La Vague in Newark and Sherwood

I stopped in on a bike ride today and was delighted to find such a gem of a place. I sat outside on the terrace in the sunshine and had one of the best pieces of Lemon drizzle cake I've ever had (I'm quite fussy with lemon drizzle cake) and a lovely latte. The lady serving me was lovely. I popped my head inside to ask for a water bottle refill before I left and it was no problem. Inside looked beautiful too. I'll definitely be visiting on a bike ride again but also for an evening meal as the menu looked amazing.

Over priced and waitresses have no knowledge of the products on offer.

A good place to stop if you like big slices of cake.

What a strange place! Only wanted three coffees and some ice cream for the kids. 'No ice cream' says the server, but would you like to see the desert menu? We did and there it is - Gelato, pretty much the same as ice cream!! Ordered two lots for the kids to share (3 scoops plus three scoops). The coffees arrived, then began the long wait. After 15 minutes, my partner went to find out what was happening. The three servers were chatting by the bar and said they weren't allowed in the kitchen area!! In the meantime, the chef/owner was waiting on tables with wine etc and talking on the phone! After another altercation and a request to simply cancel the order, the ice cream arrived. Over 20 minutes to get a few scoops of ice cream? - with only a few tables occupied too. Three coffees, two ice creams for over £26. Save your money and go a little further down the road to the Unicorn Hotel. Quicker, cheaper and a darn site more welcoming!! Maybe if the chef/owner spent more time in the kitchen doing what he ought to do and get the servers serving and answering the phone, the place might have a future. As it is - just walk on by folks..........

A cute patio and restaurant tucked away. We were welcomed by the owner upon arrival and given a menu right away. We had tea, scones and cake, all of which were delicious. Our food and drinks arrived very quickly. There were water bowls for dogs and lots of seating both inside and out. We will definitely return to try their lunch menu.

Hair in food! Dirty cutlery and crockery! Cross-contamination between meat and other ingredients on other plates! So bad that I gave the staff food hygiene instructions before leaving. Avoid!

Lovely setting, friendly staff, a little pricey

Lovely location, but food poor and very, very expensive. Main order and sides came at different times, £10 for a very basic salad with some ingredients missing. Not good value.

A little piece of Italy in Nottingham. Scrumptious, authentic food with great service. Recommended.

£32 for 2 glasses of wine and a few olives....rip off!

Lovely setting beside the river Trent, we only stopped for a coffee

Hot day and very grumpy owner(?) He doesn't like to use debit cards, preferring cash. He actually argued with customers about it. It made a very uncomfortable experience.

We went to the open air area at the back of the restaurant and having seen 'service at table' we waited. After several minutes I went to check and was told this area was closed. There was no indication. The staff were quite disinterested and didn't show any concern for this oversight. We left.

Lobster Ravioli exquisite, quality of ingredients & care of execution first class. Attentiveness of owner was the cherry on top, VIP treatment. Ignore the other moaners on here they are obviously Chef & Brewer fans. Can’t wait to come back. 💕

Just a little gem in an idyllic location especially on a summer day.

Attentive and friendly staff Stopped for a Lovely coffee Definitely be back for food

Not able to have only snacks, only full meal

First time visit and was very impressed by the friendly staff and fantastic food. Will be back again very soon

Not very good! While seated inside, just as the coffee ☕️ and cake 🥮 arrived, the large heavy framed picture behind us fell off the wall and struck my partner on the head. The staff brought out some ice for her head and checked to see if she was ok. It seems the picture had been there for years with no issue. Looking at the fixings, I would say they were the 3M Command strips. Which appeared to have been incorrectly mounted horizontally and not vertically as per the manufacturer's instructions. Either way, my partner is still in pain several hours later and is feeling sick.. possible sign of concussion. There was no mention of anything being recorded in the accident book, and £20 for coffee, cake, and a nasty bang on the head seems a pretty poor deal. We won't be going back. If you visit, I would advise choosing a seat away from any of the pictures and other wall fixings.

