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Cross Guns, Avoncliff

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user reviews of the Cross Guns, Avoncliff

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

A week away (Monday lunch).

What's isn't there not to like about this pub?

Near to the railway station (this week's mode of travel) adjacent to canal/aquaduct and river with a terraced garden. A nice walk (when it's dry) to/from their sister pub at Freshford.

Our third visit in as many months, usual range of Box Steam beers with Butcombe Original as the guest, which I had. They've created a deli/café on the second level of the garden to make room for selling beer in the small beer. Friendly staff and food was good on a previous visit.
ellisref - 9 Jun 2018 13:18
A truly charming pub dating back to the 15th century nestling in the lush wooded valleys in between the River Avon and Kennt & Avon Canal, upon which I was fortunate enough to be taking a narrowboat holday a coupel of weeks back, enabling me to finally visit the Cross Guns, which somehow had gone under my radar when visiting this vicinity on previous occasions.

It was well worth the short walk from moorings just before the nearby aqueduct, for t he Guns is trying - and by and large succeeding - to be all things to all people. JD Wetherspoons attempt this but of course can't really be anything much beyond a jack of all trades; somehow this independently owned and cannily-run establishment manages it whilst retaining a unique character all of its own.

It is a haven for excellent fresh food - a strong, almost overbearingly comprehensive, menu shows dishes not only traditional to Britain but from worldwide, with both fish and meat options offering many possibilities for whatever one's palate desires. Our part of 14 ate heartily and essentially opinions of the dishes were positive; my steak and ale pie was the first where I've actually managed to taste the ale (Box Steam Tunnel Vision apparently)!. The Guns certainly has its place as a sound local restaurant, and yet does retain a sense of being a local pub, with a lavishly-tooled bar through which one can obtain most types of beverage - though arguably all tables in each part of the pub being set with cutlery could potentially put off drinkers with no intention to dine.

Said bar is graced with I think 6 handpumps, dispensing the full range of cask Box Steam beers (the licensee and his family bought the brewery in 2006 along with this pub and the Freshford Inn, and have clearly worked tirelessly to create an increasingly viable business that covers many bases). Sometimes guest ales appear though on our visit it was BS all the way. The Chuffin Ale, Porter, Tunnel Vision and Ghost Train were all sampled and all found in impeccable condition. Mention should also be made of the cask cider: 3 were offered (dry, medium and sweet) with the Bristol being taken back to our boat for consumption there - and mighty fine it was too. Keg beer and cider is available of course for those who use it.

The character of the place could well be construed as somewhat falsely-assembled, but the vast array of bric-a-brac, puberiana, breweriana, and numerous other antique and traditional items does suit the pub's cosy and cavernous stone interior, and even if it has been carefully-crafted, it has enough of an authentic feel to satisfy the many visitors who pitched up during our visit. Postcards, sweets, coffee, and all manner of extraneous items are available for purchase. There is a priest's hole which has been decked out with flowers and other accoutrements - clearly the local vicar has no current need of it.

Externally there is a tiered patio and decking area with plenty of seating for days blessed with clement weather. It is family-friendly and provides a convenient alternative when the tables indoors are full up and room at the bar is limited. It leads down to the river which is a delightful setting.

Service-wise, we received friendly and efficient attention from the landlord, his daughter, and other barmaids. There was much boasting about how many large-number parties were booked in for meals, and the B and B facility is apparently booming to boot. If in need of these, the obvious advice is to book up as early as possible.

It is hard to fault this pub. If it were a little more drinker-friendly and a little less foodie-favoured, it would be a 100% surefire success. That is a relatively minor setback in the overall scheme of things, and I think they've still done enough to merit a 10 on this site. If decimal places were allowed perhaps I'd give it a 9.3!
TWG - 24 Sep 2012 09:39
Outstanding selection of five ales from the Box Steam Brewery. Helpful bar staff offered us a taste of some of the beers before we ordered.

According to the newspaper cuttings on the wall, landlord Ken Roberts was such a fan of the Box Steam Brewery, he bought it! (He also owns the Inn at Freshford.)

The man himself kindly filled us on the history of the pub and showed us the remarkable Priest's Hole adjoining the dining room.

