The Kings Lock Inn in Cheshire East

It was a sunny afternoon & we wanted a canal-side pub. This was perfect! Had a great lunch at a reasonable price. Sat by the canal & watched the locks in operation as a narrow boat passed through. Will visit again!

Had salt an pepper chicken loaded chips were absolutely tasty highly recommend sat in front near lock beautiful pub definitely return x

Excellent food and lovely staff

A very nice semi-rural canal side pub with a good selection of craft beers and real ales. There is plenty of room both inside and outside and the overall ambience is very pleasant.

A very disappointing Sunday dinner. We had friends visiting and we were moored quite close by so decided to try Sunday dinner instead of going to the Big Lock pub where we had been before. Alarm bells rang when there was no menu, we were just told that it was Beef or Chicken. We all decided to go for Beef. It arrived and looked lovely so we were very hopeful. It soon went downhill. The beef was extremely rare, I like it rare but the majority was raw and lukewarm warm. The potatoes had been warmed up a bit and the rest of the veg was only just warm. One of our guests couldn’t eat the beef and asked for some that was cooked more, this arrived fifteen minutes later it looked like it had been fried. Definitely not off a good roast joint. No horseradish sauce either. I have the waitress feedback stating the beef was not cooked well and was cold along with the veg. I was told she would pass it onto the chef. Hopefully it gets better as the pub is in a great position.

My favourite pub. Great beer and atmosphere with the bonus of passing narrow boats. Dog friendly.

Really disappointing, this is 'our local', a mile from us but they don't open until afternoon. They should take advantage of the narrowboats and open for breakfast and lunch - nothing mega, simple English breakfast, sandwiches, jacket pots is enough. They do seem popular at weekends and have themed events on, though unless you live on their doorstep you wouldn't know until you 'here' them. We tend to go that little bit further and enjoy the Little and Big Lock as they are always open.

The sevice was so slow and the food was terrible,undercooked and virtually raw vegetables,there was only myself and my partner eating so no excuse for the delay,once burnt twice shy.

Cosy atmosphere by the canal. Food service good. Busy in the summer

Brilliant place to drink during the folk and boat. Especially when weather is good

Not a destination pub but useful and well situated canal side

Lovely setting with lots of outdoors tables.

Just called in for a drink, lots of cask Ales to choose from, lovely place by the Canal, friendly service, definitely worth a visit.

Visited for the British Pipe Smoking Championships. Large marquee and covered benches at rear. Staff in pub polite and helpful. Lager and cider sold in the marquee but need to walk uphill to front pub entrance for anything else. Pub’s other garden is at front with view of canal and lock which, on this bright warm May Saturday, saw fairly regular traffic.

Great venue for the British Pipe Smoking Championships last week. The pub has a great set up for this kind of function with great drinks and food.

Great little canal side pub, good selection of ales and sprits and the food was fantastic

Went here today for Sunday lunch, the service was terrible we waited 1 1/2 hours just for the main course. I have given it 1 circle because the barman gives us a couple of free drinks. The food was good when it arrived.

Very accommodating staff. Really nice atmosphere. Great ales. Right on the canal. Even liked the music selection. Perfect.

It's a nice quiet canal pub with excellent beer and friendly staff

Sadly bitterly disappointed I had never been before but was aware of the good selection of real ale and that they did good.Brilliant I thought must go sometime. Unfortunately only the ale was worthy of revisiting The initial appearance was that of what can only be described as creators on the bridge on entry that are completely unavoidable and a car park absolutely littered with them too. Upon entry we found the premises extremely cramped and tired (wallpaper missing from the walls & paint from the radiators) When we went to the bar we asked for food menus to be told by a very miserable lady that they don't serve food on this day (Monday 29th April) There was no board outside etc to inform guests of no food service on this day only that staff training was taking place at 7pm To be polite we had the drink.Thankfully the ale was on superb form with plenty of good choice with three different styles on the three pumps that where available on the day. Without the fantastic ale it would have been zero stars.The establishment is in dire need of refurbishment both internally and externally.

Great pub, friendly service and good choice of beer on tap. What more do you need?

i was surprised how small it is inside, nice and friendly place here the food looked good that i saw really nice location next the canal will go in the summer to sit outside and enjoy the place

Walking home from a friend's house, the rain was that bad and given I'd left my boat in my other jeans I dived into this place. The welcome was very warming and they had a good range of beers (I wasn't planning on drinking but duck it). Went on to have great convo with a whole gang of locals and staff. Transpired to be one of those lovely moments where we knew the same people / grew up in the same place. The chap behind the bar was really friendly and genuine too. I might accidently on purpose find myself in here again!

