Navigation Inn in South Northamptonshire

The chap who looked after us was so professional and attentive without being intrusive. Good pub food. Hope he doesn’t leave 🙏

We popped into The Navigation Inn for Sunday Lunch on the off chance that we could get a table. We are so glad we did. The roast beef with all the trimmings was delicious. The meat was deliciously tender, the seasonal vegetables were just right and the Yorkshire pudding was to die for. All served by happy, smiling attentive staff. A BIG thank you to all the staff at The Navigation Inn, Lapworth. Our only regret is that we were too full to try any of the deserts. Next time maybe.

We went for breakfast on our wedding anniversary and were presented with a nice choice and good quick service by pleasant staff - thank you

Excellent location for a business meeting- delicious buffet and staff looked after us at every stage of our booking. Thankyou!

We had a double birthday celebration here last night for 9 of us (plus 1 x baby/pram) from the outset thought had been given about where to sit us with the pram. Our server, Archie, was very helpful and always there if we needed anything and discretely collected the cake when asked. We had a wide variety of food, it was all delicious and presented nicely, the price for all of us for a sit down 3 hour meal slot was excellent. This is definitely our go to "special birthday" place, lovely atmosphere, lovely views and lovely food with very helpful and thoughtful staff

Went with two friends last night and had a lovely experience. A little pricey but there is a good balance of more affordable items on the menu. Harry was great and, although busy with a larger table nearby, served us quickly with great customer service. The restaurant has a beautiful view and you can book small pods looking over the canal if you just fancy a drink. We can’t wait to return:)

Lovely little pub by the canal. The food was lovely but quite expensive for the quality of their ingredients. This is the same across all their sites so cannot specifically fault this place for that but maybe look at suppliers in the future. A lot better that grand junction and betsy wynne.

The Navigation is one of the best places around. We popped over (on a bit of a whim) to celebrate our anniversary. From the moment we walked in the team were excellent. We had originally reserved a table outside but as it was a little cooler than we anticipated, the guys offered us a table inside with zero fuss. Amelia who served us, could not have done enough for us, she asked us if we were here for any particular occasion, we were, so we told her and thought nothing of it. She was attentive but very discreet and professional, just checking in with us to see if everything was ok, it was :) A truly lovely evening with the best company obviously (the current Mrs G) excellent food, a brilliant location and wonderful staff. Im certain we will be back soon # Thank you to everyone at The Navigation that made it a wonderful evening

As Navigation inn virgins, we didn't know what to expect, and some recent reviews didn't fill us with confidence, however our daughter had been on a few occasions and raved about it, so we decided to bite the bullet and see for ourselves. How glad I was to not take any notice of the reviews.......what a great pub! Not only that but Anna (I'm guessing she was the duty manager), was so warm and welcoming. She took our drinks order straight away and then with a "heavy heart" had to tell us they had a run on the "specials" and there wasn't much left on that menu, however full choices on the main menu. Bearing in mind it was a Monday evening, usually the quietest night of the week in a pub, it was quite busy, and I always see this as a positive! Anyway, Anna returned with drinks a plenty, smiling and laughing, she said she was being extra careful as she already had an earlier mishap with drinks! I do love servers who engage with their customers, it does make a big difference to how the evening progresses 😊. Then onto Florin, our server sent to look after us for the evening. He took our orders, starters and mains, with efficiently. He had a note pad too instead of one of those stupid digital devices that look similar to a mobile phone, a good old fashioned note pad makes life sooooooo much easier!! I'm not going to delve into what we all ordered, but I had the gambas pil pil to start, and mmmwah! The best gambas pil pil I've had in ages, simply gorgeous! Oh I must mention the flatbreads...........if ordering as a starter or addition to your meal, make sure you have it as a sharer...........they are the size of a pizza! Huge, I tell you, huge! 🤣 Starters cleared, it was onto mains. I had the Pollo picante, 2 of us had this, then 1 had the harrisa spiced chicken burger, 1 had the Bolognese filled calzone, and the other had a wood fired pizza with extra toppings. Everything was cleared, except half the pizza came home in a takeaway box! Then surprisingly we all had room for dessert. Brownie with vanilla ice cream, bombolone x 2, cookie dough and vanilla ice cream, and one portion of salted caramel ice cream with toffee sauce. The atmosphere of the pub was lovely and it sits just on the canal, beautiful setting for those lovely balmy summer evenings, unfortunately it was pouring rain when we visited 😏. The decor is really quirky, and the taps in the washroom is very different. Go pay a visit and find out for yourself! 😄 Will definitely return, and hopefully all the staff are as lovely and welcoming as Anna and Florin. Oh and they did a great job with the birthday cake and singing!! 😂

Lovely venue with a certain young lady called Poppy who managed to seat me for food, when the restaurant was extremely busy, to the point that walk ins when I asked at the bar for food, were not being taken. I’m assuming the food will be good, and judging by the customers it will be. T bone steak with beer n bone marrow jus on tonight as a special…….thats a proper chef at work I hope !

Work gathering. Large table reserved. Service was absolutely fine. Attentive and courteous. Decent selection of drinks and food. Food was delicious. Pasta very tasty. No issues with prices at all. Outside terrace view to canal is pleasant. Nice pub feeling inside. A nice experience and would happily recommend.

