Gibraltar Gardens in Norwich

Horrid place with nasty landlord

The staff here are always so lovely to us! Great place to go for an after work drink or food. They always remember my drink order too, which I love. They do fun events like karaoke and other stuff, always a great atmosphere.

Hello to the people wanting to look at reviews. I was a regular at the pub (very well known to other customers and staff members including the owner Tony dibbens). I thought it was only in the best interest to let fellow future customers know the truth about this pub/restaurant. To most it seems a lovely pub and very welcoming, most of the staff are lovely and so are the customers. The main issue with this pub is the bald headed pr*ck who runs the place. Me and many other customers have seen this man abuse staff and customers when drunk. The man is a raging alcoholic and has been telling us regulars that him losing 5+ staff members in the last month was due to him sacking them all due to financial reasons. But the truth is that they all quit on him because of his appalling behaviour by mentally and psychically abusing them. From what I gathered and looking back at other reviews something or someone needs to give way to let a new owner take place. All the bad reviews have truth behind them and are in no way an exaggeration of events that have occurred. I’ve also seen some Facebook posts recently about the Gibraltar gardens and Tony specifically that seem to be on the same wavelength as the rest of the google reviews and have mysteriously disappeared. I base this on Tony wanting to cover his tracks and I felt someone else needed to speak up about what is happening inside the pub and so here I am. I would advise anyone who would like to book and event here to look for another place to hire due to the ethical side of things. I’ve also witnessed the owner of Gibraltar gardens pouring house vodka(romanoff) into the Smirnoff vodka bottles whilst sat at the bar having a pint.

Drinks in the summer Garden. ☀️

I have visited it on a visit to Norwich and think it is a lovely and welcoming place. ------ I visited Gibraltar Gardens when I went to Norwich, I found it to be a lovely and welcoming place

This place is so relaxing for the now Indian summer. You can cast your eyes over the river and enjoy no pressure of just a coffee hot and tasty even if you don't want a beer.The place is cleaner than it was when previous govs and the weekly programme is very inviting. It is had to promote how much effort is being placed into this pub. Music variation and many events to come over the dark months. The best I have ever seen this place. 🎵🤗

Arrived by canoe, two kids and myself. Great they have a floating mooring point, kids loved saying hi to the chickens, and I had a good pint of ale.

We have started going here on a Sunday after our football games for a roast. Food is lovely and it's a really relaxing place. Some weeks there is about 20 of us with kids and everyone loves it!

Back here on 28 Sept 2023. Superb burgers and beer. My five star review still stands. Blown away by the new Gibraltar Gardens. A group of us have been kayaking here for an evening meal and drink for more than a decade and now much impressed by the food and service. We were here on 14 May 2021. Large helpings and really well prepared food including varied and good vegetarian options. Crucially the meat burger looks and tastes like it was made on the premises instead of being bought in as a frozen burger.

A few days ago (Sept 2023), about 10-12 of us went to the Gibraltar Gardens for food and drink. I've been going there (usually by kayak) for over 20 years and this time I was blown away by how good my burger was, and the real ale, too. My friends also said their food was excellent. Not too pricey either - plus a great location for a pub with loads of space inside and out. It was a hugely successful evening - Liam the publican really looked after us.

Just stopped in for a drink, the coke was flat, and the outdoor areas looked tired.

We love this pub. It has the most amazing garden next to the river. Food is very reasonably priced with large portions. Staff very friendly and family run.

Excellent service very nice meal, pleasant afternoon by the river.

Went into the pub for some food it was good but the whole room smelt like weed. It smelt like coming from the room above. Staff was great and looked after us. Staff we so nice and lovely. Wasn’t here for long as it was giving my friend a headache.

Nice area but food not really good

Great food by the chefs in the kitchen and cheap drinks but absolutely disgusting how their staff are being treated. Early afternoon today I came in and witnessed “what seems to be drunk landlord and owner” verbally abusing his staff. I think he really needs to think about his staff and how he is treating them before he loses every single member of the pub that helps to run that place.

Lovley setting by the river with loads of space for private events.

