Based on 1.828 opinions finded in 2 websites
Based on 1.828 opinions finded in 2 websites
Nº 221 in 303 in Uttlesford
Nº 52 of 67 British in Uttlesford
Opinions
This is without doubt the worst dining experience I have ever had. Upon arriving my sister in law had a very inappropriate comment made by the waitress regarding my brother. Then after waiting for 15 minutes someone finally came to take our order but she didn't even bother to stand up to take the order she sat down for the entire time. then when the food did arrive after a long wait all the portions of pasta were different sizes and my fiancé got maybe half a teaspoon of crab with her crab linguini. We also ordered some truffle fries which they forgot so I had to remind them and then when they did arrive it was just fries with Mayo drizzled on top not truffle fries at all, when we took it back the staff behind the bar told us "it's coming" to which I said "no it's here and its still wrong, please take it off the bill" then when we got the bill they tried to charge us anyway and they also tried to add their own tip! Disgraceful. Avoid.
Alex Reader . 2025-06-03
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Booked lunch for a Sunday as we had eaten here previously on a Saturday
David Pollard . 2025-05-26
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Beautiful building, prime location, huge disappointment. A small group of us visited on a Sunday and had a very poor meal. The carvery looked terrible and like the meat had been sitting under the lamp all day, so we chose other mains. The burgers were actually very good but the other mains were quite astonishingly bad. One was very clearly not edible, was long overcooked and still had toothpicks poking out of it which should have been removed after cooking. It’s not a cheap place for food or drink, nearly £7 for a pint. We are local and won’t be returning.
Sam Kinsley . 2025-05-26
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Faultless start to finish - friendly, laid back staff who are really down to earth and go above and beyond to accommodate you. Breakfast amazing and special mention to Laura - she’s a big credit. Definitely recommended
Matthew Motley . 2025-05-25
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Five of us went for dinner on Saturday night. We didn’t stay at the hotel. The description of menu was great but the food was below average in presentation and importantly taste. Distressingly, we waited over 1.5 hours for our starter to arrive. Then a further 30 mins for the main course. Staff were apologetic and attentive. The bill was high for such poor quality. Disappointing as we have had good meals there before.
Jane McConnell . 2025-05-18
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Down at heel , unloved, and needing refurbish ment , Beautiful building but the restaurant which we only visited today does need some updating and trained staff.
Alan . 2025-05-15
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Just popped in for lunch 🥗I had beef salad ,🥗 but the beef was too hard and tasteless but salad was nice 😊
Angelina Malaika . 2025-05-11
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Lovely place, very comfortable room. Excellent meal but, disappointingly, we were unable to get coffee at the end of the meal as they close at 10. This was not obvious and it would have been helpful to get a heads up when they brought the desserts.
Caroline Makin . 2025-05-07
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Service was appalling, we were seated then waited half hour and then went to find someone to see if we could order a drink. Special board up and no specials available, limited starters. We ordered then food it wasn't available, totally disorganized. Food wasn't great over cooked or cold. Considering there was hardly anyone in there, there's no excuse for such bad service. I will not be returning.
michelle hammond . 2025-04-28
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Excellent service . Had the pre- booked Mother's Day roast. Attentive staff
B Graham . 2025-04-25
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Pretty average bordering on disappointing. Outside seating scruffy, untidy and spoiled by vicinity of dustbins. With a bit of investment the outside could be a lot more welcoming. This reflects the general feel of the place inside and out. Food ok - ploughmans was enough for 2 to share, nothing special.
Heather . 2025-04-20
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Booked a table for 5 to celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary. On booking we first asked that a 50th celebration item would be out on the table, this never appeared, secondly we explained that one of the family was allergic to garlic and checked there would be plenty on the menu to choose from. The only option was fish and chips. Very poor service and will never go again.
Matthew L . 2025-04-19
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Booked for a big group family lunch. All had the roast which was great quality and value. Limited menu unfortunately however due to staff shortage and this sadly affected service which was slow. Yet we would return as it was very nice.
Debbie Thurgood . 2025-04-08
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Have had some lovely lunches here, and the last one was no exception. No awful music to drown conversation, which makes this a top choice for me. But the service was slow - we waited so long to pay that we almost lost the will to live... Lovely staff, though!