We were looking for a small intimate venue to hold our wedding reception at and the function room ‘ward room’ was perfect for our needs. Space for our 20 guests, excellent food and amazing service. We also hired the downstairs bar so had the whole area to ourselves. Head office did make the process a little clunky but Georgia, Stevie, Anna and the rest of the staff on site were always more than helpful and nothing was ever too much trouble

Phoned the Navigation last week to book a table on a Sat lunch time outside . Was told this wasn’t possible outside in the garden area but shouldn’t be a problem to get a table around 12.30 ish . My wife’s birthday lunch arrived 5 of us plus pooch . Went in and bought drinks for everyone . 2 pimms and lemonade and a peroni £23 ! What planet are they on ? We were given the garden menu decided what to have only to be told they weren’t serving outside food anymore ! Bad management !! Not enough staff !! Outside 3/4 empty , so so disappointing such a lovely place by the canal with ignorant people working there , outside staff rude . Feel like sending a bill for my time and petrol for even turning up there .

Lovely dinner here as always. We have visited a few times, friendly staff, dog friendly in bar area. Lovely garden with pods and right by the river.

Large group of colleagues, pre ordered food. Slow service, hour before starter arrived and inattentive staff. Majority of all 3 courses left by all. Most seemed frozen, mozzarella texture, steak texture poor and stringy, chips hard, almost inedible. Nothing salted or sweetened. Disappointing, will not return. Shame as heard good reviews and lovely location and setting.

9 of us came for Sunday lunch today (4 adults 5 children). The menu is really varied , we had a mix of Sunday lunch and pizza, burger etc . All very good . Sat with a nice view of the barges moving along the canal. The service was excellent . A lovely lady whose name escapes me but she was so attentive and friendly, we were a 3pm booking under the name 'Marsh'. Special thanks to her.

Me and my friend enjoyed a good lunch and I had the Sunday roast. The food was good but I would like to have had a better selection of vegetables. I had mange tau which I am not a great lover of. I was offered parsnips which I don't like. It would have been nice to have had maybe some broccoli 🥦 or another vegetable. On the whole the food and service was good value

Went for a lunchtime meal with family. The place itself looks very nice and promised a great meal..... We didn't get it. My fish and chips were OK but still not up to the quality of my local fish and chips shop and it was twice the price. Packet chips and undercooked frozen peas smashed to bits completed the ensemble. My daughter had the pizz which was well done and I would recommend that dish. My wife had the meat ball calzone....... well the filling was cold, not warm but stone cold!! By that time two of us had given up so didn't have a sweet but my daughter had the cooky dough mini taster like dish at £7-50. They laughingly brought 3 spoons more of a joke I think as 4 spoonfuls and it was gone. Bill came to £78 with one drink each and they charge 10% service charge as they probably wouldn't get much in the way of tips if they didn't. Avoid unless you like to pay top price for poorly cooked food.

Have been here several times and has never let me down. Good pizza, great sunday roasts, great location, excellent service and very nice grounds.

"The food and service by Courtney was a fantastic experience. We were very well looked after throughout our visit and really enjoyed ourselves, food we had was lovely and enjoyed the experience of one of the pods.

Have visited here a number of times and have always been pleased with both the service and food. Unfortunately today was a different experience. Service was slow (not enough staff in my opinion) and the food was nothing like it used to be. My partner and I both went for the full English breakfast, mine with poached eggs and his with scrambled. The food was not hot, in particular the hash browns. Our ‘grilled’ tomatoes were warm but raw and my poached eggs were overcooked. We would have said something had we been approached and asked if everything was to our liking, but we were not. We were not asked if all was ok when we paid the bill either. As it was, I was reluctant to wait for a fresh serving as we had waited so long for the first one. Disappointing and not worth the £42 for two breakfasts and three coffees (service had already been added on to the bill). Don’t think we’ll be back anytime soon.

Nice ambience, nice food, it’s not cheap but it’s good quality stuff. Our food arrived pretty quickly after we ordered. Friendly and efficient service.

Absolutely appalling. Service was laughable. Some incompetent polish guy with absolutely no clue about what he's doing. Management are a complete and utter joke, they run the place like a nursery. Ordered 2 sirloins steaks 'medium rare' they turned up burnt to a crisp and tougher than boots. Sent it back and asked for MEDIUM RARE, turns up as our other friend had finished her meal. Disgraceful. They ACTUALLY charge £31 for that steak. It came back. Very average, tasteless, and a handful of fries. The audacity it takes to charge that much is beyond me. The chef, or whichever incompetent minion made that should be instantly fired. Asked for a desert for the kids. By desert I mean two rocket ice-lollies. Took them 20 minutes to bring out what you can do in 15 seconds AKA TAKE IT OUT OF THE FREEZER. The other desert? They forgot it. Total bunch clowns, none of whom have a clue what they're doing. AVOID. Waste of time, waste of money.

Couldn’t be more accommodating. From all ages - 80 to 18 months. Absolutely outstanding service and lovely food. A wonderful setting right by the canal. Thank you to you all.

This was my 4th visit to the Navigation, I don’t live local to it. Lively setting right on the canal. Went for Sunday lunch, the place was packed. Staff very friendly and attentive. Food served quickly and efficiently, I had roast sirloin of beef which sat upon crispy roast potatoes, roasted carrots and green beans. Veg not over cooked and all piping hot. This was topped by a huge Yorkshire pudding, perfectly cooked. Looking forward to visiting again.

We had a wonderful evening out with friends booked in one of the gorgeous pods for a birthday celebration, Archie our server was amazing, very attentive and helpful. Thank you very much.

We stumbled across this place as a pit-stop on a long journey. The restaurant has a warm and inviting atmosphere, the staff were courteous and accommodating, service was attentive and friendly and the food was superb. We thoroughly enjoyed our impromptu visit here and would highly recommend it to others. Thank you.

