Expensive drinks especially wine Almost £11 for a large glass of moderately good wine. And we wonder why pubs are quiet. I’m sure the food is good but maybe water (tap) will help.
Stephen Pidwell
Lovely place to visit on the side of the canal.
Elkan Frerichs
Near the canal, very nice place, maybe good for train sporting to. Very clean situation ground floor, toilets gf, and dog
Vernon Garnham
I'm a pretty tough customer to please. What matters to me is that in hospitality, people do what they do well and with a bit of passion.To cut a long story short, we decided to hold my mother's memorial and wake at the Crystal Palace in the upstairs function room and downstairs bar/restaurant. Catering for 50+ people, both spaces were lovely, the food far exceeded our expecations in terms of quality, taste, volume and value and I can't praise Kelly and her young team highly enough for their spot-on service, and making what could have been a difficult day, joyful and brilliantly memorable.I also ate solo a couple of times in the run-up to the day and was equally impressed. All the more so in a town with plenty of competition some of which can over-promise and under-deliver.
Wai Tang
A rude and unprofessional member of staff on the phone created such a negative impression that it put us off from visiting so we haven't experienced the food.We were going to book a table for a birthday celebration meal. We wanted to try it out as we haven't been since the refit. We called up to clarify what the seating options offered on the website actually were. The member of staff on the phone was extremely rude and condescending and then laughed at us with someone in the background for not knowing the difference between the table types offered. Who wants to spend a meal where you're worried if the staff are making fun of you and your guests behind your back?
Shellfire Grayson
Nice and busy on a Saturday lunchtime. This is a welcoming pub. Decent prices (£5 a pint of real ale, £16 for a burger + chips). Warm on a cold day.
scott phillipson
So I have been going to the Crystal Palace since it reopened over the pandemic. Over the last 6-7 months I’ve probably spent £600-800 on lunches in there and as always the food was amazing.However, I am not sure what has changed over the last 3-4 months but the quality of food has massively gone down hill.A few months back I ordered fish and chips and I frankly had more batter than fish. When I questioned with Kelly - the manager she promptly investigated and said there had been an error and should have received 2 pieces of fish due to smaller size. She quickly apologies and offered a free meal. Amazing customer service.I’ve been back a few times since and the burgers, salads and fish and chips have been on point.Today I had a fish finger sandwich and asked for the inside to be toasted well so it does not go soggy. I thought this would be standard practice and the likes of Gordon Ramsey always mentioned with hot sandwiches and burgers the inside toasted is a must to maintain eating experience.Anyways it came out not toasted and partly warm/soggy breads. The front of house staff apologies and said the note from till had not been printed in kitchen. Second time back still hardly toasted. It took a 3rd attempt and the lady working front of house to take ur upon herself to toast it. Great customer service on this.When I got said sandwich I finished first half and took a bite into second half .. lettuce and sauce. Took a second bite a bit of fish mainly batter,When I opened up ther was 1 small battered coujon. This is NOT GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY. I believe the fish finger sandwich and drink “pineapple juice” was £11 !!!! Would you pay circa £8-9 for the sandwich in the picture.I asked to speak to Kelly on 3 occasions and told she’s busy … so customer concerns are no longer important.If you want consistent well filled sandwiches in Berko I suggest one of the bakers or supermarkets and I will not be stepping a foot inside this place again.I’ve heard good things about The Boat - further along and as it belongs to a larger chain probably more focus on consistency and standards
Ryan Syrett
Standard grey pub with standard
Richarc Clark
Took my friends here the day after Boxing Day as they are dog friendly so we took the dog. Ordered drinks including a cocktail, the cocktail took 45 minutes to arrive. We ordered starters and mains, waited for a long time and the mains turned up as the bar tender did not order our starters no apologies and demanded payment for the starters. They then took the mains back and we waited for our starters which were French onion soup, these were cold. We were them served our mains which were clearly reheated, as the mains were served the waitress stood on our dogs paw, even though she had given us a bowl of water for the dog!! No apology and very bad service. Staff all at the bar eating crisps and food and being very loud. Will definitely not be returning.
Susan Woolnough
Great pub right on the canal. Lovely staff and good
We were put on a table that was unacceptably wobbly. Moved upstairs where other tables were left uncleared. The food took a long time to come and the chicken schnitzel was mostly breadcrumbs and the fish and chips again more batter than fish. The roast was good though. Clearly there is an under staffed issue as they were running around like headless chickens. Both toilets were disgusting the tap in the mens was not attached to the sink and the whole place could do with a lick of paint. Also, the parking out the front was dodgy - great big dip that my father-in-law got his car stuck in. To be honest I've had a better experience in a Harvester for less money.