Our favourite local pub. Regular musical acts, quizzes etc. Community spirited, with friendly staff and patrons. Dog friendly. Decent food at good prices.

Amazing cakes, lovely friendly staff and always a good atmosphere. Thursday night pub quiz is great!

Lovely young lady served us. Nice warm atmosphere. Dog made welcome

Good real ale, really friendly. Sara is lovely

Been visiting the Kings Lock frequently for some time now, and I can honestly say that this is one of the friendliest, liveliest and welcoming pubs i’ve ever visited! The staff are brilliant, there are often events scheduled to appeal to all different people, great selection of real ales!! I’d give more stars if I could!! The only downside (which has nothing to do with the pub itself) is a small group of regular customers who seem to cause a lot of stress to staff and other customers, often after drinking very large quantities of alcohol. It is typical pub politics which can be found anywhere, but it really can put a downer on an otherwise brilliant vibe.

Fantastic classic English pub, I’ve been taking my father in law here for a few years you can sit and watch the boats go by really good spot 👍🏻

Honestly may just be the best pub I've ever been too, rotating cask ales so you'll never get bored, great food can have a great bite to eat with your pint, staff are amazing always willing to go the extra mile to make sure you get great service, Honestly can't think off a better pub then this

No food and in need of investment.

We parked our narrow boat up this evening and we’re desperate to find a friendly warm place to eat and The Kings Lock didn’t disappoint. Great food and drink. There was a real buzz in the pub, the music was fab - Northern Soul!!! Service was super - polite and professional. Thanks Matt!! 😊

I use the Kings Lock on a regular basis,i find the staff very friendly and welcoming,A good selection of beers and ciders,also very excellent food.The staff can not do enough for you and i highly recommend you take the time to visit.I popped in 2 and a half years ago for a quick pint and now its my local.Well done Martin and the team.

Sunday Afternoon wouldn't be the same without a visit to the Kings Lock. A great choice of drinks that change on a regular basis (although I always drink Pravha). The staff are amazing and are doing an excellent job during these covid restrictions placed upon us all. Whether you are just passing by or planning to stay for a few then you won't be disappointed and if the weather is good then it's so relaxing to sit by the canal and watch the narrowboats navigating the lock.

Had a really enjoyable basket meal. 4 basket meals (3 burgers and 1 ribs). Excellent value for money, all really fresh and tasty. Big improvement from days gone by. Will definitely be eating there again.

Amazing Food!!!! I would recommend the food to anyone. The prices are serious value for money. Try it out and you won’t be disappointed

The Kings Lock is arguably the creme de la creme of inns in Middlewich. Ideally situated alongside the canal, The Kings Lock boasts a wealth of attractive features. A picturesque location, a mouth watering menu, a wonderful selection at the bar, but above all wonderful service. The staff are very welcoming, happy to accommodate most requests and cannot do enough to make your visit a pleasant one. I am a fussy vegetarian on slimming world. The chef is happy to adapt most meals to suit upon request. The Kings Lock is absolutely one to visit. Just know that if you visit once, you’ll definitely be back!

this establishment is one of best in the town, i do recommend this public house to others as you will have a 'blast' as the youth say

This pub does not look like it offers more than a good pint. At the time we went (August 2020) they were only offering a limited basket meal menu. However, the food that arrived was all home made and was absolutely delicious. The fries were really very tasty and perfectly cooked. The burgers were clearly homemade, very large and superbly cooked. My son said the steak baguette was out of this world. I tasted it and have to agree. So don't be put off by the (somewhat charming) spit and sawdust atmosphere of this pub. The food really is worth the stop. Great ales on offer too.

Lovely pub. Cosy feel with real wood fire. Idyllic views of the canal. Proper home cooked grub. Generous portions and the bar staff are so friendly. One of my faces in Middlewich

Very nice meal although we had to wait a while , but very nice setting and not disappointed with the food

Siting our side even in October was lovely made you feel very welcome when you went in side for a drink 🥃

My son and I called in for a couple of hours around August time in the High summer and really enjoyed the ambience of this little gem, set in beautiful surroundings alongside the Lock in Middlewich. I enjoyed a delightful plum porter real ale followed by a sublime blue moon as plenty of boatmen and women called in for refreshments.The menu looked like good value for money but unfortunately we never had time to eat and apparently they have a buzzing folk scene where the travelling boaters call in and become vertuosos by night, with an array of musical talent. I'm looking forward to sampling this one weekend to get the real Kings Lock Experience, proper little pub, just my style, makes you want a buy a boat amd live simply. I could easily spend many an hour here, enjoy the real ale, have some food and socialise with the locals.

