The Cock and Bottle — Restaurant in London

We found The Cock and Bottle quite by chance. We peered into the pub and saw a number of empty tables. This is usually not a good sign for us. We entered anyway. From entering, the staff couldn't have been more welcoming and friendly. We soon found a table. The C&B didn't appear busy because many tables had been reserved. Drinks and meals were quickly ordered and the drinks soon arrived at the table shortly after. We all opted for Sunday Lunch, ordering different meats. We certainly weren't prepared for the size of the Yorkshire puddings. Who says the Southerners can't make Yorkshire Puddings. We're from North Yorkshire. The Puddings were impressive. The meal was the best Lunch I had tasted in a very long time. The bill was the same as other outlets in the area. The service was first class. By the time we left the pub was filling up nicely. So glad we ventured in. Thank you Cock & Bottle.

UPDATE MAY 2025 Sometimes it is a concern revisiting a site. Especially when the first visit was so exceptional. We need not have worried. In fact, the second visit surpassed the initial visit. Knowing how busy the C&B was on our first visit, we took the best option and booked a table. Rather than just wing it like our first visit. Like us, a few tables had been reserved. This was not a problem. It was permissible to use the table until the upcoming reservation time. Times which were clearly stated. We were soon shown to our table. Drinks were soon ordered and we were left to peruse the menu. We soon decided. As if intuitively the server sensed we were ready to order. It wasn't long before we were faced with a Sunday lunch which outdid our first visit. The beef was sublime and tasted even better than it looked. The Yorkshire Puddings were massive, and the veg was prepared to perfection. One of our party of three chose chicken. It literally fell off the bone it was cooked so perfectly. It was pleasing to see one of our namesake had a room named after them within the building.The Sutherland Room. We managed to have a chat with the owner. She had a wealth of information and was an exceptional guide for us. She informed us of the star status of the pub. With a connection to 'Killing Eve' and a certain artist called 'Banksy '. I will leave it for you to quiz the landlady when you visit. It was an exceptionally tasty lunch in such a pleasant atmosphere. We were so glad we revisited. Thank you all at The Cock and Bottle. We will meet...

Avoid the fish & chips ⚠️

First time in this pub despite living In the area for 15 years. Ordered fish and chips and a pint of pilsner at 5.30pm.

Beer was fine (You can’t really go too far wrong with that) food arrived, fish batter looked a little weird but that’s fine everything looked good…

Chips were great, peas fine, Fish however started to taste funny and I thought it was maybe the tartrate sauce, it wasn’t, tried again without and tasted odd. I then smelt the fish, it was overly pungent and just not right at all, I order fresh fish every week, I know what fresh fish should smell like and this wasn’t it.

I pointed this out to a member of their staff and then was seen to by another staff member, explained the situation and immediately they seemed pretty unaccommodating, I just wanted a refund, that is all, and explained I only wanted to sort this matter out there in a reasonable way, he told me they couldn’t give a refund and only a part refund, I then asked again for a full refund, this is only fair given my complaint. Their chef and manager apparently said nothing was wrong and the fish was in a fresh batch and that they had served 15 portions already that day, that’s fine I said but maybe this one was off, it happens, but they still were militant in denying me any sort of refund and basically I was wrong. The customer was wrong? What happened to the customer being right?! I was hungry all I wanted was fish and chips, I left most of the chips and peas and had only around a quarter of the fish. They still played the ‘oh you ate half of it” card which I didn’t, it was a quarter at the most.

At this point I was so perplexed, just give a customer a refund - but no, these guys were not being at all reasonable. They said I could have a part refund then refused that and offered me a dessert or another pint, I didn’t want to stay in this place any minute longer, I came for an early dinner and a pint, not a dessert or two pints. The fact is I should have been refunded for my food as simple as that. I then wouldn’t need to resort to a negative review. On the way home I bought a takeaway fish and chips and low and behold it didn’t smell weird or off, fish smelt fresh and tasted fine.

I don’t know if this place was always like this but I will never go back here and I’ll tell everyone I know to avoid...

A distressing experience on what should have been a special evening I don’t usually leave negative reviews, but I feel compelled to share my recent experience at this pub, which unfortunately turned what was meant to be a joyful celebration into a very upsetting evening. My husband booked a table in the restaurant area for my 50th birthday. We understood it was a busy day and didn't expect perfection, but what unfolded was far below acceptable for any standard of hospitality. We arrived at 6:20 pm for our 6:30 pm reservation, hoping to greet our guests and settle in. To our surprise, we had to push through a packed entrance and chaotic bar area, only to find our reserved tables still occupied by other patrons casually drinking and watching the match. There was no preparation to suggest that a booking had been made. After speaking with a staff member, the area was eventually vacated but not set up properly. Chairs were missing, tables were randomly arranged, and the children’s table was inexplicably placed right by the busy drinks service area. Despite requesting starters to be served at 7:00 pm, drinks service was painfully slow, and many guests waited far too long to even place an order. By 9:15 pm, we were still waiting for desserts, despite asking for them multiple times. The most concerning incident of the evening was when a glass was accidentally smashed near my 12-year-old son. He ended up with shards of glass in his hair and hoodie yet no member of staff came over to check on him or offer an apology. It was deeply upsetting. I left the venue feeling completely distressed. I couldn’t eat my meal, and the entire evening felt disorganised and mismanaged. It was painfully clear the pub was overwhelmed, having allowed far more people in than it could reasonably accommodate all while failing to support both the general crowd and a booked function. This was meant to be a milestone birthday, and instead I couldn’t wait to leave. I genuinely hope the management reflects on how poorly this was handled and takes steps to prevent this from happening to...