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Ratings and reviews

Travellers' Choice2023
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Bar, British, Pub, Gastropub, Vegetarian Friendly
Special Occasion Dining, Romantic, Groups, Bar Scene, Business meetings
About
Built in the 1900’s, our Little Gem is just a stone’s throw from Bedford Park on the outskirts of the town. Beautifully refurbished with its fireplaces, flagstones floors and beamed ceilings, the pub is stylish, cosy and comfortable. We have a spacious restaurant, relaxed conservatory and a light and airy garden room which provide a choice for dining and relaxing. The garden room leads straight out onto our urban garden (a fantastic place for dining in the summer). On our menus, the emphasis is on local suppliers, the freshest ingredients and seasonal produce. We let the food do the talking, with our daily fish specials made from top quality fish straight from the market. Perfect for functions,
PRICE RANGE
US$9 - US$32
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
CUISINES
Bar, British, Pub, Gastropub
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Buffet, Wine and Beer, Digital Payments
Reviews (811)
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LanguageEnglish
Traveller rating
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All reviews burger beef sunday roast pie bedford park staff were attentive friday evening lovely evening lovely atmosphere portion sizes booked a table family meal ramona conservatory camembert wake
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Reviewed 2 weeks ago via mobile

I attended with my family for Sunday lunch. I paid a £10 deposit per person and was asked to pre-order which is a bit of a pain but no big deal. Our table was booked for 12.30 and some of us had starters which weren’t...bad but not amazing, but our mains came out at 2.10pm and there was a 10 minute gap between the first and last meal in our group to come out of the kitchen. Plus I had added a few notes to the pre-order, all of which were ignored. Mains were ok but again not amazing quality and mine was lukewarm. We had been planning to have dessert but we were fed up by then and left. I get that Sundays are busy but it was a pretty miserable experience.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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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.
Reviewed 3 weeks ago via mobile

Delicious Sunday lunch with very generous portions. Half portion is plenty! Staff were attentive and very pet friendly. Only downside was the long wait for desserts and coffees at the end - took over 25 mins despite 3 reminders. Half of our group gave up...and left as they ran out of time. Sad end to birthday celebrationMore

Date of visit: November 2023
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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.
Reviewed 3 weeks ago

We were a party of five adults and we had a delicious Sunday lunch. The service was really good - we were waiting for desserts a bit but the waitress noticed before we had time to ask and they were brought out immediately. We will...definitely come back for more.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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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.
Ben Wares, Owner at The Park Pub and Kitchen, responded to this reviewResponded 2 weeks ago

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review following your Sunday lunch visit - it’s great to read how much you enjoyed your visit and are looking forward to coming back!

Reviewed 4 weeks ago

We visited the park to celebrate our anniversary. The atmosphere was beautiful, all the staff worked hard to make us feel welcome and were lovely. We did not feel rushed and staff went out of their way to give us the best experience. We were...even given a dessert board on the house to help us celebrate our special day. I would 100% recommend to everyone.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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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.
Ben Wares, Owner at The Park Pub and Kitchen, responded to this reviewResponded 3 weeks ago

Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a great review, Lozzie. I’m delighted you enjoyed your anniversary meal with us! We hope to see you again soon

Reviewed 21 October 2023

First visit. Really good and will return. The lovely Angelina got the kitchen to fit is in in the last 30 minutes of service. Food and service was excellent.

Date of visit: October 2023
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Ben Wares, Owner at The Park Pub and Kitchen, responded to this reviewResponded 28 October 2023

Dear G3rikins, Thank you for your kind words.We really happy to hear you enjoyed your experience with us. I shall pass on your comment to lovely Angelina. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Reviewed 2 October 2023

I feel a bit mean giving them a 2 star review as the food tasted nice and the service was good. However the bill was hard to swallow. My friend and I were looking at the wine list for a bottle of red wine to...share but were recommended the “house wine”. To me house wine means cheap and cheerful. This wine however was £30 a bottle. Had I realised this, I definitely would not have had an extra glass after, at something like £11 a glass. Granted, we should have checked the price list more carefully but I can’t help feeling cheated and this has put me off going again in a hurry.More

