The Winchmore Pub — Restaurant in London

I can only assume people who praise Winchmore Sunday lunches have not had any better ones, which is shocking. Let’s start at the beginning.

I emailed the pub to book a table for 2 to celebrate my daughter’s 11th birthday. She loves Sunday dinners so I thought i’d surprise her by taking her to a nice place for one. What a mistake. I picked the pub based on reviews I read, which was a mistake. They must be all left by friends.

I had to ring to book the table as no one got back to me in 24 hours. Upon arrival we were sat next to a table of 5 or 6 kids?? As well as a massive party table of maybe 20+ guests. Not ideal as you are left to feel like an intruder in someone else’s party. We waited 15 mins to get the menus. When asked if we wanted any drinks we had to explain the staff we did not see the drinks’ menu yet.

Having ordered we were told they were out of Appeltiser. Should have been explained before we picked it as a drink.

The sausage and mash and the Sunday roast we ordered were substandard. I, a person who never cooks, could cook it better. The mash resembled glue and the peas were cold. The poussan dinner I got was the size of a child portion - for £15 I expect what I get in Islington, a portion that fills me up for a day with all the trimmings! Seasoning was off on both dishes, Yorkshire puddings were disgusting - dry and solid with the gravy weak and runny. The meat was covered in herbs to the point it was hardly palatable. I would never ever go back or recommend the pub and not just for the food. The toilets were freezing as was the pub - is it so hard to get some heating going especialy as you have so many families visiting? With newborns?

My daughter ordered desert which came swimming in oil and with tea spoons to eat it with. This is just bizzarre. The bill never came so I went to the bar to pay. Poor, very poor service. The staff were genuinely nice and friendly but the stuff they were serving really...

The pub quiz at The Winchmore is fantastic – the quiz master is brilliant, and the atmosphere is always great fun. If you’re a quiz enthusiast, this is definitely the place to be!

However, I’ve had consistent issues with how tabs are managed here. After an initial experience where unexpected items appeared on a tab, I decided never to set up a tab again. Since then, I never open tabs, yet problems still arise. For example, today I double-paid for drinks because staff claimed there were unpaid items, only to later find out they’d already been settled.

The staff were very understanding and refunded me, but this has made me realise just how much I’ve likely overpaid in the past due to tab-related issues on their side. My advice: ensure no tab is ever set up at The Winchmore pub. Always pay as you go, request a receipt, and if a team member offers to bring drinks to the table after payment, decline and confirm that all drinks have been properly paid and cleared on the till.

I wish I could leave separate reviews for the quiz (5 stars!) and the pub’s payment system (0 stars). Great quiz, lovely staff, but the tab management / pay as you go needs...

I was driving and looking for a place to eat when I drove past the pub and decided to try it out. I found a parking space on a street nearby and parked my car there. I had just finished a dental appointment and was very hungry 😋 I walked to the pub and was greeted by a friendly waitress who led me to a sit and gave me the menu options. She ran through the specials and asked me what I would like to eat. I placed my order and then she asked if I wanted a drink. I asked for a cup of cappuccino which was brought promptly. I had ribs and sweet potatoes with coleslaw which was so lovely and tasted so good. The coffee was lovely too and the almond biscuits were lovely too! I asked for another one and the waitress gave it to me for free! My experience was so nice and I will be returning with friends and family. The ambience was cool and relaxing 😌 A dog was sitting around me but I wasn't sure if I could pat or stroke it so I let it be. It looked friendly. My impromptu visit was worth it. The meal wasn't expensive and I was very happy with...