The Carpenters Arms in Rochford

Used to always guarantee a lovely quality meal here but my last two visits were quite bad food, gave it another chance to see if just a one off but disappointed for a second time, over priced and not good food. A real shame as used to be so nice.

Lovely roast dinner the pork was amazing and so much food for your money and staff very pleasant will definitely go again thank you

Arrived for a table of 9 put at the back of the restaurant. Dirty chairs dirty floor. Most meals had chicken which was chewing and not cooked. Staff were not seen only to take order and deliver. Didn’t get all order. When staff came asked a question before an answer had already gone, when leaving the young lady rolled her eyes at us. Not sure what that meant maybe we were not the clientele she wanted. Bill around £200 so not a small party. Food was average not sure if there is always a qualified chef on duty.

Popped in for a quick lunch and had a very pleasant experience. Staff were friendly and the decor amazing. Food was good and I can recommend the Breakfast Baguette, as long as you are hungry.

The food is nice but the service could do with improvement. Service is a bit slow as it seems the serving staff were more interested in chatting to the male customers at the bar. It's a shame as this restaurant/pub could be on a par with the Shepherd & Dog in Billericay if they had more waiting staff & lost the snooker table. There is no definition between the bar & and restaurant, so the noise at times was unbearable as loads of men shouting the more the drink was flowing & it's just a bit off putting. As I said the food is nice just the ambience needs improving.

Great food, big portions and friendly service from Toni the waitress.

Great atmosphere, great food service from Toni was brilliant and friendly. Would recommend highly.

Best Sunday roast I’ve had in ages … the food was absolutely delicious!! Staff second to none , THANK YOU CARPENTERS ARMS !!

Excellent night great food and staff great

I had a lovely meal with here with my family and there was a lovely waitress there called Hollie that was very helpful and we can’t wait to come again

Got served by the lovely Hollie so polite, brilliant service

I'm sorry to say. Weak menu and poorly executed!. Somebody put my meal in front of me, apart from that zero interaction!

We haven’t been for a few years as it wasn’t a pleasant experience before! It’s been decorated very nicely and the car park wasn’t full of cars as from previous visits! All the staff were very friendly couldn’t do enough for us. The food we could not fault very tasty we had 3 courses and a lot of wine great choices on the menu. Sticky toffee pudding is a must Will defo be returning soon, As we have heard the Roast dinner is to die for xx All home cooked food and no Aunt Bessie’s here. Good quality and not to expensive Well worth a visit everyone Ignore some of the reviews as we did! It won’t disappoint

Dropped in for lunch, had been previously and it had been very pleasant. Not this time though, ordered prawn baguettes. Waited an hour for the food to come, looked really nice, looks can be deceptive unfortunately, the baguettes were hot and very hard, the Prawns were accompanied by crayfish tails (not mentioned on the menu) really cold, possibly frozen ? As much flavour as cardboard, but more expensive and drowning in a runny sauce. The side salad 🥗 was nice, apart from the fact that it was swimming in honey mustard sauce. Not a pleasant experience, left most of it on the plate. Mark's and Spencer would have been tastier and cheaper, with a fraction of the wait or maybe a Wetherspoon's ? Will try somewhere else next time, couldn't be any worse. ( another place to cross off the list, should have stuck with "Harvester")

We were invited by friends for Sunday lunch. My meal was the worst meal I have ever had. I ordered something described as 28 day cured Sirloin Beef, I assumed it would be a meat similar to Sirloin steak. How wrong was I, it was two slices of leathery under cooked beef, they were tough, grislily, streaky with vains of hard fat running through them. Before I put anything in my mouth it took me 5 minutes to cut it, and then 5 minutes chewing it before I could attempt to swallow it, if I were at home and not in a restaurant I would have spat it out. Our friends were laughing at my attempt to eat it. I left all of the meal, The roast potatoes were soft and stodgy, I left those, the Yorkshire pudding was the size of a fist, burnt and clearly manufactured and bought in and not home made, it was bland tasteless and like eating cardboard. I could not eat any of it. I expected the waiter when he cleared the table to ask me why I hadn't touch my food, to my astonishment he just picked it up without saying a word, I can only assume it happens a lot and he is used to taking back uneaten meals. I am not a complainer but this time I feel I have to warn others, beware of what you order and take a chain saw with you.