With its lovely terraced riverside garden, the Cross Guns makes an ideal pitstop on the lovely canal walk from Bath to Bradford-on-Avon.
rentaquote - 7 Aug 2012 23:32
I visited the pub 01/07/12 and not for the first time, and I received what I expected, great beer about �6.50 for two pints, friendly service and a pleasant location.
So the toilets are basic, but I've always found them to be clean.
As for the food, �8 to �18 per meal, and a good selection from the menu. My gripe is being charged �2.50 for a sauce to accompany the steak. I'd be happy to pay �1.25.
You won't waste your time visiting here, so enjoy yourself.

Signalman - 2 Jul 2012 14:35
Enjoyed a decent lunch here recently. At least the food is good. As usual the Box beers were in good condition. What is it about this place ? Clearly a cash cow it does seem to be run by people who don't give a toss! Poor attitude from the staff and epically dreadful toilets seem to be the norm here. The beer garden is squalid with duck s**t everywhere and rotten benches. The landlord doesn't deserve this pub.
steamraiser2 - 29 Jun 2012 16:23
The beautiful setting by the Avon make this a popular place. Too popular in fact if you're looking for a quiet session, but it does improve after 9-ish when the families start leaving. The range of Box Steam beers is reliable. There are a number of bohemian types around and on Saturday nights you may be treated to some good live music from Calico Jack.
16jamesdoc - 5 Jun 2012 11:12
visited today at lunchtime, very busy, beer excellent especially the steam porter, staff not over friendy and the landlord as mentioned before fairly miserable, the toilets here have always been a disgrace, I would have thought that the Box Steam Brewery could do something about it now, improve them please!!!
Hodge1 - 7 Jan 2012 22:38
An old boozer with amazing location. But do have to agree with other comments, wasnt the friendliest welcome (yes comically rude). Govnor seemed to be doing me a favour by taking my order and got the impression that not to much of an effort is needed due to the location. Shame.
Good range of beers though and would recommend a visit. Havent eaten so cant comment on food. They also do carry outs which is great for the lovely walk along the canal back to Bradford. 10/10 for location, 5/10 for service.
THE_Ale_TEAM - 21 Sep 2011 09:56
This pub's setting is its key selling point. Overlooking the Avon and next to an aqueduct with the railway station nearby, it feels like a really secluded and peaceful spot. It will get busy with tourists and in particular families who can take their charges into the garden. But on a sunny Friday lunchtime in spring, the place was not too busy. The wait for service was just under 5 minutes with only one staff member behind the bar. However, she was fairly friendly and served a full pint. Box Steam beers on were Chuffin' Ale, Steam Porter, Tunnel Vision & Golden Bolt. There was also Hooky Gold from Hook Norton. Keg ciders available were Lilleys Apples & Pears, Pheasant Plucker, Thatchers Dry & Thatchers Gold. In addition, there was a mulled cider and a real cider - Thatchers Cheddar Valley from a polycask. The main bar is small and a little cluttered. A tankard collection hangs from the ceiling. A further room has tables set for dining. But the tables outside the front of the pub and in the garden sloping down to the riverbank were clearly the most popular on a sunny day. On the whole, we had a positive experience. I think the trick may be to visit on a quieter day.
blue_scrumpy - 10 Apr 2011 09:25
The service here is so rude that it's actually comical. The food was ready before I got to my table with the drinks, which was weird. I feel that they can get away with treating customers badly because more will keep coming for the location. A shame, as it used to be a cracking pub.
Adreamofwhitehorses - 9 Apr 2011 18:52
