The Bull in Epping Forest

First time visit- Lovely place....... Staff / service / food / drinks / customer service / ambience - top notch. 7 adults and 2 kids and staff couldn't do enough for us. Proper village pub. If I still lived in the UK, I'd be a regular!

Came here after doing one of the walking trails - food was exactly what we needed. Very nice pub food, the chicken pie was amazing!

So although living not far away I have not used this pub for many years. However, I had passed it frequently and always loved the lights outside and the cozy look of this pub. I decided after reading so many great reviews to give it a try. I am so glad that I did. My friend and myself visited on Saturday night and was surprised how cozy the pub is, lots of regulars just sitting and enjoying a chat and a drink (dogs too) not chatting obviously!. It has a real village type vibe. Warm and welcoming. On arrival we were met by a lovely lady who showed us to our table. We were surprised how small the restaurant is, but it adds to its coziness. We ordered our meals which came up promptly, lots of it and hot (so many restaurants serve cold food)! Our waitress was a lovely young lady called Faith. What a charming lady she is. Very smiley, chatty and couldn't do enough and also checked our meals were okay. All of the staff in h ere are really lovely, warm and welcoming (a rarity these days). We will 100% be coming back (we are told the best thing on the menu is the piue!) but all of the meals looked lovely. So glad that I decided to try this place as we will be using it again and again. Just a note to anyone who is visiting, the car park is very small maybe a dozen spaces. Unfortunately whilst I was waiting I noticed 2 people with very large cars who were clearly not in the pub but had come from the Indian up the road and chose to use the spaces in this car park. Silly really as parking after 7 is free. There is a notice from the pub asking people not to use their car park as it loses them custom. Sadly either people are unable to read or are just too lazy or tight to pay for parking before 7. Probably both of the latter. Anyway if you haven't been please do visit this pub is a rarity these days. Good food, lovely staff and really friendly.

We visit The Bull quite often and always find food excellent and great service from friendly staff. Most recent visit was Wednesday lunchtime and as it was quite busy we has lunch in the bar. All fine, except that there was a small group at the bar swearing loudly which didn’t go down well with all the diners. Strangely, the bar staff seemed unconcerned. My local pub has a No Swearing rule, couldn’t The Bull do the same ?

Lovely atmosphere - loved all the mirrors and twinkly lights. We both chose the lasagne which was a bit of a mistake as was really bland - not enough seasoning/flavour and also a bit cold. The steak cut chips were delicious though and a good amount of salad on the plate. However, the best thing about the evening there was the attentiveness of the lovely server Faith - can't fault her at all. Will definitely give the Bull another go and perhaps go, as Faith suggested, with one of the pies next time.

Great home cooked food. Friendly staff. We love this pub

The perfect local pub with friendly staff and good food. Highly recommended.

My family and I have been using The Bull for over 10 years. It has seen us through many Sunday dinners, big family get togethers, birthday celebrations, and family funerals. On every single occasion the service has been outstanding and we have always felt very looked after by the owner and all of the staff. The food is delicious, lots of choices for all dietary requirements, with a wide selection of beer and wine on offer. The pub is very family friendly in a cosy setting. We love coming here!

Had the most amazing Sunday roast. The service was fantastic, the staff were friendly and welcoming. Best pub in the area!

We’ve been to the bull several times. Even celebrated my special birthday here. Lovely staff, fabulous service, food always delicious. It’s our favorite place after a dog walk on a Sunday for a truly delicious roast.

A firm favourite with me and and my family whether that’s for a drink, homemade meal or family celebration. The staff are warm and friendly and the atmosphere is welcoming to locals and the hundreds of walkers who pass by each week. If you’ve not been to The Bull, you’re missing out, give it a try.

I've been to this charming typically English pub/restaurant several times. It's my go-to place for taking visitors to the UK due to the age of the building, choice and quality of the fresh food and the atmosphere created by the excellent staff. Service is excellent, extremely pleasant staff and the loos have always been clean.

Lovely pub, lovely atmosphere. We enjoyed our visit very much.

We absolutely love this pub. Such fab service, atmosphere and the food is just superb! Homemade with love and we’ll definitely be back.

Very nice food and people - perfect atmosphere too 👏 - lots of love Peter & Alina

By far one of the best pubs I have had the pleasure of visiting. The food is outstanding and in a beautiful setting. It gives you a comfortable and cosy feeling when you walk in. Thankyou to all the staff who are just so friendly we had phenomenal service. I will be back! Thankyou!

