Castle Barge in Newark and Sherwood

Came to Newark for the day and spotted this place. Seemed like a nice little lunch spot, so we decided to stop here! We were not disappointed. Highly recommend popping in here- especially on a lovely sunny day! Food was fab and prices were very reasonable.

Good drinks selection. Good sun spot for a few drinks. Nice location, friendly staff.

Really quirky little place this. Cozy on a cold night and the food is decent. Great selection of beers and a great place for bikers to meet up cos many of the nearby roads are brilliant riding roads.

I nice quirky bar, great for sunny days and rainy days. Plenty of seating inside and out (under a big gazebo), we didn't eat during our visit but the prices looked reasonable. Unless sitting outside as you can imagine the barge isn't suitable for wheelchairs as there is a big step up on to the gangway to the boat and the bar is down a flight of stairs.

Nice place, good choices of beers and food

Went here on Friday, the 21/3/25 at 5pm for the very first time. Turned up to see that between the hours of 12pm & 7pm, Monday to Friday it is 2 for 1 on main meals. The Castle Barge is excellent, the food arrived extremely quickly, great portion sizes the food tasted fantastic and quite frankly amazing value for money. Well done! Other establishments should take note, this is how you do it. Value for money is critical and Castle Barge hits the nail right on its head with this one.

Really great location , had a nice lunch after walking round the castle and town really great afternoon out

I visited on Sunday 16th March, greeted by friendly staff, a nice place and the food was also very nice indeed. However, I was most perturbed on receipt of my absolutely delicious bacon sandwich. It seems they have a wild one in the kitchen here, for they cut said sandwich neither straight, nor diagonally! Dare I say, the angles almost seem arbitrarily contrived! They seem hell-bent on disregarding established sandwich making etiquette!? Whatever next? Cheese without pickle? I suggest the establishment tames this maverick before all hell brakes loose! 🧐

Nice place for a beer with a view of the river. Recommended for hot and sunny days

Always a good time! It’s dog friendly, lovely location and the food is simple and good. Good range of drinks not bad priced, though it’s a bit shocking that a lime and soda is the same as a pint of beer….

An amazing place for a meal. Looking out onto the river Trent or downstairs in a dark,cosy atmosphere. Excellent food, the pie is delicious! Such good value. It was two for the price of one when we went. Service is excellent. Will definitely be our place to go every time in Newark from now on.

Had a coffee here, food going from kitchen to tables looked great 👌😋👍

Brilliant job on the conversion of the barge, would recommend visiting, the food and beer were very good.

Ohh wow we came from London and we decided to stop to have something for lunch and we order pizza that was amazing so tasty quite big size for the price and great atmosphere.I really recommend this place.

On a visit to Newark my wife and I tried the Castle Barge on the River Trent for the first time and was very impressed with the food, service and atmosphere. Happy to recommend and we'll certainly go again next time we get to Newark-on-Trent.

Popped in for a pint 🍺😁 Quirky little place, prestige worldwide.

Great overall experience, been a couple of times and will be going again in future. Food was reasonable pub standards as was the atmosphere. The only thing that let it down is we was waiting a bit for food but to be fair it Valentine's weekend

What a great little bar and restaurant! We loved it.

Love this place Great food 2 for 1 on mains so excellent value

Wife's hometown. A visit home isn't complete without a Dark Fruits and some Sahara Nuts at the Barge. Every trip, multiple times. Great staff and service for 20 years.

Never tried the food but I believe the reviews suggest it's decent. This isn't a regular stop for us but it's a nice change of pace. Usually quieter in the winter with good weather bringing out lots of people to their outside tables. Good friendly staff and being g a barge makes it a bit more unusual.

When in Newark, I love to have my Sunday Scampi at the Barge whether alone or with a friend. The scampi and fries are the crispiest you can have. If you plan ahead you can have two mains for the price of one Sunday to Friday. Come and support a local business

Great food, lovely steak and ale pie ...homemade Kids loved the pizza

Last Thursday my family and I went for a walk to this city. We liked it. We saw the fortress and garden, walked around the city a little and then went to this pub to relax for a while. We liked the atmosphere and there was a good 2 for 1 discount on pizza. There is a similar promotion on cocktails. This barge is located a 5-minute walk from the fortress, behind the bridge over the Trent.

