Blakes Restaurant in Epping Forest

Appalling service that spoilt an evening. Visited here as the venue for a summer ball for the friends of a school. Bar staff were shocking, rude and incompetent. Food was appalling and verging on inedible. Bar ran out of wine during our event and had a poor selection of other drinks with bar staff that didn’t even know the rudimentary facts about drinks they had. Avoid at all costs - will NEVER go back

Avoid at all costs, new management has taken over but are still using the same name. Due to this they have refused to honour/refund a deposit for a wedding booked months ago, disgraceful company standards. Not the only one which has had this issue. If your booking an event, wedding etc avoid this one!!!

We attended Blakes for a family meal. We received a very warm welcome on arrival. The staff were fantastic with kids and very professional. The food was plentiful and delicious. We will defiantly be returning.

I visited Blake’s on Sunday with my partner and could not fault the food! The meat was cut perfectly and very tender. There was a good selection of fresh veggies to choose from! I even went for seconds! The only downfall was the drinks we had ordered arrived in filthy glasses and you could tell they had not been through a dishwasher as they had a stale smell, overall the food was excellent however the restaurant is poorly cleaned and definitely needs some tending too!

We went to Blakes for Sunday roast. The meat was cooked perfectly. The roast potatoes and cabbages were fantastic. Only one issue - the mirrors were dirty (fingerprints) and my suggestion is to put table blankets on the table. See you soon!

Christmas work party. What a joke!! Tacky decor, food was horrendous, took 2 hours for the main to arrive, no running water so toilets weren’t working. Disgusting, never ever again. To top it all my coat disappeared!!

Last night was my works Xmas celebration. What an absolute disaster. The evening started at 7pm starters were served around 9pm,mains came out an hour later. Some of which were cold and desserts where not served until after 11pm at which point not many people were interested. The toilets were in a shocking state and I had to request toilet rolls. Many people were getting a full refund and I hope my manager does the same as it was a shambles. The only saving grace was the music. I doubt we will be celebrating there for some time. A shame as it usually is a great event.

We all arrived for 7, starters arrived late, then half a loaf of bread and hard butter put on table, no side plates, then we sat till 10.30 still no mains, no drinks upstairs, no change in till and no water in the toilet!!!! Disgusting, security men needed due to everyone upstairs not happy, 11 o’clock still no mains, manageress wouldn’t come to sort it out, we gave up and went down stairs and made the most of it, starving, Prosecco £30a bottle!! Hopefully we will get a refund, I will never recommend or return again

Went here today with 5 other family members ranging in age from 11 to 91... Very disappointed in the quality of the food. The potatoes were not roasted at all, literally just boiled and shown the oven but not cooked in it!. The cauliflower cheese was an altogether other taste experience, the cauliflower was rock hard and the cheese sauce was simply a milky/watery slop. Queued up to get our food only to find virtually no veg so had to go back and top up our plates when it appeared. And to top it off the service charge was already added to the bill!!! What service... we went up and served ourselves as it was a CARVERY... Do not think it is appropriate to add a service charge when all the waitresses did was bring drinks and a few desserts. Should have been up to us to rate how well the service was and tip accordingly. Nothing mention about service charge already being added on the website. Only half the restaurant was full so not as if there was a rush on.

Came here for a round of golf on a Saturday in October. We had a tee time booked for 10am. Luckily the course was pretty empty when we got there, and we didn’t see any in front or behind us. The course is great, with nice open fairways and decent greens. We didn’t go in the clubhouse after for a drink or anything but it was a good round of golf.

We've been here several times over the last couple years and the carvery was always very nice and reasonably priced. We hadn't been in over a year and decided to go back this weekend just gone. Apparently since we last went it has changed management which is a shame as the last owners seemed to be taking it in the right direction. The new owners have put the prices up, limited the choices on the carvery and desserts and it seems to have gone backwards. When we arrived they had no record of our booking but managed to find us a table anyway, wish they hadn't. We queued for 20 minutes to get carvery dispite there only being 7 or 8 people in front of us. When we did eventually get to the front there were certain things that had run out. There was food and gravy all over the floor around the carvery and some of the food looked less than cooked. The food we did have wasn't great and there were kids running around the place screaming and crying. Couldn't get out quick enough. Such a shame but we wont be back.

