Reviews of Navigation Inn, Stoke Bruerne
Review by David Rudiger on 9th August, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 8th August 20101
I booked a table online for four adults and two children for Sunday lunch. This was dealt with quickly and professionally. We arrived and ordered drinks at the bar, we were shown to our table and ordered our food, which arrived within the 20 minutes notification. The eating area soon filled-up, getting very busy.
All in all a good place to eat, the Sunday lunch portions were large!Congenial surroundings, attentive staff, I would recommend it for good pub food and reasonable prices.
Review by Ange on 10th September, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 10th SEPT 2009
I've been to this pub tonight with my 4 year old, 2year old and husband. A special treat for my sons first day at school, he chose the location.
We orded starters for all four of us, and a main each. I was asked specifically if I wanted the childrens starters with ours; yes, and chose specificlly the vegetables for my sons meal.
The childrens garlic bread was all burnt, so was sent back. It then returned some time later along with a main meal for one of my children.
The main was sent back.
After eating the starters the mains arrived again, the veg was not as ordered on one childs meal and the chicken in the 'chicken cones' was burnt grissle , and thats being generous.
My own meal then arrived and I'd asked for baked potatoe in place of chips...chips arrived.
I then asked to see the duty manager who was polite and apologetic, he gave me a full refund of the meal cost.
Another male waiter then brought over the refund and tried to remove the plates of food my children were eating from, they could only eat scarse bits from each. I would not let him take them but he then took both mine and my husbands plates. My food had been replaced with a jacket potatoe but I did not have an opportunity to eat it. He then turned to us and said "whats wrog with this then???".
Our waitress then retuned and asked if I'd enjoyed my cajun chicken at which point I bacame upset and my husband told her it had been removed from us before we could eat any.
When we asked for details of head office the surley male waiter eventually gave to us the website address and told us to look up whoever we needed to complain to.
The young female waitress was polite and apologetic throughout and appeared embarressed by the situation.
We went to the resturant at early teatime, with possibly only two other dining groups in the pub and fully expected to have a pleasant meal at a pub we have been to before which promotes family dining.
I will never ever eat here again and will actively discourange anyone else from doing so. A
Review by Jackie on 14th February, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 13/02/09
5 of us plus a 1 year old had lunch here,4 of us had never been here before and was presently surprised.
The interior is lovely, very homely and old fashioned but in a nice country pub way.
The staff were friendly and down to earth and very helpfull.
Normally when my partner and i go to a pub for a meal we typically order the steak but the menu here had so much choice of different things and so we decided to go for something different.
The starter choices were amazing for a pub you typically expect things like nachos and potato skins but here it seemed to offer the cosy country pub feel but a cut above the rest.
My partner and i had the black pudding with melted goats cheese on top....oh my god it was amazing! Never had anything like that before and it went so well together.
I then had a burger with portabello mushroom and stilton which was lovely too and my partner had the lamb pepperpot which came out in a large individual casserole pot which was a great touch and tasted amazing!
Unfortuantly we just couldn't finish it all!...however their was of course room for dessert!!...which were yet again amazing.
most if not everything you could tell was freshly made and of great quality!
The value for money was excellent i really think they could get away with charging more.
Another thing i'd like to mention is that they welcomed our 1 year old who was obviously rather noisey and messy, and none of us recieved any disapproving looks so it was all good!
Anyway we will all be definatly visiting here again soon.
I fully recommend this place along with their rose wine Sutton Home!!!
Hope you'll enjoy this place as much as we did!
Review by A. Jones on 20th September, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 20th September 08
We visited the Navigation with my Irish American cousin who was on a brief visit to the UK and who wished to treat us for our hospitality.
As there was a long queue in a line towards the bar I suggested that I would go to the bar and get drinks for the rest of our party whilst my cousin queued up to order a meal. I stood by the bar for about 5 minutes whilst the person behind the bar attended to someone else only to eventually be told that I had to join the meal queue and order my drinks with the meal – a process which took a further 10 minutes.
The meal took one hour to arrive - a delay which caused considerable frustration (and which was the prime cause of my cousin missing her train). Although apologetic the staff had to be constantly reminded that we had been waiting and that the considerable delay was presenting us with problems. In short the meal when it arrived had to be bolted down and was not enjoyed. I was also reluctant to leave the table for more drinks during the course of the meal as I would have had to join the long bar queue again.
I had a beef and ale pie which was monotonous and the carrots and the cauliflower were overcooked and tasteless. Not good!
