The Kings Head

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#9 of 75 Restaurants in Stamford££ - £££, Bar, British, Vegetarian friendly

+44 1780 753510+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

12:00 - 20:00

Wed

12:00 - 22:00

Thu

12:00 - 22:00

Fri

12:00 - 23:00

Sat

12:00 - 23:00

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

521 reviews

#9 of 75 Restaurants in Stamford

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Bar, British, Pub, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

“Fantastic, just what a pub should be, great beers and good food”

“Best fish and chips EVER”

Special Occasion Dining, Romantic

“... coming here for at least 6 years pre and post covid for our anniversary.”

Location and contact

19 Maiden Lane, Stamford PE9 2AZ England

+44 1780 753510

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Can a vegan person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

PRICE RANGE

£4.00 – £11.00

CUISINES

Bar, British, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Mastercard, Visa, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

521 reviews

Excellent

358

Very good

105

Average

Poor

Terrible

Susan S

Weldon14 contributions

Fabulous pub and great lunch

Aug 2020 • couples

We visited today and were at first apprehensive about paying before we got there - but really shouldn't have worried. The landlord has gone above and beyond to make sure his staff and customers are safe during the Covid-19 crisis, leading to a relaxed and very enjoyable couple of hours. The food was served quickly and was really tasty - the beer was also very good, and we were happy to be served with recommendations from a very knowledgeable landlord. We will certainly be back, and would not hesitate to recommend this quaint and classy pub.

Written 22 August 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

marriedcouple32

Northampton126 contributions

Simply perfect...

Aug 2020 • couples

We enjoyed a bottle of their French Sauvignon and then decided on a light lunch...their ploughman's board is just perfect. No scotch egg today but instead some delicious home cooked ham and hand cut chips to die for....not any frozen specimens to be found here. This is a very pretty small pub beside the Church just off of the equally pretty shopping area. It is a family a run establishment with a lovely atmosphere and a genuine care for their customers...two super cheerful guys..busy and nice. Good Covid track and trace system in place and hand sanitizers around the pub/restaurant. We didn't book but were easily accommodated as it was early doors. However, later during service it may be difficult to get a table if they have been pre booked. This is such a pretty and quaint pub..oozing charm and history and we would highly recommend a visit.

Written 23 August 2020

Rachael

21 contributions

Lovely pub with friendly staff

Oct 2020 • family

We visited this pub today with our 9 month old baby and big dog. The staff went above and beyond to make sure that we had everything we needed including some doggie treats and some extra strawberries as a treat for our little girl. The food was also really yummy and the ambience of the pub was really chilled and relaxing! Great pub with amazing staff - thank you :)

Written 2 October 2020

Ziporina

24 contributions

Not good!

Sept 2020 • none

Visited at about 13.00pm today . My friend and I wanted a Sunday lunch and thought this may be ok as we had been before and it was ok . We were offered a garden table as the pub is small and all inside tables appeared taken. We ordered drinks.We both had a roast dinner ,mine was chicken my friends was beef . When it came it looked dreadful,I have no words to describe it.The roast potatoes were a dreadful dark colour,no cutting through those. Chicken over cooked and dry as old boots, and the cabbage was an indescribable mess on the side ! It looked awful and tasted awful,I really cannot say the meal had anything going for it at all. My friends beef was full inedible fat and gristle. Both meals came out cold , A young lady waitress said it was cold because we were eating outside .! That was a ridiculous thing to say to a customer and a poor excuse. I have to say thank goodness I was not taking my French friend out for Sunday lunch.I would not like her to think that this is what a Sunday lunch is in the UK! If a pub can’t make an excellent attempt at cooking food ( it was expensive for one course )then they should stop presenting it. I have had rubbish meals but nothing as bad as this.Absolutely nothing on the plate was pleasant to look at or to eat.

Written 20 September 2020

789stea

First i would like to take a moment to thank you for your detailed response. whilst i wasnt in the buisness on sunday i certainly heard about the only customer to claim our sunday roast was inedible. Im sorry you didnt feel able to share with us at the time what was so terribly wrong with our roast. we love hearing detailed feedback because it keeps us on our toes and of course everybody has room for improvement! If you had taken the time to explain to us on the day we could have rectified the issues and either replaced your meal or made amends in some way. unfortunately you decided to eat your meals and then shout at our guests who were being seated that they should go home and not eat with us. We are a small family run business and take pride in everything that we do, especially the fact that nearly every penny you spend with us goes back into the local stamford economy, this is why your meal is priced as it is. unfortunately since covid we have had to change and evolve quickly, which means we do only get things right. on a fresh & breezy day like the sunday you were eating with us we have found that food gets cold so much quicker and due to your comments we have decided to push forward our plans to buy overhead waterproof covers to ensure our guests are kept comfortable and happy. after viewing your other comments about dining in other establishments i can see that you have extordinary expectations, usually i would find this a challenege and invite you back to dine with us again. however your behaviour was unaceptable and i am still shaking my head in disbelief that you feel it is acceptable to shout at other guests who have come to dine with us telling them not to bother. I wish you all the best for the future and hope that you find a great eatery to attend with your french friends, my french brother in law raves about our roasts and comes regularly.