Great little place I use for a quiet drink early doors. Picturesquely situated right on the canal. Plenty of quality cask real ales. Friendly staff, plus its dog friendly. Food menu is limited to traditional British but is good quality. Would highly recommend a visit.

Called in for a family meal only to told they had run out so we decided to sit in beer garden and get food from the chip shop over the road and this is where it all started , a member of the bar staff came out and said we couldn't sit in the beer garden and eat our food ( even tho they had run out ) but were quite happy to serve us drinks , we were a bit offended at this so I did some research into this only to find out that the beer garden actually belongs to the CRT ( canal and river trust ) and not the pub as it's their access to the locks , and now for the pub itself , it needs a total revamp , the toilets are absolutely disgusting , the gents urinal leaks all over the floor , the restaurant if that's what you call it looks more like a 1970's greasy spoon cafe and the light sockets are hanging from the walls , the seats are covered in dog hairs and the place smells damp , this is not what you could call a restaurant in any way shape or form !!

Great pub atmosphere. Food is excellent and cheap. There is a loyalty scheme which gives plenty of rewards (£1 off a pint, a double for the same as a single). Always good real ales on tap. Staff are very friendly and hard working. Dog friendly. Weekly pub quiz on Thursdays. Occasional entertainment.

Stopped here on a canal barge to meet local Cheshire friends for lunch. Unfortunately it was a day that the pub was having an ‘environmental inspection’ and therefore said that they could not offer anything other than sandwiches and chips. After some deliberation, including getting fish and chips from the shop across the canal, we decided to stay and have the sandwiches. They were only ‘OK’ and not very interesting with respect to ingredients like salad or pickles etc. They came with a plentiful supply of of both skinny chips and chunky chips. The girl behind the bar was very cheerful and tried to make us feel welcome despite the lack of a proper lunch menu. She also made a discount on some extra chips as a gesture. Obviously not her fault and we had to accept that we had simply chosen an unfortunate day to make out visit. Otherwise the pub was very homely and had a lovely tea room to the side of the bar. The bill for 6 people was £64 - quite a bit for a sandwich, chips and a pint. The drinks seemed relatively expensive even by today’s standards, but i guess that is the premium for a quaint canal side location. Can only give 3 stars on this occasion, but would expect something better if they had been fully up and running.

By far my favourite pub in middlewich. The location is amazing next to the canal. Staff are great and the food is freshly prepared.

Drove past this place many a time. Called in for lunch with a friend. What a little gem, small, quaint little tearoom to the left and a bar to the right. Food lovely and well presented. Staff polite and fiendly. Will definitely be visiting again.

I would not recommend this place at all we stopped here as we are on a canal boat holiday and thought we would grab a drink as we have done a little pub crawl along the canal and stopped off at most pubs I ordered some chips which were nice till I came to get vinegar every bottle of vinegar I came across was full of flies and mould asked if they had any fresh vinegar minus the flies and was told no if I hadn't of noticed this in the bottles I think me and my children would if ended up very ill they clearly don't check the condiments on a regular business and if these are dirty I'd hate to see the rest of the place.

We wanted a good and traditional dinner on last night of our vacation, and ended up in Kings Lock. The location is ideal, just on the canal between locks, and the house is beautiful! We were a bit disappointed over the limited choices of food, and also that all the lager and light beers were imports. That said, we were very pleased with taste and presentation of the food. We would definately come back another time if in Middlewhich, and if the menu would have been expanded with a lamb shank and liver or other English traditional dishes, we would be extremely happy!

Lovely location for grandsons birthday with great food.Considering the location it all was very reasonably inexpensive.Would definitely return next time we are in the area.

The nicest pub in Middlewich, well worth a visit. Lovely location overlooking the lock, good beer, friendly staff

Lovely location by the canal. Simple decor inside. Afternoon tea was delicious, dainty sandwiches, a scone each plus a variety of cakes. Plus as much tea as we could drink. Staff polite and attended to us just enough.

First time myself and partner had been the food was lovely and the staff were friendly will recommend.

I went with some family and friends for my hen party, and we booked in to the Cosy Tea Room. We shared a mixture of the classic afternoon tea and the gentleman's afternoon tea. All the food was amazing, really fresh and very tasty, and there was plenty of it! After we finished the afternoon tea we stayed on to have drinks until the pub closed. The staff went out of their way to be helpful. Really lovely afternoon/evening!

First visit to this really nice dog friendly pub with lots of character. Staff were lovely and very helpful.

