The Grain Barge in Peterborough

Went here last night for a meal with my Fiancée, whilst the food was superb and some of the staff were lovely, we couldn't help but to feel rushed like they were trying to get us out of the door as fast as humanly possibly. We didn't even get to look at the menu before being asked if we want Starters/Mains by a Rude elderly waitress, we had told them we wanted to order the mains later, halfway through our starters we were constantly asked what we wanted for the mains before we even finished the Starters. Again, the food was delicious,Hot and perfectly cooked. We did have some issues as we did not receive a Starter we ordered, staff was understanding and quickly took it off our bill. As someone with a disability and not able to make quick decisions, I found this atmosphere extremely hectic and not that friendly because of the one waitress which was assigned to our table at the start. We will be coming back but possibly not to eat in but to take-away instead. Thank you to the other lovely waitresses and great job to the Chefs! Great value for money but Patience is key for making this restaurant's atmosphere: Friendly!

Food really nice. There was 9 of us and we have the set menu. Really nice. Staff really nice. Definitely recommend

1st visit and what a wonderful experience! Food was so tasty and more importantly HOT! We had the set menu which was amazing value. First class service from our friendly and knowledgeable waitress. Food was served promptly without feeling rushed. The ambience was so soothing. Soft lighting and tables far enough apart to be able to speak without being overheard, which is a massive problem in many restaurants. It was lovely to see the owner, not just overseeing service, but also serving himself. If you love authentic Chinese this is a must to visit. This will definitely be our go to for great Chinese.. Bill for two with set menu and 2 Chinese beers just £42. Recommended dishes; prawn toast which contain whole prawns! Duck and pancakes and really tasty ribs.

The food was good. Good service.

Excellent food and great service !

We have visited the grain barge since the late 80’s, but every last visit recently is just so awful- the food is okay and just okay not at all like it used to be- but the service from the older lady who I think is the manager is just beyond rude??? The rest of the staff are absolutely lovely - yet obviously a little afraid of her🙃, no flexibility at all with the set menu, one staff member offered to swap a dish, but it was soon squashed and refused by the afore mentioned manager- we won’t be returning, definitely not about the customer for her!

We loved this quirky little restaurant! Situated across from hotel, we thought we'd try here. The staff managed to fit us in without a booking and the food and service was excellent. We would like to thank everyone that added to our excellent experience. 5 stars from us 😊

Great food, and fast friendly service

The food is absolutely great. And a very cool atmosphere

Great Chinese and good service all on the barge!

As usual excellent quality and value

Fabulous Chinese eatery. £17.50 each for a MASSIVE starter plate, huge portion of crispy duck and 3 main courses with egg-fried rice. Superb service, quick and attentive service. Thoroughly recommended.

We used to come here all the time (9-10 years ago [before kids]) and it was great. I am pleased to say it still is. Super fast service, great food, all good. It can be a bit chilly in winter. They do have heaters and stuff, but obviously it's an old barge so not very insulated. What I'm saying is, don't go in January in a t-shirt.

One of the oldest places I can remember in Peterborough, super friendly with very quick and brilliant service, we were in and out in 35 mins. We went for the set menu. The food was okay, not the best quality I think but was worth £17.30 per person. We will come again.

Great food. Set menu is reasonably priced. If going for a Chinese dine-in at Peterborough, it's always Grain Barge for us!

Lovely place, the staff is polite and very accommodating of special requests, the food is amazing and in generous quantities, and the location is quite original. Already looking forward to going back!

Had great evening with friends enjoying excellent food and drink.

Delicious food, excellent service, very friendly and professional staff

Superb! Delicious food, great surroundings, friendly staff. Thank you!

A group of 6 of us had booked for last night and were fully accommodated. Stupidly on my part I had not said I was on crutches, so as no tables upstairs was a bit of a laugh getting downstairs. Staff were very pleasant, laughed with is and helped with anything we needed. The price for the set meal, we all felt, was amazing and drinks were not overpriced. Definitely looking forward to another visit. 👌

Always love coming here, food is always delicious and the staff are super friendly, keep up the good work 👏👏

Staying at the premier inn opposite we thought we would try it. Absolutely amazing food. Hot and sour soup 👍. Will definitely be back

Lovely meal here tonight, services was rapid and friendly. Food was very tasty. The atmosphere was a little dry, no music 😕 Had a very enjoyable evening

Really good food. Our eyes were bigger than our bellies, there was so much rice left over at the end. Just bear that in mind.

