The Bull Hotel / Pub in Braintree

Recently celebrated a very special milestone birthday and was greeted by lovely friendly & happy staff that always go above and beyond for us when we visit! Even the Manager Marc bought me a drink for my birthday 🥂 bless him! Can’t fault the service at all, top notch! Thank you, you wonderful lot!!

Overall experience good. Ladies toilet seat broken. Table sticky in dinning room. Staff helpful and friendly. Josh our server really pleasant and polite. Food excellent.

We were staying locally and popped in for lunch with our two springer spaniels. We were immediately made to feel very welcome and a big fuss was made of the boys. A bowl of water was brought out for them and the staff members (Elisha and Ben) made sure they had a fuss each time they passed! When ordering Ben mentioned that they also had a ‘doggy menu’ so treated the boys to sausages and chicken (very reasonably priced) I was impressed with the amount of vegan options on the menu. Our food was lovely and the service even better! Such a friendly pub, with good food and locals who stop and chat with you too. The staff are a credit to the establishment. Thank you for looking after us so well.

I came here with my family for a Sunday Roast and it was amazing! Service was spot on and the staff are super friendly and make you feel so welcome. Millie, Elisha and Claire are all fantastic, hard working and reliable. They really make this place run smoothly and well. Overall I 100% recommend and will be back!

Lovely evening out with a friend for dinner made all the more special by Toni, her service was outstanding. Lovely and relaxed atmosphere, lovely hot food received nice and quick. Will be back again soon.

Absolutely superb night, booked another night for tomorrow. Bar staff superb, milly, Ben and emigrants. Also Mark superb would definitely recommend to everyone, just felt superb being here 👌

Waited 45 mins for someone to take our order, we had to go up and ask to be served after 45 mins, food ok not brilliant. Salad on plate wilted and old which was off putting. Seemed short staffed. I would not return for a second time. Over priced for the quality that was presented.

Upon our visit we were disappointed with the choice of ales !. IPA and Abbot . We was lucky they had level head on tap . However things got worse for me when I ordered my food !. I fancied the pulled pork bbq burger !. The young girl takes our order then has to come back and informs me they had no burgers !. Ok I tell her I’ll have the hunters chicken ! . She then comes back to inform me they had no bbq sauce ! .( I promptly sweated, no disrespect to her !). I ended up with a pie and chips served with something green which I left . The pie was a good size, but personally not worth the £12 price . I don’t think on this showing that I will revisit ! .

Rude staff member,but knew that as soon as I walked in and was greeted with her miserable face,food was OK but what happened to the customer is always right,heard alot of complaints about this particular staff member since my encounter with her.

Excellent venue marred by a very aggressive policy on parking Held a business meeting here and both of us received a PCN for failing to register our vehicles. I understand the nuisance that non patrons using the parking spaces can cause but I’ve received a very unsympathetic response, despite evidence of our bill being presented The requirement to register the vehicle was not evident inside the venue and signage is obscured in places. Will not be returning to this venue any time soon !

This place is great for a good meal out especially for large groups. Thank you to Teresa and the team for making our outing a memorable experience.

Amazing food. Best pie in Essex. Very welcoming by Ben. Would highly recommend. Will be visiting again soon. Look forward to it.

We Alison the Bithday girl Susan and myself all had Afternoon Tea. There was so much to eat for three people. We had unlimited cups of tea which Teresa was waiting on us hand a n foot and compliments to Bobby for the lovely tasting sandwiches and lovely presentation and we all had drinks before we had our Afternoon Tea and we had so much to eat Sandwiches and rolls muffins Victoria sponge cheesecake and fruit scones with fresh strawberries cream and jam decorated on the plate with fresh strawberries and a strawberry coulie absolutely compliments to Bobby the chef for the beautiful presentation we will definitely come again 11/10 wonderful.

Had my little girls first birthday party here was absolutely amazing or lovely bar woman Ellie made everything painless and enjoyable went above and beyond to make everything perfect thank you Ellie!

