Ego at Running Mare, Chelmsford in Chelmsford

Surprised and disappointed by yesterday evening's experience. My wife and I have eaten here on probably half a dozen occasions previously, have enjoyed the experience, and have recommended the restaurant to friends and acquaintances. Yesterday evening however, did not start well, with the disclosure of many non-available menu items, including the preferences of a number of our party of nine. Service was slow during the meal and became slower, ultimately becoming inattentive in the extreme, some of our number drawing the conclusion that we had been forgotten altogether. Added to the menu disappointment and poor service, there were mistakes in the bill. Our party eats out regularly and EGO had been suggested as a venue to be included on our list of good places to eat, but I somehow doubt that there will be many votes in favour of including it now.

We had a great Sunday lunch here just over a week ago, the staff were great with taking the kids' food order as they only eat certain vegetables. The trio of roast was amazing as where the cocktails. We have rebooted for next week in a different site we hope it it as good.

Lucy-Ann was our waitress for lunch yesterday and she was amazing. So accommodating to the family and the best service I have received from anybody in a long time. Thank you once again to Lucy-Ann but also to all the staff that we encountered yesterday, everyone was so friendly and kind. I hope Ego at the Running Mare appreciate how great all their staff are because they are truly one of a kind!! Food was GORGEOUS too so it’s a 10/10 from me!!⭐️⭐️

This was our first time visiting. The overall experience was amazing, from the friendly staff to the amazing food, everything was perfect. We will definitely be visiting again.

Had lunch here for the first time today. Food was fine. Unfortunately for us the whole experience was spoilt for by the attitude of the person who greeted us, and pointed out our table. ?? the manageress. On arrival there was no smile/ nice welcome- she chastised us like school children for using the wrong door. A lovely young waitress took our order. There was a slight misunderstanding on the part of my guest , not realising that what she had ordered came as a kebab, so consequently when it was was brought to the table by the ?? manageress, my friend politely said , she never ordered the kebab, to which the woman snarled back; That’s how it comes, before practically throwing the plate at my guest !! A first and last visit for us! Sadly !!

We went for a Sunday roast and it did not disappoint- the Yorkshire puddings were the size of my head! Lovely atmosphere and super helpful staff, just a little slow due to being so busy

Maybe roast the potatoes more, they weren't roasted enough, otherwise lovely dinner

It was fully booked so we couldn't get a table

Ny wife, my five year old son and I visited this establishment on Sunday 11th August The place was really nicely decorated. I had ordered the three course meal. Starters was Grilled Goats cheese, which was scrumptious It was so melting in the mouth tasty. Then the main meal was trio of roasts, which was roast beef, pork and chicken, with all the trimmings It was huge, that I could only eat 3 quarters of it but each bite was a delight. The desert was Tiramisu torte. This was probably the best Tiranisu. It was so light but full of flavour. My wife just ordered the chicken pizza and she liked it, with my son enjoying chicken nuggets and chips Highly recommend this place, especially for a Sunday roast.

Always love this place. Good value. Great food. Nice atmosphere and good service. Enjoy.

Great food here - Mediterranean style ie think Spanish, Italian, Greek, but with sides of skin-on fries. More importantly for me, a proper gluten- free menu that's easy to read ,( no complex, hard to review ' allergy ingredients matrix' as you unhelpfully get in many places). Service started well, but declined to very slow to missing towards the end of our meal.

Visited Ego At Running Mare in Chelmsford last week and recived incredible service from Paulina and Bex . Drinks came out so quick same with food. All with a high standards . I can highly recommend this venue!

Ryan was amazing as our host. He made the night very special and was attentive, but not intrusive. We had a really lovely evening.

We've been a few times now and never been disappointed, the ultimate test was bringing my family who are super fuss pots and they loved it. Really enjoyed our meals yesterday, great service, lovely atmosphere... I would say it's my favourite restaurant in Chelmsford. Update:30/09/24 came for a evening meal to celebrate our wedding anniversary and I cannot believe how much the service has plummeted, we have been a few times in-between my last review and it's been nice and friendly but this evening my husband and I were truly shocked with the lack of expression and manners from two staff members one being the manager I think or shift manager, what a disappointment. Also to add our order was taken wrong and our bill was wrong at the end there wasn't much of an apology but even with the deduction they still calculated incorrect. Food was nice but don't think we'll be going back again after that experience.

