The Rivergarden — Restaurant in Broadland

Horrendous customer service and incredibly slow food!

We visited at the end of June with high hopes for a lovely pub dinner in the sun by the river after ringing the pub personally asking whether they were taking food orders and we were confidently told that they were. As we arrived we explained that we'd phoned up about eating that evening and we were just thrusted some menus by a lady who didn't care to greet us nor communicate with us, we were just told to find a seat and she would take our food order. So, we sat outside, and waited for the lady to come round, she never did so we went up to the bar and waited to be served (hadn't even bought drinks at this point, let alone food), to then see the waitress storming out of the kitchen behind the bar shouting "I'm coming!!". As we waited to be served, hiding behind a pillar we heard a voice shout across the bar "are you ordering food?!" and we replied in agreement, for her response to be "we aren't taking food orders for another hour!", no apologies, no explanation, just out right blunt, rudeness in front of other customers at the bar, very humiliating and unfair. Will never be returning, glad I didn't spend my money here, go to Rushcutters for lovely food and service, you...

We hosted a 25th birthday party at the Rivergarden this weekend in the Function Room. This was a really great space with large tables we could use for boardgames, a large TV with netflix and prime video as well as a music system in the room. The space was also easily adaptable with areas to pin up birthday banners and a backdrop for photos. The toilets were just down the stairs to the room (you don't have to go through the bar to get to them which was great for us as were were dressed in cowboy costumes), the bar is also just downstairs with reasonably priced drinks and excellent food which was delivered to us in the Function Room. The Function Room has it's own external access which made it easy to bring everything into the room and made it feel like a really private event. The organisation/booking was quick and easy with the owners via email and phone who seemed just as excited for us to come and use the space as we were and they allowed us to have Berts Amazing Creatures come along too which was wonderful! I would definitely recommend the Rivergarden as as place to host parties as well as just go for...

NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE despite stating so at enquiry stage.

My friends called in advance to ask about wheelchair accessibility before making a booking for celebration drinks and were told there was an alternative accessible route around the back and an accessible bathroom.

Once we arrived and parked, it was clear that I couldn’t wheel myself. I had to be dragged backwards in the dark across the large gravel, through a small side gate, down an uneven muddy narrow path, across even more slippery mud once we reached the back to avoid the steep step onto the concrete patio, and then carried up the steep step at the back entrance. That was the UNaccessible route to the UNaccessible entrance. Had I any idea of what this so-called wheelchair access route entailed or of the danger I put my friends who were doing the pushing, pulling and carrying through, and the risks to myself, I would never have set a wheelchair wheel in there. It is absolutely disgraceful that this otherwise lovely place describes themselves...