The Royal Standard of England in Chiltern

Visited the Royal Standard of England recently. Such a nice pub with really decent food - the fish and chips were delicious. We received great service from the bar man Phil, who was not only very knowledgeable about the beers on offer, but also knew a lot about the history of the pub. It’s the oldest free house in England! Highly recommend a visit. Cosy atmosphere inside, and the garden looks like it’ll be amazing in the summer!

A lovely lunch, warm atmosphere and served by Corey who was very friendly and made our visit a relaxed experience. Thank you

We visited the Royal Standard of England for a Saturday evening family dinner, and having not eaten here for many years, I have to say that we were disappointed. The pub itself is idyllic and the ambience is great - but food quality was less than we would have expected based on the Tripadvisor reviews. The chips served with a steak, a cheeseburger and fish and chips were all stale and overcooked and all dishes were priced higher than they merited. £34 for a 300g ribeye; £20 for a cheeseburger; and £23 for fish and chips would all have been fine had the dishes themselves been better than 'pub average' - but sadly this was not the case. Even when we requested mayonnaise and ketchup, they were unceremoniously plonked on the table, still in their Heinz squeezy bottles - an approach to table service more befitting a greasy spoon than a pub with aspirations to offer a memorable dining experience. Perhaps most disappointing of all was the response when a member of our party asked our waiter how hot the "spicy" sweet potato and almond korma was. The waiter said that he didn't know because (somewhat strangely) "I don't really eat meals without meat in them". One might expect that he would have straight away offered to ask the chef, or even another waiter - but no, he just stood there waiting for the order. Knowing about the food on a menu that I suspect does not change much from month to month is food service 1.01 - and if you don't know the answer to a question, surely it's a no-brainer that you would go and ask someone? This was just unacceptably poor service. All in all, a lovely pub for a drink - but we won't be back for food.

Theo was our waiter and even though he’d only been there 3 days, his service was impeccable in detail and etiquette, like he was seasoned in the profession. Nothing was too much for him and his service levels were matched only by the quality of the food served. To be sat in a pub so ancient is something special indeed, we booked well in advance to be on prime table no1 and everything about the experience made it a day that will last forever in the memory of us 4 lucky people. John, Denise, Gray and Sue. Thankyou so much to Theo, and all at the Royal Standard of England.

Sadly tonight’s experience was a very bad one, being advised my table was reserved for 7pm at 6.35pm when my family were all seated and enjoying this great pub. There was no reserve sign on the table on arrival at 5.30pm like many others which gave us no reason not to settle there. I was not advised otherwise as I ordered family drinks. The direction to vacate the table might have been less painful if there had been some effort to accommodate us else where. ie sorry this table is booked however we have… I can’t rate the food because I had to leave our drinks and leave before ordering. I overcame stubbornness and left before 7pm as did not want to upset the evening of those coming in which was a very likely outcome but unfair. Having 5 star reviews can often result in complacency and unawareness thus my 1 star rating.

Outstanding steak and faultless service! We had a lovely evening here on Wednesday for their steak night offer and would happily return. Their sides and sauces were also just as delicious as the steak. Thanks for accommodating our last minute reservation too!

Very old pub nice atmosphere with chimney

I have been coming here for decades and it never fails to please. Wonderful characterful pub

An amazing old pub and restaurant with plenty of seating inside, outside and plenty of car parking spaces. It's amazingly kept in the old style because it is one of the oldest pubs in England. I love the deco inside and designed space. With original fire places and fantastic timber construction . Worth a visit .

In a 12th century inn lit by candlelight, we tasted the famous “Sunday roast” which is popular with the English on weekends. The dishes were abundant. Delicious Yorkshire pudding. Only one downside on the slightly disappointing service

The pub itself is definitely quirky and the staff were lovely BUT my friend and I have been so ill since eating only one oyster each here on Friday 10th Jan. Stomach cramps, continual sickness and feeling like death has been non-stop after just 2/3 hours of eating them. My friend and I are still very ill and struggling to look after 5 children 👎🏻

Really unique pub experience! The food is a little on the pricey side but worth it for a nice dinner out if you're looking to push the boat out a bit, I will also say that the food tastes like it deserves the pricetag. The sausage and mash was probably the best I'd eaten and the game pie was also amazing. Didn't get to try the dessert because we were too full! The wait staff were all very friendly and accommodating, making sure we're looked after, even offered to ask the kitchen to make more fried Kale when I asked what it was. Only downsides for me were being sat so close to the fire, but that's a personal preference and the wife was cold so we stayed put. I'm certain they would have moved if we asked. The tables were also a little cramped but that's part of the charm. Dog friendly also which is a massive plus!

