Acanteen in Chelmsford

Service was poor & food was below average, mostly overcooked/burnt, was sent back & refund requested. Wouldn't be in a rush to return.

Food was nice overall but the service was fairly poor in terms of timing - it took about 20 mins to get our drinks after chasing. The serving staff however were more than pleasant. It was a busy Sunday morning so quite loud but a good atmosphere. We've eaten in A Canteen several times and generally always have a good meal and experience. One request - please bring back the hash benny!

It was alright food, but the service was not the best, once we were seated and our orders taken for our mains, we were not approached again by any of the staff and they were not short staffed.

The staff are great at there jobs, really helpful and very polite. The atmosphere was fantastic and the food was amazing

Great service food and evening out but as the DJ was sick it wasn't the same

We came as a large group and Sasha looked after us very well. We were impressed that all the food came out together and service couldn’t be faulted.

Love the sofa area. Lovely coffee and polite service

The staff are amazing, so helpful & friendly. The food was really nice. Would definitely go back.

Very tasty food and nice atmosphere

Fantastic Sunday lunch here. Food was outstanding and plentiful. Highly recommended

We absolutely love Acanteen for brunch. The sofas are comfy. The food and drinks are always spot on. We love Josh, he is a ray of sunshine. Although let the boy wear a jumper he’s always freezing. 🤣

Great food, excellent service and the drinks were flowing. Went for my mums birthday and we all had a lovely time.

Pria is super friendly amazing service !

The coffee service was really slow, our food came and it was after that our coffee came.

We visited Acanteen today and had a fantastic experience compared to a previous slightly negative experience which I was reluctant to post. The service was excellent and as always the food was delicious. It has changed my previous experience and I would certainly be revisiting with family and friends and recommend highly. Thank you Acanteen staff

The food and environment were great. My partner said she felt incredibly cold. Though I didn't notice anything, perhaps as it was still relatively early in the morning, the venue was still warming up.

Had Excellent meal in here last week with work friends. Our waiter (Red) was incredibly attentive and a great laugh.

Great main meal 9-10 v poor desert it was not a chocolate brownie it was chocolate mousse

Great food & service! Went above & beyond for us especially as we had 8 babies dining!

The food was excellent but the drag entertainment was poor. Far too sweary & insulting diners not really the festive spirit

Lovely experience. Great food. Attentive and friendly waiter. Thank you.

Evening buffet for works party no where near up to standard of normal food we have normally. Very little choice and was expecting a great deal more choice.

Meeting a friend in sofa lounge for coffee. Had made a booking which was checked. As always a relaxed atmosphere. Succumbed to a mince pie 🥧 that was heated up for us- a nice touch.

Our worst visit, have been loads of times and it’s always been good, we had a table at past 3pm on a Sunday, the roast wasn’t nice, maybe our mistake for eating late but it all tasted like it had been sat there all day (which it probably had). Was not impressed, sorry.

Lovely Christmas meal with friends. Food was amazing

Always a great night at A Canteen, my favourite place to go out in Chelmsford for an evening. Great food, great wine & always a friendly crowd. We saw an Oasis tribute band & they were brilliant, such a brilliant cool venue. Looking froward to the raving frog event in April next :-)

Really lovely food, very welcoming atmosphere. Loads of space inside and very accommodating with our pram!

Another tasty Sunday Roast for the family, thank you!

Fab bottomless brunch food was delicious, service was exceptional couldn’t fault the experience ❤️

CHANGED MY REVIEW TO 5 STARS. New gluten free menu is amazing. Well done. I came on Saturday for lunch. As celiac I can't recommend ACanteen, in fact I would avoid. Confusing menu where each item has to be cross referenced to a large dirty looking folder with limited help from the waitress. In the end we walked out and went to Bills where they had a separate menu specifically with GF items. No fuss. I have eaten at ACanteen before I was diagnosed with celiac disease and the food was good. But they seem to be behind the times when it comes to dealing with intolerances. Up your game ACanteen. Just stick a GF on the items that GF at the very least. At best print another menu with options and advise staff how to deal with customers with intolerances.

