The Chichester in Rochford

We visited in December one lunchtime there was around 6 of us and we were the only people in here however not sure if lunchtime is a really busy time for them. Food was really nice and from what I can remember wasn't all that fast but not slow either, it was nice to have a cooked meal made for you as no doubt we all had something different from the menu - which wasn't set for Christmas which was nice for this time of year.

Visited for Sunday Lunch, located in The Gallery Restaurant. Menu presentation on poor photo copied paper was a bad introduction, limited three course choices. Starters of Vegetable Spring Roll with Chilli dip sauce was ok, Duck Pate was like dog meat, only other choices was an uninspiring tomato soup. The Sunday Roast was average, but not awful (apart from the stuffing which was awful), deserts of Lemon Tart and Spotted Dick again were very average. No wine list available, poor choices offered and overpriced, the highlight of the meal was the coffees. Restaurant, Presentation, Setting and atmosphere was out of a 70s Time Warp. Needs a total contemporary revamp, would not return under present set-up, disappointing even on a Groupon Deal.

Looking for somewhere quite for a friends reunion/get together we chose the Chichester hotel restaurant in Rawreth. Charming place, peaceful, relaxing, overlooking a pretty courtyard. We ordered four sandwiches & 1 baguette. Lovely waitresses explained 'No granary bread' not a problem, chose alternative. Our order arrived after 45 mins and we were the only five customers present. Not a problem, we were in no hurry. The bread was medium sliced supermarket variety and very dry with hard crusts giving the impression of microwave defrosting. The margarine was melted onto the bread, the baguette very hard at both ends and the egg mayo filling still hot. Being 'Terribly British' we put off complaining for a while but halfway into our sandwiches we called a waiter/manager over and expressed out disappointment. He came up with various excuses ie 'No head chef' (really??? To make a sandwich) Eventually after a long negotiations we did not pay for them. The standard of a simple sandwich was just not conducive to such an upmarket establishment! So disappointed!! First impressions of the venue promised so much yet delivere so little! Come on guys, surely you can do better? The fact that we were the only customers in the restaurant the entire time may reflect the standard of food!

I have eaten at various iteration of the restaurant here a few times with mixed experiences. This time with only enough time for a main course I went for the Guinea fowl special and it was pretty decent, cooked just right and tasty. All wolfed down.

Asistí a una función pequeña en el Chichester en el 4 de junio y hacía un decepcionado con la mala calidad de la comida. Me sirve una cena con asado, que era una combinación de carne y verduras cocidas brócoli rebozado y complementado por primas coliflor. Fue la peor comida que me han servido en mucho tiempo y debería ser una vergüenza para los chefs que preparó. Los camareros eran muy agradables jóvenes pero carecían de entrenamiento en cómo una función. En general, nunca volveremos a este establecimiento.

So, been here on a number of occasions some years back when the Sunday carvery type dinner was available in the big hall/barn. And, whilst it was far from a la carte, it was fair value for money and always packed. So to commemorate a loved ones birthday, we as a family and friends decided to go back. Big mistake.....whilst the staff seemed willing and in the main happy in their jobs, the food was not good.. Had one been lucky to have selected the correct dishes from a pre order menu then I guess one would have been fairly happy. However, mine and a number of other starters were warm at best, the ceaser salad was pitiful but he soup seemed fairly safe. The main, (I had the roast) thankfully was hot except for one roast potato which was odd. Oh and talking of the potatoes, I'm pretty sure they were off the pre-cooked, aunt bessie type but could be wrong. The fish and chips seemed the best option with the mains. Deserts you'd think would be safe but even though pre ordered, the crumble was out of stock.. I would imagine that as they use the bar area now as a dinning hall they haven't a proper kitchen in that zone? But also imagine the kitchen hasn't got heating as some of the whitewater was freezing, however the plates were hotter than the meals.. In all, I don't think one of us had an average three courses and our 1 more visit was definitely our 1 last visit. It's a shame as the place does have potential. Under new management, I'm not sure what plans they have and I don't think they know yet either. There was a wedding fayre on in the old dining hall... I think management would benefit from a mystery shopper experience...

