Grilled Grub - (Near Berkshire, South East)

Henry What makes a good restaurant? Clearly food will feature somewhere on your list and in the case of The Waterside this takes the form of classic French cooking. Nothing is “deconstructed” or designed to surprise. You know exactly what you’re getting from the menu and if you’ve visited previously you probably even know what you’re going to order before you arrive. Nothing is intended to shock. Far too many restaurants at all levels feature a talented kitchen team let down by their front of house. From the moment you arrive here everyone knows what they are doing and wants to make your visit as enjoyable as they possibly can. They’re not trying to trip you up, you don’t have to be fluent in gastronomy or know anything about malolactic fermentation. The sommelier is there to help, not to test. No one is judging you although I’d be lying if said we didn’t people watch our fellow diners a little. You are family when dining at The Waterside, it’s not in any way stuffy or starched. That’s not to suggest service is casual, seamless would be my best description with teams assembling when required to reveal your next course before melting away again to leave you to your conversation. The Waterside is a happy place. My memory of the venue is that it’s a bit dated, the phrase “Chinese restaurant” was used as we drove there but things have quietly evolved. It’s actually quite smart these days. The bathrooms are modern and fresh, the soft furnishings crisp and comforting with a nod to the history of the venue. Let us not forget this is an institution woven into the fabric of British restaurant history.

Szymon A This was an amazing experience from the Staff to the food! The atmosphere was friendly and we came at a time where they just finished being busy from the afternoon. The food was so goood that you want to try the other pizza whilst eating your current one! The veggie salads from the display were so tasty and light despite the generous portion. Had the basque cheesecake for dessert which was the cherry on top! No gimmicks just great food to enjoy on any night of the week. Would highly recommend

Dan A highly recommended restaurant but just don’t miss out on the fudge!! What is in the water in Bray? This is the third of the big four that I have been to and it was just perfect for a family lunchtime meal. The staff are super friendly, our kids felt welcome (even though they are well behaved this is not always the case in a nice restaurant) and the food was really out of this world. I don’t know who the head chef is but in every dish the balance of flavours was quite frankly remarkable. I had the best steak I have ever eaten, the best panna cotta and don’t even get me started on the fudge. The fudge came at the end with a little birthday plate for my daughter. We joked that more food was the last thing we wanted but when we told the waiter how much we loved it and he asked if we wanted a bit more in unison we replied “yes please”. Worth noting though that I don’t think the fudge is on the menu so if you are going make sure you take someone whose birthday it is. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know them or even if it’s someone you don’t like because the fudge will be absolutely worth it!!

Alan Newland A restaurant like this makes me want to move to Maidenhead. Everything about it was excellent. We shared a crispy aubergine with tomato for a starter which was delicious. I had a special, which was venison and mushroom tagliatelle - superb flavour. My wife had the crab linguine which my wife loved. The service was excellent too and the whole place had a great vibe. Perhaps best of all were the prices - fantastic value. Would come here regularly if we didn’t live 150 miles away.

Ahmed Abulhassan Still one of my favourite meals in Maidenhead. Don’t forget to try their different dishes with okra. Incredibly delicious and home made! I’ve posted a new photo of it. —— Great place with Arabic and English speaking staff. Authentic Syrian flavors and Arabic music. Great shisha. Ask for Abdallah, super nice gentleman working behind the counter

Steven Phillips Been here 3 times over the years and only for large family gatherings. The service is always excellent, Weve never had any complaints and the steaks in particular are very good. The restaurant is nicely decorated and is a great setting. We really do love this place and highly recommend. One thing to note, there is a separate parking area for blue badge holders with its own entrance.