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The Alma Bar and Restaurant Chelmsford Essex

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Chelmsford Restaurants Restaurants

Venue Details

Address: 36 Arbour Lane
Town/City: Chelmsford
County: Essex
Postcode: CM1 7RG
Tel No.: 01245 256 783
Website: http://www.thealma.biz/
Opening Times: Monday - Saturday 12 - 2pm, 6 - 9.30pm, Sunday 12 - 8pm
Ave. Price per couple: 50.00
Facilities: Parking • Function Room • Garden • Bar/Lounge
<h1>The Alma Bar and Restaurant Chelmsford Essex</h1>
An extended front terrace garden hints at the internal changes inside The Alma. The pub has been completely refurbished but retains the relaxing ambience, welcoming atmosphere and friendly service of old.

The décor in the bar is now light, bright creams and greens with hot orange accents. There are two open fires in the front bar area with a non-smoking eating area. The all new bar seating is a combination of leather sofas, tub chairs and comfortable dining chairs on tiled floors.

Three real ales on hand pumps are rotated weekly, past favourites have included Crouch Vale Brewers Gold and Nethergate Umbel Ale. There is a
comprehensive wine list and eleven wines are served by the glass.

The more formal restaurant area is stylish but intimate with a log burner in an inglenook fireplace and carpeted floor. Soft background music adds to the quiet sophisticated ambience. It opens up onto the pretty, secluded, fully enclosed south facing back patio garden with furniture at which to dine, weather permitting.

Diners can expect an imaginative, modern, varied menu using seasonal produce.

Map & Directions


User reviews

Average user rating from: 6 user(s)

Overall rating
7.5
Overall
7.7
Food
6.7
Service
8.3
Ambience
8.0
Value
7.3
Toilets
7.7
Recommend
6.8
 

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Best eatery in Chelmsford?, Thursday, 28 January 2010

Written by SJHO

Overall rating
9.7
Overall
10.0
Food
10.0
Service
10.0
Ambience
10.0
Value
10.0
Toilets
8.0
Recommend
10.0
We have a visited the Alma a number of times over the last six months and have never been disappointed. The service is excellent - the waiting staff are attentive but you are not rushed or felt the table is needed for someone else. The food is excellent, we are always impressed and the dishes are not just cooked to perfection, but they are also very tasty with clever uses of flavours and well presented.
My only concern about the Alma is it will continue to become known and it will become increasingly difficult to get a table! Definitely somewhere you will want to go back to again and again.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Let down by the food....., Saturday, 17 October 2009

Written by Ian

Overall rating
5.7
Overall
5.0
Food
4.0
Service
9.0
Ambience
6.0
Value
4.0
Toilets
8.0
Recommend
4.0
New to the area so went to the Alma on a friends recommendation. I cannot fault the service, the waiter/bar staff were very courteous.
We were disappointed with the food however. We did go on a midweek night so it may not have been the usual chef but the tuna steak was clearly not cooked in a hot enough pan as the outside was a palid grey colour, to be honest it probably would have been nicer if served as sashimi. The sea bass was cooked perfectly with a nicoise salad however there was just far to much onion in the salad.
The creme bulee for desert was a disaster, the top had been over caramelised so it had a very bitter taste and the actual desert had not been properly cooked as it was cold at the bottom and hadn't set properly.
All in all I don't feel the quality of the food merited the bill at the end of the meal. The chef may have just had a bad night, but as we're new to the area there are many other places to try before going back to the Alma.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

poor food, Saturday, 22 August 2009

Written by julie marsh

Overall rating
4.4
Overall
6.0
Food
1.0
Service
5.0
Ambience
6.0
Value
6.0
Toilets
6.0
Recommend
1.0
I have been eating at the Alma on and off for fewn years,but on my last vist,what a dissapointment. The food was very poor. I had the green lipped mussles as a starter, they were luke warm and chewy. Shank of lamb, over cooked and tough. We needed a steak knife to get through it.I ordered a Rocket salad and was pressented with a lettuce salad covered in loads of parmesan. (maybe they thought i would not notice there was no rocket in it). Very poor.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Top Class Evening!, Monday, 08 June 2009

Written by Matt

Overall rating
9.1
Overall
9.0
Food
10.0
Service
9.0
Ambience
10.0
Value
9.0
Toilets
8.0
Recommend
9.0
So I was in charge of organising a family meal and I chose The Alma. It had been years since I was last there, but I remembered it was good then and I could only find good comments online.

I was NOT disappointed! From the initial enquiry to the bill, the staff were friendly and helpful, the food was delicious and the restaurant itself cosy but not cramped.

I'll certainly be going back, and even people who travelled up from Kent for the meal said they'd certainly like to visit again.

If you don't try this place just once you have no idea what you're missing!
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

So much potential, Tuesday, 09 September 2008

Written by Ant

Overall rating
7.4
Overall
7.0
Food
6.0
Service
9.0
Ambience
8.0
Value
7.0
Toilets
8.0
Recommend
7.0
The Alma looks great since the recent refurb and it has an opportunity to give restaurants like The Waterfront a run for their money. Tables are set perfectly; wine glasses polished and gleaming as was the cutlery. Napkins were disposable which was fine but took the edge off the quality feel of the setting. The service was superb but the restaurant was cold and needed a blast of central heating. The food was good but not great and I'd like to see the chef be a little braver. One of the specials was 'kangaroo steak' which I would have tried but for the fact it came with a peppercorn sauce which I felt lacked a bit of imagination. Our party all had lamb and while it was very nice it wasn't what it could be. Ultimatley it was just lamb, mash and gravy, all cooked quite well but that's all you can really say. The Alma are so very close to hitting the nail on the head and the formula just needs tweaking. If the chef pushes him/herself that bit harder, people will hear about it and the place could really take off.
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