Had a lovely birthday meal here. It was very busy and oddly they had about 6 birthdays that evening. Our waitress Lucy-ann if I remember correctly was great, very friendly, working hard and had a great personality. A few mistakes were made but were quickly rectified. Food was good but what made it better was the service with a smile. I would recommend.

Absolutely top marks for a superb Brunch at the Running Mare. Booked a table for 4 people and we had a brilliant pre-Christmas brunch with lots of great Xmas decorations and a real log fire. The staff were friendly and attentive. A really nice experience. However not the best pub to just go for a few drinks as it is table service only and can take a while to get served... not great if your thirsty.

Service a bit slow. Had been before and was better.

Super place for a meal. Good quality food staff are first class. Great night out… menu good variety . Various offers across the week… some good deals to be had

Great food but restricted on the time allowed at the table which I didn’t like

We had an amazing meal, couldn’t fault it at all, it’s my 4th visit in as many weeks and each time it’s been amazing. The service was excellent. Will definitely be going back there again.

Food was really good and value for money, the staff were extremely helpful and polite, It has a fabulous menu with something for everyone

We had another good lunch at the Running Mare, today. The service and food were as good as usual, despite it being very busy.

This was the best visit by far we've had to this restaurant. The table was perfect the ambience was great, the staff were cheerful, friendly and helpful and the food was delicious. We chose from the 2 eat for £30 , because everything we wanted was on that menu. Both hubby and I had a long day and arrived in diff cars. Therefore we didn't go with the wine option Nevertheless it was a great meal

Nicely fitted out in a typical Restaurant Pub Style. Staff friendly, Mia our waitress greeted us with a lovely smile and happy attitude every time she came to the table. The difference this can make to the meal is under rated, thxs Mia! Ego do a good job in making the Menu a little different from other Restaurant Pubs which is a good thing. Unfortunately like all restaurants prices still feel a little high post covid for the type of place and type food. But overall we had a nice time and meal!

Brilliant food. Lovely and attentive staff. A good buzz about the place.

Fantastic hot food which were good size portions. The staff were outstanding! Catered to all our needs with politeness and a friendly deposition. Celebrating a surprise birthday. I brought in a cake which the delivered to the table with a lit sparkler which was fantastic. Thoroughly recommend this restaurant. Well done everyone for making it so special.

I have been to the Beverly armed acworth a few times and had very nice meals and enjoyed the experience. But on Saturday I went there with my wife for a birthday celebration and had two terrible meals. One meal came out without the side dish. A terrible side salad and the second dish was overcooked and when we asked for them to be replaced they weren't any better. Not only did it ruin a birthday celebration for my wife, that is ill. Also it cost ask money. As much as the manager said he would help at the end of the meal, he'd gone on home before we had left..

Beautiful food, speedy, friendly & professional service form all staff. Lovely decor & nice relaxing atmosphere- would definitely recommend. (The hanging kebabs were delish & looked very impressive!). We had the Monday offer which was any 2 course off the A la Carte Menu plus a bottle of house wine for £50 (but as we opted for the skewered we paid the £3pp extra & brought a couple of soft drinks too ☺️). Great deal- amazing value for money.

Dropped in on a spur of the moment lunch and very pleasantly surprised. Excellent service from a efficient smiling staff. I had the Moroccan lamb from the a la carte menu which was outstanding and very filling. Definitely returning as there's a good choice on the menus.

Perfect service, great choice and delicious food. Highly recommended!

Friendly ,happy staff,very attentive ,good food ,good menu

Amazing staff and food. Will definitely return and would thoroughly recommend.

Fantastic meal with my husband. Attentive staff and great food! Can’t believe how yummy the offer of £10 bottle of Sauvignon blanc wine was!