We have been to Blakes carvery for a few years now, and have always been satisfied with the contents. I was looking forward to going there again, after they were serving a bbq in the summer. Well, what do I say, it has really gone down hill, apart from putting there prices up £3.00 a head, they have cut back on everything. No carrots, no brokerly, no sweed, no spinach, no sausages, just a few pees and beans. Totally unexceptional. So why put prices up and cut back on stuff. We won't be coming back with our friends and family in the near future. I think you will have to think about what you have done to once a great lunch. Shame.

We were recommended to Blake’s by friends and although the bbq was ok, I am told the carvery is fantastic so will return to try it soon as it’s being re launched this month. The staff are very professional and friendly and nothing was too much trouble for them. The perfect place for a large group to get together as there is so much space outside for the kids to run around in.

Under new management, this restaurant/golf club has fantastic service. The staff care for your well being and you feel as though you get a luxury service. Would recommend to every friend I have!

Sunday Lunch treat, price £11.95, where do I start. Lovely setting, clean and air-con. Waitress very good. Meat was very well done, veg was sitting in water and not a strainer spoon in sight. Roast spuds looked amazing, but very soft skin, no crunch to them, like they had been microwaved. Gravy like water. It made a Toby look great value and taste. I felt disappointed and wouldn't rush back.

A return visit for Mother's Day this year and our 3rd visit to Blakes. A welcome drink and flowers on the table are a nice touch. Beautiful atmosphere, always made to feel very welcome and attentive staff. The food is always great, hot, plentiful and great variety so great value for money. The best carvery I've been to in fact. Looking forward to our next visit this Sunday.

Sunday carvery 14/04/2019 - unusually for carveries nowadays it was not overcrowded, therefore no rush. Just a blissful relaxing Sunday dinner. To the point, the welcome was warm, friendly and the staff were very well attentive, the carvery was clean and well presented, with a pleasant helpful chef, the meats offered were ALL good, even the grandchildren said how nice it was, for me the beef was excellent, moist tender and melt in the mouth with a good selection of veg on offer. A nice selection of desserts to choose from including gluten free options which our daughter was able to enjoy her fav golden treacle pud!

We called to confirm our reservation and they had moved it from 1.30pm to 1pm without telling us. We had to rush there. The food was ok but the gravy was like water and the veg is served in hot water and rock hard. The waitress was hovering round our table asking if we was finished yet when it was clear we wasn’t. The normal carvery is 10.95 but that was up to 16.95 for mother’s day. You didn’t get anything for that they had just put a fiver on the charge. The kids menu had gone up from 5.95 to 9.95 and that was just for carvery they didn’t get a drink or afters they are all extra. A kids dessert was 4.95 for JELLY AND ICE CREAM. The waitress hovered so much that we finished without coffee and paid up and was charged 10% service. We just felt rushed all lunch and the server at the TIL said they had made a muck up with the bookings. We definitely won’t be back as 120 quid for 3 adults and 3 kids for a mediocre carvery which is no better than a Toby and only soft drink is too much and to then be rushed on mother’s day it just spoiled it for my mum.

We visited yesterday veg was swimming in water hardly cooked. What looked like a type of cheese sauce was burnt and bubbling. We left my 2 year old has been so sick since my partner also was sick later in the night and today i havent stopped being sick absolutely disgusting.

The starter prawn cocktail delicious, the dessert profiteroles and apple berry crumble wonderful . The waitresses and staff and ambience great. The carvery food rubbish. Beef so hard couldn't cut it pork and turkey overlooked. Broccoli swimming in water nearly raw, swede was grey, something resembling spinach in a sauce completely tasteless, cauliflower and roast pots were best bit of that meal. Such a shame since the restaurant and sussoundings is just beautiful. You need a proper chef then you will see so many more diners!