If you’re thinking of booking this venue for an event and you’re from an ethnic background I wouldn’t bother. We booked this place for a baby shower paid for it etc with no problems. Brought all our food and decorations etc to be kicked out only a few hours after it starting due to a “powercut” while we asked why we have been asked to leave but nobody else was still unanswered while they were still taking food orders from other people in the pub but said we had to leave if not the police would be called. I didn’t realise people felt threatened still in this day and age by people of colour. Nobody was rude and we put a lot of money in their pocket that day which is my biggest regret. Bunch of racists that run the place. Left 50+ people standing in the rain including kids while they faked a power cut and locked all the doors and turned back on electricity and started serving the people they kept in there again. I have videos to prove this. The guy that owns the dated place has no balls as well as hair. Horrid man. Older lady behind the bar is just as disgusting calling the police and telling them completely false things to try stereotype us. We left after being promised a refund as that’s what we deserved for all the food and time wasted. Will never ever step foot in that place again and give them a penny of my money. DIRTY RACISTS SCUMBAGS.

Doesn't seem to be a way to update an old review so have deleted it and this is my updated review for July 2023. Under new management seems back to a friendly family environment, they had a deal on burger and chips for £5, best chips ever and very acceptable burger and for a fiver, has to be the best deal in Norwich accompanied by decent beers and largers sitting outside by the river. Aesthetically, one of the best venues in Norwich. Hopefully, they'll stretch the food menu at some point but suspect I just didn't see their menu.

Friendly staff, cheap drinks and beautiful scenery.

Very loud music shouldn't be aloud after 11 clock stop at 11 its not fair on the residents who have live opposite the pub when loud music going people trying to sleep its not on be phone call council about the noise music its joke really been going on all day

Middle of the week. Loud music playing outside from midday till gone 10pm. Whilst completely legal, horrific for all of the locals. No doubt this landlord will last no longer than their predecessors.

Full of smiles and singing and laughter and Karaoke was in full swing. Drinks reasonably priced and we sat out in the garden watching the river roll by as the sun went down. A lovely evening in a lovely bar! They do food, pool, paddleboarding and have live music here too - well worth a look!

Great pub for when the sun's shining and sitting out by the river

Lovely food great value for money..

A good place for outdoor activities

If you want burgers or ciabattas then you are in for a treat

This pub has such great potential. It needs to get on top of the blatant drug problem. The stench of weed that comes flooding in every time the door is opened or worse, left open, is terrible. We left early and went and spent our hard earned money elsewhere. Whilst this fixed the problem for us it meant the problem was left with the pub. The pub doesn't need telling about it as I noticed the staff were all supplied with noses.

Did not want anything big just fancy a salad. No salad on menu so I asked if possible. Said yes so I ordered Caesar salad with chicken. Was one of best I ever had. Plenty sauce. and chicken was cut in smaller pieces not great chunks. Was realy lovely

Had the steak baguette, monster of a sandwich with perfectly cooked steak, ample fries and and a side salad too, perfect with my pint in the beer garden! Only cost £8 too!

Good pub just outside the city centre right next to the river.

Good pub but unfortunately our food was given to someone else. We went inside after an hour to check where our food was just to be told it left the kitchen already. Not sure who has taken it but there was no waiter in the garden handing out the orders the whole time we were waiting. They even had our table number but the order never arrived. We left disappointed and hungry as the kitchen was already closed by the time we asked about it. We will be coming back some day as we like the atmosphere but I definitely recommend the owners to train the waiting staff so these things don't happen. Btw, we got the refund, which is much appreciated.

Beautiful location,not living up to it's potential. I witnessed the Landlord who appeared drunk verbally abusing a group of guests in public on Sunday even staff appeared embarassed. So glad I did not have children with me.

Used to be a lovely old pub in a great river side location. In need of TLC and renovation to get it back to what it used to be

I do not recommend this place to anyone. Beautiful setting, but run by a drunk and abusive landlord.

Dreadful landlord drunk and rude avoid!!! Better off going to a dump and eating cabbage covered in sick

Really lovely family friendly pub by the river. Lots of outdoor space.

Lovely pub, staff are all friendly and happy to go the extra mile for service. We went paddleboarding then stopped at the pub for food & drinks. Unfortunately due to allergies, once we queried with bar staff due to other things being cooked I could not eat anything on the menu, however they spoke to the chef who offered to make me something else. Really appreciated this, and it was nice to know they take allergies seriously. Meal was lovely. Thanks to the two bar staff, and the chef who helped us out that day!

Lovely to sit in the garden on sunny day having a drink

Fantastic pub, great food, lovely landlord

Stopped for a drink Monday staff was there but no manager there to open.

