pays your money, you make your choices. I'm sure plenty of people are happy to pay it. Just that I'm not, possibly because I'm grumpy and mean. That's it really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cresta Fiesta Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 The Courthouse is a good place, and a fair cut above what we're used to on the island, it's the kind of location I'd happily take visitors from the UK, as opposed to most of our eatery type pubs which are, frankly, embarrassingly shit. Yes it's expensive, but for your cash you get great surroundings, a definite lack of the pogger class (Rendezvous seems to have morphed into some kind of bizarre walk-in crèche for alcoholic parents), nice food, competent and friendly staff, and a bit of an air of somewhere half-decent. As has already been said, there are other and cheaper options for those who choose them, but since The Courthouse seems to be doing pretty decent business all round, I guess it's been largely welcomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
When Skies Are Grey Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 (Rendezvous seems to have morphed into some kind of bizarre walk-in crèche for alcoholic parents), Was it ever any different....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cresta Fiesta Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 (Rendezvous seems to have morphed into some kind of bizarre walk-in crèche for alcoholic parents), Was it ever any different....... Probably a good place to pull though: 'I have a job and a house and a car, and disposable income to buy you spirits.' 'Which hole(s) do you want?' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Voice of Reason Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 (Rendezvous seems to have morphed into some kind of bizarre walk-in crèche for alcoholic parents), Was it ever any different....... Probably a good place to pull though: 'I have a job and a house and a car, and disposable income to buy you spirits.' 'Which hole(s) do you want?' You're right but probably costs you half as much as going through the same rigmarole in the Courthouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misfit Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 being a barman, i think customers should pay more attention as usually its them that slow down the staff anyway! Nice attitude.not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazir Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Here is a review of it The Courthouse, Athol Street, Douglas, Isle of Man http://the-courthouse.com It seems that whenever a restaurant tries to get everything ‘just so’ there is always something which suffers. Sadly, in the case of The Courthouse that something is the food. To begin I should give credit where credit is due; this credit goes to a firm called Cubbon & Bregazzi. This is a firm which specialises in providing interior design services to people lacking in any form of creativity, originality and taste. The Courthouse has to represent their crowning achievement since it must have been difficult to take a unique and outstandingly impressive historic building and fail in any way to do anything interesting with it whatsoever. You would have thought that some theme could have been drawn from say the neoclassical architecture or the building’s previous status as the Island’s courthouse and police station but it would appear not. It seems that bunging a square bar in the middle and surrounding it with densely upholstered brightly coloured chairs is what passes for ultra-modern in the Isle of Man. Some of the design features were clearly well intended, such as the window between the kitchen and the restaurant tables and the private dining booths but the combination of different tiles, stone and bricks, sheet metal, glass, fabric, leather, blue down-lights and red up-lights just comes across as schizophrenic. If I had to guess I would say that the designer probably attends a lot of conferences since the design of this restaurant looks no different than any half-decent hotel lobby I’ve ever been in; and, evidently these conferences aren’t connected with interior design. Despite having spent a lot of time complaining about it the interior isn’t bad if all you want is a bland, clean place to sit and drink and there is a good choice of beers and wines, but this isn’t a bar review, this is a restaurant review which sadly brings us on the food. Once you’ve overcome the needlessly complicated descriptions (for “stilton and white port rarebit with caramelised red onion on thick toasted bread” read “cheese on toast”) it will become apparent that there is too much meat choice. I maintain that a menu should be on a single sheet of unlaminated paper – laminated menus don’t change, the chefs get bored with preparing the same food day after day and the experience becomes bland and boring. Menus should be written in English with no more linguistic embellishments than are necessary to describe the food you are actually going to receive because good food sells itself off a menu. Most importantly though, I believe that unless you have the kind of support they have at say the Ivy you cannot guarantee the quality and availability of more than three meat dishes on a single menu. Unfortunately this turned out to be the case here, the fish was dry and tasteless and the steak, though passable was too small for a main meal. The presentation followed the decor in terms of confusion and lack of originality. I hope that at some point chefs will realise that piling chips into a tower ceased to be a novelty about the same time digital watches did and that it’s time for this school of presentation to go the same way as the Filofax and in-car telephone. I am not going to dwell on the food because none of it was new, original or well prepared, like everything else