The Dolphin in Braintree

This place is a little gem and it can’t be missed. We had the Caesar Seafood Platter and it was very tasty. We will return with the full family in a couple of weeks. The team is brilliant with a great chef behind.

First time at this restaurant, a little disappointed with the food, ie garlic prawns couldn’t taste garlic and the dauphinois potatoes were very dry. The serving staff were excellent,

Staff seemed confused about where to sit us, even though i booked and restaurant was empty. 3 of us had steaks which were really fatty and not rendered down, not much meat on it. Had to send them back. Recommended red wine was awful. Ran out of cocktails after only having 1 each, sadly made with pre-mix. Ladies toilets virtually in an outbuilding- freezing cold and full of cobwebs/dust.

The best sea food in the world. Location is brilliant. All staff are very friendly. Quick service. Very friendly place.

We went on a Wednesday where they do unlimited pizza for £16.50, such a good deal. And the pizzas were AMAZING!! Will definitely be back. Me and my boyfriend loved it.

As the title of this review states, simply with a dash more this establishment could be truly wonderful. We visited as a large lunch time party last weekend for our son's birthday with a mixture of friends and family. Firstly the FOH staff were wonderful, from greeting on arrival to departure, friendly & professional. The setting itself externally needs some refinement to enhance & boost the customer experience - car park, signage, gardens & fencing all require some attention to detail. Due to the size of our party we had been allocated their private dining space, which is perfect for larger parties. We were not expecting this & the setting was a nice surprise. Yet attention to detail could be improved on storage of spare furniture & the disabled loo needs some care. The food is a very strong 4/5. Locally some of the best in terms of taste & quantity. Presentation on some dishes could be ever so slightly enhanced (edible florals, fresh seasoning). Sadly the chicken risotto, needed more seasoning but could be enhanced with a dash of parmesan & thickening of the general dish. For the menu - would be good to see more sustainable stories, tied to local products etc. That being said a VERY good establishment for food. Would definitely return! Thank you so much for having us!

Best food in Braintree by far , calamari was spot on Lovely open fires and lovely staff Will be back asap

Very disappointing. Be careful if you go based on recent or older reviews for that matter and what their website states because they don't actually offer what is being advertised such as 2 for 1 cocktails which we were told they no longer offer yet this is shown not only on their website but also outside on an advertisement board. They also don't offer everything that is advertised on their website menu, quite a lot is missing on their actual in house menu, even items that are shown as NEW to their menu, which is extremely disappointing if you are a first time customer going based on what is advertised. The food is OK but quite bland, certainly nothing to support their claim of being the best restaurant in the local area.

Lovely good quality food, freshly made and served hot. Friendly staff. Fire was burning and it was warm and cosy. Will be returning to try the tapas menu in the new year!

a fabulous find, we stop here whenever we are in the area. Great atmosphere, lovely stafffabulous and a chef, who together produce delicious italian food in a classic old england style pub which is cosy and comfortable. Can honestly say they make the best risotto i’ve ever had (whichever you choose…i’ve had both) thoroughly recommend them.

I went with my family for my husband's birthday. The food was amazing, the service even better. Also the place was warm and cozy. We went with a baby and a toddler and they made room so we could all fit comfortably. I would recommend this place 120%.

The food was AMAZING, presentation and flavor 10/10. Lovely staff, I definitely will be back with my family and friends. Thank you so much.

Amazing place to spend time with your family, the food was delicious and the service was great! Thank you for a lovely lunch and for sure we will be coming back soon.

Amazing food , staff so friendly Lovely open fire , and cosy feel when you walk in Highly recommend

I use to eat here a lot before it was taken over and rebranded. Iv followed the social pages for a while and pictures looked good. Never heard any feedback at all. 1st visit, given a Sunday menu to then be given another menu that at the very top states “Friday” then Thursday under that! Buy this point iv lost track of what day I’m on. Ordered then 5 mins later told that’s not todays food but could be done but not that price & much more. So ordered other items for sake of it rather then what I wanted and put ourselves in the mood for after looking at the Thursday section! But How can you go wrong with a steak right?! It was cold although cooked correct as asked. No flavour and terrible full of gristle so for £30 was disgraceful really! Iv had better at the hungry horse and that’s saying something! What a shame, certainly won’t be returning or recommending. It was dead inside and always looks empty so I know why now. Staff seemed kind.

Firstly would like to say the staff in there are all really pleasant and helpful. Our waitress was lovely and efficient. The starters were delicious and came out quickly but the main courses were extremely poor - a pizza that seemed undercooked and was almost just dough in the middle with toppings that weren’t particularly tasty l, and a seafood dish where the fish was overdone, thrown in sauce with undercooked chorizo. They were also out of tomato ketchup which I think is inexcusable in a pub! The pub was also freezing cold and other diners complained of this multiple times. The staff were great but we were disappointed by the food and as a result would not return.

Amazing food and service. I would say the best food in the area. We went for a family celebration and used the private room. We will be retuning for sure. Our friends from abroad find the Italian dishes just like in Italy and we had...