They dont have a wide menu for drinks or food. Very disappointing place to be. Place not been looked after wear down. I tried many times over the years to come here and eveytime there was a change it was just going for the worst

Lacking staff, so consequently long wait to order at the bar and also therefore a long wait to receive food.

Very limited menu, tables not sturdy or comfortable outside. There is wheelchair access to the gardens.

This is a very nice old pub , been coming here on and off for 30yrs , although, same with most pubs, drinks are getting expensive , unfortunately they have now decided to employ a carparking company to watch carpark which I think will deter people from using it

Good place for a riverside drink. Dog friendly. Yet to try the food. 10/10 ambiance & location.

Lovely location decent vegetation offer

Staff is super kind. Food is delicious.

Booked wake via messenger. Good food well presented, all dietary needs met. Resolved misunderstanding regarding provision of tea/coffee however perhaps it should be noted as optional extra on menus. If it is I missed it. For future wakes the family may like a area set aside for memories books,Photos ect, We rejigged and sorted it but as most wakes have this now.

Lovely place pulled up on the kayaks had a lovely pint in the sun then set of again, this will be a regular stop.

Nice location, views along the river. Does food although I didn't stay for any, but smelt good 😋. Nice friendly bar staff. Had live music outside on the sunny day I was there, which added to the atmosphere

Good service, good food and good ambience.

We went for a Sunday roast today. We were advised that we needed to pre book which we did. Only pork or beef or nut roast on offer but that was fine...... We waited over an hour and when the food arrived it was mostly inedible. A Yorkshire pudding was doughy, under cooked and flat as a pancake. The pork was fatty and not at all tasty. Broccoli was so over cooked it turned to a mushy puree. Roasties were crisp and very nice and some of the vegetables had a bit of bite We gave up and returned our meals with feedback and weren't charged but left feeling very hungry. We really want to support the new owners in getting what was a fabulous pub back up and running but so much needs to be done to address the issue with kitchen staff, waiting time and quality of the food. Sorry I can't be more positive but this was possibly the worst roast I've been served up

Miserable bar tender, and appeared to treat colleague with minimal trust and disrespect. Barman was on afternoon shift, Sunday 2nd April 2023. Won't be returning.

Great potential. A great location and will go back in warmer weather. The day we went it was very slack and soulless but I imagine it will buzz on sunny days with that stunning location. Only one ale on at the time too but it was very well kept.

I held a 21st birthday party here today and honestly it was amazing. The new owner Tony is such a lovely man. Him and his staff were so helpful and went above and beyond for us, nothing was to much. The pub had a lovely atmosphere, the drinks were cheap, service amazing. I will definitely be coming here for a drink and a roast. And when I need to hire somewhere for a party again I would look nowhere else but here! Thank you Tony & the team. Charmaine & Family xXx

Pub has just changed management recently and the kitchen is currently closed (there are snacks and sausage rolls). We were able to order in some Thai food via Uber eats, the staff were friendly and helpful. Looking forward to revisiting when the kitchen has reopened.

Would give no stars if I could booked wedding reception here and wanted to ask some questions They really rude read my messages and ignore me And them knowing all the time they was closing dint even have the decently to messages me and let me know I would need to find a new venue good job I dint pay any deposit

The room is cold & dinner is not bad

Went with friends for someone's milestone birthday, although my food arrived a little dry and overcooked I was impressed with the service and how the entire group was served at the same time. Definitely worth eating outside in one of the pods as the sun goes down and the lights sparkle

Amazing pub with kind and friendly staff and owners. Also the roast beef Wellington is delicious and cooked to perfection 😋😋 thank u

Best place to be in Norwich. Amazing landlord J made us feel so so welcome putting on lights for the kids, serving great food and being pure awesome and lovely. Recommend to all. includes amazing garden and lovely Indoor space.

