Canal tavern in Doncaster

Needed to find somewhere for lunch whilst passing through on a road trip. Chose to try here based solely on the TripAdvisor reviews… and we were not disappointed! We had not pre booked and the staff were brilliant, extremely friendly and welcoming, finding us a table straight away. Their service was prompt and efficient and the food was excellent too. We left very impressed and would not hesitate to recommend if you are ever in the need of a good lunch provided with great service.

We have used this restaurant several times over a few years, and always found it great. However, this time, it was nothing short of terrible. The waitress/barmaid was curt and rude the whole evening, Times between ordering either drinks or food was a joke, as staff were at a minimum. The starters were of a reasonable quality, the mains were well under par, with Tikka Massala turning up looking more like a bowl of soup, and the rices were tepid to say the least. Where we were sat, there was two tv's above us, which when football came on, were loudly switched on, we couldn't see them, but the volume made conversation almost impossible. I can only assume a change of ownership, as it was a total contrast since we last used it, and won't be using it again. Shame.

Service was kind and friendly and the food was phenomenal. It was the best food I’ve eaten at a restaurant for years. We rebooked before leaving as we’re going to make our way through the menu! Dress up or be casual, either way goes.

Absolutely fantastic food, service, drinks, ambience. Thank you so much for a fantastic evening. This is a real find this place! We came up from London for a weekend with friends and they took us here for dinner. We had hanging kebabs and pie and the food is amazing. Highly recommend!

It is the first time we have eaten here. Our friends who eat here from time to time invited us & we weren't disappointed. Would like to come back again.

We stopped here on the way home from a weekend away. We didn't book, as we didn't know what time we would arrive. We were very lucky that they had a free table for us. As it was a Sunday, only Sunday lunch was available but this was enough. With a choice of beef, pork, or turkey, with lamb for an extra £1, you can get 2 meats, plus all the extra and lashings of gravy for those who want this too! Staff were nice, food was good and a decent portion size. We even managed to take a look at the nearby canal on our way out. 

Nice food here always. Recommended the hanging kebabs for anyone's first visit.

Excellent service. We hadn't booked, but they managed to find us a table, even though it was extremely busy. The food was great and good portions. Atmosphere was friendly and we stopped for a few more drinks in the bar area. Certainly worth another visit next time we're in the area and would highly recommend.

It was okay but nowhere near as good as some people make out. The wedges were nice but the burger was cold and not quite as fancy as it sounded on the menu. The onion rings were so greasy they were inedible and a pie someone else had was very small, I'm glad I didn't order that although there was a lot of empty space on the plates all round! The desserts were nice although brownie was more of a cake texture and more room temperature than warm as stated on the menu. It really wasn't worth the 45 minutes journey and I don't think we would come back, there's much nicer food closer to home.

Great meals with good beer 🍻 Fantastic

Excellent quality, polite helpful staff ... Great food choice and drinks a very enjoyable meal for our family .. highly recommended... I didn't recognize the tavern as I grew up in Thorne and spent quite a bit of my youth here new owners have done an excellent job ... and great to see the new tavern as well .....

Food staff unreal will definitely be going back thanks

Lovely food we had Sunday Lunch and it was cooked beautifully. Good sizes portions and the Sticky Toffee pudding was divine. We had two dogs with us and they enjoyed the experience. Staff were doing very well under pressure as the place was packed. Great Cider!!

Excellent service, lovely food will definitley be going back 😋

Service a little slow but had parties on and the lovely staff were very apologetic. Food great steak perfectly cooked waitresses were all helpful and lovely. Only dropped a star as staff struggled to keep up. Venue was full... which says everything!

The hanging skewers are beautifully cooked, the drinks are prepared well, the Christmas quiz every year is the best I've been to, atmosphere and location are spot on. Would reccomend for a meal or a pint overlooking the canal.

Had a top class meal.here , 10/10

Had a meal for six here. All of the food was of a high standard. Excellent service throughout. The value was fantastic. 6 main course, 2 deserts, a few beers, wines, etc, and a couple of wines. Bill, including the tip, was £25/ head. I will definitely come back when I'm visiting family and friends.

