http://www.essexrestaurants.com/ 150-1366 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/clocktower-epping-essex.html Food was brilliant, along with the atmosphere. Location and service is also great. ]]> Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:09:49 +0100 323-1359 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-horseshoes-upshire-essex.html Four of us went to The Horseshoes on Friday night (16/3/2012). We are not local to the area and I chose The Horseshoes from research I did on the internet. It was not too busy but a good ambience with friendly locals in the bar area who greeted us when we entered. The barmaid/waitress was extremely friendly and accommodating. The menu is quite restricted due to the size and location of the pub but there was plenty of fresh fish on the menu for fish lovers which is quite unusual. The only drawback I found was that there was not much in the way of healthy options to choose from. My wife and I are on quite strict diets and we found difficulty choosing starters and main courses which were not accompanied by either rich sauces or dressings. Most mains came with chips except a couple that had creamy mash or one with new potatoes. There were no jacket potatoes as an alternative option. However for starters two of us had prawn cocktail, one crispy squid and I had smoked salmon with bread and butter. I left the latter. All starters were delicious but quite calorific. For mains my wife had a mixed meat ploughmans which arrived piled high with roast beef, roast ham and turkey meats, ample salad, various pickles, chutneys and a big baguette with a pile of butter. One friend had 5 lamb cutlets on a bed of mash with spinach. It was beautifully displayed, the meat perfectly cooked and tasted wonderfull. The other friend and I had the fish and chips which again was plentiful, a big meaty piece of cod, from which I removed the batter, (I would have loved to have eaten it but dared not to). I would have tried some of the other fish choices but they were all accompanied with rich sauces. Overall the experience was very good. The prices may be a trifle higher than where we come from but the food was excellent as was the service. The total bill came to £87 for the four of us which included, a glass of red wine, 2 pints of beer and a tonic water. ]]> Sat, 17 Mar 2012 13:35:05 +0000 150-1358 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/clocktower-epping-essex.html Just come back from the restaurant and totally dissapointed in everything. The food was very bad today. The chicken was overcooked and on a tiny bit of wilted spinach. Nothing else for over 13 pounds. overpriced and will not go back and never recommend this place to anybody. Manager was not there so could not even complain properly. Poor waitress was lovely but could not do much. Bad business. ]]> Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:15:26 +0000 323-1283 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-horseshoes-upshire-essex.html I first stumbled on this place when out mountain biking in Epping Forest. I stopped off for a sandwich and a soft-drink and was delighted to find that I was served anything other than a simple sandwich. The beef was excellent, a good cut and cooked to perfection. The accompanying salad was delightful too [I'm normally a salad dodger, but here I cleaned the plate] I have since returned a number of times and have had nothing but excellent food everytime. The seafood is well up there with London restaurant standards. It can sometimes be a little crowded and Sunday lunchtimes especially so, but on my experience of the food here, this is to be expected. The beer garden at the rear is a hidden treasure, the perfect place to relax and enjoy a nice afternoon with some good food, peaceful surroundings, nice views, and a couple of pints to seal the deal. I'd heartily recommend stopping by if you are in the area. ]]> Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:09:07 +0000 150-1275 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/clocktower-epping-essex.html Love this local restaurant. Great food in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The Clocktower really stands out amongst other places in Epping. Top tip for first time visitors - they have a charming terrace at the back - perfect for enjoying a chilled glass of wine on a summer's day! ]]> Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:08:53 +0000 150-1272 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/clocktower-epping-essex.html My overall experience I thought the restaurant was very welcoming and approachable it made you feel like you wanted to there, the staff were also welcoming ]]> Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:12:28 +0000 150-1266 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/clocktower-epping-essex.html Super place to meet friends to catch up and have a drink and a snack, brunch, lunch or a full blown meal! Platters to share are great and can always be added to and no feelings of having to get the bill and leave. Great atmosphere and clean and wacky toilets! Sat outside in the courtyard in the sun, but shade is available. ]]> Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:47:39 +0000 150-1262 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/clocktower-epping-essex.html A 'good' restaurant might be one where your ever-fading memories of the past experience recollect that 'nothing went wrong'!! However what makes a good restaurant a 'great' restaurant is where the experience leaves an enduring impression - ergo the Clocktower in Epping. It has all the rights ingredients making it a great place to eat and relax. The food, supported by a good wine selection, is excellent and bears the Chef's individuality in its conception and its creation. ]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:48:54 +0000 155-1237 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-bluebell-restaurant-chigwell-essex.html We go to the Bluebell about once a month have always enjoyed excellent food and service. Even when the ownership chnaged, everything was still great. The