Nice food and not over crowded which was good for a bank holiday

We visited The Carpenter's Arms without a reservation for our wedding anniversary. We were shown to our table by Maisie who was our server for the duration. Our meal arrived quickly. We chose the steak and it was really good, tender, huge and cooked to perfection. We were well tended throughout the meal, with Maisie checking in on us during the meal. Would recommend, both for the food and for the service.

4 of us , one member of party with extreme dietry requirements, most mains priced around £15 to £20, and a specials board, starters of chicken wings, i had chicken wellington with mash , seasonal veg and mushroom and whiskey sauce, it was massive , i took half home, the baked cod (a few bones) with garlic and parsley butter served with skin on fries and honey glazed carrots and asparagus was lovely, with fish and chips ordered and the chicken burger which defeated my husband!! Lovely desserts around £7 each, i shared biscoff cheesecake, lovely staff, i would very much love to say a massive thank you to our amazing waitress Maisie!!! What a credit to the team she is, helpful, attentative, engaging, at such a young age to join in banter but remaining professional was fantastic, Maisie you definately have great people skills and as a Manager of people myself I would have you on my team anyday!!! Carpenters Arms you are lucky to have her .good luck in the future to you, and Carpenters Arms, we will definately be returning, thank you for a great evening.

Came here for dinner with my wife, The food was tasteless and greasy and also cold. This would have been understandable if it was busy but it wasn’t. Service was terrible, the waitresses seemed more involved in conversations with people at the bar than giving any sort of service. Very rude girls. Would not recommend.

We been twice in two weeks first time waiters was perfect next two times just young girls who di have a clue food very average staff dint know what they are doing

Saturday 20th April we had a large booking of 12 adults and 1 child for my husbands 70th Birthday. The food was fantastic, I wish we had taken photos to show how amazing the food really is. I would highly recommend this place, great atmosphere / staff are friendly and service is FAB. All the above made our night very special

Fantastic place & great environment . Thoroughly enjoyed the food and drinks , will definitely be coming back and recommend to all. By far the best pub in the area .

Great Sunday roast would defo come back. 😋

Had a lovely lunch. The lady that served us was great, no rush to order very good service. Food was delicious.

Love this place! The menu is great, the food is amazing, all freshly made. The staff are lovely and nothing is too much for them, especially Vicky!!! Looking forward to our next visit!

Went with a small group of walkers. Very pleasant pub, the staff were very friendly and helpful. One of our group is celiac and they checked carefully to make sure his which of his choices of meal were ok for him. Food was nice and reasonable in price. We plan to return

Use to be the best pub match days,now getting as pricey as Stratford itself shame

Great good and good selection on menu. The meat and wine pie. Delicious. Staff welcoming and efficient. Loved the cosy look.

great place to eat good service very polite well worth the money

Delicious Sunday Roast highly recommend it. Staff need to be more knowledgeable about the menu regarding dietary choices and even though we checked our booking on the day they still got our reservation time wrong but these little issues can be easily corrected it was a nice lively atmosphere

Impromptu visit, actually needed to find a toilet, so popped in for a drink, found it to be pleasant, barmaid was friendly, had a quick look at a menu, and decided to have lunch.... was very pleasantly surprised, food was very good, tasty and well presented, we will certainly return when in the area.

I thought it was decent, good price

We booked to go for Sunday lunch today and the service was amazing. The roast dinner is a must on a Sunday great atmosphere relaxed and chilled will definitely be returning thank you Alex for looking after us.

Been here a few times now being a local with my dad who has Dementia . Had a Sunday roast Today that was amazing and freshly cooked. They Are always accommodating and understanding.

Great lunch, will return again when on the area

The food was great..very tasty and a reasonable price..the staff could not do anymore to help us celebrate my dad's 80th birthday

First time Ive been there, met up friends. Great food and very friendly service

Meal with friends, brilliant food 😋 was surprised for a Saturday night that it was empty. My friends were amazed at the steak,large portion and cooked perfectly with great price. We're definitely going again

Lovely rustic style gourmet pub. Delicious seafood dish. Staff were very friendly and service was great. Will definitely return

We visited with our family on Sunday after booking online. This pub has changed hands multiple times over the years but the new owners are doing well and reviving it to its former glory. As well has renovating the building. The staff were very accommodating and attentive. We had a Sunday menu which had lots of choices (Roast dinner, Scampi, Curry, Pasta option) Plus starters and desserts. They also had a Specials board. I personally had the scampi, a good sized portion with delicious skin on chunky chips clearly made from real potatoes! A lovely homemade meal. My husband had the roast and the Yorkshire pudding was huge, he enjoyed it very much. I did book online but received no confirmation email or any confirmation that it had been booked so we originally didn’t turn up for our time slot but the restaurant rang me at my reservation time to double check we were coming which was great or 7 of us would have gone hungry! Issues with the website were passed on to staff. We will be returning!