Just a great place to be....staff excellent beer good...home

I've passed this place many times but went in for the first time last night 30/12/23. What have i been missing? Food was slow to arrive but it takes time to prepare a good meal. It was worth the wait. Our party of 4 all had different meals and not one complaint! Will definitely be going back. Staff were very nice. Our spend per person included some drinks, main and dessert. A little gem at the side of the bridge.

Decided to go for a meal between Xmas and new year so settled for somewhere we’d been before and where we could almost be certain of satisfaction. We weren’t wrong. It was busy so the service was somewhat behind what it usually was, but food was excellent, the atmosphere was great and the staff at their very best. What more can you ask for?

Great food and great service, but we had a long wait for food.

The food was absolutely gorgeous, can't recommend this place enough. We'll definitely be returning. Great atmosphere as well with the quiz night afterwards.

Amazing food and fantastic service

Great food service and atmosphere

Had a reservation set for 12:30pm for myself and my husband Heard very review about their food The first thing we noticed was that there not sufficient parking and we had to park a little way down the road not very far away but felt a bit insecure about leaving the vehicle there but this is nothing to do with the pub itself so it’s not their fault When we went in and got seated we were asked for drinks straight away and advised that their Sunday carvery was a bit different We were handed a price of paper with all the choices and had to tick what we wanted and then they would plate it all for us and bring it to the table so we didn’t have to get up and do it ourselves We both thought that this was actually a brilliant idea We were brought our dinners and it looked absolutely delicious The vegetables were nicely cooked, the Yorkshire pudding was big ( I couldn’t eat all of it!) the meats were wonderful Between the two of us we had beef gammon turkey and pork and all the meats just fell to pieces when we cut into them The atmosphere was lovely and warm and the staff were smiling and interacting with the clientele and being very attentive I could not fault the food here and the staff and will definitely be recommending to friends and family Well done to everyone there you are all doing a fabulous job 💜💜💜💜

Beautiful food .lovely caring staff . Lovely location

Absolutely fantastic pub....great atmosphere, delicious quality food and lovely waiting staff. So lovely to see a pub busy on a Monday evening. We'll definitely be back

We were on holiday few days November it was so good we went back will be back next year

We attended a private party in the function room, which was great.

Fitted us in on a busy Saturday night. Lovely food

Exceptional quality, freshly prepared tasty food. Moules Marinere are to die for. Excellent pleasant and attentive staff. A Great Eatery

I had some lovely Camembert with bread and tomato chutney and garlic mushrooms for starters. I had a gorgeous chicken and bacon pie and mushy peas and homemade chips and gravy. 2 pints of Birra Moretti 🍺🍺 I would definitely recommend Canal Tavern Thorne ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great food and great service ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The staff were so friendly and helpful ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly recommend Canal Tavern Thorne ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

15/11/23. Myself and my mum visited here today to see a friend of mine who has been laid to rest near by. We decided to try canal tavern for our lunch. Well what can I say. The whole experience was great. Shown to our table no pressure to order food looked at our leisure and was given plenty of time to order. Very very clean pub and very good customer service skills from all staff from bar to serving staff. So what about the food here? Well it’s a place that I will be coming back to very soon. Rump steak sandwich and I had the garlic mushrooms for starters. Cooked to perfection both meals. I will be going and and will try more types of food on menu. 5stars and much much more. Our friend who was laid to rest near by past away of a year ago from the date I date put above, just to anyone seeing this review we travelled from Barnsley to here and this lovely pub was recommended from my friends son and his daughter who are still in Thorne. We respected.

Another beautiful Sunday lunch thank you

Lovely food and atmosphere, very good prices and the staff were very friendly. We will definitely be going back and have recommended it to family as its a great day out for a nice meal and a walk along the canal.

Came in today with my son who is autistic. The food was amazing the staff really friendly. The staff spoke to my son....made him feel very much at ease. The food was fantastic.....he had burger and chips I had sirloin steak...which was cooked as I asked ...medium well. We had sticky toffee pudding for dessert that not only looked amazing but tasted it too. Was also really helpful that they had a kids menu so my son could select he's own food. Highly recommended 👌

Pensioner's lunchtime special, two courses for £10 - main and dessert - really tasty and great value. Staff lovely and very helpful, but be aware that they can get very busy so waiting times can vary.

