Brightlingsea Essex England in Tendring

Been several times during the year and it never disappoints. The Tuna is to die for, that it’s best I’ve ever had, beats the Spanish any day. I’ve also had the Ham, Egg and Chips, beautifully flavoured home baked ham, so full of flavour. Service is great, place is away packed. My son goes for the burgers and my husband the fish pie. Keep up the good work !

We visited the Yachtsman’s Arms twice during a winter break this year and both times the food was excellent as was the atmosphere and the customer service. It was busy even in Winter and the food was very reasonably priced for the quality. We will return!

Had a lovely meal yesterday when we came down to Brightlingsea to visit family. Pub is located right by the harbour which is a lovely spot Staff are very friendly, attentive and helpful Food was lovely , good honest pub grub, well cooked and presented , nice size portions and a good selection on the menu Beer was great too, enjoyed the IPA Thanks

Visited the yachthmans today for the first time in 4 years, after my mum moved from brightlingsea. We just fancied a drive out to remind ourselves how lovely the town is. After a walk round, we had to go in for lunch. So pleased to see it was pretty much how I remembered it. Food was excellent and the staff were so friendly, as were the locals as I always remembered . Bought back some happy memories. Hope to see them again soon.

Been coming to Brightlingsea for 15 years as my mum lives here and I absolutely love this place! The staff have always been friendly and nothing is to much trouble. I love the menu there’s always something to suit all our differing tastes in food as a family and as a couple. The bar area is comfortably and the restaurant is just as it should be. There are games available to play like connect four and uno to keep the children occupied or thrash your partner 😂. There’s a heated outside area also. There’s a lot of pubs in Brightlingsea but this is definitely a winner.

We dined at the Yachtsman twice, once at lunchtime and again the following evening. Food both days was excellent, large portions and reasonably priced. In fact it was good home cooked food. My husband had the ham, eggs and chips both times, the ham was some of the best he'd had. I had fish and chips and then the following day their fish pie special again both were excellent and large portions. Also we shared an apple & rhubarb crumble with custard, it was delicious, it was also big enough for two. Staff were friendly and welcoming as well. Would definitely go there again if we are visiting in the future.

Superb, friendly pub/restaurant. Prices really reasonable and excellent food at the right price! Service is immaculate with friendly and attentive staff.

Great food and great service, would highly recommend! When paying we asked one of the girls if the gentlemen behind the bar was the bar manager, he was multi tasking to the max and definitely seemed to have order of everything that was going on, Including other staff members. Exceptional job! We were told he wasn’t, we really hope he receives the recognition he deserves. We will be back!

Had an excellent meal for our 40th wedding anniversary. Brie really good Steaks Cooked to perfection and desserts very nice. Had a really nice night

Perfect pub, easy to book but on a sunny Sunday we were still able to get a table outside. Great kid menu and reasonably priced. Large menu of adults, great seafood and roasts. Staff efficient and friendly. Great selection of drinks. Would recommend and return. Thank you 😊

A busy pub, serving what looked like very good food, and reasonably price, we only stopped for a drink, Rear garden has fairly old wooden seats, and probably could do with a rub down and re vanish, front benches much cleaner, staff friendly

Great pub in Brightlingsea. Staff were really welcoming. I can personally recommend the veggie burger. It was the tastiest, greenest burger! Delicious. Crab was also a winner, my partner could of eaten more of it though as it was so good. If visiting Brightlingsea, pop in here.

Nous avons eu un très bon accueil, le service est agréable et bien fait. Tous les plats étaient très bien cuit, surtout le Fish and chips. Un très bon PUB.

This pub was recommended to us. We went for Sunday lunch and were not disappointed. We were staying in the area and had a dog with us but this wasn’t a problem as there is a separate area for those guests with a dog. Our roast dinner was lovely with the beef cooked perfectly. The service was also excellent from the two servers in the restaurant and the barman. Sunday lunch is very popular here so best to book.

