http://www.essexrestaurants.com/ 318-1395 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-white-horse-pleshey-essex.html My family arrived at 12:10pm on a Bank Holiday Monday - the place was completely empty. My wife and 2 teenage children entered and looked for a table.."Where are they off too?" was the only comment from the landlord. I replied to find a table. "Have you booked?" - No, did I need to today? "No" he replied. So, what do I need to do? what's the procedure? "There isn't one - you just speak to me before you do anything". Decided this place wasn't getting a penny of my money and we left. Attrocious attitude to customers - their food must be excellent for people to put up with that! ]]> Wed, 09 May 2012 15:38:14 +0100 365-1394 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/la-tasca-chelmsford-essex.html La Tasca is no longer in Chelmsford, Has been changed to a Wildwood restaurant. ]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 10:56:57 +0100 251-1393 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/stock-venues/stock-restaurants/the-hoop-stock-essex.html Michelle helped us to organise a wonderful 50th birthday party for my husband. We were offered a great selection on the menu, which we pre-ordered as there were 40 of us in the Oak Room. We were able to get in early to add flowers and decorations to what is a beautiful room. The food and service were both excellent that evening, with the team being totally attentive to our needs. Wine was of a good quality at a reasonable price. I could not have asked for more and everyone had a fantastic time. ]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 10:15:39 +0100 233-1392 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/clacton-venues/clacton-restaurants/maffia-s-bar-and-brasserie-holland-on-sea.html We viisted Maffia's yeasterday as our friends got married in Colchester and we wanted to go to a restauant that we knew we could trust to deliver the best, highest quality food and again they didn't dissapoint. Whenever we visit our friends in Walton my partner says "I hope we are going to Maffia's". Other restaurants in the area are fine but I've never been anywhere like Maffia's before. The service is brilliant and the proprietors and staff are so friendly, nothing is too much trouble. We have been going to this restaurant for at least 4-5 years (Maybe more) and have always had a top class meal, never one complaint. The establishment is spotless and we would be really upset if they ever closed down or moved on as we have so many pleasant memories of this lovely restaurant. ]]> Sat, 05 May 2012 12:44:52 +0100 302-1391 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/westcliffe-on-sea-venues/westcliff-on-sea-restaurants/piccolo-restaurant-westcliff-on-sea.html We went here for a friend's birthday on Saturday 28 th April and I must say we had a very enjoyable time. The atmosphere was excellent, food good and the price very reasonable. My friend was surprised when presented with a dessert for her birthday with candles and the staff and restaurant all sang to her. Well done Piccolos - will definitely go back. ]]> Wed, 02 May 2012 13:14:46 +0100 615-1390 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html Went to Sunday Lunch we had a lovely meal in really good o traditional Sunday Pub bbbeauiful ]]> Wed, 02 May 2012 11:50:06 +0100 231-1389 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/southend-venues/southend-restaurants/room-24-southend-on-sea-essex.html Tue, 01 May 2012 19:20:45 +0100 93-1388 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html Decided to return to the windmill with some friends over the weekend, the food was fantastic and the service was second to none! We had a wonderful evening (helped by good wine choice from Our waitress Danielle)! Will be visiting again soon ]]> Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:26:42 +0100 92-1387 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/danbury-venues/danbury-restaurants/the-white-swan-bicknacre-essex.html Having read a good review we decided to eat there on a Sat evening. Must say we were very surprised on arrival that we were the only ones there especially as the meals were first class at very good prices and also the friendly way in which we were greeted and served, all in all a very good evening with really tasty and well presented food. Although they do not really advertise I would thoroughly recommend The White Swan and will certainly be visiting them again in the near future ]]> Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:59:43 +0100 185-1386 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/southend-venues/southend-restaurants/shepherd-and-dog-stambridge-essex.html Visited on a warm spring night. Received a warm welcome but that's as far as the it went. The bar furnishings were very shabby, maximum of only eight customers total in the bar and restaurant throughout the whole saturday night. There was no atmosphere whatsoever. Steak and 4 potatoes with no vegetables x 2 came to £33+ We will not be going back. ]]> Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:08:48 +0100 333-1385 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-fox-and-goose-cooksmill-green-essex.html Red wine was watered down with clear fluid floating on top, when owner/manageress spilt on white table cloth no mark was made, when I ask which wine it was (to ensure I didn’t reorder) owner/manageress didn’t answer my question. Grated potato was over cooked, rock hard and so salty both husband and myself could not eat. Owner/manageress response was they don’t normally get complaints and if we had informed them while eating they could had done something about it, they wasn’t interested in our views and seemed annoyed we had mentioned issues. ]]> Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:44:04 +0100 334-1384 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/stansted-venues/stansted-restaurants/the-queens-head-littlebury-essex.html Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:09:08 +0100 257-1383 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/brentwood-venues/brentwood-restaurants/tarantino-brentwood-essex.html We have been eating, drinking and on occasions dancing in Tarantinos for the last 7 years. Everything about this restaurant is great, the food, the staff, the service - all excellent... the busier it gets the more Italian it becomes and the more fun you will have. Best to book if you want Friday or Saturday nights. ]]> Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:31:35 +0100 257-1382 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/brentwood-venues/brentwood-restaurants/tarantino-brentwood-essex.html A fantastic restaurant! Very good value for such delicious food. Good service given. Had lunch here once and an evening meal here once, and both times we were impressed. Definitely recommended! ]]> Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:39:12 +0100 615-1381 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html Fantastic evening out at a lovely village pub. Really enjoyed the food and the staff were great. Highly recommend an evening here - book a table at the weekends so you're not disappointed. It will be full! ]]> Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:46:23 +0100 54-1380 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/colchester-venues/colchester-restaurants/the-prince-of-wales-inworth-essex.html Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:30:24 +0100 93-1379 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html We went as a party of five including a four year old to celebrate a family birthday. Most child friendly venues tend to diminish in food quality but this was perfect for our requirements with a nice garden at the rear with