A fairly good place with an excellent range of beers and ciders (some fairly unusual ones). A free house. Clearly, as a destination for walks (about a mile from Bradford-on-Avon along the canal towpath) it can attract large groups, but in fine weather the large terraced garden can cope. Didn't try the food, but the drink was well-kept. 7/10
HenPen - 27 Mar 2011 16:56
I've been to this pub a few times over the past 4 years or so and always found it very good. Good/excellent beer, knowledgable landlord, wonderful location. I can well believe it can get overcrowded - that's hardly the pub's fault - just go somewhere else on a sunny Sunday. I've got no experience of the Cross Guns' food (for me a pub is for drinking beer, anything else is secondary :-))
newbury_drinker - 17 Jan 2011 14:57
Sadly this pub has gone down considerably. We visited at lunchtime and had jacket potatoes with cheese - the mildest, most tasteless and most rubbery cheese I have ever been served - and with a very poor salad accompaniment. The atmosphere was rather unwelcoming, to go with the poor food.
HilpertonMarsh - 24 Nov 2010 14:00
Stopped off on a pleasant Sunday afternoon cycling along the canal, fantastic location in the autumn sun. Nice beer (Funnel Blower) with lots of flavour.
Andylk - 14 Oct 2010 07:19
set in a fanstastic setting the pub is very beautifull. nice staff and we all got along and we pretty much had the pub to ourselves. the only downside is the shockling terrible food which from there own menu they seem to be very proud of. i had a mixed grill which seemed to consist of a fozen burger and chip shop sausage dumped on top. i had hoped they would have used fresh farm produce in a �15 meal. sadly not. avoid.
steelz - 30 Aug 2010 18:30
Rather surprised by some of the reviews below. We visted the pub twice over two days of boating along the canal and both times came away with pleasent experiences. The Box Steam Brewery's Beers were all in excellent condition (I had to try them all) and we were served by friendly & knowledgeble barstaff. On our second visit we had an excellent meal in the restaurant area.
On my experience I would heartily recomend it.
BotleyBen - 14 Aug 2010 18:54
Beer is mediocre, staff seem to have little idea about the presentation of a good pint. Gets stupidly busy in nice weather - with queues in excess of ten minutes and I honestly don't think that the nice setting makes up for the pubs shortfalls, including getting to there in the first place.
I love a good pint of beer, but I drink cask cider on the odd occasion that I go there. Food is ok.
westbeery - 24 Jun 2010 20:24
loverly pub, beer was ok. it had lots of character. wanted to go here for years. glad i did but land lord was an extremely odd man, though it was late when we got there 11 o clock. He was absolutely wasted, we politely asked if we could have a drink and said we wanted a taxi, we got told he was open till 12 and we got given a taxi card but were only staying 2 miles away so could walk if we needed to. Land lord was nice one minuite and seemed quite helpful then was shouting at me the next being really nasty. saying you " you should have planned ahead" and "Iv been here working all day you dont think of other people who just want to go to bed" amoungst other things he then called me stupid and asked if i was a Fu***ing air head. I was nothing but nice to the man complimented him on his pub asked if it was ok to have a drink and didnt ask him to ring round taxi firms, then have a go at me for having to do it.
Sadly because of this I WONT GO THERE EVER AGAIN. top marks for outstanding buitiful pub, good marks for beer, no marks extremely rude land lord ( though I couldnt work out as he was friendly one minuite then not) wether he was just drunk. either way I dont like being called an effing air head or shouted at and not feel welcome. we only stopped at that stop to go there in stead of bradford on avon.