Chose this unassuming little pub on the first night of our short break simply due to its proximity to our accommodation. Lovely cosy atmosphere and friendly staff but the food was something else. So often places say they do homemade food but this genuinely was....

We booked a table for twelve people after a ramble. The staff were very welcoming and efficient. We all enjoyed our meals which were ordered individually and hot and tasty. Deserts were also delicious. Definitely would recommend.

Very friendly and welcoming staff , quick service, gave us the time we needed to decide what we wanted. Meal was lovely, my only criticism is that the veg was a bit too crunchy for me , otherwise it was lovely and plenty of it....

Many thanks to all the staff at The Yatchsman yet again for a lovely Christmas Eve evening. It was quite quite for Christmas Eve and we had a chat with lovely Hannah,who is always so friendly and welcoming. Happy New year to all the staff....

I’ve visited here a few times and can’t recommend it highly enough… Great menu and much to choose from with a specials menu also. The staff are very attentive, great atmosphere, the people who work there and the public are very friendly and the food...

We’ve been to the yachtsmans many times, food is always fab and good value for money with friendly and welcoming staff. Always something different to try on the specials! Can’t wait to come back for another delicious meal!

We had a table for 6 for our sons Birthday meal. We had all our meals off the Specials Menu this time the slow cooked braised beef casserole on a bed of mash, the Trout supreme & the Cod dish were all freshly cooked, presented...

It’s always busy and a reliable place to go to. I had been several times always loved there prawns in garlic. But reading through the menu this evening I was disappointed as I normally make most of the dishes at home, so the menu was...

This was our first choice for a lunch for the 2 of us or for a bigger celebration with family or friends but no more. We visited early summer to be "welcomed" by a member of staff who was bossy and inattentive. Our request to...

Went for a meal while on holiday, very pleased with decor, atmosphere. food, service & price! Wish it was nearer!

Wonderful meal at the pub such a varied menu all meals presented lovely , very good staff great night out with friends will definitely visit again, well done all

We stayed locally a month ago and found this lovely pub while searching for a dog friendly restaurant for Sunday lunch. We were so impressed. The food is outstanding. So often we try a pub Sunday lunch and it’s so mediocre…..this was lovely. Really nice...

After a casual afternoon with friends, we went for a walk along the seafront before stopping at the Yachstmans Arms for a meal. Although we arrived quite close to the end of cooking for the day, we were welcomed in and were soon seated and...

Great food, served in a hospitable environment by 'can do' staff - at very reasonable cost. We were fortunate enough to be staying nearby for a week, and were happy to visit the establishment on 4 occasions.

I had a return trip to this lovely pub 2day, and took my friend & her dog...We had the pork Belly which was delicious. We couidnt fault the food, the attentive, friendly staff, booked ahead as we had the 2 dogs, which would recommend.

We hadn't been to the Yachtsmans Arms in several years, but after a hard week at work, we thought we'd make an impromptu visit, and we were very pleasantly surprised. Greeted by a lovely waitress who took us to a table, but advised there was...

Popped there this afternoon on the spur of the moment. Wasn't disappointed. Sat outside with my daughter and puppy. Staff were just blooming lovely, professional and friendly. Hd a bite to eat, camembert & fries, delightful! Great atmosphere pub, welcoming AND doggy frozen yoghurt! Never...

We went to the yachtsmans arms on our first night and liked it so much we went back on two more days of our week😜The food was fresh and tasty. Hannah was a whirlwind and always had the biggest smile for guests, she alone was...

Enjoyable mid week lunch. Good value food in a traditional pub setting. Moules frites was delicious !

Sonntagnachmittag um 15:30Uhr war das Restaurant sehr voll. Man bat uns kurz zu warten weil die Küche gerade überlastet sei....

Wandered in while visiting Brightlingsea, staff were friendly & helpful & the food delicious! Very reasonably priced as well!

