Monk And Tipster in South Northamptonshire

Pool table Bands play here No real ale

Very limited selection of beers and ales available. Most taps had pint glasses over them meaning not on !! Apart from that a very quiet pub, with some sports viewing screens.....a good stopping off point if your on the way to the dog track like me !!

Great little pub in the heart of Towcester

NO STARS AT ALL IF I COULD DO NOT BOOK A ROOM HERE. The building looks charming.The pub itself has lots of character but the guest rooms are shockingly bad. In the first room the curtains had a 10 inch gap in the middle when fully closed and there was no light in the bathroom. After I asked to be moved they put me in another room with a bay window where the curtains did meet in the middle but were about 14 inches from the floor so the light still came in, there was no shower curtain in the bathroom, the sheets didn't smell like they'd been washed in a long time the bed wasn't comfortable at all and one of the walls was damaged. All this pales into insignificance however as I was unable to get to sleep because of the banging coming from upstairs.......it sounded like a heard of elephants, eventually the noise subsided and I got to sleep only to be woken again around 12.30 in the morning, so I went upstairs to complain, shouted to keep the noise down and banged on the door (which came open......obviously) at which point I was asked to leave the next morning for disturbing the landlords daughters! Oh and I was accused of going in their room which I did not. I'd have been better off sleeping in my car. THE WORST PLACE I'VE EVER STAYED

Decent old school pub great staff and service

It's OK if you are a younger person.

A shambles no hot water no shower screen no bath towels and no soap or toilet paper one light work in the room my friend room was the same not good good place to stay 😞

Unfortunately the bar was closed on my visit to the hotel.

*Edit* Removing my previous negative review as the Monk and Tipster is under new management and although I havent been back it would not be fair that they are impacted by old reviews

I just popped in for a quick one. The welcome was cheerful warm and friendly - everything clean and comfortable. I would love to see some cask ale on offer ...maybe this will be available in future ...anyway, I enjoyed the lager and the new atmosphere 😁 ...I shall return soon 😁👍

This is my new review. I deleted the old one as I could not put 2 and it is no longer a true account. We went back last night as it has new staff we thought we would pop in for a couple of drinks and then go home. Well, that couple turned into a full-on session. What a fantastic night. The lady behind the bar( I can't remember your name sorry) was lovely. Made everyone feel welcome all I can say is we will be going back. Everyone there was really friendly. It was nice to see it busy like it used to be. If you are about pop in you won't be sorry. Well, my head is a little sorry this morning. Nice big screens so sports fans can watch their sports. Great music on the jukebox. Nice pool table (needs some new cues) great atmosphere. Just had a fantastic time.

The new landlady was great. So welcoming. We will be back!

A nice pint on our way home 🏡 😀

I stayed the night room was spacious and clean well prepared the land lady was friendly and served us well. On reading the other reviews above I notice the guy complaining about being charged for a room after staying an hour I'm not surprised you book a room for the night not by the hour . Also someone informing you that the kitchen closed 2 hours ago is not rude but factual. I noticed a kebab house and a Chinese across the road from the pub and to your right as you leave the pub there's a domino's and a steak and grill restaurant a 2 min walk down the road . Honestly I don't know what's wrong with people now a days she's not rude . That's he personality and at the price they charge its alot cleaner and quieter then most main stream places .

Good night spent at retro disco, good atmosphere,

No landlord mistressable does speak so quite weekend and in week

Very clean pub, parking a bit of a problem.

One day I hope to stay with you! The Monk and Tipster was once The Watling Street Cafe, proprietor Mrs L.G. Stroud. My grandmother. All the best in these hard times.

Friendly staff nice place to drink

Great little pub with a good choice of beers/largers, friendly service and well priced

The people were really friendly.the mattress was thin and lumpy.the breakfast was great.

tried this for the first time wen visiting friends, have been using another takeaway for years which shut down, so ive been trying to find a replacement and i have now found it, food was amazing

Was the best place at towcester to eat great steaks. But now it's closed.

