I love The Waterway. It's a great place to hang out on a hot sunny day! The food is tasty and light but the location is the most incredible in London. I'm shocked to see such bad reviews of this place, then again, why write unless you have something to moan about :)

I had a lovely lunch on Saturday afternoon at The Waterway. The weather was hot so we were told the table would only be available for 2 hours which turned out to be plenty. The food was delicious - especially the beef burger (to be honest, we didn't really need starters, it was huge!). We had a lovely jug of Pimms & lemonade which was very fruity indeed then took a long walk along the canal - we really felt as though we had left London for the day and will definitely be returning to Little Venice and The Waterway!

Usually when I start reading a review that simply lists a range of small errors I think to myself, well either this reviewer is really picky or they just had bad luck. So I won’t do that in case you think the same as me as if you decide you still want to go to this pub/restaurant after reading my review then I have failed!
I can’t convey how badly we were treated or how massively disappointed we were. I was there on Saturday as part of a birthday lunch group. We were about 15 people and would have happily sat outside or inside drinking, eating and generally spending a lot of money all afternoon if we were allowed. Instead we were evicted out of our table promptly after mains due to supposedly loads of other bookings, forcing us to stand outside the pub. We were then continually harassed by a bulky bouncer to say we were not standing close enough to the wall even though we had nowhere else to stand. The menu was ridiculously overpriced and quite boring and limited and to make matters worse we then counted at least 5 tables that sat open with reserved signs on them for at least 2 hours while we longingly watched from the wall outside. Final straw was when we wanted to order a bowl of chips for a hungry 18month old baby (because we were thrown out before some of us could even order anything to eat!) only to be told we couldn’t because we weren’t at a table. When we then asked to sit at one of said tables, we were told that would not be possible either. Why stay that long, I hear you ask! Well the one redeeming feature was of course the great location that seems to give them the idea that good customer service is simply not a requisite! If we weren’t a large group that were popping in throughout the afternoon we would have left after the first drink (that took more than half an hour to get to us btw)!

Regardless, don’t want to dwell on the detail here, but suffice to say if there was an apocalypse tomorrow and this was the last pub standing...I would rather sit on

love this place!

a real show case of what a gastro pub should be. great location, attentive service, good food, wide selection of drinks all within a relaxed and informal space.

I go to the Waterway because it is local, it is a beautiful place and the customers are usually polite.
I can't say the same for the staff, who are often in a hurry, and only pay attention to you when they persistently ask if you want to order more drinks.
Prices are high (£ 4.80 for a pint of Peroni).
As I said I go there often (especially for the World Cup) because it is nice and local, otherwise I would not do it.

great service and atmosphere. waiter talked a little too much but was a nice guy! Not the cheapest place in the world but for the service and atmosphere well worth it.

We have eaten at the Waterway many times and until recently it was always good. Recently we booked a table for 8 people which inc two children aged 12 and 9. Hardly babies. But when we arrived at 8 m we were told they had to be off the premises by 9.30. This was ok as we figured we would be done by then. But we were annoyed that we had not been told in advance and it is not on their website. One of the starters had to be sent back as it was burnt. The white wine was warm and we had to ask for ice. The meal was ok until the end. By this stage we had had two bottles of wine, and 3 courses each so we had spent a lot of money. I noticed a female member of staff watching us and looking at her watch. We were at the stage having coffee. She then came over to me and asked us to leave as it was 9.20 pm. I explained that we would , if she gave us the bill. I was very upset at her attitude. We had guests with us and she was quite rude. She went on and on. My husband eventually went over to her and explained that she had no business coming up to me about the bill as the reservation was in his name. The evening was ruined by the service and I felt very upset by the whole thing. We eat all over France and children are welcomed everywhere. We now eat at the Aphrodite Tavern in Wesbourne Grove if we have guests with children. That is the place to go to. They make you feel so welcome.

