Princes Room in Chelmsford

Last year I was doing hospitality and catering level 2 and I was waitering in this restaurant so I know what it’s like. Then I thought why don’t I just see what’s it’s like as a customer? Came today and OMG! I love it. Food was brilliant! I ordered a scotch egg (it was really filling but it was lovely), sweet and sour pork with fried rice (this meal combined brilliantly!), and profiteroles (the choux pastry was good and cream and chocolate was amazing). The service was good but as I learnt last year how to do posh waitering you have to serve from the left and clear from the right and you have to do de-crumbing e.t.c. They didn’t do de crumbing or the serve and clear as they forgot. I understand that. But even though I absolutely loved it (it did feel awkward as I was a waiter before here but you can get used to it! 😂) Definitely will come again! Thank you princes room restaurant. And well done to the waiter! 😁😁

I live close to this pub and would go more often if the welcome was warmer. Both times I have visited I have been met with a frosty unfriendliness that puts me off. The food is good however.

Considering you are being served by trainees on their hospitality and catering course, I thought it was fantastic. We were offered drinks at start and they made sure throughout our meal we were ok for drinks. We were offered rolls, although there were only white available, absolutely fine for me but maybe a choice of brown would be a good idea. When we placed our order, it was done professionally, although it may be an idea to inform the customers of what you have run out of before taking orders to save any hassle at this point. This was fine for us but maybe others might have a real problem with this, even though the students are still learning. The food was tasty and well cooked. A lovely afternoon spent in a lovely environment. Well done to staff and students for all your efforts. You should be proud of yourselves.

I have visited this college restaurant both for lunch and dinner in earlier years! I have found it to be pleasent and enjoyable. But not this time, January 2018! I found the service not to be of a good standard, this was rather surprising to me. There was no buzz in the room and our server , when dessert came, told us of 3 desserts , but there were more which we were not told of. I know this because I saw other diners eating things that we were not offered. The deserts which we choose we were told were freshly made! We took it that they were freshly made before being served. This was not the case. They were made the day before and they were dry and unappetising, one had a 'pancake' which appeared to be half cooked! We were not presented with a dessert menu. I'm not sure why not. It appeared to me that the young trainee's needed to be given some direction and a rocket up ......... I may go back to the Prince's room later in the year, but that isn't guaranteed. Altogether a poor show.

We attended as a group of 20 for lunch and were delighted with the level of service and the food quality. It is excellent value for money.

We were a group of 19 having a late ‘Christmas’ outing. The restaurant is inside the college, and is run by the students. Parking is available on-site. The students do the cooking and the serving/waiting on. We had to pre-order our food but I think that was because of the size of the group. Booking is recommended as the restaurant isn’t that big (c35 covers?), but there may be availability for walk-ins. A three-course meal plus tea or coffee is £9.50 which is exceptional value. The choice is fairly limited (3 choices for each course), but all cooked fresh and came up nice and hot. The Blood Orange Tart was delicious!! There is a small bar serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. There was a bit of waiting around between courses, and as you might expect, the service wasn’t the greatest, but these kids are learning their trade, doing their best, and can only be commended. Everyone in our group enjoyed their meal, and we will definitely be doing it again.

Five of our members attended a luncheon today and thoroughly enjoy our 3 course meal with tea/ coffee for under £10 We all had different meals off the varied menu and all were delicious. The young waiting, Steven, was excellent, although it was his very first time serving. I would recommend everyone to support the college and students. You never know one day one of them may owe their own restaurant..........they all have to start somewhere.

My wife and I eat here this week. The food was really good, and excellent value for three course meal with tea or coffe. The young student waiters and waitresses were great and their overseeer offered correct advise and encouragement to help them along. Altogether a great experience.