it was bland and boring. The wine list was passable but not good and same with the desserts and coffees. In this review you will note that only a small section focuses on the actual dining experience and I think this is indicative of the relative importance the owners place on the food – there really isn’t anything more I can say here except : the quality of your food is more important than the shininess of your restaurant! On an aside, another rule I have is that if a menu contains small pictures of the meals in question then get out while you still can. The quality of the food was doubly disappointing because the acoustics are so bad you won’t be able to maintain a conversation to take your mind off it, though on the other hand you won’t be able to hear everyone else complaining about it either. Also, if you decide you really don’t want to leave the building after your meal there is a club on the floor below. One final gripe I have is with vegetarian options: something like 10% of people in the UK are vegetarian now and long gone are the days a restaurateur could throw a plate of mixed leaves or a risotto at them and they would be grateful for not going hungry. It doesn’t take much to include more interesting options; it’s a good market to attract (both vegetarians and health freaks) and there really isn’t an excuse for failing to provide for these customers. It’s likely with any big party these days you will have at least one vegetarian to cater for and they really will be sick of risotto. I think I am especially annoyed by this since the place is trying to look and feel like some contemporary London chain pub but is still falling over on these obvious points. The positives are a bit thin on the ground I’m afraid, the staff are friendly and helpful and the place has the potential to become an excellent eatery but at present there are far better restaurants available on the Island and they are generally cheaper. The bar menu looks reasonable and it’s hard to see how they could mess it up so maybe pop in for lunch as it has the advantage of being on the same street as most of the local lawyers if you are over for a meeting. Personally I will be giving it a miss. It’s hard to know if this is a novelty for the locals or just a case of life imitating art but frankly, it’s going to take at least one change of management, a thorough refurbishment by someone who isn’t half-madman and half-magpie and some serious thought put into the acoustics to sort this place out. Given the fantastic cost of the building’s recent conversion and subsequent decoration I can’t see this happening for a few years. Still most likely it will be bought out by a real pub chain that should at the very least be able to sort out a reasonable menu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
When Skies Are Grey Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 On an aside, another rule I have is that if a menu contains small pictures of the meals in question then get out while you still can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazir Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 No I haven't tried. It contains chips and that causes fat. That's why there are too many fat people. Too much eating of chips instead of proper foods 1. Surf and turf is quite obvious really but what about angels on horseback? 2. Aren't you a big fat frog? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Godfather of Manx House Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 should be written in English with no more linguistic embellishments than are necessary to describe You ought have a long hard look at that sentence yourself, pal. As for some of your critical points: 1. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the acopustics at all. IF you are a food critc, stick to your chosen field. 2. I, and many others, find the design appealing. Not so far up it's own arse it has disappeared, yet clearly an effort made. 3. Chip towers ceasing to be a novelty ? Come on, then, give us the latest spud arrangement technique. Who cares, frankly ? I could go on but the most delicious irony of your review is that it comes across WAY more pretentious than Cubbon and Bregazzi could ever aspire to be. See you in KFC, no doubt, where they have just developed the world's first 3D chip-based rhombic dodecahedron ... ...GOMH*... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lethargy Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Actually the acoustics are a mess - entirely impossible to hear yourself speak in there, let alone your companion. It could just be the usual Cayenne-driving Athol Street crew getting overexcited though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazir Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 should be written in English with no more linguistic embellishments than are necessary to describe You ought have a long hard look at that sentence yourself, pal. As for some of your critical points: 1. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the acopustics at all. IF you are a food critc, stick to your chosen field. 2. I, and many others, find the design appealing. Not so far up it's own arse it has disappeared, yet clearly an effort made. 3. Chip towers ceasing to be a novelty ? Come on, then, give us the latest spud arrangement technique. Who cares, frankly ? I could go on but the most delicious irony of your review is that it comes across WAY more pretentious than Cubbon and Bregazzi could ever aspire to be. See you in KFC, no doubt, where they have just developed the world's first 3D chip-based rhombic dodecahedron ... ...GOMH*... To be frank you weren't the audience I had in mind. It was for the FT's Long Room which I somehow can't see you being a member of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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