>> UPDATE from GARDEN << Been here again, on first sunny Sunday of March, sat outside in the garden now. All nice and pleasant, food, atmosphere until food was put (not laid) on my table by a waitress, as I wasn't even there (as she came to bring food to an empty table ) not a word from her on 2 occasions (main meal, later dessert ). Then some group from another table was also disappointed by her which made me add this update, which might be the last from this pub. >> Stopped outside London at a more traditional pub in the countryside after a not so warm experience near central London victoria. Pub has pictures of how town looked in victorian times, which is nice to remember good old days. The timber floors and beams make it authentic also. Lots of tables around the bar and separate a restaurant, outside beer garden, and few tables by the street if you want to watch the world go by. Warmed up by the radiator while sipping a pint and getting profiteroles dessert.

Best food, best company, best friendly service, lots of love Peter & Alina

Amazing pub all round! Friendly staff, delicious food and always a firm favourite for locals in the area. Would highly recommend visiting if you are coming to Theydon Bois.

Fantastic pub. We regularly eat & drink here. The food is great, especially the Sunday roast and pies. If you haven’t been in & tried either you must! We compare The Bull pie’s to pub’s in Hampshire’s pies (where my partner lives) and undoubtedly always say “not as good as The Bull”. The atmosphere is always friendly and ALL the waiting staff are outstanding - friendly, polite and efficient, nothing is ever too much trouble. See you soon. Lucy & Mark

Perfect local pub, nice selection of beers, good food, friendly atmosphere, great staff.

Fabulous country-feel pub on the periphery of London, such a treat. Staff are warm and welcoming and the food is always incredible. Can’t wait to book again! Favourite Sunday roast ever!

Great traditional pub with a warm friendly atmosphere - often meet friends here for a Sunday lunchtime pint (or two) and have always been made to feel welcome. I have always found the staff to be friendly, courteous and helpful - great pub!

Great staff, amazing food, warming atmosphere and all round 5 star pub.

Great pub with fantastic food. Always enjoy the customer service. A A firm favourite of mine.

Each visit to the Bull is an absolute pleasure….it has the lot, warm atmosphere, super friendly and kind staff, lovely food, the list is endless. Aint no party like a Bull party!!xx

I have been coming to this pub for years . The staff are always friendly and welcoming. The home cooked food is always spot on and value for money. The Bull is a traditional pub with a great atmosphere that welcomes everyone. I hope to be coming here for many more years.

Great looking pub, friendly staff and excellent food (especially the Sunday Roasts and their pies!)! A real asset to Theydon!

Disappointing Experience – Poor Food & Service We had a really bad experience at this pub. The food was disappointing, and the service was just as bad. When we raised our concerns, the staff were unhelpful, and despite the issues, no refund was offered. To make matters worse, the manager didn’t even take the time to come and speak to us. Very poor customer service – we definitely won’t be returning. Faith was our rood waitress

We visited this place for the first time and haven’t had this bad customer approach in a long time. The waitress Faith was showing her attitude and was not helpful when we complained about the food. Instead of being apologetic and understanding, she made us feel that it was our problem that the food was awful. After escalating this to the manager, they still refused to offer anything as a gesture for the bad experience. Won’t be visiting again, plenty of pubs around with a far better service.

Hi everyone, this is the worst pub in uk, I felt disrespected by Faith, she was rude and I feel she doesn’t deserve to work in customer service industry, poor food quality when asked for a refund so Faith started laughing at us and left. Its such a disgusting behaviour please avoid this pub unless you wanna come for a beer but anyway make sure you not being served by Faith as she is so rude and impolite! Avoid avoid avoid this pub ! Do not eat chicken pie as I’m feeling sick now, please avoid this pub, would like to hear owners response, also its just not me complaining about Faith, we had other guys sitting next to us and said the same thing about Faith, rude and poor customer service by Faith. First and last time here, please avoid as you going to regret visiting this pub and being served by Faith, also food quality its just disgusting.

Best pub around! Amazing food and friendly service. If I lived in the area I would be there every week!

Great pub, great service with old world charm , highly recommended

This pub is truly top-notch in every way. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with a team of incredible staff who go above and beyond to make every visit special. The food is consistently outstanding—fresh, flavorful, and expertly prepared. The owners are genuinely lovely people who take great pride in creating a welcoming environment for all. No matter how many times I’ve been here, I’ve always been greeted with a friendly smile and exceptional service. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel at home the moment you walk through the door. Highly recommended!

We've had many fabulous meals here and the service is second to none. The staff are exceptional!

Lovely traditional british pub, great staff & atmosphere! A local favourite amongst us all.

Had a fab meal on Saturday night. Great atmosphere quick friendly service. Food was home cooked and fresh. Great food Great service! Will return very soon.

