The Old Lock House Newark in Newark and Sherwood

Visited here today after a walk along the river, was very disappointed. I had a latte which was bitter and my partner a tea which was undrinkable and we both had a scone each,with jam and cream, no butter,which had obviously been frozen and then defrosted, they were hard and crumbly. The most disappointing part was that everything was served in cardboard trays and cups and there were no trays to carry the food out on. This meant that I had to take everything out in two trips, this was not a problem in itself but this all suggests to me that the staff are too lazy to do things properly and to use proper plates, cups and cutlery. So for two virtually inedible scones and two drinks we paid £12 which is daylight robbery and if the staff continue in an this way I can't be see them having a business for much longer especially as all the other cafes etc we saw were very busy.

called in here today 17-7-21 for a nice cool drink as its one of the hottest days. I usually have black coffee but the wife said have a cold drink. Anything to eat she asked? see what there is.........she came out and said we won't be calling here again, £8.50 for two cans of orange soft drink and a measly slice of cake which was very ordinary and tasteless. Obviously run by people who don't know the meaning of value, more suited to hippy sipping latte drinkers.......was disgusted by what i got for my money, wife stopped me going back inside and asking for my money back. I worked it out the drinks must have been £2.50 a can and the cake £3.....i would avoid it to be honest, go to Greggs instead.

Great cafe. Service is fast and friendly, coffee is good, cakes are delicious and the location is beautiful.

Visited recently with family, absolutely wonderful place with friendly staff and fantastic atmosphere. Could not recommend more!!

Really lovely café right on the river. Staff were friendly and great value for money. Will definitely be back :)

It was a nice place for a quite bite and drink

Lovely cafe with friendly service and nice quality food and drinks. Dog friendly and had a lot of excellent, nicely spaced out, seating outside. Really good range of sandwiches, my husband had the lamb and mint and enjoyed it a lot. I had the cheese and onion quiche which was good - it would have been slightly better warmed up (though this was a hindsight decision, it may have been possible - I didn’t ask at the time). Would have been good to have a few more non-sandwich options but we may have just been unlucky arriving when stuff was sold out, perhaps. Cakes looked very good. The lady serving was very friendly and it was good to see them sticking to various COVID-19 measures so it felt nice and safe. Two drinks and two small lunches came to £14 which I’d say is slightly expensive but nice setting and a view over the locks means we didn’t mind. Would happily visit again.

The Old Lock House is a new discovery for us via Leisa Pickles & her brilliant venture 'to my front door' that we found while looking on a popular social media site. The Old Lock House dealt with our VE Day afternoon tea order perfectly, pre-paid, delivered with sunny smiles and appropriate social distancing. We appreciate how difficult lockdown & what will follow is for hospitality businesses & The Old Lock House team worked wonders. Delicious carrot cake, brownies, moist fresh tasty sandwiches, fruit scones & a special mention for yummy strawberry jam. For the celebratory day in extraordinary national circumstances, The Old Lock House delivered a special treat. [This was a lockdown home delivery in Newark, Nottinghamshire]

We went here for afternoon tea. I’d requested no fish or macarons, both were served. The unlimited drinks were served by the cup and as service was so slow, we got two drinks, that we had to chase up before we had to leave. The fruit scones were lacking in fruit and tough and chewy, they were exchanged for more of the same. Two other ladies returned theirs for the same reason. No replacement or reduction in the bill was offered. There was a good selection of cakes and a lovely setting that gave value for money but the experience was spoilt by lack of drinks, edible scones and poor service. Tables that were full of previous customers crockery were still like it when we left.

Very pleasant staff nice food reasonably priced

Cafe is situated next to the lock. As it was so warm we sat outside on the benches and watched the boats going through the lock Plenty of seating outside with views of the castle. A variety of Fentimans drinks available. Rooms are also available.

Lovely setting with good service.

Lovely coffee, gin cafe but the river.

Lovely lunch and a cheeky gin in the sunshine watching the boats go by! Lovely little find, will go again!

Me and two friends went for afternoon tea and all of it was brought out at once 'because it was taking up too much space in the kitchen'. As a result the cream had melted virtually to butter by the time I ate my scone, and the cake had either gone dry (red velvet) or melted into goo (cheesecake and Bakewell brownies). A real shame as the cakes would probably have been very nice had they been served at the right time and temperature - the sandwiches were and the tea ws good so I guess the cakes would have been as well. Also an umbrella to shade us from the sun on the hottest dy of the year so far wouldn't have gone amiss! Waiting staff were very lovely but the woman in charge (owner?) had quite a brusque attitude that bordered on rude. It took nearly 20 minutes to pay after we'd finished eating and some people left the queue as they got tired of waiting. Maybe better on a less hot, less busy day.