menu is wide-ranging and imaginative with something to please everyone but some dishes are priced quite highly. We would probably go more often if prices dropped a little. ]]> Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:53:34 +0100 88-1203 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-cock-and-magpie-epping-green-essex.html First few occasions was perfect, but after a lunch take away experience, it was rather disappointing. The flavour was rather bland and the portions were mediocre, quite different from the authentic taste we had on the first two occasions. Will try it once again tonight and give another feedback. As a suggestion, maybe it would be better to eat at the restaurant, so any complaints can be handled directly!! ]]> Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:22:15 +0100 155-1199 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-bluebell-restaurant-chigwell-essex.html I went yesterday for Sunday lunch to celebrate a special birthday. Staff were accommodating enough, having wanted to move from the couples area at the front into a less intimate space towards the back. The starter of Prawns was well presented and most palatable. The Main of Barbary Duck to my dismay and horror was served with a massive Yorkshire pudding and three very large unsightly roast potatoes! I have never been served with that combination accompanying a delicacy of Duck ever before. Most strange - however the duck was cooked to my 'medium' request. (I did have to ask for a steak knife.)The Duck arrived splattered with a Cranberry sauce mess. Whilst approaching the end of the meal, we were chatting, the bill arrived without being prompted for - a surprise as we werent ready to leave and were being reminded 'time was up'. There were plenty of other empty tables for two there. A very pleasant young fair haired lad served us on one occasion - Nice friendly chap. I hadn't been to the Bluebell for a long time- Not the inviting place it used to be and what with serving odd combinations, probably wouldn't recommend it. ]]> Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:53:18 +0100 155-1195 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-bluebell-restaurant-chigwell-essex.html We consider the Bluebell our favourite restaurant. The service is personal, friendly and always attentive to you're every need. From the moment you arrive you are made to feel special and the anticipation of what is on the menu adds to the excitement of the dining experience. Once your choice is ordered food is served timely and presented beautifully. Food is always of a very high standard and often dishes leave the palette desiring more! The Good Food Guide totally underestimates the pure quality of dining experience this friendly restaurant offers. Highly recommended, high quality and high standards! Mr.Tidbury ]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:09:07 +0100 155-1053 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-bluebell-restaurant-chigwell-essex.html Been going here for years best place to eat me and my family love it and I think very reasonably priced go on every occasion possible Xmas eve and new years eve it's great too! ]]> Wed, 11 May 2011 13:08:01 +0100 323-1038 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-horseshoes-upshire-essex.html Most disappointing. The menu is badly written - there is no ambience, the dining room uninviting - although there some fresh flowers. The pluses - my starter - avocado crab was nice and garnish very fresh - ditto for my skate. My husband has eaten better spare ribs at the Harvester - also chips were from the frozen kind. Usual stoggy desserts and it would been nice to have a fresh fruit salad on offer. Service was not good - earlier on the meal my husband tipped some beer on his food and table - we had to ask for serviettes, and the rinse bowl water for the ribs, full of beer, was not replaced. The waitress lacked warmth, personality and would benefit from going to some training, she was also wearing some velours low waisted track suit bottom which was out of place in a dining room even a pub one. Against my better judgement, my husband left a £5 tip as we did not have change, and she litterally grabbed it out his hands - needless to say we will not return! ]]> Wed, 11 May 2011 12:52:56 +0100 265-1033 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-robin-hood-loughton-essex.html Very nice Thai Food and very very rude service. The Thai ladies who serve in the restuarant has a very big attitude, very rude to customers. We were very embarassed by the rude service we got when we accompanied some guests. We have stopped going to this pub. These girls do not know how to welcome their customers and thinks they are doing their customers a favour by serving them. ]]> Wed, 11 May 2011 12:49:26 +0100 155-1018 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-bluebell-restaurant-chigwell-essex.html This was my first time at The Bluebell following a recommendation from a friend and I am so pleased I discovered it! My friend and I went on a Friday night and the food was fine British food at its best which has had a lot of thought put into it without being too over the top! I had a cheese tasting plate to start and then a delicious lamb dish for main course. We then had a yummy sharing dessert which was served on a beautiful long glass plate. The service was very good also without being too obtrusive. I was a little worried the bill would be high but it was very good value considering the quality of the food. We paid about 40 pounds each with a decent bottle of wine and a few soft drinks. I am pleased to have discovered this restaurant as it is tough these days to find a decent British restaurant which is suitable for a wonderful dinner and a long overdue catch up. ]]> Sun, 01 May 2011 16:26:30 +0100 559-902 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/carriages-restaurant-theydon-bois-essex.html I absolutely agree with Paul below. This restaurant should be avoided. The food is not tasty or inspiring but it does look "pretty".....but who wants pretty food with no flavour.