Mike FERGUSON . 2025-04-07
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Lovely stay, Friendly staff. And fantastic breakfast included.
lucy king . 2025-04-06
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Booked a Sunday lunch for two in the restaurant. Charming location, good choice of food all freshly prepared, draught beers and great service.
Michael Christodoulides . 2025-03-31
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I'm a wheelchair user and I was disappointed that the staffer didn't help getting in and out of the pub.
Susanne Petersen . 2025-03-24
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Delicious Sunday lunch, fab service, highly recommend
Simon Duckett . 2025-03-23
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A gorgeous pub. Visiting family in saffron Walden and came here for lunch and drinks. Lovely quirky place. The food was excellent, as was the service. Staff nice and friendly. Tillys tearoom next door is gorgeous. We will definitely be back.
DARTHSTEVE 212 Gdgdgd . 2025-03-22
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Absolutely fantastic in all areas
David Grimster . 2025-03-20
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Short walk to night parking you can park in the side street to unload your bags. Nice pint of Timothy Taylor and Sausage and Mash for dinner. Comfortable bed and quirky room No4. Great helpful happy staff, I will be back travelling for business.
Mick Wynn . 2025-03-19
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Went into the cross Keys this afternoon for a hot drink and cake. As we were taking in a group that should have been 20 and at the last minute came down to 15 we had to book. We were shown a room that we could all sit in together which was perfect. There was a bit of a misunderstanding, as a hot drink and cake turned into high tea with sandwiches and sausage rolls. However, these things happen and everyone enjoyed the tasty spread laid on for us. The cake in particular was delicious and we were well looked after. I could highly recommend it, lovely staff and lovely atmosphere. Thank you
Jeanette Perry . 2025-03-18
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We are her with friends on Sat 15th March. All was superb. Lovely staff, delicious food, wonderful, warm, welcoming atmosphere. Will definitely be back for more. Highly recommend.
Debbie Love . 2025-03-16
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Great place to stay and eat, staff are all very attentive and friendly . Defo would come back food amazing.
Jeff Mason . 2025-03-15
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We’ve just eaten lunch here and the calves liver and bacon dish was absolutely incredible - 10/10! We came because we heard there was a new chef in town - definitely worth a visit.
reissj . 2025-03-15
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Lovely place good food great staff.
Pietro Johnson . 2025-03-15
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Popped in for a glass of wine. Beautiful Tudor building with charm. Friendly staff and told us some facts about the building. Worth a visit.
French Fitzgerald . 2025-03-07
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Lovely food and great service. Would highly recommend
Andy Andt . 2025-03-03
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Very pleasant stay, friendly helpful staff, great evening meal, excellent breakfast - bacon crispy, coffee perfect. Room 7 warm and cosy, room 8 arctic - we couldn't find a way to get the heating to blow warm rather than cold air, so turned it off. Discovered a portable fan heater the following morning! Bed, bedding etc excellent. Permanent light on inside the wardrobe, and TV on standby, are not eco-friendly. Quite a few people we know would not be happy with the glass-walled, unlockable loo. But generally, a good, though slightly oddly appointed, room. Note that the nearest car park is Swan Meadow, and apart from on Sunday, this requires you to go and put money in before 8am each morning.
Jane Bower . 2025-03-02
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Fantastic friendly staff, lovely clean rooms and a breakfast to remember. Would highly recommend...
Ray B . 2025-02-24
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Very dry food and not well done Definitely last time here
Ramon Lopez Rubias . 2025-02-22
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This hotel has re-opened their coffee shop. The staff member on the tills was struggling. It did take a while to get it as he was rushed off his feet. I am not sure how many staff members were supporting him. The carrot cake I had was absolutely delicious. It was the general speed was slowing him down. I'm not saying who's to blame with the till. I know he took my order. They aren't printing receipts to know what the order is. I think he needs extra technology to help him, like a screen showing orders he's got to do. It's nice to see them reopened but I don't they've geared themselves up for the level of orders.
jtaylor . 2025-02-22
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Great food, with an excellent menu
Richard Harris . 2025-02-22
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We had a family dinner at the hotel in a lovely side room. Prebooking was easy, some changes and additions on the day. Staff very good and attentive. Very busy junction, possibly due to a set of roadworks and a diversion. Food included great burgers, lobster tagliatelle, fish and chips and steaks. All yummy. Fish especially good. A great find.
Georgina Glover . 2025-02-21
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Lovely staff, delicious food, beautiful building, warm atmosphere. We came for an evening meal before seeing a local show and the staff made sure our food came out in plenty of time to get to the show.