a swing and tractor for the little one's. They sensibly selected a table by the window for our party with easy access to the garden for our daughter, they also had plenty of more intimate and private areas for diners without children so they were not disturbed by the pride and joys! They have cleverly utilised the space with each table positioned to give a feeling of privacy and a range of seating choices from a more relaxed "order a the bar" area plus a more formal dining area. Nice atmosphere, relaxed and friendly. Spotlessly clean, nicely furnished, not overdone - they have taste! The loos were also spotless with nice touches plus a disabled loo and baby changing facilities. Service was polite friendly and very helpful. We went on a fairly quiet Saturday so service was quick - I got they impression that the staff were well trained and could cope on busier days. My prawn starter and my husbands baked camembert were so so, nothing special, however my mother-in-law's pigeon breast was delicious, well cooked but not overdone and well presented. Definitely recommend and will have this on our return. My husbands steak burger looked great, v tasty with hand cut chips - massive portion size!! My pan-seared salmon noodle broth was fabulous, as good as I have had in recommended gastro-pubs in London. Nice small kids menu - quality ingredients without being over-complicated - quite large portions for healthy appetites! Deserts were good, my bread and butter pudding was really lovely but quite filling! Chocolate brownie was also a winner. Nice selection of good quality ice creams for children and the cheese board (was good but large - def for sharing! Nicely served coffee in cafeterias and teas in teapots - sound silly but these touches do win over on service compared to other foodie-pubs in the area. They did have a fairly good wine list and the house wine was good. Price was reasonable £130 for 4 adults and 1 child with three courses apiece inc coffee. I have paid a lot more for a lot less and was more than happy to leave a tip. Definitely will return - I think the owners are fairly new but the changes they have made have made this into a very promising venue - with some interesting menu choices. ]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:35:03 +0100 93-1378 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html Beautiful location, lovely interior (as a pub of its age should be)! We had Sunday lunch here on a recommendation from my neighbour and we certainly weren't disappointed! The food was fresh and obviously home made! Staff were more than happy to recommend wine to compliment our food to which were surprised at the professional yet friendly service. I wouldn't hesitate to return or recommend it to anyone else. 10 out of 10 Thank you to all at the windmill ]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:50:33 +0100 185-1377 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/southend-venues/southend-restaurants/shepherd-and-dog-stambridge-essex.html Went there last week-£120 for four. Very expensive for just mains and one desert. Wine £17+ very pricy. Only us eating so all in all a disaster. Much better deals available and lots of them so sorry we are unable to recommend and will be a long time we return. ]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:02:48 +0100 227-1373 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-royal-tiger-rettendon-essex.html Just seen the review complaining about the rediculous noise at this venue! Will they never learn?? I promise you, it is SO LOUD in there while you eat, it would wake the dead and a deaf person would hear it and complain!! bFood is ok, service very questionable....we complained we couldn't hear each other speak only to be told it would get louder, not quieter, later! Do they really not understand?? If I wanted extreme music I'd go to a gig.....but usually people eating out are with friends and cctually want to chat! What a shame, but I'll bet they won't change, and we'll not go there again though we live walking distance from their restaurant..... ]]> Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:49:42 +0100 50-1372 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/halstead-venues/halstead-restaurants/the-white-hart-great-yeldham-essex.html Amazing is the only word to describe the White Hart. I'm vegetarian and to actually have food in a restaurant which the chef has thought about and put as much imagination into it as a meat dish was brilliant. I had Chocolate fondant for desert which was perfect. The only reason for 9 stars on ambience is because it wasn't very busy when we were there. Can't recommend the White Hart enough! ]]> Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:33:34 +0100 48-1371 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/southend-venues/southend-restaurants/the-royal-oak-gt-stambridge-southend-essex.html Terrible staff, terrible food, terrible atmosphere, no value for money. Any one happy eating in this restaurant is either easily pleases or a relative of the owners! ]]> Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:32:53 +0100 615-1370 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html have dined many times at this lovely pub and have yet again been really impressed with food and the really friendly service good prices as well for a lovely meal out you can't go wrong at this venue ]]> Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:02:07 +0100 93-1369 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html one of the best meals we have had and at £90.00 for 4 people with drinks and 3 courses very good value ,would recommend to anyone who enjoys good food and great service ]]> Sun, 08 Apr 2012 11:22:59 +0100 574-1368 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-green-man-howe-street.html Sat, 07 Apr 2012 09:31:58 +0100 659-1367 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/maldon-venues/maldon-restaurants/the-jolly-sailor.html Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:23:36 +0100 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 91-1365 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/colchester-venues/colchester-restaurants/the-crown-wormingford-essex.html Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:20:44 +0000 513-1364 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/elachi-indian.html Great food, great service, definitely go! ]]> Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:22:49 +0000 156-1363 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/colchester-venues/colchester-restaurants/the-old-courthouse-inn-gt-bromley-essex.html everything was spot on SUPERB ]]> Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:05:42 +0000 586-1362 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/maldon-venues/maldon-restaurants/mr.html I love Indian food, real Indian.Less heat and more emphasis on the spices. The food here was so tasty. I don't have the words to describe the layers of flavour I could taste in the food. May be it's because I'm a vegetarian and can really appreciate subtle tones of the starter and main... but my friend also agreed this was the best Indian she had been to in maldon . It's a pleasure to dine somewhere which has an emphasis on quality food.I was stuffed but still managed to eat it. Just gorgeous. ]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:07:46 +0000 186-1361 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/barda-restaurant-chelmsford-essex.html Don't bother. Gutted all round diwsapointment ]]> Sat, 17 Mar 2012 22:06:44 +0000 134-1360 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-crown-sandon-essex.html Invited to my sisters 50th wedding anniversary last Saturday.Not to spoil my sister's day I said nothing. The lamb & duck was tuff, the best thing