Oh dear where has it all gone wrong.poor value for money,canteen style food,expensive drinks £5 vodka and coke no ice or slice or even a smile.cold room temperature,maybe warm the venue earlier,oh and keep the ginger cat out .This used to be a great Christmas party venue but not anymore. Sad really.

Came here for the Valentines evening as a group of 6. When we arrived there was no-one to seat us or even point us in the right direction. We took a drink on arrival and waited at the entrance to the room. When no one came after 10 minutes, we thought we'd go and find our own table. Luckily there was only 1 table of 6 there. The food was average. Entertainment was very loud throughout the meal so unable to have any conversation. Unfortunately this venue seems to have slightly downhill recently, i have heard from a few people that they have had disappointing visits here in the last year

No management when needed, had an event booked. They made sure you paid over the odds for their service but room very nice and person sounded sincere so paid and booked. Price, not worth the hassle, service - grumpy staff and no manger around when needed

I chose the Chichester as the venue for my leaving work celebration, on the basis of previous enjoyable evenings at the dinner disco's there. Since I last visited, ownership and the menu has changed, and there is less choice now. However, there was a reasonable choice of food, and as far as I know everyone in the party enjoyed their meals - I certainly did. Although we had a wine list on the table it took me a while to realise drinks and wine were to be ordered at the bar, it might be helpful it this was mentioned by the waiting staff. My rating for value takes into account the disco, as well as the meal.

I went for a Christmas party night out with colleagues. The atmosphere and decor was very good. It was difficult to get served drinks at the bar. The food was good and we'll presented but disappointingly there was no drinks service to the dining table. There was a DJ after dinner and we were asked for music requests. A good night out for a work party.

Over the past 20 years we have been to the Chichester on numerous occasions including Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and the the Dinner Dances for special occasions. This was our worst experience there, and probably our worst ever Christmas dinner. We were a party of 4 in the Chichester Suite. When we arrived we noticed that the cloak room was open and unmanned so we decided not to put our coats in there for security reasons. On previous visits a member of staff had taken our drinks order but not on this occasion. We had to queue up at the bar, and get our own drinks, which took a while as there was only one member of staff behind the bar. After waiting 40 minutes no-one had been to our table to take our food order so my husband had to go and ask for someone to take our order which they eventually did. As other reviewers have already mentioned the menu on the table was different to the one we were sent in the post. We had already pre-ordered my husband's meal as he is gluten free but we might as well not have bothered as his food was no different to the rest of us and they didn't even provide him with a gluten free roll which they have always done in the past. After about 20 minutes our starters arrived. The prawn cocktails consisted of very few prawns and a lot of salad including a long thin strip of cucumber which was difficult to eat. The smoked salmon had a couple of pieces of salmon about the size of a 50p pieces. We then waited about another 50 minutes for our main courses to arrive. These were OK but nothing special and the steak pie was overcooked and some of our party found their turkey tough. We were given one small dish of vegetables between us. After finishing our main course we then waited and waited but no-one came to clear our plates away. We could see that other parties were having the same problem and a lot of people were complaining and we saw some people getting up and walking out. There were only about 3 - 4 waiting staff to serve around 100 people. We even saw one of the chefs come out serving dinners and one of of the waitresses went out crying. After about an hour of waiting and our plates still hadn't been cleared my husband went and spoke to one of the managers. He said that we were fed up of waiting and would like to forgoe our desert etc and receive a partial refund. He was told that this wasn't possible as all refunds had to be made through head office. He told her in that case we wanted our deserts served served straight away. After this our table was cleared promptly and our deserts were served. The cheesecake was fine but the pavlovas were just a thin hard meringue with a spoon of berries on top (see photo). We had to ask for cream to go with our deserts. Once we had finished our deserts we were so fed up with the whole experience and guessed that we would have another long wait we decided to go without the tea/coffee, cheese and biscuits, mince pies and mints (which were all included in the £60 price per head we had paid). I would also add that there was no table cloth on our table, although some tables did have cloths on. There was insufficient cutlery on the table and my husband had to go and ask for more cutlery and some of the cutlery was dirty. On our way out we saw the male manager and my mother and husband told him how disappointed we were and that it had ruined our Christmas day. My husband asked him why there were so few waiting staff as on our previous visits there had always been many more. He replied that some staff had gone sick and let them down. My husband pressed him as to how many waiting staff there should have been working and he replied that he thought it was about 8 or 9. He wasn't at all sympathetic or apologetic to us or others who complained about our Christmas day being spoilt. When we got outside in the car park we found that some people had been given free bottles of wine in compensation but we were not offered this. We only found out a few days earlier that the Chichester had been brought out by a large company. They are obviously only interested in profit and not in customer service. We were extremely disappointed and will never return to the Chichester again while it is run by the current owners. They should compensate all of us who were there for Christmas Day Dinner with at least a partial refund. I'm sure that BBC Radio Essex and other local media will be very interested in these experiences on Christmas Day. It will be interesting to see if the management learn from this and improve things for New Year's Eve - although fortunately we have not booked for this.

