We ate lunch here (peri peri chicken, my wife had a burger) on Tuesday, and it was very, very ordinary. My food had no 'wow' factor in terms of its presentationIn addition, the food was bland and could have been knocked up at home.The chips were nice, though!
Isaac Reid
It's more like 3.5✨ but I miss the old Knowles. Still recommend if you're in the area for a swift one, really comes alive in the summer
James B
We were drawn by the great reviews for the Sunday roast and the Kids Table.The Kids Table was a hit with our kids (4 & 7 y/o), as expected. However, we had mixed feelings about the Sunday roast. The beef was excellent, offering three generous slices, surpassing other places. Unfortunately, the pork fell short, needing more cooking time, and the crackling was missing, requiring a separate request. Notably, for our three orders of pork roast, the crackling was served on a single plate for sharing, which wasn't ideal. The Yorkshire puddings were disappointing, being doughy rather than airy.On the plus side, the pub's atmosphere is welcoming with ample space, and finding free parking on Sunday across the street is a bonus. The beer selection is commendable too.While the beef roast is a standout, the drawbacks make a return visit unlikely for us due to the travel involved.Parking: If you are lucky - there's free street parking on the other side on Sundays at least. Otherwise you need to hit the side streets and check availability.Kid-friendliness: Sundays are great with Kids Table - activities for kids so the adults can drink and talk in peace!
Tae Comms
My food has soap in it. Others have stories which make it hit and miss. Service is good though, always good
JT R
It’s Christmas time and most restaurants are booked, so I was relieved to book a table at Knowles of Norwood. Upon arrival, I clocked the large Christmas tree that went with the warm and rustic decor. I loved the interior with its open brick walls with a dark wood finish. The bar also looked quite snazzy. I was a bit disappointed, that orders had to be made at the bar. But fair enough, the bar wasn’t that far. I ordered a Moving Mountains Burger 15, vegan cheese, burger mayo, pickles, with fries. I’m afraid it didn’t move me at all. Considering the impressive variety of vegan burgers that are sold in supermarkets, the Moving Mountain burger was very moist and lacked a lot of flavor. I’m a vegetarian and I know how to pack in flavor. I would have added a dashing of raw red onions, to enhance flavor or cooked white onions in olive oil with a dash of cayenne pepper and oregano. I have never tasted a burger like the Moving Mountain Burger but it leads me to believe that the restaurant doesn’t take vegetarian food seriously at all. There were only one or two vegetarian Main options and one was vegan. I was also disappointed by the Bakewell Tart because it didn’t look like a tart; it was more like a cake with an icing glaze on the top. It was OK. I may have liked it a bit more if I hadn’t been so disappointed about the burger. The highlight was Halloumi Fries, dripping with honey sauce. The restaurant also had a nice atmosphere and service. So, is Knowles of Norwood the place to go if you’re a vegan or vegetarian and you want to enjoy GREAT food? I’m afraid, the answer is NO.
stanley h
Fantastic evening, amazing food and excellent service from our server Watson. Cannot recommend more!
Francesca Myerson
The service was very slow and the food was even slower.30 minutes after we ordered our starters, someone came to tell us they didn't have one of the dishes left. When the starters finally arrived (an hour after we ordered them), two of them were the wrong dishes.Our roasts then took another 30 minutes to come, and when they did they were cold and the meat overcooked (when they offered a choice of pink or well done beef), and the potatoes hard.No one apologised for or acknowledged the long wait. Will not be returning.
nelio siqueira
What an amazing place. We went for a beer and there was a pub quiz just about to start. We joined in and had so much fun. The quiz master Jenny was brilliant and the atmosphere was second to none. I wish it was my local bar. And the beer prices are not too bad, considering that you can easily pay over 7 quid for a pint around London.
Miss Crowance0685
I went on a Sunday for a roast dinner. They were very hospitable. The Italian chef was very friendly and made the dish look superb. I would recommend the roast chicken it was delicious.
Missantos
one of my favourite places to go to have a bit of fun with friends/family. lovely drinks.