We came here on the 10th Of March for dinner and we were in a rush as I had a dog Racing At Towcester Racecourse so we wanted something quick and we were a bit shocked that they charged us 3 pound extra each for them to cook our steaks for us it was a shame as most restraints do cook it for you and I’m not a good cook and neither is my dad so we were a bit shocked at that. But our meal was outstanding and the best steak I’ve had in ages it was perfect quality and we really enjoyed our meal the staff are all lovely and friendly. I really think the chief might want to think about cooking our stacks for free when customers ask for it to be cooked I understand it’s not that type of Restraint but not everyone is a confident cook and it might help the ones like myself that are not so confident when it comes to cooking relax more. But all the staff were very friendly and I loved my steak. Xx

I am so sad that this restaurant is not being recognised for its amazing service and steak menu, being well travelled I can’t believe that this gem is on my door step and off the radar. The best steakhouse in Northamptonshire without a doubt

Is it a pub or a restaurant? Had no real ale pumps working so opted for john smiths but had to change barrel as nobody busy it. The decor was half traditional and half tacky indian restaurant style although they serve steak.little wonder the local are all in the mill!!

My review is based on the bedroom, not the bar as we didn't use it.

If you are in the area this pub is definitely worth a visit if you like steak . Staff attentive and very friendly we had a fab night thank you 👍🏻 we will be back

We have been here with various friends when they visit, why, the steaks they are superb. Yes it like going back to the 70’s decoration wise, however, you cannot get steaks like these on a menu anywhere locally, wines are really well priced.

We found this place almost by accident, when another restaurant in the area was full, so we tried the Monk & Tipster, it was very quiet in there, but once we sat down we had good service, and we ordered 2 steaks, which we then found out you can cook them yourself at your table, they come on a hot stone, which is incredibly hot throughout the whole meal, so you can have exactly the steak how you like it, my wife ordered a medium fillet and I ordered a large, well that was a mistake as I could not finish it, it was hugh, the cost was very reasonable, and we have since been back 3 times, I would definitely recommend it, not fine dining but very good service and exceptional value for money.

We experienced absolutely amazing food at a very reasonable price. The steak was some of the best i’ve ever had, nice and thick.

A traditional pub restaurant serving top quality steaks on hot rocks .The best place around for this type of meal .

Used to come here regularly as really enjoyed the food and atmosphere, however the last couple of times we have been I have left disappointed. We attempted their Sunday carvery, arriving half and hour before the end of serving to be told "I can check if we're serving...yes but there's only beef left" which was fine by us, however what we weren't told was there was hardly any veg, not enough Yorkshire's for how many people were queued and what we did have was cold but it's ok "I can whack it in the microwave if it's not hot enough"...nice! We tried again on a Friday evening to find only one girl was trying to serve the bar and dish out food, there were 5 tables eating, she was running around like a headless chicken, getting stressed, the kitchen were repeatedly ringing their bell to inform her food was ready, then the chef came out with a plate of food, she had a right face on her and dared to moan at the waitress who rightly said "I can't do this on my own" Third time lucky we thought, again tried a Friday night, same situation only one member of staff covering all, we had one drink only as could not catch her to get another, and had to wait at the bar for some length of time to pay up our bill, food this time wasn't great either, I had a special of sausage and mash which was basically sausages and half a plate of mash, no veg, no gravy. such a shame! get more staff guys!!

Recomendado por un conductor de taxi local y para nosotros en un plazo muy corto. La comida era increíble! La carne a la roca negra no podía ser criticada y a un precio muy razonable. Parecía que no había muchas personas que sirven así que...

Se encontraron con buen servicio y fue tomado de una mesa limpia y comida pedidos llegó fresco, jugoso y sabroso. Raciones estaban bien a ninguno de nosotros nos decepcionó

Los filetes en este restaurante son geniales, que estaba un poco tranquilo para un viernes por la noche, pero el personal era muy servicial.

Es un restaurante pequeño y necesitas reservar su lugar o se pierda. Sirven bistec Black Rock, traído a usted chisporrotea, así que puedes cocinar a su propio gusto, que realmente aprecio como en honestidad yo soy exigente con la carne. . .