Enjoyed our visit as always. Lovely sitting outside with drinks waiting for friends. Thursday Kebab night is brilliant and an excellent price. Restaurant was clean and service was good

Nice lunch, good value for money.

Went for a Monday special....good value but food not up to scratch. Wine included was a bonus! Service a bit slow but it was busy

Regularly visit The Running Mare. Had a very enjoyable dinner with friends particularly as I was sent a free meal voucher to celebrate my birthday.

Really gone down hill, used to be lovely food and service, real let down for family birthday treat! Raw fritters, and poor dessert, no excuse as was hardly anyone dining ..... Used to really recommend but won't after this.

Took my partner there for his birthday the food was nice the service wasn't the best I felt some were a little rude which was a shame because I've been here before and it was nothing like that. Not sure if I'll revisit or not ive worked in this industry most of my life and customers should be made to feel welcome not rushed or being rudely spoken to

We are lucky to have Ego so close to where we live. The food was excellent and the staff incredibly freindly. My wife needs a gluten free diet and they have a menu ready and waiting for such a requirement. I was celebrating a birthday so also had a voucher sent to me, making the meal very reasonable too which was nice. THey have specials nights so depending on your food tastes they is always a good deal to be had throughout the week. Half price steak night on a Tuesday is a particular favourite. This is a regular haunt of ours and we never have a bad meal or service, but do book in advance.

Delicious food, whatever you order, well presented. Great atmosphere. We've visited twice now and will certainly make it a go to for eating out.

I went EGO last night and we need more people like John in this world. He made our experience so wonderful with his comedic attitude towards serving us. He was absolutely amazing,, whatever that man is getting already,, he deserves a pay rise. All of the staff were lovely and attentive and service was fast considering there were 6 of us eating,, yes it was Monday evening but even on the weekends the service is swift and the experience never changes. Have been before and will still definitely be coming back :D

We arrived a bit earlier than expected, but despite our early arrival, they warmly welcomed us and made us feel right at home. The staff greeted us with a smile and made sure we were comfortable from the moment we walked in. The ambiance was cozy and inviting, adding to the overall pleasant experience. As for the food, it was nothing short of delicious. Each dish was prepared with care and attention to detail, resulting in flavors that were both satisfying and memorable.

Had brunch this morning. Food order arrived but things missing. Chef doesnt seem to know his menu. Food on plate was cold. The only food that was hot was the food that was missed off and came after. Service was unattentive. Shame Always good in the past and have always recommended loads but sadly not anymore.

Service a bit different and didnt get lunch special price if offet it give itxx food amazing

We ate from the Wednesday Special Menu and having never been here before I expected the serving sizes to be slightly smaller than from the A La Carte Menu, but if they were then we certainly didn't notice. Absolutely wonderful food, presented to you on carefully chosen, eye catching crockery, by staff who were courteous, friendly and very polite. Would certainly recommend to all.

I visited with a friend at lunchtime on a Saturday, neither of us having been before. We had a very warm welcome, hadn't booked and although the very attractive restaurant was busy, we were found a table. There was a lovely buzzing atmosphere but not noisy despite being nearly full, it was easy or us to chat. The lunchtime menu suited us perfectly, our food was very good indeed, we had brilliant mocktails and all at a very reasonable price. The Rhubarb crumble and Tiramisu were both out of this world.🤗 I definitely recommend visiting and will definitely be returning.

Been a few times, granddaughter is pescatorian and the menu is great for her

We ate here tonight. Not much of a welcome, waitress seemed run off her feet. Busy and nice buzz of an atmosphere. Ordered drinks and food together Too long a wait for drinks to arrive, husband had to ask. Distinct lack of staff in the area we were in. Food was very good. Starter could have been hotter . Nobody to see us out when we left, not compulsory but always a nice touch I get the impression that food and drink is left sitting on the counter waiting to be served? Explains delay and coolness of food. . Also no confirmation of booking by email or text.?