Excellent food, excellent presentation

More like a builders pub not very cosy food at bit hit and miss.

Incredible food and friendly service, we will be back

Me & my friend had a meal here tonight I had prawn salad & the prawns were so salty I couldn't eat them so I ask them to take them off my plate the waitress came back with plain salad with half of tomato didn't ask me if I wanted something else & charge my friend full price I think £16 for a few salad leaves. I then asked for an Archers & lemonade & received a full glass of lemonade no Archers. I'm sorry to say I won't be returning due to food & service.

Very busy at lunch so car park was crowded and service was slow in the restaurant unless you had burger and chips.

Poor food, Poor service. I haven't visited for more than 3 years but wouldn't go back again.

Overall very good outside seating .

My dining experience at the Carpenter's Arms Restaurant was nothing short of exceptional. The restaurant exudes a warm and inviting ambiance, with its rustic decor and cosy atmosphere. Whether you're looking for a romantic dinner or a family gathering. The Staff were attentive and friendly from the moment I walked in. The food is simply exquisite. Each dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavour. Given the quality of the food, service, and ambiance, I found the prices to be quite reasonable.

Popped in for a last minute roast & dinner out with the other half. Got there at 2.30pm, starters at 3.15 & main course didn't arrive until 4pm after we asked how long it was going to be as we thought it had been forgotten about. They apologised and said it was because of the ribs however we had seen people who came in & ordered after us, get their food before ours. When the mains arrived, the veg was obviously frozen before hand & just reheated, the pork was cold & to top it off it only came with 4 roast potatoes which were all soggy, not crunch at all & 2 TINY parsnips which were hard. Our starters were lovely which is why the mains was a real let down and total shame as felt like we could of cooked it better ourselves. To top the whole experience off, one of the girls behind the bar even had the cheek to say "well she ate it" behind my back, when infact I left all the veg, some of the pork and only ate the potato, parsnips and Yorkshire pudding because I was starving after waiting over an hour and we had to be somewhere at a certain time! Had I of known we would have waited that long we would not have eaten there. Only good thing was the bartender and the drinks. Won't be coming back again which is a shame as we've eaten there before and it was really nice.

We came today for Sunday dinner and it was lovely! All the food was so nice all really enjoyed! The staff are very polite, nothing Was a problem x

The staff were very helpful and kind. Also the food was very appetising. Overall great experience

Worth a visit, place was quiet I don't know why what we ordered was fresh and delicious, my mum was so impressed, could do with a smaller plate section in the menu, service a little slow but friendly.

A nice pub for a quick pint or two to be fair it was very quiet when we went so I can't give more than a 3 ⭐️ for atmosphere but i'am sure at the busier times its got it.

Great looking pub, only popped in for a couple of drinks. My friend say the food is really good.

Looks bit nondescript from front but inside is quite charming....old wooden beams, well decorated in a modern country style. Big car park, outside seating area. Lunch menu bit short but my toasted baguette was good. Friendly helpful service.

First time here, good menu selection, food was delicious and great atmosphere, staff really friendly will definitely be back

There were no baby changing facilities...like none. I have an 8 month old that I had to change on the back seat of my car more than once! I know they are having renovations but at least tell people when they book (especially if we book with a high chair). We weren't offered any solution, or even an apology, I was flabbergasted. Just a heads up if you are thinking of going here with children!

Lovely bar staff Beautiful cosy setting and the ladies toilet is outstanding

Staff were very helpful and driendly, food was delicious

Dreadful. No beers, food was okay, limited choice as many options were unavailable & had an upset stomach the next day. Staff are friendly is the one positive.

Since the new owner took over the place is different class, everything has had a refurb, the staff are polite and friendly and every meal is a 10/10 good luck for the future

Massive thank you to Georgia who served us and to the chef Tony for a fantastic lunch! Highly recommended a visit.