We went to The Royal Standard with family to celebrate a birthday, expecting a pleasant outing. Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn for the worse. Upon arrival, when shown the table (uncomfortable and extremely unpleasant and cold) we were told there was no space for our buggy, as it was apparently considered a "trip hazard" in a pub with over 100 seats. The staff made us feel like an inconvenience simply for having a baby with us. The only option they offered was a dark, very cold corner of the pub, which was completely unsuitable for our 5-month-old baby. Given the uncomfortable conditions, we felt it was best to leave rather than stay in such an unwelcoming environment. This lack of thought for families with young children, combined with the cold, uninviting space, meant we didn’t even get the chance to enjoy a meal or celebrate the occasion as planned. It was incredibly disappointing, and we left immediately on the basis of how poorly we were treated. It’s hard to understand how a place that claims to be a pub can have such a lack of basic courtesy, especially when it comes to families with young children. I will never return to The Royal Standard, and I would strongly advise anyone with a baby to steer clear. It’s cramped, unfriendly, and the staff’s complete lack of customer service skills made this one of the worst experiences we’ve had. Save yourself the frustration and go somewhere that actually values its customers.

Wouldn’t waste your time going. Food over priced staff are rude. NO STANDARDS LET AlONE ROYAL STANDARD.

Magic place full of history. Food outstanding

Very cool pub, but service was glacial and whilst I ordered an unconventional starter, the devilled kidneys, it was inedible. The whole table agreed. Gave the food a 3 because the lamb Henry on the other hand was excellent.

I've reviewed this pub many times over the years, having grown up in the 90s in Beaconsfield and been drinking here since then from time to time. Here's my Christmas 2024 review. Headline: atmosphere is always 10/10, and staff are usually excellent. Some real food failures though, which were bordering on complaint territory - but we didn't go there as it was Mum's last Christmas (of about 35 years) in Beaconsfield so just wanted to leave peacefully. - table of 8 for Christmas dinner, £100 per head plus drinks. - some mains came about 6-7 mins after the first lot delivered, leaving the polite people on our table to let their food get cold - NOT ok - interior looked good as always, staff responsive - Our food orders were submitted a month in advance as requested - We were seated 30 mins before serving as requested - by the time the main course arrived, told there probably wouldn't be any cranberry sauce left. Someone came over with literally less than half a teaspoon worth. - Those who chose traditional Christmas roast were greeted with a very basic dish, TWO pigs in blankets - small ones at that, turkey and stuffing, potatoes that had clearly not been cooked in house as they had no weight to them like the rubbish ones people buy in M&S then reheat. Fake crunch outside and like air inside. Also carrots, but wow - they tasted plain. Zero finishing touches - no glaze, no honey roast, just plain. - Really disappointing though was the complete lack of any trimmings. No bread and butter pud, no brussels, no honey roasted parsnips, no red cabbage, no cauliflower cheese (sacrilege!), no chestnuts... really very minimal and basic But yes I draw the line at "running out of cranberry sauce" before anyone has even started their Christmas roast! This was the first sitting! What a show! For a special day like this, the trimmings are very important. I've had better food in old people's homes! Why not put the trimmings up front and centre and have a dedicated service tray that someone goes around with and tops up the trimmings? It would make service a breeze, and make a lot of people a lot happier. Given we had to make our food choices about a month in advance, I really think the lack of planning for this meal was not okay. We chose to come out for Christmas dinner as tired of cooking at home for so many people and wanted a year off - but it would have been really easy to knock up the kind of stuff we were given so wish we'd done that instead. We spent the best part of £1k on this experience, and I'm sorry but I'd expect quite a lot more love being put into the food. I do really like this pub, but this was not its finest hour. Again, I'll mention the service staff were lovely on the day, but it doesn't make up for the awful food experience here.