Sally Guy . 2025-02-05
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The food was varied and enjoyable. The staff were very helpful in dealing with the confusion of arrival time of different members. This enabled all of us to have an enjoyable lunch despite the confusion.
Andy Overitt . 2025-02-03
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We stopped in for a light lunch in this beautiful ancient town centre pub/ restaurant. what a lovely place. Internally it has been renovated to a high standard keeping lots of the old timber beams. Very good service and very good freshly prepared food. Would have loved to stay longer! And dog friendly!
Chris Whittle . 2025-02-03
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Lovely hotel right in the town centre. Not so ideal if you’d like a good night sleep as windows not great and you hear every noise. Even heard joggers running past in the early morning. The staff are joyful and friendly but unfortunately for us the service, hence the bad score, let it down. We booked dinner for the Saturday evening which was poor service and breakfast (which was delicious when arrived) was even worse!!! There was not such a thing as hot water as we had to wash and shower in barely Luke warm which wasn’t what you wanted after a day walking in the cold. Room very small but clean and lovely comfy bed. Tea/coffee making facilities were spot on.
Maxine Merritt . 2025-02-02
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Had a fantastic stay at the Cross Keys recently. The location is perfect, right in the heart of Saffron Walden with ample parking nearby. The room was cosy and comfortable, and the building itself holds plenty of charm. The staff were very helpful, friendly and obliging. The breakfast included with the price of the room was excellent, and the pub on the bottom floor very nice. Overall a super little inn which I'd highly recommend to anyone and look forward to returning to 😊
Patrick Cowley . 2025-02-01
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I think the staff were a bit stretched as service was a little hit and miss I.e. pre dinner drinks arrived at the same time as the meal, long gaps between visits from waiters and had to go to the desk to pay. The food looked great and very nice portions but veg was a little cold under the meat.
James Newby . 2025-01-20
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Pros: Comfy bed and pillows. Great location. Beautiful building. Warm welcome on arrival. Good breakfast selection. Cons: 10am check-out time seems stingy considering you can't check-in until 4pm. Bathroom lock didn't work. No bottled water in room (hope the bathroom tap water is drinkable!) Mouldy shower seal and heavy calcium build-up on and around shower. Also had to fiddle with the water pressure for a very long time to get hot water to come out the shower. Very loose toilet seat. Getting our order taken at breakfast took a while as only one waitress and manager had his head in his phone.
Kara Joseph . 2025-01-20
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It’s a friendly atmosphere and food is of a good quality. We had Sunday lunch - party of 4people but we all said the food was not hot enough.
Pam Keyte . 2025-01-17
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We went twice over the festive period the first time 28th Dec, and we were sat opposite the kitchen, the door was open so we could see everything. A couple came in with a dog ( nothing against dogs!!) sat in between us and the kitchen. We had our meal served, and it was lovely, but as we were eating it, the chef or one of the chefs came out and fed the dog sausages!! We never saw him sanitise when he went back into the kitchen!!! The second time, the wait was ridiculous even the waitress came and apologised for the delay. Once the food arrived, it was warm, not as hot as you would expect, because we were that hungry after the wait we just ate it and left. My problem is they put a service charge onto the bill (10%), and given the choice, I wouldn't have given this because that service was non-existent and normally I tip very well for good service 👍
Chris McCann . 2025-01-13
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We made a last minute decision to have a night away and the Cross Keys Hotel, Saffron Walden was able to provide. The period room was everything we had hoped for with shutters on windows, a ceiling that was wavy with age and internal timbers - to say nothing of views out onto the High Street and Kings Street from the first floor. Chef Roger provided excellent vegetarian, gluten free food and we had both breakfast and evening meal. A delightful stay. Many thanks, staff of the Cross Keys.
Daves Freeserve . 2025-01-12
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An evening meal. The pub is beautiful from the outside and inside and perfect place to hide from the icy cold in early January. We had loaded potatoes which I’d recommend before steak and ale pie and the steak for mains - both very tasty. The two chaps who dealt with us were very welcoming and polite, overall very good experience. The non alcoholic options were good too.
Stephen Symonds . 2025-01-07
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Terribly slow service. We waited three quarters of an hour for our food to arrive and my lunch was cold. The food is generally good but the wait is frustrating, especially when a service charge is added to the bill and although optional, it’s uncomfortable to refuse to pay it. This is not a one-off. The ambience and building are very good but the service is consistently poor.