Went for Mother’s Day. Starters, main course and desert was perfect. Definitely go back again

Have just been today outstanding food compliments to the chef presentation outstanding I can honestly say never tasted a better roast dinner beef was wonderful well done will definitely be back

Had lunch today (Thursday). Varied menu and all food delicious. Waitress friendly and helpful and checked a few times everything was ok

Slow delivery of food and drinks

Great food! The new management must have brought in a new kitchen team - excellent selection and tasty food. Good range of starters, snacks/bar food (burgers & pizza) and mains plus 7 different specials on the day we visited (a Monday) so something for everyone. The cauliflower bites were spectacular as a starter, closely followed by the baked camembert cheese and mushrooms on sourdough. The hake was our most popular main with creamy mash. The desserts were also impressive - especially the cheesecakes! Friendly staff made us (and our three well behaved dogs) feel welcome. Happy to recommend.

Had a Sunday lunch here and I can't find anything wrong with it . Everything is looked at in fine detail . I asked for more gravy for my lamb chops which were delicious anyway . But I didn't get bisto , it was flavoured with wine spices and herbs . The veg was also covered in flavouring which meant if I had put mint sauce on the meal I would have ruined it ! And I love mint sauce . Dessert crumble was delicious as well . There were three or four staff always around and the place was packed for good reason . Atmosphere was vibrant which in my opinion is lovely . This is a notch above pub food which you would be happy with in a London restaurant , make no mistake . But half the price . Winner ! Winner !

The food is genuinely great here.

Well I don’t really know how you got these 5 star reviews . But me and my wife came a couple weeks ago and honestly was totally shocking food , the burger in bun was dripping in grease and look and tasted like it came from a burger van at a boot sale for £19 that was laughable . the prawn thing was was like tinned spaghetti with a few rubbery prawns and the dessert tasted really cheap and tasteless . Such a shame also no heating around the pub unless you want to sit with a few drunks while trying to eat then you can have the open fire .

Called in on the off-chance for lunch with some friends. Car park is a bit higglety piglety and uneven with potholes. It wasn't very busy despite the number of cars in the car park. There must be other premises or businesses nearby that use the psrking spaces. There was one other couple seated for food and a couple of drinkers at the bar but it took several minutes before anyone came to the bar to serve. One guy seated said. "She'll be out in a minute". We were told we could sit anywhere we wanted. The restaurant is pleasantly decorated. We were given menus and a difficult-to-read handwritten "specials" menu but it was about 15 minutes before orders were taken. Drinks arrived and food came around 25 minutes later. The food was OK. Well cooked and presented. But again it took a while after finishing our meal before anyone came to clear away and ask if we wanted desserts. We had to attract the attention of a waitress who eas at the bar. At this point, we were the only ones in the restaurant. We did and also ordered hot drinks. We were told they had run out of dairy milk, only having soya milk left. Wanting coffee we said OK. The waitress made coffee at the nearby machine but then went to the bar to chat... bizarre. She came back after a few minutes and served the coffee. Again it was a while before desserts were cleared away. We asked for the bill but again the waitress was distracted chatting. We had to ask again. It wasn't particularly cheap, £104 for 4 mains and desserts and soft/hot drinks. So nice food but disjointed service. Not sure we'd rush back unfortunately.

Nice quiet pub friendly people.

Wow!!!!! haven't eaten there in over a year. What a pleasant surprise. Food was fantastic and service was excellent. There was only one girl serving and taking orders but she was very pleasant and attentive there was no waiting about and the food hot and delicious we even had a free cauliflower cheese. Will definitely be eating there again🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂 five star 🌟.

Lovely food and very attentive staff.

Food is good, waitress doing great but it need more workers is cleary short on of staff.

What a pleasant surprise. We visited maybe 7/8 months previously and no other word but “Terrible” service, food and it wasn’t very clean. Heard it was under new management, so thought we would give it ago and what a turnaround. Staff happy, great food and wicked atmosphere. Well done new management, made this once again a lovely place. See you again soon. The White family.

Popped in for a bit of lunch ,nice menu with lots of choice food was cooked just right and lots of it, service was first class wasn't till we were ready to go that we were told new managers have taken over and did we enjoy our meal of course it was yes with 5 stars will be going again for sure.

Not from the area, was passing through come across this pub. Food was lovely, staff was efficient. Will definitely return when back in the area. Highly recommend.

Visited the Carpenters Arms Saturday evening. We were a bit concerned because we were there quite awhile ago it was terrible. But we thought give it another try. So glad we did, food superb, service brilliant. Staff very polite. Would definitely go back no hesitation.

Came in to watch the football and have a drink ended up having a pizza and chips which were both so tasty! Would come back just for the food! Cosy place with chilled vibes - will be back soon!

Visited today and the New Menu is fantastic with lots of options for different dietary requirements. Was informed by the young lady serving the pub is now under new management. The real fire was roaring and the bar was even showing the footy after our meal.