Pretty good all round. The service for drinks etc. could be better, but overall, a very decent carvery at a very reasonable price. Loved the round tables. The outside seating area could be tidier.

Just had a family Sunday lunch at Blakes golf club and what a shambles. The roast beef was totally inedible. The chef didn't even know if any of the food contained nuts!! The most disappointing part was the staff. There was plenty of them but apart from one young girl, the staff were totally disinterested. They were all young and untrained. We had to chase them up for everything including a drink. They just didn't have a clue. It was so disappointing.

Went for a Sunday carvery with our family. Meat was good, potatoes black, broccoli floating in water. Service shocking!!!!! All youngster without any supervision and full of attitude. The worst was that we had to pay 10% towards the appalling service which isn’t a problem if the service was good. We had to clear our own glasses. Wanted to try this instead of Toby but rather going back to Toby!!!! Will never return to Blakes. I hope management is reading all these reviews.

Fantastic day of golf with a great afternoon tea! Topped off by outstanding service! Friendly and professional with big smiles and plenty knowledge from Adam and Cassie! Will be returning and definitely would recommend.

My husband and I went to Blakes for the carvery lunch. I had the roast pork which was the best pork I have ever enjoyed in a restaurant, very tender and a lovely taste. There was a good selection of vegetables and the yorkshire puddings were a real hit! The gravy was so good that if Blakes had been selling it in bottles we would have purchased some! The staff were very friendly and helpful; attentive without being intrusive. We are already planning to return to Blakes for lunch and a coffee outside in the lovely gardens which have an amazing view out over the countryside. Very glad we tried Blakes - we were certainly not disappointed :)

We booked the Mother's day Carvery at Blake's as a treat for my mum and was not disappointed. The food was delicious and plenty of it and a great overall atmosphere .

We booked a table for 7 adults and 7 teenagers for Christmas Lunch. We had to give food orders in advance so they knew exactly what they had to serve. My brother informed me that having previously paid a deposit, they made him pay upfront for each person - is this actually legal? When we were seated no one came to ask us if we wanted drinks, we had to call someone over. The service was non existent, the cracker were the cheapest you could get, the food was small portions of cold, over cooked muck! I could have made better food myself. There was no music or any entertainment. Coffee was extra and not even a chocolate with it. They didn't have any bottled coke left (only draught). They asked if we wanted sauces after we had finished the meal. I wanted cream with my coffee and they said that they didn't have any cream. What restaurant doesn't have cream. We constantly complained. Absolutely awful - ruined our Xmas day! Never again would I go there or recommend anyone else does. £70 per head is not cheap for what we had. We all should have gone to the Toby Carvery as the food would have been better. I could go on an on but no more characters left!

Christmas lunch was terrible, not hot and tasteless. Service was even worse, very slow and chaotic. The atmosphere was terrible as there were so many people complaining. A fight broke out between a diner and management at one point! Poor value for the money we paid. We were very disappointed as we have been to many good Sunday carveries here. This was a special treat for us which spoilt our Christmas.

Food served late, inconsistent bar prices and portions very small. When food was eventually served it was cold, over cooked and tasteless. No atmosphere, very un-Christmassy. Main lights on for the entire evening. Bar ran out of prossecco. Too many tables squashed in making the whole experience unpleasant. All in all I will not be returning here.

Attended a Christmas evening event. The service was poor. Should have sat down at 7.30 it was 8.15 before everyone was seated. Got first course at 8.45 and main meal at 9.30. A manager to oversea the events is urgently needed. Very poor service with small meals, without any tea or coffee to follow.

Come and meet us and try our delicious, good value Sunday Carvery every week!! Great place for family and friends!

Place was filthy, awful food, bad service, management don't care, such a shame. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY.