Amazing old pub with delicious food. Old atmosphere and real english food

On the 14th of December 2024, I attended a Christmas dinner booked for 26 people. The old pub was amazing, and I was really looking forward to a wonderful night. However, it was not to be. We were squeezed into an incredibly small space and once we sat down it wasn’t easy to move around. Understandably, it was a busy evening with an extremely packed pub, but we were seated for over an hour before any food arrived. The food was poor, with small portions provided, and the service was not much better – it was clear that the staff were struggling and there was no communication with us at any point in the evening to apologise for the delay. Overall, the Christmas meal was extremely expensive - £55 for 2 courses including the deposit and service charge, which was massively overpriced. Unfortunately, a hugely disappointing experience and one that I won't be repeating, which didn’t in anyway match my expectations.

Excellent service 1st day of the year. Very welcoming and capable staff, James, David, Harry/Henry (apologies, names not my strength; 3 graduates by the looks of it, in any case), who stayed around to wait for us as the last customers that evening. Won't mention the atmosphere-you need to experience it!

Didn’t enjoy my meal. The chips for the whole family come out over cooked and some were burnt. Fish was average. For the price, was not impressed.

Peter was as fantastic addition to our night. We had a fanatic time mainly due to him and the food we were served. The core de boufe was probably the best steak I’ve ever had, 10/10 for the whole experience. Thank you so much!!

I love this pub,it ticks a lot of boxes. The food was amazing ! The service was really good, very friendly and attentive. Also a really cool place to take in, there is always something to look at and ponder over. Very very interesting place ! FYI the portion sizes vary depending on what you order (bangers and mash were smaller, pies were mid sized and cottage pie was huge) but all tasty.

Beautiful pub with a great selection of traditional, hearty pub food.

Ate here for the 3rd time and it was a succes again! Friendly staff and great food! Very dog friendly as well...great place, great experience!

Having attended this venue with my family and friends for a Christmas Dinner 2024 l will say the food we were served was abysmal. It was extremely substandard and definitely overpriced at £55 per person for the meal. Having paid an eye-watering amount of just under £1200 for 26 people it was undoubtedly not value for money. An offer of a free of charge three course meal in January was offered as a form of recompense. However it was retracted and a derisory offer a £300 refund of the bill was offered in its place. There could possibly be a number of reasons why we had to endure such a disappointing Christmas meal. Nevertheless you only get one chance to make a first impression and I will not be returning with my family and friends.

As for the atmosphere, it's a really nice pub. Nice service. Unfortunately, the quality of the food and the prices were not very adequate. Really bad. There is no card for children, which I can understand because it's a pub, but families are accepted, so it should be a bit of a burden. When it comes to beers, there is a really large selection and everyone will find something for themselves. There are two old rooms which I recommend - atmosphere and silence, and the new one is ok, but not wow and noisy. Overall, I recommend it for a culinary trip, but also for beer.

Hi Me and my friends had a Christmas dinner party organised here December 2024. The food was of a very very poor standard. I ordered turkey for my mains. I received 2 small carrots, 2 small slices of turkey, 2 slices of stuffing and 5 huge Brussels sprouts. Brussel sprouts were well under cooked. This would have been an acceptable Christmas dinner for the homeless in a shelter. But not at a 900 year old famous pub. We were charged £55 each. I definitely do not recommend this place to eat food at. For drinks it’s fine. I was very very unhappy with the Christmas party we had at This place all because of the poor quantity of food. Such ashame I will not be returning to the pub in the future.