Table booked for 1.45, went in for dinner came out 5.06 without having cheese and biscuits and mince pies. Not enough staff for Christmas Day, people were getting different meals to what they’d ordered and a couple got fed up because they got the wrong meal after 2 hours and walked out, 3 waiters to serve 80 people, what a joke, even one of the chefs came out to help serving, 3 waiters walked out and one went home crying, perhaps as it is under new management they got rid of too many staff and now they have staff on basic wages they could not care less. This is not the first time, it was nearly the same 2 weeks ago, lets hope its better on New Year Eve

This is thethird time we have had the Chridtmas Lunch There, Was always very good until yesterday.Not good at all.Food and service not up to scratch at £29-50 per person.Just been informed that it changed hands 4 weeks ago and staff were not happy.

disappointing meal for all of our party service poor food not up to carver standard would not recommend or visit again

well where do i start,!!!!!!!!!!!!!having used this dinner /disco many times before i booked our xmas party back in the summer,paid our deposit had details and food menu sent out to us.we were shown to our table fine, on sitting down noticed we didnt have a table mat for our meal it was more like a cafe.one of my staff then pointed out the cheap paper xmas menu just laying on the table was not the one we had sent to us on booking it was totally different!,on asking to speak to the evening manager(STEPHANIE)she then informed me that it had change, and the menu we had been sent was not on ???.on asking why, was told a new company had since taken the chichester over and this was the xmas menu,to choose from, i said we didnt book this and was not informed before final payment was made(WELL IN ADVANCE)knew nothing of this change and it was a shock as i then has to explain to my party they could not have what they had chosen some choosing not to even have a starter!!!the food was very poor my ham hock starter came with my toast on wet marmarlade thus making it really soggy,.some of the others just didnt even eat the starters.main course very small not much meat or salmon,the old menu was fantastic,as was the staff and service.after i complained we had paid the price for the old xmas menu they did after a hard push give us some wine for the table(NO GOOD FOR MOST WHO WERE DRIVING)poor stephanie she had a number of people complaining,but i was very angrey,as i had booked and told everyone what a super place this was and a great time would be had by all.most of my party had left even before the music had started,we also noticed that 3 big tables near to us were empty not even a full house, never seen that on previous xmas dinner/disco either.not many serving staff all very young people,no smart dress code, didnt really have much idea,had to ask for table water, sauces, tea after meal was disgusting , then to be told no mince pies not even a mint with your coffee but thats what we had paid for no reduction in price!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,we thought it was a christmas meal like we have always had in the past.previous management need to teach this new company how to operate and look after returning guests, we will def not be going back, was looking to book a 60th birthday bash but no way!!!!!!if your due to go there this side of christmas check your menu,you may not get what you have paid for. shame it was one place we really enjoyed for a great evening out.oh must mention a few sparkle lights above dance floor, but no christmas decorations didnt have a party feel about the place at all, a lot of money paid out for a large table and not worth it.