Went for a celebratory drink with a friend, and was surprised by staff who gave me a celebratory drink to add to our great time.The service was great and the atmosphere was fab too.Gorgeous decor throughout, so definitely a place to visit mid week or on the weekend and of course for a slap up meal on Sunday xVegetarian options: Varied menu with great choiceKid-friendliness: Kids throughout and pushchair accessibleWheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible throughout
Jamie B
So had a great Sunday roast, couldn't fault the food, tasty and good portions! Unfortunately, the chefs were let down by the lackadaisical attitude of the front of house staff, which is a great shame. Good service should be a really obvious thing to get right, especially when you have lots of staff on and you're not even that busy... Unfortunately, the front of house staff weren't up to par today, and didn't even notice a beggar come in and do the rounds asking for money... ?Sorry to be negative, but if you learn from some constructive criticism, hopefully your service will improve for others
Yvonne M
This was my first time visting Knowels i live across the road from it. My gran children were visting for the week from abroad. I read the reviews ,some were positive some not so. I decided to take my Gran children there for lunch. We were given the menu nearly every dish we picked they did not have,very dissapointing. When did eventually pick what was left on the menu ,we gave our drinks order at the same time,we had to remind the waitress about our drinks order she completly forgot,i the pub was busy i would understand ,there were only 5 other patrons and they had already been seated and served,on website it boost as having "children area" there was nothing only a pool table. I will not be returning.
french s
V disappointing lunch, spent over £100 between 4 people. Squid overcooked and rubbish, Ceasar salad swimming in sauce and v salty, with four small chunks of chicken in it, burger had cheapie American burger cheese, a la McDonald’s, which for the price a couple of slices of genuine cheddar wouldn’t have broke the shareholder’s bank. Most egregious though was the fact my roast had a very long hair in it, and when complained about the guy with the beard said it couldn’t have come from any of his chefs as they didn’t have long hair. While this might have been true, none of my party had such long hair either. There was no contrition at all, and if he had said, ‘I don’t think it came from us but I am sorry you found a hair and it ruined your experience, can I get you a drink or give you a dessert.’ But nah, nada! Shocking response. I’m a local guy and have been there many times, but won’t be going for food there again, as my custom didn’t seem appreciated.
Robert Jordan
Looking for a family friendly lunch at short notice on a bank holiday weekend. Three adults and a toddler all fitted in. The second time we have visited. Great selection of local beers and lagers and a good choice on the menu including vegan option. We were told the haddock and chips were sold out, but I was offered the sea bass as an alternative. Really good crispy batter- and the mushy peas were great and our granddaughter really rated the chips. Staff friendly and attentive, very family-friendly. Can strongly recommend.
We ate lunch here (peri peri chicken, my wife had a burger) on Tuesday, and it was very, very ordinary. My food had no 'wow' factor in terms of its presentationIn addition, the food was bland and could have been knocked up at home.The chips were nice, though!
It's more like 3.5✨ but I miss the old Knowles. Still recommend if you're in the area for a swift one, really comes alive in the summer
We were drawn by the great reviews for the Sunday roast and the Kids Table.The Kids Table was a hit with our kids (4 & 7 y/o), as expected. However, we had mixed feelings about the Sunday roast. The beef was excellent, offering three generous slices, surpassing other places. Unfortunately, the pork fell short, needing more cooking time, and the crackling was missing, requiring a separate request. Notably, for our three orders of pork roast, the crackling was served on a single plate for sharing, which wasn't ideal. The Yorkshire puddings were disappointing, being doughy rather than airy.On the plus side, the pub's atmosphere is welcoming with ample space, and finding free parking on Sunday across the street is a bonus. The beer selection is commendable too.While the beef roast is a standout, the drawbacks make a return visit unlikely for us due to the travel involved.Parking: If you are lucky - there's free street parking on the other side on Sundays at least. Otherwise you need to hit the side streets and check availability.Kid-friendliness: Sundays are great with Kids Table - activities for kids so the adults can drink and talk in peace!
My food has soap in it. Others have stories which make it hit and miss. Service is good though, always good
It’s Christmas time and most restaurants are booked, so I was relieved to book a table at Knowles of Norwood. Upon arrival, I clocked the large Christmas tree that went with the warm and rustic decor. I loved the interior with its open brick walls with a dark wood finish. The bar also looked quite snazzy. I was a bit disappointed, that orders had to be made at the bar. But fair enough, the bar wasn’t that far. I ordered a Moving Mountains Burger 15, vegan cheese, burger mayo, pickles, with fries. I’m afraid it didn’t move me at all. Considering the impressive variety of vegan burgers that are sold in supermarkets, the Moving Mountain burger was very moist and lacked a lot of flavor. I’m a vegetarian and I know how to pack in flavor. I would have added a dashing of raw red onions, to enhance flavor or cooked white onions in olive oil with a dash of cayenne pepper and oregano. I have never tasted a burger like the Moving Mountain Burger but it leads me to believe that the restaurant doesn’t take vegetarian food seriously at all. There were only one or two vegetarian Main options and one was vegan. I was also disappointed by the Bakewell Tart because it didn’t look like a tart; it was more like a cake with an icing glaze on the top. It was OK. I may have liked it a bit more if I hadn’t been so disappointed about the burger. The highlight was Halloumi Fries, dripping with honey sauce. The restaurant also had a nice atmosphere and service. So, is Knowles of Norwood the place to go if you’re a vegan or vegetarian and you want to enjoy GREAT food? I’m afraid, the answer is NO.
