A few problems but not too bad for wheelchair users
3
3
Date of visit: June 2016
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: disabled toilet
Overall Rating
Average
Parts of this restaurant are accessible by wheelchair, and there is an accessible toilet. There are a few problems to report, see below.
Disabled Access In and Around
Average
The main entrance at the front of the restaurant is not step-free. There is a side entrance which is step-free. It's difficult to reach it, because you have to pass between tightly-packed tables and chairs, and a heavily weighted sunshade-base which blocks the way and is too heavy to move. Having got past these obstacles you reach a side-door and you have to press a doorbell to alert staff that you want to come in. Only the back part of the restaurant is step-free, there is a big step down from there to the front part of the restaurant. The front part is not wheelchair-accessible. Amazingly, the staff sometimes close off the wheelchair-accessible back part of the restaurant for long periods, which means that no wheelchair user can use the restaurant during those periods.
Parking & Transport
Excellent
The restaurant is near to Monument Metro station, which - like the whole of the Tyne and Wear Metro network - is fully step-free.
Accessible Toilets
Average
There is a wheelchair-accessible toilet, reachable from the back part of the restaurant, and it is fine except for two large bins blocking the wheelchair transfer area. This is very silly and thoughtless. The wheelchair transfer area is NOT free space, it's the place where a wheelchair user parks to allow a smooth sideways transfer to the toilet. See my photo below.
Staff
Average
Although staff were friendly and helpful, they have lost two stars for making the approach to the side door extremely difficult in a wheelchair, and for putting rubbish bins in the wheelchair transfer area of the accessible toilet.
Additional Information
If you are planning to eat here, make sure you have a Plan B up your sleeve.