Food was like something out of Iceland’s frozen section. Really not happy with food I received for the price. I expected so much more than what was offered to me. I would highly recommend people to go carvery instead!! Trust me you will get much more value for your buck than what this place gave. Really hoping the establishment can rectify this and make it right. Out of being cordial and not wanting to cause a scene I paid for my meal. But if I was on my own or with just my family I would have refused to pay. Spent over £100+ and worst purchase this year by far

WORST MEAL I HAVE EVER HAD!!! We had a Christmas dinner booked for 26 people on Saturday 14th December 2024. This was probably the worst roast dinner that I have ever had in my 47 year life. 2 courses set Christmas menu at £45 + drinks + service charge, what would you expect for that price? We all got 2 small slices of turkey, a couple of small carrots, a slice of stuffing that was like it came out of the freezer from Iceland, 3 small roast potatoes, cold gravy and half a dozen sprouts that we like golf balls soaked in horseradish that made my eyes water! Portion size was smaller than a kids meal and condiments arrived 10mins after the food. We all paid up at the end of the night and the organiser contacted the establishment to pass on our feedback on the extremely poor quality of food. They told us there was a trainee chef working that night and initially apologised for the diabolical quality of food served. They then verbally offered for us to all come back for a free of charge 3 course meal in January and then retraced that offer and said they would give us a £300 refund from the £1200 bill - what a joke. For a 900 year old establishment it’s a lovely venue but you would think that they have plenty of experience preparing good quality food but this is absolutely not the case. I would recommend only going there for a drink and soak up the atmosphere but I definitely not eat there unless you want to get ripped off with totally substandard food.

An amazing place, steeped in history. The staff were attentive and polite. Food arrived in a timely manner, hot and tasty. Would recommend The Royal Standard of England.

Recently they appear to have really upped their game on the food. Much better the last two times than previously experienced.

Amazing atmospheric ancient pub!

Had a fabulous night! From when we first stepped through the door, it was so welcoming with candles, log fires and fairy lights… The food was amazing, I had lamb which was so tender it fell off the fork. And the service we received from our server Rachel Molyneux was outstanding. Polite, informed and made our night special! Would absolutely recommend this period pub for a special occasion, can’t wait to return!

Overpriced and underwhelming food I was yesterday with my husband in the booking, we specified that we wanted a table near the fireplace, but when we arrived we were given another table anyway we ordered Welsh lamb and cheeseburger, to be honest, the lamb was raw undone my husband ate only the potatoes we were very disappointed, and we went to eat somewhere else Very disappointed

Wonderful old pub with nooks and crannies. Sunday lunches were excellent and plentiful

Great atmosphere Steeped in history Good service Food was equally as good

First time visiting and enjoyed it. Food is homemade , recommend the steak and kidney pudding. Very interesting pub.

Wood fire, historical location, historical interior which transport you to the medieval times with its decorations, excellent food home made. Come in good company and you will not be disappointed. For a main you are looking at 18 pounds to 22 pound on average and 8 pounds for a desert served by great staff members. Perfect for a special occasion ! I cannot fault it. Give is a go! Totally recommend but ensure to book or you will be disappointed, especially in the winter. PS: My friend tried a steak cooked rare as she wanted which was delicious with a smoky flavour. I tried the Midsummer chicken pie which was a delight. Amazing!

Perfect as ever great food and service!

Very good food, but very expensive and could have used more different veg. Perfect if you like meat and starch though. Can't fault the old building and service was very good, except we were unable to get tea as the machine was down. Sounded suss tbh.

Great place for hungry historians. Ask the barman with the top hat about the schooner seat.

Truly a place not to be missed! So much character in the place, especially the building. I can't wait to go back again and again. You won't be disappointed.

I don't think there is anything comparable in Europe! Quite apart from the incredible 900-year-old winding half-timbered building, everything is just right: the completely overwhelming furnishings, the friendly service, the extremely delicious selection on the food and drink menu and of course the owner Matthew O'Keeffe, who with his team welcomes every pilgrim welcomes you warmly and makes it special!

Very good steak tartare and lamb King Henry.

A fantastic experience shared with friends and family. We were very well looked after and thoroughly enjoyed our food and the beautiful historic ambience. Highly recommend.

Totally love this place, been going there on and off for over 30 years. Hardly ever changes and keeps the old world feeling, brilliant place.

Went in for lunch with my dad and we had a lovely time served by Scarlett and she was excellent, polite, friendly and gave us a great service which definitely made us inclined to visit again. Food was amazing, great selection of beers and the building is incredible- 100% would return

One of the best in the country, haven’t been for a while, glad to see the menu still has all the old favourites on it. King prawns in garlic oil is just how it was before. So good! Great beer, the Olde Trip is a great pint.