about the main course was the gravy,the wait between courses was far to long & to top the lot off we got charged an extra 10% for having more than six eating. Please make it plain about this CHARGE when booking. It might help to change your Butcher ]]> Sat, 17 Mar 2012 17:43:52 +0000 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 130-1357 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/witham-venues/witham-restaurants/the-blue-strawberry-hatfield-peverel-essex.html Not as good as expected,food was good but let down by poor service; staff bumped into our chairs on every visit, at 10.00 started to clear away giving impression that they wanted us out. On leaving owner/manager and staff at exit didn't acknowledge us, had to collect own coat from hanger. Could be very good, if they didn't take their customers for granted. ]]> Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:37:21 +0000 478-1356 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/westcliffe-on-sea-venues/westcliff-on-sea-restaurants/paris-bistro-westcliff-on-sea-essex.html Empty restaurant for a saturday night, we went there for my mother in law 80th birthday, no atmosphere, the food was tastless, disappointing and not a good variety on the menu. With nobody in the restaurant they had only 1 skate fish available to eat!!!! the decor is very sad.... ]]> Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:25:05 +0000 212-1355 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/ilford-venues/ilford-restaurants/curry-special-ilford-essex.html our last visit to Curry special in feburary 2012' was anything but speical. Poor standard of food, at 5 star prices. When curry speical opened in the 80's, the food was fantastic, over the years there has been a gradual decline. The food is tasteless, has the chef changed? My partner and I eat out quite a bit, and expect the food to be good. With a lot of food establishments to choose from, the competition is very high, so rather than decline, curry speical needs to up there game. Bob and Mina ]]> Sun, 11 Mar 2012 17:08:51 +0000 198-1354 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/braintree-venues/braintree-pubs/the-green-dragon-youngs-end-essex.html the pub was virtually empty however the staff leave a lot to be desired i do NOT wish to spend my weekend listening to staff moaning about staff rotas and mgt when i am eating. it wld of been nice for them to see if food was ok and to clear the table from previous reviews i think this place needs help with customer service issues. i will not be recommending and will not be going back in forseeable future. ]]> Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:53:07 +0000 93-1353 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html Fantastic food at a reasonable price with great service. Highly recommended. ]]> Sat, 10 Mar 2012 15:26:21 +0000 131-1352 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/danbury-venues/danbury-restaurants/the-lodge-country-inn-south-woodham-ferrers.html Previous Carvery Visits were ok, back for birthday meals celebration ( from the more expensive menu) 1.Overcharged at the bar note > (you pay first then take a seat) Bar Staff were asked to check the bill and failed to spot the overcharge, then when the maths finally clicked a refund was made,however this should have never happened and was embarassing. 2.A " medium to well cooked steak special was ordered when meal arrived the steak was not completly cooked parts of it were cleary uncooked. Same Bar Staff asked why the steak was not cooked she took the meal into the kitchen, brought it back and said " The Chef said this is how it comes !!!! Not what I wanted to hear,I told the bar Staff to take the meal back remove the steak and wrap it up in silver foil "TELL THE CHEF THE DOG WILL HAVE IT LATER" My advice stick to a restaurant where you pay at the end, you generally recieve a better service. ]]> Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:31:16 +0000 653-1351 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/stansted-venues/stansted-pubs/elmdon-dial.html Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:33:22 +0000 159-1350 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/stansted-venues/stansted-restaurants/the-cricketers-clavering-essex.html I am so relieved to read that other people have had the same experience as me as I don't often complain in restaurants. On arrival the waitress was very abrupt and rude. We were then put on a table in the bar area which was freezing and not served for 25 minutes. I had to go up to the bar to order drinks as we could not get any attention. I also had to go up to pay the bill!!! The food was good but not worth it for the service we received. When the waitress asked me if everything was ok, I explained that we were very disappointed with the service and she said sorry. I would expect more than a sorry from a restaurant which rates itself and that is associated with Jamie Oliver! I think it is also disappointing to read so many bad reviews and that it has not been noted or rectified. ]]> Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:58:35 +0000 211-1349 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/brentwood-venues/brentwood-restaurants/tuesdays-bistro-brentwood-essex.html Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:08:13 +0000 218-1348 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/thurrock-venues/thurrock-restaurants/210-bc-thurrock-essex.html Was really looking forward to going to this restaurant. As I walked in the door I was most impressed with the decor, but when seated I was most disappointed from then on. The menu just didn't grab me.I ordered a starter and main course, which lacked flavour. The chicken satay starter was very dry & chewy. The service was mixed: one waiter was very helpful, the other was surly. Overall, a well presented restaurant, but lacking in service and quality of food. Won't be coming back. ]]> Sun, 04 Mar 2012 22:13:44 +0000 198-1347 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/braintree-venues/braintree-pubs/the-green-dragon-youngs-end-essex.html Having arrived at the pub, eagerly awaiting a much anticipated roast dinner, we were very disappointed with the meagre offering, which consisted of two child~size roast potatoes, a desert spoonful of mash. and paltry serving of meat and vegetables, this was an adult size dinner, so goodness knows what child portions were like, given the relative cheap cost of buying in vegetables and potatos there is really no excuse for such a poor meal, friendly staff and quick service were a bonus, but as such the meal was a letdown which has rather put us off going for 2nd time lucky! ]]> Sun, 04 Mar 2012 17:04:00 +0000 173-1345 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/back-inn-time-chelmsford-essex.html Excellent food, excellent staff, excellent atmosphere and excellent value for money. The quality and quantity of food is absolutely amazing, if you haven't been there yet then you really need to book yourself a table. Thank you Back Inn Time for your continued excellence, see you again soon. Sue and the girls ]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:31:30 +0000 93-1344 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html We had a fantastic family meal here last Sunday ! The staff catered very well for the children, food was of great quality and excellent value! The pub was very busy yet we were well looked after. We will be returning very soon Thank you to all at the windmill ]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:50:01 +0000 615-1343 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html The steak meal that I had was wonderful and the chips were proper homemade chunky chips. The staff were very friendly and attentive and the food