Really nice restaurant... Bit stingy on the portions and thereford I think a tad overpriced hence 1 star off overall. (Goats cheese on a half slice of toast is £7 from memory.) I've been before and will go again, but I do feel a bit cheated each time.

We went yesterday (3/6/24).The food was lovely with loads to choose from the menus. The front of house man was very welcoming and friendly. The younger lady serving us was nice. Our visit was let down by a older woman who was rude with her replies, maybe she was having a bad day but customer service is part of your job so maybe try to remember you are part of the whole experience. We heard her being rude/ abrupt to other people.

Fantastic service Food exceptional Definitely go again

Great place to eat. Only lost 1 star on the service as has to have the bull changed to Monday menu rather than it being applied automatically. Made quite a big difference. Other than that couldn't fault it. Staff were great, food and drink was great.

Sadly this place gets a very poor review from me. Primarily for poor service and rudeness from staff. The food, drink and establishment looks amazing and i trust that the pub has a good reputation in general. Unlike many pubs in the area, they won’t allow large groups to turn up and order food unless you’ve booked. This makes some sense as the kitchen might get overwhelmed, but the rudeness of the young member of staff made us feel like we’d committed a crime to try. Sadly we left. Also worth noting is that you can’t order at the bar. Everything is table service. This didn’t suit our group. I hope you’ve had better experiences as this used to be our favourite place near chelmsford.

Everyone was so great who served the big table of us last night , food came out piping hot , drinks came out quick and all the staff seemed in really high spirits, Thank you !

Went for Sunday Lunch after hearing many good things. We were greeted and seated and then left for quite a while. Our waiter finally came to the table and we ordered drinks and our meal order. After a short wait one of our starters arrived at our table but still no drinks. The other starter had mistakenly not been ordered. Eventually our drinks arrived and the missing starter was quickly prepared and was also taken off the bill. The food was fresh and very well presented and tasty. Our main was the Trio of Roasts and aging presented very nice and was lovely. The chicken breast was excellent the beef was only one very small slice and the pork had a very overpowering taste of Garlic but was tender and all the vegetables were nice. The Eaton Mess for dessert was also very very nice. Our waiter later explained he had only been working there a few days and was very apologetic for any mistakes or incompetence at the start of the meal.. Overall our experience was positive and we enjoyed our food and will visit again.

Terrible service yesterday. Understaffed apparently which is not necessarily their fault. We only stopped for a drink and were told we couldn't order at the bar, so had to wait an hour for table service. I'm guessing it's normally like that but wasn't impressed.

Group of 8 had a great experience here. Lovely, varied menu including a gluten free one which is the best I’ve seen in any restaurant. Excellent service with friendly staff. We will definitely go again.

First time visiting, the food and waitress were amazing! Look forward to going back!

Excellent food & service (we seem to be lucking out, since going from Reviews on Google Maps then into satellite mode to check parking. Would be good to search for restaurants with good parking. (and Hotels as to be honest it is essential these days. Top marks to ego!

Great food, nice surroundings . Attentive staff. Must visit

Such a great restaurant with really wonderful dishes that are presented in a beautiful way - good vegan/vegetarian options. The price is quite high, but that's because the food and presentation is so good. Lots of parking too. Remember to sign up to ego club to get a discount code!