Intentamos ayer al asador el domingo. Estaba un poco dudosa después de tantas críticas negativas, pero satisfecho al decir que han sido claramente escuchar. El servicio era muy bueno. Personal amable y atento. La comida era abundante y de buena calidad. Disfruté especialmente la coliflor y queso. sobresaliente

La primera vez que uno de nosotros, El interior era preciosa. . . sentados enseguida, y nos ofrecieron una mesa más grande que era agradable con un personal muy amable. Servicio muy rápido de bebidas.

No tienen una función aquí no podían organizar una fiesta en una fábrica. Muy desorganizado, personal no capacitado. Comprar en tesco y Prosecco cobrado a un precio desorbitado. Coordinador de eventos muy grosero y negativo.

Last time we came here was for a birthday party .This time was 2 of us. Booked table for3pm arrived about 2-45pm. No one around to seat us lots of staff but all busy, asked a member of the bar staff was told hang on!!!...

Celebró el 50 cumpleaños de mi esposa en su lugar y sólo tengo cosas positivas que decir.

Loads of staff , running around like headless chickens and ignoring customers. Food was ok but the turkey was cooked in garlic ! That's not a roast for me . It was a set two course menu with no alternative for food intolerance and allergies! Way over priced ! Will probably not go again

My wife and I with our children aged 6-3 and various friends with their children of a similar age visited the Blakes Golf Club for the Sunday Carvery and I must say we were very impressed with the offering.The cost is very good value at a cost of at £11.90 per head and free for Under 5.The food on offer is good with a wide choice of Veg and Meats (Gammon, Beef and Chicken) all of a high quality and the service from the staff working is also good.The only negative I would say is the price of drinks is a little expensive.In summary good quality food and great value – Would come back again.

the place was let down by its food , went there as a a family group , went on a sunday for roast meat completely overcooked , pork like shoeleather , drinks very expensive , ciders £5.00 a bottle !! , i would say though the waiting staff were pleasant , they should se e what the artichoke carvery in brentwood do , that's the proper way to cook meat !!!!

We had a Sunday carvery at Blakes to celebrate my granddaughters baptism - 15 adults and 5 children. There was an indoor play area and large grass area for the children so they were very happy. Our waitress Olivia made sure we had everything we needed and was pleasant and attentive - even when it became busy at about 2.30-3pm. The carvery was delicious and the beef I had was so tender. The vegetables were 'al dente' which the children found a bit hard. There was never long to wait to be served, even at the busiest times. Waitress service did take a little longer when it was busy but wasn't a problem. Our family were impressed with the venue and the food and will be making return visits.

Absolutely appalled with the customer service I have just received.After booking and paying a deposit to hire Blakes for my sons first birthday party. 100 invites sent out, entertainment and caterers booked. Blakes forgot to inform us it was a £1000 min spend at the bar on a Sunday, between the hours of 1-5 (when in actual fact we was not allowed in the room until 1 to set up, therefore guests would have to arrive at 2pm, this was not pointed out before, so the actual time being 2pm-5pm, 3 hours hire) with a spend of £1000 a little unrealistic. The fact the deposit is a non refundable deposit proves that this is an agreement between ourselves and Blakes. However they failed mention the £1000 min spend until 3 weeks after booking the room. Instead of rectifying their fault, their only recommendation being we either spend the £1000 at the bar within the 3 hours, or they will cancel. They would not hold any responsibility or compassion that our sons 1st birthday is now having to be cancelled due to their incompetence and poor management/customer service. I am so disgusted with the way in which this matter has been handles, especially after admitting they were at fault. This is also the second time I would have hired Blakes. Never again. I am now having to re-order and send out 100 new invites, plus re-book caterers and entertainment ( local companies to Blakes were booked)Incapable and very poor management. Oh yes! and I was also reminded if I wanted to take it further, to the directors of Blakes, I wouldn't be able to because the directors of the company were her parents.. great way to run your business Blakes

Visited for Sunday lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is in the clubhouse of the golf club. A choice of 5 meats and a good selection of vegetables. Nice atmosphere and very good, cheerful staff. Recommended.