I ordered from the specials menu, the shin beef at £24. It came as a pie; there was no mention of a pie on the menu. The pastry of the pie was uncooked - perhaps raw - on the inside. The portion of shin beef was meagre and almost pureed. The member of staff to whom I returned the dish did not seem at all surprised at the state of the pie or the shin beef, offered me an alternative, appeared to take it as unsurprising, and made no apology. The alternative, spaghetti, seemed to be comprised of broken strands of spaghetti. The gents toilet was grubby. I will not be returning.

My friend and myself went for bottomless brunch Well so disappointed !So much for bottomless prosecco We had 3 glasses each and had to keep asking for refills The food was awful The only good thing was that our waitress was pleasant We will not be returning as it’s our second bad experience in this restaurant It has a lot to keep up with the Old Beams at Shenley Where we always return too

I regularly visit the navigation because it’s such a beautiful location. However the service is just unbelievably slow! Last time I visited we waited 15mins to order drinks. We only ordered a bottle of Prosecco and it took 20minutes to arrive! When it arrived it was warm, for the overpriced £30 chargers I do expect it to be cold. Then we ordered a single bread basket which took 30mins to arrive! It’s a shame as it’s such a lovely location and the food is good. The food is overpriced for what you get but that happens when the location is that good. However for the prices you do expect decent service. The last two times I’ve been we’ve ended up going in to pay the bill as no one has come back. I think the staff are doing their best but seem to be extremely short staffed.

Used to love this place as our local but service was bad, we got forgotten and food was all cold, wish I’d said something before paying the £80 bill. A real shame as we used to love it here

The Navigation always offers quality food at a reasonable price and in very pleasant surroundings. Our visit today was made even better by the wonderful friendly and efficient service we received from Gemma.

We stopped here after a day of sailing. Nice large pub with plenty of garden seating in pods. Lovely views of the river nice and warm inside.We booked a table and had to wait a bit as really busy. We ordered drinks bit slow but really slow on taking food order. Had a long wait for food and they brought the wrong order. So they took all meals back and left the three belly pork's on the side under a heater for 20minutes. So we complained and they took them back. I'm sure they were just microwaved.The fish when it came was nice but our pork was not so nice.We did not get any apology either. Such a shame as the same chain as the Three Locks and not a patch on their service.

Lovely food in a really nice restaurant and outlook. A nice modern and warm feeling restaurant with soft warm lighting. The food was freshly prepared and tasted great. The staff were friendly and attentive.

Oakpods are a superb idea and should be kept. Food was mediocre. Wine selection poor - most of the 'common' wines out of stock. First visit since lockdown; Not as good as it used to be. Waiter was excellent.

First time out for lunch since lockdowns! Not disappointed! Beautiful starters and the best pizza ever! Lovely waitress too! Sorry, i didn't get your name! Will come again soonz,

We visited the navigation on Sunday lunchtime for food after a nice walk along the canal, upon arrival our drinks and food order were swiftly taken and then that’s when the service stopped. With the restaurant pretty quiet it still took 45 minutes for our starters arrive. These were cleared upon request and without an offer for more drinks. We then waited another 45 minutes for our mains, again we had to approach staff to ask for the whereabouts of our food, especially as we had a hungry and tired two year old with us. It didn’t get much better as one of the dishes arrived cold and had to be sent back, surprisingly this then arrived pipping hot within 5 minutes! Overall for the amount of staff for the service we received was abysmal, I’ve never seen so many people just standing around aimlessly/chatting! I would also like to know why it’s deemed professional to put the formula one coverage on your phone and watch it at the bar whilst your working in full view of customers! Special mention to the lady that we complained to about the whereabouts of our mains, we throughly enjoyed you glaring at us across the room whilst we ate, again very professional…..

After COVID restrictions eased we couldn’t wait to come back here. This was our local and it was a firm favourite where service and food were usually brilliant.On the evening of our visit we had to wait an hour and 15 mins for our dinner. After this time I was served raw duck. I asked the server if it could be cooked more. When she took this to the chef he told her “it’s a special kind of duck that can be eaten this way “. I found this to be patronising and a chef who neglects food in that way should not be in a kitchen. I ended up eating half of my partners dinner instead and the broccoli that came with my duck. It was supposed to come with a fondant potato too but what I got was a powdery roast potato. For an expensive dish off the specials menu I had expected something delicious but this was not edible.I contacted the restaurant about my disappointment after however never heard back. I wish I’d said more at the time but it wasn’t our servers fault and I did not want her to feel uncomfortable when she had not done anything wrong.I have not been back since and I would urge anyone who wants to eat here to bare in mind standards have fallen and this is no longer the place to go.

I have been to The Navigation twice this week.The first timefor a weekday lunch with a colleague. This was the first time I had ever been here and I found service to be slow, food to be completely average (yet high-end prices) and drinks menu very limited. However, I recognised that it was just the kind of place that my husband and I would visit for a nice weekend meal, so I booked us a Saturday evening table for 2 to give it a second chance.A common issue on both visits were staff not bringing what we had ordered, we had to chase them after waiting ages. The first time on desserts (which they forgot to put through to the kitchen) and the second time on coffees. The cocktail I had (Gin Fix) was the most bitter drink I’ve ever tried. The balance of ingredients was totally wrong. It was a wasted £8.40. Then two members of staff brought my husband the one pint he’d ordered which ….. both of which were on the bill! The food was just okay. The calamari was in my husbands words, ‘Meesley’. It was. 5 tiny, barely battered, overcooked rings with a bit of rocket. The £18.50 duck breast main was tiny! Half a duck breast each on the tiniest sweet potato fondant set on three sprigs of broccoli! Sadly the skin of the duck breast wasn’t nice and crispy either. We agreed it was more like the starter we didn’t feel we had had! Pud also a letdown. Chocolate torte which was more like a cheesecake (biscuit base with a mousse-like top) and a sad tinned or defrosted strawberry on the top. That’s a cheesecake right?! Didn’t taste very good at all. Funnily enough the brownie we had Monday lunchtime was also moussey - took us a minute decide if we had got the right dish! I wonder if chef defaults to mousse for puddings! Both a 3/10. On the plus it is a lovely location and the little pods you can privately dine in are really cute! We won’t go back. See attached bill for Sat night for 2 people. It was honestly not worth half that. We were disappointed.