Booked a table for meal. When we arrived they only had 50% of the menu available

Had my wedding reception in the marquee here do not do it! When we was shown the marquee we wasn’t shown it in great detail we stood near the doors looked in and had a conversation with the lady showing us and decided to take it! We paid £1000 just for the marquee then £120 bar staff then £100 table cloths and chair covers then £50 for a cleaner the day after the reception! The night before we decorated up and realised how bad the marquee was but I didn’t wanna complain as my wedding was the next day and didn’t have time to get anywhere else! There was only one table set up me and family members had to do all the other chair covers and set tables was supposed to be done there there was no end of chairs piled in the corner which stopped the dj setting up properly there was mould all on the roof the floor is dipping and wet in a lot of places anyway we made the best of a bad situation ! We stored our food there the night before ext! Got there the day of the wedding admittedly we was a bit early but they was made awear this might happen the chairs and everything were not moved the top table was not set up like we had asked ext we had to wait in the main bar till this was sorted then bar staff complained aa poppers were pulled in there and it made a mess like a kids party apparently! We got into the marquee and there was no card machine for drinks at the bar the poor bar girl had to sort this herself even though management said it would be sorted there was supposed to be a fully stocked bar which wasn’t the case everyone had to keep leaving to go in the main bar for drinks the marquee was freezing with no form of heating in there lights didn’t work in the roof! The food when I asked for it to be brought out which I had said was clearly labeled didn’t get brought out properly and when they did I had to stand with guest and take all the lids off as they was all just sling on the side! Half of the food didn’t even get brought out the cake ended up with bugs on it and the table it was put on was covered in mould! The marquee leaked and my dj was wet and had to move equipment as water was coming through! And now since this everyone in the family has been extremely unwell 3 people have ended up in hospital and it is now in the hands of a lawyer to get our money back and compensation for us we gave management the chance to pay us back £500 but they refused and told us to go to court all bevayse they don’t care because they are leaving rhe pub in dec ! I will be making sure with my lawyer that this is delt with and that the management who are in charge will be the ones paying us back for this! Do not use this pub for any special events

Very run down. Booked a pod in the garden for an evening meal. Restricted menu, not a pleasant atmosphere with loud music coming from the pub itself. Sorry but wouldn't return.

Not normally one for reviews, but..We were made to feel so special at a recent family reunion that I had to write and say a huge thank-you to the wonderful staff who could not do enough to make our afternoon quite simply amazing. Whilst it is unfair to pick out individuals for praise, Jack went above and beyond with his boundless smile and endless patience with family photos and in jokes. Awesome buffet and a great atmosphere. Could not be more pleased. thank you, Julie, and extended family

Fantastic place, great for dogs and beautiful outdoor area, very nice staff and very fair drink prices

Awesome place like the river side seating, well spent day

3 stars as the beer garden on the river is beautiful. The food however, really disappointing. Cold, flavourless - so perhaps great place in the summer for a drink.

Nice place to chill by the river, have a beer or two and enjoy the lovely beer garden. Beautiful old pub.

Great access to paddle boarding. A nice friendly pub to have a couple of drinks after. Drinking pods available.

Absolutely lovely pub. Great staff. Good measures. The garden is gorgeous with lots of space to sit. There's even paddle boarding on the river. If I could rate higher I would!!

Lovely gardens and probably lovely place for just a drink but not for food. We had meals not put through so they didn't arrive with everyone else's food so one of our party had to wait, dessert order wrong, food was ok nothing special and the bill was messed up too so not the best experience and wouldn't have food there again.

Staff were friendly, food was nice, only reason I've not given it 5 stars is because it took 45 minutes for food to arrive and the toilets need a good clean especially under the hand dryer

We saw a recent negative review from a person that came off from the river board trip and had a bad experience with his food. His comment then has disappeared. Happy then we saw a positive review although only one delivery of one set of food to her grandchild. we then are agreeable with the last people that got food tonight. The lady serving wandered about with the tray of food out in the open with no idea where .she was supposed to set it to. The lady behind the bar said she could not offer us any more food but the timing on their website says the could. She pointed to a table inside the restaurant and said we should ask them and that they where the managers of the pub and they were unapproachable because they were eating and entertaining Thier own private group. Even worse, the ladies toilet said on a scribbled note ....don't use the hot tap ? There were other laminated notices pulled from the wall and propped up next to the sinks. Surly you cannot run a restaurant this scruffy. Can this establishment please be inspected. I shall now report this because even running as a pub the toilets are horrid.

I don’t normally review but this place was the pits, we had three meals and none were even close to being expectable. No we didn’t complain as we were just glad to get out, wrong yes. The mixed grill was disgusting, literally swimming in grease, the chips were like cardboard so I used them to de-grease the meat. The lasagna had sat under the hot bulb for so long that the top layer was like concrete and it had completely dried out. The hunters chicken was the best of a bad bunch but my son who usually demolishes his plate of food left a lot, that told me something. Never again at this dump.