We came to la vague on bank holiday Monday and we were not disappointed! The coffee was delicious and the food was exceptional. The staff were really friendly and helpful. However, as we were about to leave a couple started to cause a scene in which they assaulted the staff and the managers. The way they behaved towards the staff was appalling and even after being asked to leave the premises, they still continued to be aggressive. Unfortunate that people behave like that but we still had a lovely time.

This is our favourite place by the river for amazingly delicious meals or coffee & cannoli plus special beer. The owner and staff are very friendly and welcoming making sure customers are looked after. If you are in the area, you won’t be disappointed with the quality of the food in a perfect setting, relaxing as if you are on holiday.

After a lovely walk along the river we thought we would pop in for a coffee and the cake. It turned a little cold so wanted to sit inside. We waited patiently at the sign that said ‘wait here to be seated’ the manager was sat at the first table, when the young waitress came over she said to her “get them to sit outside” we were 2 feet away from her and she never as much as looked up. I instantly thought sod this and turned to walk off when my girlfriend asked the young lady if we could sit inside, she was embarrassed and said “yes”. Once seated a Lewis Skolnick look alike came over and skimmed two menus on the table, the mrs said we would just like coffee and cake, are the cakes in the glass cabinet “yeah” and off he walked. I could then hear the members of staff saying “they wouldn't sit outside” i sat there for a second questioning where I was and thought this cant be a real establishment and was half expecting Ant and Dec to pop out. Then the mrs went you to look at what cakes were available in the glass cabinet , the Italian Stallion chef said “what you doing” the mrs said “ just looking at the cakes” Balboa then said “I only asked what you was doing” then placed his hand on her back in a condescending manner. The mrs then said “forget it, we are off’” then Italian Stallion came down to where I was sat pleading his innocence whilst the monobrowed manager shouts “you don't get to assault my staff” she meant verbally assault but the broken english didn't help. Balboa at this point grew a pair and was prancing about like a show pony. He chased after us even when we were outside the jumped up punk squared up to her in an attempt to intimidate her. Unbeknown to this hard nut the mrs is one of the top female martial artists in the last 25 years. Balboa then marched at me and stood within a foot of me with fists clenched , I called him out on his aggressive demeanour, just as that the monobrowed manager came shouting, get out just go. There pair of ignorant bullies, try to intimidate people, read the other comments you will see. Scum bags

Good food enjoyed it and a nice place to chill and enjoy.

Sunday 10.30 - 1100hrs. Ordered a coffee, waited for over 20 minutes service not great. Not busy either

Beautiful food, highly recommend.

Always met with a smile and lovely food

Beautiful coffee and very friendly staff

Had the most wonderful Valentine’s dinner at La Vague. Lovely setting, attentive staff, talented chef/owner. Can honestly say the lobster ravioli is probably the best pasta dish we’ve ever eaten! Thank you for a lovely evening.

Manager/owner obnoxious and rude. Won't be returning until he's gone. Shame as it's a fab location.

Looks lovely. Nice outdoor area. But is cash only

Great whatever the weather! The food is home cooked.

Worst flat white ever don’t even bother

Went for breakfast and staff looked as us as a hindrance. Food was poor quality for the price and poached eggs hard yoked oh dear.

Very nice to have a break by the river

This is my favourite place to eat and relax. The atmosphere is so calming and restful. The staff are courteous, friendly, and efficient. The proprietor of the restaurant treats all of his patrons like they were members of his extended family. I only wish we had better summer days to enjoy this amazing restaurant by Gunthorpe Lock. It will be somewhere to visit during the coming cold winter months. If you have never been, then you are missing a treat!

La Vague is a beautiful place to visit, it feels exclusive because it is hidden and tucked away. As you drive down by the Locke, you are greeted by a delightful view of the water and boats. This kindly sits on the face of the water, it is a perfect place to sit outside for Summer. In terms of the inside, it is always toasty and the atmosphere feels upscale. It feels a luxury to dine with the restaurant because of the natural air of grace. In terms of food, they offer dishes from all over the Mediterranean and they pair with each season of the year. Each time I’ve ever been I’m always welcomed as a foodie with a series of great recommendations and the service is incredibly attentive. There has never been an occasion where we have not been thoroughly catered to or checked on.

