The Grove Lock in Central Bedfordshire

We were a mixed group of rabid meat eaters and vegetarians with some gluten-free complications mixed in. The menu was fantastic with so much choice and creativity. Our family get together became so convivial we stayed for a second shift to resolve the menu dilemmas we'd felt at lunchtime!

Honesty a lovely pub and location super cosy with a log fire BUT the drinks are so overpriced. £22 for 2 individual bottles of prosecco is absolute daylight robbery! I handed over a £20 note thinking that would be more than enough.

A beautiful spot and thought I'd stop for a small bite. The pub decor and location are lovely but the positives stop there. Food was cold and drinks massively overpriced (4.30 for a small lemonade !!!) Bar manager was cold and unfriendly. Felt like I was in London and not in a good way. Will not be coming back

Service was slow from the start and they managed to get two items on the orders wrong. The food on the menu looked good but out of the 7 of us not one person really enjoyed it and certainly didn’t think it was value for money.

Came in for drinks only but ordered some cheesy ciabatta bread which was very nice but I have to say that £5.15 for a pint of diet Coke that came straight out of a soda tap is a absolute rip off.

Visited on Sunday as a last minute decision and very glad it ended up in the grove lock!! Well presented restaurant with extremely friendly staff. I ordered a duo of roasts for my Sunday dinner and can easily say it was one of the best I’ve had! Thanks again il definitely be back.

Excellent location, food (a very extensive menu)and service plus the weather was brilliant & we sat outside choosing the waitress service option. Looking how big inside is I would say that probably the atmosphere inside of an evening would be limited but that’s just my opinion.

We went for lunch with our granddaughter, table was booked for 12pm, another table got their order taken before us, disappointing as we were in the restaurant early, we ordered 3 starters, only 2 came, they had forgotten to put one through, we declined them getting one as we would have had to wait meaning , 2 of us would be waiting, our meal came, 4 times the waitress came to us to ask if we were ok, over compensating! We had to ask them to clear the table of coffee cups, We spoke to the manger, she said we are only human, such bad customer service! Will never return, even our 6 year old granddaughter commented that the previous restaurant we had been too was better, “ out of the mouths of babes”

This is a lovely spot on the river with plenty of tables inside and out. The food and drink menus are decent and portions very good too. This attractive spot can get busy and I understand that however 75 minutes wait for a main course, without warning, is far too much

Very nice Sunday lunch. Good service from Tina. Nice selection of vegetables and roasties were delicious. Roast beef was good. Really recommend the apple crumble for dessert

Good food, friendly staff, very nice experience. We went for mother's day lunch, but weren't rushed to vacate the table. Elaine (?) was very friendly and helpful.

Lovely meal out for Mother’s Day. Food was plentiful, tasty and of a high quality. Elaine was very attentive and friendly.

Lovely food, lovely service by Elaine, lovely venue. Would highly recommend. Even received a lovely mother's day gift 😊

I visited The Grove Lock restaurant on 2nd March 2024 and ordered a steak and ale pie. The pie was mainly hard crust with very little meatin it. The mash potato was luke warm. My wife had a burger and cips and the presentation could have been better. Overall a disappointing experience this evening for the cost.

After some good news we celebrated with an excellent dinner at the grove lock. Food was delicious but the service was excellent! Thank you to our lovely Argentinean waiter who was so attentive!

We went for Christmas lunch with grandparents and children. The food was amazing and the service friendly and attentive, with a wonderful Christmas atmosphere. We would highly recommend, it was so relaxing and lovely not to have to worry about feeding everyone….or wash up! Thank you Grove Lock for making our Christmas!

Our group of 7 enjoyed a fabulous lunch at The Grove Lock on Christmas Day. The pub was busy but the staff were super friendly and relaxed and went out of their way to give us great service. Elaine was fab as always and we loved her elf costume. We were impressed with the food quality and it was at the level we were expecting for the price. Well done team GL!

40 of us went for the 2nd year running to our golf society Xmas dinner, well organised and the food was great. Everyone enjoyed the evening and we will almost certainly be back next year.