My Grandson and I had been walking along the river and decided to stop for a drink and coffee. Although I am fairly local I’d never been here before. My grandson asked if he could have something to eat and ordered from the lite bite menu, chicken strips and chips. We took our drinks outside and within 10 mins his meal was brought out. It looked really nice. I tried a piece of the chicken and it was delicious. He was very happy. The staff were excellent and very friendly. I’m quite fussy so I’m glad I hadn’t read the recent reviews as we wouldn’t have stopped. Having actually visited I’ll be returning.

Having visited today the response from staff was disgusting, extremely rude and I do not appreciate my order being thrown at me 😡😡 I would never visit again and I would not recommend anyone else visiting. I would highly recommend the owner change staff if they want to keep the business going. Absolutely terrible.

Lovely pub next to the river. Plenty of activities and a great atmosphere.

Really nice place to chill, have some food and drinks, good prices as well. Went there for a poker night and I really enjoyed it.

We went to the paddleboarding place in the grounds.of the pub and it was fab!! The staff were lovely and welcoming and we had so much fun!!

Friendly service and nice cold beer next to the river.

Good beer garden but poor selection of beer

Would not recommend .... fine for a drink but definitely not food. Cleanliness was questionable .... dirty cutlery and tables that are so caked with grease that your clothes stick to them. Burger was OK and cooked, chips massively undercooked and dripping with oil. After we had eaten the meal a random man started to clear the plates and stated "I don't even work here I've just done the food!" 🤢 After all that we didn't hang around long enough to see if the free ice cream actually came with the kids meal .... I'll just be happy if I make it through the night without spending it on the toilet!

I never review food but on this occasion I felt it was bad enough that I wouldn't want others to make the same mistake. Would not recommend .... fine for a drink but definitely not food. Cleanliness was questionable .... dirty cutlery and tables that are so caked with grease that your clothes stick to them. Burger was OK and cooked, chips massively undercooked and dripping with oil, to the point it pooled on your plate. After we had eaten the meal a random man started to clear the plates and stated "I don't even work here I've just done the food!" 🤢 After all that we didn't hang around long enough to see if the free ice cream actually came with the kids meal .... I'll just be happy if I make it through the night without spending it on the toilet!

Pub grounds and spot on the river idyllic however pub really old and disheveled and needs 'serious' updating!... Clientel leaves a lot to be desired also - not the best of areas tbh hence the above.

Great outside facilities to relax after work.

I am only giving you 3/5 because this pub has a stunning location and really should be monopolize on this by providing an amazing menu. I will keep coming back because of the location, however I have been let down couple of times now on the food. The staff are happy and polite, so I have given it a 3/5 (But when you compare it to other riverside locations the food does not compare) sorry folks

was very busy when we went so took ages to get served. food was cheap & cheerful & edible but dont expect Gastro style food!

My daughter booked this for her graduation meal. We where in one of the pods. The staff were very friendly and attentive and the meal was good to.

Haven't been in this pub for years and it certainly didn't disappoint. Had entertainment on and was great atmosphere. Lovely evening

Very friendly and welcoming pub

Don't be fooled by initial impression. This place is in a wonderful location right on the water, great garden, friendly staff and locals. Drinks and food okay. I'll definitely back and suggest you try it,, just leave me a space in the car park!

Friday afternoon after doing the weekly shop, we felt like a cold drink by the river, drinks and staff were absolutely fine, staff very accommodating, but we made the mistake of ordering a sandwich, took quite a while to appear, then when they did they were so disappointing … served on a heated plate, so bread was very dry and the side salad was brown and limp … end part of the tomato which I wouldn’t use especially in catering - the worst salad I’ve ever had to look at! Such a shame … but first impressions do say a lot I have to say.

Had a great night sat friendly bar staff and friendly people

Booked a BBQ for ~50 people to follow a paddle boarding session that launched from the pub's very nice garden. Huge thanks to Rebecca, chef Gina and team for accommodating our group's various dietary requirements so well. The food was much enjoyed by all.

Fabulous Day in there good and friendly people & the staff were very friendly

Great pub, alas noise levels were high, it was packed and hot.

Lovely friendly staff,food excellent beautiful gardens, we will be returning soon

The beer is fine, the setting and staff are exceptional. Combines the best of the classic and modern pub to create one of the best pubs in the region