was great value for money. I will definitely be recommending it to my friends. ]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:34:09 +0000 297-1342 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/braintree-venues/braintree-pubs/the-onley-arms-stisted-essex.html Visited here while on a walk and had some lunch and those with us had some ale - the best they had tasted apparently. I had a hot drink and companions had wine - again a lovely drink and all very reasonably priced, especially for a country pub. The landlord was extremely welcoming as was the fire, and explained all the history of the village when we asked - even had photos to show us. A wonderful couple of hours well spent. The food was bar food and home made and absolutely lovely. Well worth a visit if passing by. ]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:40:34 +0000 586-1341 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/maldon-venues/maldon-restaurants/mr.html This is the best indian restaurant i have been in.I have been in lots of indian restaurants in Essex and London including the famous Brick lane indian restaurants and believe me they dont stand a chance against Maldon Tandoori.Without going into detail, the food is real and not out of a packet, the service is real and not put on, and the restaurant itself is West end. ]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:59:04 +0000 67-1339 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/danbury-venues/danbury-restaurants/the-anchor-runsell-green-essex.html visited on Saturday 24/2/12, 2nd time we have been here, you probably need to book in advance as its always very busy. 4 adults this is now our favourite pub eatery,Looking at other tables there fish n chips is huge,also popular was a very good looking mixed grill(16.95). for our meal we went for 2 x broccoli/stilton soup,home made walnut bread(£3.95 each),very tasty. for main 2 x sirloin steaks,Jacket Potato with good mixed veg(£16.95) one being cooked "blue" that was hot inside!! 1 x chicken/ham/garlic with JKT POT and salad, 1 x minted Lamb/veg meat pie/ mash/salad(both from special board)very good quantity, the pie wasnt overpowered by mint(my preferance)we followed up with 2 deserts 1 x 3 scoops ice cream with sauce(£4.95) 1 x lemon roulade/1 scoop ice cream(£4.95), would have to say the roulade needed a bit more lemon flavour, overall with a bottle of rose wine 3 x beers cost without service £106-00.special praise for our waitress CHARLOTTE who was very attentive. we will return soon, there special board looks interesting. ]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:25:54 +0000 93-1338 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html Four Adults and Three Children (all around 10) visited the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon…the menu was adequate with all the usual favorites plus a few more unusual options. I went for the Gammon Steak which, for a change was actually a steak as opposed to two rashers of bacon stuck together. The waitress was friendly and efficient, keeping us up to date on the progress of our food. A slight delay/confusion with one order was dealt with speedily and with humour. The deserts all looked good, especially the Bread and Butter pudding. The atmosphere was welcoming and the staff were all friendly and knowledgeable of the menu and it’s contents. The food was reasonably priced and superbly cooked. ]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:34:21 +0000 342-1337 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-chequers-writtle-essex.html Awesome carvery this Sunday. 5 meats, 15 veggies £7.95. Fan tas tic. Go there soon!!! ]]> Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:13:36 +0000 297-1336 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/braintree-venues/braintree-pubs/the-onley-arms-stisted-essex.html On reading the previous review I felt I had to add my comments as I was very surprised by the remarks. The Onley Arms is a village community pub and does not pretend to be anything else. The ales are always excellent as is the welcome we receive on every visit and the log fire in the Winter is lovely. This is not a food pub but does offer some places to eat with basic bar food on offer - and some home-made specials. I have sampled the home made cottage pie which is gorgeous as arehe omellettes - always large portions and very reasonably priced. Both the landlord and landlady are always polite and show an interest in their customers. They offer live music and other entertainment and I do feel that this website is misleading. Should you be looking to dine a la carte this is not the place, but if you are looking for a warm welcome to feel part of the atmosphere with excellent drinks on offer and snacks to eat then this is the place. They also allow dogs on leads in the pub and children are welcome also. If you are visiting nearby please give it a try - it will be worth it! ]]> Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:18:44 +0000 355-1335 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/thurrock-venues/thurrock-restaurants/spur-at-the-boardwalk-lakeside.html Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:17:12 +0000 347-1334 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/thurrock-venues/thurrock-restaurants/wagamama-at-the-boardwalk-lakeside-essex.html Food is always fresh and tasty. Good speedy service. Waiting staff attentive and very helpful. ]]> Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:13:58 +0000 656-1333 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/thurrock-venues/thurrock-restaurants/miller-and-carter.html Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:10:53 +0000 159-1332 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/stansted-venues/stansted-restaurants/the-cricketers-clavering-essex.html Not as exciting as one would have expected given the pub/hotels association with Jamie Oliver. The room was cold (it was i have to say a very cold night ) Cold air gushed through the single pane windows. Stupidly the thick curtains when shut completely covered the only radiator.There does not appear to be sound proofing in the rooms for one can easily hear conversation from the next door occupants and the hum of the restaurant below.( The next door occupant banged on the walls at 3 am believing , I think that there was the beep of an alarm clock consistantly going off next door - when it turned out to be coming fom the restaurant below) The knowledge that the occupants could hear was not condusive to their, or my, romantic weekend!!. The restaurant was overated too many tables squashed together - one becomes part of a shool dining room!Far too many tables ans so little elbow room - the food,at best, mediocre - I had pork swimming in a red sauce(?) that had a tin tasting quality that seeped into the mash.The cheeseboard at £9 consisted of 4 small pieces of cheese - totally overpriced and over rated. The Arms is situated in a rather boring setting with a small industrial estate situated behind it. This is not the place to visit if one is wanting to find somewhere special to visit. Although it is now a couple of weeks ago that I visited I still feel let down - we had travelled 120 miles to get what indeed was forgettable. I would have quite happily told the reception on leaving - but they never asked! I would not like to suggest that the arms is living off the a famous reputation rather than supplying quality Maybe Jamie who is trying to educate the people of Rotherham to good food should revisit his heritage and apply his skills for I cant see this type of quality enhancing his reputation!!. ]]> Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:16:20 +0000 127-1331 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/gerrardos-on-the-square-chelmsford.html