The meal at the pub was quite delightful, although one minor drawback was the burger bun. It seemed a bit cheap and lacked flavor, causing it to fall apart easily. Interestingly, my family and friends who joined later also had similar thoughts on it. Nonetheless, it's a small critique considering the overall experience. On a brighter note, the staff were exceptionally attentive and had wonderful mannerisms, which added to the enjoyment of our visit.
Camper445537
Disappointed that basic table management is severely lacking here, having witnessed it on multiple occasions now; tables throughout the pub get reserved signs put on hours before the actual required booking time, so preventing customers beforehand just to sit and grab a drink. In fact those customers may just get turned away! The pub also advertises as a sports bar when only two out of the four TVs work/can show sports channels, and these 2 TVs can only show the same sports channel!? So, when you ask to watch a different sport as you've specifically gone to this 'sports bar', you get ignored by staff who don't then explain this to you. As for the restaurant, they randomly seem to offer table service for those just booking for a meal, however majority of the time those booked in the restaurant still have to order 'pub grub' at the bar... So what do you want to be King Bill ... a sports bar? a friendly local pub? or a restaurant? There's a lot going on here but none of it done well!
Yossi Galiko
Staff should be updated on the deals and offers. Food is generally good, a tendency to cremation of meat, perhaps due to overcautious regulation. Chips were great.
Dan Hamm
We thought we would try the King William for a second time as we thought as it was new that may be why there was issues. Unfortunately even on a second visit the service is still poor. We booked a table and on arrival there was no staff to be seen. After waiting for 5 minutes at the front with staff looking through the kitchen window and not greeting us, we went to the bar to let them know we were there and ask where our table was. When the food arrived the fish was completely burned and the burger was not as we ordered. Unfortunately no members of staff came over to check if everything was ok with our food to raise this issue and our plates were only cleared when desert arrived despite the same member of staff walking past our table at least 5 times.The place unfortunately lacks any customer service and looking at the age of most staff I would place this as a management issue.Really disappointed to be leaving this review but we will not be returning and management should be aware of the issues for the future.If you could also seat “restaurant” customers away from the shouting football fans, the environment would be more pleasant.
Becky Dawson
Had a really good evening with friends. Food is good pub grub, service was great from all staff. Accommodated our large birthday group really
paul nathan
We hosted our little girls first birthday here and was here for NYE. The whole experience was incredible thanks to Mirah and her team! Mirah went out of her way for us, with finding us space, letting us decorate before. The food was superb! The interior since the renovation is super snug and they also show live sports. Superb all round - absolutely recommend!
NicJaneT
Arrived and it was all a bit chaotic, none of the staff were able to allocate a table and then told to find a free table which we did. Just looking at the menu and then told the table we were sitting at was required for a wheelchair user, which we were happy to vacate, but we wouldn’t have sat at the table if it had a reserved sign on it. Had to wait for ages until at last 2 tables were put together for our party of 6. We were advised there was a wait for the food as they were busy. The food was not great, expensive pub grub, one of the children’s meals, chicken strips, the chicken was dry and tough and when pointed out to the member of staff as it had been left just got an “oh sorry”. The bread on my sandwich seemed like it had been sitting for ages under a heat lamp to keep it warm. We were so pleased the King Bill had been refurbished, but it was a total let down, we won’t be returning for food.
RJRS121
We went as a family for lunch/dinner on 27th. Having been advised there would be the choice of two menus (regular and festive) when we booked in person, we arrived to find the festive menu was not available. Disappointing. On being sat, the two couples next to us were wearing their coats because it was so cold in the restaurant and despite asking the staff to turn the heating on, it was colder than being outside for the whole meal. This was distracting for the entire time we were there. No apology or update from staff who apparently were not aware. Some of the menu was not available and there were no obvious gluten free options so every query involved asking staff. It took 45 minutes to get the meals even though it appeared only half full. And each time the restaurant door opened, there was a significant waft of cigarette smoke from the smoking area outside. Overall a real disappointment considering the money that the brewery has clearly spent. It would have been better investing in more staff and upgrading the basics. It won’t be getting any recommendations as there are more efficient restaurants and better menus within driving distance.
tony riccio
We are sorry to say that we would not recomend to our friends eating here, my wife didnt enjoy her chicken burger,she said not much food on this plate?I had the steak & ale pie, this was a classic microwave meal....pastry really hard to cut with the knife, the lump of mash shaped like a sausage was very course not soft & creamy as it should be, peas were hard, uncooked?Basically the meal tasted & looked like it had been warmed up ,yesterdays leftovers, very poor for the price.Sorry ......we will give it a miss in future.Tony & kerry
Maria N
I went to King William with some friends for Christmas dinner and we all loved it! the food was really good and the pub atmosphere was very welcoming. The team serving us was also very swift and polite whilst serving us, especially Ramona and Ben. Will definitely be coming back again soon!
