The Axe and Compasses in Uttlesford

Simply amazing. The A&C was a favourite before a fire levelled it. Thanks to great insurance, it is rebuilt even better - and you wouldn't know it's built in 2024, not 1624. The same owners continue to deliver the finest food in the area, and service is very good. We miss some of the bric-a-brac, for which the pub was famous, but the venue is improved nonetheless. But please... bring back the dessert trolley!

Brilliantly renovated interior (we learnt that there had been a fire a while back), with beautiful carpentry work. Loved the decor. The food is eclectic, and I got to taste the best moussaka I ever had outside of Greece, thanks to the skill and expertise of the chefs and the owner who happens to be Greek. The mezzees platter was excellent, and it surprised us when the waitress told us she had not seen a platter polished off like this for quite some time - there was nothing that was not to like! The layout was spacious, so we didn't feel crammed or crowded and allowed for good conversations and a relaxed atmosphere, with discreet background din. Beautiful pub in a gorgeous setting, well worth the journey!

Driving through Arkesden en-route to Bishop's Stortford, your pub looked so attractive and on checking the reviews and menu on line, thought we'd like to try it out. From arrival to leaving it was a joy. Lovely welcome, friendly staff and really good, imaginative food. You've got everything right!

Our visit was for Sunday lunch. We sat at a cold and draughty table and told our specific seating request had not been passed on. Our plates were tepid therefore the meat was greasy because not hot. There was no selection of vegetables, just two already on out plate.

One of the best meals all round that we have had for a while. The staff and service was exemplary, food delicious and plenty of it, with a great variety on the menu. Without doubt we shall be back.

A beautiful pub with a superb set of road leading to it especially for a motorbike ride out! I hadn't been for about 20 years and it's still the place that I remember 😊 we had wonderfully warm welcome by some locals and the lady serving us couldn't have been more lovely and helpful!! The food was at such a high standard I honestly can not rate highly enough a visit to this more than 5* pub and eatery. Thank you so much, I certainly won't be leaving it another 20 years before I return again!!!!

Beautiful country pub with excellent food and good service. Pricey.

Wow, what a fantastic Sunday lunch here! A lovely friendly welcome. An excellent menu, delicious food cooked very well. We had a super time and will certainly be returning. The car park was very busy - a true sign of success. Very much looking forward to returning again soon. Thanks for an enjoyable visit.

Superb pub with Gastro food. Lovely surroundings in a stunning little village. Foods excellent and service equally so. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Lovely meal great service. Cracking toilets

Staff so kind with my elderly poorly mum , found a lovely nurse , food and setting beautiful, thank you so so much from the bottom of my heart . Will definitely come back xxx

Had lunch here yesterday. Absolutely superb ! Very welcoming staff ! Wonderful meal lovely atmosphere will be back for sure !!

Excellent. Delightful staff, excellent service, delicious food. Steak & kidney pie was superb.

A beautiful little gem in the village. Food, staff and the whole ambience was just perfect. Starters of fennel bhaji and battered feta cheese the prelude to a lovely meal of chicken supreme, with saute new potatoes and great combination of mixed vegetables. We passed on desert this time.

Called I on Thursday past for a few wee drinks with friends and family and what a wee gem this pub is. The staff are so friendly and the ale that they had in offer was top notch. The people in this village are so lucky that they have such a great pub on their door step. When I am back over with family I will be coming here for a few ales.

Went to the axe last night for my birthday meal the food was lovely and the mood was good had a really nice time can not wait to come back again.

Brought friends for dinner- we were not disappointed ! Good choice of meals with specials available- all at very reasonable prices. All the serving staff were friendly and attentive. Unintentionally my friend and I served ourselves the vegetables that were for three of us ..! But before WE had realised one of the waiting team had spotted it and had nipped into kitchen and brought out a further portion of mixed veg. Well done - a great touch . The pub itself was charming and spotless . Parking available but if full ,easy to park safely on road .

It was all brilliant, but for the price, not exceptional. Take lots of dosh too, you will need it. We were two adults, and a teenager.