We went there on a Saturday night in January 2012, we were the only ones in there until about 9 o'clock. But the food and the service made up for the lack of atmosphere. We will certainly be going there again. ]]> Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:42:07 +0000 93-1329 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html Great atmosphere, lovely home-cooked food and reasonably priced, we'll be back!! ]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:08:26 +0000 615-1328 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html Our first visit to the windmill - had only viewed on website as we live 3hrs drive away. Husbands parents are local and it was a family meal to celebrate their birthdays. Very please with all the food, service, location, ambiance. Lived up to what I had expected from the internet. Many thanks to all the team at the Windmill Tavern. Definitely will visit again. ]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:14:01 +0000 177-1327 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/dunmow-venues/dunmow-restaurants/the-green-man-great-easton.html My wife and I went to the restaurant on the recommendation of a friend. We had an excellent meal and received extremely good and friendly service throughout the evening. I would recommend this delightful restaurant to anyone looking for a special night out. ]]> Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:49:50 +0000 93-1326 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-pubs/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful 3 course lunch today 18/02/12. Fab food especially the meatballs and Sea Bass from the specials board! Staff are very friendly and attentive! Great value for money!!! ]]> Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:39:56 +0000 189-1325 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/romford-venues/romford-restaurants/maylands-golf-club-romford-essex.html Absolutely dreadful. Paid £32.50 per ticket for a tribute night and meal. The tribute act was in a different room so we couldn’t hear him singing. All we could hear was a very loud muffled noise. The food was disgusting – I’m sure it all came from Iceland for a £1.00 Thai fishcack – no it’s not a spelling mistake it’s a description. Cat food in nuclear orange breadcrumbs deep fried until as hard as a hockey puck and the Pièce de résistance was the chilli sauce on the plate, obviously this was the Thai part of the dish. The wine list consists of about 5 choices of white wine, we chose a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc After the 2nd bottle on a table of 6 we were told they had run out !! not only of the wine were drinking but they didn’t have another Sauvignon blanc and therefore we had to drink white Rioja. The attitude of the staff was terrible – slapped each plate of food down on the table Unsurprising the staff have such an attitude as the Manager has an even worse couldn’t care less arrogance. We spoke to the manager about our concerns & unhappiness regarding the whole evening, his response was to shrug his shoulders and point out that the evening was a sell out. Well in this economic climate I don’t think with that type of attitude they will continue to have sell out evenings for very long. Take my word for it – spend your money elsewhere and get good food and pleasant service. ]]> Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:05:38 +0000 185-1323 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/southend-venues/southend-restaurants/shepherd-and-dog-stambridge-essex.html I wouldn't recommend this place, First of all it seemed a very nice place, We received our drinks and ordered and it seemed a very nice place, We all received our food except my 6 year old niece who we later found out the chefs had forgot to cook her dish, The manager came over to speak to us had quite an aggressive attitude and the food only got to her after all of us had finished our meal! None of the staff came to us to explain what had happened while we were waiting and we were very cross about the whole situation. The deserts however were very nice but again they gave my 6 year old niece vanilla instead of chocolate, Another example that they need to sort out their staff as they seem to need more training, However the quickly recovered the problem and we got a free dessert and meal for my niece. However the overall service was appalling and we shall not be returning, It is a shame as the food is nice but the service has let the restaurant down. ]]> Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:44:13 +0000 292-1322 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/maldon-venues/maldon-restaurants/the-jolly-sailor-maldon-essex.html a warm feel as just been newly painted i have been many times before and the menu changes. food very nice. made my dog welcome. friendly staff. ]]> Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:04:18 +0000 36-1321 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/billericay-venues/billericay-pubs/the-white-horse-ramsden-heath-essex.html Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:28:17 +0000 300-1320 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/southend-venues/southend-restaurants/chiquita-restaurant-shoeburyness-essex.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:16:20 +0000 655-1318 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/colchester-venues/colchester-restaurants/bures-swan.html Fantastic food, great evening. ]]> Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:51:43 +0000 202-1317 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-duck-inn-newney-green.html Having been here for drinks after work a few times and living in Chelmsford, me and my girlfriend decided to walk over to the duck in the recent snow. At the end of the 4mile walk there we got just what we needed, a table by the fire, 3 courses of decent quality food and some freindly service. The setting is very much a traditional pub with lots of character and now the new menu excels, for me it's a great combination. Fortunately we were both able to walk off our meal on the way home :) We'll certainly return. ]]> Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:39:16 +0000 461-1316 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/southend-venues/southend-restaurants/san-fairie-ann.html Bacchus is under investigation after three big groups of customers became seriously ill after eating here recently.Two needed hospital attention. It is so serious that it has been taken to the next level. The owners have tried to hush this up but its too important as a lady in her 80's and an 8 yr old girl were evidently involved. Somebody could've died. Find out what the situation is before you go. ]]> Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:20:34 +0000 177-1315 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/dunmow-venues/dunmow-restaurants/the-green-man-great-easton.html We visited this restaurant with friends who are regular visitors and they wanted to share this little gem with us - and we were not let down. A lovely ambience which must in the summer be enhanced by the fabulous lawns makes it very welcoming. The choice in the menus gave me a chance to enjoy the Tempura King Prawns and my wife the scallops. My wife staying with the fish thoroughly enjoyed the Mixed Fish Grill whilst the Steak, Oyster and Guinness Pie filled me totally. The desert menu was was very enticing and all this was washed down with very reasonably priced but good wines. The staff were so friendly and I can only say that if you live nearby or are in the area then go - but book to be on the safe side as it was pretty well full when we were there! ]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:44:37 +0000 304-1314 