The food was very nice service could have been a bit quicker the Chichester suite excellent facilities for parties the management need to get their act together Sharon didn't pass any of our information on to Stephanie causing major seating problems but Stephanie and her helpers soon rectified this dj John was excellent he played every song that was asked for would definitely go back again but hopefully the management will get their act together for next year

This is the first time I had been to this hotel. It is out in the country along a dark country lane. There was a large car park but pathetically poor provision for disabled parking. In fact I had to park over 2 spaces in order to get enough space to open the door of my car wide enough. Then there were steps down to the Restaurant. Couldn't find anyone to ask where the disabled entrance was so friends had to carry my walking frame and help me down the steps. Going out I did find out that there was a slope but it was a long walk out into the car park. Obiously disabled customers are of little interest or priority to the owners of this restaurant.The food was good and the service was good until it came to the coffee and a small group of us were not served coffee at all and one of our group had to go and find a waiter to tell them we had not had any coffee. Finally it came and we were served tea and not coffee so I had to ask for it to be changed. I didn't buy any drinks so was not aware whether the bar service was good or not. There was a duo singing for us to dance to after the meal but as I am disabled it was of no interest to me. So I left after the meal and cannot comment on how good they were. The price of the evening included the cost of the duo so it meant that it was an expensive meal for me .Although the food was good I have had as good or even better for less in other restaurants. Would I go again - No. Would I recommend this restaurant - certainly not if you are disabled.

Food was alright but not worth the long, long wait for each course. Everyone had eaten their rolls before the starter turned up!

It was the Saturday night Dinner/disco facilities I used, not the hotel. I believe my party enjoyed themselves: I certainly did. The food was fine & good portions. A varied menu & nicely presented. A very good value venue with lots of people dancing after the meal to a nice mix of music. The only small issue was the shortage of bar staff initially (in the Stable bar) before the meal; but that was soon fixed & I won't mark the venue down for that.

This is a good hotel, fairly close to Basildon but sufficiently out of the way to guarantee a quiet night's sleep. It appears to offer meeting and wedding facilities, but I didn't explore those. The rooms are comfortable, arranged over two floors around a central courtyard, and contain adequate, if a little dated, facilities with occasional minor defects (my shower kindly sprayed from the shower head and also from the pipework leading to the mixer control, and the hairdrier hadn't been electrical-safety checked since 2004). The staff are friendly and efficient, and service in the bar and restaurant was attentive. There is a fairly limited range of drinks, although the restaurant menu, whilst not having changed for some time, offers a good variety of food to cater for a range of tastes. Portions are generous and appear cooked to order. Watch out for the Alice in Wonderland gentleman's facilities - a series of rooms decreasing in size, potentially transforming a comfort break into a bit of an adventure. The restaurant also looks onto the well-planted courtyard, and that offers a change of scene on a warm evening (or morning), especially if the unrelenting brown decor or the puzzling dangly things in the restaurant become too vexatious.

service quality value and more besides - so if you want a night out that you'll remember and remember for all the good reasons this could be the place

This 3 star restaurant which hosts party nights for various occasions was an eye-opener. The food was of a very good quality, well presented and great value. From ordering to service all was handled speedily and with much professionalism.Drinks are also very reasonably priced for such a venue.Hotel rooms are comfortable, spacious and well appointed.

We went for a birthday group in the tudor room which is the only reason I would go back There is nothing romantic about it The food was bland, taste less, and more canteen that restaurant and and the service was an attempt at silver service but nothing close to it On a good note The desert was very nice and of a good standard the venue is nice and the idea of a meal and disco after works well just a shame the food wasn't better

Just don't This place should be nuked. Never had such an horrendous night in my life. I know it's Essex but how dan people be that rude??? Disliked absolutely everything! Never again

We had a party of 56 for our Christmas doo and the food was lovely. My lamb shank fell off the bone and was wonderful. The music played by the DJ was a blast from the past and we danced until midnight. I loved it. Thank you for a wonderful evening. I look forward to coming again.