Very distracted staff ..missed a child meal, we had asked to be brought before adult food. we were waiting so long ask 4 different staff before bringing the missing food .adult meals two of us had missing accompaniment ,which after telling staff were brought straight away.

Went here for an early dinner with my wife and 80 year old mother in law. Food, service and ambience was all great. The staff were very friendly and helpful. For food we'd particularly recommend the prawns in garlic sauce (we had it as a starter) and the figs.

We visited yesterday for our Wedding Anniversary. I think the food was good although I think overpriced for what it was. Our impression was that the staff were not friendly in fact no one smiled at us at all. That was rather disappointing that we did not feel welcome. We won't be returning.

First time there for Sunday dinner. Will definitely go again.

Excellent food, with great service in a very nice environment. Parking a little tight.

Faultless, plenty of helpful staff and excellent food quality. Good menu at reasonable prices for the quality , portion sizes and variety.

Delicious food , great service , warm & welcoming and reasonably priced

The old man. OMG. Is so MISERABLE. You arrive at the bar and he just SITS, 2 metres away, IGNORING you. Not a smile. Not a hello. Just a grumpy sour expression. The people eating are all OAPs sitting in silence. The place is like God's waiting room. What a shame!! And the menu hasn't changed in YEARS! They should have replaced the owners when the place was rebuilt.

Great food. Great staff. Love it here.

Always 5 stars! Easily one of the best places in the area for a number of reasons, delicious food, fantastic service & a very cozy atmosphere. They have a great range on the menu, which they also supplement with weekly & seasonal specials.

Very nice pub, service was very good. Nice food. Could do with better portion of chips than what I got but apart from that all good

Fantastic family run pub. Great food and incredible staff.

First visit since refurbishment. Excellent choice of main courses and puddings and service was well above average as it always had been. Chicken Supreme was particularly good. Creme Caramel with cream wonderful.

We visited mid week to find the pub very busy which gave it a great atmosphere. The Pub is broken up into separate areas for eating and drinking with two very attractive seating areas outside. Its a pub well supported by the locasl and you can just pop in for a drink. We were greeted with a welcome roaring fire in the bar area on a very cold evening. Its everthing you would want in a traditional country village pub. The menu is interesting and varied with reasonable prices. The food we chose was excellent with the best of ingredients used. The staff were very friendly and helpful throughout our visit.

Excellent food and service with pleasant atmosphere

So glad that this lovely pub has reopened. Has always been one of favourites, we had a superb meal with fantastic service and cannot wait to return.

We visited for a family birthday meal and were not disappointed. Can easily see why this pub has such consistently good reviews. The staff were fantastic, the food was all very nicely done and we were all very happy with our meals. The pub is a nicely modernised old Inn and so very comfy and easy to enjoy a special meal with family, perfect for us. Would highly recommend.

This was our first time back since the fire, and we weren't disappointed. We can't wait to go back again

Excellent meal for eight here. Food was to a high standard with great service without being rushed. Came here for my wife’s works Xmas meal and will definitely return

Great pub. Lovely homely atmosphere. Paul and David.great guys and the staff were brilliant and ever so kind..highly recommend..

The reconstruction after the fire has been down sympathetically and staff still giving excellent service.Understandably prices have increased which is to be expected, We got the impression that chiefs my have changed as the quality of the food was down in that there was only 2 vegetables served and no choice of potatoes given, the beef medallions was tough and very thin more like rump sliced. Desert were served but no cream or ice cream offered to accompany , perhaps it’s just me living on past experience but overall still love the venue

Brilliant evening with very fine food and drink, and service too. My pork belly with bubble and squeak was memorable, and all our friends commented on the quality of their choices.

Lovely pub ,good food and beers

Sunday lunch at a favourite pub, nice to have it back after the fire. Food certainly didn't disappoint, good size portions, very very tasty. Long afternoon with friends but special thanks to the staff, as they continued to serve us even though they had closed as we waited for the taxi to arrive to take us home. We also had a Saturday night dinner here recently with friends, and again all excellent. well recommended

Lovely village pub serving delicious food. Revamped interiors are stunning. Perfect place to go after an autumnal walk in Arkesden. Apologies for the muddy wellies!