one stop down is limply stoke the pub there is ace. same setting, good beer, Fantastic food ( taken my parents there before), freindly helpfull bar staff. I have been there many times whenever in the area. I recomend it as a better choice its just down the canal. Aslo the Barge in bradford on avon comes highly recomended though I havnt visited myself. to be honest there is a pub in edinbough that is fantastic as an option not to be shouted at and called things.
beerrater - 15 Jun 2010 15:13
My experience at the Cross Guns was pretty much a pick n mix of the previous three reviewers, which isn't much of a compliment. The added talking point on our visit was being charged a jaw dropping �2 for an orange squash. When I protested, the barmaid's reply was "well, it is in a pint glass". That's OK then. The Box Steam beers struggled to reach average and weren't worth the trouble of queuing up again for.
WebelMC - 29 May 2010 21:56
Box steam ales, all in good condition, lovely setting, nice sunny day, it should have been a great experience. However, a long queue for service, and only 1 person behind the bar meant that we had one drink and left, as we could not face the 20 minute queue again.
Dylanwing - 23 May 2010 14:20
Despite being local I havent been back here for probably about 5 years but thought would give it another try - great location and good beer but owner was never overly interested unless you were buying food.

At least the tannoy has now gone but the terraces are still covered in large banners promting cr@p lager that are more in place in a chain pub at happy hour. Good selection of beers from Box Steam brewery which the landlord also owns and lots of leaflets promoting a lovely walk to the Inn at Freshford which he also owns - who says the pub trade is struggling.

five years on, the landlord is still trying to break into a smile (unsuccessfully) but I guess with such a cash cow he can pretty much do as he pleases and still rake it in from the tourists who flock here in droves

see you in 5 years
churchwood - 26 Apr 2010 14:00
This pub�s got a fantastic setting with terraces and gardens sloping right down to the river and the Kennet and Avon canal overhead. It�s very tricky to find by road � on the first occasion many years ago I actually gave up and had to come back another time for a second attempt. It�s down a steep, narrow, windy lane that you think can�t possibly lead anywhere. And when we did eventually find it we couldn�t get to it, it was on the wrong side of the canal with no bridges (the secret is to walk under the canal which is itself on a bridge!). Avoncliff station is right opposite though, so that may be a better option.