Greeted with a warm welcome from friendly staff. Good selection of booze. Great atmosphere & a positive place to have a social drink.

Lovely beer, friendly staff, great atmosphere.

Saw this place online - it’s a great unique conceit and offered cheap cocktails! It was a quaint and quirky set up indeed. Pretty at night. However, it seemed quite a ‘locals’ place. Also very cold. The cocktails were really rank, none of us enjoyed them. They all tasted really sour. Top deck also smelt musty. Not a pleasant experience I’m afraid. Not very well lit outside either, which is dangerous for obvious reasons.

Iconic converted barge close to the castle and the bridge over the Trent. Good choice of food and beer. Scampi was much better than the nachos which was basically doritos with sauce out of the bottle. Pizzas looked good with a 241 offer from 4pm.

Great little spot to eat and drink

Really nice setting for a bar good range ov beer..food looked nice but didn't try so can't comment

Not my first time visiting the barge , we enjoy calling in when travelling to Norfolk, we stopped for coffee and a bacon sandwich , both were good , the bar is great and different , the staff friendly and eager to help. We will call again

Great place to unwind, fantastic pizzas

Nestled in the heart of Newark with amazing staff and service. Good quality pizzas and drinks. Perfect for when fishing

Quirky barge. Friendly staff We had tea and cake x 2 Great value for money We made the most of a sunny afternoon sitting in the sunshine overlooking the river

Music a little loud. Stymied conversation.

Very friendly staff and great placement by the river. Good prices (around £5 a pint) and nice inside seating area. Saw others with food that also looked nice.

Great place to sit outside on a nice sunny day down by the river. Next to a carpark too!

Visiting Newark by narrowboat recently, we moored up by the Barge. I just love this place. It's straightforward and unpretentious but so quirky and atmospheric. I was brought up in Newark and, the day me and two friends did our last A Level exam, we wandered down here, bought a round and sat in the sun, dangling our legs over the wharf, watching the passing boats. And that was how I marked the end of my school years. From 17-19, I worked in the kitchen at the Ossington nearby and this was our regular haunt when me and the youthful staff team went for a night out. It therefore has enormous nostalgia for me and, unlike many places, it hasn't changed, got dated or gone off. It still has the same character and charm it always did. The staff were all lovely and our little dog was welcome. There are a few real ales available. The garden area on the Wharf is beautifully maintained with lots of pots of flowers and picnic benches. Highly recommended.

Excellent inside and outside seating area.

John was amazingly fabulous and helpful. Give him a pay rise now!

It dines out a little on its uniqueness as a barge on a river. Doesn't allow children in the bar area, alcohol is about average priced, but s good pint. Has quite a number of seats outside. Often seems understaffed, but ok in quieter times

Lovely location, great food and service.

Popped in on way back from skegness.for a drink & food. 🍕 very nice.sat outside.weather was nice.friendly staff will visit again.

We have visited Newark several times and I can't believe we've never discovered the Barge before,think it's absolutely brilliant,just my kind of place,will definitely be back to sample the food which I thought was very reasonably priced,congrats on a great idea 👍👍

First time having some food at the castle barge I had the big bob burger my wife had the chicken burger it was cooked fresh nice and hot when it arrived friendly service great atmosphere was a pleasant experience 😁

Lovely staff, good atmosphere and food, and fab cocktails. Honestly can't fault.

Can not comment on food but always love a ride out to barge service with a smile, and it isn't stupidly crowded, which makes for a nice quiet drink with friends

Great find friendly quick and good

Very good drinks. Lovely atmoshpere.