We visited Sunday lunch time and the 3 of us had the Set Menu a roast and a dessert. We was not disappointed the roast was really good with plenty of food and very good value . We all had the different desserts and they where so good with the Cheesecake so tasty . We will visit again very soon. Well done to the Chefs for great food.

Had a really lovely time. Food was great, as was the atmosphere

Came here for a Joey Negro Love Sensation night. Really enjoyed it! Great layout and sound system, nice size. Good bar service. Recommended.

Great food, relaxed atmosphere, love it here! Brunch offer great value

Food, service, atmosphere and setting all top notch excellent.

My food was delicious and the staff were friendly and efficient

Not as good as previous visits, beef was slightly overcooked, cauliflower cheese was bland, and food took 45 minutes to arrive after ordering. Two of our party were there for the first time so as a first impression for them it was underwhelming, we have had much better from Acanteen previously

First time at Acanteen, came to see Dave Lee play at their Love Sensation night. Drinks were good and reasonably priced. Bar staff was pleasant. Would come again.

Get night at the comedy cub, Acanteen

Amazing restaurant, Saffron made us feel really comfortable and we loved the ambience. Her costumer service was outstanding and the food was delicious. We will definitely be back

Great food and service. Excellent music too

Fantastic breakfast and service from Red! Highly recommend the French toast banana bread - the best banana bread I’ve ever had!! We will definitely be coming back.

Amazing tasting brunch, great atmosphere! Breakfast burger was incredible and filling.

Amazing brunch place! Great veggie options too!

Good food, good-sized portions, good atmosphere at the beginning, but as it emptied, the atmosphere dropped off.

We used the front lounge area for a birthday party for 26 people, then had a Sunday roast for all of us after. Staff were exceptional, attentive and we had a fantastic meal. Couldn’t be happier, thank you guys 💫🙏

Brilliant night with top DJ entertainment provided by Jazzie B OBE and Norman Jay MBE!

great night. great food. great staff . really impressed and will be back

Great, child friendly place to eat with a great selection of food. The staff are wonderful (especially Red) and always make us feel like VIPs and experienced in understand want customers want.

So I've always found Acanteen a bit hit and miss in the past. Staff are always good even with a dissatisfied customer. But Sasha who served us and the Chef and his team were nothing less than BRILLIANT on my visit last Saturday. As I now have food intolerance - Sasha was back and forth with the menu to the kitchen until they hit upon the solution of beautiful freshly made chicken, salad and fries. So grateful for food and service.

It’s always good food at ACanteen and this visit was no exception.

Brilliant Elton John tribute night! Food was delicious and cocktails were good. Excellent service by Josh and Sasha, they looked after us really well:-)

Went on a Sunday, small group for breakfast/brunch. Food was nice and there were nice veggie options. Service was the only let-down as it took a while for our orders to be taken

Would be nice to pair the food with the wine? And then include cold meats as well as cheese. Also a choice of just red or white wine could be good. Enjoyable evening, sadly can’t make the next one.

Have been here a few times and went for Sunday Roast. They were busy, but the service was slower than it should have been and the roast beef was over-cooked. They also kept the front door open which made it cold inside. Unfortunate, because I've generally always liked the place.

We throughly enjoyed Red’s Spanish wine tasting, we were introduced to several different wines which we had not tried before and they were all delicious, Red was very informative and interesting while explaining the different grape varieties and the location of the wine growers. The accompanying cheese board was also very tasty, we will be returning for the next one

We had a fabulous night at the recent Whitney tribute evening. The food was delicious and our waiter, Sacha was really great, making sure we were happy with our food, and getting us drinks etc. Unfortunately, due to it being so busy, we didn't get our food until the music started, meaning we couldn't enjoy the first set as much as we might have done. The music was incredible. If possible, it might be better to get food pre-ordered to reduce time taken to take orders and mitigate running out of some dishes and it would definitely have benefited from more staff in the kitchen and waiting staff.

Great place for a family brunch, the banoffee French toast set me up all day!