Went for lunch on a Saturday (8 adults). Delicious food, including home made fish pie with huge pieces of salmon etc. in it. We so enjoyed our meals that we booked Sunday lunch the next day. We were not disappointed - roasts this time, very...

Excellent lunch on a Bank Holiday Monday. Service was friendly and efficient. Dogs allowed inside and water bowl was provided on request.

I came here with my family for dinner, we were greeted and seated by some very friendly members of staff, and promptly served drinks. There were plenty of tempting options on the menu and again, our order was taken in good time. When our food...

Ordered bread board for starters up came sliced bread normally used for sandwiches and a stale piece of French bread. The smallest bowl of oil and vinegar but the worst was a bowl of garlic butter to spread on the cold dry bread. Then up...

I went here for drinks and snacks. Warm and friendly atmosphere, great service, cosy pub, good food, nice outside seating area. Lots of dogs to chat to. What's not to love about this place.

First time visit ,excellent service and food can’t wait to go back,efficient staff throughout and quality of food was second to none

lovely location near the sea, good food and staff lovely, service impeccable and flexible. exactly what you want.

Stopped for a roast while out for a walk along the sea front. A very quick and satisfactory service, friendly staff and great atmosphere.

Brightlingsea isn't well known for great Eateries, the local kebab shop probably being the best, so when we first ate in the Yachtsman, we were pleasantly surprised, and the food was good for the area, ( I visit often from London, so tend to be...

Fantastic food, really friendly staff and dog friendly. Our dogs loved the meat off cuts as their Sunday treat! Thoroughly recommended. 😃

A very good pub serving decent food, cooked to order. The fish pie is excellent. Service spot on. Sensible prices.

great food and so clean the sea food is amazing staff friendly and all covid measures applied thankyou my 1st meal out since covid began

We were staying in the town and this was the closest pub to our holiday home, I'm so glad. The atmospher is very warm and freindly. We visited 4 times at different times of day, Sunday lunch, midweek lunch and evening meal and Just for...

Great meal yesterday lunch time. FOH all extremely friendly from start to finish, and don't even get me started on how good the ribs are on the specials menu!!! Fall off the bone with more of a hoisin/ plum sauce glaze rather than the usual,...

We keep our sailing boat in Brightlingsea and booked lunch following a weekend away sailing. A veggie nut roast and a roast duck were both excellent. A lively and friendly pub with great service from staff always smiling. Definitely recommended

Sunday Roast at the Yachtie was awesome yesterday, everything perfectly cooked and the service was first class as always, good job Phil, Natalie and the whole team!

We stopped off for lunch and were warmly welcomed by staff. Outside was full so we were seated inside. It was table service and we looked after very promptly. My husband opted for the haddock and chips from the specials menu and I had the...

I did not eat here ... just stopped for quick drink. Really charming young serving staff, nice pub, and they're still doing table service... an added bonus. Will try the food next time, it certainly looked good.

Ann and I both had the fish pie from the ‘ today’s specials’ menu. Fantastic portion. Piping hot but most importantly full of fish. Clearly a home made dish. Desserts of Apple crumble and Sticky toffee pudding were also home made , delicious, large portions...

Booked based on rating and what a gem! Lovely, polite and helpful staff and amazing food...only disappointed we had no room for the wonderful sounding desserts!

During a short break based in Brightlingsea, we visited the Yachtsman twice (a lunch and an evening meal). On both occasions the food was delicious, staff were helpful and friendly, and there was a nice atmosphere. Highly recommended.

We popped in here while in Brightlingsea for a couple of hours. Service was good, the waitresses were rushed off their feet. Food was great. As a group we had a mix of sandwiches, platters & hot food. Definitely recommend it here.

Took my very particular 85 year old dad out for lunch on Sunday to celebrate my birthday.the staff were very helpful and accommodating .the food was fantastic even my dad said he would love to come back .great place can’t recommend it enough thanks again

Came across this pub whilst on a day visit to Brightlingsea. We decided on an early lunch and sat outside but just to warn people it was a Wednesday and a lot of tables seemed to have been pre-booked and the place really started to...