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/siam-cottage-chelmsford-essex.html We went there for my son's birthday. Shortage of meat in dishes is hidden by mega amounts of vegetables.Lamb and steak quality very poor - tough and grissly but very expensive per dish - £9-£10 per dish.Crockery chipped - some tablemats torn. Can't fault the service at all.They can't really do much if you complain to them about the food. ]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:00:47 +0000 575-1313 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-county-kitchen-restaurant-chelmsford-essex.html I had never thought about dining in the County Hotel restaurant before but friends booked a table last Saturday and I must say that I was very surprised and pleased. The service and food were excellent and far exceed my expectations. Waiting staff were very attentive, friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu and wines and nothing was too much trouble for them. So nice to be offered a jug of iced water and not pushed to purchase bottled water. You could taste the quality of the food, everything was made on the premises; the homemade breads were wonderful. Such a lovely change from crowded pubs. We’ll be bac ]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:09:07 +0000 198-1312 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/braintree-venues/braintree-pubs/the-green-dragon-youngs-end-essex.html It seemed such a nice place, and to be fair the front of house staff were welcoming. HOWEVER, having to wait nearly an hour for starters on a not terribly busy Saturday lunchtime rather spoiled the enjoyment especially as we were with an elderly parent. The starters were OK, but the main courses were pretty average, and the helping of vegetables with the casserole was derisory. GK need to get their act together. I certainly won't be rushing back. The toilets were quite nice though! ]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:35:49 +0000 324-1311 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/billericay-venues/billericay-restaurants/the-ivory-rooms-billericay-essex.html I visited the Ivory Rooms on a Thursday Evening having been recommended to take advantage of the 4321 offer. This offer is basically 3 courses plus a bottle of wine for just £40. We usually go to Prezos or Strada in the High Street and spend between £55 & £65 for 2 people every Thursday so was not expecting much from The Ivory Rooms, however we were very surprised 3 courses from the a la carte menu and a bottle of wine plus 1 pint of lager was only £43. The food was amazing, the ambience with the pianist was perfect. If there was a complaint the service was not amazing as we had to wait a long time for our deserts. I would definately recommend anybody going on a Thursday evening. ]]> Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:35:02 +0000 341-1310 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/la-vista-great-baddow-essex.html went to la vista not too long ago. there was the Christmas menu on or there normal menu. The restaurant looked very dull and quiet downstairs but we thought we would give it a try. we were told that we couldn't have turkey. which if you ask me is really stupid because it was on the menu but we were told we weren't allowed it because it was a Saturday night. we started our night with me having the bolongnese and my other half had the antipasto which was very nice but the brezola tasted like vinegar which has us questioning how old it was and if vinegar had been used to preserve it a bit longer. the bolongnese tasted off like it had been sitting around for ages and this authentic Italian restaurant didn't make their own pasta. so it wasn't a great start to the evening. we had ordered boconchini and swordfish for main courses. this was about at 20 minuted wait, which we would have no problem with but all we could hear was the head chef shouting and swearing, and even more off putting the microwave constantly dinging. when our main courses made it to our table the dishes looked really good. a bit small but looked okay. if only we could say the same for the food. the chef had put way to much salt on the potatoes. the vegetables had clearly been microwaved. the swordfish was bland , dry and looked small on the plate. the boconchini at the ridiculous price of £22.50 was no were near worth the price, the sauce was bland, if there was brandy in the sauce you couldn't taste it. we decided to stay and have desserts after the manager had apologized for the food. but we wish we hadn't. i had the lemon tart which was a tiny portion and my other half had the zambonyoni mouse which was more like whipped cream in a bowl with a hint of zambonyoni. she didnt fish it because the cream tasted bitter and off. we didnt bother to complain anymore, so we paid and left . I do not recommend going to La Visa. unless you want to ruin your view on Italian restaurants. clearly this place isnt being run properly. ]]> Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:23:53 +0000 144-1309 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/stansted-venues/stansted-restaurants/the-ash-stansted-essex.html This is one of our many locals, and have never been disappointed. The landlord and and his wife are friendly, many a time they have ordered a taxi for us on a Friday/Saturday night allowing us to leave our car in the car park. The food, imo, is excellent (albeit over generous at times). As a pub and restaurant I cannot fault it - but then maybe I am biased as a local. ]]> Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:33:17 +0000 544-1308 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/hornchurch-venues/hornchurch-restaurants/annees.html The food was great, but it took a bit of time to get to us. The only recommendation I would suggest is that the staff talk to each other in English and that they deliver food. ]]> Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:13:23 +0000 376-1307 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-blue-bridge-bar-restaurant-chelmsford.html My wife and I have lived in Writtle for 4 years and have been regulars at The Blue Bridge during this time. Our feeling is what once was our favourite restaurant has now started to go down-hill. The restaurant has certainly made a name for itself, which can be contributed to gaining fame from appearing on TV and also the Beckham’s having dined there. However it seems that it has now begun to live off that name and is no longer trying as hard to impress as it used to, which unfortunately has resulted in a less fulfilling dining experience. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated and provides a luxurious environment to dine in, however one thing we were very disappointed by was the removal of the grand piano which used to provide pleasant background music creating a wonderful atmosphere. The Grand Piano has now been replaced by another table, obviously capitalising on the restaurant’s floor space. Live music is now provided by amateur singers, who cover acts such as Amy Winehouse backed by a CD player. The last time we encountered this “live music” it was far too loud and resembled a karaoke bar as the singer clearly could not sing. A far cry from the days of the pleasant piano music. The name of the restaurant has now been changed from “The Blue Bridge Restaurant and Piano Bar” to “The Blue Bridge Bar & Restaurant” to reflect this. The food itself has always been very good although some favourites which have been on the menu for years have recently been tweaked, I guess to try and make them modern and trendy, however this has spoilt what were otherwise classic dishes. For example, the pork belly used to arrive with a beautiful layer of perfectly cooked crackling on top. Now a days the pork belly has no crackling at