Out starter was basically cheese on toast....it seriously was that plain. The Beef Sunday Roast had so little flavour that salt, pepper and a ton of horseradish was required to give it some taste.

Their only saving grace was the dessert of passion fruit parfait, now that was delicious.

It seems to me that the award has gone to their head and they now believe they can serve anything to the public and we should be grateful for eating in such an establishment rated so highly by the Guardian. Poppycock!

Please save some money and time, avoid the total disappointment and travel, give this restaurant a wide berth. ]]> Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:29:46 +0100 559-900 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/carriages-restaurant-theydon-bois-essex.html Just where do all the positive reviews come from? Arriving at 8pm, 30 minutes early on a Saturday night to a less than half full restaurant one would have expected a warm welcome?

Instead it went something like this; "Oh your table is booked for 20.30 and we dont know if the waiter is ready for you -- eh! What on earth could he be doing with only 3 tables to serve?

Whatever we made the best of it and ordered from the short menu, that was easy. The food however was not all it was cracked up to be -- triple cooked chips, maybe -- cooked first on Thursday again on Friday and finally especially for us on Saturday.

Sea Trout - small, uninspiring and lacking seasoning, and so it went for the Steak and Fish & Chips which required a maginifying glass to find on the plate.

Service, well the Portugese waiter was fun but his assistant was not managing to spill wine on table at each glass fill.

Overall less than 2nd rate and not worthy of any praise whatsoever, add to this a lack of aircon on what was probably the warmest evening of the year made it a night to remember, for all the wrong reasons. ]]> Sun, 11 Jul 2010 09:27:03 +0100 155-852 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-bluebell-restaurant-chigwell-essex.html We were invited by friends for a celebration meal at Bluebell, and were very disappointed. The menu is "West-end chic" but the food isn't. Wine list unimpressive and very pricey. Service slow and amateurish. But the place was full, so they must be doing something right !
Quite a few of the other diners were very loud, very drunk and presumably very rich. ]]> Mon, 17 May 2010 19:48:32 +0100 51-840 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/smith-s-brasserie-ongar-essex.html I found that the waiting staff we had was too young and inexperienced. I asked her advice when ordering ,to which she replied "I don't know, I don't eat fish". Also found she was very pushy asking if we wanted more drinks every 5 minutes.