Have been going to The Bull for over 10 years and have never had a bad meal, and today was no different! The roast dinner is unbeatable, although the pies come a very close second! All of the staff are super friendly, accommodating and it remains our favourite family pub.

Made the journey from London to the delightful town of Theydon Bois for a roast just like this. Enjoyed a crisp session IPA in the early spring sun in the garden alongside a delectable roast turkey. No ketchup on this one though! A rare surprise outside of the festive period! Seeing in the sunny weather on a good note, I must say.

Last minute decision to go for Sunday lunch for 4 of us. The landlady managed to to find us a table by juggling a few things. We had the beef and lamb roasts. The plates were full of meat and a great selection of vegetables. Desserts were also tasty and plentiful. Prices were very reasonable, and service very friendly. Certainly recommend

The staff is so friendly, I took the game pie and it was marvellous, would definitely come back!

Great food...... will definitely go back again

Last night had the best experience by far for food quality, portions & choice. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. It was such good value also. £44 for 3 courses drinks before, during & after plus coffee. Experience so good I asked to speak with the publican Sally to congratulate her and each of the service staff as well as the Chef for such a lovely experience.

A lovely pub, with friendly service. It's a warm and cosy environment, with helpful and friendly bar staff. Drinks were reasonably priced.

Plentiful food, good service, polite staff.

Really delicious lunch,steak cut chips were perfect, crispy on the outside and piping hot! Service was impeccable and lovely atmosphere!

We recently organised a Christmas lunch celebration. Excellent food and brilliant staff.

Excellent food, atmosphere very good, they were very busy but the service was excellent, of course, being busy we had to wait but not that long, we were not in a hurry

Been to the Bull so many times fabulous food and friendly staff always

This is such a wonderful pub, we have been here a couple of times, today we came up from islington to celebrate my wife Cat birthday, from the moment we walk in, we was at home, the staff behind the bar to the wonderful ladies making every one's tables were ready on time, the food is out of this world, and especially making my wife birthday special can't wait to come back in the year thank you everyone ❤️

Absolute cracking pub…service and food equally as good. The food was OUT OF THIS WORLD…Would highly recommend!!! 10/10

Great little family run pub. Popular with the locals. Recommend booking. Fresh food. Love how it's presented. Standard menu and special board. And a pudding board. Came with a large group.

Lovely little local pub. Friendly bar staff and cosy feel, great little spot for a quick drop.

Proper good food using quality ingredients. My new favourite gastro pub. Hostess was knowledgeable and passionate about the dishes. Will be back very soon.

Extremely nice & comfortable pub restaurant. Staff were great, friendly & helpful. Menu was varied with a good choice of snacks and meals with a good selection of specials

A lovely village green pub resturant great staff and good atmosphere ✨️

The Bull was excellent as always. We come here quite a bit. Food is good , beer is well kept, what more could you wish for .

Good food, great staff, lovely setting

What a wonderful pub, pop up from islington for a few drinks, The staff are amazing so friendly, we will be back very soon to try the food it look amazing.

Catching up with friends, lovely.

Visited Fri 19th..Great food..Great Beer.Lovely pub garden and welcoming and friendly staff. Highly Recommended

What a lovely little pub... stopped by for some grub and was pleasantly surprised the food was so delicious portion filling and the service spot on. We sat in the sunny garden it was lovely. 😍

Popped in here at the end of our Oak Forest Trail on Sunday. The place was busy with a mixture of locals and other walkers who clearly had the same idea as us. Despite it being so busy we were served quickly, food arrived quick and was hot. Staff really friendly. Would definitely go back if we were in the area.

Twelve of us visited on 9th September and as usual the food was excellent, the staff very helpful as I am disabled. We very often come here for lunch and we have never had a bad meal yet. We have already booked for Christmas. Well done to all the staff for bringing our meals out altogether which must have been a a bit hard as we all had different things except for a few who had the ribs which proved to be very popular. Thank you for making our lunch very enjoyable.Best wishes to all at The Bull

We celebrated my Mum's 97th birthday gathering at The Bull. They provided a fantastic buffet. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was relaxed. Everyone at The Bull were very helpful and caring. I highly recommend them for an event or just a meal.

It was a busy Sunday afternoon when I visited. The staff were run off their feet. Having said that, the lamb roast was very nice. My only complaint was that the gravy was already on the plate rather than putting it on yourself. Also, the staff failed to mention there was a specials board, which I only noticed when I left.

Fantastic food and superb service. Food was freshly cooked, piping hot and delicious. Waitress's were attentive, but not in your face! Never had a bad meal here. Highly recommended.

