King's Arms - Cookham Village reviews

Review added 22/04/2018 12:16 by anon

Went to Kings Arms today with a friend for lunch. Food lovely service rubbish. We were not offered a sweet menu or extra drinks or coffee, The waiter totality ignored us until we asked for the bill What was wrong with the waiter who was on duty there such rubbish service. I have been to the Kings Arms so many times and this is the worst service ever How to be ignored big time

Review added 04/03/2018 21:33 by Jennyr R

I do not think this small complaint will have any impact but it needs to be said

Review added 04/03/2018 15:19 by RPB

Really good dinner (and excellent value too). Service friendly and prompt, despite the snow meaning the staff were having to walk home. I sometimes think the King's Arms suffers in comparison with the Bel & Dragon but I am never disappointed when I go there.

Review added 11/03/2017 21:04 by JB

Let down by poor management attitude.

A great shame to downgrade this nice establishment but when they screw up an order and the manager refuses to compensate you for their incompetence, they lose a customer for ever.

Great shame as the waiting staff try so hard.

Review added 07/02/2017 16:24 by Gill Field

Arrived for a very late lunch - warmly greeted and had an excellent lunch with my sister-in-law. Would definitely come back again

Review added 21/08/2016 10:09 by JennyR

Excellent meal last night well cooked efficient waiting staff
definitely worth a visit.

Review added 06/07/2016 14:30 by Tracy

After a long break, we revisited for an early dinner last week. The food was delicious and service really excellent - a great improvement since our last visit.

Another reason we like the Kings Arms is that they appear to serve food all day, even on weekdays, which can be useful for anyone who is going out for the evening afterwards.

Review added 30/08/2015 17:00 by Jenny R

Went for a meal Thursday evening, very good well cooked food good service from staff. Very enjoyable

Review added 25/06/2015 20:27 by Jennyr R

Went there this lunchtime sat in garden had a lovely meal well cooked staff excellent, great

Review added 30/03/2015 20:20 by anon

What's going on at The Kings Arms just lately. Went here for a business lunch today, a Monday, the service was terrible! We were sat down and then had to wait 15 minutes for menus, eventually ordered food, took 30 minutes for one starter of breads to arrive, once this was finished it took them 15 minutes to come and clear and then we had to wait another 30 minutes for the main course to arrive, we gave up after that, we didn't have the time to wait for deserts to be ordered and served!!! Come on Kings Arms you really need to get your act together! Extremely disappointed!

Review added 09/01/2015 08:28 by anon

Went here for Christmas lunch. We were a table of 12 and had prepaid for our food by 1 December as requested at £60 per head. We went last year and it was fantastic, this year was very disappointing!!. We were booked for the second sitting, so had to wait for our table to be relaid, which in itself was not a problem, except that once we were seated we had to ask three times for Christmas Crackers, an essential on Christmas Day you would think! To our disgust when we asked for our drinks bill at the end of the meal we found we had been charged £76 service charge!!!! WE WILL NOT BE RETURNING. Very disappointing Kings Arms!!!

Review added 10/02/2014 11:12 by anon

My partner and I went there for a Sunday lunch and sadly, had one of the worst experiences. The service was dreadful, we were simply invisible to them amongst all other guests (perhaps that was because of the awful table squeezed in we were sat on despite earlier booking). We spend 2,5 hrs there (more than any other restaurant I have ever been to!) due to lack of service. I had a good exercise though, waving my arms around, trying to catch attention from the invisible table, only to find our waitress leave dead on 5pm without passing our table to anyone. We waited 20 minutes for anyone to go past so we could order our desert (which, as a side note, was a microwaved crumble)!

I am rarely so critical of any place, but they have simply ruined our Sunday afternoon. I don’t mind paying for a decent service and food but in this instance we would have had better experience in the Harvester or Mc Donalds for half the price and to be honest…. a more enjoyable afternoon. At least you know what to expect.

The most upsetting part however was the fact that no one form the customer service team, has bothered to respond to my emails, never mind apologise! I have attempted to contact them on two occasions, onece explaining the horrible experience and second one a week later asking for a response. They simply don’t care.

Pity..

Review added 13/11/2013 21:46 by anon

Booked a table for 4 last Saturday and was very disappointed.