scott p
So I have been going to the Crystal Palace since it reopened over the pandemic. Over the last 6-7 months I’ve probably spent £600-800 on lunches in there and as always the food was amazing. However, I am not sure what has changed over the last 3-4 months but the quality of food has massively gone down hill. A few months back I ordered fish and chips and I frankly had more batter than fish. When I questioned with Kelly - the manager she promptly investigated and said there had been an error and should have received 2 pieces of fish due to smaller size. She quickly apologies and offered a free meal. Amazing customer service. I’ve been back a few times since and the burgers, salads and fish and chips have been on point. Today I had a fish finger sandwich and asked for the inside to be toasted well so it does not go soggy. I thought this would be standard practice and the likes of Gordon Ramsey always mentioned with hot sandwiches and burgers the inside toasted is a must to maintain eating experience. Anyways it came out not toasted and partly warm/soggy breads. The front of house staff apologies and said the note from till had not been printed in kitchen. Second time back still hardly toasted. It took a 3rd attempt and the lady working front of house to take ur upon herself to toast it. Great customer service on this. When I got said sandwich I finished first half and took a bite into second half .. lettuce and sauce. Took a second bite a bit of fish mainly batter, When I opened up ther was 1 small battered coujon. This is NOT GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY. I believe the fish finger sandwich and drink “pineapple juice” was £11 !!!! Would you pay circa £8-9 for the sandwich in the picture. I asked to speak to Kelly on 3 occasions and told she’s busy … so customer concerns are no longer important. If you want consistent well filled sandwiches in Berko I suggest one of the bakers or supermarkets and I will not be stepping a foot inside this place again. I’ve heard good things about The Boat - further along and as it belongs to a larger chain probably more focus on consistency and standards
Louise T
Was a little apprehensive ahead of the lunch as several emails beforehand had gone unanswered. My small group of 2 adults and a child arrived promptly for 1.30pm booking, starters arrived after a reasonable time but we didn't receive our mains until 3.30pm and we had no updates or reasons for the wait given by wait staff. Turkey was cold but had been covered in gravy to try to hide this (earlier tables had received gravy in jugs). Another long wait for dessert, after which all waiting staff seemed to disappear. Headed up to the bar to ask for the advertised coffee and mince pies to go. 20 mins later nothing arrived so we headed back to the bar to pay and leave. No apologies from staff as if this is just how this pub usually is. Such a long time for a 6 year old to wait around especially on a day with new toys waiting for her - really put a downer on our day. Won't be returning.
ChochyTripleB
Short notice booking for 18 of us for lunch, the staff went out of their way to accommodate us and service and food on the day was spot on.
N6433QFlorrainew
Had the best NYE for a very long time, The music was great and the ambience was electric. Thanks to Kelly and her wonderful staff. Will definitely be back soon. X
Expensive drinks especially wine Almost £11 for a large glass of moderately good wine. And we wonder why pubs are quiet. I’m sure the food is good but maybe water (tap) will help.
Lovely place to visit on the side of the canal.
Near the canal, very nice place, maybe good for train sporting to. Very clean situation ground floor, toilets gf, and dog
I'm a pretty tough customer to please. What matters to me is that in hospitality, people do what they do well and with a bit of passion.To cut a long story short, we decided to hold my mother's memorial and wake at the Crystal Palace in the upstairs function room and downstairs bar/restaurant. Catering for 50+ people, both spaces were lovely, the food far exceeded our expecations in terms of quality, taste, volume and value and I can't praise Kelly and her young team highly enough for their spot-on service, and making what could have been a difficult day, joyful and brilliantly memorable.I also ate solo a couple of times in the run-up to the day and was equally impressed. All the more so in a town with plenty of competition some of which can over-promise and under-deliver.
A rude and unprofessional member of staff on the phone created such a negative impression that it put us off from visiting so we haven't experienced the food.We were going to book a table for a birthday celebration meal. We wanted to try it out as we haven't been since the refit. We called up to clarify what the seating options offered on the website actually were. The member of staff on the phone was extremely rude and condescending and then laughed at us with someone in the background for not knowing the difference between the table types offered. Who wants to spend a meal where you're worried if the staff are making fun of you and your guests behind your back?
Nice and busy on a Saturday lunchtime. This is a welcoming pub. Decent prices (£5 a pint of real ale, £16 for a burger + chips). Warm on a cold day.
