The Civil Service Club restaurants are open to members and people booking events in rooms which are hired out. I have two friends who are members of the Civil Service Club or arrange events for clubs which have members who work for or retired from the Civil Service.
I arrived early for a wine society meeting. At lunch time the upstairs restaurant was fully booked for a group lunch with white tablecloths and napkins and early arriving people wearing smart suits.
Reservations
Downstairs, in April 2024, I thought it was too cold to sit outdoors. In the ground floor restaurant, by the time I returned from freshening up in the ground floor Ladies, the tables in the main room by the bar all already had reserved signs on small slate boards.
I darted into the three small linked adjoining rooms which each had a couple of tables seating 2 to 4. To my concern, they also had reserved signs.
I accosted a passing member staff. I asked, 'Where can I sit?'
A girl who was 'waiting' at the bar emerged to help me. The reservations were not all for lunch time.
Fortunately, as she pointed out, one reservation was for tea time, another for dinner time. By dinner time I would be at an event upstairs. So I secured a table by the light of the window.
If you sit by the door to the front patio you get a cold draught.
Notice the amusing little cartoons on the walls.
The Food
I chose battered cod and chips, large chips with peas. The dish came with a pickled cucumber and a section of lemon, British tradition to counteract the greasiness of fried fish. Also mayonnaise.
I noticed that when others ordered coffee and a separate side of chips, the customers were served the thinner potato sections which the Americans call French fries.
Drinks
For non alcoholic drinks you have a choice of red or white. Red and white alcoholic wines are available in two sizes of glasses or a bottle. Champagne costs 49.95 a bottle. I looked at Rose Wines. Zinfandel 125 ml 3.50.Prosecco 3.40. CHAMPAGNE 3.85.
But with a wine tasting event in the evening, I looked at desserts instead. Ice creams offered separately are, vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate. Cheesecake or hot chocolate brownie or cherry tart with ice cream, cream, or custard.
Events include quiz nights and comedy nights.
Tips
1 Book a table.
2 What if you are alone and want to get up to go to the toilet after your fish and chips but before your cherry tart or coffee? Could you leave a coat or jacket?
It is a club. Even so, you might not want to leave a coat or bag, Somebody ight think you had left and forgotten it. Off it goes to lost property. Panic. Instead you might leave a note, if you have pen and paper.
You could start by asking staff to make a reservation on a slate. You may find only members can make reservations. That is simple to arrange with forethought. Ask your event host. If they are not nearby, but you are bold and friendly, you could even chat up somebody at the next table, explain, and ask them to book both tables so you can continue sitting at the small table.)
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