Cheryl Mynott . 2025-01-05
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So disappointed in our visit. We braved the crowds and visited the market on a Saturday afternoon. The pub looked warm and welcoming on a very cold day. We were ushered to the bar when we first got there while a table was made ready for us. Only waited 10 minutes which was great. Ordered some bread and olives which took 20 minutes to arrive …. We should have taken more notice of the timing!!! After an hour of waiting for our lunch (a chicken wrap and a roast beef sandwich) we asked for the bill and for our order to be cancelled. The waitress apologised and offered us our sandwiches free of charge but quite frankly we’d had enough of waiting. Won’t bother going back but if you want to wait ages for food, it might suit you. All the gear and no idea springs to mind!!!
Jo B . 2025-01-04
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Christmas Day lunch: The table was decorated beautifully and the food was delicious and the presentation was appealing. Service was a little slow but , having said that, the restaurant was exceptionally busy and our waiter was very attentive. A lovely venue to enjoy Christmas lunch with family.
Gilly Bamber . 2025-01-04
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Superb chef, the tempura haddock was amazing and he happily stir fried some delicious veg so I could have mine without chips. Great service too, thank you!
saffron walden regular . 2025-01-02
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Big Thankyou to Wendy & all the staff at cross keys hotel for letting us host my Mother-in-laws 80th birthday. They were great!! They made us feel welcome and they helped making the night run smoothly!! Food, service was great!! Thanks again!
Michele King . 2024-12-31
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Did not stay at the hotel, but had Christmas lunch. Service was terrible. Unfortunately the restaurant was short staffed on Christmas day which led us to have very poor service. The manager was useless and not up to the job, just buried his head in the sand. There was a young lad waiter who also was not coping and had a bad attitude and was rude. There was one good waitress called Laura who was very good and did her best in a tough situation. We stood for 15 mins inside the door before someone even acknowledged us and we had my 2 elderly parents ( one with a walking stick) . Once we sat down at the table we waited 20 mins and no offer of drinks so we had to chase. Our starters came after 35 mins which was fine, but still had no drinks ! ( We had pre ordered our food as it was Christmas day). We had to chase again for our drinks! We had finished our starters before the first drinks arrived! Food was ok though. We had to chase for our desserts , then they bought out 2 desserts, but we had to chase for the other 2 which took them another 20 mins and they bought out the wrong desserts ! so had to send them back and waited again! Fortunately the food was good, although the roast potatoes were more like boiled potatoes, which was a shame particularly as roast potatoes are important to your roast on Christmas day. Luckily we did have one waitress who was trying to hold it all together called Laura, and if it wasn't for Laura I am not sure we would have stayed, but on Christmas day you are limited to what your next option would be....will not be back.
Emma Smith . 2024-12-30
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This was our festive Boxing Day meal, 12 of us managing to gather together for the first time in a year. As a result we did enjoy ourselves, but sadly there were disappointments. Whilst staff were extremely friendly, each of the three courses were extremely slow in being served. The food was of good quality and tasty, but most of the main courses were no better than luke warm. When the bill was presented, each dish was individually priced instead of showing the festive menu fixed prices, and it was only subsequently that as a result I found that the total price paid for the pre booked meals exceeded the original charge shown on the booking confirmation. Overall, a disappointment, but great staff and a great venue.
tony butler . 2024-12-29
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The food and service was brilliant could not fault it. All the staff were so friendly and the food was AMAZING. It was my Birthday and they made it very special for me and my family.
Tania Russell . 2024-12-29
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Ate in the restaurant. Very good. Service was good. Not stay at hotel so rest of questions not relevant
Simon Brown . 2024-12-28
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nice setting, friendly service, nice people but the slowness and need for continual reminders never fails to disappoint
I G . 2024-12-27
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Lovely stay in the centre of town. Enjoyed a festive Xmas meal which was excellent and two good breakfasts. Our room was very good and staff friendly with good service.
ALLAN SMELT . 2024-12-26
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Happy on all fronts. Efficient and friendly service. Fish & chips just right on this visit. Same for coffee/cake last week. Dog friendly, with treats on offer. Highly recommended.
Heather . 2024-12-20
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My friend and I meet here regularly as it’s half way between us both from Kent and Leicester. Had a great breakfast as always! Always made to feel welcome! My dog was welcomed too and given lots of doggie biscuits!