A beautiful setting on a sunny afternoon. There were several items on the menu that were not available (cos lettuce and salmon were the main offenders).. However our waiter was so brilliant with options and general friendliness it by far made up for the lack of choice. The food when it arrived was lovely. The toilets were exceptionally excellent and can only congratulate the pub for their attention to detail.

We chose one of the OakPods for a graduation celebration, it was a brilliant way to celebrate. Perfectly presented. Staff were extremely welcoming and friendly, we were served by Niamh who was very helpful and efficient. We were offered a complimentary bottle of prosecco due to the fact it was a celebration. The food was delicious and the service was very quick. All round a great experience and we will be returning!

We had one of the oak pods for a special occasion. You get 2 hours. While our server Ed was excellent the bar and kitchen service were very slow. 1 hour for starters and another hour for mains (the two hours allocated). 3 hours for lunch is too long! There were lots of things off the menu which was a disappointment. The food was mostly good although the lamb was not a good cut or good value for money for the portion. This used to be a wonderful place but this has put me off coming again for a while.

We hired the beautiful Wardroom function room at the Navigation Inn for our wedding reception on a Tuesday afternoon. We had some initial meetings to make plans and choose menus, and I could see how hard the staff worked at the pub as it was always really busy and fully booked. On the day, I went in earlier to add some decorations and was overjoyed at how beautiful the room and table looked. From start to finish our wedding reception was excellent and we were truly looked after by assistant manager, Georgia, and her really lovely team. Our 3 course wedding menu was perfect, really tasty and served in good time for 18 of us. Georgia was kind enough to help me cater for dietary requirements and fussy teenagers and regularly checked to ensure we were all ok. By hiring the Wardroom you also get sole use of the outside bar and seating area overlooking the canal with your own toilets which was just what we wanted to have a small celebration with our evening guests. We were so grateful for how well the team looked after us with drinks orders and keeping a bar tab for us with regular updates. Our evening guests were in a merry state by the end of the night and after letting us use the Wardroom for some dancing, the team made sure everyone was safe and got into taxis.We couldn’t have hoped for more and highly recommend the pub for any mini celebrations. Thank you.

The service was OK, the meals were OK, they didn't offer sauces for the chips and forgot my extra portion. I wouldn't return though as there are many other places to visit in the local area.

Start to finish, the whole experience was very good. We were in one of the pods alongside the canal. Service was attentive and friendly and the food was amazing. One of the best pubs around for sure.

We waited 40 minutes for our starter of sausages with honey mustard sauce No honey or mustard! Complained and was told she would tell the manager, no apology or refund

Waited over an hour for our starters - which were ok. Then another hour for our mains. 3 were stone cold &2 were burnt to a crisp. Serving staff really friendly & manager also very nice but our evening was ruined as it was then too late for the mains to re done. Obviously kitchen staff issues. Very disappointed as this is our local go to (for food) pub.

Family of 12. But disappointed that’s certain drinks were not available and the same with the food. The service was rather slow and really would have been better had all the meals came out together. The deserts was lovely but again the wait was huge and three of us had not even been given desserts whilst everyone else had finished. Fair enough they took the price of the late three of the bill but even so it needs sorting out. The food itself was all excellent. Service was ok but nothing special. My son loved the burger he had and already wants to return. We may try here again later in the year.

My husband and I went in for an early lunch on a Monday lunchtime. Despite being nearly empty, I was advised that because there were only 2 chefs they might not be serving “walkins”. They managed to let us have a table near the bar. We ordered our drinks and perused the menu and 10 mins later the drinks came to our table. The waitress that gave them to us said nothing at all. We expected to be asked if we were ready to order. So we waited another 20 mins to place our food order and gave up. The bar staff/waitresses were too busy chatting at the bar to take our orders in the nearly empty restaurant.We paid the bill for the drinks and left feeling very hungry and went elsewhere.

Had been a bit worried about complaints of poor food/service - nothing could be further from the truth based on our recent experiences and we are going back several times. Monday evening might be a bit quieter than weekends, but main restaurant was pretty full/busy - we had booked an outdoor Oakpod - these are brilliant and so much fun for small groups (up to six - we were four). Great selection of starters/nibbles just enough before three of us had their spiced Pizza - Calzone style with extra toppings and one slow cooked belly pork - all were great. Despite the occasional torrential downpour our waitress - Natasha did a brilliant job bringing our food and drink - and got a thoroughly deserved big tip. In these difficult times people need to be a bit more patient if service is a bit slow - every establishment I know is looking for staff and suffering the pingdemic/isolation issue - our local pub has suddenly closed down and staff issues a major part of that we understand.

We booked into a lovely spacious pod next to the canal, and were reassured to see a buzzer to summon assistance. However we never needed it because our lovely server (Natasha) was always on hand. We had great starters and awesome calzone with yummy Malbec. Despite the rain the food was hot, and we had a lovely time and we were comfortable and warm. Highly recommended, we will be back midweek.