We stopped by while on tour as an indulgence, and two of us feasted for £35. Incredible food, massive menu; everything came quickly, and all was delicious.

I recently came out to eat dinner with my friends and I found the manager to be extremely rude and unfair to two younger staff members and I think it is completely unacceptable when they are trying their best and their hardest to just complete their tasks. The two young girls that were working there were amazing and so polite and made me feel extremely welcome and comfortable. I could not fault them at all! I think the manager goes by the name cristine or cristina? But regardless of her name what I heard and saw from her was horrifying. First of all I caught the old wrinkly woman screaming and shouting at one of the poor girls because she didn’t take one of the tables orders when that girl was incredibly busy taking other tables orders and sorting out the tables food it was clear she had enough on her plate and a lot to do at that time - in fact the manager was standing there doing absolutely nothing and could’ve helped the poor girl. With the manager constantly screaming at her waitresses throughout the night it created an unwelcoming and unsettling environment in the restaurant which I don’t think the restaurant deserves. On top of that when I asked for a refill of my drink she took an unusually long time to refill it and then even when it came back it was flat and warm- it had seemed as if it had been opened for days and mixed with multiple different drinks. The grain barge deserves a lot more and cannot let one rude old woman ruin its amazing reputation and atmosphere in the restaurant. She needs to go !!!

Excellent food and service. Will definitely go again

Have been visiting the grain Barge off and on for more than 35 years...The set menu never fails to please and is excellent value for money. The staff and service are great too

We Chose this as it was highly recommended and read the reviews, we were not disappointed. Phoned ahead and got a table for two reserved and lucky we did, as it filled up soon after we arrived. The food was great, we had the set menu which was a bargain at £17.5 per person. Looking around us at the restaurant, it seems that nearly every table had ordered this, which confirmed that it was a great choice. Staff were good but worked hard. Highly recommended.

Thursaay evening 8.00 shown to a table and then told they were closed?? I wouldn’t bother…. Plenty of other restaurants in the city. Never again.

This venue is a perfect way to spend a Saturday night out with friends and then into the theatre. You couldn't fault the menu, the service together with staff ad they made you feel welcomed. I cannot wait to book up again and enjoy the experience again.

We have been going to this restaurant for many years, but not for the last 3 or maybe 4 years so thought we would give it another go and so glad we did, food quality has never changed , still fabulous, wish we hadn't left it so long. My only gripe is the owner, she can be a bit blunt and dare I say bossy, she seemed to want us to sit downstairs, not sure if it's because we had a toddler with us, anyway we insisted on staying upstairs and had the set menu which is great value for money, waitresses are lovely and very obliging.

Lovely setting, friendly staff and good prices. Most importantly the food is delicious, I'd definitely recommend.

What a great experience at the Grain Barge. We arrived without a booking but were welcomed and seated by lovely staff. Christine came to take our order and with suggestions and recommendations from her we had the set menu. The whole dinner was wonderful and tasty, the service was excellent, so much so we had to visit again before we left Peterborough. This floating barge is a great restaurant with wonderful food.

Chinese restaurant on barge, what a great idea. Given that it was on water, we had little or no insects in the restaurant. The service was very good and the food was exceptional good. You can taste the spices in the food. The coke drinks was unfortunately flat for some reason. That is the minor negative.

Not been here in over 20 years. Was not disappointed good was very good portions were good. Very tasty good selection

Hidden petersburough treasure. Fantastic food. Wonderful service. Interesting funky decor on this floating barge restaurant. Highly recommended.

Great evening with friends! Been before and enjoyed it so we went again and were happy. Good service, food and comfortable atmosphere 😊

Great food at a great price. We had no booking but they were great and accommodated us. The owner advised us to go for the set menu to get to taste more dishes and all tasted great.

Excellent food and service as always. Great value for money.

Delightful food in a delightful location

If I could give a zero I would. Had the worst food and the attitude of the "manager" was rude to say the least. I complained about the under cooked chicken and the server was apolgetic, I asked that I not be charged for the "chicken in black bean sauce" as it was chunks of chicken that had been flash cooked andthe sauce added some of it was pink bordering raw. The server said she'd spoken to her manager and the whole meal would be free, I offered to pay for the rest of it, but she said not to worry. That was the end of the matter and I wouldn't be writing this review if then the "manager" hadn't come up and gestured for us to get up and leave saying "up, up". Talk about poor customer service, the guy clearly has no idea what that even means.