Jacqueline Saunders . 2024-12-19
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We called in for Sunday lunch and had a main course each. We followed that with coffee and a cake in the coffee bar. We were served by friendly staff and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere.
Vic Fox . 2024-12-16
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Lovely meal, good service. Some items not available but not a problem, thank you
Jacqui Cardy . 2024-12-12
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my partner and i used to absolutely love coming to this place, we had been coming at least twice a month for the last almost two years. for our last two visits, the service has been incredibly slow even if it wasn’t busy, taking on average 30 minutes to be served, and our starters have been coming out before our drinks. we both work in hospitality so understand things happen completely, but it’s been a little frustrating. when we went to eat last night, we were one of 3 other tables seated. it took a good few minutes for us to be seen and seated, 15 minutes for our order to be taken and then 30 minutes for our drinks to arrive. when they did, the size of my partners drink was wrong and there was a big red lipstick mark on the rim of the glass. we called the waiter back over and showed him; he looked all around the glass and couldn’t seem to see it, and then said “i’m assuming you’re going to want a new glass”. he took it away and returned a few seconds later with the same glass that had clearly just been wiped around the rim. when we got our starters, the onion rings were thin and lacking in onion. we could also audibly hear the kitchen from where we were sitting. Granted, the table was opposite the opening to the kitchen, but we could hear the kitchen complaining about what we had just ordered. when the mains eventually arrived, the portion sizes were very disproportionate and some things that were advertised on the menu were missing. we asked for the bill after only eating half of our meals, and it took asking the server twice for her to bring it to us. when it came, we had been charged for the wrong size drink, and after that had been amended the optional tip was added on to the total we had to pay without an option for us to choose. We usually love it here but doubt we’ll be back :((
Roseanna Shea-Stannard . 2024-12-10
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Nice hotel the staff were great they had to work particularly hard in the restaurant as all the tables were filled and there were about 20 choir people standing and singing christmas songs which we very much enjoyed staff copped very well with that many people to look after well done. Also the food was very good and so was the breakfast. PS was was a bit bothered not having any staff on site overnight but this is not a complaint would still visit again
Debbie Bennett . 2024-12-08
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One and a half hours wait for appalling food. Shakshuka should be a Middle Eastern dish of peppers, tomatoes, and spices with an egg broken into the hot mixture. No spice or flavorings were detected. I assume that the rock hard yellow lump and the white crusty area was the egg. Served with granary bread. Really?..Hubby’s wrap was just as awful.
Longview22 . 2024-12-07
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We had a lovely evening, with choir singers in the background. No complaints. Recommend the burger :)
Michelle Thompson . 2024-12-07
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We had a delicious lunch in The Cross Keys...a venue I have always liked. Good service, warm atmosphere and excelent food.
Emma Hay . 2024-12-03
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Friendly welcoming staff. Rooms quirky and have character.
Pat Davis . 2024-12-01
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The cutlery and glasses were dirty, the service was ok. The food choices were limited and i would not go back
David Williams . 2024-11-27
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Had dinner on a Friday evening (we didn’t stay in the rooms). Food was delicious and service was great - we will definitely be returning
Maria Manzo . 2024-11-19
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We came for Sunday lunch, food was amazing but the service was a bit slow
Alison King . 2024-11-18
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We thought the pub / restaurant was lovely and the staff friendly and attentive. My mother in law wanted mussels and fries but being Sunday the waiting staff didn't think they were available. She came back to say the chef could make them for her. Our only disappointment was the dessert. The creme brûlée didn't have much taste and the crumble was a bit mushy. But all in all an enjoyable Sunday lunch on a wet afternoon.
Angela Smith . 2024-11-18
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Staff terrible - rude, do not listen to orders and do not follow up. Waited over an hour for food and 4/6 orders wrong
Daniel beardon . 2024-11-17
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We stayed at the Cross Keys in Nov 2024, the restaurant was lovely, and the food was great. But the room was cold and very noisy. I took my husband for an overnight stay for his birthday, but we hardly slept all night due to the noise from the main road. Unfortunately, the room we stayed in was located at the front of the property and really needs double glazing installed, I would have got more sleep, sleeping in my car on the hard shoulder of the M25. The service also lacked, I had to ask for dessert, as the manager (who also kept singing all the way through service) was to busy looking on her laptop, arranging staff shifts for the following week. We were also told that the bar was closing early, around 20.15pm, I would assume to lack of punters drinking in the bar. I can't fault the food though this was very good, and we really enjoyed it, but the room well, this really lacked and needs to be used as storage only due to the road noise. Sorry but we won't be back.