No idea how to make a shandy. It was so flat. Lemonade not stirred. Food average. £4.50 for a small bowl of chips is a bit steep. We ordered a couple of items. Only one was brought. We reminded them that we had ordered a second dish and the waiter said that it would be coming and went inside but, 5 mins later, nothing had arrived. The waiter was doing something else. We had to go inside and get the food ourselves. It was only a sausage roll. Nice location and a very stylish place to drink. Go for that alone and keep your expectations low for everything else.

Everything we go to newark or retford we always make sure to visit Castle Barge. Now I believe it's been taken over by new people. We have always enjoyed the meals and we usually order the same meals. I can't say anything negative about the food on our most recent visit, however an observation, a well spirited yet elderly group had also come for lunch, unsure of what the process was we explained you order drinks and food at the bar, which is down a fair number of steps. They sat at the top whilst deciding what to drink and food, the gentleman working brought our food, as normal. We asked if there was any chance the food and drinks order could be taken upstairs to save the group from having to walk up and down the stairs. But the response was less than enthusiastic, and he said they would need to order at the bar. Myself, my partner and the group were surprised by the response. Howeber one from the group went and ordered the drinks and the lady working brought up the drinks, we decided to push our luck and again asked if they could order the food at their table to save walking down and up the stairs, again it was declined, until the lady saw the gentleman struggling a little to get up the first step, (if you know the layout you will understand the top eating area has a steep step leading into seating area (combine this with the many steps needed to go below deck to prder.fppd,drink andngo.tp the toilet,and back up)) she had to pause and watch before she offered to take their orders. You can't make a second first impression and talking to the group they were a little surprised at how inflexible the workers were to help make their experience a little less difficult. For that I gave service only 3 stars.

it's been on our bucket list for years ..very nice and cozy

Owing to staffing issues, no food available

Great place for excellent beer and atmosphere.

Only had a drink 🍻 with friends great place

Called in with a couple of mates, we were on the way home to Mansfield from Skegness. Nice day, so we got the bikes out for a blast, good ride and a great stop off on the way home. Friendly staff, plenty of seating area in and outside. We only had drinks, there were quite a few eating and the food looked very good. Well worth a visit, albeit on foot, cycling, out on the bikes or car there are always a few there.

What a great idea a barge converted selling food and drink food was great plenty of choice and drinks good selection

Just went for a alcohol free beer and a nice sit in the sunshine ☀. They do food and coffee as well, maybe another day.

Got two ice cream sundae. Very nice on a warm day.

Lovely canal side barge pub, easy access to/from A1. Ideal place to break a journey.

Rocked up in a coach everyone was served quickly , beautiful spot just a lovely end to a great holiday 😀

Brilliant food and drink in the heart of Newark looking out onto the river.

Lovely, good service and friendly.

Excellent value for money and experience

Beer on a barge! A couple of cask options and the usual lagers and cider. Food was nice, maybe the portions are a little bit on the small side,

Unique environment, Interesting experience.

Lovely food, good service, sensible price. I would recommend.

Lovely place. Only went for a drink so can't rate the food but staff were friendly and who doesn't love a bar on a boat 🙃

Food was delicious 😋 and I will definitely be visiting again next time I'm passing through

Nice and atmospheric, good beer.

Fantastic location very quirky, done out lovely inside, friendly staff and great service

Play the quiz most Wednesdays. Great fun.

Very nice and unusual. Good choice of food and drink. Situated on the river close to town. Plenty of outdoor seating for sitting in the sun on a nice day.

Lovely riverside floating pub. Friendly polite staff. Nice to sit outside in sunshine

Didn't eat food but food looked good and a good choice on the menu.

Very nice mug of hot chocolate, sat upstairs looking at the river, and had the added bonus of picking up a couple of Towpath newspapers (essential reading for a couple of ex-boaters). Food menu looked pretty good, couple of decent veggie specials may have to try it

They seem very confused about their menu. They publish a menu online and also on each table, serving til 7pm but actually it seems that it stops at 3pm and after that it's pizza or nothing. Bit rubbish when you've travelled some distance to give them custom based on their own website. Staff said that website etc was out of date and had been for some time. It was known about, but nothing done about it. Owner nowhere to be seen on a Saturday afternoon to explain the shambles.