Been here before for steak night and opted to return. Good choice of steaks on offer with a 10% reduction on Wednesdays. I went for the fillet steak cooked medium and my partner opted for the rib eye medium. My fillet arrived with chips, salad, lovely deep fried leeks which were shredded. My steak was perfect and the accompanying sides were delicious. The rib eye was cooked rare, we told the Waitress and it was returned to the kitchen. Brought back and cooked perfectly. Both steaks were superb and probably the best fillet I have had in ages. Would recommend steak night for value. Good service, hot plates and hot food. A couple of pints of Chiltern Brewery IPA to wash it down made a great meal.

What can I say about this amazing location? We visited while filming a video for our YouTube channel on the Filming Locations of Hot Fuzz and couldn’t believe the welcome from the staff. We hadn’t intended on Staying for long but it was Steak Night so had to get in on the action. The staff were all amazing. Very friendly and on hand with answers to any of our many queries. The food was out of this world. Devilled Kidneys. Crackling and Apple Sauce. 50oz Côte De Boeuf. Fish and Chips. All were fantastic and cooked to perfection. Steeped in history with many rooms and nooks dating back to 1086, this place has to be visited to believed. We came for the filming location, but stayed for the atmosphere and welcome. The Royal Standard is a good 2 hours from our home but we intend on coming back very soon. Probably on a Steak Night. Thank you to everyone who turned our 5 minute visit into a very memorable 2 hour nostalgic trip into the past. See you again soon. M&L

Big rip off at todays dinner! 10% service charge = £17. £9 Desserts without service charge. Staff barely speak proper English so mix up in what you order. Charging mineral water bottle instead of bringing tap water because they 'don't understand'. Sausages with mashed potatoes, very average quality sausages/food in general/small portions of how used to be. Good atmosphere but dirty tables, dark so you can't see what you are eating or unable to read a photocopy paper menu. Shame they changed management, it was used to be a lovely countryside pub with lot of history and good food but now bad quality food, not very good costumer service and too expensive.

A really nice place with lots of good historical atmosphere

Brilliant food, quaint atmosphere, cosy and warm. Would definitely return. Credit to the chefs, pub was busy but food came in a timely manner

Amazing place, we didn't book but was shown to the last table available which was on top of the open fire so too hot but it was our fault for not booking. Food was the best roast dinner I have had, didn't need the extra cauliflower cheese as the portion size was big enough. Very interesting place, full of history. We will return, but next time book.

Fish and chips for lunch - barely 1 bites worth of actual fish inside. Not great for £16.

Great food great place great fun

A very lovely old building with great food and the staff were really friendly and helpful

Always a favourite. Fantastic in every arena. Thank you for consistently supplying the family with wonderful memories and lashings of good food and alcohol! See you soon!

The oldest pub in England did not disappoint. Food, service, atmosphere, and the wine list were all so incredibly amazing

We love the Royal Standard, one of the oldest pubs in England. Always great food, great service, and a wonderful setting. Very little else to say, amazing!

Hands down, the best food I've had in years! Service is top-notch, the atmosphere is amazing, and staff are very welcoming. 10/10!

Went on a nostalgiac trip with family to show them a really old English pub. No complaints there and no complaints re service which was efficient & friendly. Given the price of the food I thought the quality was poor. Fortunately my family had steaks but my steak & kidney pudding pastry was inedible as was the accompanying re fried potato. OK for beer but eat elsewhere.

I recently visited with family for a birthday dinner. Having pre-booked, our family of 7 consisted of 4 adults and 3 children. Having stated in my booking that we would need a high chair for the youngest it was frustrating to be told upon arrival that they didn’t have any. We booked weeks in advance, it would have been courteous to call us to let us know so we could bring our own. The pub setting was lovely, food was good, and all the staff we spoke with were very pleasant, but there were too many occasions where we had to leave the table to find one of them, as opposed to them being readily available to serve us. Firstly we waited around 15/20 minutes before having to go and find someone to take our initial drinks/food order, thereafter to ask for condiments for the meal, and then thirdly for a second round of drinks. Overall a pleasant experience but would appreciate more attentive staff / service in future.