We visited the Monk & Tipster on Thursday evening with family from Norfolk, we have all eaten in expensive restaurants here and abroad, but when it comes to having a really good steak at a reasonable price this is where you have to come and try a hot rock steak. Firstly, you have to get your head around it being a 70's style pub and menu (for those of you old enough to remember), there is no very loud music, or excessive people noise like some other restaurants in Town. However, if you go on a Thursday beware its bingo night. This didn't damped our evening one bit in fact we found it a bit of fun, no we didn't buy a book of numbers to play.Service was very good, the staff friendly and our guest said they really enjoyed it, it was fun, all in all brilliant value for money and the fillet steaks are to die for.

We were invited out to eat at this pub by friends and I must admit to being a little surprised at their choice of venue but apparently it had been recommended to them.Upon arrival I groaned a little at the sight of the gaming machine in the bar area and the 'night out for a session with the lads' decor but the girl behind the bar was very polite and showed us to our table in an area further back into the building which was fairly pleasant.The menu was basic and my expectations were low. I ordered a rump steak and my wife ordered a fillet steak from the 'hot rock' section of the menu.Others in the party ordered a range of meals which when they arrived were really good and the portion size was good.Our steak came to us almost raw and were very large even though we had ordered the medium size.Dont be put off my saying that they were almost raw because this was the best bit. They were served on a slab of stone which was volcano hot (hence the hot rock on the menu). The idea is that the customer cuts up and cooks their own steak on the rock.It was great fun and I can honestly say that I have not had such a good time in ages. The steaks were of an excellent quality.I would thoroughly recommend a visit - don't judge on the first impression of the pub and get the hot rock menu.We will definately be going back.

Came here last year with a Groupon voucher and food and service was fantastic, so when My eldest Son asked where I wanted to for a meal on Saturday before Mothers day. I said I would like to come back here for the "Black rock steak" So My Son drove 200 miles to experience very bad service and food on menu not available, No fillet steaks of any size available, no cheesecake!! This really spoilt a Mothers day treat for me and My family. Some of the food was o.k. but the service really let it down, no one seemed to be in charge, and we had to ask twice for glasses with the bottle of wine we ordered. and ask for other drinks etc.

Great steaks cooked to how you like,very friendly and welcoming.

I met some friends here for Sunday Lunch. We hadn't been here before, but had read good reviews.The food was very fresh and lots of it. A good quality simple meal.Unfortunately the staff were very noticeable by their lack of interest. We waited ages for any attention, and then only got it because we had to ask, and we only wanted a menu..............Nobody offered us coffee or desserts. Not a way to make you feel welcome, or make a business thrive. A real shame as a lovely building with the potential to be fantastic !

Service from beginning to end is amazing. Nothing is to much for staff Food is great steak you cook on a hot rock and other food ordered was equally brilliant. Will return.

Wow!! Don't know how I've missed this place. Really attractive dining room with friendly service. Loved the Hot Rocks dining option. I had lovely Sirloin and I cooked on the stone bit by bit so every mouthful was hot and freshly cooked. Very reasonably priced too. Will definitely be returning.

Recommended by Malcolm from the Travelodge, we enjoyed a great meal. The staff were really friendly and helpful and the food was excellent. Cooking my own steak on a 'hot stone' was a great experience

We visited on a Saturday with our 3 year old twins. There isn't a children's menu, but any dish on there is available in a small size for little ones. There was no pasta on the menu, but it says on it to ask if your favourite dish isn't there and they will see what they can do - one of the kids virtually lives on pasta so we asked, and they were extremely cheery about the request, asked what we'd like with the pasta (we settled on sausage and cheese), and disaster was averted.Shortly after one of them knocked over their entire drink and the bar lady was very kind and helpful about cleaning it up for us and there was no fuss. She was also great chatting to us and them when we had finished. The soft furnishings are a bit tired (which is the only reason I knocked off a mark), but the food was very tasty, and the service was really good. Would definitely eat here again.

I try the Black rock Grill and I would like suggest you that if you visit this restaurant, you will not regret.The waitress was very nice. The place is a nice pub.

Visited for Sunday lunch as heard the Sunday meals were good. Choice of 3 sizes (S,M or L), the 4 of us all had medium which was 3 slices of either of the three meats on offer (gammon, turkey or beef). Plenty of veggies etc and they were regularly topped up, which u helped yourself to these. Large selections of puddings at a reasonable £3.25 which 3 of us had and they were good too.Very busy with lots of people eating.