Me and my wife were not hungry but the kids were They wish they weren’t !!!!Ordered two chicken burgers They got two manky over cooked chicken breast fillets that could of knocked out Mike Tyson shoved in a stale bun with a tiny pot of chips which quite obviously been cooked the crap out of a few times. My kids who normally have a very good appetite refused to eat any more after one bite. When we complained the waitress shrugged her shoulders like she didn’t give a crap. At nearly £10 per child you expect something a bit more acceptable the establishment seem to be more concentrated to their rich clientele with the £180.00 bottles of champagne than a local that just fancied a bite to eat STAY AWAY STAY AWAY STAY AWAY STAY AWAY

I do not generally leave poor reviews, but since Oakman seem disinterested in customer comments and have ignored all my attempts to contact the company, I have decided to relate my last experience at The Navigation.Food has previously been excellent at this Restaurant, but when I visited at the end of June, 3 out of 4 meals were significantly below standard. The Crab and Prawn Buca tasted only of tomato and the sauce was congealed when it arrived at the table. In addition the Pork Belly and Roast Chicken were both very fatty.Oakman is a rapidly expanding organisation and is continually updating me with news of additional venues and growth in the business. The company's lack of response to my feedback is therefore most disappointing and I will certainly not return to The Navigation or other Restaurants in the chain.

Despite excellent reviews from people, we found the Navigation a major disappointment. Three courses took three hours, starters were missing ingredients, my wifes main course came out after I'd finished mine. The service was shocking and the kitchen staff were audibly arguing with each other all night. We let our waitress know how disappointed we were ( she was doing her best and was mortified) and she informed the manager who was either too busy or too arrogant to come over and talk. I suspect it was the latter. Thats the problem with this pub/restaurant, it thinks its some high class establishment but in reality its a beautifully decorated, beautifully situated bog standard pub (that accommodates barking dogs in the main bar) Attempts to contact the management have also been ignored, do yourself a favour and go somewhere else and leave the happy shopper posh and becks to it.

Was invited here as a treat with family. The pub has a lovely setting by the canal is smart and stylish. Was seated at an outside table which had a few dead flies on it, poor start I asked what bitter was on and was told about the larger. Although this was the only oversight by the young waiter who was great.However the burger I had was not. Cooked over the grill it was overly charred and certainly over cooked. Possibly either re-heated or microwaved.The beer was great and sweet was really nice if a little small for £6.5. All in all a nice location, pleasant hard working staff let down by a poor burger and overpriced food in general

We have been to this pub quite a lot before COVID and booked a table for my wife’s 60th birthday. What a let down! We waited 1 hour for our main course to arrive. Nobody came to clear the table or ask about desserts, so after 30 mins I complained to the manager and he sent someone over. He took our order for desserts and some drinks, cleared half the table, but didn’t come back for the rest. The desserts came after about 15 mins, which was a bit better, but one children’s dessert had been missed. We finished our desserts and neither our drinks or the missing dessert had arrived still, so I went to speak to the manager again. I told him that we no longer wanted the dessert or drinks and that the service had been terrible. The pub was busy, but that wasn’t the issue. Servers would often pick random glasses from other tables, but no one ever glanced over to us, including the manager. The food had been very good and such a shame it was let down by the service. The manager agreed that “they hadn’t been on form”. I could go on and on, but won’t. Such a disappointment for a very special occasion.

Booked for a lunch with friends, seated in a lovely booth overlooking the canal and all was looking good but sadly it all went downhill from there. We placed our food and drink orders, our drinks order took forever to be de,ice red to the table even though I could see it waiting on the bar area, our food took over 45 mins to be served and when it was both pasta dishes were lukewarm verging on cold! I would’ve complained to the waiter but as I didn’t see him again I had no option but to eat a cold dish as the thought of waiting another 45 mins for a replacement was not an option. When the waiter finally came to clear the table I complained that the dish was cold he just smiled and walked away and that was it. I will definitely vote with my feet and not return here for lunch again.

Maybe the waiters & waitresses could actually keep a notepad and pen to hand to actually recored what we ordered, instead of the constant waiting and mix ups with the drinks orders. Also staff communicating with each other would be great! Food was over priced for what we received.Burgers are so over priced and the plate looked empty & messy.. maybe come slaw or onions rings on the side?

Visited the restaurant for dinner with another couple. We waited an hour for the starter which arrived after prompting the waiter. The starters were nice and as described in the menu. The table was cleared quickly. After a 20 minute wait we were informed that one of the main courses was sold out so a substitute was ordered, it took a further 20 minutes for the main courses to arrive. Although the food was good and we were given a discount, this doesn't excuse the poor service, the total time for the entire meal was in excess of 2 hours. Very disappointing to be honest

The setting is lovely, but the food was disappointing, overpriced and took an age to arrive after ordering. 40 mins for 2 salads! We told the waiter, who was apologetic but still charged us full price.

Was visiting a friend locally for a celebration meal and she suggested this place. It's twinned with the Betsey Wynne which I also recommend. The Navigation is a lovely venue on the canal. The inside is well presented and the garden is well kept. Our party was 3 adults and a child. Drink and food order were taken promptly by a friendly waitress. Unfortunately no pizza available due to the pizza oven being cleaned. No big issue as there is plenty of choice on the menu. Food is excellent quality and served in good time. I gave in to pressure and had 3 courses. Not the cheapest place considering portion size but the quality and overall experience just about justifies it.