Popped in on the off chance for a Sunday roast today. We were met with a warm and friendly welcome, service was excellent and the roast lamb with all the trimmings was absolutely delicious! Highly recommend and will be back soon.

AMAZING!! Best place ever to bring your other half! Went with my wife and had best meal in all my life! My wife just love it! Chef’s amazing!! Well deserved Rosette Award!

Went on a surprised couples night with my husband and…OMG!! Best food ever in this country! I’m Italian and never had so much good Italian food in UK since I’ve arrived! Thanks to the chef and all staff involved! Manager Fabio it’s…AMAZING!!! Thank you guys...

We ventured for the first time last night for our wedding anniversary. We were made to feel very welcome/special and the food was all fantastic! We will certainly be back.

Looking at other reviews it seems we were unlucky with our experience last week. It was the worst pub meal I have had in ages - dried up pasta with minimal sauce. When we complained we were brough a container of sauce to add! Another...

AVOID AVOID AVOID, went for a family celebration, admittedly there was a booking for 30 of us, however this was pre booked in advance. I could not belive the food that was being served. Raw cabbage being one of them. We were told that the...

Booked for a meal Saturday night. Drive past here every day so wanted to try, firstly, staff dressed way to casual (tracksuit,trainers) whole pub overall dirty needs a good clean. Food well over priced with zero flavour, majority of the meals sent back, no apology...

Was a first for us here. And we absolutely loved it. The staff were brilliant, very attentive and very friendly. Food was amazing, we had bottomless pizza, they are freshly cooked and tasted divine! We will defiantly be back. The chef made sure to come...

First impressions of the pub weren’t good with the garden needing attention weeds and long grass. On entering a nearly empty pub offering la a carte menu we placed our order , firstly on ciders on tap, first choice was tagliatelle with prawns which they...

It was my first time visiting this restaurant and I am glad I went. The service was excellent, the food was amazing and the price was great. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to friends and family.

Absolutely sensational! I ordered Calamari and tagliatelle carbonara off the specials menu and they were both divine.

Lovely welcome from the very polite and attentive staff. We all had Sunday roast, beef and lamb. The food came quite quickly, was all hot and delicious. We shared a cheesecake as we were full which was delicious. We saw some other dishes be served...

We went on a Friday evening where the delicious cocktails were 2 for 1. The service was second to none with attentive staff serving amazing food made fresh to order. They even tailored a risotto without the peas for us. We highly recommend and will...

We'd been planning on trying Caesar's for a while, why did we wait so long! Excellent, varied menu, great service. Highly recommended, we will definitely be back soon.

Excellent cuisine in a comfortable, friendly restaurant. A very varied menu. Today was Mother's Day lunch and all was beautifully presented. Would highly recommend.

This is a gem Excellent food, service, the veggie was so tasty and my carnivore friends said the same of the fish, risotto and pizza Cannot believe it is not busier, the locals should be flocking here

This restaurant is a little Gem my second visit and not disappointed . Amazing selection of food freshly cooked Very attentive waiter Fabio who was most helpful explaining the different dishes will be going there again soon. Can’t recommend it enough.

Very average food and wine list is poor and very limited I won’t be returning again unfortunately had a good rating on trip adviser Starters were o k main was poor and the desert was the worst

A warm welcome, Font of house good, waitress miserable. £6 supplement for Roast beef, not good, it's Sunday...! 3 roast potatoes, if you asked for more another £3 charge...! Thought because of the recommend I would be blown away, but very disappointed. Will not be...

went to the dolphin yesterday for a business lunch. Carpark was a bit empty when we arrived which did not fill me with confidence. How wrong we were. The guy who served us was great and really looked after us. Food was delicious and piping...

Great friendly service with fantastic food in a relaxed and lovely old building. It’s never disappointed and we’ve loved every meal we’ve had. Keep local independent and hard working businesses afloat. Please check this place out!

We had a brilliant dinner here with all 6 of us enjoying a wide range of tapas and superb mains. The food benefits from an Italian influence and the atmosphere is very much of an Italian family restaurant . We will return!

Visited on Thursday 29th for lunch with a party of 5 . The review title says it all. Would highly recommend .. we will be back again.. close to Freeport , so great stop for high quality lunch after or before shopping

We visited caesars @ the dolphin on 29th October for a birthday meal with friends. The service was very friendly and attentive and the food was also great. Would highly recommend! They are starting a 5 course taster menu soon so will be back to...

Start to finish perfection is the only way we could describe our first experience dining here. My wife and myself had a 3 course lunch and we were blown away. Crispy (poached) egg, with pancetta, peas and chicken velouté was a show stopping starter. I’d...

Food was great, I was on a diet so was careful choosing what I wanted, the staff were very accommodating with this. Outside front looked shabby though with lots of rubbish around and lots of overgrown weeds, a tidy up outside would look so much...