Went in for breakfast at 11am on a Sunday morning. All seemed very nice. Sat down and waited and waited and waited. Eventually a member of staff told me they weren’t taking breakfast orders as they were “catching up”! Looked around and I could see no more than half a dozen tables taken. Very odd. Isnt that what they do? Serve the tables they’ve set up in their restaurant. Strange.

Very friendly staff, helpful. We chose to sit in the outside covered area at the back. We were dressed casually that was no issue at all as mentioned previously. The only downside is the deeply potholed approach road and the pay by app car park.

Lovely, friendly staff. Food is cooked when you order so takes time but it is worth the wait.

Great location and great food at reasonable prices. Would be great outside in the sun...... but this is England, after all!!

Very very poor steaks and pizza. Drinks were very over priced. Probably explains why this was the only place with availabilty on the river. We definitely won't be eating here again. Although the service staff were very helpful polite and happy to help.

Reasonable place, had a coffee and cake at a cost of over £10 Went to use the toilet before I left but couldn't find it.... until the owner came over and snapped at me. "What are you looking for?" I said the toilet to which he snapped again."ITS DOWN THERE" not a great attitude towards a paying customer in my opinion and I was made to feel like I was taking up room from people spending more. Basically as soon as you're finished he wants you out, owner seems very friendly with the ladies but has an attitude towards men... especially if they're dining alone. I will not be going back again I'd rather spend my money where its appreciated thank you. Note how the owner only responds to positive feedback and can't take criticism.

Lovely little place to visit for refreshments after a walk along the river from Burton Joyce. We've also visited herefor a meal and wine in the back garden, a sun trap.

The mushroom and chicken risotto was absolutely perfect, all the food was presented perfectly, the bread selection was warm and had a brilliant texture. Perfect and well priced food, kind and attentive staff, gorgeous location beside the river. Overall, a very good lunch!

Stopped by for lunch which we all really enjoyed. We had ciabatta sandwiches, cakes and espresso. The food is well presented and high quality, and the cannolies are incredible! The owner is really friendly, present and attentive and the service is high standard - all in a setting that's spotlessly clean, tidy and really pleasant to be in - especially on a summer's day, sat outside. The riverside setting is a massive plus too! Update - August 2023 Stopped by last Sunday for coffee - excellent service from someone with ginger hair and a beard (didn't get his name!) He's a credit to the business 🌟

Lovely homemade pizza and side of veg. Really nice decor and friendly, hardworking staff. We will return.

David and i ate here yesterday for our 4 wedding anniversary.the food and service was second to none.even did cakes to go for us .even put cream one of them for us.definatley will be returning.paulxdavid x

Came to Gunthorpe to have a walk along the river, teaching our child about how locks work. Decided to lunch at La Vague. Situated right on the banks of the Trent, a perfect spot, thankfully the weather fine enough to dine on the lockside terrace. On entry, we were greeted by a very pleasant young lady, who brought out our menus as we asked to be seated outside. Excellent choice of meals available, (husband and daughter shared a margarita pizza and a side of fries. I opted for the meatball sandwich) though the vegetarian options are very limited, and there didn't appear to be any child-sized portions, or dedicated children's menu. Drinks order taken and delivered quite quickly, and though the food took a while to arrive, was absolutely worth the wait. Pizza piping hot. A generous portion of chips, and my meatball sandwich (with its own portion of chips) had so much filling, I had to cut it up and eat it in sections. Absolutely delicious. Yes, it's not cheap, and the wait can be a little long for the food to arrive, but in such glorious surroundings, it's not a chore. All the staff that we spoke to were friendly yet unobtrusive. 10/10 would recommend.

Such an absolutely lovely place. Stunning area of natural beauty, scrumptious food and perfect service.

Took my parents and family to celebrate 80th birthday of my mum, for breakfast. What a fabulous treat it was, beautifully decorated place, we sat inside table booked for 5 adults, near the window so we could see the river. food was absolutely gorgeous, cooked fresh, 4 full english and 1 smoked salmon special it was delicious. coffees and drinks were spot on too. Staff were polite, looked smart, head waiter making sure he held the door, showed you to your table, everything you look for in a restaurant was done and all the staff were wonderful. The head chef , owner Alfonso made such a fuss of our mum , had the staff sing to her and then bought out cake and candles with happy birthday written on a huge plate. So, this italian restaurant is absolutely worth a visit , we shall return, every meal we saw being brought out to other diners looked divine. The outside dining area is very lovely for warm summer days too . Thank you La Vague xxx

Nice food but a bit pricy for what it was

Nice place by the river. A bit pricey for lunch but the food was good & the staff attentive. We sat outside in the rear courtyard where they definitely need parasols.