Lovely pub and great venue. We requested an indoor seat which we was given, greeted promptly and with a smile and shown to our table. We was looked after by Florin who came over and said hello and took our drinks order as we was not decided on food. It was busy but did not feel we waited any time. I ordered a pizza and my husband a chicken Caesar salad. Both was totally delicious however after started my husband realised there was no chicken on his chicken Caesar salad. We called Florin over who was very apologetic. He came straight back from the kitchen with 2 big pieces of chicken and apologised again. We enjoy our meals and drinks. The atmosphere was great too. There was no music while we was there but maybe because we’d booked a 12:30 table. We’ll definitely be back.

I visited this establishment with 5 friends on 20th June 2021. It was our first meal in a restaurant this year so we wanted it to be special after waiting so long for restrictions to be lifted. We have been to the Navigation before which is why we chose here as it has a reputation for a beautiful setting and is conveniently local to us.We were however extremely disappointed with our visit this time. I am sad to say the food was a real let down. The menu looks impressive but the quality of the food was mediocre. I ordered the soup special for starter, chicken risotto for main and banoffee sundae for dessert. My friends ordered the whitebait, caprese salad, scotch egg, fillet steak, cod and pork belly.My starter was served with two pieces of dry bread and no butter was offered with my soup. My main arrived some time after everyone elses and had such an ovewhelmingly cheesy smell it made me feel nauseous. It also looked unappealing as it was really runny. I have never seen or tasted a risotto like it. It looked like a melted processed cheese square with a tonne of peas and chorizo. There was hardly any rice to it at all. My friends did not enjoy the cod. It was really overcooked and would have been much nicer served with some vegetables. Unfortunately none of the staff came and asked if everything was ok with our food so we were unable to feed this back at the time. The desserts were also very poor. The cheesecake tasted as if it was frozen not freshly made. The strawberries on it were like the ones you get in a tin. I would be happy to pass on my simple to make and delicious cheesecake recipe as there is absolutely no need to buy in frozen desserts like this when they are so simple to make fresh! The brownie was overheated as it did not have a proper brownie texture. It is such a shame you have such a beautiful venue but the quality of food sadly does not reflect at all. I am sorry for the negative feedback but we did have high expectations as it is a premium restaurant charging premium prices-not a 'two for ten' eaterie. I was so looking forward to a night catching up with my friends and we all had a terrible meal. I feel the management has become complacent as this once was an exceptional restaurant but i now feel that substandard food is being offered and they get away with it because of the decor and location. You would think during these uncertain times they would be going all out to impress their clientele to bring in repeat business but i feel they are arrogant as i sent them some feedback and never got a response. I shall be taking my business elsewhere.

We booked a pod for a family get together. The pods are awesome. Nice circular banquette seating, heated, with music and service call button. The service was always with a smile and the food was fantastic, especially the shared starters. Will be back

This is a beautiful little spot especially when the weather is nice. We sat outside on the canal side. The staff were spot on, very attentive. When I came to the food we wasn’t disappointed- The scotch egg was to die for

Extremely disappointed. We have eaten in this establishment for the past 5 years always had a good experience, EXCEPT the last couple of times. The member off staff serving us was amazing & had a very good knowledge off the dishes being served. Unfortunately when we arrived & ordered our drinks, several drinks where out of stock including soft drinks . ok not an issue we ordered something else ONLY then to be approached by a very rude aggressive abrupt manager saying we had made a complaint. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE.....we was all a taken back by the managers aggressive manor & poor excuses to why multiple drinks where out off stock. Eventually the manager finally left leaving us very perplexed. We then ordered our food, a special fish starter of clams recommended by our waitress. I was charged £9.00 for a starter that had 7 clams on the plate with some greens & a huge lettuce leaf....SHOCKING....the few clams I had had not been washed & where gritty all in all a pathetic attempt at a SPECIAL STARTER. The quality of the mains where not much better . All in all a very poor performance & extremely disappointing. Like I have said I have eaten in this establishment over the past 5 years & absolutely loved the experience unfortunately things have changed the Navigation is over priced , the standard & quality of the food is shocking & is definitely NOT the establishment it used to be. I WILL NEVER EAT AT THE NAVIGATION AGAIN.

Just moored up and walked in. Staff were brilliant food was excellent. Really pleased we stop. Fantastic experience all round.

I'll start with the positives... Food was really good and lovely specials menu. Florien our server was very attentive and great. The manager in the leopard print shirt was rude at best offensive at worst. We were told by three different members of staff three different places we had to go to check in.The manager was very cold and quite strange. I've never experienced anything quite like that contempt by anyone. 'where did you come from' while we were waiting to be seated and then a very patronising explanation about the bottomless brunch... We also politely asked for a drink from a waitress polishing cutlery and she rolled her eyes and said she would have to ask a manager. Food good in a lovely setting but the service was very below par. The poor chefs had to shout SERVICE many times for the food to be collected from the pass. Quite an awkward dining experience.

Waiting staff were very pleasant. Sharing starter lovely. We then waited 30 minutes for our main, which was overcooked. A large party was booked in and kitchen couldn’t cope. So we left before dessert and coffee.

This is the best pub / restaurant you'll find in Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. We've been coming here for 6+ years and it's consistently the best for Food, Service & Beers. Forget the poor reviews below, if you want great food, great service and a good selection of Fuller's Brewery Beers then look no further. The staff are master's in their art and the food is fresh and done extremely well. Oakman Inns have a real jewel in their crown with The Navigation Inn over looking the beautiful canal and Buckinghamshire countryside. Please visit..I promise you won't be disappointed.

