The White Cross in Lancaster

Expensive alcohol pint of coke and a pint of beer £9

I love it here and the food is gorgeous but on mothering Sunday the waitress brought us cauliflower cheese with our meals told her we never ordered it , took it away and then brought it back and said we can have it at a discounted price ! We didn't want it and didn't eat any of it and was still charged for it. The only reason I didn't say anything is my daughter suffers social anxiety and it was mother's day and didn't want to spoil it. Unacceptable to pay for something not ordered and not eaten.

Excellent meal for mothers day. Great service, lovely setting.

Visiting Lancaster and popped into the White Cross on the recommendation of my partner who frequented the pub as a student. It was lunchtime and so decided on a gastro pub staple of fish and chips. The meal arrived with what I can only describe as a small battered whale on a plate lovingly rested on a bed of crunchy homemade chips. Good start. Alongside it's impressive size, the fish was perfectly cooked, flaking beautifully and coated in a light, impressively crunchy beer batter that retained its crispiness throughout the whole meal. The fish, by itself was review worthy but the real star of the show was the accompaniments. The clearly homemade tartare sauce was deliciously creamy and loaded with capers. The flavours danced on my tongue. The mushy peas were unlike the mushy peas you'd find in the local chippy but fresh and vibrant and loaded with mint and other flavours I couldn't identify. Put simply, I didn't realise that tartare sauce and mushy peas could be so delicious. I had to ask for second helpings of tartare sauce as one portion was not enough. I am the son of a trawler man for whom fish and chips was a thrice weekly meal. I am from Anglesey, an island with a fish and chip shop roughly every 100 yards but this is, by some measure, the best fish and chips I have ever had. Brilliant food leaves a lasting impression and I have thought about this meal for the remainder of the day. At £16.50 for a gargantuan portion, I found this very reasonably priced in comparison to other gastropubs I have visited elsewhere. The only downside to this meal is now I have to return to Anglesey knowing I'll never again enjoy fish and chips locally as much as I enjoyed this. Kudos to the team at the White Cross.

Popped down for a couple of drinks with the dog, as usual a good atmosphere, good service.

We have been coming here since 2011, at least twice per year, but we have never been disappointed with the food, beer, cider and service. Would recommend at any time. This time had the gooseberry crumble, fantastic.

After seeing some good reviews for Sunday Lunch at The White Cross we decided to try it out. We both ordered roast dinners - I had the striploin of beef and my partner had beef brisket. Both were lovely - probably the best roast dinner we’ve eaten out. The roast potatoes were crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and Yorkshire puddings are huge! The service was excellent too - all the staff were very friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend.

We always call in at the White Cross if passing through Lancaster. Great range of proper ales and a superior pub menu. Service was a little slow, but it was a busy Saturday, to be fair. My Dad and I enjoyed exceptional sausages and mash and washed it down with a Northern Monk IPA. We love the location by the canal too. We'll be back, Jack!

We had a lovely Sunday Roast lunch with all the trimmings. Lean Roast beef red & white cabbage, carrot parsnip, mash and roast potatoes & gravy . Very tasty My grandson had Tempura Prawns and a Brownie with icecream too!

Great food. However, they are not a friendly dog welcome as they advertise, I booked a table on the bar and I didn't have a service table as I had been told on the phone. The manager told me, you can leave your dog in the car if you want a service table.. unacceptable. Thanks to the general manager who seems a nice person but in general, our experience was awful.

This was honestly the best experience I have ever had in a restaurant. The staff were lovely and attentive. The food was flawless and on par with Michelin star food I’ve had in the past for a fraction of the price. It is such a lovely building with amazing sensory. I would highly recommend visiting. I will definitely be returning

THE BEST SUNDAY ROAST EVER. Absolutely delicious. Excellent meal. Helpful, thoughtful staff. Great atmosphere. We’ve been many times and it never disappoints. Dog friendly; they love it too, they get a bowl of water and treats 😊

We visited The White Cross last night .A large family party for my Nephews 30th Birthday. The service was first class and the food was Amazing. Very well organised friendly staff. The gentleman and young lady that looked after us all evening were the best. Nothing was to much trouble .Everyone got served together and we all had amost enjoyable evening . We will definitely be back. Thank you to the great team at White Cross...

Had a fantastic night last night my sons 30th birthday celebration the food was amazing & the staff were brilliant they couldn't do enough for us excellent service & a wonderful night

We went to the White Cross last night for my Nephew's 30th Birthday Party. A large family party. The service was first class and the food was amazing . We had preorderd and we all got served together . Everyone enjoyed their meal.. The hotpot was delicious and the creme Brule which I had was so good The staff were extremely friendly and helpful whilst being very professional. The gentleman and young lady whom looked after us all evening were the best.They deserve a pat on the back and all credit to them .Very well organised and nothing was to much trouble. We will definitely be back. Most enjoyable evening was had by all.Thank you.