Had large fish and chips would not class it as large but was ok Two cask beers Be a good place on a sunny day to sit out and watch the canal boats go by Staff very friendly

4 of us had a real good lunch on Saturday before a week's narrow-boating. The sandwiches and soup were first class - tasty and filling. We returned for dinner on the following Friday and the pies we ate were fabulous! Live music jam-set made our night.

A nice down to earth traditional pub beside the canal. Good selection of beers. What more do you want.

Good for attraction when they have events on boat festival days etc, alwasy nice to visit, go have drink.

I don't know why I've never been in this pub before. We've often moored nearby on the canal bit I guess the amazing choppy always won out. But on this occasion it was Sunday evening and the chippy was closed so we booked a table. It's not a huge pub but gets a decent turnover. It's not a foodie pub and it's not a boozer. Probably more what some people call a "proper pub". The staff were very friendly. There was a warm fire and all of the pub is dog friendly. On Sunday nights is was pie served with a choice of potatoes and veg. Unfortunately the cauliflower cheese was finished that night so I chose something else to go with the pie. A little later the barman came to say there was only one portion of mash left and we'd wanted two. So I changed to chips. Despite running short, the food was good. Not fine dining, but good home cooking. There are a good selection of beers too. The next day we were due to go to the chippy for lunch but they were closed as it was New Year's Eve. So we tried the pub again. Some tables were set up for cream teas which was quite quaint and an interesting variation on pub dining. We skipped the tea and had the English breakfast made with locally sourced ingredients. Very good breakfast. And the same friendly staff. When we originally booked our evening meal we were told they did roasts in the evening. Shortly after we left the pub the bar server realised she'd made a mistake and that it was pies. Unable to reach my mobile she ran along the towpath to catch us so we wouldn't be disappointed when we turned up and there were no roasts. How many staff would go that far?!

Been for Festive Afternoon tea today (including 1 gluten free). Wow just wow what a lovely experience, presentation was gorgeous, lots of choice and food was very tasty. Staff very welcoming and friendly and the teapots were constantly refilled. Been for many Afternoon teas and been disappointed - not today though!! Great gluten free choices. Can't recommend enough.

This pub is in a great location with very friendly bar staff, however it does not serve food despite local adverts stating it did. Worth a visit on a nice evening right by the canal side and lock :-)

Warm and friendly venue in a beautiful setting.

Researched this pub, looked great. On arrival, found there had been a refurb. It is now breakfast (limited and basic quality) and afternoon tea (Which needs to be booked in advance!), as well as basic sarnies during day, pub menu in evening. Place looks lovely and cute, but quality basic and trip advisor and the pub need to update descriptions, as this is not as described!! Poor service too despite us being the only 3 customers in the place. Won't be back again.

Lovely pub, dog friendly and great homemade food. We had a lovely lunch there. However they do delicious afternoon teas but they are so good you have to book in advance. Moreover they are reasonably priced. Lovely spot by the canal and a friendly welcome. Definitely visiting again.

All things to all people. Works as both a pub and tea room. Popular both with locals, canal travellers and ladies who lunch. Impressive fok duo on Friday night

We've just enjoyed the most tasty steak & pies with perfect veg and plenty of delicious gravy! You really need you try these pies...the steak & ale sold out within half an hour! Excellent pub! We called in after a walk along the canal with our greyhound, and are leaving 2 hours later, with full and happy bellies!

This pub is under new management and it has totally transformed, it is friendly, warm, welcoming, tea room during the day and pub in the evening, dog was allowed in, dog treats are behind the bar, the food was fantastic, in face it was so good we would actually relocate to eat here everyday! Thank you for making us and Bert so welcome x

Good selection of real ales and afternoon ☕️,nice selection of food though out the day, Most Friday nights live music . Right by the canal.

Stopped with intention of eating but left after a couple of drinks. Nice location and service but shabby, uncomfortable and the we felt that the beer more expensive than in other local pubs.

Service from the staff very good and helpful, food good mostly fish and chip and lime cod , the only comment i had was the burger was a bit tough but as you know each to our own tastes, we will use the Kings lock inn again

I booked for a family meal for 10 people, over a month ago, only to be called this afternoon (the day before our planned meal) to tell me they have a festival on this weekend and therefore no meals!! How angry am I?? Apologies received from the poor guy given the task of letting me know, but really NOT good enough! No way I’ll be re-booking!!!!!!!!

Went here again this time we went with friends on Saturday evening. The weather was lovely and we had a nice table outside by the lock. We ordered drinks and four different meals and all were lovely. Will definitely be going again.

