Disabled Traveller says “Let’s do Lunch” at Barton Marina
5
5
Date of visit: May 2022
I am a disabled person and a carer or friend of a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: moving around
Overall Rating
Excellent
What a lovely restaurant in a delightful setting. Using Victorian styles to build the restaurant, and using reclaimed timber and brick, they opened the restaurant in 2007, and what a success it has been, with warm looking deco and nicely laid out, it is certainly a welcoming place, with pleasant attentive staff, and good food provided to make your visit a pleasure, from the moment you arrive at the marinas main gate, (photo 1) and drive up towards the hundreds of barges that line the paths for the shops and restaurant (photo 2) The lake itself is just worth a mention, as they have a variety of ducks and geese that welcome you ( photo 3) and disabled people can even enjoy being pushed around on the level path that goes completely round the lake, ideal on a warm sunny pleasant day. The Marina has been well developed so that 300 barges may safely dock here (photo 4) knowing they are in a safe place with well laid out paths for use by barge owners, and all visitors to the Marina ( photo 5) where many can then offer their hobbies on sale to public as they walk around this delightful Marina (photo 6). The First car park you arrive at has quite a few disabled bays close to the lovely Waterfront restaurant (photo 7) with a ramp available for your use (8) to get you up to then main entrance for the hotel (9). The main door is automatic, but the inner door has to be hand pulled to open and inside you are warmly greeted by the main Bar (photo 10), and you may be escorted to a table, or find one that you may prefer (11) and we invite you now to “Let’s do Lunch” together. In our case, it was a little to early for lunch, so we chose coffee and a delightful tea cake (photo 12), and you can follow this with a very nice red Merlot wine from an extensive wine choice (photo 13). The toilets are just behind the main bar, well signed and easy to find (photo 14), passing through a very nice looking lounge area (15) and in our case, choosing the disabled toilet sign (16) to find a basic, but very clean plainly decorated toilet, with grab handles and pull cord (photo 17) with enough room inside to spin a wheelchair, although we left it outside by the door. The restaurant does of course offer a very nice lunch time menu, including a choice of Stone baked Pizzas offered daily (photo 18) and you may eat these in the conservatory, or any one of the other rooms (photo 18), with open views over the Marina (photo 29). OUR FINAL THOUGHTS We thought that the exposed brickwork and wooden beams and plain delightful decorations made the mixture of old and new, welcoming, warm and inviting in this delightful, relaxing restaurant with very pleasant views across the Marina and small shops. The whole place is such a delight to visit, you can spend as much time there as you want to, and we certainly recommend a very enjoyable visit here.
Disabled Access In and Around
Excellent
Although ideally placed, the ramp was a little difficult for us as it was quite an uphill push for us, but younger person will have no difficulty. There’s an automatic door as you reach the main entrance, but the inner door will need to be pulled open by hand. It’s all on the level inside, and very easy to move around, so the loss of a half point is simply because of the ramp for older person to push up.
Parking & Transport
Excellent
The car park for the restaurant Is ideally placed, right outside, with a ramp to get you up into this lovely place to enjoy lunch.
Accessible Toilets
Good
On the level, easy to get to and to open to get inside, although we left wheelchair just by the door. It was very clean and big enough if you need to take chair inside. They do have grab rails and pull cord.
Staff
Excellent
Lovely helpful willing staff, who will look after you.