I popped into the navigation inn on a beautiful sunny day In June, We sat outside in the garden and ordered the Grilled white aubergine steak from the daily specials menu As our Mains. Never have I been more disappointed in a main in all my life, This was a slice Of aubergine with three mushrooms on top and chopped tomatoes on the side I would’ve begrudged paying £7.50 for this as a starter let alone the £15 they charged me for it as a main! This is beyond a joke. The reason we came here Is because every Meal we’ve had here Up until nowHas been amazing Which is why I’m so shocked Their performance was so bad this time, I seriously hope they take this review on board as I know they can do better.

As soon a I tried my meal I knew this was going to be special..... Best pub meal I've had in ages. Absolutely top food and service in fantastic surrounding s

friendly staff ,very helpful good pizza .just so slow .need to get more staff to help out the hard working ones they have got,great location on a sunny day

I respect that all businesses have had to adapt how they work because of COVID. However, I had appalling customer service at the Navigation Inn today. Walked 7km to the Inn in stifling, hot weather and was looking to drop in and rehydrate with a quick 15min stop. I thought it is a small way to support a local business. But I was turned away at the entrance because I didn’t have a booking. It was just after 5pm and there were almost no customers. The garden area was full of empty tables. I was very disappointed not to have a limited time of, say, 15-20min to have a drink. I’ve been a regular customer til now but think I’ll prioritise going elsewhere where there may be a little more flexibility and common sense. I’ve never written a negative review for a pub or restaurant before.

First time visiting and the food was decent but the service really was not great. Ordered a starter and some drinks and nobody even came over to take our food order for about an hour. I actually had to call a waiter over to take our food order while he was clearing another tables plates. There were so many staff walking around and nobody even bothered to ask if we needed anything. When the food arrived after about 30-35 minutes of ordering we weren’t asked if anything else was needed with our meals, I had to ask for mayo again from a waiter who was clearing up tables. I know it was very busy but even just an acknowledgment would have made all the difference to our visit, we shouldn’t have to be asking if we can order food after an hour of being sat down. I really hate not leaving a tip when I go out to eat but the service was lacking massively

I appreciate that during COVID that places need to modify how they run business, but common sense seems to be lacking. Had gone on a walk with the family and was looking to drop in and have a pint,but turned away at the entrance as didn’t have a booking. When walking past garden counted at least 8 empty tables so a little disappointed that unable to grab a flying drink before returning home. Still least know to either book in future or just not bother going.

Booked 5 tables of 6 for 30 people in March this year for an event at the end of May We paid £150 deposit to secure the booking We were told we would be under cover and that there would be a jazz band playing outside On arrival we were told we would be sitting on tables not Under cover, thank god it was a lovely day The staff were very rude and unhelpful Drinks were taking at least half an hour to arrive at the tables We had to order via their app , then the app stopped working and then had to order through the waiters When we got home we were accused of owing them £130 For drinks not paid for This was incorrect as all the bills were paid for before we left All in all not a very happy customer Definitely wouldn’t ever host an event here again And wouldn’t recommend to anyone It’s very overpriced £35 for a bottle of sav blanc They don’t mind Charging customers top prices For a third rate experience Very disappointing way to celebrate my Daughters 30th birthday

Beautiful place to eat, pizzas are amazing! The staff are so friendly and helpful. Declan was so lovely! He provided such a fun experience! The restaurant are lucky to have him.

Great indoor and outdoor space. Mixes the old and new very well with a fantastic outdoor area. I would recommend booking one of the outside booths which are very coolThe menu is very good and the staff are extremely helpful. Certainly worth the visit, as a family or couples.

Had dinner in a pod with friends and service couldn’t have been better! Declan was brilliant! Food was lovely, all round great time

Service Very slow, even for first and further drinks. Finally received main course 1hr 40mins after we arrived! Sat near chefs who were heard shouting and arguing. No warmth shown in the service. Had to ask for cutlery and no concern when we asked when would our food finally arrive.. Consequently as the table given for 2 hours we had no time left for a sweet or coffee!! Will never return.

Travelled from The Midlands for a meal at this restaurant, on recommendation, and was not disappointed. Excellent staff and a good variety of food on the menu. Food was excellently presented and cooked to perfection. I had the pork dish, but all 4 in out party had positive comments re the food. The location and decor is great and the pub is dog friendly. Am trying to find something negative to say ... but can’t. This may be 1 1/2 hours from where I live, but we will return. Thank you

I will have to keep this brief as it will be too long for you to read, so i shall bullet point the issues and why we won't be going back to this rubbish pub chain..1st Drinks, long wait and the incorrect drink servedOrder taken and repeated back, then 1 item they didn't have, then they served the wrong starter. Long wait again.Wine ordered, no wine we wanted, so changed it to a more expensive wine, long wait before we got it, then the waitress didn't have a bottle opener, she expected a screw top! when she came back she couldn't open it, so we had to do it for her.....Main course, Fillet steak, medium rare, if you are a chef, you should know how to cook a steak correctly, mine was rare and full of gristle, i would have complained, but everything had taken so long so far i decided to just eat it and be done, but i did leave it in the end..Poor food all round.Desert, wait wait wait, more drinks wait, wait , wait.....Went to toilet and asked if anyone was going to come and serve us, we were outside in the PODS... you have a buzzer i was told!!!! what buzzer, no-one mentioned this when we arrived! No apology nothing.we got the order placed for desert and drinks, again long wait....now we found the buzzer, we were pushing it to get service and guess what, NO service came...the funny thing was when we asked for the bill, it came in less than a minute and we laughed about it...he said just push the buzzer when you are ready to pay, so we did, and we did and again , again, again, again.....£260, for absolute rubbish service and food, the only good thing was the wine, which we opened and they hadn't touched...So fed up with pushing the buzzer and now past 11pm (arrived at 8!) we left our POD in search of some staff to take our payment, we had to go in doors

We were visiting our new grandson and went to this pub/restaurant. From the moment we walked in and were greeted by Amy, through the food, to the end, it was an excellent experience. Sat near the open kitchen meant you got a feel of the busy chefs. The food was very good. The shared Antipasti was huge with meats, prawns, veg and enough for four. The pork was good, as were the Camembert Burger, seafood pasts (although my wife substituted chick peas, which turned out to be lovely) and the cod. It was so good to be back inside in a restaurant and the staff all seemed like it was a relief to be getting back to a normality. All in all an excellent first time inside for many months.