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed 28 September 2023

I have been here several times before and the food is usually good. This was a busy Friday lunchtime and I ordered the pear and celeriac salad with cashews (I've had this before and it was lovely) I was served with a plate of rocket...leaves with a few tomatoes and bits of cucumber with a generous sprinkling of cashews - but sadly NOT ONE SINGLE PIECE of pear or celeriac. I continued eating, partly because I was with someone else and their food would have got cold, and partly because I was searching in vain for either of the key ingredients! I informed the waitress who apologized and said that she would inform the chef. There was no offer of a refund or discount on the bill. I know mistakes can be made but how they are dealt with is the measure of customer service. This just wasn't good enough. Imagine ordering fish and chips and only getting the chips. I'm not sure I'll risk going here again.More

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed 13 September 2023

Great lunchtime with friends, we all had the lunchtime deal sandwiches ,I had sausage and onion, which was delicious. Would recommend it.

Date of visit: September 2023
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Ben Wares, Owner at The Park Pub and Kitchen, responded to this reviewResponded 18 September 2023

Thank you again for taking the time to let us know how we did. We hope you have a great day!

Reviewed 9 September 2023

I wasn't expecting fine dining but you do expect a decent service. Sub standard would be a compliment! On one of the hottest days of the year you would expect up selling on drinks would be a key priority. But to ask for water 5+...times before we got any. That's not good enough! Then not once were we asked if we needed any more drinks beer wine etc. Not once during starters mains or dessert did anyone ask if the food was okay. Cutlery wasn't replaced and spoons for dessert were brought out after the dessert was served. Again I'm not expecting fine dining but this is food service basics... We pre booked, our party numbers were confirmed and all of us arrived to find that there wasn't enough tables set up for the party. Again basic restauranting.... And the area we did have we were crammed in, if you like bumping elbows then it was great! If it wasn't for some of the food being okay it would be 1 star review. But if you want fresh food don't bother, considering us pre booking there was no need for our food to sit on the pass for aslong as it did. With sauces developing a crust and chips being quadruple cooked. I'd suggest staff should notify the kitchen when to cook mains and not put the ticket on after starters have left the kitchen. I'd also suggest if you go as a large party then dont allow yourself to be seated in the conservatory/extension as you will be forgotten about. The doors were locked on the one of hottest days so we couldn't add any extra ventilation and the air con units sounded like they were ready to blow up, resulting in everyone being far from comfortable, considering we had children aged 2 up to adults aged 90+ you would have at least expected someone to ask if we were comfortable! From my own perspective it seemed there was a lack of management and leadership, leading to the poor experience we had. And considering our party pre ordered from the menu for us to be seated at 2pm and stillwaiting on deserts at 4pm clearing communication isn't high up the list. In all honestly go Wetherspoons at least you might enjoy your food and know what you are getting!!More

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed 7 September 2023 via mobile

Arrived here with friends for a weekend lunch. I had the halloumi burger which was lovely. The atmosphere was nice also...a few people in without it being too loud. Only a couple of minor downsides - some wine options were missing, there were no drink...menus available (due to management turnover?) and staff had to check on a couple of points regarding ingredients. However all points were made clearly and efficiently and the staff were really friendly, so we had no issue at all with any of this. Happy to go back!More

Date of visit: July 2023
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Ben Wares, Owner at The Park Pub and Kitchen, responded to this reviewResponded 15 September 2023

Tez56, we're so glad that we were able to go above and beyond your expectations! Thank you, and have a fantastic day!

Reviewed 29 August 2023

Popped in for lunch on Sunday , it was our first time experience . The interior is cosy old world charm . The young girls staffing it were smiley and pleasant . We had the roasts , one chicken, one pork . Both were superb...,accompanied with perfectly cooked, fresh root vegetables, beans and home roast style potatoes . All covered with a very flavoursome homemade gravy . Little things I liked were tables that weren’t sticky like some establishments , nice quality napkins and thankfully they still take cash unlike some restaurants . I can’t wait to return with friends and enjoy the experience againMore

Date of visit: August 2023
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Ben Wares, Owner at The Park Pub and Kitchen, responded to this reviewResponded 15 September 2023

Thank you so much for your great review - we are delighted you enjoyed your Sunday lunch with us! We look forward to your next visit so we can continue to impress!