We went to this pub on the hottest day of the year so far and what a disappointing experience! The general atmosphere was pleasant, the food was good but very average - nothing amazing considering the steep prices - but the staff were forgetful, really unfriendly and incredibly unhelpful. Not to mention having to ask for our drinks over and over again as our waitress would just forget to bring things!

We started off by ordering the brunch, served till 1pm. At 12.50 we called the waitress over to place the order and were told that no more orders for brunch were being taken. Firstly it was not yet 1pm and secondly if they were so busy they couldn't cope then it would have been nice to have been informed about brunch orders closing so we could have made the order in time. We were a large group and spent a lot of money with the restaurant. After being there a good couple of hours we asked if we could move to a free table in the shade as we had one of the only tables in the blazing sun and were all getting sun-burnt. The rather unaccommodating waitress told us she couldn't move us as the table was reserved. (all she needed to do was move us, clean our table and have another free table?!) You would think after the business we had given them they may have been slightly more friendly and accommodating but I guess this was just too much to expect from a place trying to establish a new, better image.

Shall not be going back or recommending The Waterway to anybody.

What at splendid evening we had. I reserved a table for three for 8pm last Wednesday. On arrival we were seated in the bar for beers while waiting for one of my friends who was late. The choice of beers was plentiful and the staff did not rush us to hurry up and take our seats.

When my continental friend arrived - apparently it’s fashionable to be late for dinner, he said - we were seated with a nice view over the waterway and were treated like we were the only diners in the whole building.

I had chicken confit, fois gras and prune roulade to start, braised lamb, (which was succulent), for the main and the mostly delicious British cheese I have ever tasted. (I strongly recommend the Oxford Isis for you cheese lovers.) All the food was faultless and one of the best takes on a British menu I have tasted. My friends had the same but took sweet desserts. After begging them to let me try them, I can say that they were top-notch!

I would suggest having the desert wines with your final course, the choice the waiter suggested was spot-on!

Throughout the evening the staff was wonderfully pleasant and the rosemary bread was promptly handed out when we asked for more. The cost of the whole meal was not too hefty either. The whole evening was well worth the trek from South London. I strongly recommended this place and I will definitely be going there again.

Matthew Hall, Rotherhithe, Southwark

Delightful experience all the way through! We had reserved a table for three for 8pm on a week night. First I thought gosh this is really full, but the staff treated us as if we were the only guests! - Promptly seated, water- and wineglasses never empty and the recommendations of the restaurant team in regards to wine and food were really good as well. Try the Mojito Martini as an aperitif cocktail - excellent. We then had starters, followed by lamb rump steak and duck, and a mix of deserts (chocolate tarte!). The quality, texture and taste of the food was really good. The lamb was simply delicious! (on ratatouille with pesto - would have never thought the combination works! But it certainly did very well)even the bread and butter was replenished promptly, and our lovely waitress even knew who had what bread. All in all, a dinner to remember and to be repeated asap!

A pity the weather wasnt better as i can imagine this would have made our experience even better but that cant be helped. are group had to sit inside due to being cold outside but this situation was rectified quickly. food was nice and the atmosphere was buzzy if a little loud at times. The little italian waitress we had was great, very pleaseant and attentive

had really nice dinner here the other evening, dont know what the other reviews are talking about! I come here all the time and always find staff to be friendly and attentive. Maybe the place isnt to everyones taste? but i always come back for more

I've never submitted a review for any venue, be it a good or bad experience, but I felt compelled to do so for the Waterway so potential customers aren't as disappointed as I was.
I booked a table for 6 and on the day of the booking received a call from a member of staff to confirm it was for 4. After correcting them and calling back an hour beforehand to ensure they had a table for 6 of us, we arrived to be told our table was for 4, not 6, on the terrace. Some scrabbling around ensued and we were seated at a table completely exposed to the elements (rain, wind, gloomy clouds) without much of an apology for their mistake. After a short game of musical tables we found a better spot but were then told we could only choose from the terrace menu, despite being informed on the phone by staff that the a la carte was available outside too. No apology for that either.
We got on with it in good humour but I have to say the service was lacking throughout - we ordered still water, we got sparkling, we waited at least 25 minutes between courses (they were completely under-staffed for a bank holiday) and our meals arrived at different times. The food was ok, certainly not reflective of the prices but not bad all the same. I think the Waterway's problem lies in poor management, inconsistent communication and overworked staff. The food pales into comparison as a result. I'd say don't bother going.