The shoulder of lamb was tough and very boney, the steak and ale pie literally had no meat in it and we were charged for large glasses of wine although we were served medium glasses.

We were made to feel as though they were doing us a favour when we asked for a refund for the incorrect charged wine and the pie and there was no apology.

We have been to this pub on many occasions but will not be going back.

Review added 05/01/2013 10:36 by anon

Excellent pub. Lovely cozy fire and deep couches into which you can sink after a long walk in the Winter weather. Meals are very reasonably priced, staff are friendly and don't seem to mind visitors arriving in walking gear. A real asset to the village.

Review added 21/05/2012 17:34 by tony keeler

very good pub went for Sunday lunch friendly service
excellent meal I think this is our best pub in the village
tried all the others,they don;t seem as friendly although have
not tried the newly opened crown yet
Tony k

Review added 10/01/2012 13:30 by anon

The King's Arms has gone downhill lately - had two dreadful meals. One was a roast that was swimming in gravy and more like a school dinner followed by FROZEN creme brulee

Review added 23/12/2011 15:40 by jenny roll

Went to Kings Arms today for lunch. Lovely meal, great service. No complaints.

Review added 08/12/2011 16:27 by Jenny Roll

We eat there at lot and have no complaints regarding service or food.

Review added 21/11/2011 23:03 by anon

I totally disagree, I went for lunch yesterday and for a change found the place to be very relaxed and I did not feel rushed. I would imagine that the beer would run out as a result of a delivery last week as beer does not get delivered on a Sunday. Helen was still there last week wasn't she???

Review added 04/08/2011 19:56 by Monty

I went with a friend for lunch today, the main meal was lovely, service as usual great, but I ordered Eton Mess for sweet and it came a pile of whipped cream and a few strawberries. Eton Mess always has meringue crushed in it. Not one piece of meringue did I find. I did complain but I would have liked to email the manager and tell her so that other customers get a decent Eton Mess.

Review added 26/04/2011 19:22 by monty

We have been to this Kings Arms many times and we have never been disappointed with the food or service. And as for being unclean I feel you are being very unfair.There is nothing wrong with the cleanliness of the restaurant.Perhaps you should clean your glasses -if you wear them -
It is a good restaurant with very good food and good service and I have eaten at a lot of places and this is good.

Review added 20/03/2011 11:33 by Jennie

Went to Kings Arms last night with friends as usual food was very good and though they were very busy service was excellent. Always a good food venue.

Review added 21/11/2010 15:10 by monty

We went for lunch today-Sunday. very busy but good service great food, I can really understand why they got the award for good manager and service. I am sure it will contunue.

Review added 12/02/2010 16:43 by anon

Excelent food and service! great value for money. will be returning soon!

Review added 28/12/2009 23:35 by cookham resident

Went to Kings for works Christmas meal which was booked and our meals were pre-ordered for 7.30pm. we were seated in the bottom half of the dining area by the door to the garden. We waited and waited and finally after several enquiries got something to eat at 8.50pm ! By this time as you can imagine we were very hungry so we ignored the fact the starter was cold but to be fair the following courses were hot and were nice. What we couldnt ignore though was that we all had to sit in our coats (as did the table next to us)to eat because the room was so cold and it didnt help when the garden door was in constant use. It ruined the evening as all we wanted to do was get through the meal quickly and get home to get warm!! when we did complain we were given free coffees for the time delay on the food which was nice of them but regarding the fact we were freezing we were told "sorry people are always complaining" Perhaps the management should take note then otherwise like us many more will be going elsewhere in future.

Review added 23/09/2009 22:37 by Steve

Revisited King's Arms recently and thought,
staff good,
food ok,
However as per early note please remove manageress....