What can l say, from the moment of arrival everything was spot on. The pub has been beautifully restored after the fire. It’s still got its charm and characteristics with a modern twist. The food was very tasty and generous portions. I had the fish pie which was delicious. The rest of the party had pork belly, steak and kidney pie and the homemade burger, all of which said it was faultless. The desserts were excellent, shame the dessert trolley isn’t in use anymore! Nevertheless the desserts were still as exceptional as they used to be. The service was excellent, can’t fault it. Well done everyone at the Axe, glad you are up and running again. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Beautifully rebuilt and redecorated. Food excellent as was service. Great to return

A truly disappointing experience. The pub was cold and we were assured the heating was coming on but a bit slow. In fact it never came on. One of our 4 meals was so bad we had to send it back. Beyond belief that the chef could seriously send it out for service. We travelled some distance to visit the Axe but never again.

Great refurbishment in keeping with the building, fantastic, friendly helpful staff. Drinkers are made to feel equally welcome as diners and the Christou brothers have done a stellar job. Dan, the chef,served us amazing scallops and we thoughly enjoyed our lunch with lovely views over a beautiful village.

Had a delicious meal friends. Lovely atmosphere and helpful staff.

We were blown away with how Paul and the staff went out of their way to help with a family member’s special birthday surprise! Paul went the extra mile and was so calming and kind. We had a lovely meal very efficient service and lovely roast dinners. Lovely pub in the heart of a beautiful village thank you for making our special day even better ! we will be back xx

The pictures displayed here do NOT reflect the extensive renovation and refurbishment of the pub following the terrible fire. The outside area has been extensively remodelled to permit tables and chairs along the frontage and side garden for visitors, dog walkers and others to sit in the sun. A new thatch roof, chimneys and paintwork gleams and beckons to visitors to enter and view the interior. Inside, it has been upgraded with new comfortable tables and chairs. The bar area has been changed and is bright and colourful with more length. Seating in the restaurant has been increased as has the spacing of tables but the whole pub retains is previous atmosphere with tasteful and interesting pictures on the walls and cameos of the owners. The public bar area has the dartboard with greater space for bands and other events whilst the old wooden snug area is now much more classy although it's usual occupants have never claimed that description. The kitchen has received new equipment and the staff, local young ladies drawn from the village or were part of the original team prior to the fire, greet customers with smiles and cheer. Back of the pub is a large car park to avoid the on street parking which took place before. I guess it will take a little time for the new operation to 'bed in', the meals continue to be wholesome without any fancy treatment and it is hoped that the 'specials' menu will return - it is still early days and more improvement is expected. Beer prices are high as everywhere but there is a large range to choose from as there is wine. I will leave it to their team to replace the outdated pics here which do not reflect this charming, beautiful pub and restaurant which is always a joy to visit.

Wow! What a wonderful evening being able to dine at the Axe once again. Such a warm welcome in every sense from David and Emma and the rest of their team. The interiors have been so lovingly and sympathetically restored and the food continues to be excellent. How fortunate to have such a gem of a pub on our doorstep. Thank you 😊

Fantastic renovation of this pub located in an idyllic location...really pleased it has reopened and a warm welcome from the owner who is clearly proud to be back..well done all concerned...

We were delighted to be able to return to the Axe last evening for its first day of reopening. The restoration has been masterful but the charm and character still remains. The Food was very much up to previous quality and the staff so friendly. A thoroughly enjoyable evening - we cannot wait to make a further visit.

Currently closed for refurbishment but reopening end September

Currently being rebuilt after a horrible fire but will surely emerge from the ashes again as certainly the best pub from Hull to Dover and probably the world. I have certainly never been anywhere better and I have been in pubs through the USA, Japan, Far and Middle East and all of Europe. Lovely people, fabulous food (desert trolley to fight over) and a great atmosphere.