Unfortunately the downsides of such a great setting is that it gets absolutely rammed when the sun�s out � we had to queue out the door for about ten minutes to get served at the relatively small bar; and also that they don�t need to concentrate too much on customer service. The landlord�s been there for donkey�s years and he�s always seemed a bit miserable, like he was doing you a bit of a favour by serving you. On this occasion the barmaid served me a pint that was such a short measure I assumed it must be an over-sized glass. It�s not as though I�d even ordered something with a head, I was on the cider. I asked her if it was over-sized, and she just looked at me completely blankly. I repeated the question, to which she replied �It�s a pint�. So I then asked if it was a pint to the rim, clearly indicating what I meant. She then rather exasperatedly said �So, do you want it filled up?� Errr, yes please, that�s the general idea! The outside toilets were also rather smelly, although to be fair they must have been getting an awful lot of use with so many people there.

On the plus side though, as well as the setting there were some unusual drinks on the bar. The pub is owned by Box Steam brewery, and most of the beers were from them, including Tunnel Vision and Funnel Blower. There was also Burton Bridge�s Sovereign Gold. Good choice of ciders with Thatcher�s Gold, Thatcher�s Dry, Pheasant Plucker, Cheddar Valley, Broadoak and Lilley�s Apple & Pear cider.
Blackthorn - 12 Apr 2010 09:16
We visited here with friends for mid week lunch. The food was very poor. The fishcakes were all potato, the chicken stroganoff tasteless and the fish and chips contained all batter and little fish. My husband is disabled but they did not have a ramp (which is a legal requirement) so we struggled to gain access to the interior as it was too cold to sit outside. Wish we hadn't bothered. We won't be returning.
hilarycutts - 28 Mar 2010 14:11
After 15 years absence, due to being abroad, I decided to treat my partner to "the best steak in the area" Oh Dear!! We arrived by train, navigated the slippery bridge and ordered two of the finest steaks. What we got was was tough, tasteless, overcooked, dry gristley cuts of meat served with sorry looking saute potatoes( boiled potatoes sliced and deep fried in dirty oil judging by their speckled black appearance) 70's style accompaniements and a bowl full of rock hard vegetables. When I complained, the owner went to the kitchen and gave the chef a dressing down which was clearly audible in the empty pub. The chef then came out and confided that he was forced to cook in this way by the owner. Not wishing to join in the Fawlty Towers style fun any longer and horribly dissappointed, I asked for the bill, no apologies were offered and no discount given, in spite of almost full plates being returned. A vile experience compounded by the apparent lack of care or concern from the landlord.
Jackie0 - 20 Jan 2010 20:54
I remember what this pub was like in the 1960s. If people think it is small now, you should have seen it back then ! A good place to visit on a nice summer's evening, not that we have had many of those recently.
Jules_B - 29 Oct 2009 09:46
Walked out here at the weekend with a few friends for a couple of pints and lunch. Amazed at how popular it was - a good sign I always think - yes there were queues for food, but then, this isn't a huge pub and we weren't clock-watching. Beer was very good, something for everyone and the little hand held pager which went off when our food was ready for collection is a great idea.
Good old fashioned pub grub, friendly staff, great beer - we will be back!
littlemisshalfpint - 6 Oct 2009 10:17
I've been coming here for years, and its always been the same, a lovely spot on a Weekday lunchtime/afternoon, but a vision of hell on a Sunny weekend or bank holiday. Its too popular, there's nothing worse than queuing out the door behind a large number of people all ordering different meals at the tiny bar when all you want is a pint, and even worse sitting outside on the terraces surrounded by screaming rugrats listening to the loud speaker constantly blaring out requests for people to come and collect their food from the kitchen.
It could be so much better, leave the tiny bar for drinks and find some other place for people to serve food, I've never eaten here because the meals look like pretty standard pub food, but the beer is great. I say again a great pub for a quiet afternoon on a weekday, but weekends forget it.
Hodge1 - 6 Oct 2009 08:06
First visit to the Cross guns. We all had sunday roast, and all four of my party really enjoyed our meals. Washed down with some fine ale from the Box Steam Brewery, Tunnel Vision was my favourite. We could see the staff were under pressure, but the waitress that attended our table was polite and answered all our questions. She even got us some more drinks, but then I did ask politely.
A very good visit and great suroundings
beergoer - 5 Oct 2009 22:04
Visited pub twice now, first time served tomato soup that tasted like warm, watered down tin of tomatoes.... so gave pub another chance a few years later...this time we waited 45 minutes for our meal and my chicken stroganoff was burnt. I was hungry and as we had waited for so long I ate some of it, no one asked if our meal was ok, when eventually someone came to clear I said that my meal was burnt. No apology came so I asked for the bill, I was asked if we had drinks, thinking I was going to be offered free drinks I said we had but no, they were added to the bill!! During the course of our meal other tables experienced problems.... needless to say we will not be returning.
kazzer1 - 4 Oct 2009 19:22
Visited the Cross Guns the other night for a meal with some friends. We had a fantastics night, the staff were friendly especially the landlord, quite a character. It was busy which created a great atmosphere. The beers from the Box steam brewery were fantastic and the food was great although I did struggle to finish it all. Will be back
Richard_Reid - 28 Sep 2009 20:58
Had dinner here on Saturday night. The meals we had were very enjoyable, especially my steak which was cooked how I asked and was very tasty. The best for a long time. The food came out in good time, and as it was very busy we were impressed. Overall a good night out and value for money. Thankyou