Its difficult to recount how poor this Restaurant was, from dirty glasses to a waiter needing 3 return journey's to remind himself what we ordered to drink, the experience was just terrible.

I had planned on a good night out, but was extremely let down by the quality of service and food at the Waterway. We were seated at 7:30pm as per our booking, spent the first 5 minutes trying to communicate with the rude and disinterested waiter and after placing our order waited an hour and a half for our mains, which were highly average and not worth the price at all.

Worst of all, after complaining about the service, we received no apology or gesture and the bill arrived with 12.5% service charge included.

Would not go back and I'd advise you not to either

We had dinner there last night.
Starters were fabulous, I had a salad with rabbit, endive and dates which was perfectly balanced and tasty, my friends had the goat cheese beignet, the ham hock with foie gras terrine and the chargrilled squid which they said were also really nice.
Mains: we had to wait for quite long between the two course, but after the starters we didn't mind it as we were expecting something very special. We had the venison which was perfectly cooked and mouthwatering, and the black bream which was fair for the price however I was really unlucky with my choice. I had the wild mushroom lasagna with rocket salad, and I have to say the best thing on the plate were the rockets. There wasn't any sauce between the layers, only a few slices of mushrooms, the side and the bottom of the lasagna was dry and rock hard, the cheese on the top was burnt I couldn't cut it with my knife, and tasted like raw pasta with no seasoning whatsoever... I really thing it was just a very unlucky choice mixed with the chefs worst day, however I did not enjoy my main course at all! I was going to send it back but couldn't be bothered knowing how long will it take...
Drinks: the non alcoholic cocktails were superb, the wine list is appealing and fairly priced, but my friend had a bloody mary which unfortunately was very weak, watery and tasteless. We didn't want to risk the desserts...
On top of that, the service was slow and I know it is not really the restaurants fault but one of the waitresses smelt very strongly (and badly), which was very disturbing for us even though we do have strong stomachs.
Overall, Very disappointing! It could have been a fantastic evening and dining experience, but the few but very big mistakes ruined it. I give 2 stars because my friends really enjoyed the venison and the starters were superb.

£14.05 for a hamburger (service inc). Get serious this is a ripoff! Service is appalling! The bar staff are painfully slow.

I had a great time at The Waterway.Staff was very helpful, the food was delicious and we had an amazing view on the canal too!

Ridiculously over priced! You will pay £10 for a salad which arrives looking more like a £2 salad. The staff seem very disorganised.
However, the location is great, 2 min walk from Warwick Ave tube and the views of the river are lovely...if you can afford these prices take a two min strole down the canal to the Boathouse; same pleasant views and food worthy a hefty price tag!

I love The Waterway and go there two or three times a week. But only for one reason - the location.



The Waterway has the worst barmen in the world. It takes 40 minutes for a drink, its not the one you ordered half the time (last week my bottle of corona became a gin and tonic) and you are never charged the same amount twice.

The Waterway is a fantastic venue, with a great atmosphere and gorgeous cocktails. It is a big shame about the service. 15 minutes to get served at the bar, and then awfully rude staff.



This happened not once, but every time we went to the bar. Waterway Bar staff - get some manners - you'll do this place a big favour.

A lot of peple had recommended the Waterway to me so along with a few friends, we decided to give it a go. Amazingly we did get a table without a booking although we didn't complain about the 40 min wait and getting drinks was quite an adventure. At the end of a delicious meal (some of which didn't in fact arrive) we checked our bill to see that the 2 entrees we didn't receive were actually billed, along with a rather expensive bottle of wine.
So I would say, that dinner was fab, the waiting was hell and the bill a killer. All was corrected however and we will give The Waterway another go, just incase it was just an off night