The Windsor Castle — Restaurant in London

A Disappointing Experience at The Windsor Castle

Our party of 11 recently visited The Windsor Arms for a Sunday Roast, hoping for a delightful meal in their small courtyard garden. Unfortunately, our experience was anything but delightful.

To begin with, the beef was horrifically undercooked, so much so that a good vet could have probably revived the cow. It was also incredibly fatty, making it nearly inedible. Four of our party members ordered the beef, and most of it was left untouched.

The chicken was okay, though slightly dry. However, the service was a different story altogether. The waiters managed to get our orders wrong, initially forgetting to bring the roast lamb, mistakes happen and when we pointed this out they did bring the roast lamb out but then charged us for two on the final bill! Mistakes yes but ineptitude as well? However, to be fair the person in our party who ordered the fish & chips commented their meal was really enjoyable and the desserts, whilst small were also good.

Adding to the absurdity, we ordered two non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails) for the children. These were basically fruit juice, but we were told by the waiter that "company policy" does not allow them to serve fruit juice to children. This policy is frankly ridiculous.

While the pub itself is quite nice and located in a lovely area, the overall experience was marred by poor service and subpar food. Paying over £400, including a non-deductible service charge (according to the waiter) of £32, was particularly galling, especially since a bottle of water was accidentally knocked over onto one of our party by a staff member, and no replacement was offered.

We have previously enjoyed visits to other pubs in this chain, but this experience at The Windsor Arms was so disappointing that we are unlikely to return to any of them again. Spending over £400 for such poor service and bad food is not a risk we are willing to take again.

Extreme...

I wish I could rate the pub and the food separately. I'd say Pub 5 - Food 1 Bar has a lovely vibe, English charm, and a great selection of beers. Don't then dissapooint yourself and eat the food. You'll ruin your experience when you realise it's overpriced, poorly cooked and served by people who could care less. I booked a table on the website for 10 people on a Friday and turned out they didn't actually reserve me a table. We found another ourselves luckily so crisis averted. The starters of squid and scotch eggs were very good which seemed promising.

But the mains were where it fell flat. Not one person on the table (of 10) had a good meal. Which was embarrassing for me having suggested it on the merit of the bar and picking it for the weekend dinner! My burger which came to about £16 was so over cooked and bland I didn't bother eating half. (I have a big appetite) The only good dish that came out was the chicken pie. The staff seemed to have a lot of attitude and any comments were met with a bit of a sideways negative approach.

The food really is the standard you'd get at any old pub for £7. They charge high prices hoping everyone in the area will spend that regardless of the quality. But the reality is that Notting Hill has incredible food. And there's no excuse for a nice pub to serve this rubbish: There's the Churchill serving great Thai, Honest burger, E&O if you wanna be fancy, Eat Tokyo'a authentic sushi, the list goes on.

So as I said, just get drinks. You don't need great service to be given a beer or a glass of wine successfully. Take in the lovely ye olde charm of the venue but when you get hungry - go elsewhere, it's a big city with excellent choice from cheap eats to fine dining, and at this place you're just selling...

🚇 Notting Hill Gate 🍺 £5.85 Pravha ❤️ A charming old world West London pub. . The Windsor Castle is located in a peaceful street in upmarket Kensington. Agatha Christie lived just around the corner, I’m not sure if she ever popped in for sherry after scribing a novel but I would love to think she did. The nearest tube is Notting Hill Gate which is a five minute amble away. . This pub was built in 1830 and is Grade II listed. The building wouldn’t look out of place in a rural village and is unlike any other pub facade in London. . The interior of this pub has a Dickensian feel and is full of old world charm. There are beautiful Georgian wall panels throughout and be careful to watch your head on the partitions between bars. There are loads of comfy nooks and crannies to plot up in around the four different areas around the bar. At the back of the pub is a large covered beer garden for whatever the weather. . The beer choice is good, there were the usual suspects, a few craft options and cask for the cultured imbiber. My beer was ok, it had a bit of a twang but I’m not one to complain and necked it soon enough. Dining here is quite the intimate affair, the menu is pub classics, good old Fish & Chips costs £17. . The clientele was a mix of tourists checking out ye olde London pub and well to do locals. The atmosphere here was convivial and relaxed. The staff were very efficient, they were ran off their feet running food to tables inside and out to the garden. . The @windsorcastlew8 is full of old world charm and an intimate pub experience. I would definitely recommend a visit here and bring your other half, they will love it. . ℹ️ Info correct on...