Great service from Red, lovely breakfast and Red was brilliant with my little boy who was feeling tired and a bit grumpy. Was soon smiling :-) lovely little place in Chelmsford

Really nice drinks selection and the staff were very friendly

Went to Whitney night, 3 course meal a set menu but plenty to choose from and vegan option, food was really good, the service amazing had a brunette girl serving us she was coming over just the right amount of times and asking if we wanted more drinks when she could see they were low. Singer was amazing! The perfect date night my partner really enjoyed it for his birthday. Thank you acanteen

Very nice dinner and big portions!

Great food and customer service

Staff were brilliant and very helpful especially with the cake. Very welcoming and friendly

Unique bar and restaurant in Chelmsford. It's definitely worth a visit. Always find the bar staff a friendly. There's a good bar area and great selection of beers and cocktails. The food is excellent chefs do a great job. There are events here as well. A lovely vibe on the river front. It's a big space inside but it does fill up as the evening goes on so you know it's worth having a bite to eat. .................. def will be going back some time soon

Last minute booking - and as always it was fabulous. Food was great, atmosphere fab and service totally on point! Thanks Saffron for being so accommodating when we turned up with an extra person for dinner 🤩 Brought friends from out of town who had never visited before and they all loved it! - especially the cocktails and the DJ!

Really nice place to eat food any time of day. Good options and a wide selection too. Food is very good and at a reasonable price range as well. Very recommend ACanteen.

Went to boozy drag bingo. Did not disappoint. Had an amazing time and will definitely be back

Attended the drag boozy bingo. Fantastic night, very funny and great entertainment

Great atmosphere, lovely brunch menu to choose from.

We hosted our baby shower here last minute due to mix up with another venue. We are glad that we moved it to Acanteen in the end as the whole team and staff were really helpful, friendly and accommodating. The space itself was the right size for our group (around 25 - 30) food was reasonably priced and of good quality. Happy to recommend and thanks again to the whole team for making the afternoon run smoothly.

What a shame! Lovely place with a very chilled atmosphere but the service was appalling! Every time I go, the service is worse and slower, last weekend we went for a drink with some friends and the service was just awful! A bunch of teenagers in slow motion, we had to beg to be served. Nearly an hour to get a few pints (4 exactly). Management was nonexistent. A great hospitality place in town with a charming and cool atmosphere going decaying due to poor management.

Great place for food and drink, staff are fantastic, venue is top notch and very relaxed. Great restaurants and bar.

I recently visited Acanteen with seven other mums and our babies (all under one year old), and it was such a wonderful experience! The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the food was fantastic. Emma, the owner, was incredibly friendly and welcoming—she even took a group photo to commemorate the occasion, which was such a thoughtful touch. What really stood out was how accommodating they were for all the buggies. Without us even having to ask, they gave us extra space, making us feel so comfortable and at ease. It’s clear that they really care about their customers and go out of their way to make sure everyone has a great experience. If you're looking for a considerate and family-friendly spot with great vibes and excellent food, I highly recommend Acanteen!

Hosting a networking event at my favourite place was a joy. As expected, from the initial enquiry to the point of leaving on the evening of the event, everything run smoothly. Nothing was too much trouble. In the run up to the event, communication was clear and informative. One the evening of the vent, the staff spent time running through everything. The food and drinks were delicious, well priced and fresh. Special thanks to the staff that were working that evening for making our networking event run so incredibly well.

Great Sunday lunch with two of us enjoying a great big plate of roast beef and veg, piping hot through out. The others had pizza which was enjoyed just as much. Will be back 👍🏻😊

Very friendly and helpful staff

menu was extensive so hard to choose :) we ordered the smoked aubergine pate and flat bread with feta and pomegrante. It was basically a pizza which was not what we were expecting. its tasted great but thought we would be getting a bowl of aubergine pate with some crumble feta and warm flat on the side.