This is 3 reviews in one .......as we visited 3 times in one month. We had 2 lunches, both visits with the same menu but with different friends. That was interesting as we tried items that one of us had previously chosen and said were very good, I guess it depends on who is cooking and what their interpretation is. We all said the pea and tarragon soup was to die for !!! Pork with a sage and parmesan crust was a hit with me but husband said his was not as nice as mine was when he tried this on our second visit. We always try to have a fork full of each others food......it is good to try it all. The goats cheese and courgette tart was very good, really crisp pastry. This was a huge tart and would have been fine for me as a main course with salad !! We also visited for dinner on The Governor's Dinner evening. This was a set menu, we had been told the items before we booked, so we were fine with everything that was served. This is about £4 more expensive than the lunch menu. You are served with an amuse bouche...starter, main course, pudding and coffee with chocolates. It was good to be able to chat to the students , as some of them will have finished their courses when we return again in October. We wish them all the best. We look forward to seeing Wendy , who guides the students so well, when they start back for the next college year and to meeting the new students, who will be so nervous the first few times they serve in the restaurant. It is a great idea and we have never had a meal we did not enjoy.

28 members of the Peverel Wine Club came last week to the Prince's Room for one of the regular Wednesday evening dinners. However, as that day was the start of the Cannes Film Festival, we asked beforehand whether Chef could come up with a menu on either a film theme or a French theme. What we were given surpassed all expectations - everything was absolutely superb, and every course on the menu was beautifully cooked and served and truly delicious, as well as being incredible value for money and really in tune with the theme of the evening. We were also very pleased with all the efforts the students had made to provide a suitably gala ambience - we had everything from the red carpet treatment (literally) to the hordes of paparazzi (almost) plus film posters on the walls. It was a really good fun evening for us all, and one we shall remember for a very long time. Our thanks must go not only to Chef and Cheryl for making it possible, but also to the kitchen and front-of-house teams for their hard work and impeccable presentation of everything.

Two of us came for dinner last week. The restaurant was very quiet but the students had only just returned from the Christmas break. Food was as good as always, my husband had steak, which he said was perfect . Service was attentive and Wendy was on hand as usual to show the students how to serve soup from the tureen without spilling it over the customer !! As long as you remember it is a college with students, not a 5* restaurant that you can spend hours over your meal, then you will enjoy it. We are booked to go to lunch with friends on two different days next week. That says it all really .

It is always such a pleasure to come here. You receive a lovely welcome from the students, who take your coats and show you to your table. Wendy, one of the tutors is alway on hand and everything runs really well bearing in mind that some of the students have only been here since October. There were 3 of us having lunch today, our waiter brought the drinks menu, took our orders and delivered our drinks. We had pre ordered lunch as it was a Christmas menu. Pate was delicious .....I'm going to ask for the recipie !! I had salmon en croute , the others ham ham. Profiteroles were yummy and the presentation was really pretty. As was the Xmas pudding. Coffee and mince pies arrived.....chef came out for a chat..... We love coming here, food , service and decor is great. It is also a valuable experience for the students. See you in the New Year.

The writer and five others visited the Princes Room to experience what we had heard was very good, it is better than that it is excellent. The food is prepared, cooked and served by the students. We were welcomed by a young lady, who was our waitress, shown to our table which was laid to perfection. We had pre-ordered our lunches as it was their Christmas Lunch. The food was fantastic, well cooked, good portions and well served, starter, cooked lunch, desert, coffee, mince pie and a glass of wine all for £15.00, where else can you get anything to compare. The reason for our experience was to check out a venue for our Scouting friend,s annual dinner, we will be booking, also the six of us will be returning frequently.

Had lunch with a couple of friends. The food was fantastic as always and the students made sure we were looked after during our visit. It is well worth a visit if you want good quality food.

Visited here last week with 2 friends, great welcome , fantastic food, really good service from Sam......this was only his second time in the restaurant to serve customers food. The price is amazing for lunch and dinner.....in fact we are going with other friends in 2 days and have booked a dinner visit and a Christmas lunch visit. My starter this time was a tart.....pastry was wonderful , really crisp. Masala chicken with a coconut based sauce and basmati rice. Profiteroles to finish .......and coffee. For £9.50 this is a winner.

Go here for lunch with friends often. We came again on Friday bringing friends that had never been before. They were really impressed with the food ,service, décor of the restaurant and the very reasonable price. Wendy, one of the lecturers, is on hand to offer advice to the students and it is always a pleasure to see her. See you again in October....

This was our first (and certainly not last) visit. The menu was varied and the food was well presented. Service was very polite and attentive. It's great value - £9.50 for 3 courses and coffee.The young people who were serving were very polite and a credit to the college and their tutors. We will return...

however, some of the other diners were complaining that their food was cold. It is a student canteen where they train to be chefs, cooks, caterers & waiting staff.It is very good value for money.