This was a great find and we were glad we booked early both rimes we visited during our 4 day break with grandchildren. First time I had the seafood platter & second the lobster & seafood spaghetti thermidor. Excellent and a good choice of draught...

Whilst spending a few nights in Brightlingsea we spent a lovely evening in this pub. Plenty of choice on the menu and the food was good - traditional pub grub. A great atmosphere and we are so glad we booked a table because it was...

The food wasn’t very nice the fat which everything was cooked in could do with changing. The tables were sticky. When we told the staff about the food they wasn’t very accommodating or apologetic just took one portion of chips off the bill!!!! I wouldn’t...

Good location and popular with locals and visitors alike, but after stopping by for an early evening drink further investigation of the menu was abandoned after this Greene King estabishment served me a pint of ice cold Abbot ale. A red flag, I'm afraid.

Wasn't overly impressed with Fish Pie. This was on the Specials Board. Sounded quite delicious by the description, but was quite basic really. Nothing to shout about. Vegetables served with it were mean. Good job ordered some chips as a side dish. Main complaint was...

Lovely friendly staff and the food was excellent - particularly the Mediterranean King Prawn that were 10/10. Dog friendly too. Highly Recommended

Had a fab evening with great food and lovely customer service. Staff made you feel welcome and were extremely friendly. Would happily return. Thank you.

Found this place when driving around Brightlingsea popped in for a drink after seeing the food had salad and fries. Amazingly fresh salad home made coleslaw Will return as soon as I'm back here

Crap sevice over priced rood and hidden extra costs will never use this place ever again don't deserve the customers

Came here when visiting the area for a meal- due to the tier 2 restrictions- we had the pub to ourselves - everyone else was outside! The food was delicious, my husband is still raving about the pork belly special days later! The lady who...

We stayed in an appartment at Brightlingsea Marina and this pub became our local for the week. Despite the obvious limitations due to Coronavirus the pub was a friendly and comfortable place to eat and drink, whether inside or out. The food was of a...

Hadn't booked but a lovely young lady found the four of us a table for lunch, menue very varied and a excellent specials board we all had somdifferent ,each one cooked to perfection we all enjoyed our meals two of us had desserts which again...

We booked for the Yachtsmans Arms and had a brilliant meal there. It was clean and covered the guidelines for covid. I had the liver and my husband had the prawns. Thoroughly enjoyed our meal and would defiantly recommend this.

Lovely meal in nice surroundings within sight of the quay. Friendly service, great food and good value. Seafood was delicious as was the cheesecake

We stopped here on Sunday afternoon and luckily managed to get a table in the garden. We were warned food could take a while because they were fully booked and yes it did take around an hour but it was lovely just sat in the...

We chanced upon this pub when visiting Brightlingsea for the first time. We were able to sit at an outside table and enjoy the sun and a partial view of the harbour. Covid precautions were being observed including hand sanitizer and taking contact details. Our...

A lovely pub with excellent food, friendly staff and very good value for money. We were lucky to get a table as we hadn’t booked.

Visited the Yachtsman twice this visit; fabulous fish and chips (at the behest of my posh daughter who said it is 'the best fish and chips ever' and an amazing halibut. Wonderful welcome (Brightlingsea is the friendliest place south of Manchester) and the food was...

Food quality fantastic, wait time was a little disappointing, however the food made up for it, we did not book, just turned up at around 12:30, sat in garden as no seating inside, was a nice day so all good, we waiting over estimated time...

We booked an outside table and were very happy with the Covid compliance. Very welcoming friendly and efficient service. Our meals were delicious, and the coffee excellent.

We booked a table for 2 and 3 small dogs. We were made very welcome by all the staff. We had the Sunday lunch which was excellent. The waitress asked us if it was ok to give our dogs some off cuts if meat. We thought it was lovely that our little furbabbies were included. They we delighted with the unexpected treat. The service was excellent second to none and would definitely recommend the Yachtsman's Arms.