I think I should have been told the portions were large and that we didn't need as many vegetables as we expected. The food was very good but expensive. ]]> Fri, 07 May 2010 13:24:16 +0100 137-823 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-duke-of-wellington-public-house.html A beautifully situated pub with attractive terrace and gardens. Very pleasant staff and reasonably priced drinks. A pleasant place to spend an hour or two.
When we went, the food menu was quite basic (mainly burgers and snacks) but very good quality and nicely presented. The staff said that they will be extending to a full meal menu soon and we look forward to trying it. ]]> Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:01:16 +0100 323-822 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-horseshoes-upshire-essex.html Have visited several times. There is little atmosphere in the dining area but we've always found the staff friendly and quite efficient; it is obviously trying to double as a local pub and a pricey restaurant.
Avoid Sundays as the cuisine is aimed at the Sunday-lunchers who rate the food by how much is piled on the plate ! Also, the staff are sometimes overwhelmed and some of the food arrives over or under cooked.
However on weekdays/evenings it is different. The menu is more varied and some of the "specials" are up to West End standard.
Pricing is OK, but I object to a service charge being slapped on the whole bill. Fair enough on the food but it's not acceptable to pay a service charge on drinks. To open a bottle of wine hardly involves much "service2 and it's not cheap to start with. ]]> Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:37:07 +0100 323-810 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-horseshoes-upshire-essex.html Everything you dont want in a country pub...except a nice view! Indifferent, unwelcoming staff, tatty, run down room, non-existent ambience and white wine that would ruin your car battery! ]]> Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:11:03 +0100 323-783 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-horseshoes-upshire-essex.html We have just experienced the worst ever service and over pricing in the Horse Shoes pub. The mother's day menu was priced at £26.95 for 2 courses and £32.95 for 3 courses. The options were your usual pub starters such as pate and prawn cocktail and for main, Sunday roasts or fish with roast trimmings, with usual pub desserts such as banoffee pie and treacle sponge. It was a set menu for mother's day with no other menu options. I didn't want a dessert and asked if I could just pay for main, but was refused point blank and had to pay £27 for a roast dinner!!!!! Although the food was nice, paying this kind of money for basic pub grub is daylight robbery. Now let's talk about the ambience, we arrived at our table with 7 odd chairs, 4 of which were fold up chairs, next to the toilets, under the TV showing motor racing and rugby. We were told that we had until 3.30pm when the next people were arriving for the table, which by the way was filthy! The toilet didn't flush properly and run out of toilet roll. The staff were unfriendly, unwelcoming and some just plain rude. We asked for a high chair and were told there are only 2 and they are booked out. We were not offered an apology about this situation, that was it, like or lump it. There were 3 mothers among us and we did not have the best time, and that's an understatement. The meal came to over £200! Needless to say we didn't pay any service and won't be going back. ]]> Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:51:03 +0000 147-652 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/tas-restaurant-bar-epping-essex.html Staff at TAS in Epping are extremely rude and unfriendly, it is not a place I would recommend, nor would I go back there again.
We went on a Sunday afternoon and were told we MUST buy a drink in the bar before we are allowed through to the restaurant, we thought first of all that it was to save them the job of bringing drinks into the main restaurant. It wasn't until we went to the toilets (which were very nice incidentally) that we realised that it was just to keep us waiting and bump up their revenue, as the restaurant was almost empty.
And it wasn't until we received our meal that we realised why the restaurant was in fancy empty! The food we were served up was cold, dry and completely bland.