Almost didn't go to the pub due to some poor reviews. However, common sense prevailed as poor reviews were just so wrong. Facts:Tables clean.Staff courteous Service excellentIt is a pub not an up market restaurant Food Steaks Aberdeen Angus, we had the fillet absolutely perfect, cut like butter, melted in the mouth.Dessert:Never seen 19 options before, 8 traditional puds with custard if you wanted it. ServiceWaitress was excellent, friendly and helpfulPrice:Reasonable even a bottle of Hardy Shiraz was only £13 yes £13 Would we return yes perfect place for a really great steak.Monk and tipster thank you you were great.

We were extremely impressed by the food put on for a funeral wake here yesterday. There was a huge choice of hot & cold dishes. It was all fresh and the quality & quantity was very good. All attractively displayed & staff were very attentive. And my glass of Merlot was only £3!I highly recommend it for this sort of function & it is only a 2 minute walk from the Parish church in Towcester.

We visited because we wanted to try the hot rocks, where you cook the meat to your liking at the table on super-heated rocks. We liked it so much we returned with guests 2 weeks later. The novelty is fun, the food delicious. Staff are really nice and we'll definitely be returning

We had the sizzling plates (sirloin steak meals and prawn meal). Oh my goodness, the steak was great and bigger than the plates. Good food (the fried haloumi was delicious) and a great concept - we had fun and will definitely return !

We went here with friends to sample the Hot Rock Steaks, what can I say, it was amazing!The steaks come out for you to cook yourselves, they were tender and delicious and all of the meat is locally sourced from the butcher in Towcester.I went for a medium fillet however the food portions are big so next time I'd opt for small as you get a lot of foodThe accompaniments were well cooked and lots of choice for starters, desserts and sides to go with your steakVery very reasonably priced, 4 of us ate, we had two starters to share, we all had steak (2 of us had fillet) puddings and a bottle of fizz £95 the lot, so just over £20 per head! Very very impressed and will definitely visit again, want to try the car very next time

Not sure I would have visited if it wasn't for the recent groupon offer so well done you have certainly achieved your goal because I will certainly return.the front section of the pub has a pool table and bar scene with the rear laid out for food service, clean and welcoming with friendly staff we took advantage of the Hot Rock. plenty of choice for all palates I would have liked to have seen a marinated chicken Brest or skewer but from beef, lamb, pork, fish and vegetables options there was plenty to choice from. With you meal you get a choice of carb and a side which could be salad, corn, coleslaw, onions rings just to name a few.Service was a bit slow but they were busy and didn't seem to have enough staff on, I will return because it was good honest food at a good price.

Ate here with a large group of friends and it was excellent. All of the food was to a high standard and good portions, everything was well presented.