After getting the foot ferry across from Mersea Island we found this lovely little pub for some lunch and a drink, good service, good food and reasonably priced.

Took my daughter here for a Sunday roast a couple of weeks ago and of course had to have a cheeky desert as well. The food was cooked to perfection, excellent service from staff. I'm now looking forward to booking a Christmas party here with family and friends as we often do as the food and service is always spot on.

I recently visited the yatchmans for dinner first time since the pub having new bar people and cheffs, and the food was excellent, I had belly of port with bubble and squeak and veg, it was amazing for the money, considering this is my local pub I have avoided it since they took and wall down between both bars, but the food was good so I might go back!Shame they can have the two bars with the posh side and the normal side again, and they just have a fold up wall! Crazy surly the place is listed..... Still I would highly recommend for dinner and would go back! Well done to the new landlords, just a shame it's a tied green king pub and not freehold!

I was so sad at the distinct lack of customer care this evening. I arrived with my friend who has moved to the area excited to discover our new "local" particularly as it is dog friendly. We were greeted and my dog was given a treat which was lovely. We placed our order for drinks and then a while later ordered food. We both had the beef burger and I asked for mine without coleslaw or relish.The meal arrived and I started to eat the burger and I thought perhaps there was relish as I could taste a very strong onion taste. Onion really disagrees with me so I immediately removed the salad as I thought that's where the onion was. I had another mouthful and realised the burger itself had quite a lot of onion in. I stopped eating the burger. The waitress came over and asked how things were and I explained that I didnt realise the burger had onion as it didnt say this on the menu and that I couldn't eat my burger because of it. She went away and said she would feed that back. When my friend finished eating she returned to take the plates and said "Lovely are we all finished?" I said I was feeling quite unwell just from the amount I had eaten. She said again she would feed that back. We stayed for about another hour having a drink and from then on no member of staff spoke to us at all.However I did see the staff talking about me and looking over from behind the bar.In the end we went to the bar for the bill. Nothing was said at all to us - we were charged full price and I left feeling unwell and embarrassed as I wasnt about to mention for a 3rd time that my meal was unenjoyable.I appreciate that its unusual that I cannot tolerate onion and that sometimes burgers do have this ingredient but it was the lack of any kind of service or empathy for the situation which I found to be really disappointing.I expected this to be a new regular place but now I'd think twice about returning and would warn others the same.

We went to the Yachtsmans Arms for Sunday Lunch, very impressed we all had the Roast Beef, generous portions, very well presented, by friendly staff, could not wish for better,

Visited this weekend, wow, delicious food...Can't wait to eat there again, brilliant staff, excellent specials board!

The pub was recommended for dinner. We went last Saturday evening. On reaching the pub it looked clean, well painted and pretty with flowers. On entering the bar it was light and airy, yet it is quirky and quite small with well laid out tables. We had a lovely and welcoming smile from the bar lady. The menu offered a variety but not too much and there were specials which on that day were mainly fish based. My husband chose a fish pie and I had the veggie burger with extra cheese. Overall the food was tasty and plentiful. We really enjoyed the service and attention to detail. We would like to thank the bar staff on Saturday night for their attentive and friendly manner. They all seemed to be happy and looked like they wanted to work there. It was a pleasure eating there.We recommend visiting - its a beautiful pub.

Came here with my daughter (5months), wife and grandmother (91). Was a Sunday, August at 2pm. Managed to get a table without booking. Good breadth to the menu, suited all tastes. Food was very generous and, actually, very good. Far better than you’d expect. My wife’s roast beef was excellent, with lashings of horseradish offered and massive roasties. My grandmother devoured her steak and kidney pudding, and she’s not a big eater! I had a really well cooked Cajun sandwich/burger. My only negative notes are that it was very loud. Probably due to low ceilings, but made it almost impossible to hear each other. I had to lip read my grandmother, and I’ve no idea how she heard me! Also no baby change facilities. For those coming by car it’s an easy walk from two car parks and the harbour.