Gemma B . 2024-11-11
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I paid £22.95 for a plate of food that was worth £10! I had 2 bits of tender stem broccoli and about 5 small potatoes that left a taste in my mouth. When the meal was finished the staff kept walking past for 20 minutes and didn’t even clear our plates, we had to find a member of staff to get our bill. One good thing was the tea is nice
Amanda s . 2024-11-06
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Just went there for food, which was not great. Went for burger in which the bun was burnt like charcoal and the beef patty had bone fragments in it which I was lucky not to break my teath on. Still, they did knock 25% off the bill. It's a shame, as we have been wanting to go for some time.
robert sym . 2024-11-05
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We came for a meal but waited so long to be served that we left. The couple dining next to us said that their food was cold.
Jackie Biggs . 2024-11-03
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Lovely pub,great atmosphere and sevice was good.polite staff. I wish I could say something positive about the food as well. My sunday roast was swimming in gravy, Yorkshire pudding was soggy and flat as pancake. Burger buns were burnt. My husband found bone pieces in the burger. They did reduce the bill though. When we got home, he was ill with stomach pains/sickness.
Arzu Ercn . 2024-11-03
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I have given rooms only two stars as our room was not that great. This was my fault though, as I booked through Booking.Com and had the cheapest room. Next time we stay at the Cross Keys we will book a better room through their own website and I would advise anyone staying there to do the same. The service we received during our stay was excellent and all the staff we met were really friendly and very efficient. The evening meal and breakfast were also first class. The location is as good as you can get, right in the middle of Saffron Walden. The hotel has no parking, but Swan Meadow public parking is only four or five minutes walk away and at £4.70 for the day is very reasonable. I would advise using the MiPermit parking app to pay for parking, as it can be used from your room and will save an early morning walk to pay for the coming day. We will certainly stay at the Cross Keys again, though in a more upmarket room.
lorraine white . 2024-11-01
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Sunday afternoon. No Sunday steak left. Clearly understaffed. We were four at the table and two of us got our food in normal time. Number three about ten minutes later and number four when we other three had finished our meals. No excuses or apologies.
Erik J . 2024-10-30
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Poor service in the restaurant at lunch time. After well over an hour waiting we gave up the will to live and left.
Steve The Techy . 2024-10-30
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Great stay, staff very welcoming and the room was cosy and to a good standard. There was live music and the Sunday roast was very tasty. Good atmosphere and very relaxing. Breakfast was served up to 11am and very filling. All in all a good stay.
Kem . 2024-10-29
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Good service, Food good, Drinks far too expensive
David Mead . 2024-10-25
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Excellent, friendly staff who were all super-helpful. Lovely old building with lots of character. Right in the centre of Saffron Walden which is very quaint old town. Free parking on street overnight and car parks close by. We stayed on a Monday evening. Last orders were called at 21.30 and bar/restaurant closed at 22.00. Rooms were excellent BUT no heating on in the evening until 23.00!! My colleague feels the cold and had to borrow a fan heater from the bar. Breakfast is advertised as available from 07.00 but that is when the staff arrive so we were waiting outside until 07.15 to get into the restaurant. Evening meal and breakfast were both very good. Reasonable value for money overall given the location. Again I must emphasise that the staff who were on duty during our stay were excellent.
Simon Ward . 2024-10-23
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A nice enough place, and our lunch was uneven but pretty good. Because it was Sunday, we each had a roast. My wife was very happy with the beef, and our guest enjoyed his half chicken. My pork loin, though, was overcooked and the roast vegetables were mushy. The sticky toffee pudding was the best we have had of three tastings, but the fruit crisp was made with canned vegetables and incurred a thirty minute delay for some reason. Service was friendly but very slow. The noise level (mostly little children screaming) was deafening.
WMSME . 2024-10-14
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Whilst the menu isn't huge the food was tasty and reasonably priced. Have to say the service was great too.