Overall, the only good points I can think of about the whole experience were the car parking area was a good size, room for plenty of cars and the interior decor was quite modern and done in good taste. ]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:26:45 +0000 51-594 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/smith-s-brasserie-ongar-essex.html Had heard this was an excellent place for fish. This was true; the main meals of fish that we had (halibut and plaice) were beautifully fresh and cooked to perfection. The main disappointment for me was the prawn cocktail-I felt sure that for £8.50 the prawns would be freshly shelled-they have a firmer texure. But no, they were no different from the prawns you could get for half the price elsewhere, and I feel that the restaurant shouldn't bother to put this on its menu unless it's got the best of ingredients,like the other starters seemed to have. I had really fancied Dover Sole but wanted to share one with my husband as I couldn't have managed a whole one which cost £25 and that would have been a waste!The restaurant 'doesn't do that' which was a shame, but the plaice that I opted for instead was the best I've tasted in a restaurant. Separate pricing for vegetables raises the cost and lowers the value. We went with a selection of three, one of which was asparagus-five thin spears!
The staff were attentive and friendly, and the loos were excellent.The ambience was fine if noisy but that is because there is little soft furnishing to absorb noise. This wouldn't be a problem unless someone has aided hearing. In short, lovely fish-shame about the price. ]]> Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:30:57 +0100 528-516 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-restaurant-on-the-hill.html Visited Restauarant on the Hill yesterday with a couple of work colleagues for lunch. Food was delicious and excellent value. Service was really good also. Would highly recommend - we will definintely be returning. ]]> Thu, 28 May 2009 11:14:56 +0100 528-513 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-restaurant-on-the-hill.html friends and i dined on saturday evening at this beautiful new restaurant we could not fault it in any way even though it was very busy we had an expetional meal and the service was impeccable we waited a short while for our wine but hey they were very busy the restaurant is amazing we would definatly return soon thank you restaurant on the hill for a memorable evening..stella and the girls ]]> Tue, 26 May 2009 14:49:49 +0100 51-508 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/smith-s-brasserie-ongar-essex.html Cannot fault the great service, ambience, good food. However, the toilets are surprising basic and disappointing as all of us girlies love good clean well lit loo with good mirrors to retouch the lippy! But then maybe that's not what you go to a restaurant for. ]]> Tue, 19 May 2009 13:39:07 +0100 265-481 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-robin-hood-loughton-essex.html I was only sorry there wasn't a zero to rate this restaurant. Went there yesterday, three of us had Thai food and one had the traditional Sunday roast lamb. Roast lamb had obviously been microwaved, meat was like old leather and roast potatoes very hot with no 'crunch' whatsoever. Rest of the food was well below average and served on cold plates. The beef in some of the Thai dishes appeared to be made up of lef over roast beef (very thin, hard slices) and we have never had such sticky 'sticky rice' which was served in plastic bags (obviously microwaved again). Worst meal I've ever had and as a bonus my mother (who had the roast lamb) has been up all night with sickness and an upset stomach. ]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:51:36 +0100 155-449 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-bluebell-restaurant-chigwell-essex.html 5 of us went to The Bluebell yesterday, as a Mother's Day treat, spending close to £200 and our meal, in fact our Mothers Day, was completely ruined by the rudeness of the manager. We had to listen to staff swearing at each other during our interminable wait for our table and then the manager stormed over telling us he'd cancelled our booking after trying to ring 4-5 times (I think not), leaving as many messages, to confirm the booking. We found one message on our phone from the Saturday night asking us to call. We hadn't been home since and considering we booked the table months ago we had assumed the booking would go ahead with no problems-why wouldn't we? The manager virtually shouted at my Mum, totally humiliated her in front of everyone else who was waiting and ruined what should have been a fabulous day.