I asked for a house wine but was told there was none left (!) and it was substituted with Picpoul de Pinet at 10.40 a glass. This was a bit of a shock when we got the bill as I had 2 glasses. Waiting staff seemed obsessed with taking away my starter (Hummus flatbread)which I repeatly said I wanted to finish with my main because there was enough bread with the starter and I was getting more bread as part of my main dish (Fish Stew). We told 5 different waiters who swarmed around the table but none of them listened and constantly interrupted our conversation to ask if they could take it away. Quite a stressful evening in the end!

Fabulous Sunday nut veggie roast. OMG huge yorkies! Friendly staff. Our waitress, Elaine was lovely!

Lovely pub and food. Elaine was super attentive and a pleasure to have serve us. Will definitely come back

Came in for a Sunday roast with a friend, the pub itself is so cosy and nicely decorated. Food and drinks came fast and were great. Service from Elaine was the standout though!

I mean.. how fantastic can a pub be? - the answer is the Grove Lock! The food is absolutely great and the service is familiar and friendly. I recommend it for everyone who‘s loving some good food, a nice athmosphere and a great beer.

I visited back in April and had a good experience but today was not great. The food was average but very overpriced. Staff were all over the place and really were not attentive at all. We asked for the sandwich menu which never came. The food took quite a while and other diners who had ordered after us were given their food first making us think we had been forgotten. It was cold in the restaurant and extremely cold in the ladies toilet. Also I really hate it when they add a 10% tip to the bill automatically when paying by card giving you the opportunity to press no on the card machine, it puts pressure on the customer to say yes and is really unfair. I always leave a tip anyway, although today for the first time ever I wanted to not leave anything as the service was not good, but we did anyway. The surroundings are lovely though and I can see its appeal but when you are constantly chasing for service it is very annoying.

Nice place for a good meal with lovely surroundings. The staff were friendly and welcoming. Will be going back.

We are doing a charity walk (in aid of GOSH) from Manchester to London, and we stopped at The Grove Lock yesterday on our leg from Stoke Hammond to Cheddington. We bought a drink and sat down at a table in the garden. There were lots of spare tables. We had our own sandwiches, but as soon as we got them out, a lady came over and said we weren't allowed to eat them. We told her about our charity walk but the lady insisted that was the rule and they didn't want everyone thinking it was okay to bring their own food. So we had no choice other than to request takeaway cups for our drinks and go and sit on the ground by the canal tow path. We understand there are rules, but there can also be exceptions to rules. I was actually close to tears because of what happened. We'd been walking for 13 days already and were both tired and quite emotional. I have to say this experience was very different to what's happened everywhere else we've stopped, where we've always received support. Today, for example, we were immediately offered complimentary drinks by the landlord. I'm sorry to say we won't be visiting the Grove Lock again in the future.

Lovely pub, but the sandwich was as disappointing as I have experienced in a pub for a long time. At £10.50 for a tuna mayonnaise and cucumber sandwich, I had expected more filling that the depth of tuna mayonnaise that you might normally spread butter. Still at least they said that the chef would be informed of my disappointment!

Popped in fur lunch on journey home. Lovely waitress and great food. Had mildly spicy fish stew which was first class. Was served by Denise.

Great Sunday lunch from the team especially Elaine. Good service and a lovely meal. Happy to take photos of a family get together.

Came for Sunday lunch, no booking, very friendly waitress Denise, food good, service from waitress excellent.

Friendly welcome and great service during our visit. The food was lovely and service was prompt. Elaine was our waitress for the majority of the time. We will definitely be going back again .

Not a good experience, my roast dinner was let down by the two roast potatoes they gave me which tasted like they were left out all day not fresh ,when asked for some fresh ones we were given new ones that tasted exactly the same so didn’t end up eating them . Then when leaving a member of staff came running out shouting we need to pay for the extra potatoes , embarrassing as everyone stopped and looked , he made it look like we had not paid the bill. won’t be returning

My partner and I went for lunch, randomly. The food was the best we ve tasted, I had fish n chips, the batter was gorgeous, and I had the best ice cream ever. Elaine and Tina were brilliant hosts, and made us feel very at ease. Will return again very soon.