The staff are excellent but the service however leaves a lot to be desired. We ordered food at the table, within the hour they had only managed to serve the 6 starters, the rest of us opted out of that option. An hour later they were give an ultimatum, either serve our mains in 10 mins or we walk! over an hour for mains was ridiculous. And before anyone replies with "we were busy" Others had been served in the bar their meals and they came in after us? The request was a steak ordered medium rare, it came out blue, that meal never got touched! We were going to order pudds but by the time the mains (8.30) arrived we dare not trust their ability to manage to supply the pudds before breakfast. NEVER AGAIN

Well just spent a great weekend at this pub from start to finish Claire and her team especially the young lady Alicia made us very welcome great banter with all her team the food was great from the breakfast to the evening meal the room was warm and very clean and my stay there was awesome so thankyou to all at the bull and if u are going to stay in halstead I recommend the bull

We had an excellent afternoon tea at The Bull in Halstead on Mother's Day. The food was nice and the lady who served us was lovely, we really enjoyed our visit and look forward to going again.

Stayed at The Bull for two days visiting my family The staff were very friendly and gave us excellent service 12 of my family came to visit me at the hotel and the staff found us a seating area to accommodate us all Thank you The breakfast was great and plenty of it Will certainly use the hotel again

I'm never going back. £70 per head and was an absolute shambles from start to finish. We arrived at 14.20 ten minutes before our booked time at half 2. When we arrived we were told would be 10 minutes or so as they were running late. 3pm we were seated. 3.45pm our starters came out and over and hour later our dinner followed. We cancelled dessert as we had plans in the evening we were now late for. I refused to pay for drinks that we got and this was agreed. Needless to say never doing it again. Food was good and its such a shame the service let everything down. The staff aren't to blame and they really did do their best. The young blonde behind bar was lovely and looked like she'd had enough of being shouted at by everyone. Real shame, completely ruined our Christmas day and certainly not worth the money.

Thank you for being very attentive to our needs. Great service from Claire and lovely food. See you in a few weeks

Came here for afternoon tea had booked it up paid deposit got a email saying it was booked👍but when we sat down said later the kitchen had no sandwiches etc made up 😔 but was asked if we would like something else was not happy at all and very upset about this🤔but went for seniors meal which was nice so lucky our trip here was not ruined 😊also Benjamin the waiter was the person who had to tell us no afternoon tea hands up he did it well 👍But why no afternoon tea when it says in the email you do it? 🤔

Absolutely awful, will never return. Pre-booked a table 2 days prior for 5pm. Turned up to be sat at a table that was so sticky, couldn’t put anything on the table. Then was told that food would be over an hour wait- despite us booking as the kitchen was rammed. I counted 3 other tables being used, one of which already had their food. Then told that they had no roasts left. Waitress couldn’t have cared less. Avoid at all costs. Only gave it 1 star as couldn’t rate it a zero!

The food was very good and the service was very friendly and welcoming The prices were very reasonable and in most people’s budget

Amazing food and amazing service by Immy. Couldn’t fault her at all. Would come back just for the service.

We come here on a regular basis, but won't be coming back. Both our meals were dreadful. My salad was brown and wilted, should have been binned. Salmon had been microwaved. My husband fish and chips was a tiny portion, 10 chips, both the fish and chips were well over cooked. How they could present these meals up I dont no. Extremely disappointed.

What a great location for town centre, everything around you and access to great places it’s a must to visit this is the 14th century inn with two function rooms and ideal location for Essex will visit again very soon !!

Ideal place to go if you don't want a drink ! This pub has the potential to be the best pub in Halstead but for years now the management and service has been appalling. I don't understand why GK do not take any interest in this pub !

Awful place. No staff, booked a table for 5. No menus on table, ended up having to ask for them 20 minutes after being told where we could sit. No table service at all. Pleased that another local pub is now doing evening meals. Greene King need to audit this place! Seriously needs support or stop offering food

A friendly and welcoming pub, very nice chill of old world charm. Our room (superior) for the night was very big and cosy at the same time. A very comfy bed, nice fresh crisp bedding. The toilet and bathroom however were a major disappointment, the toilet being so small you struggle to get in and out of it due to the door opening inwards, the bathroom was equally as poor very small a shower than ran off the bath taps which also was broken and very dirty around the window, window frame and pull down blind

This lunchtime visit was disappointing. We ordered scampi and fries unfortunately the scampi is very poor quality we have had much better recently at a few other eateries so we know the difference. We would happily pay more for better quality scampi. The staff were nice and friendly and the locals were in so quite busy.