In deference to my cousin’s generosity we made light of our frustration but if it had been down to me I would have demanded a refund of our money and been on my way.
We will not be going to the Navigation again!
Review by James on 15th September, 2008
Add your review Date visited: Various
I live locally and have visited many times, service and standard of food good up and down so much due to the fact that this pub is used as a testing ground for potential new managers by the brewery, consequently there is no continuity, it's just like a stopgap so no one really establishes themselves and makes improvements. If this pub relied only on locals(returning trade) it wouldn't last a month but as they have a constant stream of tourists they seem to survive. The brewery need to sort this out, they need to get a good manager in there long term to bring the place up to an acceptable standard, as it is I would only use it for a drink, not food.
Review by Colin Wright on 6th August, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 06/08/08
This is the first time we have been back to the navigation inn since last summer when we where so dissapointed we sent an email to the head office but never recieved a reply.
We decided to give it one more try tonight because we used to like the place so much.
On tonight's visit we found all the empty tables were dirty and sticky and the soft furniture had a sticky feel to it as well.
We ordered the ploughmans which although it was only £6.95 it was very dissapointing.
It consisted of two small pieces of very bland cheese, a badly bruised apple, a piece of very stale bread with no butter, a small heap of soggy salad at one end of the plate, a small stale tasting pork pie, a handful of grapes and about a teaspoon full of relish which was on the menu but missing off the plate so we had to ask for it.
We won't be going back again unless there is a drastic improvement or a change in ownership.
Review by Foxxi on 30th July, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 28 July 2008
I took my son for his 25th birthday and his girlfriend on Monday nite to what I thought from a previous experience, was going to be a good meal. Well guess what ... not so.
They had no idea about my table that I had booked ( thank heavens it wasnt busy ), we ordered a coke and bottle of wine. The wine that was first on the list they didnt have, so we took second best. We sucked on those for 35 minutes before I got up and went and asked for service to take our meal order ! We ordered two ' specials ' and a steak and ale pie. I had to eventually get up and stood and waited at the counter where there were about three waiters all hovering and including the manager who kept his back to me and heard me complaining to a lady behind me who clearly wasnt happy with the service either ( they were waiting to be served a cup of coffee !! ). I eventually got someone to speak to me after I said ' Do I get any service here ? '. The managear still had his back to me and after I had complained, he turned and asked what the problem was ? I repeated myself. Within about another three or so minutes we got our meal. The mushroon lasagna had no mushrooms in it, it was slushy gravy, my son's steak and kidney pudding was the size of an egg cup, the vegies were cold, my steak and ale was at least hot, but the huge pieces of cauli were ice cold and the carrots were mushy. We ate bits of it, pushed it aside and gave up. We werent asked if we wanted anything more to drink. I then had to get up and go to the bar counter and ask for my bill to pay. When I was asked if I was happy I said no that I was not etc etc.
Needless to say I paid and got outta there. I certainly wont go back there again. Pity, its such a lovely place and setting.
Other reviews have the same problem - The Navigation's food and service has gone right down the toilet !!!!
Review by djmonaghan on 20th May, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 19/5/2008
We visited the Navigation yesterday, for a family meal and a few drinks . I ordered the 12 oz rump steak, when it came it looked like it had been thrown on the plate by somebody in a foul mood,it didnt come with all what it said on the menu.But worse than than that when I tried to cut it ,it was like cutting a brillo pad strength with barbed wire.I did try to chew it but couldnt so spat it out. I complained to the manager , he offered me something else
in all fairness but I had been put right off so I declined he took my meal off the bill.The rest of family ate their meals,but were nothing special.
Review by Fiona Picot on 16th April, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 16/04/08
Staff not bothered with looking after the customers and were happy to stand at the bar looking at catalogues. Received the wrong food order. None of the waiters smile and what do they do...why are they there. Food is good though. This place does well because of its location but dont expect great things from this place and you will not be disappointed!!!! For a managered house there are no managers managing!!!
Review by Sweetie on 20th February, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 14.2.2008
Me and my boyfriend went to Navigation Inn for a Valentine's meal. it was lovely, great service, nice food....
Review by Alison Hutchins on 18th November, 2005
Add your review Date visited: 18 November 2005
Excellent meal in pleasant atmosphere at a very reasonble price. Good choice of menu, staff very friendly and lovely canal views from dining areas. Will certainly be going ther again and would recommend this to friends etc. (Also child friendly) Non smoking establishment.
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