Nicola Hawkins . 2024-10-05
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My partner and I stayed here last year and loved the place, so decided to rebook it again. Unfortunately, after staying this time we were extremely disappointed that it didn't live up to the standards of our previous stay. The room we stayed in (room 8) was advertised as a Deluxe King room, but unfortunately is much smaller than the Deluxe King room we stayed in last year, so much so that it feels quite unfair to charge the same price for both. The room itself was cold, and the aircon/heater unit had been deactivated. Also, the bedding from the previous night had been left on the floor, so had to be collected by the staff member upon entry. On the plus side, the bed was soft and comfortable, and the room was clean and nicely presented. We booked a meal in the restaurant, and was disappointed to see that there was only 1 chef working and 2 inattentive staff members serving the tables. This meant that despite the restaurant being basically empty, the food took a long time to come. My partner ordered the calf's liver, which was served as a big slab, and had not been prepared correctly so was full of tubes. It was cooked well, but unfortunately was practically inedible. I ordered the Pie of the day, which to be fair was delicious, but the seasonal veg left a little to be desired. The young female staff member who served us was very pleasant, however the young male who was also serving had no interpersonal skills whatsoever. Breakfast in the morning was very nicely prepared, although once again even though the restaurant was basically empty, the service was incredibly slow. That being said, there was only 1 person serving tables. Out of all of the staff members we dealt with, he seemed to be the only competent one, being very friendly and polite. However, as the people on the other tables were leaving, the staff were happy to leave their dirty plates etc on the tables instead of clearing them away. I assume they all got cleared at the end of the breakfast service, but it's not nice to sit in the middle of a row of dirty tables. It is sad to see somewhere that we stayed and loved just a year ago be so disappointing, and so we will not rebook in the future.
Alfie Noller . 2024-10-05
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Real great traditional fish chips. Pint of Genius Stout. Meal came with nice home fries, with pea chutney. Desert strawberry ice cream.
Paul L . 2024-09-11
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Beautiful place with lots of character, excellent food and service! will definitely return.
Sharon Liggitt . 2024-09-09
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Had an enjoyable dinner in the restaurant with my daughter. The pork belly skewer and the fish & chips from the prix fixe menu were tasty and well-presented (I heard they have a new chef who has just started). The service was excellent.
Paula Loh . 2024-09-06
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Stayed here for one night and experienced mixed levels of service. First of all it’s a lovely old historic building in a central location. Because it’s listed there is no double glazing or air con so if you get a room located facing the road you will definitely hear road traffic especially if you have to open the windows. I didn’t eat in the restaurant for dinner but received a warm welcome from the bar staff and my room was nice and clean with a good shower so no probs there. My main concern was the lack of service whilst waiting for a table at breakfast. There was a member of staff who was responsible for breakfast and checking out but was working on her laptop and basically ignored me for 5 minutes despite knowing I was waiting and even when a member of the cleaning staff advised her that I was waiting she still didn’t respond until I actually had to walk over to where she was sitting. The main reason for my average rating. But once she had got up away from her laptop she was very friendly and efficient afterwards so not sure what was going on previously. And full English was very good. The only downside was that there were no fruit juices available. So overall, a very mixed experience.
JeffB_11 . 2024-09-05
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Perfect location, great breakfast, pleasant and accommodating staff. Hotel is a quaint pub and rooms are clean, beds comfortable. Bathroom was a bit dated and no shower curtain which made taking a shower in the tub a bit of a crouching affair. Also check out is an early 10am (strange because breakfast it until 11am) which makes it a bit of a rush in the morning.
Peter Roe . 2024-09-05
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Dropped in for a drink with a view to having lunch. It was very busy, we were shown to a table and then completely forgotten. Got drinks from the bar and needless to say didn't have food
Sue Scrivener . 2024-09-03
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Disappointed that the bar closed at 9.00pm and was only offered a drink to take to my room as I was walking out the door
Graham Jones . 2024-09-03
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The staff were nice but we had to wait almost half hour for our drinks - which they got wrong on several occasions. I understand we weren't charged for these however. We were also disappointed that there was not a more reasonably priced sparkling wine. If the staff had not been so friendly and the food hadn't been so nice, I would have marked it down to a two or a three.