What a fab meal. We booked a pod for 4 & we were looked after brilliantly by our server. All the food was fab & a few sneaky cocktails for good measure. Can't wait to come back Thank youx

What an amazing job all the staff are doing at the navigation. OMG did it rain , but we were welcomed with a smile by Georgia and shown to a dry under cover table. We came prepared with blankets and hot water bottles and was lovely and cosy. The food was quick and very hot and tasted amazing. the staff were incredible carrying the food up and down the stairs in the rain. Nothing was to much trouble. We are never disappointed even when the weather makes it so hard for the staff. Well done all of you and thank you

We had an enjoyable meal in their OakPods, the staff were attentive and welcoming, however, every few minutes you would get a waft of strong sewage smell just as you went to take a sip from your drink or take a mouthful of food. It was pretty disgusting, thankfully our table saw the funny side of the experience but it has really put us off visiting again. Important note (if you frequent other pubs in the area), the menu at all of the Akeman Inns are the same, so be cautious visiting multiple within a short period of time as even some of the so-called specials were the same.

Visited on a Saturday afternoon and were seated in a sheltered area with a heater over looking the canal. Was greeted by Georgia who was super friendly and helpful! Food was absolutely amazing, shared a Camembert to start from the specials and both had steaks for the main which were perfectly cooked. We were really looked after by Jack and Amy who were both professional and lovely. I was meeting a friend I have not seen in almost a year and we were given plenty of time to catch up and really enjoy ourselves. Thanks team Nav and keep up the good work!

Gorgeous afternoon at the Navigation! Been meaning to try here for ages and will definitely be back. I booked for 2.15pm as we were shopping for wedding suits in MK but actually finished a lot earlier than planned and we showed up around 1.30pm and they happily accomodated us. We were originally seated on a picnic bench but being by the canal it was picking up a lot of wind so i asked one of the waitresses if there was anywhere with a bit more cover because my dad would really suffer. She said no problem and that she’d find me somewhere and true to her word, they seated us under the balcony enclosed with heaters = bliss. Food was delish we had some garlic bread and olives for starters and then mains we had brunch avocado and bacon, margherita (SO GOOD), x2 roast chickens and fish and chips. Great beer aswell and service was fab lovely setting too. It was really busy which is great to see and bless the waitresses they kept up! Thanks so much :)

Was our first date outside of lockdown and it couldn’t have been a better venue. Even though we arrived late and the host (think her name was Zoe) was still awesome, we asked for a table with a heater and my god she couldn’t have picked a better one for us. It was stunning. Amy was our waitress and had impeccable service. The food was also amazing! I had such an amazing time! I still have a buzz from it Honestly can’t fault the place!

Just had brunch at the Navigation Inn Cosgrove lovely eggs Benedict sat outside but with a heater close by lovely setting on Grand Union canal first time meeting up with my cousin in 16 months to have a catch up attentive service and tasty coffee to accompany brunch great choice of brunch meals

Probably our first venture to eat out as we are coming out our lockdowns,and the experience was very good.Okay the alfresco eating at this time of the year can be a bit suspect,but we are still in springtime.We visited at lunchtime during the week,and I was very surprised just how full the car park was.Our party had booked a "pod",and this did keep the elements at bay.Summing up,the food and the service was first class.Toilets were clean and tidy, and on one level.But sitting outside,there was a whiff in the air,was it the canal,or the drains.?

Went today for lunch and I will start by saying the food was lovely ( although we waited 45 minutes for it) what did put me off though was the smell of drains, really off putting eating food with the background smell of a sewer, we did hear other customers commenting on it as well so wasn’t just us that was struggling. I was concerned to see half the staff wearing face masks on their chins ( not a great boost in confidence that precautions are being taken to ensure safety) we booked a table and when we turned up we’re told to pick a picnic table of our choice ☹️ obviously not worth booking when no preparation has been made. All in all food was lovely but won’t be returning until the drains have been sorted out.

Hi I went here recently and was astonished to find different tables having smokers on. No designated area! I had a very young baby with me, not a very good idea.

Fabulous! First time I’ve seen my sister in 5 months and we met here to do ‘Christmas’. Fab food, fab service, fab atmosphere. It was lovely

Great first visit back - lovely to see the Andrew, Georgia and the team again and see all the hard work that has gone in over the lockdown period. The food as always was lovely but the way the team make you feel welcome and at home really makes the difference. It’s great to be back and great to see that after 3 months away service is as good as ever. Thanks and looking forward to visit number 2 soon. Dan, Katie and Riva

Excellent first visit as new to the area. Food was fantastic, service great, very safe, and good value for money. Only thing that needs improvement was temperature, which we can’t blame them for!

Stopped over for brunch with wife and what a delight it was, food was on time and quite tasty, we will definitely come back.

My daughter and I had an amazing Christmas lunch in one of the pubs new pods. The food was delicious, the service was first class and the location is beautiful. Just what what we needed after such a horrible year.

Went for dinner yesterday night and sat inside the restaurant. Katie provided a quick and friendly service and was always available to take orders and get things done. Hope to go back again.