Royal Inn on the Park, Victoria Parkback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
We went for a quick drink after playing tennis in Victoria Park last night. Sure it was a warm night and the bar was busy, but the service was dismal. I stood at the bar for 25 minutes before being served by an apparently myopic bar maid, who may well have been distracted by her loud floral print dress or handicapped by her low asymmetric fringe. When finally she noticed me between the moustaches and the tweed caps she served up four pints of flat shandy. When challenged about the flat quality of the shandy she responded 'no it's not'. 'Taste it then', which she declined 'It's not flat'. The impasse was broken by her simply walking away and serving another customer. 'I'm disolussioned with the whole art scene' a pork-pied nathan barley mumbled behind me....'perhaps i should get a job...' Maybe pouring shandy in the Royal Inn.
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I have been working here as a barman for some time, so here is my perspective on this bar.
The pro's are many, it's a lovely grade 2 listed building, The location in Victoria Park and 'Vic pk village'is fantastic. The service is fast if a little inconsistent and the real ales are great.
The con's however are many, the drains outside are constantly stinking up the front garden, the gents toilets are of a quality you may expect in a prison not in a 'gastro-pub', the menu is pretentious, overpriced and inconsistent. They do an excellent sunday roast (same meat supplier as the ivy, claridges etc) but get there early as they often run out.
I could go on. The management appear to change roughly every 9-12 months which explains partly the up and down nature of service and menu.
All in all the ambience, jukebox and environs are excellent BUT the high prices, food and over abundance of children/ dogs are a real let down.
9/10 for real ales
5.5/10 for food
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The kitchen has some new chefs, this place has great food, nice choice of beer and easily the best beer garden around. Don't sit out front though, you can smell the drains!
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From the comments this is clearly Jo Guest's local!
I remember having a great sunday roast here and Litovel Dark in bottles a couple of summers ago and thinking it was great. If I am not mistaken it belongs to the same "Remarkable Restaurants" pub group as the Sutton Arms by Barbican and the Reliance in Shoreditch. Quality.
anonymous - 20 Feb 2006 09:15 |
cracking, esp in summer
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Nice location, great food, good beer and nice beer garden. Extremely busy in the summer months due to overlooking Vicky Park. They also have 3 function rooms for rent, we rented the larger one upstairs on one occasion for an office party. Food was a little disappointing that time, but that was the only time. Recommended.
TommyN - 18 Oct 2004 11:46 |
Jo Guest was in there - Quality, but she was a bit orange.
Luke Hatch - 11 Oct 2004 13:11 |
Booked the Royal Inn for the office summer party; the beer garden, BBQ and rear bar for the afternoon, then the upstairs function room and bar for the evening. Went absolutely swimmingly, no doubt thanks to the excellent food and wonderful hospitality of Jay and Antonia the landlords.
Alex - 21 Sep 2004 12:59 |
Great pub, fantastic food, but staff are generally rubbish, and can wait an hour for food at times. Quite likely a victim of its own popularity.
rob - 19 Jul 2004 17:16 |
Lovely pub! The staff were very slow though and didn't seem to have very much going on in their heads, but the food was fantastic and the chef Marcus is brilliant
Dylan - 5 Jul 2004 10:53 |
The Royal Inn on the park is probably one of londons best pubs during the summer months, great food, good beer in the most superb surroundings.Friendly staff fantastic juke box makes this place a must.
Jay - 7 Apr 2004 19:32 |
My local, and highly recommended. Lovely, relaxed and laid back during the day, lively at weekends, and friendly and welcoming in the evenings. Fashionable clientele, but not overly so. Some East End wide-boy colour. Excellent quiz weekly, very good food, wine list and real ale selection, plus late opening hours on Saturdays. And beer garden overlooking the park, with a smaller bar, which can be hired. He's right about Jo Guest, as well. Lovely girl. Used to go out with my mate.
Ben - 14 May 2003 15:54 |
Lovely boozer with high ceiling and large outdoor area. Once stood next to Jo Guest at the bar too!
Dan - 25 Feb 2003 11:27 |
Excellent pub in huge castle like Victorian building on corner of Victoria Park, E9. Mile End nearest tube (10-15 min walk). Fantastic in summer with the park, warm and cosy in the winter. Jukebox, no gaming machines - very good food.
Simon - 20 Feb 2003 18:38 |
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