Swerve! Sundays are no joke in this place. Positives: Great menu, lovely interior of restaurant with tables well spaced and it's clean inside, good desserts Negatives: Slowest service ever, Sunday roasts are average at best (very little meat, dry yorkshires, no idea what had happened to the spuds) some staff come across quite standoffish, do not adhere to customer requests (asked for a candle on sisters dessert for her bday, they 'forgot'), misleading pricing on menu (see below) OK so I reluctantly leave this review as I know there will be people working hard to make this restaurant great. Unfortunately, that has not been achieved in my opinion. We went for my sisters birthday on a Sunday lunchtime, 7 of us. The restaurant was very busy which was a good sign I thought. Wrong. The consequence of that was that we waited 20 min to order our food, over 50 min to be served the food, and a further 15 min and 2 reminders to get the bill! The Sunday roasts are on a menu offering 2 courses for £20.95 - this isn't quite the case though as the lamb and the trio of roasts carry an additional £4 charge, which is does state on the menu next to these options, bit they're not £20.95 then are they?! So why are they on this menu?! Misleading at best. The actual food was disappointing to say the least. The beef was by far and away the best, but there were just 2 small slices with this roast which isn't enough in my view. The lamb was good though. Chicken was a bit thin on the ground in terms of partition size too. The overall meal looked robust on the plate though, padded out with lots of roasties (no idea what had been done to these but I wasn't keen) plus additional veg. The yorkshires were dry. I'd ordered the trio of roasts and wish I hadn't- the pork was beyond dry and hard, the chicken was dry too. The beef was lovely though. After another lengthy wait we were given dessert menus and then another considerable wait before we could order these too. They came quick enough though which was a nice experience for once! We had to ask for the bill twice to finally get out of there, because the waitress again forgot. I'd alerted the waitress to the celebratory nature of our visit but apparently they forgot and when I mentioned this to 2 separate staff members, they could not have cared less. I get that they were super busy, but as a customer, this wasn't a great experience 😕 Overall: Very poor service, incredibly slow, food mediocre at best (roasts) but desserts good, staff a little unfriendly. I will not be going back

Food was good and the staff very attentive especially the manager who was funny and friendly. Thank you....

Varied menu, great staff and food is delicious

Excellent food service very good and the menu is vast.

Adequate parking, well maintained restaurant, delicious food and great service. I will definately be a returning customer.

Reposting as had no reply , nor conclusion to our problems with the food and ambience of the restaurant: “ Thought would get some lunch ,, we ordered 1 carbonara which was extremely oily,, then ordered the rump steak ,,,, which was like chewing on a old boot ,, spoke too a manger then was told that had we had mentioned when we where asked , ( is your food alright ) something would have been done , but wasn’t asked after if being served it ,,, Half of food wasted on both plates where left ,,, manger said would resolve the problem then never came back ,, Deserts where ok ,,,, but mains where horrid , bill came to £63 and half of it was left ,, and the old leather boot steak was taken home for the dog ,,,,, that even struggled too chew it , Also waitress was so miserable ,,, wouldn’t recommend. Fox and raven chelmsford chelmer village is a must ,,,, far superior restaurant. “

First time in a while. Really enjoyed it, Great service from Billie our waitress & lovely food.. Recommend

Good food, nice selection. Pleasant, friendly staff and decent prices. We went on Wednesday which happens to be the 2 adults eat 2 courses for £30. Bargain.

Good food, but possibly a little over priced.

Stopped for a quick pint and all I can say is, it's totally 5 star all round! Really Clean and modern.

Came here today to celebrate my mother in laws birthday with family and we had an amazing time. We want to thank Ryan and John for there amazing customer service, they kept us laughing the whole time and went above and beyond to make sure my mother in law was made to feel special. Food was soo tasty and the restaurant it's self looked lovely and well clean.

We hired the Marquee for a Celebration of Life following a funeral at the Crematorium. It was a fantastic service from all of the staff, the buffet food selection was very good and the Marquee had been made to look great following our wishes exactly.

Visited for the Wednesday special menu. Great food and service all at an excellent price.

Lovely pub and deaf awareness too all friendly staff

Good food, excellent service, good atmosphere. Very impressed.

Didn't have beef main dish. Pretty empty and bar manager seemed to be all over the place.

Beautiful food, lovely venue and excellent service from our waitress Lucy-Anne who took good care of us. I would highly recommend and will be back soon

Ego is or local restaurant and I love it, really friendly and attentive staff. I love the hanging kebabs and the roast dinners are fantastic - the yorkshire puddings are massive

Good welcome, engaging staff, food good, good atmosphere to have a family get together. You’re not rushed during the meal. Good attention by staff. Been there a few times with family and friends always a good experience.

Popped in for a couple of drinks and decided to try out the roast. It was lovely, great food and service from Lucy-anne. Will be coming back here in the future.

