The Newbury — Restaurant in England

We visited The Newbury on Sunday 4th July at 2:30pm. Upon entry, there was no clear signage to scan for track and trace or where to stand while waiting to be seated. Once seated we were given paper disposable menus (of which were reused multiple times) and therefore did not adhere to Covid-19 legislation. We were told our order would be taken shortly, but waited for 35 minutes to even be asked about drinks.

While waiting, and attempting to get the waiters attention, two other tables were both seated and catered to. After eventually stopping a member of staff we made orders for both food and drinks to save already wasted time - having being told food would take 15-20 minutes we decided to order a starter as well.

Our drinks were brought across, not on a tray but in the hands of the waiter - both unprofessional and yet again going against the Covid-19 rules. During our time, sitting right by the door, we only saw one group of people who were asked to scan the track and trace. Lets hope no one has left with any cases.

The starters arrived within the 15-20 minutes, there was a lack of colour which made them look unappetising and tepid. The lamb fritters were over seasoned and the pea puree had little to no flavour - something the rest of the meals would mirror. We sat with the dirty plates for 15 minutes before they were finally taken away,then waited another 30 minutes for the meals to be delivered. A member of staff came over to ask if things were okay, we told him that no things were not okay because our food had not yet arrived. He looked bemused and rather taken a back, only able to ask if there was anything we'd liked. Yes. Our food. He left and came back to tell us our food would be another 6 minutes wait.

The food then arrived, a waitress apologised for the delay. Food was very disappointing as the potatoes were few and far between, felt to be reheated. The pork was dry and had clearly been pre-sliced and left on the hotplate as the outer flesh was crusty. Gravy should have been served in a glass as it was practically water and as this is a "Gastro Pub" you'd expect different gravy according to each meat - something a Toby Carvery does splendidly. At no point did the manager, Keiran, come to apologise nor appease the situation. The young lady who then cleared our plates apologised again.

The manager should not have left it to the staff to deal with his own incompetence and should have dealt with this himself. We asked for the bill, again another lengthy weight, which arrived with the service charge still attached. We asked for this to be removed as both the service and food quality was shocking.

The young lady removed it and again bore the brunt and apologised for the meal, claiming they were short staffed. While we empathise with this, it is not our fault as customers and it was rather apparent that there were 5 staff spread around the between no more than 15 tables.

If the manager, Keiran, was doing his job correctly he would have slown service down and explained to customers there was a delay of service; instead he could be heard clearly chatting to regulars and being the man about town, while also being the only members of staff to not wear his face mask correctly.

It's a shame that Kerian only seemed interested in his regulars and not new customers who pose the potential to become regulars.

Safe to say we will not be returning to...

We visited The Newbury Gastro Pub today and had an overall lovely experience. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, the venue was clean and well-kept, and the food was absolutely delicious — hearty, well-cooked, and served in generous portions. Every dish we tried was packed with flavour and clearly made with care.

That said, it was evident that the pub is currently facing some staffing challenges. Only two members of staff were present to manage both the bar and restaurant service, and they were run off their feet. Despite being visibly stretched, they remained friendly, professional, and incredibly polite throughout. Their customer service was excellent, and they were open in sharing that the pub is under new ownership and still finding its feet — which helped explain the chaos a bit.

One notable downside was the lack of a visible manager or supervisor to support the team, which really seemed necessary given how busy it was. The staff were doing their best, but they clearly needed backup.

Food-wise, while still fantastic, there have been some changes that returning customers might find disappointing. Vegetables and side dishes that were once served separately are now plated together, and the online menu no longer reflects what’s actually available. We had seen there was a side of pork scratchings on the website, so we were disappointed to find that not only had they removed the sides, but pork altogether. For a British gastro pub, where pork is often a staple of a traditional Sunday roast, it felt like a surprising omission. It would be great to see a more varied roast selection in future.

In summary, we really enjoyed the visit: great food, drinks, and atmosphere, with excellent staff doing their absolute best under pressure. With more staff support and updated menus to match what’s on offer, the Newbury Gastro Pub could easily become a top local spot under its...

Having just had a meal at The Newbury for my annual meet up with my best friend, I can honestly say we will not be returning. The service was unbelievably poor from the moment of booking a table. The initial waitress was vague and distant and our main waiter couldn’t recommend anything in the menu as he deemed it all too expensive! He clearly didn’t have a clue about any of the menu options and was too busy complaining about how tired he was from his other job!

We then had issues over my meal which, although delicious, consisted of about 2 mouthfuls. From the moment of complaining we were treated to evil looks from all staff members to constantly being asked to recount our experiences and what the problem was! The supervisor was only 3 days into the job and so had no comment to make and we could not have been made to feel more unwelcome! It’s sad because the food (from what I had) was delicious! Such poor service and sadly we will not be going...