Breakfast is charged at 9 45 choice is good but quality of sausages could be better and fruit salad would be better if it was fresh eggs perfectly cooked. Alas breakfast on a Saturday is not served until 08 30 ' very helpful staff.

This is a great venue for a special meal the food and service are really excellent. There is a really wide choice of food and large groups do not need to choose their dinner weeks ahead it is all ordered on the night.

We booked a table for a family meal, midweek. First impressions, not a lot of people in restaurant, and it was a wee bit warm initially, and then when the air conditioning kicked in very much the other way. Portions enormous - so in terms of food to price ration, very good value, and was very nice. However, two orders from our party were not taken correctly, and as a result two of our party ended up eating their meals when others had more or less finished. That was probably a genuine mistake, but really this shouldn't happen. There were a couple of small issues in terms of the food. Firstly tempura batter should be a lot lighter than was served on the scampi (it was a bit of a disappointment). Also you serve an excellent fish pie, but cannot understand why it's served with boiled potatoes as well as the mash topping. Seems a bit like overkill. However, while this visit wasn't the best, it wouldn't stop us trying the restaurant again. I stress that these comments ONLY apply to the restaurant midweek, and not the wedding facilities.

We were a party of some 60 people, the menu was extensive-there were at least 10 choices for each of the three courses. They took the orders and had a very pleasant wine whilst we chatted!Starter arrived very pleasant with some unusual varients.Then came the main course . . .The red hot plates arrived followed by some very good plain English Food (with of course the odd Curry available--but is that not a stable British dish?). Vegtables arrived--I nearly burnt my hand on the serving dishes. Not a comlaint, our table had eight different meals.Comes the Sweet--glory be! - Cheese and biscuits three different cheeses and, of all things, Walnuts! I learn something. Wine was pleasant , not exceptional, but much better than I have had a expensive Lunch Parties.Highly recommended. Cannot comment on price I was a guest.Only comment I had to go search for a real ale--but when I found it I was more than happy.

Firstly I'd like to make it clear that I'm reviewing the 'Mid-Week Restaurant' at The Chichester not the weekend/function restaurant there. We first visited this restaurant on Monday 28th October as it was recommended by my mum. We were very pleasantly surprised at how nice the food was and what good value, we also experienced good, friendly service that night. I will add though that my dessert was served so hot that it was still cooking and took the skin off the roof of my mouth! That aside we had enjoyed our meal so much that we couldn't wait to go back. We went back yesterday early in the evening, asked for a table and was about to be seated by the same friendly waitress as we'd seen on Monday when a man appeared from nowhere and curtly berated the waitress telling her they were full (my partner & I looked around the restaurant which was empty at the time. I'm not saying that they didn't have bookings but I'm sure the waitress had checked that prior to agreeing to seat us) he then turned to us and rather rudely said we're only open to residents tonight and almost as an afterthought added an insincere 'sorry'. To say we were stunned was an understatement along with embarrassed as there were people sitting at a lounge table adjacent to the restaurant entrance who could hear what was going on. We were made to feel like vermin. I wonder if good value food is the trade off against poor customer service that has to be suffered at this establishment or is this just an impolite way to say that they don't want non-residents to dine here, if that's the case then perhaps they should state that on their website so that people don't waste their time on them!

We meet twice a year with our pension company for a lunch at The Chichester and for me the latest was the best for a long while.When catering for around 70/80 it's very difficult to get it right.There was a choice of menu and the waiting staff did us proud with the service, very efficient the food hot and tasty.Always look forward to this venue and we were not disappointed

Chichester has been going for years and so have I on and off............. It is a meal with a disco after the meal. Not the greatest dining but the food is always hot and always all served together and always palatable. Live disco with a DJ who ensures the evening is fun, all the old favourites, so lots of singing along. Great way to celebrate birthdays or getting together .............. excellent value for money and lots of fun............. can thoroughly recommend.