We purchased a Groupon voucher for 2 drinks and 2 burger meals for under 15 pounds at Greene King pubs. Arrived about 4.30 and the bar was full of workmen so you can imagine the language! Told to get a menu from the holder but there wasn’t any. Had to go on the hunt for one. The deal covered all the burgers, we ordered a cheese burger and a bacon cheese burger. When they arrived we asked for vinegar and ketchup. Never arrived so had to go and find them too. There was no running water in the toilet as the tap was broken. When we went to pay they made us pay 50p for cheese? We questioned this as all burgers were in the deal, they said I’d ordered a normal burger and added a slice of cheese?? No I ordered a cheeseburger but tell you what, have your precious 50p because we are out of here, never to return. Oh and get the tap fixed, it’s disgusting!

I have Been to the bull for breakfast this morning an I was very impressed! everything was bang on, the staff were very attentive will be going back at a later date for sure :)

Popped in for a few beers and an evening meal, friendly staff, especially Imogen who made us feel very welcome and served us promptly. Good food and reasonably priced beers. Dog friendly which also helps.

Have been in a few times and this is a welcoming pub with friendly staff. It’s well priced and comfortable as well as being dog friendly.

I came in today with a couple of friend for something to eat and drink. We had to wait about 40mins for the food and when it come out the food was over cooked and we asked if we could change it and the lady...

I popped in with bad old friend for Sunday lunch. Was left standing waiting to be seated for some time before I was approached and offered a table at the bar. Once I had decided what to eat I asked the bar staff if I...

My boyfriend and I booked a last minute getaway at The Bull, and we weren't disappointed! Our lovely room was warm, comfortable and wonderfully wonky, with not a right angle in sight. The roast dinner was lovely, as was our cooked breakfast the following morning....

Asked for no cauliflower cheese on one because my daughter is allergic to cheese! They brought out two roasts missing yorkshires and only replaced one and gave my daughter the cheese she’s allergic to! When we said something the woman just scraped off the plate...

We had a nice meal and was looked after by Ben who was amazing and so friendly. Food was good and service was brilliant. Thank you Ben!!

We called into the Bull Inn on a damp rainy day. Had a lovely lunch which was served by the wonderful Ben, really attentive service and delivered with a smile.

Me and my work colleagues always pop in to The Bull for a quick drink and meal in our works lunch and never disappointed with the quality and service that the bull has to offer. Dan and Teresa are always quick to serve us and...

Great food and lots of it , lovely old style dining nooks , great prices , and our service from Dan was welcoming and helpful , would def go again

A lovely, traditional English pub. My partner and I enjoyed a Sunday roast - delicious food and very good value. We were served by Tracy who was extremely friendly and very helpful with my dietary requirements (a severe fish allergy). We had a wonderful time...

Five women including 2 coeliacs had a convivial evening meal to celebrate a birthday. The service was excellent, nothing was too much trouble and the Gluten Free menu was excellent and delicious.

Absolute joke of a place. Arrived in a party of 6 people at 5,20pm when it took almost 20 minutes to place our order at the bar with a totally indifferent bar staff. Parted with £137.00 and sat at the table. 10 Minutes later got...

Jo was a brilliant server! Had a lovely night had a very nice night. Great drinks will definitely be coming back

Was visiting freeport shopping village and Colchester zoo so wanted a hotel close to both The bull Inn was the first place that came up on booking.com (about 6 miles each way both of them) and I'm so glad it did ,what a lovely little...