Fantastic service, the staff could not have been more helpful or friendly. Quick service and delicious food. My son commented that the burger with charcoal cheese was the best he had ever had. We both enjoyed our meals and will definitely be back.

If you're eating out in Lancaster and not eating here you're doing it wrong

Wonderful food beer and great service

First class meal experience, staff exellent , food was delicious. Host Hurley incredible and her knowledge of the beers available is first class. Thank you for one of the best pub meals I have ever had. Party of 7 for sunday lunch.

Absolutely wonderful roast dinner here today. The lamb and beef both were so tender, beautiful flavours. The service was very good, the young lady who was our waitress was excellent. The wine was very good and at a good temperature which isnt often the case at some places. Thank you so much we definitely recommend the Sunday Roasts.

Had an enjoyable meal/birthday bash, friendly helpful staff, reasonable prices.

Excellent food, lovely atmosphere, the service was with a smile and Mia and Athina were helpful and so polite.

Twixmas, bar staff great. Selection of ale. Larger and cider spoilt for choice. It was not a great atmosphere, considering it was midweek after Christmas. I would imagine it would be good another time.

Lovely food and a bonus it's very dog friendly xx

Visited The White Cross a mid week evening while in Lancaster catching up with our son who's at the university. Sadly, we had limited time due to a busy schedule but the very efficient staff following our food order served us very quickly. Beer battered fish and chips along with sausage sandwiche, and chips were top draw. The locally brewed beer was excellent as was the hospitality. My only regret was not being able to stay for longer. Next time we're in Lancaster I've no doubt we will be paying The White Cross a return visit.

An oasis for a great range of well kept, properly pulled Cask ales. Service is timely and with a smile. Great choice of ales on tap. Food is always good quality, well prepared and presented. Great location next to the canal but handy for town. Spacious pub, with plenty of seating inside and out. Worthy winner of Camra awards and will no doubt feature in future polls. Highly recommended.

We came to the White Cross for our Christmas meal with a party of 11. Food and service was outstanding. Incredible value for money. Thank you

Simply the perfect venue for the ideal balance of great food, wonderfull polite staff, and friendly atmosphere. We are already planning to return in the new year.

A fabulous meal. Delicious roast dinner with Yorkshire pudding. Great service and lovely staff. The dog was even treated to biscuits. Thank you guys.

Came here for a Christmas work meal, everything was perfect from start to finish. I had the truffled celeriac soup, very moorish! The beef brisket was to die for, so moist! And very large portions, I didn't have room for dessert! But I had room for beer! Excellent range, particularly the bitter and twisted! Service from Harley, Morgan and Graham were exceptional. I will be visiting again.

Our waitress/host was a delight. Forgot her name but she looks like Melanie Sykes. She was fun, bubbly and very friendly, made our night as was on a coach trip from Wigan.

Great selection of lager and Good service. Didn't eat, so can't comment on food but from what I could see, the food looked pretty good.

Expensive, £10 for a lager and orange with lemonade. Pool table......you pay £1 per game but the cue's are nakered. Also it states no under 14s but you have child cue's???? Could be bette, needs attention to detail.

This place makes the sauce very well. Upstair is the restaurant, downstair is the pub, So when you are in the restaurant, it will not be quiet because you can hear some noises from the pub, but it is still fine. It is not too loud.

Friendly helpful and professional staff gave us time to look at the menu had a short wait for the food as it was made fresh my mum didn’t like the mushy peas would definitely recommend it

The best Sunday lunch I have had in a long long time. The food was excellent. And large. Only bettered by the service which was exemplary. And good value too. Only shame is I had no room to test the puddings (or starters). 10/10

First time back since pre pandemic. Excellent canal side pub just a short walk out of town. We made the mistake of sitting by the pool table which wasn't being used when we ordered.

Really friendly and good food in huge portions. The beer is fab too. Thoroughly recommend.

Asked if fries were adequate. They were. Good, in fact!

We celebrated a birthday here. The staff were friendly, helpful and happy to get into the spirit of our celebration. The food was really good, with plenty of gluten-free options.

My wife and came to meet up with my wife's daughter for her birthday we both ordered fish n chips. The fish was over cooked and dark brown which made the batter so greasy had terrible heart burn for days so did my wife

Lovely quiet place foods lovely but expensive

Lovely menu, delicious food (very generous portions), friendly staff and fast service. We were allowed to take our dog into the bar area and he was given a bowl of water and some snacks free of charge!

Fantastic venue during the music festival!