Fantastic service and lovely staff. Would definitely come back again in the future. All round a great pub

Great atmosphere, delightful staff and delicious food in a beautiful setting by the canal. Really enjoyed it!

Great service, lovely Sunday roast with plenty of meat and vegetables. Lovely surroundings by the canal.

Extremely long wait for staff to come to table and then to serve lunch. Pies were overcooked, sent burger back as not cooked, making my dinner even later. Had to get own cutlery from another table. Waited at least another 20 minutes and had to ask staff for desert menu. Then had to chase after 40 minutes as 3 icreams had not been served. Staff did not respond to our attempts to get their attention, one walking off when we tried to raise a problem. Was given 15% discount because we complained! But no apology or explanation. Customer service disgraceful. Will not go back here again!

Do not eat at this restaurant. It is a beautiful setting but the food is terrible. I had the house special of steak salad- it was inedible. Even the sale was dull and had brown edges to some of the leaves. Cannot understand how anyone...

Location nice, interior nice, staff great and very helpful. Food a bit over priced. Only 1 shared loo. Nice area near lock to sit

Food not cheap but thats ok if its good quality and tasty. So bland, no taste whatsoever and even the chips were awful. Positives were that the staff were very pleasant. My sisters 60th birthday and we were very embarassed that we had suggested this...

We booked a table for 8 for a family birthday Sunday lunch. We had pre booked a table inside but the weather was lovely so on arrival we asked if this could be changed to outside, Tina swapped this over without a problem (and dealt...

So we reserved an area outside to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary with over 40 guests. The atmosphere was incredible & we had the best time. We ordered over 20 pizzas that went down so well. Staff were great & location is brilliant for a...

Lovely lunch, good variety of food, not rushed, helpful and nice staff. Would come again. Beautiful spot on the canal.

To start with the positives- 1. Service very good. Young, polite , friendly staff did a v good job. 2. Surroundings are pleasant and clean. 3. Starters were nice- lamb koftas and smoked trout salad. 4. Drinks were nice and wine sensibly priced. Downside- 1....

Check the reviews before you eat here. MOST are not happy. Surely with such poor comments you would act and act quickly. Service was excellent and I would be totally unfair to criticise that. Pub is nice with nice out door area. Friendly fast staff...

The pub and garden are nicely laid out but the food is over priced, tiny portions and nothing special,

Lovely canalside pub and good service. However, the need for better external housekeeping is apparent as we were greeted by a pile of discarded dog poo bags canalside approaching the terrace dining. Ughhhh.

This was my first visit so perhaps 3* may be over critical however after a lot of thought I think it is reasonable based on this occasion. Me and my partner decided to try somewhere new on our way home and both were looking forward...

Lovely spot down by canal, just had a wrap which was very nice. Probably come again at some point so can really judge the quality.

Went out with friends for a good evening. Food was delicious and the staff are extremely polite and friendly, there are quite a few beers on tap. No more than 30 minute Wait on food which was ok and also has an extremely nice outdoor...

Average meals, overpriced with nice location. without the pleasant canal side setting this pub would struggle to survive. Our £17 burgers were delivered quickly and garnished with a piece of lettuce, one slice of tomato and american cheese slice. At a friends’ bbq you would...

Visited Grove Lock with my parents and daughter for a spot of lunch. The service was excellent from the friendly team and our food was delicious (compliments to the chef!) On a separate note, my Mum has mobility issues and the helpful waiter kindly lent...

I visited late on a Saturday afternoon. The pub itself was busy and I struggled to park. I chose to use the quirky mini cooper woodfired pizza pop up. There was no queue for this- i found a table number outside and made my order....

Arrived 30 minutes before our reservation, it wasn’t an issue at all, was seated straight away. We came for a business dinner as had one of our colleagues over from Australia. The pub/restaurant was really clean and tidy and well laid out. Drinks were brought...