Called in after a walk down the canal looked a nice little place staff friendly but found scorns rock hard in middle definitely been frozen at some point also the tea cakes I found the same price ok if food was fresh

Me, my 94yr old mum & sister visited yesterday...wow!! Stopped in for a coffee & after viewing the menu returned for lunch. So glad we did, the food was excellent as was the service. I had the enormous ploughman’s - cheese, quiche, ham, chutney, salad, pickles & bread- massive portions. Sister had coronation chicken sandwich, she’s a really fussy eater & not easy to please - she scoffed the lot!! I can’t fault this place- I usually find a niggle, but not this place, the 2 sisters running this place are doing an amazing job. Thanks for making us so welcome on our first visit. Good luck girls for the future of The Old Lock, don’t change a thing!!

We booked in for afternoon tea, what an amazing place. Staff were very friendly and helpful, service was fast and the food was outstanding. We took a table outside and a platter of sandwiches were served along with tea and coffee (you can have Gin if so inclined.. there was so much choice!) but as I was driving tea it was... the dessert selection was fab.. scones with jam and cream, macaroons and other cakes to gorge on. An amazing afternoon was had by all, definitely worth a visit.. don’t miss out!

We popped in for a drink and stayed a while............. The warm welcome was genuine and we ordered a mixture of coffees and Gin's , to wash down the amazing cake. Very pretty setting on a busy canal. Don't understand the previous critics

We looked and thought what a lovely spot!However upon ordering inside we found the lady very unhelpful, this we could overlook thinking she has had a bad day. The experience got worse as I headed towards the toilets. A lady coming out said to me ‘are you going in there?’ Yes I said why? She responded I wouldn’t, It’s appalling! So I went back outside and waited for our cakes & coffees. Unbeknown to me my cousin had gone to use that facility! She came out in shock and wondered how an establishment could have a facility in this condition??

Had a lovely lunch here, watching the canal boats go by. My husband had the salmon & cream bagel & I had a tasty and filling salad with the coronation chicken. Toilets were clean and in full working order when we were there and the staff very pleasant.

We visited as a group of 6 on a Saturday afternoon. The location is lovely, right by the river lock. We ordered at the counter and the lady serving us wasn't very friendly, the scones were poor, the clotted cream wasn't clotted cream and the toilet facilities were so unclean that another customer advised a member of our party waiting not to use them. I did use the toilet, but wished I hadn’t as it was unpleasant and hadn't been cleaned for a long time.

To be honest I wasn't sure about this place at first as was very quiet & tables hadn't been cleared etc. However was very pleasantly surprised. Young lady serving was on her own & had been run off her feet on a lovely sunny day but she was really friendly & helpful. We really enjoyed our choices, the ploughman's was a real hit!

When visiting Newark recently a local shop suggested we visit The Old Lock House to enjoy the sun. This place is a little gem located on the river, we sat outside and watched the world go by with a glass of gin and a piece of cake... what more could you enjoy on a Saturday afternoon. We enjoyed it so much we popped in for lunch the next day. Thanks! Top staff who are friendly and accommodating throughout, quality food and drink! This place is really a quirky take on a traditional cafe.

Sitting out in the sun, watching the boats go by, eating a lovely sandwich and a piece of cake - what is not to like about a visit to this waterside café near the castle and lock? The rhubarb and ginger cake was interestingly different but the lime mayonaise prawn sandwich was a little light on the lime but still very nice.

Beautiful day to sit by the lock and watch the boats and we ate panini and enjoyed the sun Nice food , lovely setting

This is now a gin café and an excellent one at that! They also do food and have some real ale & cider.

We recently called in for some lunch over the bank holiday weekend. Despite having just opened, we received a very warm welcome and there was a lovely selection of cakes and sandwiches on offer. The food and coffee were brought out quickly and were fantastic. Highly recommend a visit. Looking forward to the next visit!

I’ll be honest my expectations were rather high before I set foot in The Old Lock House... a cafe, near the river that puts an emphasis on gin!!! I’m so glad to say that not only were my expectations met but exceeded. Wonderful coffee, which is a must for any cafe but also a clean and warm surrounding. I shall be back soon to try again!