Review added 30/07/2009 10:42 by Anna

Having been to the Kings Arms on a number of occasions, I was quite dissapointed with our visit yesterday (29/07/09). The staff were pleasant and accomodating as usual so I have no complaints there. The interior is warm and relaxing with a nice ambience. However I was quite dissapointed with the food. It was suprisingly quick to arrive after ordering, which although I wouldnt want to be waiting a long time for my food - it's arrival was almost instant which made me question its freshness. Now yes the food was hot and yes it was edible, but I just feel that they are letting themselves down somewhat as I certainly wont be going back in a hurry as I know i can get a nicer meal elsewhere. We had the Homemade Pie with mash and vegetables. The vegetables were fine, the mash tasted like SMASH and the pie was nothing special. My husband had the Rigatoni which was quite bland with no real flavour or substance. All in all it was an ok visit, and maybe the chef was having an off day as we have been before and had much nicer meals. However as a pub in Cookham, I hope they step up their game with the food as it would make all the difference.

Review added 14/07/2009 09:48 by not happy

Food below average depending who is cooking, what day etc - ps. change the manageress.

Review added 30/06/2009 16:51 by Maidenhead resident

Food overpriced and badly (pretentiously) presented..
Manageress a bit blunt and unfriendly.
Nice young staff though.
Wont go back...

Review added 23/03/2009 21:10 by Cookham Resident

Food and drink OK for a pub. Manageress superb, staff untrained and clumsy. MAJOR COMPLAINT IS THAT I WAS GIVEN A CARD TO GO ONTO A PUB BLOG TO ENTER MY COMMENTS AND GO INTO A DRAW FOR A CASE OF CHAMPAGNE. ON EACH OF THREE ATTEMPTS I WAS THROWN OUT DUE TO "A FAULT ON THE SYSTEM". DO I BELIEVE THEM?

Review added 16/01/2009 00:40 by Leslie

After reading these reviews, chuckling at most of them, I have to say I disagree and there are some very angry people out there! I find myself in the Kings Arms on occasion when it's a spur of the moment "lets go out for dinner" decision. Only being within the area for the past 8 months I may not have the knowledge of what it has been like in the past but I must say it's one of my favourite places to go. On this note I'm going to give a detailed description of my last night in there and the great time that I had, seeing as many people will read this page and probably not bother going... but I beg of you please give this place a try...
Walking in through the doors, we are always welcomed by friendly staff, eased into relaxation even when it's a busy time of night. Though sometimes we have had to wait a little while for drinks at the bar, it's hardly surprising on a full bar. Shortly later we sat down next to a roaring fire, to have our order taken by a more senior member of staff, who was I must say delightful and nothing was too much trouble. I always favour the baked pepper and my partner had the pie on the special board. Our food came promptly even though the restaurant was nearly full, and without a doubt top notch! I have to say I have a weak spot for the brownie and also managed to steal a piece of my partners treacle tart.
We had a few coffees, mine an irish, served to perfection, so many places unable to float them without sugar. All in all just had such an enjoyable night.
As for the staff who keep being slated by many, if you look at them they are just having a good time at work, which is no crime and makes it all part of the atmosphere. Personally, without a doubt, one of my favourite places to go and will be back to see the KA team once again!

Review added 11/01/2009 17:44 by aj

I'm not sure which huge pub chain owns the Kings Arms but after a meal there on Saturday, I am pretty sure it's being used, not as a restaurant and bar, but as a training ground for rookie staff, a bit like a catering version of army boot camp. After a few weeks working in Cookham, once you've mastered pouring a drink without breaking the glass, you're reassigned to another of the chain's outlets, terrorising unsuspecting patrons around the South of England.

At one stage during the evening, a member of staff lost their temper rather vocally with another staff member and had to be shushed like a child by a third member of staff "not in front of the customers!"....

Not that there were very many on Saturday night. And considering the food, perhaps that's not terribly surprising. Soggy, undercooked potato wedges that I strongly suspect came from a packet of McCain's Finest Frozen, and advertised as 'chunky chips' and ... no, I can't go on!.

Instead I'll focus on the positive. Very nice desserts (which I suspect are brought in, not made on the premises). The treacle tart is a truly impressive wedge and not the normal anaemic 1/4 inch thick effort I've had elsewhere, the crumble and fig and plum tart were also much enjoyed and I will say that the more senior staff are delightfully friendly.

The King's Arms has been 'done up'. This appears to have involved putting in some very large glass doors and windows which have unfortunately created a serious draught and heating problem. So bad is it, that little fan heaters are strategically scattered amongst the tables to take some of the edge off the chill winds that render the open fireplaces utterly ineffective.