This absolute circus of a pub/restaurant was a nightmare from the get-go! Having purchased various Groupon deals over the years and enjoying fantastic meals at lower prices including a meal at The Bull also located in Towcester; I did not hesitate to purchase a meal for a hot-stone steak for four to take my in-laws for their wedding anniversary. Upon arrival on the 30th July, despite five members of staff behind the bar no-one came to serve us, after ten or so minutes we spoke to a member of staff and though we had booked no table was available for us. We decided to go to the bar to purchase a drink as none of the staff were forthcoming and even had to wait to get served at the empty bar. After a few more minutes a member of staff pointed us in the direction of the restaurant and advised us to look for table nine... It was evident after sitting down that the table had not been cleaned with grease from the previous diners' steak all over the table with mint sauce and other condiments left on the table for us to move to the side. Placemats had been placed on top of other placements and whilst this saved from cleaning the previous diners' placements it made the table crooked. The waitress serving the table next to us advised that she was unable to put their food orders through as she had been told by the chef that the kitchen was too busy! The puzzling thing was that those purchasing a hot-stone steak like the couple next to us would be cooking the steak themselves on their stones so the chef would only have to cook their chips! More minutes passed sat at a dirty table and after a further 15/20 minutes we managed to flag the waitress down who in all honesty appeared to be the only person working the restaurant, which was not at full capacity but nonetheless when other members of staff were just standing around I could see why she was stressed. She cleaned the table and passed us two menus for the four of us. Several minutes passed and by this time the occasion of taking our parents out for their anniversary had been ruined. With the prospect of waiting nearly another hour on top of this for our food and eating in an evidently dirty restaurant, we again flagged the waitress as she had understandably not been back to our table for fifteen minutes to save her the embarrassment of not being able to take food orders. We explained the reason we were dining and politely asked if we could have a refund for the groupon purchase and leave. She acknowledged this had not been the ideal dining experience for us and went to speak to her manager. The manager came over with a face like thunder and aggressively asked what our problem was..! Again, I politely explained the reasons for our visit, the dirty table, poor customer service and advised that with the delays with the food we would prefer to have a refund and leave the restaurant. The "manager" was very dismissive and said she would need to go and speak to her manager - who exactly was running this circus of a restaurant?! She returned all affronted and said the only thing she could do would be to cook our food on priority...We were gob-smacked, after all the palaver all she could do as a goodwill gesture was to cook our food on priority. The "manager" was extremely patronising and we explained that this was not a goodwill gesture and why would we ask for our food to be cooked on priority when others had been told they could not place any orders. The rudeness of the manager made it impossible for us to stay and in all honesty we had concerns about the state of the kitchen given the dirtiness of the restaurant area. In all my years of reviewing restaurants on TripAdvisor I have never been to such a dirty restaurant with rude, ignorant staff. Since our visit I have contacted Groupon for a refund. My mother-in-law has contacted head office and is contemplating contacting the environmental health - you've been warned!

On our arrival the restaurant was busy , waited a while for our order to be taken . Then an hours wait for our steak , that we had to cook ourselves . All the chef had to do was cook the chips . Although the fillet steak we ordered was delicious , the waitoring , ordering , and service was all a bit haphazard !!!... Not sure we go again !!..

I was away on a business trip with work at Silverstone and was staying local to Towcester. While looking for places to eat this place popped up and after hearing about several friends having steak on a stone in Germany I thought I'd give it a go. I had the large fillet which was 12oz (although not all one piece of meat)The meat was lovely and I enjoyed the whole cooking in a stone experience and have been looking for places that offer a similar experience in the North East

We have been here twice in the last month. First time was with a groupon voucher. Excellent value for money even with out a groupon voucher. The food was lovely and the service was excellent both times. Would highly recommend this place if you love your steaks, you get to cook your own at your table. Think this will be our new local favourite place to eat.

The black rock menu is fantastic, Great steaks cooked as you want them, as you control the end result, Good service and value, Great experience and something different, good choice of meals and sides on this menu. Sweets also good value and choice, mainly just over £3.00 per sweet. Loved it, will be going back, Our party had a sirloin/ fillet and rib eye steaks, all were fantastic!!

We went with our Groupon voucher for two Black Rock steaks. If you haven't been for one idd recommend the experience ( though remember your cooking your steak yourself on a hot stone that can spit/sizzle so watch out!).Food was good, and the drinks and food menu was very good value!Idd definitely go again

We had this meal as a groupon deal then added a few more diners - to a total of 8 people . This was booked more than a week in advance . We arrived at 7.20pm for our 7.30pm booking , at 8.10 PM I had to chase for some one to take our order . The waitress just said we are busy ! She managed to write down 7 of our 8 orders - resulting in one hungry diner especially after the kitchen had run out of that persons meal order. Lasagne was shop bought, tasteless and delivered with not a shred of garnish, the steaks were apparently good , but overall it was a really poor experience .

We booked the hot stone steak deal on groupon, I was a bit concerned about what we would get for £15 for two steaks but it was brilliant. Service was excellent nothing was too much trouble and the choice of meat to cook on the stone couldn't be faulted. Would go again

Tried the Monk after seeing a groupon voucher offering the Hot Rock steaks 2 for £15. Booked for 6pm, got there around 5-15 and they asked if we'd like a table then or wait.We took one then, wasn't particularly busy at that time and ordered medium sized fillet steak. These were £3 each more than the £10-95 the voucher was worth but we're still great value. You get the choice of a side order, chips, jacket potatoe etc and a choice of mushrooms etc. Also the choice of a sauce.Steak was really nice and would recommend. It's not 5 star dining but very nice all the same.