Food is always exceptional. Service always Brilliant . Very Good pub to eat out meet friends. Or cosy for couples.😃.

Been again today for Sunday lunch and yet again the quality and presentation of the food was amazing, they have a great team who always seem to be around making sure your experience is a quality one, all dressed today for Halloween in brilliant costumes, great food, great staff and atmosphere, well done

Service was amazing as always. The new menu is spectacular something for everyone. Booked in for Christmas Day this year & next!!!! Keep up the good work we love your pie.

Amazing sunday lunch, the meat, i had beef, although you can pick 2, was so tender and lots of it, although it says carvery, you don't go and pick your own, but tick items you want on a list, we still got a large platefull, and it was put in front of us in less than 4 minutes from choosing, even though the place was busy, excellent friendly service, compliments to the chef and staff, amazing, you should be proud of your achievements.

Very tasty food served by very friendly staff. Great atmosphere and good value too. Highly recommended.

the food was fantastic, the atmosphere is A1 ,the staff are so nice and nothing to much trouble,

I attended a wedding here. The function room was very spacious and had a real party atmosphere about it. It was clean and the staff were very polite and friendly a real credit to the place. The reason I have only given 4 stars is for these reasons, the parking was minimal and considering the place was set up to hold 150 guests plus the customers in the public bar it was not enough, the bar in the function room was very small and cramped making it difficult for people to wait for drinks. Despite this the staff coped very well and did a great job trying to make sure that people weren't waiting too long.

We went for dinner with friends, tuesday and the place was full says it all. We all had good food, clean plates all around, will be back

Fantastic night celebrating my daughter's 18th Birthday. The food was delicious, service was fantastic therefore making a truly special night to remember.

We visited with four generations of our family for Sunday lunch. I booked in advance and was told approximately where we would be seated. When we arrived, just before 1pm, the place was very busy, but we were greeted warmly and shown to our table. A very friendly waitress gave us the option to place a drinks order or to wait until the rest of the family arrived. She also explained the unique and very efficient system for ordering food. After placing our order, she came back to check my 90 year old Dad's order. She had a joke with him, and at the same time, she was patient and respectful of his advancing years. The food arrived in a reasonable time, particularly considering how busy things were. It was hot, tasty, and plentiful. We were also provided with several gravy boats and asked a couple of times if we wanted more. Some of us had dessert or coffee, and these were also excellent. In summary, this is a pleasant pub/restaurant with excellent, efficient, friendly staff, serving good quality food. We will definitely visit again.

Brilliant pub and great food,always eat here when we're staying at Kingswood golf centre.

Great menu, delicious food Staff friendly Wasn't happy when husband went to bar for a drink, woman serving said 30 odd pound, so she'd set machine up to pay full bill rather than just the drink without saying anything until my husband questioned her. Suggest she asks in future if the whole bill wants to be paid, as someone else could have been paying

An amazing place we went for our 4th anniversary meal & the food is really good service was excellent didn't have to move from my seat the servers did it all without any waiting or fuss.

Pleasant pub food and friendly service. Fantastic chips!!!

New menu, delicious food very good

Very friendly staff and the place had a busy happy atmosphere. Popped in for a coke for my diabetic husband, the lady behind the bar was very considerate and helpful. Thank you very much, will definitely be back

We booked the Sunday carvery for a family birthday, mine, earlier this month. There were 22 in our group and the service, from booking to the meal itself, was first class. We were very well attended by the excellent efficient staff and the table service was prompt and quite quick given our party size. The food itself was first class, and the tick list order slips work really well. The staff ensured that the awkward ones (Joking) in our party, a veggie and 3 gluten intolerant, were well catered for. I cannot praise the staff and the Tavern enough. Thanks for helping to make my birthday special.

Did our 3rd lunch date there today and yet again it was very nice friendliness and service is brilliant thank you

It's a nice place to eat but some what noisy.