Such a wonderful beautiful place. One of the most popular & modern places in Chelmsford imo .. like a place you’d find in the West End or on a Baleriac island .. prices are pretty reasonable for such a place too! Waiters and management couldn’t have been more professional, friendly , attentive and perfect customer service. Give you all the time in the world to even take family photos! Gorgeous setting with her looking the river .. seating outside and the shutters all opened up on the warmer days and has a holiday feel place to it .. lovely coffee barista part at the front and also a bar whether you want a real nice coffee and a bar snack or some amazing cocktails or glass of champagne. I’m TEETOTAL so they do an amazing choice of Mocktails and only around £5 and a beautiful mocktail made up with palm leaves and big chunks of pineapple like an ibiza long drink! Gorgous home stone baked pizzas and lots of other various dishes .. good mains with fresh fish and also spoilt for choice with small plates/ sides/ starters which is great for me as I have a small appetite. My boys loved the freshly cooked double burgers and the triple cooked chips and the stone baked mozerella garlic flat bread was to die for! Gorgeous quieter restaurant where we ate but also at the front part there are gorgeous chase lounges and sofas with or without tables .. ans can mingle there .. have drinks .. and even bring your precious dogs! and this was just a normal thursday night! Definitely booking many more nights here as they have amazing DJs and comedy nights and top West end singers to enjoy as you dine or drink there. I couldn’t fault A Canteen and I thank you for making my birthday last minute get together meal for myself and my boys so special x

Great venue for an 'young-at-hear' crowd. Spacious, comfortable with great music and a good atmosphere. Service can be a little slow at the bar because they offer cocktails but other than that, it's a great spot.

Had a lovely bottomless dinner for my boyfriends birthday. Food was great, the nduja pizza was delicious. Excellent service from Saffron.

Great menu, good selection of soft drinks as well as alcohol. Fantastic atmosphere for the comedy night.

Nice venue except the beer is far too expensive. At £7 a pint you can get cheaper in London. Fantastic dj's on the night though.

A relaxed early evening drink! Perfect atmosphere.

We shared some small plates which we were extremely impressed with. The cured salmon 👌 service was also really good!

Did the bottomless dinner for an impromptu date night, and Izzy was the best waitress we could have asked for. So friendly and drinks topped and waiting by the time we finished our last round! Absolute credit to this bar/restaurant. Food was amazing highly recommend

Went here for boozy bingo , absolutely fantastic food was nice but the atmosphere made the night . I was impressed with the quality of the night Fantastic would recommend

Booked the lounge sofas with a friend for a couple of hours on a Saturday. Lovely atmosphere, great staff and fun vibe

Went for a bottomless dinner for a birthday and the waiter (Tom) made the whole experience great :)

We were a party of 6 and opted for the three course dinner option. Food was very tasty and well cooked. Service was excellent. Great value for money.

Family Sunday Lunch. Excellent food, good portions, friendly efficient service. Good value for money

First time visiting Acanteen, has a very relaxed, understated vibe with its decor and young staff. Went to George Michael tribute and saw they have lots of other events going on. Great place to eat and be entertained too.

Really nice place for dinner and a couple of drinks! Service is really incredible. Quick, amazing and good value for money.

First time here. The service was brilliant!!! Food great and George Michael Tribute ❤️ Will definitely be back. Thanks Guys xxx

Fantastic food, friendly service and a really fun atmosphere.

I visited for my birthday on Saturday and we had a bottomless dinner; it was great value for money! The sourdough pizza was delicious and I will definitely select this should we return. The DJ created a fun atmosphere and the lighting was fab. We loved the photo booth and had a really great night. Thank you!

Always my first choice for a meal out in Chelmsford. 241 burgers on Thursday is our latest find. Love the menu variety and staff are always friendly and accomodating.

My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our pancakes. As a vegan I often find that the options are limited when I eat out, but not at Acanteen! The arla coconut cream and blueberries were delicious. My friend also enjoyed her bacon pancakes and oreo milkshake! I will definitely be back soon.

This was the first time I'd been to Acanteen in a long time and I left feeling disappointed. It wasn't particularly busy (for a Saturday night) yet service was slow, the waiting staff had to keep checking orders as they weren't sure what items were on the iPad vs what's written on the menu, and we were sat right next to a very loud group of people, despite there being other tables free that were the other side of the room, which made it very difficult for us to talk and to anyone or be heard. My meal was lovely but I won't be rushing back.

We love Acanteen, we visit regularly as a family with our children and for events, music and comedy nights. You are always greeted with a warm and friendly smile, nothings too much trouble and the food is always A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!