So I have been going to the Crystal Palace since it reopened over the pandemic. Over the last 6-7 months I’ve probably spent £600-800 on lunches in there and as always the food was amazing.However, I am not sure what has changed over the last 3-4 months but the quality of food has massively gone down hill.A few months back I ordered fish and chips and I frankly had more batter than fish. When I questioned with Kelly - the manager she promptly investigated and said there had been an error and should have received 2 pieces of fish due to smaller size. She quickly apologies and offered a free meal. Amazing customer service.I’ve been back a few times since and the burgers, salads and fish and chips have been on point.Today I had a fish finger sandwich and asked for the inside to be toasted well so it does not go soggy. I thought this would be standard practice and the likes of Gordon Ramsey always mentioned with hot sandwiches and burgers the inside toasted is a must to maintain eating experience.Anyways it came out not toasted and partly warm/soggy breads. The front of house staff apologies and said the note from till had not been printed in kitchen. Second time back still hardly toasted. It took a 3rd attempt and the lady working front of house to take ur upon herself to toast it. Great customer service on this.When I got said sandwich I finished first half and took a bite into second half .. lettuce and sauce. Took a second bite a bit of fish mainly batter,When I opened up ther was 1 small battered coujon. This is NOT GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY. I believe the fish finger sandwich and drink “pineapple juice” was £11 !!!! Would you pay circa £8-9 for the sandwich in the picture.I asked to speak to Kelly on 3 occasions and told she’s busy … so customer concerns are no longer important.If you want consistent well filled sandwiches in Berko I suggest one of the bakers or supermarkets and I will not be stepping a foot inside this place again.I’ve heard good things about The Boat - further along and as it belongs to a larger chain probably more focus on consistency and standards
Standard grey pub with standard
Took my friends here the day after Boxing Day as they are dog friendly so we took the dog. Ordered drinks including a cocktail, the cocktail took 45 minutes to arrive. We ordered starters and mains, waited for a long time and the mains turned up as the bar tender did not order our starters no apologies and demanded payment for the starters. They then took the mains back and we waited for our starters which were French onion soup, these were cold. We were them served our mains which were clearly reheated, as the mains were served the waitress stood on our dogs paw, even though she had given us a bowl of water for the dog!! No apology and very bad service. Staff all at the bar eating crisps and food and being very loud. Will definitely not be returning.
Great pub right on the canal. Lovely staff and good
Restaurantji Recommends
We were put on a table that was unacceptably wobbly. Moved upstairs where other tables were left uncleared. The food took a long time to come and the chicken schnitzel was mostly breadcrumbs and the fish and chips again more batter than fish. The roast was good though. Clearly there is an under staffed issue as they were running around like headless chickens. Both toilets were disgusting the tap in the mens was not attached to the sink and the whole place could do with a lick of paint. Also, the parking out the front was dodgy - great big dip that my father-in-law got his car stuck in. To be honest I've had a better experience in a Harvester for less money.
So I have been going to the Crystal Palace since it reopened over the pandemic. Over the last 6-7 months I’ve probably spent £600-800 on lunches in there and as always the food was amazing. However, I am not sure what has changed over the last 3-4 months but the quality of food has massively gone down hill. A few months back I ordered fish and chips and I frankly had more batter than fish. When I questioned with Kelly - the manager she promptly investigated and said there had been an error and should have received 2 pieces of fish due to smaller size. She quickly apologies and offered a free meal. Amazing customer service. I’ve been back a few times since and the burgers, salads and fish and chips have been on point. Today I had a fish finger sandwich and asked for the inside to be toasted well so it does not go soggy. I thought this would be standard practice and the likes of Gordon Ramsey always mentioned with hot sandwiches and burgers the inside toasted is a must to maintain eating experience. Anyways it came out not toasted and partly warm/soggy breads. The front of house staff apologies and said the note from till had not been printed in kitchen. Second time back still hardly toasted. It took a 3rd attempt and the lady working front of house to take ur upon herself to toast it. Great customer service on this. When I got said sandwich I finished first half and took a bite into second half .. lettuce and sauce. Took a second bite a bit of fish mainly batter, When I opened up ther was 1 small battered coujon. This is NOT GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY. I believe the fish finger sandwich and drink “pineapple juice” was £11 !!!! Would you pay circa £8-9 for the sandwich in the picture. I asked to speak to Kelly on 3 occasions and told she’s busy … so customer concerns are no longer important. If you want consistent well filled sandwiches in Berko I suggest one of the bakers or supermarkets and I will not be stepping a foot inside this place again. I’ve heard good things about The Boat - further along and as it belongs to a larger chain probably more focus on consistency and standards
Was a little apprehensive ahead of the lunch as several emails beforehand had gone unanswered. My small group of 2 adults and a child arrived promptly for 1.30pm booking, starters arrived after a reasonable time but we didn't receive our mains until 3.30pm and we had no updates or reasons for the wait given by wait staff. Turkey was cold but had been covered in gravy to try to hide this (earlier tables had received gravy in jugs). Another long wait for dessert, after which all waiting staff seemed to disappear. Headed up to the bar to ask for the advertised coffee and mince pies to go. 20 mins later nothing arrived so we headed back to the bar to pay and leave. No apologies from staff as if this is just how this pub usually is. Such a long time for a 6 year old to wait around especially on a day with new toys waiting for her - really put a downer on our day. Won't be returning.
Short notice booking for 18 of us for lunch, the staff went out of their way to accommodate us and service and food on the day was spot on.
Had the best NYE for a very long time, The music was great and the ambience was electric. Thanks to Kelly and her wonderful staff. Will definitely be back soon. X