annette - 28 Sep 2009 20:41
As said before , couldn't tell a pint of my sample f, from a good claret
beatles38 - 15 Sep 2009 01:21
First impresssions were good - a nice cosy bar with a good selection of Box ales available. However the condition & taste of the beers were disappointing (we tried 4 between us). The Ladies toilet facility is also woefully inadequate. If you are putting 100+ seats outside, you have an obligation to have more than one cubicle !
start - 14 Sep 2009 14:38
too many people again forgetting its beer in the evening , not cordon bleu in the evening , yes brilliant beer mainly from the box brewery . one of the better local breweries , but i can see where the food thing is coming from , most people seemed to be drinking Carlin bl , you know the sort that couldn't tell a pint of my sample from a good claret .
beatles38 - 8 Sep 2009 20:01
I would agree with some of the other reviews. This could be a wonderful pub, location and setting are wonderful. There is a but... the service was not existent & surly. The bar stank of dogs & stale beer (Noticed there were 3 dogs in the back) It was all a bit of a disappointment. To top it all, when were were there on a Friday - there was a large group of lads from a stag do, shouting and swearing. Its such a shame - you get the impression that the landlord dosent need to try because of the stunning location. Afraid we now dont go in when walking in the area now.
tonyjo67 - 6 Sep 2009 13:06
My wife & i ate a meal at the Cross Guns last night. Athhough the bar staff & the beverages were great, the meal was not great. Particularly my sreak. ! I had an 16 ox T bone steak & it was tough, overcooked, certainly not as ordered. The knife provided was not suitable. Very blunt. Also, what ever the steak was cooked on was VERY dirty. The steak was coated in black, terrible tasting, burnt fat. A shame for a pub in such wonderfull setting. There was no "Was your meal ok?" They obviously dont care !
I believe I was served by the owner/manager too.AThis pub is fine for a drink but I am afraid I will vote with my feet when eating & will give my trade to "The Inn at Freshford" when in this area again.
SprintBRG - 23 Aug 2009 10:21
had a meal with my husband and 5yr old daughter.when my husband went to collect it from the kitchen outside, the cook was ranting on about how it was shit food and our burgers had f***ing eye balls and shit in them., whilst cutting up my daughters pizza it cleary hadnt been cooked evenly as it was stone cold on one sid, i returned it politely asking for another or for it to be put back under grill, the cook shouted out to me "you had it 5 f***ing minutes ago" this also infront my daughter.I asked a waitress if he was owner she replied "why is it his gob" she told us manager was at bar and to complain to him apparantly it happens all the time my husband complained we were offered an ice cream obviously we refused as i was very angry and may have shoved it where the sun does not shine.we left having not eaten our food and they had roughly made �30 from us in less than an our. Not a happy customer.
reb_t - 13 Aug 2009 10:19
i would like to thank all the staff and locals of the Cross Guns pub for making part of the stag weekend i have just come back from so enjoyable. Everyone was so friendly and the beer was great; oh and for all u cider lovers u have to go try the pear and apple cider there, it is goooooorrrrrrrgeous , infact we loved our Friday evening there so much we made it our lunch time stop on the way back and im so happy we did. The roast pork was lovely and i loved the way they served the veg , very rustic. Cant wait for the next time i get a chance to travel up country to see you all. 10 out 10 .
jimmylove - 27 Jul 2009 15:36
found the cross guns again after along time and it is still a wonderful as i remember beautiful setting with a garden right on the river. very very charming inside the public house very well mannered staff it was a nice suprise as some pubs i have visited you just get a grunt out of the staff. The food was very nice and quite quick as it was a sunday and very busy well done to you all and keep it up i will be back with the rest of the family next time.
gogetabeer - 8 Jul 2009 10:22
Visited on mothering sunday. Had a delightful sunday roast, great choice of 8 vegetables, very tender beef with thick gravy. Very polite staff, which was great as it was extremely busy. Will be back well done
annette - 25 Mar 2009 23:13
Visited with my wife for Sunday lunch 15th March to have probably the worst Sunday roast meal we have ever had. The meat was chewy and had been cooked already and buried beneath thick black gravy with overcooked potatoes and veg plus soggy Yorkshire pud. It was truly appalling. Any lady should beware the only toilet which was filthy and a risk to health. it looks as though they are have little regard to the customer in a captive market which is a great shame considering the location. The only regret is that we did not walk out when the meal was presented to us.
philworkman - 18 Mar 2009 19:36
I've just had a lovely weekend at the Cross Guns. I stayed in one of the Bed & Breakfast rooms.
We were looking for a quiet country pub to relax in over the weekend and the Cross Guns was prefect. We arrived by train, stopping at the station on the other side of the river. Just a short walk over the aqueduct. When we arrived we received a warm welcome from Ken the landlord and were shown to the room, which was clean and tidy.
The Pub has a wonderful selection of real ales, and you were more than welcome to sample them before you buy one. We had two meals in the restaurant, both were excellent and both arrived in a timely manner. The staff on both occasion's were polite, helpful and friendly.
The breakfast, that was cooked by Ken, on the first morning was huge, in fact we asked for smaller one the following day.
After reading some of the other reviews of the pub I was a little worried before I arrived, however I realise that those were based on other personal experiences. I can only say that our experience was very positive. The Avoncliff valley is gorgeous, we walked into Bradford on Avon and then down to the Inn at Freshford and enjoyed ever step of it.
I would like to thank Ken and his staff who were ever thing I could wish for.