Just stopped in for drinks as food, wife recalled having fish and chips a little while ago and it was not very nice and took forever to be served sonwe decidedon drinks only. Grumpy young lady serving and 2 soft drinks, 1 gin and 2 beers later it was £18. Personally it was not inviting and I didn't feel comfortable even when we sat outside.

Great food free parking and nice terrace to sit on

Took family, not very child friendly food and service good.

Very disappointing. At least half of the menu was unavailable and even the white wine wasn't chilled. We have been going to The Carpenters for a long time and I'm really not sure what is going on but to take bookings for their restaurant when they can barely fill less than half of their menu is totally unacceptable to me. Will be a long time before we return I must add that the front of house staff were lovely, extremely apologetic and very embarrassed at the situation.

Extremely run down and a very poor menu. Hardly any drinks in stock. Wouldn’t come back if I can avoid it.

A great pub/restaurant with lovely food, helpful staff, and a nice garden area.

Friendly service and food was reasonably priced and good quality

Nice food and good, if slightly quirky, service

Don't waste your time!! Go to the Hungry Horse down the road instead, we certainly will be in future. The garden is a mess, car park is full of holes, seating is old and tatty. The menu is a typed piece of paper, most of which is out of stock!!!! No gluten free available, the pasta wasn't in stock and the bread had been thrown away. Told as the food bought to table that the chips were cooked in same oil as everything else..a huge no no for gluten free diets!! The one star I have given is for the poor staff who work there!!

Not impressed to have booked a table on line, had confirmation of said booking, then to turn up to find the place closed. I understand unforseen circumstances, but I don't understand why no message was sent to let me know. Disappointing.

Great atmosphere brilliant service. Will definitely be back

Booked a table at the Carpenters Arms last night on very late notice. They arranged a table for my family of 4 with no issues at all. A member of our family is Vegan and when we got there we asked what would be appropriate for her to be able to eat. The staff were brilliant they chatted with the chef and made a bespoke vegan meal off menu just for her! Lovely, friendly staff extremely accommodating and the food was great. Highly recommended

Having visited the Carpenters on numerous occasions before lockdown, we decide to dine here again. A very disappointing evening meal with friends. This was a Friday evening, and several drinks (no lemonade, basic spirits) and meal options were already unavailable. Coffee was from a tin! The service was poor nobody checking if food was ok or even offering more drinks. Over priced Was expecting some kind of home cook meal, but the food was substandard and looked like no effort had been put into the meals. Vegetable look frozen, salad was poor quality, and mash (lumpy) and sautéed potatoes must have come from a packet! I could have cooked a nicer meal! The inside needs updating and there is no lighting outside by the entrance steps, was very dark when we left and a bit dangerous! The front glass door was broken and several light bulbs were out in the restaurant. Will not be returning and do not recommend this food outlet, was very expensive for the quality of food and a disappointing evening. Service and quality needs to be seriously improved.

We went for the Sunday roast,  with high expectations given the reviews. Unfortunately it was by far the worse roast dinner I have ever experienced. All the food was cold, beef like leather with stewed parsnips, the cauliflower cheese was some chemical waste truly not intended to be eaten. We weren't the only people complaining.

Very unprofessional. Booked through the app for last night friends come from Chelmsford, Southend-on-Sea and Rayleigh get to the pub to find a note on the door saying its shut and sorry for the inconvenience. Would have been useful to have been contacted and told this. Birthday dinner ruined. Get your IT sorted we were not the only ones who turned up after booking through the app.

Booked table through their website for a Monday , turned up only to be told they are closed on Mondays. Looks like their website needs updating to stop people being able to book on Mondays.

Was sat down and waited over 10 minutes for someone to take drinks order. Gave up and left after that. One of the chairs at our table was broken so we had to find a new chair. Kids were running around. Which wasn't restaurants fault. Menus just printed on A4 paper. Which was fine during the height of COVID but not now. Felt a bit souless. Felt like there was very very little choice for food Was also cold inside. I put my coat back on after a few minutes. All in all felt disappointing. My wife and I looked at each other and jointly agreed to just go somewhere else. We did... No one stopped us as we left to ask why we was leaving. It was not busy at all.

Girlie night out couldn’t have been better. Food was excellent and Fran our waitress was amazing. We will most definitely be back 👍

Great little pub. Nice and quiet compared to the others in the area. Nice food. Cosy atmosphere.