We booked a private dining area for 14 diners. It was my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary, so we asked for Rose Prossecco on arrival. The pub itself is a lovely building. And the private dining area was brilliant. The drinks were ready as we arrived,...

We were visiting for lunch on Saturday 6 May and one in the company was gluten intolerant. There were NO information about this printed on the menu. Which is very rare today! Instead there were a tiny QR code leading to a web page that...

Excellent service, excellent food. Our waiter's Joe (Pepe) and Lucy were an absolute delight, upon our arrival with our 96year old auntie,who has slight mobility issues, Pepe immediately came and opened the door for us. They were so happy and polite, the manager must be...

We love The Grove Lock! Always welcomed by all the lovely staff! Nothing is ever an issue for them!! Lovely seating on the canal in the sun! Couldn’t recommend enough!

Let's start with the good stuff nice looking pub on the canal nice staff and that is where it end's beer overpriced food very expensive for how little you get my soup starter was more filling then my main they need to up there game...

Easter Sunday lunch. Disappointed that nothing different to the usual menu. My husband had roast chicken. Quite stingy portion for almost £20. Half a chicken breast and a small leg. Three soggy roast potatoes and watery gravy. I had king prawn and crab linguine. For...

Hugely disappointing - especially for the price. I went for the plant based burger (because I have an intolerance to dairy and egg and that left me with a choice of only 2 things) and I have never seen a more anaemic pitiful looking thing...

So the girlfriend and I took a lovely stroll down the canal to grove lock. Unfortunately it fell below expectations, slow service. Once we ordered drinks and food our drinks did not arrive for 20mins, having to ask twice to see where they were. Reason...

Great food and great service. Marce who was our waiter was super fry and efficient. Top evening out.

An eclectic menu served by knowledgeable helpful and delightful as ever She made the lunchtime a real.pleasure Sam M

Lovely ambience and food. Elaine looked after us very well, thank you. It was wet and windy outside but very cosy and a warm welcome at the pub x

I have been to this establishment several times before and I have enjoyed the ambience, experience and food on my previous visits. However, on this occasion I found the menu to be limited and we were not offered any specials apart from a few we...

He staff were friendly and polite the pub was lovely and warm, it was chilly outside, but the menu was a little disappointing unfortunately. My partner wanted a starter so I obviously joined him in that but the only item on the menu that sounded...

Four of us went there for fish and chips, and the price is way too expensive. The service is all right but it is very disappointing that the food there is overpriced so we won’t go there again.

The pub has had a refit so the picture shown us out of date. Instead of hard chairs there’s now a fresh modern country feel with soft upholstered seating . Service was quick snd attentive. I ordered the smoked trout to start which looked undressed...

The food is always lovely here. By far my favorite place to go for Sunday lunch. But on Sunday I couldn't believe the portion sizes! 1 and a half slices of meat, 2 small roast potatoes, 2 small chunks of cauli cheese and 1 carrot....

Very disappointed with food. Steak not cooked as requested. Got medium instead of rare. Lemon sole special was bland, salad was disappointing. Tried to negotiate price but no joy. Was told other customers had also complained about fish special. Hopefully for better, visiting family locally...

Excellent food and service. We were a large group of 25 and yet the food was delivered quickly and the quality very good. Would definitely book again! Thanks to Mark the manager and his team for being easy to work with and thank you to...

A lovely place to stop mid walk along the canal, dog friendly and excellent food choice. We were met with a very warm welcome and our host Sam M was attentive to our needs.

36 of us visited the grove Lock for our Xmas dinner, the food and the service were excellent, compliments to Mark, Ian and their team. Thanks Brian

Came here for a pre booked Christmas Meal last week . There was a large group of us . My Husband & I had 3 courses . It was absolutely Beautiful - every course . Would recommend . All staff were lovely too .

Lovely service from Elaine today during our family pre Xmas meal (thanks for the extra gravy)! Thank you Grove lock for a lovely visit!

Delicious roast and fantastic service - warmly provided by Elaine who was there to cater for our needs!