I will never ever go back to this restaurant and neither will the rest of our party. Absolute disgrace.

If this had been the first time the service was questionable we'd put it down to it being busy but every time we have been previously it's the same-but yesterday was unforgivable. My mum and mother-in-law's days were ruined and I'll never forget that.

*If I could leave the service and recommendation fields at zero I would* ]]> Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:01:17 +0000 265-448 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-robin-hood-loughton-essex.html I booked a table here for Mothers Day having heard such good things about the place.

It's impossible to park - we ended up on the curb on the nearby road, but once inside it had the feel of a log cabin which was quite nice. That's where the compliments stop!

We had to wait for our table despite people drifting in without bookings getting tables almost immediately. You have to wait by the bar too, so naturally you end up buying drinks you don't want just to past the time!

When we were eventually seated, we ordered not long after, but the starters took almost an hour to arrive! No explanations or apologies offered either. Food wasn't great - we had a platter of starters to share, which were just like the frozen party food found in supermarkets at xmas - certainly not worth the wait... and quite expensive too for what it was.

After an hour and a quarter we chased up our mains, having sat and watched people who hadn't booked finish their meals and leave. We were told it was just being prepared, allow a further 10 mins. Already those at my table who hadn't had starters were starting to get miffed, but then we were told that one of the dishes we'd ordered (over an hour ago!) was now sold out!

We left at that point, again faced with staff indifferent to our complaints and unwilling to offer so much as a simple 'sorry'.

I really can't recommend this place at all - there are several restaurants in the surrounding area, just try one of those instead. I wish I had! ]]> Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:59:44 +0000 150-420 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/clocktower-epping-essex.html Had a lovely Valentines meal on Sat 14th. Service was very good even though plasce was busy. The food was excellent & I'm normaly fussy about what I eat, every plate of mine was cleared of food !.
Parking isn't easy but evenings arn't a problem.
Will look forward to visiting again. ]]> Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:02:48 +0000 155-381 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-bluebell-restaurant-chigwell-essex.html Really lovely, can't wait to go back. ]]> Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:54:27 +0000 150-353 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/clocktower-epping-essex.html Fantastic ambiance I must get the name of the company's interior designer, Great food especially the Fillet Steak a mere snip at £12 or so. Good selection of wines, with a good standard of house wine. Service was good too, tthe staff were curtious and obviously well trained, a rareity these days.

A good mix of British and European Cuisine, and a very nice heated terrace. ]]> Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:57:54 +0000 323-341 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-horseshoes-upshire-essex.html Having read some of the reviews on The Horseshoes my wife and I were eager to introduce a good pub restaurant to our friends from Dorset up for the weekend. Our reservation was booked for a late Sunday lunch at 3.15pm. We arrived 15 minutes early noting several empty tables only to be informed that there were no tables available until 3.15? We ordered some drinks to take to the garden and in fairness were called to our table promptly.

Everything on the menu was available except for the sardines. The Horseshoes caught our attention due to its promotion of using fresh produce and ingredients, I dont think so?

Starters were shall we say less than lack lustre, the Scallops with Bacon & Peas consisting of 3 pre-frozen sacllops topped with what looked and tasted like ready fried Streaky bacon that you buy for sandwich fillings from any supermarket. The accompanying bread was without a doubt pre-cooked warm in the oven type and to add insult to injury a samll pot of what was hoped to pass for butter placed on the table, its was in fact margerine.

Main corses proved no better either in presentation or execution of cooking. The roasts served admittedly in huge proportions but without flavour topped with a soggy and cold Yorkshire pud. The fish and chips fairing little better being flavourless and dull.

We thought we would push it to the ultimate and ordered the steamed puddings, Spotted Dick and Treacle both of which were not even of store brought quality with an apology for a custard.

The meal was not expensive £80.00 plus we added a £10 tip purely out of habit, the service being non existent.