First time been for some time.quick prompt service,food was adequate warm not hot , would have liked more potatoes and less carrots but the food was good and we will call again for a meal no

Lovely family friendly atmosphere, could not recommend enough. Always the first choice for local family meals out. Delicious food.

Very rude staff obviously want to get home early ordered a pint at 1940pm and was told to make that my last not a nice way to say goodbye .

Tried to sit us in a table in the middle of the floor which was set for 3 people. We booked days before for 4 people for a birthday. They allowed us to move. A large family arrived (maybe 12 people) plus a family of 3 on the table we declined... they served us for drinks promptly.. 3 staff came separately to tell us the specials but we had to chase staff down for drink refills whilst we waited for our food.. the large family who came after had their food before us, along with the smaller family.. when we got hold of a passing member of staff they said it was 'because we ordered skewers' (1 out of the 4 did).. however the large family also had skewers which arrived some 20 mins before we chased them.. the staff then all looked skittish as though they'd actually forgot about us... eventually the food arrived, no one checked if it was okay but they eventually brought out the cake which a member of the group fetched...safe to say, it did not get cut but put back in the box and we swiftly left.. shame.. we was regulars but we won't return anytime soon after this

We popped in ( bit late ) on a Tuesday evening - we were told the Kitchen was just closing - but ALEX did a wonderful job … accommodated us - she was really very good - top service & GREAT FOOD - thank you Alex !

Visited yesterday (Sunday) for lunch with my family. The food was so very good. Plenty to suit even the biggest appetite. Good choice of meats and vegetables all with a Yorkshire Pudding. The place was so busy, tables being redressed ready for the next customer. The waiting staff were so very friendly and efficient and smiley too! Nothing too much trouble. Well done to Yvonne and Nicky and the team. Would urge early booking to avoid disappointment.

Food looked amazing friendly staff

Just had an amazing meal at the Canal Tavern, the staff are brilliant, we booked quite late but managed to get a high table in the bar, the atmosphere was great, obviously a really popular place, we will definately be returning, would highly revomnend.

Great Cider and Super Great Food, Friendly staff and atmosphere and great outside seating area 😁

We booked a table for 6.30pm....it was the only time slot left....couldnt believe how busy it was for mid week The food was very good quality and a good price....plenty to select from the menu...tastes to suit all diners The best place in Thorne to eat...we will certainly be dining there again I also have to add the hanging baskets out the front f the pub look amazing

Eaten there many times over the years and the food and staff have always been great , last Sunday we decided to have a Sunday dinner delivered........absolutely brilliant.....all in separate containers , even the gravy ......A+++++++

Great place for food. Can be busy, but that’s because it’s a great place for food.

We came to Thorne for a little break. We noticed the Canal Tavern when we arrived and decided to give it a go for dinner. It was busy, but they managed to fit us in. The staff were friendly and accommodating, and the food was excellent. My Mother In Law and I both had the Beef Stroganoff, and it was delicious. We decided there and then that we would be returning later in the week. When we returned, having booked this time, it was every bit as good - my Mother In Law had the Stroganoff again, and I opted for the fillet steak, which was perfectly cooked and very tasted. My wife and son also enjoyed their meals. There is a good, varied menu, and the staff were open about anything that wasn't available. All in all, a good dining experience, and I would certainly recommend it.

Visited twice in a week, absolutely lovely food and great service, I would well recommend this place

The food was lovely highly recommend for all ages. Lovely staff very efficient and attentive will be going again.

A big menu which makes it hard to choose what to eat as so many good choices. Great food. Lovely friendly staff. Excellent desserts, best rhubarb crumble I've had for ages and plenty of cream to go with it.

Absolutely beautiful food. Visited with two young children. Menu was varied and excellent value for money. Staff were extremely friendly and attentive!

Decent pub food, love the mussels. The halloumi rocks! Sometimes gets a bit noisy in the dining area. Great service and it's always busy.