The White Cross pub, nestled along the serene Lancaster canal, was once a treasured spot in the heart of the city. However, its undeniable charm has faded over time, making room for disappointment and higher prices. First and foremost, the canal side location remains the White Cross' saving grace. The picturesque view of the boats calmly gliding by, complemented by the quaint outdoor seating area, still holds some allure. During the day, especially in fair weather, it can be a pleasant spot to relax and enjoy a drink. Regrettably, the pub has experienced a notable fall from grace in recent years. Its decline is most apparent when considering the quality of its beer selection. The once wide assortment of local and craft brews has been exchanged for a limited and unimaginative range, which is particularly disappointing for beer enthusiasts. Furthermore, the prices have skyrocketed without any corresponding improvement in quality, leading to an overall feeling of being overcharged. The interior decor, although attempting a rustic vibe, now feels tired and worn-out. The ambiance lacks the warmth it once had, and the pub has become more of a stopover for a quick drink rather than a cozy place to unwind. Staff members often seem overwhelmed and preoccupied, resulting in lacklustre service and a diminished sense of hospitality. In terms of food, the White Cross fails to live up to its former reputation. The menu offers a mediocre selection of dishes, and the quality and presentation have obviously suffered. Food arrives lukewarm or overcooked, leaving customers with a sense of dissatisfaction. It is disheartening to witness the decline of a once-beloved establishment like the White Cross. While its canal side location still manages to evoke a sense of tranquility, the pub's shortcomings are difficult to overlook. Instead of preserving its reputation as a top-tier destination, the White Cross has become an underwhelming choice with overpriced drinks and lacklustre service. Hopefully, steps will be taken to revitalize this once-great pub and restore it to its former glory

Had a fantastic family meal here before dropping our daughter off at Uni. Will definitely be back......great food and vibe and really friendly staff. Maybe living down South we're used to grumpy staff?!

Called for a drink and stayed for a meal. Canal side location. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating

Stunning canal side traditional bar, amazing ale / wine / spirit selection at reasonable prices. Food is gorgeous, staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Heartily recommended for any occasion

Absolutely brilliant place and Harley is th3 hostess with the mostess!!! Highly recommended

one of the best pubs. very good food, great selection of beers, helpful and polite staff, clean and most importantly in a magnificent location on the banks of the canal.

Excellent real ales beside the Lancaster Canal..

Really nice (and large portion) food 👌

Went for my birthday, and I will definitely be returning. The food was outstanding and very tasty. Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lovely pub with great food, nice inside seating and outside on the canal. Nice pool table too. Good range of drinks but not many ciders on tap. Bit more expensive than town but fair enough for the lovely location.

Sunday night drink. Didnt eat. Enjoyed the open planned room. Nice music and seating and not very busy

Came in as a family and thoroughly enjoyed our evening. Food excellent, great selection of ales and beers and staff were professional, helpful and friendly. Definitely be back!

We ordered a variety of dishes and everything, I mean everything, was amazingly tasty. The beer was excellent and we met some great folks at the pool table. It seemed like a quiet night but that was great for us so the only down mark on the atmosphere was that there weren't more people enjoying it too. If it's anything to go by, my partner reckons (she has been paying attention to this), that the cheesy chips would be the 4th best in Cumbria. It's not in Cumbria but she is willing to extend the boundary.

Really impressed, having not been for such a long time, at how good the food, service and pub itself was.

Not great food, the staff were quite rude. Shame, it used to be so good.

We went for the roast dinner on Sunday and it was great! Really tasty, good value and big! The staff were really friendly And helpful. We had a great meal there and will go again.

Great pub with a good range of will kept ales, situated on the canal so easy to find and walk to.

The dinner was perfect and or servers Harley & Alice were fab Definitely recommend Beef pink to perfection

Popped in after our canal boat trip, for lunch. Good choice of food and drinks, with friendly staff.

Lovely location with great service and good food

A lovely place to stop and have a bite to eat and a excellent choice of beers 🍻.

The food was brilliant. The staff were exceptional and the atmosphere was perfect

Just had a fantastic Sunday dinner with lovely service.

We went for a meal on Saturday night-19th , it’s a lovely place, food was lovely I had t Thai curry and rice , the others had fish and chips , excellent choices I would highly recommend this place, the two young waitresses were lovely and very helpful and friendly. Thank you for a lovely evening. See you soon

Lovely food, lovely service, and a lovely relaxed atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back soon!

Excelent real ale pub in Lancaster plenty hand pumps on good staff does do live music This pub is 5 minutes from the water witch on the Lancaster canal again re visited this great real ale pub Today, a plethora of locally brewed interesting hand pumped ales on Good outdoor drinking area on the Lancaster canal There is a great long interior drinking area with great staff and canal walkers frequent this fantastic real ale pub. This is an essential visit for real ale when in Lancaster

We are regular visitors, primarily to attend the Quiz Night. However, you couldn't ask for a better bunch of people to work there. Harley, Judd and Rob are great, and obviously quizmaster extraordinaire Tim. Pop in, you won't be disappointed.

