The Crown, Broxbourne - pub details
Address: Old Nazing Road, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, EN10 6QT [map] [gmap]
Tel: 0871 951 1000 (ref 10817) - calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
Broxbourne (0.4 miles), Rye House (2.2 miles), Cheshunt (3 miles)
Pub facilities/features:
- Wireless internet access (provided by The Cloud)
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> Current user rating: 4.9/10 (rated by 15 users)
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other pubs nearby:
White Bear, Broxbourne (0.3 miles), Bull, Broxbourne (0.4 miles), Old Star, Wormley (0.7 miles), Golden Lion, Hoddesdon (1.1 miles), Fish And Eels, Hoddesdon (1.2 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Crown, Broxbourne
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 14 shown - see all reviews
| The Crown came highly recommended to us and we (3) decided to give it a try this evening as we were trying to find somewhere nice to bring a party of people for a meal in a couple of weeks time. On first sight we thought yes, what a lovely country pub and looked forward to a nice meal in very pleasant surroundings – well, what a disappointment! We reserved a table after looking at their website which describes it as a “country pub and restaurant” but we needn’t have as the place was practically empty when we got there (and also when we left). The problems started when our waitress showed very clearly that she hadn’t a clue what drinks they had. (It turned out she didn’t have much of a clue about anything and cared far less but that’s another story). When we got that sorted out, we ordered our meals – this is what happened: Diner 1: Starter – beer battered mushrooms with garlic dip served on a bed of yellowed lettuce which was clearly old – edible Main: Homemade 8oz beefburger with chips – gristly burger, frozen chips – edible but for the same price (£8.95) you’d be advised to go to a Gourmet Burger place and see how it should be done. Diner 2: Starter: Piedmont peppers with goats cheese, rocket (but without the balsamic dressing). This was like a microwaved squish although we were assured it hadn’t been done in a microwave but clearly overcooked – the goat’s cheese had liquidised and the rocket died in situ. Main: Roasted Mediterranean vegetable risotto was requested and on enquiring if it had added cream, the waitress went to check in the kitchen as she didn’t know - it was and apparently couldn’t be served without cream as it had already been made up! (risottos should always be freshly made - it can never be frozen or made in advance otherwise it becomes a solid lump). So, the alternative order was “Handmade” salmon and broccoli fishcakes with salad – this was dreadful. The salad had the outer leaves of a lettuce which were brown at the edges, the tomatoes were old and wrinkled and this was sent back for a fresh salad which came back beautifully fresh (not sure why they couldn’t have done that in the first place) but covered in dressing despite diner 2 specifically asking for a dressing-free salad. The fishcakes had been fried to buggery and kept on heat until they went soggy and fell apart – the filling actually dripped off the fork. Handmade? Really? Diner 3: Starter: Chicken liver, pork and mushroom pate with toast and Cumberland chutney – no chutney materialised, the toast was actually long hard over-toasted strips served on one large lettuce leaf which was a tough outer leaf with brown edges and browning cracked stem. The pate was the thinnest slice of pate we’ve ever seen - £4.75 if you don’t mind! Main: Summer Lamb Shank with rosemary roasted summer vegetables and dauphinoise potato. For £12.95 we would have expected a decent portion but no. There was a dollop of potato and the “roasted summer vegetables” were actually a tablespoon of red onion, a small slice or courgette and 2 diced pieces of pepper. To be fair though, the lamb was very tender - fell off the bone without much help. We complained to the manager as the food really was sub standard and were told that the frozen meals were received by them from Mitchell & Butler but the salads were done freshly by them in their kitchen. We weren’t charged for 2 starters and 1 main (I should think not). Their food really is dreadful and extremely poor value. We were still hungry when we left. You can understand sometimes that you’ll occasionally get a not-very-good meal when you dine out but this evening was just a calamity. And yes, it is true that a small tray of condiments is brought to the table for diners to use there and then and hurriedly whisked away again. We noticed that the little dishes containing the condiments hadn’t even been wiped clean between being taken to the tables as ketchup has run down the outside of one – yuck! They didn’t appear to be covered over either (an open invitation for flies). And yes, one of the waitresses really looked like she didn’t want to be there and appeared to be chewing the same piece of gum all evening. Classy. Needless to say we shan’t be recommending the Crown to anyone. albatross1 - 16 Sep 2011 22:59 |