Great place for a restaurant I was there during the day and was very busy service a little slow but I think it would be great night on the river

Lovely looking place and the staff were friendly and attentive. Was very overpriced however and the food was poor; our pizza took ages, was as stiff as a board, wasn't very flavoursome and was probably frozen.

Food 10/10 staff 10/10 dined in clean, relaxed well decorated. Can't wait to go again 😍

Definitely our favourite place to eat and this year the restaurant has a take away service on Saturday's from 5pm to 10 pm which we took advantage of. The food is always delicious, the staff are so very welcoming and the setting by the River Trent is gorgeous.

Fantastic Riverside Italian restaurant and coffee bar

Stopped serving breakfast at 11 because they were too busy and people waited for an hour and still no food

Went for lunch and we’re told the kitchen had stopped taking orders for at least 40 mins as they were so busy but we could have a drink and the server would come to take our order as soon as they could - after an hour, and no sign of a server, went to find someone only to be told it would be at least another 30-40 mins. No idea why it would take so long to get out a handful of covers, there were only two tables taken in the restaurant and while outside was busy it wasn’t packed with huge parties of people. Felt sorry for the servers all youngsters and there didn’t seem to be anyone actually in charge giving them any direction all seemed rather chaotic. Such a shame as we’ve been before and it was lovely. Won’t be going back again I’m afraid.

Nice but expensive cafe by the river trent at Gunthorpe, they have a dog friendly outside terrace, good coffee and nice breakfasts. There was also an ice cream van in the adjoining car park, a rare treat 😋

Lovely spot for a walk, coffee and cake. Served by Milly who was friendly, efficient and had extensive knowledge of the long list of cakes on offer! Will be back.

We came here for a drink while walking our dogs and would not return I ordered a shandy there was no price for this on the menu when the bill arrived I was charged £7.00 for half a pint of shandy …..absolute rip off! So for a pint is it £14 ? Unbelievable?!?!?!?!

Haven't tasted the food yet but what I saw looked delicious. Tried a new Italian beer, very nice will definitely return 👍

Delicious family breakfast in a beautiful setting. La Vague special was delightful, as was the omelette. Very friendly team out front and in the kitchen. Well worth the visit.

Lovely but very slow service. Waited an hour near enough for a sandwich. Nice place though & food was good when it came. 😋

Beautiful food very clean very relaxing welcome dogs would recommend anybody paying a visit 10/10

Had a breakfast on bank holiday Monday the breakfast was brilliant. Staff friendly will be definitely be going again.

50p premium for decaff??? Really??? Overpriced but coffee was nice enough.

Booked last minute for a birthday breakfast and we certainly weren’t disappointed. 4 full English all beautifully presented and very fresh., the waitress explained that all meals are cooked fresh so we might wait a while, we didn’t wait long at all. Dietary requirements catered too as well. 5th breakfast was LaVague special which was absolutely delicious. Our waitress was very friendly and looked after us very well. I would thoroughly recommend the breakfast

Over priced and a limited menu, only choice on the kids menu is pasta

Best seafood linguine dish ever! You have to try it.

Refused to let my kids use the toilet and the women had an attitude, probably because we're not dressed "posh" to their standard. Definitely lost future customers.

Sad to see the quality of the food has really gone down hill since last year. Feels like most food items have been swapped for cheaper alternatives and very disappointing taste overall, especially considering the price. It is not often the price of a veggie breakfast is higher, especially considering there is no meat alternative served. Service is great with lovely staff.

Very friendly staff, efficient and tasty food 2nd visit here and we love it.

I had a very nice Cappuccino and delicious cake. I sat in the rear seating area from where, it was possible to see the river and lock. The staff were friendly & polite.