I haven’t had food here yet, but the coffee, real ales, service and atmosphere are all fantastic and I will keep returning for more! Looking forward to trying out quiz night one Wednesday evening too 😌

Really nice place and a favorite stop off for me and my biker friends. Always excellent, polite service and top notch grub too. Well worth the trip

We decided to go for drinks and a bite to eat with family, the bar staff were very friendly and helpful, the 2 for 1 pizzas were not only great value for money but they were very good quality! The 2 for 1 cocktails were also good value there’s also a good selection of beers too. Couldn’t fault the service of the staff. A credit to Newark and a nice family afternoon!

Very very expensive for pub grub!!! We had a lasagna, two small bowls of chips, 4 drinks and a pizza which came to a whopping £50. We wanted the breakfasts but because we'd arrived just after 12pm were refused. They could have made an exception seeing as the clocks had just changed and all we fancied was the breakfasts. The people we were eating with all got the breakfasts because they'd got there a bit before us. The food itself wasn't bad, just ridiculously overpriced.

Great place to have a drink and some food, great value food as well.

I love this place, great surroundings, great food, great service. I look forward to visiting every time I'm in Newark.

fantastic venue, staff are friendly and welcoming, thanks to Beth who was very friendly and looked after us. Very reasonable prices and a really lovely experience

Friendly service and prompt. Called in on way to train station so only had time for one. Will be back.

Popped in twice over a weekend in Newark. Evening menu was reduced to pizzas but this was perfect with drinks. Ale selection was a bit limited was what was on offer was good. Mind the stairs up and down to the bar!

A wonderful find in Newark! Absolutely loved it - great selection of drinks, fresh cooked menu & friendly team. A venue with character and dog friendly too!

Home made sausage rolls are the best...

Very good service and quality of the food great staff great 😃👍

It's a great pub in an unusual setting! The staff are friendly, the food is good and it serves some nice real ales. Dog friendly!

Called in here for lunch one Saturday as we were cold,we chose Soup each it was very tasty,saw other meals being served they all looked very nice and the prices were very reasonable, will return here when back at this town.

Great pub, great service and great price 👍

Only had pizzas on due to staff but they were amazing.

We popped in for a quick coffee b4 our booked Sunday dinner at The Ram. Great place & the young lady who served us made us very welcome, menu looked great too!..

It’s a nice place to sit down on the river Trent and the staff are kind.

The castle barge was very lovely place and the food was first class and so was the service

It's absolutely stunning. It's deceiving from the outside, but like the tardis loads of room and decor is stunning.

Rang on Sunday and asked to book a table. Admittedly this was quite last minute and the lady on the phone advised only pizzas and chips are available. She advised that these are bogof as per the website as booking. Nowhere on the website does it give any terms and conditions about how long before it needs booking. I've often visited places and used a booking offer when I've only just booked. 2 car park charges later, we arrive and the man behind the bar literally shouted at us like we were at school. Started shouting from behind the bar your not getting bogof pizzas, you have to book 24 hours before, who do you think you are just thinking you can get them this late. I couldn't believe how rude he was and I was quite embarrassed by this reaction and left. I was meeting my nephew for the 1st time, and my neice had come up from London to visit my recently deceased mums grave. So I'd like to thank you for making a difficult day already, much more difficult with the rudeness, and leaving us already parked with nowhere else to go. Kindness goes a long way. I'm always looking for dog friendly bars however this one is off the list now.

Stopped by around 6pm on a Thursday evening for a drink before catching the train. Paid a rather expensive fee for a soft drink and had to listen to foul language from nearby patrons (always a problem in any pub these days). Found a corner, very nice plush red seating, but after a short the other clients dispersed which was the moment the barman informed me that they were closing very shortly (as in five minutes). The problem was that it was 6.35 and the bar was advertised as being open until 7pm. I understand that there is a cost to bars remaining open but it will discourage me from returning.

Excellent repurposing of an old cargo barge.