We tried the King William, Kempston, 6 people, Sunday roast very good, starters fine, fish and chips, very brown, not white, burgers, very good, puddings , not so good, poor selection on what we wanted, some missing, nice inside and outside, early days for the King William.
Ray Greenwood
Very nice decor, food looked very ordinary & slow service as well.
Marilyn Smith
Had a Sunday roast 26/11/23. Impressed with what has been done to outside and interior. It was just little things that let the experience down, such as no coat hooks so coats draped over chairs. No bitter, just Brewpoints own beers. I had beef and it was a bit tough to cut and chew. Other than that prices are reasonable and nice bright seating areas. Will definitely try midweek for a sandwich and coffee as Brewpoint do nice coffees.Parking: Parking bays clearly painted. Plenty of room and gated off from garden ensuring children are safe whilst playing.
John Beasley
Like the new facelift. We had a selection of the burgers, the chicken ones were fine but beef ones tasted cheap and like they had been microwaved. Very shortsighted by Wells and Co to remove Guinness and replace with their own stout!
John Quinn
Went for sunday lunch on 17th Dec with my wife and two friends. I opted for the roast chicken. the others had chicken curry and fish and chips. Waited 45 minutes for the food. What I got was a 3 inch square of butterfly chicken, overcooked roast potatoes and curly kale that was cold and raw. The curry had to be sent back as it was cold. The fish and chips were bland and looked like they had been thrown on the plate. Peas that accompanied were cold and raw. How any chef/cook could call my meal a roast dinner and let it leave the kitchen has no pride in their work. Overall very disappointed in the King William. Pointed out these problems to the young waiter but heard nothing more. Didn't order a dessert and we won't be in any hurry to return.
The meal at the pub was quite delightful, although one minor drawback was the burger bun. It seemed a bit cheap and lacked flavor, causing it to fall apart easily. Interestingly, my family and friends who joined later also had similar thoughts on it. Nonetheless, it's a small critique considering the overall experience. On a brighter note, the staff were exceptionally attentive and had wonderful mannerisms, which added to the enjoyment of our visit.
Disappointed that basic table management is severely lacking here, having witnessed it on multiple occasions now; tables throughout the pub get reserved signs put on hours before the actual required booking time, so preventing customers beforehand just to sit and grab a drink. In fact those customers may just get turned away! The pub also advertises as a sports bar when only two out of the four TVs work/can show sports channels, and these 2 TVs can only show the same sports channel!? So, when you ask to watch a different sport as you've specifically gone to this 'sports bar', you get ignored by staff who don't then explain this to you. As for the restaurant, they randomly seem to offer table service for those just booking for a meal, however majority of the time those booked in the restaurant still have to order 'pub grub' at the bar... So what do you want to be King Bill ... a sports bar? a friendly local pub? or a restaurant? There's a lot going on here but none of it done well!
Staff should be updated on the deals and offers. Food is generally good, a tendency to cremation of meat, perhaps due to overcautious regulation. Chips were great.
We thought we would try the King William for a second time as we thought as it was new that may be why there was issues. Unfortunately even on a second visit the service is still poor. We booked a table and on arrival there was no staff to be seen. After waiting for 5 minutes at the front with staff looking through the kitchen window and not greeting us, we went to the bar to let them know we were there and ask where our table was. When the food arrived the fish was completely burned and the burger was not as we ordered. Unfortunately no members of staff came over to check if everything was ok with our food to raise this issue and our plates were only cleared when desert arrived despite the same member of staff walking past our table at least 5 times.The place unfortunately lacks any customer service and looking at the age of most staff I would place this as a management issue.Really disappointed to be leaving this review but we will not be returning and management should be aware of the issues for the future.If you could also seat “restaurant” customers away from the shouting football fans, the environment would be more pleasant.