Me and my family went in for a roast today and it was lovely! We were served by lucy-anne whose service was second to none, nothing was too much and always checked on us. Will be recommending this to our family and friends.

Visited here after feeling let down by two previous establishments. Luckily managed to get a table for 8:15 and the service was fantastic from the get go. It was really busy when we arrived but we were welcomed with a friendly smile and the member of staff was really polite. Choice of where we’d like to sit. Order for food and drinks were taken and delivered within very good time, food was delicious - I had the lamp rump with spring onion mash, 3 pieces of rump - wow! All the staff were rallying round supporting each other, everywhere was clean and all the staff looked immaculate. Overall a really well run restaurant - how it should be. Used a voucher that I was sent through as a club member so an even better add on to a lovely meal 🙂 Thank you!

Friends visiting from Norfolk wanted to meet for lunch. Everyone enjoyed the meal ,atmosphere ,service and general feeling of relaxation over a 2 hour + time .

Lovely food and great service from our waitress Paulina, excellent! Always a good atmosphere and never rushed. The menu has a great range, something for everyone and well priced. I had a free 3 course meal for my birthday. This restaurant does excellent deals so well worth signing up with them.

They have a good selection of kids food which is one of the main reasons we went as not many places do anymore. The service was great our waitress lucy-anne made sure our children's meals arrived as soon as possible. (Great help when you have hungry children) adults all had pizzas which were lovely. All round great lunch experience

Lovely decor, friendly staff and food was exceptional. Good value for money. Only negative was the noise volume but to be expected clearly a popular venue and was very busy.

Varied menu. Friendly staff. Good service. A lovely lunch with friends. Have visited on numerous occasions and never been disappointed. Will definitely be back soon.

My third visit in the last couple of months. The food and service were excellent on each occasion. Very good value for money. Could not fault it in any way.

Usually really good but today was awful. It was a surprise dinner for my sons 18th Birthday. Staff kept us waiting at door even though they knew it was a surprise so my son spotted friends at table. Sone staff were really good, others were rude and very unhelpful. Then when I got home and checked bill they hadn't taken off £100 deposit I'd paid. Still waiting for that to go back on card.

Very nice place to eat, staff very good. Food was plentiful and a good variety.

Was not impressed with the service this is the first time ever I have ordered a bottle of wine in a restaurant only to have it opened and left on my table Waitress didn’t pour or indeed ask if it was okay just confirmed we ordered a bottle of red which was unceremoniously”dumped “ on the table with 2 glasses.

Took My Son & Granddaughter there on Sunday 7th April, Hanging Meat Kebab was Lacking in Meat, My Fillitt was on the Small side, but Tasty, Worse of All was My Granddaughter Chicken Dippers, Tough and Over Cooked, She Only ate Half of 1 of them, And as for the Skin on Frys, Nobody Enjoyed those, All in all, Expensive for What we had £122. Staff were friendly and Running around.....

We love this restaurant. The service is efficient and friendly, the menu varied and reasonable especially at lunch time. Our birthday celebration for 17 family members was universally popular and there is plenty of space. Sticky toffee pudding with ice cream declared the best dessert...

A brilliant meal out for my wife’s birthday. Food was excellent, friendly staff specifically for Paulina who was faultless in every aspect highly recommended Ego Restaurant.

Great restaurant and excellent service. Nice table and the food was excellent as always. Our waiter Ryan was superb in every way. Very attentive, helpful and made it for us. Very good at his job. Highly recommend.

Food quality is average. I asked for a medium rare steak and I received medium well. Service staff are average and could do with being more friendly. Lots of good deals being offered and value for money. However you still need to keep the quality...

I absolutely love Ego & over the past few years on many occasions have really enjoyed the food & atmosphere. However, on the past 2 visits I feel the quality of the food has deteriorated. I had the vegetarian roast a few weeks ago and,...

Family lunch on a Friday. Warm welcome from the front of house. Fantastic menu selection. Attentive professional service. Great food quality. Decent for money. Will be back soon.