Croxtons Kitchen & Tap House — Restaurant in Portsmouth

AVOID if you have any allergens / intolerances!

I visited Croxton’s on 31 July around late morning with my friend. We went in, I told the waitress (Tasmin) I need gluten free food. As a sufferer of coeliac, this is not just a fad sadly but rather an unpleasant and uncomfortable intolerance. I ordered a breakfast dish and requested it to be gluten free (the menu stated the dish ‘GFA’) by providing a gluten free bread alternative. The meal arrived, I double checked it was gluten free bread it Tasmin confirmed it WAS definitely gluten free. I started eating, the bread was very nice… I ate it all. I asked the other waiter (Keiran) who approached us for more bread. This eventually arrived and I asked him again what bread it was, if it gluten-free, as it seemed too good to be gluten free. He said he wasn’t sure but would check - Kieran then came back and told me it WAS gluten free. I asked him to find out what brand it was… he never came back.

At the end of the meal, when we decided this definitely can’t be gluten free bread… we went to the till to pay. I asked Keiran again for the brand of bread he’d given us. He stumbled ‘bl-bl-bloomer’. I said, no that’s a type of bread not a make but don’t worry I’ll ask the kitchen myself. Keiran looked visibly shocked & worried - like a deer caught in headlights! Odd.

I went to the kitchen, the chef told me he categorically had no gluten free bread and he TOLD both the waitress (Tasmin) and the waiter (Keiran) this.

The chef came out to speak to them both and they wouldn’t even turn around / look at either of us / wouldn’t apologise. The chef was visibly embarrassed and actually told them it was gluten free but they outright LIED again and again and again! Each time they bought the bread out, each time I queried it, when I asked for the brand.

If I remember correctly, they even tried to charge me at the end as it was the chef who said no they’re not paying.

AVOID at all costs - shame as it’s a in a great location!

I’ve since tried to contact the team on multiple occasions to discuss this however I’ve been avoided for over a week. Leaving a bad review is not how I wanted to approach this but last resort. I WILL also be reporting to the Food Standards Agency & Portsmouth...

Paella Palooza

I have some HEALTH & SAFETY CONCERNS regarding this restaurant.

Been there for breakfast and apart from the fact that portions are very small, (except for the breakfast bun that comes with a little bit more food), i am truly concern about Health & Safety. I do not believe this restaurant is following the right protocols.

I ordered the avocado on toast and came with a big mushroom, a bit too much salt on it but nice anyway. Half through the breakfast, the paper they have put between the food and the plate started to melt and some pieces of melted wet paper ended on my mouth.

Taking into consideration that this is a printed paper (with chemicals on it) not sure why this is put together with food.

NOTHING EXTRA SHOULD BE ON THE PLATE IF YOU CAN NOT EAT IT!! it is as simple as that.

I dont think I am coming back, overprice food and as above, very concerning.

Replying back to your reply: The waitress just did 25% off the bill just for this incident. It is obvious that you don't even know what is going on in your restaurant because my dish came with a paper!! Why would I lie about something so serious? I should have taken a picture.

It is very clear to me that you don't care about customers'safety, so probably a call to the proper authorities so they can come and make you a visit...

Congratulations to the kitchen, we had a very tasty meal there, which fortunately made the experience relatively good.

However, the service was disappointing. When a friend ordered a Heineken 0.0%, they were first offered a dirty glass, and then it turned out the Heineken wasn't cold.

These things can happen, we understand that such a 0.0% beer might not be ordered often and the fridge might not be fully stocked with these. When this was pointed out and a solution requested, the 'solution' provided was unacceptable. The beer glass was taken away without any explanation, and after about 10-15 minutes without beverage, we had to ask if there was already sight on a solution. My friend was then served another Heineken 0.0%, at that time not even finding it strange that it was already in a glass. When this one also turned out to be warm, we received the response, "Strange, we just put it in the fridge for 10 minutes!"

Can you really take this seriously?

The waitress clearly struggled to hide her displeasure that we didn't accept the previous incidents, and once the bill (for 10 people) was settled, she didn't even wait until we left to start gossiping about us to her colleague.

A very strange experience where one waitress seriously lowers the overall standard of the whole...