Had a really good evening with friends. Food is good pub grub, service was great from all staff. Accommodated our large birthday group really
We hosted our little girls first birthday here and was here for NYE. The whole experience was incredible thanks to Mirah and her team! Mirah went out of her way for us, with finding us space, letting us decorate before. The food was superb! The interior since the renovation is super snug and they also show live sports. Superb all round - absolutely recommend!
Arrived and it was all a bit chaotic, none of the staff were able to allocate a table and then told to find a free table which we did. Just looking at the menu and then told the table we were sitting at was required for a wheelchair user, which we were happy to vacate, but we wouldn’t have sat at the table if it had a reserved sign on it. Had to wait for ages until at last 2 tables were put together for our party of 6. We were advised there was a wait for the food as they were busy. The food was not great, expensive pub grub, one of the children’s meals, chicken strips, the chicken was dry and tough and when pointed out to the member of staff as it had been left just got an “oh sorry”. The bread on my sandwich seemed like it had been sitting for ages under a heat lamp to keep it warm. We were so pleased the King Bill had been refurbished, but it was a total let down, we won’t be returning for food.
We went as a family for lunch/dinner on 27th. Having been advised there would be the choice of two menus (regular and festive) when we booked in person, we arrived to find the festive menu was not available. Disappointing. On being sat, the two couples next to us were wearing their coats because it was so cold in the restaurant and despite asking the staff to turn the heating on, it was colder than being outside for the whole meal. This was distracting for the entire time we were there. No apology or update from staff who apparently were not aware. Some of the menu was not available and there were no obvious gluten free options so every query involved asking staff. It took 45 minutes to get the meals even though it appeared only half full. And each time the restaurant door opened, there was a significant waft of cigarette smoke from the smoking area outside. Overall a real disappointment considering the money that the brewery has clearly spent. It would have been better investing in more staff and upgrading the basics. It won’t be getting any recommendations as there are more efficient restaurants and better menus within driving distance.
We are sorry to say that we would not recomend to our friends eating here, my wife didnt enjoy her chicken burger,she said not much food on this plate?I had the steak & ale pie, this was a classic microwave meal....pastry really hard to cut with the knife, the lump of mash shaped like a sausage was very course not soft & creamy as it should be, peas were hard, uncooked?Basically the meal tasted & looked like it had been warmed up ,yesterdays leftovers, very poor for the price.Sorry ......we will give it a miss in future.Tony & kerry
I went to King William with some friends for Christmas dinner and we all loved it! the food was really good and the pub atmosphere was very welcoming. The team serving us was also very swift and polite whilst serving us, especially Ramona and Ben. Will definitely be coming back again soon!
Restaurantji Recommends
We tried the King William, Kempston, 6 people, Sunday roast very good, starters fine, fish and chips, very brown, not white, burgers, very good, puddings , not so good, poor selection on what we wanted, some missing, nice inside and outside, early days for the King William.
Very nice decor, food looked very ordinary & slow service as well.
Had a Sunday roast 26/11/23. Impressed with what has been done to outside and interior. It was just little things that let the experience down, such as no coat hooks so coats draped over chairs. No bitter, just Brewpoints own beers. I had beef and it was a bit tough to cut and chew. Other than that prices are reasonable and nice bright seating areas. Will definitely try midweek for a sandwich and coffee as Brewpoint do nice coffees.Parking: Parking bays clearly painted. Plenty of room and gated off from garden ensuring children are safe whilst playing.
Like the new facelift. We had a selection of the burgers, the chicken ones were fine but beef ones tasted cheap and like they had been microwaved. Very shortsighted by Wells and Co to remove Guinness and replace with their own stout!
Went for sunday lunch on 17th Dec with my wife and two friends. I opted for the roast chicken. the others had chicken curry and fish and chips. Waited 45 minutes for the food. What I got was a 3 inch square of butterfly chicken, overcooked roast potatoes and curly kale that was cold and raw. The curry had to be sent back as it was cold. The fish and chips were bland and looked like they had been thrown on the plate. Peas that accompanied were cold and raw. How any chef/cook could call my meal a roast dinner and let it leave the kitchen has no pride in their work. Overall very disappointed in the King William. Pointed out these problems to the young waiter but heard nothing more. Didn't order a dessert and we won't be in any hurry to return.