Kind staff, great food and garden

After a hike, we decided to stop by this pub for some food and to watch the Community Shield game. At first, we weren’t sure if they had the channel, but the lady who served us went out of her way to check, and they did! She was very friendly and recommended the best dishes to try. The food was delicious, and the customer service was excellent. It’s a perfect spot to relax after a hike. Highly recommend!

For my second visit I booked a table for 7 at the Bull for a family meal. The pub has a real comfortable oldy worldy feel with a great atmosphere. The menu has something for everyone with a daily specials board offering delicious homemade pies and other goodies.. The service was fantastic , the food very tasty, was presented really nicely and hot and fresh . Overall a very enjoyable experience with well executed traditional pub grub and service with a smile . We will definitely be back again

I attend this pub at least once a month and usually more often. The menu is varied and meets all needs . The roasts are excellent on a sunday (need to book) . Service is helpful mostly efficient and always friendly . A good basic menu with specials board daily. Suitable for light lunch or full meal

Pleasant bar staff and nice atmosphere

Lovely food 😋 great service highly recommended for Sunday lunch

Was up there for a charity event...even though it was really busy...staff were really good.

Great service from Olivia, best aperol I’ve ever had

Excellent food and beer, great prices and service.

Great pub in Theydon. Amazing atmosphere and perfect for a summers afternoon

Went for a drink after a 3 mile walk good selection of beers although we didn't eat there the food looked good

Cute and cosy location, delicious food and lovely staff!

I ate lunch for the first time in this pub. The food by far is the best I’ve eaten in any pub. The quality of homemade food and quantity is excellent. The service and friendliness of the staff was 10/10.. lovely experience so will be back again soon. Thank you,

Nice beers, for a pub it's full of customers and locals, really adds to that local pub feeling. Friendly bar staff, nice fresh beers.

It was the most welcome sight after a 10km walk on a hot day and the drinks we had in the garden were beautiful. Perfectly positioned near to Theydon Bois train station. It was a really nice pub with a few nooks and crannies. Garden was lovely and busy. Nice pub.

Nice pub to have a nice pint of beer in the beer garden after a healthy hike around Epping Forest.. good selection of drinks and friendly staff.

A lovely pub close to the oak walk through Epping forest. The staff were all very friendly and the food was amazing

Loved it here, friendly staff, friendly people and good drinks. We spent an afternoon here after walloping up and down Epping forest. Would absolutely come back

Great pub, superb food. Really great steak and kidney pie, big chunks of meat.

Stopped in for a quick pint which turned into 3 and a meal was livly staff were nice can't say anything bad about it at all lovely little pub

Excellent food & friendly staff. Only slight problem was lack of parking.

Great pub... friendly staff who know what they're doing. It's nice to be served by proper barmaids. Also good to.hear music in a pub whilst drinking with no Tv's on... DID NOT EAT in here

Great food and lovely village pub

Food was nice and the service was good. The waitress was very attentive to our needs.

Meeting for lunch with 8 mates. Food was good quality and plentiful. Very good choice on the menu and the specials board. Service was excellent and good value. We meet every 3 months and will go again.

Main ok and they did alter it for me dessert expensive and disappointing.

Classic British Pub with high standard traditional pub menu and excellent service. Staff adapted quickly to the needs of one of our guests who has severe hearing loss, as they were able to turn down the music in the area of the restaurant they directed us to and helpfully seated us away from the noisy coffee machine. This still meant that the rest of the pub and restaurant had music out of speakers at the normal level, therefore not impeding other clients enjoyment. This made our table's experience so much better. Thanks to the staff who made this happen.

We were driving around looking for somewhere to eat then i saw a sign post for Theydon Bois , a haunt in my younger days. Drove through the village thinking to ourselves it has no pubs , just as we were exciting we found The Bull, and what a great find it was .Great family atmosphere, helpfull staff and smashing food, The roast was to die for and so filling , we came away without having a pudding which is not the norm for us .Watch out The Bull we will return .

We have been coming to the Bull Pub now for 6 years. Food is excellent and plenty of it. Staff wonderful and look after you well. My Sister and I celebrated our 70th Birthday on Sat with 50 family and friends. The buffet was excellent and everyone remarked how good it was. Just a lovely experience all round in a great country pub. Mo and Graham

Excellent local pub, friendly and welcoming. Su day lunch came with 7 veg, 8 if include the toasties. A real pleasure to visit.

Very special place full of character and good range of drinks and nice food

Good Ol' local with good service

We went to the bull tonight to celebrate my wife’s birthday. Had a fantastic meal (the chicken ham and leak pie is amazing) and lovely warm welcome and great time was had by all.