Our usual party of 4 turned into a party of 7 today. We did have different items from the menu, the smoked haddock fish cakes for starters were a big hit. Please though don't put salad garnish onto a hot plate !! Guinness , Stilton and beef pie was very tasty and came with a triangle of puff pastry , not in a traditional pie dish. The Roast Pork also was good both were served with a selection of vegetables.The presentation was good as was the service. You have to remember that these are students, you are not in a 5* restaurant......A big Thank You to Wendy, one of the Lecturers who we usually see on our Friday visits , for remembering a 101st birthday next week and presenting one of our party with cake and a card.That is such a thoughtful gesture.We will be back soon.

A group of friends had an excellent lunch lovely food and the service and staff were very attentive and cheery. I would recommend the Princes to anyone.

Very good 3 course lunch. Cooked and served by catering students, we had jack as our waiter and he was great, very friendly and polite. Cost was £12.50 and I think a bottle of red wine was around £12 so good value. Will be going back....

We are usually a table of 4, today 2 more came on our recommendation . We were asked to pre order , no problem with that. Todays menu was £12.50 each.Starters were delicious, the presentation of the pate was really pretty with red currants as decoration. Melba toast good too. Tomato & basil soup I was told was great , also the cranberry and camembert tart.The Christmas Style lunch was a bit hit as was the Salmon En Croute. I really liked this, the pastry was thin and crisp. Really nice jug of sauce . Vegetables perfect too.Jack, our waiter was great, always there when we needed him. The dining room was overseen by Wendy who steps in with quiet guidance when it is required. It is such a pleasure to come here and we shall return in the New Year.

As a member of a Rotary Club which meets at this restaurant I have the pleasure of eating here every week!The food is cooked, served and menus designed by students which you might imagine would be hit and miss but I have to say the misses are very rare. The portions are good and there are always freshly cooked bread rolls served warm. Between our group we have had a LOT of food issues that the college deals with admirably, they can always serve an alternative dish and there is always a veggie dish on offer - which are varied (I am a vegetarian). They have dealt with nut allergies and even a member with an onion allergy without causing any problems or getting into a flap.I particularly enjoy the deserts which are varied, tasty and plentiful - the students do look for feedback and do act upon it - on some nights we have been treated to an assessment meal where they have really pulled out all the stops - the decorated boars head was a sight to behold! At our request they even serve us a traditional Scottish meal for Burns night - with Haggis, Neeps & Tatties for those who can stomach them.Its a brilliant idea to have the students working in a real environment and beneficial to young people. Well done Chelmsford College!

dinner for two @£13.50 a head fantastic value, food was amazing with great flavours and very well cooked by advanced catering students, even had flambe to finish, good service from the students, really recommend giving it a visit if not been before.

Our lunchtime food was excellent and well presented. The students were attentive but not overly so, and they worked well together. We were impressed, since this was still just over mid way in their first term. Although we were at first the only diners, we did not feel uncomfortable in the welcoming setting. We were particularly impressed by the practical steps taken to arrange for a disabled parking space to be made available for our next visit with friends as parking is a problem at lunchtimes at the college.

Been here many times over the last few years. The restaurant is just off the entrance to the college main building.It has been refurbished , it now has a modern feel to it with chunky furniture , white china and great art on the walls.The catering students cook all the food for the restaurant and again catering students "run" the service under the capable eye of Wendy .....one of the tutors, and her colleagues.For around £9.50 you have a 3 course lunch with coffee or tea, a glass of wine is around £3. Beer and soft drinks and spirits are available too.There is usually a choice of 4 starters, 4 mains, 4 deserts and vegetables.We have never had a horrible meal.The soups are always a hit, together with the fresh bread rolls. Fish cakes, pate, camembert and cranberry tart are all really good too.Main dishes are usually a meat, a fish dish, maybe pasta. All really nice. Sometimes the presentation needs a "tweak" . We do have to remember that we are not in a 5* restaurant.......these are students, some of the waiters may only have been on the course for a few weeks, the same goes for the students cooking.I have noticed there are regular customers and I can understand why......give it a try. Support the college , it is a great idea.