We have always enjoyed roast here but they have put price up recently and no longer have sausages on carvery.

I took my wife here for Sunday lunch, which was recommended by some good friends, after being seated the waitress took our drinks order which was served by a man who I can only describe as just coming of a building site filthy hands and boots which were literally covered in mud. They sat us next to a family with children screaming and shouting and I kid you knot when I went to the toilet there was a man stripped to the waste having a full on wash complete with shaving kit. Food was ok and plenty off, but I was shocked that they had the front to put a 10 per cent sure charge on.

A group of us went here in early December, and it was a great night. The drinks are reasonably priced, the food is good with a wide choice, very good range of vegetables and side dishes and the starters and desserts were excellent. The disco afterwards was brilliant too; usually there are the tired old "party" numbers trotted out but there was an excellent range of music so the DJ was obviously taking into account the audience. Would definitely go back

not the best not the worst, middle of the road. Nice view. Ignored by staff, both trying to get a drink and trying to pay.

Every glass on our table had lipstick marks on the rim. Waitresses had their long hair down while serving food and kept swishing it next to the tables. The carvery food was luke warm and no-one seems to be in charge.

Been a few times and always a good afternoon out. The staff despite being young are very good and sharp! Lovely food with a 4 roast selection. Drinks a little expensive and there is a service charge on top which isn't advertised so take into account. Probably the best carvery in the area and definitely the best venue, particularly nice in the summer .Keep up the good work Blake's great place to eat!!

Four of us including my 96yr old mother booked a table for Christmas Day lunch and it was wonderful. It was the first time we have ever eaten out on the day and we were not disappointed. All the staff including the young waitresses were very efficient and extremely helpful especially as my mother was in a wheelchair. Nothing was too much trouble!! The food was excellent and plentiful. We have often eaten at the Sunday carvery and the quality of food is always very good.My only negative comment is that when the bill came, it had an amount added on which we didnt recognise which when queried turned out to be the service charge. It did not state this fact on the bill and we would prefer to decide and offer a service charge ourselves.We hope to return on Christmas Day this year with more of our family.

Good value for money but can only be booked on a Sunday (last sitting is at 5pm). Sevice is good and we had a large round table for 12 which was excellent as our party were all able to talk to each other much better than one long table. Whilst the carvery itself is good value for money the sweets are no cheaper than a good restaurant and I found the drinks a little expensive compared to a pub.

We have eaten here 5 times recently, the last time was Father's Day, and have found the Carvery one of the "Best In Essex"The food is fresh, a good selection of meats, sausage meat and sauces, very good value.The only fault we found was if you are paying the price to have a Peroni beer, it should be served in a Peroni glass, and not a standard pint glass. We ordered a Whisky, and were told they only had one Whisky, which was served in a tall glass with ice, which was not requested. When sent back it was then returned in a Brandy glass.So my only complaint was the lack of knowledge of the staff in regards to the bar.

Having played golf in a society day, we had a meal in the restaurant there. It was excellent!! Home made tomato and pepper soup, followed by steak in ale pie with lots of fresh veg (carrots, swede and cabbage). Very well cooked, very well served. Just what we needed after a day on the course.

We were there to provide the guests with a murder mystery and have nothing but praise for the management and staff. The food was a high quality, especially for a large function and the staff were all very courteous. As it was a murder mystery, our timings are not the same as normal but the staff did everything they could to ensure that the serving of the meals linked in very nicely with the acting. Large parties can book this venue with confidence.

Lots of big round tables for extended family and friends. Straightforward carvery with great choice of meats. Reasonable prices. Friendly and helpful staff. Easy to book.

Lazy waiters, hanging round the bar ignoring high paying customers ruined an expensive evening. Never again!!!