But, aside from this, unless you actually enjoy the frisson of wondering whether the waitress will actually remember to come back and take your order, having wandered off for a chat after waving you vaguely to a table, or relish having trance music banging away from an ever-present loudspeaker, and instead prefer the boring predictability of good food, well cooked and served in a warm comfortable environment, this is definitely not the place to be.

If I owned the King's Arms, I'd pay for the staff to have a meal over at Bel and the Dragon, to see how it's done properly. I don't want to be cruel and I would genuinely like to see the King's Arms prosper, but right now this is not a dining experience I can in all conscience recommend. On the other hand those puddings are very nice indeed. Perhaps it will make a great Dessert Destination.

Review added 02/12/2008 14:23 by stuart

The current Manageress could take lessons in manners from her efficient and friendly staff.
Her abruptness and coldness is very off-putting!

Review added 18/09/2008 11:42 by anon

We went for Sunday lunch a few weeks ago and were not impressed. For a start the table was dirty and sticky, we had to wait ages for our order to be taken and when it came, my chicen was dry and stringy and the roast potatoes were chewy! The veg was lovely though. It is a lovely place decor wise, but the service and the food needs to be sorted. I won't be going back in a hurry.

Review added 30/07/2008 17:23 by RP

This pub does indeed provoke some strange reactions! personally I find it - though not without fault ( more later ) - one of the most enjoyable in Cookham.

It has so much much going for it. A lovely garden offering various types of seeting from terrace to tressle table, the best beer in Cookham ( Timothy Taylor Landlord ), a varied, fairly -priced and interesting menu and great catering for children. I think the decor is outstanding
( unlike the main restaurant in the Bel which feels like you're in a Harvester ).

Helen and the staff are very friendly and helpful.

It would only take one or two improvements to make it excellent. Firstly please get rid of the ghastly "coated" chips and get in some ordinary ( frozen ) chips and / or some of the lovely hand-cooked variety as found in the Bel.

Secondly the ( main course ) portion sizes ( chips too! ) are quite small generally.

As a place for a civilised drink it comes top in Cookham, and although its food is not quite up to the Bel's standards, then the pricing, decor and beer certainly makes up for it.

Review added 21/06/2008 22:39 by Andrew

I haven't been back since a memorable summer evening when my partner and I popped in for dinner. The restaurant was quiet, one or two people I think, and the garden was almost deserted. Two serving people were gossiping at the till. Interrupting them (with some difficulty), I asked if we could order from the restaurant menu and eat in the garden. "Oh, we don't do that!" was the answer. Rebuffed,we went over to Bel and the Dragon, where nothing is too much trouble for the excellent staff, and have never returned to the King's Arms. A shame really, but Cookham is not short of good eating establishments, and it doesn't seem unreasonable to expect customers to be treated as something less than a nuisance, to be frank.

Review added 04/06/2008 23:43 by Claire

I am surprised to see the other poor reviews because I have found the food at the Kings genuinely good.

I've eaten both in the evening and Sunday lunch on a number of occasions. I may just have been lucky each time but I would recommend people to give it a try as I honestly think it's one of the best pubs for food in the village.

On the other hand, if loads of people start going it may be more difficult for me to get a table so maybe I shouldn't recommend it.

Review added 18/02/2008 11:50 by anon

I took my niece who is 8 to the Kings Arms this weekend just passed.

I was a little annoyed as I could see that there were children in the restaurant and so presumed that the food would either be child friendly or that there would be a separate menu for children.

My niece eats basically anything but, me ordering a chicken dish with no sauce for an 8 year old and being charged £10 for it I think is a little crazy, especially when the meal was not worth £10 in my view.

We ordered chicken wrapped in cumbrian ham without the sauce, with veg and we chose chips instead of new potatoes. The chicken was hard to cut, dry and with the rock solid, overcooked ham, it left a horrible greasy taste in the mouth. When the plate arrived we were both a little surprised as it was basically a small piece of chicken, in the middle of a large empty plate as the veg came separately....after the meal was delivered to our table, we then received the cutlery which also annoyed me a little, although perhaps they were short staffed or something. Anyhow, the chicken dish I thought was not good.