Large roomy pub with excellent selection of beers. Staff were extremely pleasant and helpful. The chicken & chorizo pie was excellent. My wife had the fish & chips. The fish was a large piece and was very good. All in all an enjoyable evening

The food really wasn't very good, the staff are extremely rude. 1 member of staff was embarrassed by the other members of staff. The people behind the bar were more or less playing on their phones or talking to each other. Never again will I visit this place!!

Fabulous experience at The White Cross. We arrived earlier than expected but it was no problem at all. The menu is a decent size with several options. We were given just the right amount of time to make our decisions of what to eat. The cod loin was outrageously good. The pie of the day was a popular choice. The service was efficient and very friendly. I would recommend The White Cross to anyone.

Food was lovely . Nice and hot and very very tasty . Definatly be going again . Thankyou

Great pub next to the canal and great food.

Lovely sitting outside by the canal. Decent beer and food arrived quickly.

Pleasant atmosphere, probably good for families as quite big and spread out. Nice outdoor seating by the canal and great range of beers. The vegan seitan burger was absolutely awful; dry, flavourless, like eating a rag. And the chips tasted stale. Decent coleslaw though.

Wonderful day for graduation lunch

Fab pub with outdoor seating along the canal, catches the evening sun! Lovely food and dog friendly.

Always a great place for lunch, great food (really good value too), attentive staff in a pleasant setting.

Lovely setting and good selection of well kept beers but it was expensive. We sat outside on the canal and nursed our pints given they were over a fiver each - this is Lancaster, not New York! We then went to the Boars Head where drinks were almost half the cost, albeit with a reduced range.

Enjoyed the food as we normally do, but please don't close the coffee machine so early!! Wanted a second coffee at 9.40pm and coffee machine was closed for the night for cleaning

I dont normally write reviews as I am registered blind and find it difficult. This evening however, I have chosen to do this review whilst I at still sat here. I usually choose to sit outside when it's just my dog and I, but as it has started raining I had to sit in. I ordered a drink and explained to the bar person that I'd like to eat and could he help me read the menu as I was blind. He went above and beyond for me. He found me a table, read the menu and made me feel so welcome and comfortable, I really can't thank him enough. Tonight I had the brisket burger which was delicious. Earlier in the week I had the Asian salad with tempura King prawns which was fantastic, but i wanted to try something else tonight. I have found All the staff so friendly, welcoming, helpful and very dog loving to. What a great team. Thankyou

Very nice food - Sunday roast. Waiters kind, helpful, but might be more attentive. It is a classical restaurant/ pub where you want to come again. Recommended!

Stopped in for a pint (or two) on the way home. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the beers and ciders, make good suggestions.

Such a great experience. Bartenders were so friendly and great. The food was absolutely amazing. The atmosphere was very relaxed and everyone just seemed to be having a great time. We had planned a trip to Richmond to see some Ted Lasso spots and stumbled upon this gem.

Late notice booking dealt with seemlessly. Food was served quickly and was VERY tasty. Great menu for all tastes.

One of my favourite pubs to visit in Lancaster. Large canal-side terrace in the summer is a must!

Very good selection of cask ales

Great spacious pub with canalside seating. Good food at reasonable prices.

We called in today for a lovely lunch. The food was good and fresh, the atmosphere just right. The staff were attentive without intruding. Prices spot on. Great light pub lunch by the canal, we will be back :-)

Lovely place next to thr river, food was tasty, don't normally pay that much for food, the pork belly is a bit on to steep side, but it was good. Could Do with a little more veg.

Brilliant staff! Food was amazing! Died an went to heaven! Make sure you check it out!!

Absolutely fantastic experience today. All locally sourced ingredients and delicious menu. Fully stocked bar. Friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and welcoming staff and what better place than on the edge of Lancaster canal. Everything about this pub was lovely including lovely clean toilets. Will be back 100%

Excellent service and excellent food, the waitress was very pleasant and polite, couldn't fault anything, couldn't believe the excellent food was cooked by a 24 year old chef

Not great by any means, the food wasn't great, the staff are very rude. Much better places in Lancaster!!

Glad I found this lovely canal side pub during a visit to Lancaster while on holiday in Morecambe. Greeted by friendly staff as soon as I walked in. Great range of real ales and excellent food. Worth the cost for the beer and food. I’ll...

Amazing canalside pub/restaurant

Buzzing canal side pub with friendly staff offering a lovely choice of beers and ales to have on a lovely summer's day in the sun ☀️