Love the food here, visited for the second time and the quality and value was just as good as the first time. You get so much with the Hot Stone meal, meat or vegetables and halloumi - a whole portion, the same as a block you purchase in a store, along with a side, an accompaniment and a sauce. So much food, we didn't have room for pudding. Lorraine our waitress was the perfect mix of attentive and discreet, nothing was too much trouble and on the hottest day of the year we got to eat our meals outside which we all appreciated. We had Groupons for our meals but even without them the prices were really reasonable.

Had a wonderful time. Food was amazing, and service was great. Hot rock experience was fun and we will definitely do it again.

When I heard of this "hot rock" concept, my initial thoughts (cynical old geezer that I am) was that this would be a gimmick, a one-trick pony and not about the food. How wrong I was.So, the family of four rocked up, was met by a delightful and very helpful Jennifer, who proceeded to talk us through the concept, and the do's and don'ts (these rocks are HOT!).Two of the party ordered sirloin steaks (medium size), whilst I went for a medium size fillet. One of the party, as there were no prawns in stock, went for the tuna.On arrival, I think all four jaws dropped at the sight of the food, pretty much raw and sizzling on the hot plates. For "medium", these looked huge. The whole idea is the customer cooks their own meat to their own preference, which is exactly what we did.The steaks tasted superb, but hey, we;ve missed the tuna. I've not seen a portion of tuna this size outside of Spain. These were incredible, and, I'm told, tasted amazing. Note to self - order tuna next time!All served with our chosen accompaniments, and with a great selection of drinks.All in all, I really can't recommend this place highly enough, and I suspect we are going to become regular customers here in the future.

The Sunday lunch carvery is extremely good value and the food good quality and freshly prepared. I've always found it best to book, but worth chancing it. Have not been disappointed yet!

My husband and I brought a Groupon voucher for a Hot Rock steak meal for two .It was really tasty ,fantastic value nicely presented ,and serve by a lovely waitress .Would definitely recommend this ,(without voucher ) it was great .Thank you Keith and Shirley Moss

Could not fault this place. My mum got a groupon deal for us to visit for my birthday (24.06.16). The waitress staff were very welcoming, polite and chatty. 3 people in our group were late, however they didn't mind at all and came to take their order when they arrived. With a few children and a one year old wanting to walk around, we were a little chaotic to say the least but they didn't seem to mind at all and were very patient and smiley throughout. The food was lovely and very reasonable priced. We would all love to visit again!! Great experience with the hot stone steaks!

We had dinner here on a Friday night and it was quite busy. We both had a hot rock steak meal. Despite the fun of cooking your own steak the food was really good. The sides and a compliment were lovely and a really pleasant surprise was just how good the steak was. Really was one of the best steak meals we have had. The value excellent. Looking forward to our next visit.

We have had hot rocks before on holiday but didn't realise a local pub was doing it! When a Groupon offer popped up in my emails I jumped at it! Having never been in The Monk & Tipster before I was a bit unsure. What a lovely surprise we had....nice little pub, really friendly staff and the food was fab! We both had the medium fillet hot rock meal which was yummy! Would definitely go back as even without the voucher I think it's brilliant value for money

Went here as I had a groupon voucher, had also been keen for a long time to try this hot stone cooking method. We both chose the large fillet thinking at £16:95 it wouldn't be very big. Well not very big turned out to be a 12oz piece of steak each which was really good quality! The fries were also lovely, the sides, everything. There wasn't any room for dessert at all. My £15 voucher which was worth £11:95 meant the remaining bill to pay was only £17 for the two large fillet meals and extra side a beer and a coke. Il definitely return again. One point to note, there is no car park, the free car park is a short walk along the high street.

Four of us came here for a meal which is served on hot coles and you finish cooking yourself. The sides that accompanied the meal were great as were the cuts of meet.The deserts were lovely too. All staff were very friendly and efficient.