Absolutely beyond belief. Wonderful pub in a beautiful village. ☺️

We visited you a week ago and left a review here, and heard yesterday about the dreadful fire. Our best wishes to you all. I hope you can rebuild if that is what you want. Kindest regards. Keith and Jane

The Axe is one of the best food pubs we've ever been to and has set the bar for everywhere else we go. This, coupled with the decor and warm welcome, means you can't really get a better evening out. We adore our evenings at The Axe and really look forward to going back.

Expected better quality food but very acceptable. Slow service so could do better. Atmospheric olde world pub.

Totally, consistently fabulous. Many lunches and dinners over the years and never disappoints. The food is home cooked and exceptional. The beers are well kept. It caters for everyone in the cosiest traditional setting with lovely staff. My favourite place.

Lovely pub in a lovely village. Friendly welcome, super food with some great Greek dishes. Highly recommended.

I have loved this pub. Quintessential country pub run by a lovely family with home cooked food. Been going for years. Haven’t been for a while and what a change with the food. Had the mousaka which was half the size and mostly potatoes. Cheaply made. Nothing like it used to be. Overcooked garlic bread. Boring salad. It won’t stop me going back but will have something else next time.

Great food and well kept real ales in a beautiful setting. Definitely worth a visit.

Such a welcoming place with a menu to suit all tastes. We visited on a Sunday, when some pub restaurants only offer roasts. They were roasts on the menu, which some in our party of 10 chose, but there were plenty of other options too. There were even 3 vegan main course options, exceptional and very welcome. The staff made an extra fuss of my mum as it was to celebrate her 80th birthday.

Outstanding. Taken by a supplier to lunch here as wasn’t far fm Audley End station. The interior is impeccable, as you’d expect but sadly so rarely enjoy. The staff are jovial, polite, engaged, and just good people. We had goujons and then I had grilled cod and the other chap had the tartlet; both sublime, perfect plates of food. Do go here, it’s superb.

Excellent friendly service. Lovely food and great menu. Will definitely call again when in the area. Added bonus of being open Monday lunch times.

We were just passing by, looking over old haunts from many years ago and decided to stop off here for lunch. The setting was familiar, the willows opposite, the truly lovely village, a pity the weather wasn't good enough to eat outside. Inside was nice and welcoming. It's a clearly very popular with the locals, we heard the phrase "my usual" two or three times. There are clearly more rooms further along and a separate bar at the other end, so they have plenty of space for the business. We had a salad each : the halloumi salad starter and the crayfish starter can both be served as a full course, and these were just what we were looking for, tasty and the chips (ordered separately) clearly home-cooked. We were tempted by the puddings but had eaten well. Excellent food, service also and good value. And such a lovely setting.

The service was very good with the menu varied and interesting with many classic pub meals too. The food ingredients were of the best quality. The starters, mains and desserts were delicious. We will definitely return.

Sunday lunch was a 'pin in the map' choice, but this proved to be lovely. In a charming village, this pub has a great atmosphere, and the lunch menu offers some interesting choices. Service was cheerful and prompt, the food was well presented and tasty,...

One of my favourite restaurants to go to! My family and I always choose to go here when we want to eat out. The pub is beautiful inside and out. They have all the necessary COVID 19 precautions to make you feel safe. The food...

Menu not over fussy. Lamb kebabs excellent with saffron rice. Beer well kept. Still in lock down outside mode but friendly and professional staff did their very best to make experience a pleasure. A hidden gen. Will return.

the oakfield tours lunch was this year at the the axe and compass theservice was excellent and the food good the staff were helpful and friendly and were good at being well trained the decoration was very good please keep up the good work and...

Visited this lovely village pub knowing that the food was amazing the last time we were here! It was my birthday and the last night before Lockdown 2. Our sons wanted to go back-that's how 'cool' it is! Great atmosphere. Food was amazing yet again,...

The heading tells you all you need to know! This is a relaxed country pub in a small village close to Saffron Walden. I live nearby and have known the Axe for nearly 50 years but until fairly recently have for some inexplicable reason failed...

Our first night out inside a pub since the summer. We had an excellent meal and felt safe and comfortable. The tables were well spaced out and clean. Doors were open so we didn’t have to touch the handles and the staff were masked and...