Spent a lovely evening at the grove lock for a bbq and to wY h the fireworks. It was extremely busy but managed very well and didn’t have to wait long for drinks or our food which was great. The fireworks display was amazing, one...

The Grove Lock pub put on a cracking firework night event. Great service, lovely food and a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Elaine (our waitress) went out of her way to help us and provided 5 star service. She is a credit to your business and deserves...

I have to mention Elaine… your member of staff that was utterly amazing. ! It was clearly a super busy night but she impressed with every level of service! Your staff is your representation of your service and business! Had a great night and will...

When in the UK, one must do the traditional Sunday roast , so on doing a bit of research, we made a choice, being close to Leighton buzzard, and it certainly was the correct one. The ambience of the place is charming, would love to...

Popped in for lunch as a new destination. Ordered the goats cheese and pepper sandwich - I am allergic to pesto so avoided everything on the menu that included it - as you would? It arrived - with pesto - so I asked them to...

Just want to pass on my thanks to the team at The Grove Lock especially Elaine and Tina who made our experience a wee bit special - just what we needed and out grandchildren gave it 10 out of 10 for there Sunday roast and...

Outstanding service provided by all the staff especially Danielle, she was welcoming, friendly and attentive from the minute we arrived. The food was delicious, our first visit was a dream and we will return very soon.

Has me a super lunch in this lovely pub that sits near the canal. Elaine our waitress looked after us so well and helped my mum find the perfect dish as she only has a small appetite - definitely recommend this fab place!

We were visiting friends in the area & they decided to bring us here. What a lovely place to sit and watch the world go by…the tables are right next to the canal. The bar staff are very friendly & helpful. Well worth a visit.

I took may parents (both in their 80s) to The Grove Lock for lunch on the 19th of August and was served by a wonderful waitress named Sam. We are from Australia and we don’t have canal boats and locks back home, so it was...

Awful food, “lasagne” if you can call it that was a cottage pie with pasta!! 6chips, sad that I could count how little accompanied the £14.75 meal. Kids meal had no veg, one spoonful of mash and the mini sausages were disgusting tasted like old...

We had a lovely lunchtime visit sitting looking out to the lock. The food was excellent and the waitress, Sam, was attentive and helpful

Food was really great and service was fabulous. Friendly and helpful staff. I will definitely visit again.

Stopped in for a Sunday lunch. To start with this is a lovely venue with good parking, everything was clean and well presented. That helps always but as I said in the title it’s all about the people. I was greeted warmly by the manager,...

We were charged £7.50 for what was supposed to be smoked mackerel but turned up as one slice of toast with a small pot of white gel with two strands of salad. Coffee at £2.85 was a thimble full of average lukewarm coffee and service...

Super food and service. Thank you for a lovely afternoon. Really attractive environment. Will definitely return

Lovely food, good service, scenic setting. Food delivered quickly, good atmosphere. Great walk along the canal after lunch

Recently got out of hospital and needed a change of scenery . Coming here for lunch was just what the doctor ordered. Beautiful scenery, friendly atmosphere and staff and the food were first class . So tasty . I enjoyed every moment. Highly recommend ,...

Me and my friend went to the lock today on our way though a walk. Amazing scenery and wildlife (ducks) Staff very friendly. Kelly, our waitress, came to us quickly with no need for us to go up to the bar. Efficient staff. Evie was...

My friends and I had a lovely afternoon at the Grove lock. We all had salads and it was lovely to have a choice of different salads available. The special board offered a great choice and the main menu was diverse. I had the chicken...

Despite being a really busy, hot evening the service was fab. Ollie has been brilliant and has kept on top of everything. The lasagne was delicious.

1st time visit for us yesterday and it was just OK. Ordered 2 scampi which were good, small beef lasagne which was a lovely portion size but a little dry and lacking in flavour it was a bit more like a cottage pie with pasta...

Attended with family of four. On arrival was asked to have my debit card swiped before we had even ordered anything, this made us feel they expected us to leave without paying. Two of our party were visiting from Europe and were perplexed by this...