please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Visited on a Saturday lunchtime on a nice afternoon. The garden was very busy, but could have done without a yapping dog. The food wasn't bad although the barbeque sauce on my Hunters Chicken was far too sweet. The portions were good however, and the mains averaging around £12 were just about OK for the price. Three real ales were on offer - GK IPA, Abbot and Doom Bar. I had a pint of the latter which was slightly chilled and quite palatable. As your other reviewers say, it's more of a rstaurant than a pub, but overall this place is OK
|
This site is now past it's sell by... the top 100 used to have a few contentious occupants but when places like this are in the top 100 then you can no longer take it seriously as either a pub or beer guide.
anonymous - 20 Dec 2012 23:20 |
Its a great restaurant, but its not really a pub now
|
As others have said, this is more restaurant than pub, but the food is very good, with generous portions. The lasagne is a particular favourite. The beers are also well kept. The only downsides are the lack of spaces in the car park and the fact that it can be difficult to bag a table at peak times - but these are both reflections on how busy it gets because of the good food.
|
Visited just before Easter as lunch stop on a charity cycle ride from Reading to Great Yarmouth. Great garden, food looked good and nice pint of Morland Original too.
|
Lovely pub in country !! Food was excellent !!! lovely beer garden !!!minimal variety on bottled beer and not much choice in general let it down a bit !!
|
We had a most enjoyable meal there for Valentines Day - my wife had the home made lamb hot pot, and I had the Haddock, chips and mushy peas. I did think the food was pricey, but once we started to eat it I changed my mind as it was well worth the money, and utterly delicious! My only gripe was that the portion of chips was quite small - I counted 15 chips - but the fish was perfect, the home made batter made it so. The bar staff and waitress were very welcoming and helpful, and we would certainly go there again. My advice would be to go at lunch time during the week because at the weekend you will almost certainly be waiting to park and to be served. This is not a pub, more a restaurant and not too shabby either! Go there soon.
|
Maybe 'cos it's a restaurant thesedays, rather than a pub? Read the postings... they're all about chips and puddings. Boring, boring, boring.
|
This pub has got 7.9 and been rated by more than 25 people, so why isn't it in the Top 40?
|
Agree with the previous comment about the parking. Thought it would be manic inside, as we had to wait for a few minutes for a parking space, but once we got inside it wasn't too bad.
Dining area was pretty full, but the rest of the pub was okay. We chose to sit outside, though, as there are plenty of benches out back, both on a patio and a grassed area.
Only two ales on - Abbots and Youngs, the latter being okay - and the food was fine. Paid a tenner for fish and chips, which I wouldn't say was inexpensive, but it was very tasty and the portion sizes excellent. Not often I don't finish my dining companions' leftovers once I'm done myself, but had to pass this time.
Bit too pricy and remote (if you don't fancy walking, you're stuck, as the nearest bus stop is over a mile away) for me to consider as a regular haunt, but nice once in a while.
|
This is more a restaurant than a pub. That said, food is not overexpensive and there is a large menu. Wine is also good at fair prices. Beers are well kept and of excellent quality. It gets quite crowded as has been said, but I've seldom had to wait very long if at all for a seat. Service is attentive and friendly.
The one drawback is the parking. It has a decent sized car park, but it is nearly always full. There is no nearby on road parking and you might have to walk up to half a mile after leaving your car in the nearest side road. It is best therefore to vist outside the popular mealtimes when you will probably get a slot.
|
Food orientated, but does 3 real ales including Abbot and Youngs. Never had any complaint, the beers are always in tip top condition, the menu varied and food always really good. On our last visit, our dessert order appeared to have been forgotten and after about half an hour hadn't arrived. On pointing this out to one of the waiting staff, the bar manager came over, He apologised for the wait, refunded the cost of the sweets without request or prompting and said they would be out in the next few minutes (which they were), You can't fault customer service like that. If only other establishments were like that.
If you visit at busier times by car, the car park can be a bit of a bu**er as it's only small and the pub rightly gets very busy, but it's well worth waiting for a space.
|
I have trundled into this place on many occasions and really like it. Pub-wise there isn't much to choose from in this remote corner of Hertfordshire/NW London, so the Gate's presence is very welcome. It provides good beer and good food in a very pleasant environment. Recommended.
|
Ace place!
|
Yes a great pub for food but not for a night on the lash! Food and service is excellent, beer not too bad either!
|
of the way for public transport - but no worse for that.... clean & friendly boozer - busy, but what's wrong with that?
|
this is a lovely atmospheric pub., the food is excellent and reasonable priced considering portion size, their sister pub, the rising sun is great as well..
|
This place shouldn't even be rated as a pub as it's more a Happy Eater or Harvester kind of establishment. Don't know what the fuss about the food is - we found it second rate on our visit and the whole place seemed designed to get you in and out as quick as possible. Can't fault the service although looking at the poor hard pressed staff I'd hate to work there. Another place which has it's following but it's a restaurant that serves beer(and not too well at that) and NOT a pub.
anonymous - 18 Aug 2008 19:53 |
After searching google for some information about another local pub, I found this site.