David O'Brien . 2024-09-02
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Great stay. A real character hotel with lots of quirky features. We stayed in room 1 it was very clean and had all the toiletries and tea,coffe,hot chocolate and biscuits you would want. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. The evening meal was very good and excellent portions. Breakfast was included and there was everything you could wish for on the menu both continental and cooked. We will definitely be back. L
IanM . 2024-09-01
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Got charged £15 for 2 coffees and a small bit if flapjack. Queried it and eventually they grudgingly said they would refund £4 They weren't very apologetic and we just checked our credit card statement- instead of a part refund, it appears the £4 has been added on! So, roughly £20 for 2 coffees and 1 tiny finger if flapjack.🤨
Hilary Young . 2024-08-31
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Slow service, warm wine, cold food & a steak that was inedible. Should have read the reviews. Only 2 staff working and think it was probably the young guys first night. Won’t be returning.
Gayle Baker . 2024-08-31
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I didn’t stay overnight so unable to comment on the rooms. We had lunch which was lovely. A good choice on the menu and the food was nicely presented and delicious. Service was good and the staff were friendly. This wasn’t my first visit but the service and food has always been good. Definitely recommend
Liz Grimwood . 2024-08-29
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I had the baby back ribs and they were pretty good and very tasty. The portion sizes were mediocre for the price. The staff were very friendly. P.s: Don’t order the ginger beer, it is old Jamaica which is the worst one.
Päjämä . 2024-08-24
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Mens toilets in a very bad way upstairs . The smell was horrendous, I've drank in some bad boozers, but this one takes the biscuit for worst smelling. Food was OK, but to go to the toilet afterwards was not pleasant and made me feel ill. Plunger by the toilet and a urinal masked off. We were going to come back for Sunday lunch, but no thanks. Hope the kitchen is taken more seriously. I would expect better from a hotel.
mark bridger . 2024-08-24
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Oh dear! Peas soup was tasteless and so heavy. Prawns in brioche bun were tasteless with tooo much batter. £10 glass of wine lacked body and was sour.
Tourist66897746090 . 2024-08-23
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1131 Opinions
We stayed here recently from the 2nd-5th May and we just wanted to take the time to say how impressed we were with everything. The staff were so friendly, welcoming and helpful. The breakfasts had such an excellent selection, we especially enjoyed the fresh fruit and yoghurt. But the dinners were fantastic too. We ate on the Friday when we arrived, the vegetarian pie was particularly good, and came back early for a roast on the Sunday which we really enjoyed also. The room was absolutely spotless, even inside the cupboards and draws. It was so lovely to open draws to put stuff in and not find dust inside as I often do staying other places. So thank you to the room staff. Thank you to all the staff at The Swan for making our stay so wonderful.
328 Opinions
The good wasn't great, the burgers were overcooked, and the chips were far too salty for us to eat. We had to ask to order, and throughout the meal, we weren't asked if we wanted more drinks, nor was we asked if everything was okay, until the end of the meal.
303 Opinions
Clean and tidy. Warm welcome. Good food and drink menu. Sadly we were kept awake till 4 am with music 🎶 coming from above. The sink in the en-suite did not have a plug
636 Opinions
As soon as we entered the pizzeria, Andrea welcomed us. He explained the specials of the day and how the dough is light and easily digestible made by Chef Aldo The pizzas were amazing, soft and crunchy and the toppings exceptional. We will come back to try other pizzas and much more. You can feel the passion of Aldo in every bite and thats a big plus for me. One of the best pizzerias in Essex for sure 😁🍕
54 Opinions
We came here for my birthday this year based on the menu we saw online and the fact that we’d come here last year and always meant to make it back. I called earlier in the day to check regarding children’s menu and a gluten free menu and was told not to worry as all food is made fresh and there was usually as a minimum a burger and fish a chips that fulfilled this. I enquired whether I had to make a booking for this afternoon and was told to just come down. How I wish We didn’t bother and chose somewhere Else. We were the only ones in the restaurant when we arrived and for a fair duration after, and was told that even though they opened at 5 they wouldn’t take a food order until 6pm. Which is of course fine, so we had ample time to prepare our order and was ready to order as soon as they were ready to take it! We the proceeded to wait 55 minutes before even a peek of food turned up and only because we had asked how long it would be after 45 minutes and again after nearly an hour. When the food came it was luke warm at best, so cold for other diners that it got sent back for a quick dunk back in some oil. Fish was so bland and watery, and the peas came in their own little bowl of water which was nice, nearly as nice as the 4 hairs that we found across the meals, naturally half way through the meal but we darent send anything back with 4 starving children and a very strong Will to get the hell out of there. Please- save yourself the pain of this place and go somewhere Else.