Haven't managed to get out to this pub for a while but it was worth the trip. The food and service was as good as usual. All the correct Covid requirements were in place so we felt perfectly safe. The staff are friendly and helpful....

tonight our experience dining out was marred by the amount of people who did not wear their face mask when entering the pub and making their way to their table. the staff were friendly and the food good, but in the hour and a half...

Went for lunch here one saturday, then returned for dinner two weeks later. I found this beautiful old pub just browsing on the web. Fantastic food and service. Can highly recommend the mousakka and steak and salted caramel cheesecake all yummy! Will make it our...

Wow what a place , I've been cutting through this little village for months and looking at this delightful country pub. This time with the other half we stopped for lunch !, so glad we did. Steak pie was the best we both have ever...

This is a great beautiful pub in a lovely quiet Essex Village The service was excellent and the food was fantastic served with a smile We had scallops to start and either pork belly or hallibut. The food was cooked to perfection Highly recommended

First time here & we were immediately welcomed & shown a table, 2 minutes before lunch service was to end. Very friendly & attentive staff & the food was delicious! I had the lamb kebabs with Greek salad & hubs had the homemade burger. Wowza!!...

Lunch with walking friends on a very hot day. Delightful waitress, good menu, reasonable prices and beautifully cooked and presented food. Mains looked ample and starter and chips sufficient for most of us. So hot we didnt have alcoholic drinks and its a Greene King...

Was ordering takeaway for me and my family from here this evening (due to the current climate) and could not be happier. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The order came very quickly and all 4 meals tasted amazing. Would definitely recommend.

Although a little old fashioned in look, the A&C serves great food, and you will find that it’s pretty busy most nights as a result despite being out in Arkesden. The owners are welcoming and the atmosphere is good. There is parking out back. Worth a visit

Our first visit for me and my daughter but my other half is a regular. The place has a warm atmosphere and we were made to feel at home with the friendly banter. Our meals were very good and the ales excellent. I like this place as you feel as though you've known them for ages. Our host was even working on his birthday so I feel he deserved the tip. I look forward to returning.

The pub is situated in a lovely village. My brother visits this pub quite a bit since moving to the area a year ago. I found the barman miserable and the menu interesting as it includes Greek food! I found the food average. They still have a sweet trolley which I not seen for along time! As for hygiene issues with this when it’s hot! 3 courses for 4 people with a bottle of wine and some pre drinks came to nearly £200! for an average meal. Now I know we are in Hertfordshire and not Yorkshire but it was not worth the money!

We have been attending this family run pub for many years now and have always been pleased with the service and quality of food.

This is an excellent pub/restaurant serving a very extensive menu of fine foods from around the world. I am a particular fan of the steak and kidney pie which never disappoints. The weekly steak night on a Wednesday is superb value and the steaks are always cooked to perfection. The dessert trolley is the stuff of legend and is almost impossible to resist. The staff are all very welcoming and it feels more like being in one’s own home than in a pub. I cannot speak highly enough of this establishment and would recommend it to anyone with a taste for good food and a healthy appetite.

Heard about this place 10 mins from saffron walden. Met friends 20 mins for them from Royston. All had excellent food. A greek Cypriot owner so some different things on the menu. Best moussaka ive ever had. Loads of wine choices. A great dessert trolley so you csn see what you're getting. Can't recommend it enough. My new favourite place.

We have just returned from Sunday lunch a the Axe & Compasses. The Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding was the best you could wish for. It was accompanied by perfectly roasted potatoes and vegetables. This was followed by an absolutely decadent sweets trolley. The Pub has a great atmosphere and he staff were really friendly and helpful. We are going back again on Wednesday night!! Highly recommended.

Lovely pub and the meal was lovely. But expensive with what we got the Hake which was on special was very good but did not rate on £21.50 per meal the veg and etc. would not have fed the smallest diet. We also felt very rushed by an older person who hovered the whole time???? Service by staff was very good. Although I have never had a trolley of desserts appear and ask what we wanted. Normally staff would ask would you like to see deserts???? That needs to be changed. As we had had a starter we were not sure if we wanted dessert. Felt very rushed!!!!