all, instead being accompanied by a ridiculous crackling straw which is cold and overcooked at that. It doesn’t work and spoils the dish. Other things let the meal down such as the incredibly poor coffee, which is served luke warm and bitter and usually tasting like it was made 3 hours ago. The service is normally very poor as well. For the prices the restaurant are charging, the service really should be far better. Most of the staff are teenagers who appear to have had very little training. On one occasion, when my meal turned up and it was not at all what I had ordered. When I informed the waitress of this, she started laughing and said “oh not again” before removing my meal with no hint of an apology. My correct order finally arrived once all others at my table had finished their meals. Also details like serving the ladies first when pouring wine are missed and there is very little understanding of the menu or wine list. One exception to the teenagers is a middle aged woman who is always very rude and abrupt and reminds me of a school dinner lady. She seems completely out of keeping with the image the restaurant are trying to portray and would be better suited to a motorway café. I still enjoy eating there to a point, but always leave with an ultimate feeling of disappointment, remembering how good it used to be when it was a new restaurant. Now a days The Blue Bridge has gone from being our first choice for eating out, to somewhere we go only when a friend or family member chooses it. ]]> Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:02:54 +0000 478-1306 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/westcliffe-on-sea-venues/westcliff-on-sea-restaurants/paris-bistro-westcliff-on-sea-essex.html Went here for a treat with my partner and sister, we was hoping for some fine dining. The restaurant was chilly and empty. The menu was not very varied and the prices seemed very high, so we were expecting something special. I thought the food lacked a balance of flavours and it was just not exciting and the potions were not big enough for my partner. The fresh veg was not enough for the three of us. The dessert was disappointing. My partner and sister had the apple & cinnamon crumble. The topping was loose and uncooked, just like flour with no crunch. We did express our disappointment with the desserts and the waitress refunded the cost of one of them. It was a shame, has this restaurant is close to our home and we were hoping to return. Afterwards we pondered why it is called 'Paris' as there is nothing French or Parisian about the food, decor or ambience :( ]]> Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:53:34 +0000 304-1305 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/siam-cottage-chelmsford-essex.html We had booked and had email confirmation but they could not trace our booking when we arrived. Food was fairly good but our starters were served on a plate with a large chip out of it. Service was what you might expect in a chain restaurant. Didn't care. When they got round to it Overall a very disappointing experience which we will not repeat. Perhaps they ought to pop up to the Thai Cottage in Witham and see how it should be done. (We have no connection) We have no problem spending money in a good restaurant but sadly Siam Cottage left us feeling we had wasted an anniversary and been mugged. ]]> Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:41:30 +0000 359-1304 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/billericay-venues/billericay-restaurants/strada-billericay-essex.html Absolutely disgusting. As a regular Strada customer I was totally appalled by the food and the service at the Strada in Billericay. The service was disgraceful, the waitress was rude and arrogant and really couldn't be bothered. Once the food was served we never saw the waitress again, it took ages to get a drink and to pay the bill. I ordered a pasta dish that I have had on several occasions and it was like boiled pasta in dirty dish water. Would not recommend this Strada to anyone. ]]> Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:59:37 +0000 182-1303 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/maldon-venues/maldon-restaurants/cap-and-feathers-tillingham-essex.html We were welcomed warmly by the owner when we entered the pub. We asked if we could have steak, and when they arrived we were very happy with the portion and quality of the meat, which was cooked to perfection. The Guinness is always good. We have been back a few times and were always happy with the quality of the food. ]]> Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:04:27 +0000 97-1302 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/braintree-venues/braintree-restaurants/la-piazza-braintree-essex.html I really recommend this restaurant! I have eating there lots of times and enjoy it every time. Great friendly staff who really know there stuff when it comes to high quality food. There is always a great selection of specials and lots of fresh fish. I recommend the mussels. ]]> Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:06:07 +0000 48-1301 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/southend-venues/southend-restaurants/the-royal-oak-gt-stambridge-southend-essex.html What a great asset to the country pub collection. great service, superb home cooked food,massive menu, large portions and good value for money. how anyone can put this place down is unreal.comments before must be hungry horse lovers! I have personally seen them go tooth & nail to accomodate everyone. will definately keep returning and recommending. ]]> Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:28:19 +0000 218-1300 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/thurrock-venues/thurrock-restaurants/210-bc-thurrock-essex.html If you like your Chinese food to taste sickly, fatty and deep fried and also be overpriced, then this is the restaurant for you. My wife and I and a group of friends visited 210bc recently and for starters we all decided to go for the combo platter to share. This consisted of the usual mix of nibbles such as spare ribs, sesame prawn toast, tempura style vegetables and squid. My wife and I knew what to expect with a Chinese starter like this, as it can be a bit on the fried and fatty side, so when ordering we decided for our mains we would both have a fish dish, thinking that this would be lighter and fresher. We decided to go for one of the Monk fish dishes on offer; I went for the - as described ‘wok seared Monk fish in yellow bean sauce’ and she chose the Monk fish cooked in champagne and honey. On the starter combo the vegetables and rubbery squid were covered in a soft, thick batter, the toast was a thick slice of deep fried baguette with a prawn in it and the spare ribs, although tasty, were rather fatty. Not a great starter we thought, but when our Monk fish dishes came up, what a disappointment! Mine was sort of Monk fish goujons in yet more deep fried batter and topped with a rather salty, rich yellow bean sauce. After the first piece, I just thought yuk and I had to just try and pick out the small amount of fish from the remaining batter parcels. My wife’s was just the Monk fish in thick chunks, but it oddly tasted of a sort of cheesy flavour, with a hint of a white wine after taste - presumably the champagne coming through. But where were the flavours of the honey? Nothing there. For an accompaniment, I ordered some noodles and this tasted like your average fried up, greasy take-way effort. One of our friends had the scallops main dish, again these were rubbery and tasted fried and fatty. Another accompaniment we had was a vegetables and mushrooms dish. This too was fried and greasy. The actual restaurant itself and the service were all fine, but overall the quality of the