Fantastic place fantastic food lovely setting such friendly Staff.. Thoroughly recommend...

We went early evening with our two year old granddaughter and our son. The waitress was friendly and helpful. The food was delicious and good value. It is a lovely setting to be eating and looking out at the the river. A lovely place for a meal.

Lovely food warm welcome, try to gey a table by window on River side and watch the swans

lovely food, lovely staff/management and reasonably priced, what else could you ask for, enjoyed much better than the other one opposite

...what can I say, amazing hosts and food was superb, worth every penny...first time visiting for years will absolutely be going again soon...❤️👍

Absolutely amazing! Best chinese food I've had in a long time Staff very friendly and attentive, but not intrusive. Wonderful atmosphere and views

A group of us went for dinner and all opted for the set meal. Both the service and food were excellent. A fantastic feast for the money. Would definitely return if ever back in Peterborough. Crispy duck was superb.

What a fab place! Why buy takeaway/delivered takeaway, when - if you get off your ar*e - you can go and have a Set Menu for around £15>£16 each and have a really good meal & plenty to enjoy. No need to add a 'Side Dish', just not necessary. Pleasant, English speaking staff and a down-to-earth atmosphere. Plenty of L/A parking (£2.80 after 5 PM) - 100 mtrs from the Grain Barge. Will deffo be back 👍

Bardzo dobre jedzenie, przemiła atmosfera i klimat

Great meal at the Grain Barge, friendly staff, pleasant surroundings with good views of the river. We had the set meal which is great value: 5 mixed starters, crispy duck with pancakes and 5 different main courses with rice. House wine is reasonably priced and palatable. A very enjoyable experience well worth a visit.

A lovely Chinese restaurant in a barge moored on the river Nene in the centre of Peterborough. The food is acceptable. The manager told us that getting fresh ingredients is challenging since some Chinese ingredients have to be delivered from London. We mentioned the crispy duck were too dry due to being overcooked, she apologise and offered us some free desserts. Very friendly and well run restaurant.

Great food, decent price. Great location.

Back again for the first time in a while. Love the Grain Barge. Set menu again which is amazing value for money in my opinion. Food was as good as always. Friendly staff yet again.

The set menu is very reasonably priced. I used to come here 2 or 3 times a year but hadn’t been for over 10 years ( I can’t remember why!!) I visited in January 2023 and was not disappointed. I’ve been back once a month this year, and fully intend to continue monthly visits!

Very beautiful and amazing place😍

Not been for a long time but it was a pretty good experience

Amazing food and so much of it! Probably the best Chinese food I've had in a long time.

Scruffy. Poorly fitted out, floating grain barge. Better to go over the River to Charters also a 100 year old grain barge huge bar and Thai Restaurant.

As always , great food and friendly service. Probably there at the wrong time for a good atmosphere- too early in the evening, but it was filling up nicely by the time we left

Absolutely gorgeous place to eat, been several times. Food is high quality service is great no Matter how busy they are, will always return here

Great food, ideal location, very good service,

First ever visit, and it was good. I would recommend it.

Lovey relaxing place to eat great food & friendly staff will definitely go back again 😊 😋

Great food good atmosphere very good service an excellent restaurant.

Took my husband for birthday dinner. Excellent service and food was delicious 😋 price was reasonable

Brilliant perfect service best Chinese I have had be back soon brilliant value for money can not rate I enough

As usual brilliant meal and service, have been visiting here for many years and it just gets better and better

Had a lovely meal with friends here. Highly recommended.

Amazing food young ladies that looked after us was very friendly and nothing to much trouble . Came for son and mum’s birthday will be back again for sure

The barge setting off this restaurant should be it's selling point but all the character has been sucked out of it by fitting UPVC windows that belong in new build houses all the way around. It's sacrilege.

We came here last month, and we were so surprised. Although initially we didn't know much about this restaurant, we read reviews and decided to risk it. We were much more surprised to see how excellent the food was, the service was phenomenal and the...