I stopped for a homemade fish and chips served with mushy peas and tartar sauce it was fabulous the service good and the washroom facilities excellent

Had a fabulous night, I must say the staff are very welcoming and down to earth. The night we arrived was when we had two fabulous ladies - Natasha and Teresa greet and meet and maintained a fantastic attidue. The Staff overall are amazing but...

Went for a few drinks and Nick was our server, he was brilliant! so friendly and chatty. felt very welcome ❤️

Out for dinner with friends... Such a lovely time... Nice food and brilliant service from our waitress Millie... Such a polite friendly girl! Thank you

Dinner with friends. Lovely atmosphere, lovely food and great service from waitress Millie. We will be back

Visted for our 8th wedding anniversary as this was where we had our fantastic reception 8years ago Laura made our visit so memorable and our table was decorated fantastic. Brought back so many memories

Absolutely great barman called Ben. Extremely friendly and so polite. Great beer garden too, would definitely recommend this place

We visited for an overnight stay while travelling back home. Had a warm welcome and given keys to the room. The stairs to the rooms were very steep and slightly awkward. A disabled person wouldn’t definitely not been able to climb the stairs. Unfortunately it...

Food very bland, 2 of us had the chef’s special hunters chicken, there was no bbq sauce on the dish and no coleslaw, we asked about the coleslaw and it hadn’t arrived in the delivery, lots of supermarkets nearby so could have easily purchased some...

Attended last night, warmly welcomed by Dan the manager and Ben the barman. Quickly shown to our seats and the staff immediately recognised the music level too loud and turned it down to a nice ambient level to allow for conversation. Good selection on the...

Very kind staff, with Ben taking care of all of our needs and wants. All the staff are all welcoming and are willing to help all of the time. But Ben went above all helping by parents out

This is a lovely place to stay very welcoming every member of staff has been helpful and pleasant Daniel greeted us on arrive and got us settled and Teresa was the perfect waitress at dinner time The food was lovely and plenty of it good...

First time coming here and we enjoyed everything about it. The place is filled with so much character and stories to see. The food was great and staff Ben provided execellent customer service.

Great food, great service and ambience. Definitely recommend the Bull for a family meal or for a few drinks.

Ben(Rainman) is lovely very helpful and couldn't do enough for us.We will visit again and again,looking forward to having seabass and scallop risotto next time

The room was as expected, cheap and cheerful. The staff however, were amazing. Ben, Nick and Dan were serving, they were all so lovely, going out of their way to make our evening better. I can't praise all the staff enough. We got a 20%...

First time we had eaten here and will definitely come back. Really good range of food on the menu, something for everyone. The food was delicious and the staff excellent. We were served by Ben and Dan. Would 100% recommend.

Excellent choice of beers, beautiful pub, very friendly staff. Best pub in halstead. Will come back again.

We have been visiting The Bull for the past 6 years and the team have always been lovely and accommodating. There is always a nice atmosphere. Recently we visited for lunch with a family member who was being particularly difficult. The team member looking after...

Popped in for a few pints after work. Service from tiff on the bar was spot on as always. Best pub in town.

Had dinner and drinks with my friends. Food was lovely and the pub atmosphere was enjoyable. Our waiter asked us to leave him a review so here you go Ben. Thanks for the great service.

Had a great tasty steak sandwich for my lunch. Service from kristian was polite and friendly. Will be returning when next in the area

This is the 2nd Christmas Dinner we as a family have had at the Bull and it never fails. Staff were on the ball and super friendly. Our table assistant went above and beyond to assist with our needs. Thoroughly recommend 👌

As always, love visiting the bull for a pint and some food, I never really write reviews but I'd like to do this dedicated to my server Ben, anytime I come here he always makes me feel so welcome and definitely deserves some sort of...

Had a fabulous meal and drinks in December and Ben served us most of the night and the service was perfect and he such a nice chap. Thank you for a lovely night.

The atmosphere is really cosy and warm, although it feels like a ‘local’ it’s a very friendly place. The service was fantastic, a great selection on the food and drinks menu Even they made a mistake with the food, they quickly corrected it and offered...

Ben provided excellent friendly service with a smile and was very attentive. The food was great for a mid week dinner and we would visit again.