I just wonder how those high rating are achieved or was this just a bad day? ]]> Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:00:52 +0100 147-338 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/tas-restaurant-bar-epping-essex.html Not really impressed at all. The food was bland and quite expensive for what it was. I had a burger, which I assumed would be homemade and it was rubbery. The chips were frozen and a few of them were not cooked properly. The oil obviously needed changing as it could be smelt throughout the restaurant and it made the food taste strange.
The staff were very friendly, but I would not go there again...... ]]> Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:31:37 +0100 323-315 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-horseshoes-upshire-essex.html Have been here for food 3 times, and each time have been blown away by the quality and presentation of the food. Seriously would not be out of place in places like Oxo Tower, Tower 42 & Coq D'Argent, but with a pub setting rather than the swanky bars. People are nice and friendly, staff are attentive, it's worth booking as we've tried just walking in on a number of occasions and not been able to get a table. Overall top marks from me - will definately be going back! ]]> Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:00:09 +0100 323-229 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-horseshoes-upshire-essex.html We had a family meal here last Sunday to celebrate my Mother's Birthday and the food, staff and overall value for money was excellent! Can't wait to come back! ]]> Thu, 15 May 2008 17:51:38 +0100 88-205 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-cock-and-magpie-epping-green-essex.html From the outside it looks like an ordinary british pub, only when you enter you notice the japanese / Thai decor. The staff were friendly and helpful, the restaurant was lovely and the Thai food was excellent.
I went with a few friends and we sat in the garden on the japanese style chairs and benches. I would highly reccommend. ]]> Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:01:13 +0100 51-157 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/smith-s-brasserie-ongar-essex.html Ok where to start. The venue top notch.... expensive cars with personalised number plates in the car park... things were looking promising.. Service was EXCELLENT. The girls all friendly. The atmosphere was relaxing - no annoying loud people there which was good. The only down fall was the food.. I had the salmon and it was DRY!! In my opinion is was over priced too. I'm of the opinion that people go there for the kudos not the food - I won't be going back in a hurry!!! ]]> Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:50:16 +0000 323-73 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-horseshoes-upshire-essex.html Home cooked food, hard to find in the area, friendly and accommodating, well worth a visit ]]> Sat, 26 Jan 2008 11:42:08 +0000 265-72 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-robin-hood-loughton-essex.html Its quite cosy on first entering and I have to admit I did have fairly high expectations since I had heard rave reviews albeit second hand. We were the only people in the restaurant so service was prompt and polite. The atmosphere was pleasant although I think it would have been crampt if full and the ambience was slightly ruined by being able to overhear the drinkers in the pub area. The starters looked like they were cooked from frozen, certainly not freshly made. They were very oily, small portions and the raw veg was not fresh. Average starter was about £4.80 ish and was not value for money. Main course, again small portions. When they say with a sauce, it means a small dish with a dipping sauce not an actual sauce so beware. The thai green curry was nice but still a little oily. My favourite part was the egg fried rice. I didn't have desert as we felt we had wasted enough money on poor quality food.

If you have no experience of what good thai food can be like and don't mind a lot of grease on your food and to pay a lot of money not to be full then this is the place for you!!!
It is a huge menu and prehaps they have taken on too much (something i have learnt from watching kitchen nightmares!) but it really is very poor quality and very expensive and poor value.

Also the toilets are clean but cold and shabby looking. ]]> Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:23:46 +0000 172-52 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/blakes-restaurant-epping-essex.html Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:08:11 +0000 51-47 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/smith-s-brasserie-ongar-essex.html This is a fantastic restaurants if you don't believe the manageresss Charmain Fry who perpetuates the rules of no children and then when it takes her fancy she lets them in. As a customer I can understand the rules of no children but Ms Fry doesn't keep to them so if you have children just take them along because Charmain has her own rules and you can just blag your way in. ]]> Sun, 06 Jan 2008 14:18:01 +0000 88-45 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/the-cock-and-magpie-epping-green-essex.html The restaurant was one of the best I have been to. The staff were very friendly and the food was beautifully fresh and tasty. Very reasonable price too. Shall be returning again and highly recommend it. Hope you enjoy it to. Kelly ]]> Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:38:18 +0000 208-19 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/sheesha-loughton-essex.html
7pm arrival, restaurant totally empty, slow service from start.
Dark setting by the window, but view's completely blocked by panels.
Set menu £18/head.
Starters, pretty good varied and plentiful.
Long long wait for service.
Main course small and unappetising Lamb dish, served with french baguette!!
Vegetarian main dish, well overcooked, soft mushy veg.
Chicken dish, reasonable - just.
Couscous is ok.
Very long wait for service.
Desserts, pistachio nuts, Turkish Delight and Baklawa chunks. Quite skimpy on the Baklawa, not enough by far.
Later Mint Tea served without TEA!!!! Hot water and tiny mint ONLY!!!
3 Coffees but no milk, saucers or spoons.
Extremely poor customer service and can't see the place surviving much longer.
Final words - Spent well over 2 hours at the mercy of untrained young inexperienced staff, Rubbish Galore! ]]> Sun, 02 Dec 2007 11:36:14 +0000 51-17 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/epping-venues/epping-restaurants/smith-s-brasserie-ongar-essex.html regular haunt of mine......simple , delicious, always fresh, great value ]]> Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:17:15 +0000