food we had and the cooking was really disappointing and pricey for what it is. We left 210bc both feeling rather queasy and to top it all my wife was actually sick later on. ]]> Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:23:47 +0000 376-1299 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-blue-bridge-bar-restaurant-chelmsford.html Fast, efficient in-offensive service in a relaxed, spacious, modern yet comfortable environment. Large table for two. Appropriate lighting, smart, competent service staff with good knowledge of menu and specials. Set menu was extremely good value but no sacrifice on taste, quality or presentation. Extensive wine list with a good price range. Definitely recommended, will certainly be returning. ]]> Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:47:50 +0000 508-1298 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/harlow-venues/harlow-restaurants/bishaal-restaurant.html very good and polite staff. food is cooked to a very high standard. cant really fault it. cobra on draught is a winner ]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:10:52 +0000 217-1297 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/harlow-venues/harlow-restaurants/coho-old-harlow-essex.html Absolutely Magical - I took my great aunt there for her 60th, the service was impecible, the food was delectable and for the price we paid I'd certainly go back - In fact I have several times and it never dissappoints. I also had the steak which was full, not gristly in anyway, the sauce was smooth and rich, beautifully home made. The selections of wines are a joy and incredibly reasonable given the calibre of them. 100% recommend. ]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:23:10 +0000 130-1295 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/witham-venues/witham-restaurants/the-blue-strawberry-hatfield-peverel-essex.html Visited on 7th January, table for 4 booked for 20:30, seated at 20:45? Ordered 2 pints of coke at £3.60 a glass and no way were they pints so look out for that. Food was okay, nothing special, have had much better for 50% to 70% of the charged prices. Would I go again...NO.....would I recommend it.....NO.....value for money......NO......seating.......you certainly get to know the natives. All in all £115 for 4 starters, 4 small mains, 2 cokes, 1 water and 1 small Rose....work it out for yourselves. ]]> Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:18:41 +0000 198-1294 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/braintree-venues/braintree-pubs/the-green-dragon-youngs-end-essex.html We pre-booked a table for 16 four days prior to my daughters birthday, we all arrived around the same time at 6.30pm, the waitress greeted us and took us to our table which was lovely, also the waitress was very polite and helpful, she took our drinks order, which arrived 15mins later, then she then took our food order at 7pm, our starters after half an hour still hadnt arrived but we were then told they didnt have some of it,then another 15 mins went by then they turned up, the food was terrible, then the mains arrived lasagne was burnt, and so on, the manageress was in the end tryin to fob us of with explanations, and excuses of the bad food and service, they also had a £4-95 promotion running on lasagne, but we were given the bill we were charged £7-45 and again no appology for that mistake all in all it was a disater from start to finish nearly 3 n a half hrs to eat a 3 coursemeal for the most part was uneatable, most of us in the party were either cooks or chefs n waitresses, and if we gave service like that we would have been given warnings, i highly recommend people with parties of more than 2 not to bother going to this pub under this management!!!!! ]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:24:06 +0000 615-1293 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/chelmsford-venues/chelmsford-restaurants/the-windmill-tavern-east-hanningfield-essex.html Went to the Windmill for a family meal just after Christmas, food was excellent all homemade and the most fantastic range of puddings. Very friendly staff and cater very well for children. would not hesitate to return or to tell my friends. ]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:53:34 +0000 65-1292 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/dedham-restaurants/the-boathouse-restaurant-dedham-essex.html The service was fast and the waiters/waitresses friendly and attentive, the food was of an excellent standard and the portion sizes good. The resturant itself is indeed a boathouse, but has been converted tastefully and unpretentiously. I was also pleasantly surprised at the low bill. I will definately be returning and would wholeheartedly recommend this restuarant to you. ]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:57:37 +0000 209-1291 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/colchester-venues/colchester-restaurants/the-lemon-tree-colchester-essex.html I visited this restaurant with my girlfriend during the Christmas and New Year period and was surprised to find that the service was slow despite the serious lack of custom in the restaurant at this time. I did think that the food was what I would describe only as 'OK'and nothing to write home about. I have to agree with a previous reviewer that the toilets were not up to scratch which again is poor given the lack of customers at this time of the year and the place appeared fully staffed. I have been here a few times in the past prior to the theatre and it has gone down in its overall standards which is a shame. Looking at the website I wondered if the owner has expanded too soon and maybe in areas out of his league? Either was my girlfriend was not impressed and like many we wont be in a hurry to go again soon. ]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:51:57 +0000 193-1290 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/colchester-venues/colchester-restaurants/the-peldon-rose-colchester-essex.html We looked at reviews and after a really good walk along mersea beach were looking foeward to a nice lunch.I had the fish in beer batter which came with rustic chips they put the greaseist fish on top of the chips if I would of eaten I would have excededmy calorie intack for a month the man behind the bar just seemed he didint want to be3 there.a sandswich and fish and chips that we could not eat nearly twenty pounds,just dont go there, ]]> Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:58:52 +0000 214-1289 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/maldon-venues/maldon-restaurants/the-hurdlemakers-arms-woodham-mortimer.html Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:02:05 +0000 156-1288 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/colchester-venues/colchester-restaurants/the-old-courthouse-inn-gt-bromley-essex.html enjoyed a few drinks and some lunch in the summer. very friendly staff, superb chips. garden has been taken over by car parking and extra rooms, but some tables outside in a sheltered area. relatives have visited 3 times for 2 lunches and 1 evening meal. good value for money, good portions, friendly landlord, good pub grub, average wait for food. slightly tired decor but would recommend for a reasonable lunch. ]]> Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:13:46 +0000 198-1287 http://www.essexrestaurants.com/braintree-venues/braintree-pubs/the-green-dragon-youngs-end-essex.html This pub has recently changed hands (autumn 2011) and has much improved. It has been completely refurbished so give it a try. We are going back for our fourth meal there in two months and will continue going there while they maintain this standard. A good local pub with good food. ]]> Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:45:15 +0000