Lovely full English. However this was slightly spoiled by cheap tomato ketchup being put in a Heinz squeeze bottle and trust me it was not Heinz. A little pricey but would have been loads better if the tea or coffee had been included in the price(come on guys how much does a cuppa cost!). Overall good though.

First time here since new management. Thought the manager/owner was quite rude when he told us to sit down it was table service. We were just looking at the cakes on the counter. Quite how you can choose from sitting at a table seems impossible to me. The price for 2 x Lattes and 2 x pieces of cake at £17. 35p was extortionate.

Use to pay carpark fees, nice coffee

Noce place to eat but a little pricey

Lovely cakes and coffee.Very friendly staff.Will call again

Best dog walk ever! Lovely coffee and a wonderful eggs Benedict - set up for the walk home!

Love this place. Great for a drink after walking the dog. But also well worth eating in. Great service, friendly faces.

Great breakfast here tasted like good quality food and great warm service. Thank you very much.

Family birthday celebration Food was superb. Staff really helpful and couldn't do enough for us all. It was a bit chilly think they had a problem with the heating but otherwise would recommend to others.

GREAT FOOD, FRESH, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CHEF, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO VISIT!!!!👏👏👏👏👏

Great location by the river. I never understood why they changed its name from Biondi. It's a shame the council has put it charges at the car park next door. Good food at fair prices.

I have yet to dine in but have experienced La Vague on the outside patio with the dogs. Great friendly service, good coffee and delicious food.

Beware the car park next to the restaurant is now a charging zone. Beware of paying by card, a scam is in operation where your card details are being used for access to your bank account. This is not associated with the restaurant.

Been there summer 2022. A man of their staff, seemingly the manager, was incredibly rude with us, we were rudely asked to prove we were customers once we asked where the toilet was. Of course we were, we'd been having coffees outside for the previous 15 minutes. The other people in the staff were very nice. Hope to see a change in management, I'll absolutely avoid this place unless management changes, and it's a shame because it's a beautiful spot by the river.

Great for all ages. Pleasant location. Excellent coffees and pastries/cakes. Staff make a real effort to make customers feel welcome.

Location by the River Trent and Gunthorpe Lock

Great venue & great location. Used to always to pop down here but is now too expensive for us. We felt it was trying attract a more wealthy clientele. We felt uncomfortable in there with our young family on a Saturday afternoon whilst having a coffee, receiving glaring looks from other customers. There was 5 couples in there & when the 6th couple was shown to their table & their drinks delivered to them they were then told they weren't taking any more food orders until the kitchen calmed down. Their menu was very limited, especially for anyone with allergens, & no childrens menu.

Came here for my daughters birthday, and must say was gorgeous food, will defiantly return.

Food was well presented tasted very nice, quality produce used accompanied by very attentive staff and very accommodating as I asked for fried bread and nothing was too difficult. This will be our go to dinning from now on when we are in the area. Thank you la vague staff.

Had a great meal at La Vague today with the family Anwar the owner was as welcoming and friendly as ever. We had 6 different mains all cooked really well, presentation wad great and there were 6 clear plates. One of the best meals I've had for a while anywhere.

First class catered for with sublime food and service, highly recommended

Excellent place - great food - good service - friendly staff.

I haven’t been here since it changed hands and won’t be going again. I visited after a walk with my son and granddaughter for coffee and cake, the waitress was very friendly and the place looked lovely, but I have to have decaffeinated coffee as I can’t take caffeine because it makes me very ill and affects my heart, when I placed the order I was told it would be an extra 0.50p because it was decaf. I have never in all my years had this happen before, that’s a lot of money for a one shot small cup of coffee, a complete rip off

Enjoyed coffee and cake and a lovely walk with the dogs. Rather surprised that we now have to pay for parking which will mean we won't be visiting on a regular basis.

Decided to have a ride down to Gunthorpe Lock . Cafe in carpark looked very clean and fresh . Indoor and out door seating . Table service ,I ordered a Breosh sausage cob and a coffee . Very quick friendly service . Piping hot coffee followed shortly by my order. Sat at table 44 outside in the sun . I've not been before but will definitely visit again soon. Highly Recommended.