| The food is very poor, it's pre made/pre packaged and then microwaved before being served to you type of food as offered up by many other chain pubs. However where the food here differs from many other chain pubs is that it is twice the price. The pub is a lovely location and has a very nice seating area outside, if it's a basket of chips and a pint while out walking you are after then this pub offers nice surroundings to do that in. If you are looking a nice evening meal then don't come here Triggerhippy - 16 Sep 2011 21:41 |
| Walked up the River Lea and had dinner there last night. Not cheap, but a varied and interesting menu, lovely location, and friendly staff. I opted for the fish mixed grill, and was impressed. No problem at all speaking to the landlady to organise a small social gathering in 2 weeks' time - very helpful. It was very busy outside, and just a couple of peeps inside, due to it being very sunny. Most people were eating, and everything I saw come out looked good! thedivinemissp - 2 Aug 2011 09:00 |
| Large pub in a good location beside the river Lea. The outside looked like it needed sprucing up a bit. Upon entering........ditto for the inside. The menu looked familiar (yet another Vintage Inn). I can only comment on one dish because all three of us had the Scampi. At the bar there was a choice of three real ales. The regular ale, Deuchars IPA, not one of my favourites. The other two are rotating guests. Today was Fullers Bengal Lancer and Thwaites mild Nutty Black both satisfactory. The barman did mention that the premises were due a refurbish in the next month or two. Back at our table we didn't wait too long for our food to arrive served by a waitress who looked like she didn't want to be here. You have to ask for the tray of condiments to be brought to the table. Make sure you take enough of what you need before Ms Cheerful takes the tray away. By this time, and after the mandatory wiping of knives and forks on your paper napkin, the food had cooled to cool. The Scampi was ok but the chips.......... How limp can you make a chip? No more so than these. I might visit after the refurb and try a meal with veg - no chips. fugglehops - 5 Feb 2011 21:21 |
| We cycle the Lee Valley River often, and have gone to The Crown several times now, though I am less inclined to go every time we do. The surroundings themselves are beautiful, and location great, but everything else is a real let-down, and were the pub not on the river itself we would never go. The sign for the pub, with letters hanging crooked on the side of the building, is indicative of the food/service - in fact this place would be perfect for a Gordon Ramsey Kitchen Nightmare episode, but to start 1) the place itself needs a proper clean and repaint, with rubbish littering the 'garden without much grass', the toilets reek of urine, and seating is often dirty/dusty 2) while service is generally friendly, you get the feeling everyone 'just works there' and the service shows - last Saturday, everyone was told food would take 45 minutes, which is twice as long as it would take in any restaurant in London, and the place really wasn't even full so NO excuse to take 45 minutes for such a simple menu - plus I watched a group of 20+ be told 'It'll be well over an hour for a group your size' and essentially encouraged to find someplace else to go, even though there was room to seat them 3) the food at the best of days is 'average', and yesterday was well below - the Shephards Pie was ok, but the peas resembled dried peas, the carrots looked as if they'd grown some form of shrivelled white fur, and the chips were stale stale stale. I asked for 'fresh' replacements, which the waitress happily did - replacing them with more of the SAME! Yet amidst it all, wait-staff had more than enough time to serve as official 'sauce' stewards for every-table - is it REALLY necessary to carry a tray full of sauce to every table, waiting and dutifully watching the customer spoon sauce with an infinitesimal spoon, to ensure they don't consume too much . . . . ketchup? Surely the wait-staff time could be utilised better? It's a great location and setting, and could be fantastic (in fact the garden has space for at least another 15 tables) - IF ONLY the place was run properly instead of turning away customers, and giving those who do come in 'jobsworth' service! As we will continue to cycle the Lee River, it would be great to see an improvement, but will be some time before we give The Crown another chance. hoxton_one - 11 Apr 2010 16:53 |
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