Warbler on the Wharf — Restaurant in Milton Keynes

UPDATE - May 2023 I often visit this place for lunch or the occasional drink and but I have to say despite this establishment having been open for some time now the staff still don’t know how to pull a pint. Although the beer tastes excellent, every time I order a pint (Country Bitter) without fail the staff put it on the counter expecting me to take it away with a ridiculously large head and by the time it settles is probably only about two thirds of a pint. I will always make them top it up but I see many people walking away with short measures? Also, the menu has changed recently but, in my opinion, not for the better as the light lunch menu now only offers toasted sourdough sandwiches. I ordered the Hummus & roasted vegetable sandwich which supposedly consisted of smoked aubergine, roasted red onion, baby gem lettuce, however, what I received looked like just a thin slice of aubergine, and looked awful, unappetising and tasted bland and certainly not worth £9. I complained to the waitress but only received a shrug of the shoulders with a “sorry about that” comment. This is a wonderful pub in a fantastic location but needs to improve on bar staff training and hopefully a better lunch menu in future. Fantastic location with wonderful views of the canal. The pub itself is wonderfully laid out and looks superb. Not eaten here yet so cannot comment but my only negative is the the bar staff seemed very inexperienced and have no idea how to pull a pint, had to wait 5 minutes for it to settle by which time it was only two thirds full so asked for it to be topped up, however, other customer walked away with theirs like this clearly with...

Stunning venue, great central location, outstanding customer service from staff.

I visited with some friends, on a very busy Friday evening. To give an idea of how busy it was, every table was occupied, and the car park and road up to the venue was full.

Inside the venue, the décor is super modern following the current industrial fad. With that being said, it certainly wasn't an uncomfortable environment, quite cozy actually. The owners have done an outstanding job here.

The staff were all very attentive and friendly the entire time we were there.

There is a brilliant selection of drinks, pretty much a bit of everything to keep at least every sort of person happy.

Food wise, I wasn't at all impressed. Remember at the start of the review I mentioned how busy it was? Well the food came to us incredibly quick. If I had timed it, it must have taken all of 10 minutes (order placed, to the food being served.) To most people, this probably wouldn't be an issue. But given the large mixture of food we had ordered, it became apparent that the food had been previously prepared and then reheated. Unfortunately this method of food prep had caused parts of our meals to become tough. If otherwise it wasn't reheated, we had tough bits of meat and vegetables that fall quite below the standard I would expect considering the price of each item. The desserts however, were delicious.

For me, I see this more as a drink and dessert 'bar'. If the food was a little more fresh, I would have no issues giving this a 5 star review. They nailed practically everything...

We had 9 arranged to meet but wasn't certain on food until after we arrived. I was one of the last to turn up with the fam already enjoying drinks at the bar and we were led to our table in an ideal spot on the 2nd floor at the back. The atmosphere was good, with another larger party up top and staff looking productive and unflustered, it was a good vibe.

The menu and food has always been decent at the Warbler and Sunday was no different but the service needs to be acknowledged (I think it was Natalie?*/Katie.. they called the crab salad 'crabasparagus!' 😂) They were polite, warm and personable without being overbearing which was ideal for the situation as many of the party had never met and were getting to know one another for the first time. Everything was well timed and when the food came out they were quick to grab all the condiments requested whilst we bothered them to take a photo xD

The 4 stars is literally because I can't put 4.5 and is down to the Yorkshire's being too crisp and a little light on the crab in the salad (relative to other dishes despite the protein choice it almost looked out of place) but this really is a minor and again the back of house and it could be spec. The beef and chicken roasts were generously portioned and was cooked beautifully, it's a solid Sunday.

If you haven't been, go! It's a robust venue, lively, scenic and a great third space from anything from a quiet pint in the sun or 2/3 course gathering with loved ones (top...