The Barge — Restaurant in Milton Keynes

We visited The Barge about a year ago having not been since just after lockdown. We we told they'd just reopened the kitchen following a refurb. As a result half the menu was unavailable (we were not told about this upon booking), even down to not having Mayonnaise. We spoke with the manager who apologised and we agreed as it had been a one off we would return.

This return visit was for Sunday dinner last weekend. On arrival we waited to be seated, after being ignored for over 5 minutes, we asked a member of staff if someone could seat us to no response. We were then informed there were no roasts left, at 4:30 pm. We were further told the pork belly was unavailable. We ordered our food and 20 minutes later were told the calamari and scotch egg was also unavailable and had to amend our order. Starters were enjoyable but an excessively long wait followed by an even longer wait for the mains. Two of the mains had to be returned. The lamb was overcooked and mainly fat, the second time it was the opposite end of the scale and pretty much raw. Whilst the dish was remade the side were left at the table to go cold. The duck pizza seriously lacked duck, 4 onion slices, no hoisin sauce and minimal tomato sauce and cheese. The pizza was left on the table whilst more duck was cooked, when the duck arrived the pizza was cold and couldn't be cut. Neither meal was eaten. Having complained we then received the bill to which we find hasd items we did not received on.

To top it off this "pub" even ran out of two drinks we were having half way through the meal. We will never return, truly...

📍 Sunday Roast Review: The Barge – Milton Keynes

Rating: 7.6/10

Located by the peaceful surroundings of Campbell Park, The Barge is a great spot to recharge after a weekend stroll — and their Sunday roast is solid, though not spectacular.

🍽️ The Roast

We went for the trio of meats:

Beef,

Turkey breast,

Pork belly.

Each was sliced decently thick — not paper-thin like in some pubs — and came with a few nice touches:

Pigs in blanket,

Bacon-wrapped stuffing ball,

And a crackling shard for that crispy pork crunch.

Meat quantity wasn’t huge, especially at £23.50, which is on the higher end, but still reasonable for what was served.

🥕 Veg & Sides

Veggies were basic: potatoes, peas with cabbage and a single roasted carrot and parsnip — small in number, but we really liked the taste.

We also ordered:

Cauliflower cheese – served boiling hot, with loads of sauce but surprisingly mild on cheese flavour.

Gravy – light and smooth, but we’d have preferred it thicker.

Pigs in blankets – fine, but nothing memorable.

🌿 The Experience

Overall, The Barge offers a satisfying roast in a relaxed setting. It’s not one to bring someone you’re trying to impress — but it’s a nice option for locals or if you're already enjoying Campbell Park and want a hearty meal to end the walk.

Verdict: ✅ Better than average ✅ Good presentation ❌ Sides and veg could be improved ❌ Pricey for what you get

Not top-tier, but a comfortably enjoyable...

The portion sizes were too small. Overpriced! The young female manager on duty made it worse by responding with a scripted reply, blaming “head office”

I was recommended this place and was very excited to try a new place, with guests from overseas. We regularly eat at Willen Lake but fancied a change so, we walked to Woolstone. The bar staff was friendly and accommodated our booking. Our waitress was lovely and the food quality was great except the burnt kids lasagne, leaving my son with very little to eat. When our Fish n Chips arrived, I was left with the thought “where’s the rest of it!” For the price they put on, it didn’t do it justice at all. I was apprehensive as I thought that it might just look small on a big plate but once I finished it, I was left feeling dissatisfied. When I was spoken to by the manageress, she seemed to have gained her customer service skills from a robot - giving a scripted response, blaming head office explaining that there was nothing she could do! This made the experience worse as I explained that the portion sizes were just too small, she repeated herself saying there was ‘nothing she could do’ and continued to blame “head office”

(Something will need to change about her attitude)

I would only recommend this place if you are looking for an experience of a great atmosphere and friendly environment with great table service but don’t expect to be wowed by the food...