A fantastic lunch in this quaint pub. Took my Dad for a birthday treat on a Tuesday lunchtime. Amazing menu and fresh ingredients. Staff were so friendly and helpful and the owner delightful. My husband had the best fish and chips (it was huge!) -the batter light and not greasy. Moussaka to die for! And the chips are out of this world. Quadrupled cooked!Def going to be on our short list for evening too. YOU SIMPLY MUST GO!

My friend was recommended this restaurant as she can only eat gluten free food. They were most obliging and offered the whole menu Gluten free. We had a superb lunch served quite quickly by very friendly staff/family members. A little on the pricey side for some dishes but well worth a visit even if off the beaten track slightly.

Having lived in the area for thirty years, moved away and just returned we historically knew the A&C; well. A couple of poor reviews put us off going to either the Pheasant or the King William at Chishill and the Red Cow Chrishall menu looked boring. So it was the Axe and Compasses for us this time. Great reception from a charming waitress and a promising menu plus the unchanged quirky but comfortable bar-dining area. Then things started to go downhill. Drinks were ordered from an unsmiling and unwelcoming bloke behind the bar. First course for me arrived, scallops and was very nice. Second course for me and only course for my wife arrived in good time. Because I had a starter I had ordered what I thought would not be a too heavy second course. I was right! Never have I seen such a puny lemon sole in my life. If it had not had a bone running though it i would have thought is was a small fillet of the same fish. Barely legal to land I would have thought and more coating than flesh on the poor 'sole'. For nearly £20 for that and a few new potatoes, a bit of cabbage and a few beans I thought it was a rip-off. My wife had an individual steak and kidney pie which was too much for her to finish but I was only too pleased to taste it as I was far from full. To me it was a good consistency with chunks of meat in abundance but, although rich, strangely lacking in real meaty or any other flavour. Too salty in fact but just about OK. Wine by the glass is expensive but the white wine my wife had was declared very good so perhaps they do charge a bit extra for good quality? Never were we asked if all was well or if we had enjoyed our meal - perhaps they had overheard a few of our comments! So another one bites the dust. This lunch for two (only 3 courses between us) nearly £58 with one drink each.

We zijn met onze camper onderweg door de UK en laten ons telkens verrassen door alles wat we tegenkomen. Nu weer een uitzonderlijk pittoresk dorpje met een heel bijzondere pub. Niet alleen qua uiterlijk, maar ook het interieur, het heerlijke eten en de fijne bediening. Een juweel✨

My family live a distance apart so we regularly meet up for lunch. This was our first visit to this lovely pub for lunch (8 people). It sits in an amazing location and the pub is a lovely typical olde is English pub. The food was just delicious. All the starters were great with some sharing the Greek meze which was loaded with food. The main meals were just as good with a broad selection including fresh fish, vegetarian. Everybody throughly enjoyed their food. Even though we were all full we couldn’t resist the pudding trolley. We all had the hazelnut meringue pavlova which was amazing. The service was great, friendly and done with a smile. I couldn’t fault anything on our visit and we look forward to returning again in Oct for our next family meet up.

Six of us walkers all enjoyed Easter Monday lunch at The Axe. Excellent food. My pancake with mushrooms in cream sauce was delicious, with quality of creamed leeks and cabbage to match. A friend enjoyed the scallops starter. Another the crayfish salad.The pub is run by a Greek father and son, so dishes such as moussaka, halloumi and feta cheese side salad complement the English pub fare.

The Axe is considered the best pub for food by many locals. Mains and puddings (mostly on a trolley) are their strong point. Beer and cider OK, but they don't seem to have any guest bitters or to major on this. Table service very attentive and friendly. Smallish car-park behind, a few spaces in front, otherwise can park opposite on main street.

Always one of our favourite destinations. This time was like all our previous visits: outstanding! Already looking forward to our next visit. Don't ever get rid of the big dessert trolley!

Great food, great staff, great beer & wine... Highly recommended. As good as the Cricketers, just nicer....