Extremely friendly and well run pub. Svetlana, our waitress was quickly like family, and made us (and our dogs) extremely welcomed. It does have to be said that it did feel a little disappointing to only have one option (stuffed pepper) on the menu that doesn’t involve any animal produce. One would have expected a pub of this calibre to have a better designed menu than this,with a plant based roast option for their guests.

Took my mum and my boys here for Sunday lunch, considering how busy it was the staff were very quick to take our order and the food did not take long to arrive. When it did, it was amazing. Can't wait to return

Lovely old pub, great beer, good food and friendly service. We just chanced it on our way back from Wembley via Beaconsfield and we were not disappointed.

Really good service and amazing place. My only disappointment was that, in what was a pretty long menu, there was only one veggie option (apart from a starter)

Great pub atmosphere with lots of history set in an amazing looking pub. Mussel pot is a personal favorite

A really fun pub! We had a Sunday roast there for 10 and the atmosphere was great. Food was quite expensive between £23 and £26 for a meat option but for a special occasion I would be happy paying if I was sat in view of one of their fires again.

If you are looking for very average food and extremely slow service, this is the place for you. Just dreadful, not recommended.

Very unique ambience, highly recommend it

Great food excellent service and a lovely old atmosphere in the place . Loads of parking available and easy to find.

I had the pigeon for me wrong way to serve it chunks on hard bread no sauce. I would have pigeon again but cut thinner with some kind of sauce and on the plate with fresh bread to mop up any sauce yum... The bar chap and staff were. Top rate location great I would definitely go back for another go I rate the place but remember to read menu xxx

Not often you get to drink in a pub that has outlasted multiple empires

Great place! Amazing atmosphere, history and always something new to discover.

Ive been going to the Royal Standard for nearly 6 years now and hand on heart it always been one of my favorite pubs to go to near London and i loved it for the food, history and atmosphere. It is an institution. Unfortunately post covid / pandemic and in the last 2 or so years the Standard has become a victim of its own success and has become a rushed , commercialized factory. Even though the atmosphere is still fine and the interior is still the best of the best , whenever i go there i feel rushed by the staff who are pressured to find more seats/ tables for the onslaught of guests. My biggest gripe though is the food which really has gone down in quality and taste. On my last and recet visit i was served a nearly cold Sunday Royal Roast (£29) which did not feel freshly cooked either - seemed as if was done a good few hours prior…. ( i was too polite to mention this to the staff and did not want to make a fuss in an institution i really like) At this kind of price range even a Toby Carvery roast or roasts at some decent pubs in the area or near Harefield seem a much nicer , tastier and cheaper option. This pubs prices where never entry level or cheap but the food used to be amazing & delicious. Not anymore im afraid and that is a great , great pity.

Lovely old wonky pub. Definitely worth a visit if in the area. Good a country walk

It was a fantastic time travel! With caring staff, divinely delicious food❣️

Great food, Lovely staff , inspired interior definitely will go back

Very friendly staff. Good, no fuss, very satisfying food. Never had a bad meal. I love their liver and bacon, so tender and their pies. Yum yum.

Middle of the day. Bit quiet. But great sense of history.

Top notch, friendly great ambience. Can't ask for more. Immerse yourself in a time gone by in lovely company!

Wonderful old pub. Food was fabulous they catered well for my vegetarian, nut free diet. From the bar staff, food servers to waiters they were all friendly and accommodating. Service with a smile. The building is very old and full of history. Lovely warm log fire inside even though it was warm outdoors, in was cool and inviting inside.

Had a good pint and the seafood soup was excellent. Keep returning here.

Amazing dinner. Go early on a Sunday because they do run out of some roasts but it’s well worth the effort. My new favourite pub to go to.

Very attentive service with good food and great ambience equalled a very enjoyable evening!

I've been a going at this pub since 2010, always appreciating the unique vibe and welcoming atmosphere. However, during my recent visit with my wife for a quiet evening, the experience was disappointing. The staff seemed to be in a rush, repeatedly pushing the menu on us, which detracted from the usual relaxed ambiance. The basic etiquette that once defined this place was notably missing. We ended up cutting our evening short and requesting the bill earlier than planned. Next time, I'll be sure to ask if they're in a rush before making the hour-long drive from London. It's disheartening to see a place I've loved for years lose its charm.