Took my Dad here for lunch, as he hadn't been here for 50+ years when his old school pal's Dad had owned the Pub. My Dad suffers from Dementia and the staff here couldn't have been nicer. They were both courteous and patient and the food was not only good but very reasonably priced. Nothing was too much trouble and we were looked after well from the moment we arrived till the moment we left. Will definitely return soon!

Super tasty lunch in the Yachtsman today with some lovely choices on the menu topped off with a very friendly, polite & efficient service from the staff that coped very well despite being extremely busy with the Brightlingsea Regatta, nothing was too much trouble. Look forward to returning again very soon. Well done Phil & Natalie you run a Very friendly & efficient Ship!

I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life. The staff in this pub are extremely rude!!Went to the regatta and because it was a lovely day we thought we would have a drink in they yachtsman arms. Sitting outside with my two granddaughters who are 5 and 3 who both had a bag of chips when a member of staff came out and in a rather loud voice said they can’t eat them here, only food bought here can be eaten hereSo we moved them away from the table and they sat on a planter, we had already bought a drink by this time costing £22 I might had! When a bloke came up to us and said she can’t sit there I’m trying to make a living and don’t want it brokeFor crying out load she’s three.If they had come over and said it quietly I wouldn’t of mined but to shout it is something else. Maybe some customer service training might help. Or maybe it was because we wasn’t locals.

We have visited over the years as close to marina - but now it is back to its old self clean and great food- so nice to eat in a pub and get good quality food ( fresh dressed crab) a delight even salad dressing yum!

Great for terrace lunch on hot day. Sharing choices on menu- large portions- could each be share with at least 2 people

My Mum and I had Saturday lunchtime meal here today. The Yachtmans is in the historic waterfront area of Brightlingsea, which is a very interesting area with plenty of activity most of the year round.My mussels were delicious. The pint of Aspals was the perfect accompaniment, especially on such a lovely warm day. My mother had the fish pie which she really enjoyed. In both cases the food was very well presented, delicious and the portion sizes were very generous. The staff service was excellent. The pub was family friendly. There is a beer garden, which looked ideal for this warm weather - If we'd not been eating we would have been there. The Yachtsman's can fill up, especially at the weekends, it was unfortunately full when I tried to go there for a meal a few months ago, so best to book ahead if possible. I'll be back again, hopefully relatively soon

Stopped for a spot of lunch, sat in the garden with our dog, ordered sandwiches, chips and coleslaw, home made coleslaw no less, Food was excellent the pub was just perfect

This pub has a smaller selection of beers but a large wine menu. The beer was good. I was feeling a little under the weather so I enjoyed the healing properties of a Guinness.

Could not recommend highly enough, well priced and excellent quality. Staff are great and really friendly.

Food tasteless, unimaginative, very fried. Poor cheap ingredients to blame. Staff lovely and beer good.

Great pub, fabulous location, food tremendous, drinks super. Staff very happy friendly and cannot help enough. Even biscuits for the dog. Couldn't do enough for us. Huge range of drinks, and the locals are all friendly.

This was my first visit to this pub, and did not fail to impress. There is a distinct lack of good places to eat in Brightlingsea, and to find somewhere that does reasonably-prices, tasty food in generous portions makes me very happy. We ordered a couple of sharing platters to start (between 4), and they arrived looking great. The whole baked Camembert was delicious, and the seafood platter was an interesting selection which included pickled anchovies (fantastic). The mains were equally delicious. Being on a low carb diet, I asked for the Cajun chicken breast without bread or chips, but with extra salad. It arrived really well-presented on a bed of salad, with tender, moist chicken sliced across the top. It was a huge portion but I managed to polish it all off. The other dishes we tried were the burger and the fish pie, and both were very good. I would definitely recommend the food here, and can’t wait to go back as they were extremely accommodating.