Went here this evening on Groupon voucher. We had booked for six but only four of us could make it. This is a hot stone restaurant and we were not disappointent with this. Our starters were as expected apart from the whitebait which consisted of approximately 10 little fishes which we felt was a bit of a stingy portion. The steaks themselves were very tasty and of good quality - there was also a good selection of meat, fish and vegetarian options, sides, accompaniments and sauces. The deserts were basic pub grub but also good. The drink prices were also sensible.We were allowed to cash in four of the six meals we had paid for which will give us the opportunity to go back which I will look forward too.

Met a couple of friends for a catch up at the Monk and Tipster. It's not 'posh' it's friendly, comfortable and the food is the best I've eaten in Towcester. We all had steak on a hot rock and it was fabulous, the steak is obviously very good quality meat it was tender and delicious, the desert was home made and a huge portion even the coffee was good. The bill was amazing good value especially considering the quality of the meal. The service was excellent, we will be back.

Friendly staff. Lovely local pub. Amazing steak on hot rocks a real treat. Can recommend without reservation. A great family experience

Hubby had an enormous steak with mushrooms, coleslaw, chips and onion rings. I went for the halloumi with vegetable platter plus some wedges. Lots leftover; delicious!. Going back soon!

Visited with a large group on Friday night and really enjoyed it!Food was great, made even better with the Friday night deal. Staff were attentive as well, which was good.Would definitely recommend it!

The Monk is a friendly pub, a short walk from the centre of Towcester. The 'hot rock' experience (where you cook your own steak at your table) is what attracted us. We've since been back for steak, Sunday carvery, Wednesday night poker, and the Friday evening free bottle of wine. Definitely our favourite pub in Towcester.

Alway a lovely visit. The food is excellent, I recommend the hot rock. And the staff are friendly. The best Sunday roast carvery I have had in a long time.

Visited last Saturday night with my rescue team as we were at Silverstone.Excellent food, excellent service and very friendly staff. When we are back later in the season we will be back to this restraunt.Thanks folks. Keep it up.

One of the best meals I've had in a long time. I had the Black Rock Experience, the steak was impressive and I was happy to here that they but their meat from the local butchers. The staff are very friendly and could not do enough for us (including the fussy eaters in our group). we will make this our weekly get together meal

Fantastic home cooked fresh food, nothing is even to much trouble for any of the staff, the landlady will go out of her way to please you.This pub is my favourite for Sunday carvery and if you love steak this is the place to go.Both me and my partner have eaten steak from a lot of places and nowhere can beat the hot rock steak. ( you cook it to how you want it on ur very own hot rock fantastic.

Had a great meal. The "hot rock" was fan for vegetarian. Plenty of haloumi and veg to cook up and lovely salad and fries. A novel and delicious way to have dinner. Lovely warm atmosphere and friendly staff. Well done!

Had the pleasure of coming here with my partner sister and mum on a Monday evening. The place was quiet when we arrived but became busy soon after. The staff are very friendly and couldn't do enough for us. The food is delicious. We went for "black rock" steaks. Absolutely amazing and the cut of meat was massive. We were surprised at how cheap the food is and would have happily paid more. Was the first time we had been and certainly won't be the last.

Love coming to the Monk for food, have eaten evening meals ( Hot Rock Grill ) and sunday carvery lunch, the food has always been great, The Hot rock Grill serves up quite possibly the best bit of fillet steak I have ever eaten.Sunday lunch serves up great home cooked roast dinners, with a choice of 3 meats and plenty of veg you will not go home feeling hungry.

What a great find, best carvery we have enjoyed in a long time. We will defiantly be back. Roast was delicious with plenty of vegetables to choose from even my favourite cauliflower cheese. Staff were friendly and inviting. Lovely pleasant warm and cosy surrounding. Small carvery £5.45 medium £7.45 large £9.45. We enjoyed the medium which in our opinion was a large plate, the meat was thick cut, moist, slow cooked and tasty. We would have loved an old fashioned dessert like bread & butter pudding but could not manage anymore. Great pub will be back very soon.

I've eaten here a lot now the food is great quality, fresh and at very good pricing. Always a good atmosphere and very homely!