Written 21 September 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

vjlawrence

Kuala Lumpur14 contributions

Brilliant pub, excellent food

Jun 2021 • friends

Came here with some friends for a meal on a Saturday night. Lovely, cosy atmosphere with a real buzz. Tables all full, lovely friendly staff. I'm told the craft ales were fantastic, and I can definitely say that the food was incredible. Bavette steak was perfectly cooked, full of flavour and very tender ; freshly-homemade burgers with different toppings... Really great place to come.

Written 23 June 2021

Maxdeuk

Oakham598 contributions

A very excellent lunch

Oct 2020 • none

Stopped for a quick drink and a snack but was persuaded by the simple but elegant choices on the menu to have a proper lunch. Tuna nicoise was excellent and fish and chips perfectly cooked and presented. That last time I ate here was a few years ago when the choice was very limited. This was just great food and great value. Compliments to all the team.

Written 17 October 2020

Twotoneskaman

Chatham2767 contributions

Unable to book for lunch by telephone when in the area.

Jun 2021 • none

We were on holiday at Landal Rockingham Forest Park and had identified the Kings Head as a restaurant that we would have liked to visit for lunch. Whilst in Stamford we rang to see if they had any tables available for lunch but later found out by email the following:- " we apologise that we do not answer the phone, it rings constantly whether it be enquiries or to inherit billions from a nigerian prince and so we took the decision to only deal with emails", and that " although children are welcome we don't provide highchairs as space is at a premium". This is all well and good but when you are on holiday and are in the area and just want to ring to see if a table is available it really just does not work! We are pleased that you are fortunate enough to be able to ignore potential telephone bookings, especially during these challenging times due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Written 12 June 2021

ste a

during these challenging times it is also unreasonable to assign a member of staff to constantly answer the phone with bookings requests or with spam calls about energy supply or covid loans which is what the comedic nod is refrencing to in regards the billionaire prince.... no matter what protection we put on phone the calls are ceaseless..... what actually challenges us more is the the circa 25% bookings who dont actually turn up becasue they have booked on a whim or multiple places, they actually cause our business more damage. what you have decided to omit from this review is the fact the auto response email (which we set up because we recieve over 50 a day) explains that we only book 30 % of our tables which allows for walk ins. in regards to the highchairs, if you actually knew the size of our place you would totally understand the policy regarding prams and highchairs ur review comes across as bitter and entitled, one thing i'd like to correct you on though is we are not a restaurant, we have no dining area....we are a pub. wow 2 stars just because we dont answer the phone. i'm kind of glad you chose elsewhere in the end

Written 14 June 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Tavs

Loughborough85 contributions

Great food, more fries please.

Jul 2021 • solo

Excellent pub in the heart of Stamford. Good range of craft beers and great food. I had a burger which was served with a small amount of fries which was stated on the menu. Only reason I gave 4* because I would have liked more of fries because they were delicious. Oh good service too.

Written 23 July 2021

Richard B

Kent74 contributions

Light lunch

Sept 2021 • none

Popped into this pub while on a day trip. Found the staff friendly and attentive, seated straight away and told of any unavailable dishes straight away. Had no issues with items not available - been similar in other places too recently. Nice to see somewhere support local business not use the usual large corp suppliers. food and drink arrived at the table promptly, the steak and ribs dishes were cooked well and looked very nice on the board. drinks and food were enjoyed by all and would have no hesitation in recommending this pub for drinks or food to anyone visiting the area.

Written 18 September 2021

Richard P

Northamptonshire109 contributions

A disappointment

Apr 2022 • friends

Over rated. We arranged to meet friends for lunch one Saturday and what a disappointment. A limited menu that's a few pub classics plus burgers plus sandwiches. I had the burger with blue cheese topping and what a pity. It says on the menu that it comes with a small portion of fries: I can't fault them for accuracy!! The burger looked like a mass produced type and it tasted burnt. Pretty poor. The beer selection was good but was not well kept and tasted rank. I switched to bottled after 1. Would I visit again? No

Written 2 April 2022

ste a

As a team we're mortified we didn't meet your expectations today left you with the impression that we're overrated. Our menu is small and compact because our kitchen is equally small and compact. A smaller menu ensures that we have no food wastage which is not only a great impact on our environment but also a great impact for everyone cost wise as we don't need to push our costs higher to cover the waste. Our burgers our freshly made to our requirements by a local butcher. We have many recent tripadvisor reviews that contradict your taste. Our beer reputation wins us awards by CAMRA, we are renown locally for keeping tip top beer and ales. We are always happy to replace sub standard beer if there is ever a situation that somebody is delivered beer which does not keep to our high standards, this can sometimes happen if the cask ale is coming close to the end of the barrel and is very common in all pubs. We are sorry if you couldn't feel like voicing your concerns on the day but any feedback would have been more appreciated face to face, rather than after the fact so that we can rectify any issues and ensure you have a good visit with us. We obviously didn't meet your expectations but we're glad we have reviews that contradict your opinion.