Tasty food on an unplanned stop on the way to Gisborough. Typical canal side traditional pub with lovely staff and very tasty food

We stopped in here for our last night on a canal boat holiday. We booked a table before hand but when we arrived there was no one else in the place. Should have realised then that it wasn't going to be great. My meal arrived about 15 minutes before the rest of our party and frankly none of the meals were worth the wait. We won't be returning.

Visited last week, ordered drinks with a view to eating but heard a chap asking where their food was as they had been waiting 50 mins. We left 20 mins later and his food had not arrived. Enough said.

This is a nice pub with a large beer garden next to the lock. The beer was good and the staff were friendly. The food was ok and wasn’t unpleasant but they need to work on their chips.

we stopped at the kings lock in for a few drinks on our first night of our trip ,very nice staff and a lovely pint beer ,will be back again next year

Lovely venue, hearty wholesome food , honest prices and very good service. What's not to like. ............

Visited this pub earlier this year having looked on Trip Advisor to see where the best places to eat were in Middlewich. Phoned to book a table but we needn't have bothered as there were only two other people in the pub and we were the only ones eating. The food was really disappointing, there was no atmosphere in the pub and we found it really unfriendly. Won't be going back.

This is a small and friendly pub. There are a lot of pubs to choose from in Middlewich, but this is our favourite, especially after a walk along the canal, or on a sunny Sunday afternoon

Have eaten here on several occasions and always have a lovely meal. The menu is rather limited only offering a choice of about 6-8 main courses, but you know that its freshly prepared and not from a microwave packet. Service is pleasant and there's a good choice of craft beers.

Last visited one year ago and was a 5/5. Utterly disappointed with my latest visit:

Have eaten here on several occasions. The food (unusually now) is prepared and cooked not microwaved and you can taste the difference. The staff are friendly and efficient. Good selection of real ales and newly arrived Peroni Strongly recommend.

An excellent place for a lunchtime stop.We have stopped here several times over the past few months and we have never been disappointed. The food is beautifully presented and tastes delicious. The beer is excellent, local and hand-pumped. The bar maid today was friendly, courteous and efficient.

Called in on a walk today and the pub was empty. The member of staff was very friendly and helpful....

Ate here yesterday. I had the lamb and my partner had the sea bass. Both were lovely and great value....

Lovely festive menu & food was beautiful & plentiful, been severel times and always enjoy. Staff really nice also.

Called in for lunch. Wonderful log fire making the place warm and cozy. Lunch was excellent, home cooked fat chips...

Walk to this pub from the centre as we thought it looked lovely. But was fairly dissatisfied when we arrived...

Visited the Kings Lock last night and had a lovely evening with gorgeous freshly cooked food. We had Haddock, chunky chips & mushy peas which was beautifully cooked & my husband had the cheese & red onion pie which he said was very tasty. The portions are good & there is a lovely friendly welcoming atmosphere in the pub.

Have eaten here on a couple of occasions and always found it to be very good. Special mention must go for the selection of beers etc. Cosy with decent and chatty staff

We have stopped here several times before but the new menu and owners have done a great job in making this pretty canal-side pub even better! The meals we had were of excellent quality and good value for money. The hand-pumped beer was also excellent. We shall definitely call again.

We were staying in Middlewich for a couple of nights and this place was recommended. We were shown to a table straight away and the staff were very pleasant and efficient. Unfortunately I didn't read the small print and ordered the cook it yourself rump steak to be cooked by the chef, only to be told that it had to be done on the hot stone........as I like my steak very well done I would probably lay still be there! However had the surf and turf instead which was very nice. In my opinion the food is very nice but overpriced.

Recently bought by a local group, saving some local pubs!, good on em!

The food is good when there is any but that's it !!!! , witnessed several people being turned away as they had run out of food and also found the staff to b not so friendly when those people then decided to purchase beer from the pub and chips from over the road , the decor is a disaster , paint was peeling off and there were several electric sockets hanging from their mounts , seats were covered in dog hair and the wet dog stench and my partner did complain about this plus the foul language from the locals wasn't making it a pleasant experience at all , all in all its an ok pub to sit outside and watch the boats go by on a warm summers night but as a pleasant dining experience I would strongly recommend walking a bit further down the towpath where there is another canal side pub/restaurant with in my opinion a very warm friendly excellent dining experience.

The quality of the food was excellent and our party of seven all enjoyed their meals. This pub is well worth a visit.

Lovely setting n the sun good selection of beer and gin. Food wise my black pudding starter was too much for me, I had cheese and onion pie, great pie not enough cheese. Elsewhere pate starter was too much, duck lovely as was fish and chips. Can't really complain about portion size in fairness. Bottom line good food.