sailaholic - 2 Mar 2009 19:08
The Cross Guns at Avoncliff is something of a landmark in my life as it is where,last week, my family and I had our worst ever pub meal. The pub itself is in one of the most beautiful locations possible and on first impressions looks very welcoming indeed. The front of house staff were very attentive and polite. We sat down for dinner at about 7.30 in and empty pub (first clue) and ordered. The first course came out almost immediately (second clue). My wife had ordered Satay Chicken which, when it arrived was simply cubes of reshaped chicken meat on a small skewer much the same as you would get from the frozen section at Iceland. I had black pudding with firey sauce which was 3 thin slices of very poor black pudding with a small pot of what seemed to be ketchup with brown sauce mixed into it.

Second couse arrived very quickly after. My son had ordered a burger which arrived as a shrivelled lump of gray cardboard without a bun, a few chips and some horrible beans and my other some had chicken nuggets which as he is 7 were ok. My steak, ordered as rare came out well done. My wife had ordered pan fried monkfish in a thai coconut sauce. The fish was comletely raw in the middle and had clearly never seen a frying pan. We sent it back and heard from the open kitchen a sting a swear words from the female chef/owner along with an order to tell my wife that she clearly had never had monkfish and this is what the texture is like. We then heard the ping of the microwave and the fish came back out.....still raw. At that point we gave up and told that waitress (who was still being charming) that we were off......
brucehuge - 31 Aug 2008 07:17
Stunning location; as previous reviewer has said, go by bike,rail, boat or foot- barely accessible by car! Good food and beer, staff hard-working and helpful but booking muddled and room shabby for price and not serviced.
jillk - 31 May 2008 20:06
Visited a few weeks ago and the landlord was away. Someone from the Inn at Freshford (apparently owned by the same people?) was running it and had no idea where stuff was but muddled through and we got reasonable food and drink served in what can only be described as a stunning setting. However i can think of much nicer pubs within 5 miles.
pubscouter - 16 Apr 2008 10:53
Visited as part of a group on 27th March, the Landlord was unwelcoming and the food was expensive but poor quality, beer undrinkable, suspect cleaning fluid in pipes, glasses dirty. Garden very untidy and crowded with tables. rated one only for location, beware if visiting the area.
MadWalker - 29 Mar 2008 15:58
Basic pub food at restaurant prices. Beer was poor and house wine even poorer. You're paying for the setting, which is fantastic.
jonblyton - 8 Mar 2008 14:03
Apart from location, hugely disappointing in all ways. Food was particulary offensive. The collection system when dining outside, means that you are given a buzzer at order point that,when activated, demands that you march to the kitchen window to be presented with your fodder as well as views of a small, cramped and tatty kitchen.I assume that business is extremely healthy, thaks to new time visitors rather than regulars.
PubFanMan - 9 Oct 2007 01:48
"Outside" food was awful. (You'd probably find it acceptable if you eat at McDonalds.) Staff surly and unhelpful. Beer garden in great location, but full of chavs with dogs. And an angry swan. Beer OK but not very well kept. The Old Peculier was watery and lacking in flavour.
mleonard - 1 Aug 2007 22:21
Visited in April 2007, After ordering food visited the toilets [BIG mistake] No doubt the worst toilets I have ever seen [disgusting] couldnt enjoy the meal after that. Spoke to the landlord in a polite manner about them, and he was so arrogant and rude that we will never return.

This pub used to have a fantastic reputation, not anymore.
lotabottle - 27 Apr 2007 16:08
One of the only few pubs i've given a ten out of ten to on this site. It's the nicest country pub ive ever visited and the range and quality of ales is amazing, fantastic place!!!!!!!!!
fat_beer_badger - 20 Apr 2007 13:49
We go to this pub occasionally when we visit family in the area...our most recent visit in Feb 2007 was a delight. The pub's own brews from the Box Steam Brewery were excellent, so good in fact we tracked down the brewery on our way home the next day to get some 'take away' as recommended by the flyers in the pub, only to find the place locked and no one answering the phone numbers recommended, shame!
Food at the pub is good and the portions enormous.
The only slight down side is the treck to the outside loos, not a problem in the summer months when most clientelle are enjoying the gardens I'm sure, but a bit of a pain in February.
terryb - 18 Feb 2007 22:38
call into the pub after taking my daughter to the train station well it is a delight frendly staff and the local beer is to die for, the pub had an open fire which was lovley to warm myself by, as it was a cold day and the landlord didnt mind me staying all afternoon, very frendly chap when he is not rushed of his feet but always has time to pull another beer. will go again but this time on anight time as the food looks great.
anonymous - 11 Oct 2006 11:37
Got to the pub after a walk along the canal after a rain storm so it was just us. The beer garden goes all the way down to the river Avon with a view of the aquaduct making it one of the prettiest places to drink in that I've ever been to.

Didn't try the food but the beer was good, the staff had left little tasting glasses by each pump for those who wanted a taster.

Certainly worth the walk.
MrScott - 25 Sep 2006 12:04
Lovely location, nice old pub with a good food and drink selection. The bar is very very small so service can be slow on a sunny day. A good pub to enjoy good company and watch the world go by. There's not much parking locally, Avoncliff is a hamlet, so park in Bradford and walk the 2 miles along the canal.
mungus - 23 Sep 2006 13:50
this is the best pubthat i have been to in a long time. the food was beautiful and i did not have to wait long for it either. the staff were lots of fun too. if i was you i would give them a call and book a table on: 01552 862335 or 01225 867613
anonymous - 7 Dec 2004 18:18
this pub is a very frendly and unique place it has a river running at the end od the garden and a train staion over the bridge and a canal at the back of the pub it has a large open fire place and a nice quiet room as well as a large dinning room the food is out standing and made fresh to order the menu has everything that you could hope for when you go out to eat.
Mr Vear - 27 Aug 2004 16:44

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