Ben gave me and my brother 5 star service and provided us with a outstanding meal I’ll definitely be coming back

We booked here for our Christmas meal. Good choices on the Christmas menu, the food arrived quickly and additional gravy was offered with the main course. The staff were attentive . I stayed over night, my room was comfortable and had all the facilities I...

Overall great food and drink at The Bull Hotel with good service from Dan who was very friendly and funny too

Came into the bull last week for a meal and was served by Elisha. The service was phenomenal and I cannot recommend this place enough! Elisha took the time to ensure our visit was perfect and made sure we had everything we needed. Great pub,...

Went to the bull hotel this evening for a bite to eat after work was greeted by 2 nice and polite Bouncers atmosphere was great, great variety of songs to go along with the atmosphere was served by Elisha I believe and a lady called...

5/5 I would highly recommend this venue to my friends and family. We came for lunch today and felt so comfortable in this establishment we stayed for longer than we intended but the staff members were all so friendly, but we never managed to catch...

We called in to the bull for a meal with friends what a lovely place welcoming and friendly the meal was nice well presented we were served buy Dan what a lovely young man we will be going back

Went for a meal with my partner and the food was lovely. We was served by Elisha who was lovely and made sure we were all okay. Will definitely be returning. Thank you Elisha and The bull.

Booked a table for my father’s birthday, when we arrived no members of staff greeted us and after a few minutes of standing around we asked where our table was we had reserved. The lady said we had to queue up at the bar to...

Authentic English pub with great food, amazing atmosphere and friendly staff!! Also stayed at their hotel and was thrilled!! The Pub was built in 1398!!

Came here for dinner and drinks on the 13th with friends. Food was amazing and the live singer was brilliant. We spent the night dancing. Can't wait for the next live music night.

We visited The Bull Inn for Sunday lunch and we had a lovely time. The food was delicious and served hot and all staff were welcoming and freindly. We will defiantly been back. Thank you 😊

Great atmosphere! Very friendly staff! Great food! 8 of us celebrated my mother-in-law’s birthday and she loved it… Thank you for a fabulous evening to all staff (Laura, Kristian & Ben) xxx

Spent the afternoon here with friends. Always a real treat. Food brilliant and the staff are friendly and polite.

We are currently staying at The Bull Inn and had dinner and drinks in the restaurant last night and the service was fantastic. All of the staff are so polite, friendly and welcoming and our server Ben was amazing all evening. We would all highly...

Visited the bull today for lunch. As usual the food and service was brilliant. Good menu selection with very reasonable prices. Can't wait til next time.

What can be said ! Ordered the first picture and got served the second picture 🤢 we asked why the sandwich wasn’t cut and was told that head office told them they was not allowed to cut sandwiches anymore !! Wtf !!

The Bull Hotel is a very nice old building, we had a twin room in the annex and the room was a good size with good sized bathroom with a very good over the bath shower. The staff were very friendly and helpful, nothing was...

We went for lunch there was 7 of us what a lovely place very friendly food was good and staff very pleasant and helpful especially Dan

Popped in for dinner and drinks with friends after a particularly rubbish day at work. Food was delicious and the drinks went down a treat. Staff friendly and attentive. Will be back soon

Last September in the middle of Covid this was a wonderful place. I would list what was poor but I would rather take it up with the manager when I check out tomorrow and update my review then.

As always, really good service, i had the Gammon and scotch egg after being told my original dish was not available. Was hot and just what i needed after a busy day at work. Really enjoy coming to this pub. We live about 14 miles...

My wife and I called in for our first visit to the Bull ,Halstead ,Essex for a late lunch today. We parked in their own town centre car park and we were so pleasantly surprised by the lovely hot and wholesome food served up and...

Popped in for a quick drink too see some residents that were staying. Lovely bar staff on that night. Dan and Nick were great, very chatty and polite.

Went to the bull today for drinks with my friends and had amazing service from Dan so friendly and kind

Excellent food & fantastic service by Immy. Thank you for the extra custard 👍 Highly recommended. Thank you