First time visitor. Called in with family and a young puppy Food, Service and Price were all superb and we will definitely come back Really enjoyed it and would certainly recommend Thanks for a great meal

Had the steak pie, it was sublime served piping hot,packed with beef, cooked to perfection in a short crust pastry, with an excellent meat gravy, Thankyou! Suberb attentive service, from smiling friendly staff,

Best place to eat in Thorne. Staff friendly and nothing is too much trouble. Booking essential.

Wonderful food plenty and fresh ,relaxing place to have Sunday lunch or a meal anytime .staff were attentive and professional will be back soon

After hearing really good things we came here for a family birthday. Staff were amazing all evening, food was lovely, it was busy but not cramped in the back area for dining. Hanging Kebabs looks amazing!! Will be going again

Excellent value Sunday roast! Choice of two meats (£15) extra for lamb. You're seated and given a list of meat/veg/sauces. Server collects your order and it's on your table within 5 minutes! Food is piping hot, everything very tasty, nice melt-in-the-mouth beef, lovely cauliflower cheese. Only thing that let it down was the gravy felt like it lacked seasoning and a deeper flavour. Service was excellent, nothing was too much trouble. Deserts all beautifully presented and modestly priced (£6.50)

Lovely food, absolutely lovely food and the staff are so friendly and helpful and attentive

The restaurant was busy on a Monday night and we were told we would have to wait a short while as we hadn’t booked. We were sat at our table and drinks were ordered. Great bottle of Rioja for £22. This is a very good restaurant with everything cooked to order. The quality was top notch. Tempura prawns followed by a ribeye steak. Broccoli and Stilton soup followed by beef stroganoff. Amazing! We were tempted to have desserts and had frangipani and cream and Ferraro Roche cheese cake. Amazing at £6.50 a portion. The restaurant was very well run front of house by Julie and her staff but 10/10 to the kitchen

Food and service was as always great.. prices weren't bad either .

Amazing food and lovely staff. A table of 9 and everything came out together and correct. The food was fantastic too. The hanging kebabs were huge! Definitely give this place a try!

Very accommodating as we hadn't booked and had a dog with us. Apologetic as a big party had just ordered and we'd have to wait.

We have just had Sunday lunch here we ordered the oap one as we always do but we're very disappointed with the ammont of beef we got 3 really small pieces the size of a dairy lea triangle and apart from the cauliflower cheese it was only just warm

Excellent food. Lamb pie to die for.

Our first visit but it won't be the last. As a veggie it was great to actually have a choice. All the food was lovely, good service and good value.

Our second visit as we don't live in the area, the last 3 years ago the food was great. Give this place a go, you won't be disappointed.

As always 5 star. An unplanned visit. Dog friendly table was available treats and water too We both had superb food and staff are always helpful and friendly We are returning for Sunday lunch and cannot wait

Lovely food and brilliant service x

What a great place we had a carvery and it was so well organised the food was delicious 10 out 10 the staff very helpful

Great sunday lunch , service was great

The staff here are wonderful. They were all so helpful. We had fhe Sunday Lunch and it was delicious. We will be back.

Best place for Sunday lunch by far, so much so we have become regular customers. Food always lovely & hot & quick service. Staff are lovely too. Large choice of meats & vegetables. You fill out a form saying what you want it's that easy. Never had a bad meal here & price is great

Been here numerous times in the past and had lovely meals but last night I had the hanging kebabs (BBQ chicken and Jerk chicken) both were dry and realitivley tasteless compared to what I'd had here before. Also my son had the Italian lasagne and...

Had a lovely evening with my grown up family to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The food was good, the staff were helpful and friendly, we really enjoyed our evening.

Nothing is too much trouble for the team here! The food is totally sublime, I went with a work friend and had the mussels! Wow! Please book in advance as it’s super busy, but easy to see why!

We look forward to our rare child free nights here! The food is incredible so we're lucky to have it on our doorstep. Best to book in advance as we've sometimes struggled to get a table but it's not surprising with the quality of food and how lovely the staff is. The buttermilk chicken starter is incredible as was my hanging kebab. My husband had the garlic mushroom starter and burger and devoured it. Well done Canal Tavern you do a brilliant job.