Lovely food and great service also great price if makes a difference great for all and well worth travel

lovely meal freshly cooked at the table the service was good staff pleasant, quite as we went early evening pleasant surround.

Great food, friendly staff and great service. Always something different each week on the specials board, always tasty.Child friendly which is always a bonus! Sunday lunch is amazing! It's a must try.

Had Sunday roast today ,great value for money the best roast we have had in a long time ,excellent

Best roast I have EVER had :) kind staff, lovely atmosphere and all round great food and drink! Such good value for money, my favourite place to go on a Sunday!

Very good service and price for carvery. Would have liked unlimited Yorkshires as they are a personal favourite of mine! Unfortunately broccoli was rock solid but everything else was really good including meats. Would go again.

This is by far worth traveling too ! 10 miles from where we live !After trying lots of places we were disappointed with all !This Sunday lunch was worth it ! All the vegetables were fresh the meat was tender & a fabulous taste which made a change ! Cannot recommend highly enough you won't be disappointed excellent

A family visit to the Monk and Tipster for the Sunday Carvery.First impressions from the outside are deceiving and could be off-putting to some. Don't be put off. The M&T is truly a cosy "tardis" and, with a sister pub across the road (with a car park), it makes for a very good set-up. For anyone tall, just mind your head!You order your carvery as you go in and are given your table number. We were very impressed with the options of small, medium and large meals (£5.45, £7.45 and £9.45 respectively). You pay at the same point when you leave.Having found your table, you make your way to the serving area which is near the back of the restaurant. This is a bit of a tight squeeze, especially when it is crowded. Whilst we were very pleased to note that families with younger children were seated at the front of the restaurant whilst we were at the back, TABLE 6 will NOT be our first choice when we return as you find yourself enveloped in the queue for the servery.We were offered three choices of meat (turkey, gammon and beef) with a Yorkshire pudding. All the meats were fresh out of the kitchen with a good choice of vegetables arriving on a regular basis. Excellent quality and quantity and very tasty. Any service needs were dealt with by adequate staffing.In summary, excellent food and service at very reasonable prices. Servery area is restricted and avoid TABLE 6.Will we return - absolutely.

We've been big fans of the carvery since it started so thought it was about time we tried the weekday menu after seeing the Black Rock steaks advertised in the pub. I had the mixed grill and I don't think I have ever been so full in my entire life. Steak, gammon, lamb, sausages, chips, mushroom & onion rings, everything was so tasty but I couldn't eat it all and my friends ended up finishing it for me. Two of them had fillet steaks and were very impressed with the price. All of us were very happy with our meals and would definitely come back on a weekday again!

We went to the Monk last night. We had a starter of Garlic Mushrooms - breaded with garlic mayonnaise and my OH had Fiery Shrimp. Both were served as good size portions and as we asked. For our main course, my husband had battered cod with mushy peas and chips - medium size. This was a good size and was cooked nicely. The star of the show was clearly the Rib Eye, which came out on the Black Rock slab - very very hot, like a sizzling plate. The steak is placed on and comes out as Rare/Raw and you cook it yourself on the black rock. The cut of steak was very good quality and overall came out very nice. The cost of the Ribeye medium with fries and salad came to £11.95, which is great value for such a good quality cut and cooking on the black rock was fun. Overall great service and good food.

We stayed one night for the MotoGP at Silverstone. Room was £50 per night so expecting basic. You will need to take all toiletries, even hand wash as they only provided 2 towels. The room was cleanish but I think they must have overlooked the bathroom sink as it was very dirty looked as if someone had been sick in it and not rinsed. Window furniture was missing and hanging off so couldn't have window open, the room was very small but a fan had been provided the size of Wales with no where to stand it except the floor. Shower tray was all mouldy. The good points were there was a kettle so we could have a brew and the staff that showed us up to the room explained fire procedures exits etc.... Avoid room 5 which is where we stayed, lets hope they fix the window, to be honest you are looking at going to Homebase and spending £10 on window furniture and its not much for a tube of silicone, re doing the silicone around the shower is a pain in the backside but again only takes an hours job. Don't understand why small jobs such as these don't get done when required. We paid for a room and expected to open a window and wash our face in the sink, not much to ask I don't think.