I have always been put off from going to the Gate, it seems very busy (which clearly is not a bad thing) most times. When I have tried to go on previous visits, the carpark is full. No-where else to park!
However, recently the Harvester just down the road has been closed due to a fire. Myself braved trying to get into the gate. Oh how glad am I we did. It was fantastic.
We went on a friday night, around 8pm. Again, the carpark was a problem. We waited and a space came fairly soon. You would imagine that inside it would be chaos with all those cars, but it wasn't. I assume large groups of people do not use their head and car share. Expect people with a table for 10 to have 5 cars!
The place was lively, it had REAL fires on the go. I counted 3! The staff were busy, but most importantly, polite. We (2 of us) found a small table towards the back. The food was very nice. Simple pub grab. I had the fish and chips (it was recommended to me by the chap behind the bar), my friend had a special off from a board they put up. Fish and chips in a pub, we've all done it before, been disappointed, it's nothing like our local chippie. The gate's fish and chips however, wow. It was huge! And this is a plus, it wasn't some horrible frozen thing dropped in the fryer. I was told before I ordered it that they battered it themselves, and boy you can tell, just like your chippie, if not better.
My friend enjoyed her's. Although I must say I cant recall what she ate.
I would shout about this place to anyone who wants to listen. The car park is tiny, but dont let that put you off coming as it had to me in the past. Get a cab, share a car, walk! This is the best food around. No wonder their carpark is full, it must mean something.
|
Best pub food ever.
|
more of a restaurant than a pub, but an excellent one at that. gorgeous traditional food and a great beer garden. friendly and attentive staff. expensive in comparison to normal pub grub but the food here is in a completely different league
|
nice family pub, food is great.. �11. for 10oz sirloin meal (from memory). pub looks very clean and well maintained. nice beer garden
|
The food and service at The Gate is always excellent and wonderful value for money.
The parking can be a problem at busy times but although I have occasionally had to wait a few minutes for a space, I have never had to park my car miles away in order to visit.
The Gate offers a traditional menu with something for everyone, my only critisism would be that they could do with varying it from time to time as the menu does not vary very ofen, however there is a specials board which changes daily.
This is definately more a restaurant than a pub, however no one is likely to stop you from enjoying the cosy atmosphere if you have just stepped in for a pint etc and the large garden in the summer is lovely
anonymous - 30 Mar 2006 10:22 |
great food pub. massively popular on Sundays. good beer garden. friendly and professional staff. don't normally like Carlsberg lager but its an excellent pint in here. lovely in the garden on a summers evening
|
Good food, friendly quick attention from bar staff although food takes a little time to arrive. Due to popularity they do have problems with parking. Do try to get a table in the "pub" part as the rear dining area is a bit of a barn. Overall very good.
anonymous - 1 Dec 2005 19:23 |
Good food in large portions, a nice traditional pub and a good size beer garden to boot.
|
Great food. Absolutely vast portions. Very much a restaurant rather than a pub. Avoid on a Sunday when it's full of families and kids making a racket, and you will never get a parking space. Also, it's a shame that the nice cosy old part of the Gate is the smoking section, rather than the newer, more ventilated bit.
anonymous - 30 Sep 2005 14:46 |
Just 15mins drive from the hustle and bustle of my Central London home, is the countryside setting where the gate is located, the food is fantastic, and very reasonably priced, and the lighting is very cosy. The only fault I can find with this fantastic pub, is no matter what time you arive, it is always busy and the car park is usually full, but i suppose that is a reflection of the great food that is produced there.
|
One of the many gastro pubs that have sprung up in what was once the heart of public houses in the North of London as Barnet was the last carriage stop before York etc. This pub definately has ideas above its station and attempts to gentrify "traditional" pub fare and has turned it into a restaurant with a licence rather than a pub. I was in there last night and I was the only person drinking in there rather than having a meal. I was very disappointed considering this is meant to be my "local". It was also charging prices that in my opinion resembled those of a central London pub. In all it was a very disappointing experience and should be added to the listings to warn people away from it who want to go and drink in pubs which is what I believe they are for.
David Heineman - 20 Aug 2004 20:45 |