Fantastic evening, amazing food and excellent service from our server Watson. Cannot recommend more!
The service was very slow and the food was even slower.30 minutes after we ordered our starters, someone came to tell us they didn't have one of the dishes left. When the starters finally arrived (an hour after we ordered them), two of them were the wrong dishes.Our roasts then took another 30 minutes to come, and when they did they were cold and the meat overcooked (when they offered a choice of pink or well done beef), and the potatoes hard.No one apologised for or acknowledged the long wait. Will not be returning.
What an amazing place. We went for a beer and there was a pub quiz just about to start. We joined in and had so much fun. The quiz master Jenny was brilliant and the atmosphere was second to none. I wish it was my local bar. And the beer prices are not too bad, considering that you can easily pay over 7 quid for a pint around London.
I went on a Sunday for a roast dinner. They were very hospitable. The Italian chef was very friendly and made the dish look superb. I would recommend the roast chicken it was delicious.
one of my favourite places to go to have a bit of fun with friends/family. lovely drinks.
Restaurantji Recommends
Went for a celebratory drink with a friend, and was surprised by staff who gave me a celebratory drink to add to our great time.The service was great and the atmosphere was fab too.Gorgeous decor throughout, so definitely a place to visit mid week or on the weekend and of course for a slap up meal on Sunday xVegetarian options: Varied menu with great choiceKid-friendliness: Kids throughout and pushchair accessibleWheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible throughout
So had a great Sunday roast, couldn't fault the food, tasty and good portions! Unfortunately, the chefs were let down by the lackadaisical attitude of the front of house staff, which is a great shame. Good service should be a really obvious thing to get right, especially when you have lots of staff on and you're not even that busy... Unfortunately, the front of house staff weren't up to par today, and didn't even notice a beggar come in and do the rounds asking for money... ?Sorry to be negative, but if you learn from some constructive criticism, hopefully your service will improve for others
This was my first time visting Knowels i live across the road from it. My gran children were visting for the week from abroad. I read the reviews ,some were positive some not so. I decided to take my Gran children there for lunch. We were given the menu nearly every dish we picked they did not have,very dissapointing. When did eventually pick what was left on the menu ,we gave our drinks order at the same time,we had to remind the waitress about our drinks order she completly forgot,i the pub was busy i would understand ,there were only 5 other patrons and they had already been seated and served,on website it boost as having "children area" there was nothing only a pool table. I will not be returning.
V disappointing lunch, spent over £100 between 4 people. Squid overcooked and rubbish, Ceasar salad swimming in sauce and v salty, with four small chunks of chicken in it, burger had cheapie American burger cheese, a la McDonald’s, which for the price a couple of slices of genuine cheddar wouldn’t have broke the shareholder’s bank. Most egregious though was the fact my roast had a very long hair in it, and when complained about the guy with the beard said it couldn’t have come from any of his chefs as they didn’t have long hair. While this might have been true, none of my party had such long hair either. There was no contrition at all, and if he had said, ‘I don’t think it came from us but I am sorry you found a hair and it ruined your experience, can I get you a drink or give you a dessert.’ But nah, nada! Shocking response. I’m a local guy and have been there many times, but won’t be going for food there again, as my custom didn’t seem appreciated.
Looking for a family friendly lunch at short notice on a bank holiday weekend. Three adults and a toddler all fitted in. The second time we have visited. Great selection of local beers and lagers and a good choice on the menu including vegan option. We were told the haddock and chips were sold out, but I was offered the sea bass as an alternative. Really good crispy batter- and the mushy peas were great and our granddaughter really rated the chips. Staff friendly and attentive, very family-friendly. Can strongly recommend.