Reviewed 29 August 2023

Ten of us came here early evening on bank holiday Monday, late August, for a friend's birthday meal. The decor looked good and the seating arrangement was fine. This is a large pub but wasn't very busy so we were surprised with the extremely slow...service. The staff were well presented, attentive and polite. However the first problem was that the 'sea bass had run out' - surprising as 3 of the party had preorderd it already. Cod was offered as a replacement and reluctanly accepted. I had ordered fish and chips and when it arrived it looked great. It wasn't, it was awful. The fish had been destroyed by overcooking and it was sprinkled with chopped salad onion. I did not complain because it was our friend's birthday. The replacement cod dish for the sea bass looked disgusting. The pie and chips looked good. Finally watch the bill, it was correct but there is a 12.5% service charge added and to the drinks as well. Oh, I nearly forgot the dingy and smelly mens toilet. We won't go again.More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?
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.
Ben Wares, Owner at The Park Pub and Kitchen, responded to this reviewResponded 15 September 2023

I'm so sorry you had a poor experience with us on your visit. I have investigated the matters you have raised and put new processes in place to ensure we do everything we can to avoid a repeat of your experience.

Reviewed 24 August 2023

Very poor service with a wait of at least 30 minutes before food arrived. I was given the wrong plate of food - bacon in sandwich instead of halloumi. Unfortunately it took one bite to realise which, as a vegetarian, I did not appreciate. Once...I had the 'halloumi' version I could not find any halloumi in it , only what appeared to be warm mayonnaise and wilted salad leaves along with pieces of battered fish. It was all very greasy and pretty disgusting. Had we not been with friends who had suggested meeting here I would have made a complaint but didn't feel it was appropriate as they seemed very happy with their food choices.More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?
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.
Wells Social, Owner at The Park Pub and Kitchen, responded to this reviewResponded 28 August 2023

Hi Susan, could you please email me some details regarding the date and time of your visit so that I can investigate this issue? If you can, please email me at greg.knox@wellsandco.com

Reviewed 20 August 2023

I booked two weeks ago and stated my mum is in a wheelchair. When I arrived, the only place they could seat us was in the bar; not cosy and it was noisy. The roast lunch was trenched in gravy and not flavoursome. But the...portions were big and the place is clean. However, I won’t be back.More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?
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.
Wells Social, Owner at The Park Pub and Kitchen, responded to this reviewResponded 26 August 2023

Hi Erica. I'm very sorry you were sat in the bar area, which you didn't find a cosy part of the pub when you visited. Our roast dinners are normally very well received and complimented, so I'm disappointed to hear you didn't have the same...More

Reviewed 30 July 2023 via mobile

I booked a table originally for 9 but had to change to 8 months ahead of time. My family came to stay for the weekend, I have been to the park before and knew we would have a great meal there. The team were very...accommodating and when we realised we couldn’t bring the dogs into the area where our table was we had to run them home. The restaurant were able to hold our pre ordered good for us until our party was back in place which was very kind. The food was just beautiful and plentiful. We had lots of veg and meat. I would highly recommend. If wanting to bring dogs put that in the notes when booking.More

Date of visit: July 2023
Helpful?
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.
Wells Social, Owner at The Park Pub and Kitchen, responded to this reviewResponded 2 August 2023

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, I'm glad you had such a great experience! When making a reservation, we have a 'Dining with dogs' booking type, which will ensure you are in the right area of the pub to bring...More

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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
Safari19337060080
13 April 2023|
AnswerShow all 4 answers
Response from M9503CDveronican | Reviewed this property |
Yes the team at the park are very accommodating
0
Votes
K5601ZVrobg
1 January 2020|
Answer
Response from H4562SIgregk | Property representative |
Dogs are welcome in our bar, conservatory and of course the gardens.
0
Votes
JohnD9518
5 August 2017|
AnswerShow all 6 answers
Response from Caroline M | Reviewed this property |
Yes - a large car park to the side of the restaurant
0
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THE PARK PUB AND KITCHEN, Bedford - Updated 2023 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Park Pub and Kitchen

Yes, The Park Pub and Kitchen is taking precautions against COVID-19. A full list is available within the "safety precautions" section of this page.

The Park Pub and Kitchen is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 3.5
  • Atmosphere: 4