First visit since before covid and it was just as good as I remembered. Food is delicious especially the crispy duck pancakes, staff are friendly and prices are reasonable. We had a lovely evening and left well fed and very happy.

Very very good food and service , staff very very nice.

The monkey in fish sauce is the best

Wonderful atmosphere,beautiful food and amazing menu. Dietary needs met without question. Incredible pudding as a birthday surprise. Best Chinese we've had in Peterborough 🥣🍜

Amazing food. Great service and nothing too much to ask. Would highly recommend the set menu very good value for money. Will certainly be back.

We visit Peterborough occasionally and after having to cancel a previous planned visit so glad we went. We were staying at the Premier Inn, so super close. We were welcomed onboard and were soon seated at a lovely table with a nice view of the...

This restaurant never fails to deliver. The service is first class and always attentive. The food is plentiful, and quick to the table. The hosts always make you feel welcome and the prices represent great value for money. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I recently visited The Grain Barge and I was very impressed! The restaurant is located on a floating barge which makes it a unique and memorable experience. The food was nice and the prices were very reasonable. On top of that, the staff were friendly...

Great food, excellent service overall a great place for the school reunion night.

Haven't been here for a while. Still as good as ever, especially the set menu, which, at £16.50, is astounding. Couple that with some good value wines at about £20 a bottle meant our party of 7 had a super time. Thank you to the...

there was a problem in the kitchen and so the meals we ordered werent available - they dealt with it really well and ended up giving us our subsequent meals for free with no fuss and lots of friendliness. And they were very tasty. Good...

Good food. Bad service.. out of date furniture needs a refurb..

The service was a bit hit and miss. The older waitress I found to be quite rude and abrupt and didn't really listen. The younger waitress was better. Food was mediocre. Won't be rushing back

Say what you like. You won't find better Chinese in Peterborough; great service. Get there early evening for supper; the place fills up fast.

Food was lovely staff just as lovely, my fave place to eat now. I am working in Peterborough so I gave this a try. Glad I did as its my place to eat now on a Thursday.

Great food, great value, great location and great service!

Fabulous food haven't been for years but will go back now.

First time visit with a party of 6. Very quirky restaurant on a boat quite famous in Peterborough. Our table was really a table for 4 with 6 squeezed on so it was quite tight. Service throughout was very prompt and efficient. Drinks and food...

Being Coeliac I have to stick to Gluten Free, so eating out can be a pain. However they can do most things gluten free, so that's exciting, especially for Chinese food! The staff are friendly, and the food is really good! Also, its nice to...

Lovely experience. Food was delicious, service was professional, friendly and fun and the price was great. Special mention to the lady who served us, you really made a perfect afternoon. My last meal with my mum and dad for 6 months as I'll be away for work. Thank you.

I went for the first time tonight with a friend. It will be the first of many. Great food. We had the set meal. Plenty food to eat. Very clean. Great value for money. The staff were friendly. They weren't in a hurry to get...

Nice Chinese restaurant on a boat with variety dishes that caters for all including vegetarians.

Excellent service well prepared food fresh and hot service great staff friendly and views across River good x will be back again and again

Good Chinese food. A bit tired inside but good service and reasonable pricing make up for it. The set meal for 2 is superb.

Previous experience lovely food….but we Informed them we have a young baby but he’s really good so won’t be any bother. If he made the slightest noise the dirty looks we got from some of the staff and how one of them stood close by just glaring at us. It made us feel so uncomfortable. I would’ve understood if my son had been crying or screaming but he was so quiet and slept for most of it. Next time we went to book we were told - babies are not welcome anymore….such a shame as when we have a family get together that is inclusive of everyone. Clearly not a family place. Won’t be going back

Visited with 4 friends. We had the set menu. Service was fantastic each course was served with enough time in between to chat and drink. Staff were friendly and helpful and supplied chopsticks so I could..have a go! Delicious food and plentiful, and wow what great value. I haven't visited for over 20 years and The Grain Barge still retains all of its charm. Will be going back again soon. Highly recommend this restaurant if you are a novice with this type of cuisine as the staff will help you decide. A perfect choice for a birthday meal!

This review is to express my upsetting experiences, particularly to the middle aged, Asian manager in this restaurant. I went to this restaurant with my two ‘white’ friends and me myself is ‘Chinese’ background. The reason why I strength the ethnic here is because I...