This pub used to be one of my favorite spots, and I’ve been a regular visitor since 2017. I’ve always loved the food, the warm atmosphere, and especially the welcoming service. However, my recent visit to celebrate my birthday with a cozy dinner was quite disappointing. From the moment we sat down, a waitress repeatedly pressed us to order, constantly asking what we would like, what we wouldn’t, and whether she should come back later. This persistent approach made it difficult to relax and enjoy the experience. When the food arrived, it failed to meet the high standards I had come to expect, particularly the Lamb King Henry, which lacked the flavor it once had. To make matters worse, as soon as we finished our meal, another staff member maybe the manager rushed over took the plates shared another menu. The overall vibe felt pushy and hurried, a stark contrast to the relaxed, cozy ambiance that once defined this place. Despite the pub being only moderately crowded with empty tables, the staff’s urgency left us feeling uncomfortable, cutting our evening short and start for London. It was a disappointing experience, especially on my birthday, and next time, I’ll think twice before recommending this once-beloved pub to others.

Nice place to visit. Historic pub. Nice choice of beer. Didn't try the food on this occasion as we weren't hungry, but the last time we were there it was very good.

I have been to this pub regularly over the years and always enjoyed the food and atmosphere. However after my visit I shall not be returning. We went to celebrate our anniversary and were so looking forward to it. I ordered the small fish and chips which I have had here many times before however it has absolutely tiny nothing like before and has gone up in price to 16.95 from£12.00. Also it tasted awful - cold, no crisp to the batter, tasted like a frozen meal, also I was still waiting for my wine for sometime after the food arrived. I spoke to the waitress who said she’d speak to the manager and then the manager came over. He wasn’t interested in what I had to say whatsoever and was very dismissive and said that is the size of the portion, when I tried to say it wasn’t just the size but it tasted awful and was nothing like what I’d ordered on many previous visits he wouldn’t listen. On top of this they added a service charge to the bill which I politely declined to pay. Previously I would’ve recommended this pub but I will never visit again. It is a lovely building but unfortunately the food and customer service are very poor. I’m not sure it it has changed hands but it really has gone downhill. So sad as it was previously lovely. I’m not one to write reviews however we had such an awful experience that I felt compelled to do so.

Best Sunday roast we've had in a long while and Cisco was a fabulous host!

Great Wednesday steak night dinner.

Great atmosphere, very good food and drinks, highly recommended 😋 👍

We travelled especially to visit. We were totally overwhelmed by the decor and ambience of the place. It is stunning and the staff very welcoming. However we were disappointed by the food. Would definitely return but maybe only for drinks

Sunday evening. When i said i had a booking i was told by the table manager that he has had 150 bookings today so why would he know. I asked for the candle to be lit and was told by a waiter he doesnt have a lighter. Table was sticky i asked for it to be cleaned and it was dabbed over slightly. I asked to pay the bill i was given the wrong tables bill. I understand you are busy but understand that i have a toddler who was being babysat and i was really looking forward to an evening care free to enjoy good service and food.

Frequented this establishment over 40 yrs ago and it had alot of charm then. Rumour had it that the pub was haunted and on one occasion we decided to take a picture from outside after closing hours in the pitch dark. Lo and behold lots of little floating orbs popped up in the window of the dark pub. Some looked like little faces. Truly a unique experience, but with close to a thousand years of travellers and drinkers coming through there , we were not surprised that maybe some decided to make it home ! There was a lovely fireplace in winter that warmed you as soon as you walked in out of the cold which made a pint of ale even more inviting. Truly the quintisential english pub that has never changed. If you are visiting the UK and want to go to a pub, this place will remain memorable, if it is still the same place I remember from 40 yrs ago .

Great night and fantastic food and service

Very expensive for cheap quality and quantity Waiting 45min to be served

You are simply transported to the past. The fish & chips are huge! It was delicious, and it was the size of Spielberg's shark. 😂