Written 8 April 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Richard B

4 contributions

Quick lunch while visiting...

Sept 2021 • family

Visited for lunch, though not all dishes on the menu were not available, we were told before we ordered so was not an issue, food arrived promptly and was very nice. Staff were friendly and attentive. Happy to recommend to any visitors to Stamford.

Written 10 September 2021

Christopher D

Autun4 contributions

Good pub food

Mar 2020 • family

Went for lunch and expected a full restaurant menu and were initially a bit disappointed because the menu was mostly light dishes with just a few full meals. However, what we had was excellent, great fish and chips and a well presented main course salad. A pleasant ambience and good service. A

Written 13 March 2020

MauriceMiner

Stamford105 contributions

Book, order, relax, enjoy- or just GO!

Jul 2020 • none

In our first evening venture into Stamford in the “new normal”, this was a great evening. We thought it would be busier but booked easily on the day and had a relaxed and safe visit. Ste and his team have thought through the restrictions and processes and made the whole drinking and dining experience as good as ever, if different in how you order and socialise. The food (we had steak, fish and chips, puds) was as great as ever and good to know the main ingredients are locally sourced. The beers are the highlight for me- Ste doesn’t just stock beers he curates them. A great selection of very fine ales on draught and in cans and bottles. I enthusiastically partook of several pints of Kazbek IPA and was very attractive by the end of the evening. My advice is to go on the website, book, (nice touch to chose your table by its picture), preorder food, and just relax when you get there.

Written 27 July 2020

Patricia E

1 contribution

Not great

Jan 2022 • friends

I read a number of reviews saying how great this pub is - well we must have gone on a bad day. The pub does have a lovely atmosphere & the staff were pleasant. Unfortunately the food was not very good at all. One of us had the bavette steak which had to be sent back as it required further cooking & I realise this is down to personal taste but, when it came back to our table altho the meat was fine there were no fries which had been there when it went into the kitchen. Two of us had the fish & chips - the chips were dreadful, almost burnt to a cinder, ate a few left plenty, fish was ok but nothing special. Would consider going in here again but not to eat.

Written 21 January 2022

Julie H

March11 contributions

Ok if a local it seems

Sept 2021 • couples

Popped into here for a Sunday roast at 2pm. Hadn’t booked as they only take bookings via email and they state on website only 33% of tables are booked so welcome to drop in. Was told there a table available but were no Sunday roasts left for the day. Was disappointed and said we had wanted a Sunday roast but was ok as they had obviously been busy and we would have a quick drink. Not 5 mins later a gentleman arrived with a dog and sat on the next table to us and wanted a roast dinner only to be told they had 1 available. He then stated his wife was joining him in a few minutes and they both wanted one. Low and behold they then had 2 available. They hadn’t booked in so not already booked a roast. Guessing they were local due to the dog. Same lady that told my partner and myself no roasts left suddenly found 2 within minutes.

Written 12 September 2021

ste a

Hi Julie, we are very sorry that you were on the end of communication issues between staff members, we certainly dont save roasts for regular customers...the customers you refered to were not familiar to our establishment. every sunday we prep for 40 roasts. this sunday in question we had 30 booked in leaving 10 for walk ins. at the time of your entry we had no roasts left for walk ins as we still had bookings still to come. When you arrived the roasts on offer were being saved for these last bookings that were due to arrive. The young girl serving you was aware of this but didnt feed back to other staff that you had wanted roasts. As it was her first shift serving our sunday roast menu she wasnt aware that a small amount of roasts may become available at the end of the shift. These are roasts that havent been taken by bookings. The next table to be seated was seated by a different member of staff (not the same one that seated you) who knew that some roast were available because some of the last few bookings had arrived and had ordered other dishes such as burgers and fish and chips. Of course if the other staff member had been made aware you were wanting roasts you would have been offered first. Sorry about the cock up, definately one for us to work on. we certainly dont prioritise locals like some pub out of league of gentlemen! We hope to see you again soon now we have explained the misunderstanding caused by our failing in communication which we will certainly work on with the staff

Written 15 September 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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