This restaurant is an hidden gem. Great food and drink. Staff that cannot do enough for you and very welcoming

First time here and won't be the last. Food was excellent.lovely and fresh. Could not fault it. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Couldn't do enough for us. Good garden area, great for drinks, and as it was hot, had dessert outside. Would recommend this...

An excellent meal for 6 family members the service was second to none The menu choice was excellent and food superb, the staffs service was superb I can’t praise this restaurant enough it was genuinely one of the best meals we have ever had thank...

My partner and I recently ate here after moving to the local area. Having driven past it many times we did not know what to expect but wow I'm so glad we decided to try it. The scotch egg starter was a high bar for...

Looking for somewhere for a quick birthday lunch we decided to pop in on our way past. Well! Super lovely staff, friendly and welcoming. Interesting menu. We had no idea what to expect and the food was delicious. Going to have to visit again and...

We are never disappointed to visit Caesars and our last outing there was amazing. Fabio and his staff are friendly warm and welcoming, and the food is delightful and good value for money. A must visit either for a cheeky pizza or full on 3...

Had a superb lunch today in wonderful relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Nicola Charlotte, front of house, is just perfect here.

Just visited as a family of four, and quite easily the best meal I've had in a long time. The welcome and service throughout was spot on. Highly recommend trying the cocktails. Will definitely be back.

Was driving past, we fancied some lunch , so we stopped on the off chance. The greeting we got on arrival was warm and welcoming. Had some tapas off the menu, we enjoyed a superb lunch and the service was excellent. We will be returning....

The food was great, the service was on point and Fabio was so attentive! The staff were lovely and made a point of checking that everything was good, that we were happy throughout the meal without being intrusive. Each table that arrived were made to...

We had lovely food and a great time over the bank holiday weekend. All of our meals and starters were fantastic. You’d never know this place was so good!

An almost hidden little gem which you can easily miss if you’re not looking. What was the dolphin on the a120 has now been rebranded as ceasars at the dolphin. The staff are super friendly, the food is great and I genuinely mean it when...

Outstanding food obviously freshly made woth freat presentation and excellent value. Thoroughly enjoyed every course, will go bsck again and again.

This place deserves to be a lot busier at lunchtime. Very nice focaccia, followed by superb sea-food linguini for me and chicken for my wife. Courteous, friendly service, Thoroughly recommend

We've been to Caesars a number of times now and not once has it disappointed. The food is fantastic, with a modern creative flair, but still with decent sized portions so you feel like you have had a proper meal. Prices are also good (considering...

My husband and I visited a couple of times over the last 6 weeks to check out the ambience, service and the quality of the food and the cleanliness of the place. We liked it so much after eating a variety of meals from the...

Once again another lovely meal. Attentive but not over the top Top quality food at reasonable prices Pictures attached show off their excellent dishes and this was just lunch

First time visiting this place with new owners today for a Sunday lunch and it did not disappoint! We were welcomed the moment we walked in, the service was excellent and the food was delicious. The dishes were beautifully presented and there was a great...

I had heard that Caesars@Dolphin had been taken over by a family concern and I wondered if any decent changes had been made since our last visit under the old owners. Wow, they had, and much to the better. I prefer supporting the small, family,...

Superb selection of courses, all of which delivered to the highest standard at a really great value and great service on top of that.

This restaurant is a must. Fantastic service, very clean and tidy. The best roast lunch I have eaten out in years. All cooked fresh and all sauces were obviously homemade on the premises. I am a very fussy diner and I could not fault this...

Second time here and lovely food and friendly service! Would throughly recommend it! Lovely to have another independent restaurant.

Great food, great service and all very reasonably priced. Nice touch to see the pizzas being made as well. A really good find and already booked for our next visit.

Great food, friendly service (thanks Fabio), pizzas are back (yay!) and delicious, other courses well presented and tasty. Burrata was lovely and soft, the scotch egg with local pork from Gt Garnetts farm was scrummy, sea bream was nicely cooked and seasoned with plenty of...

Our first visit as a Italian restaurant and we all were over the moon with the place , its varied menu , quality ingredients and good value. We all had a fantastic time and we will be walking up from the village much more often....

We were just driving past the other day at lunchtime when we stopped for a drink, thinking it was still a pub. Such a lovely surprise to find out it is now an Italian restaurant with it's own pizza ovens and authentic-tasting pasta dishes. I...

Last minute booking as fridge was bare. Fantastic meal. Friendly staff and prompt service. Kind on they pocket. Plate licking quality 😋

Had the most amazing meal last night, food was fantastic, staff were really friendly and all in a lovely setting. Will definitely be back and can’t recommend this place enough.

Although only open under new management for four days we had an excellent meal. The menu is short but sensible. We had burrata with beetroot and bruschetta. Both were delicious. Then we had mushroom risotto perfectly cooked and spaghetti carbonara. Both very good. Risotto is...

Had a fantastic lunch in the garden! Really lovely setting! Can’t wait to come back. Food was extremely fresh and tasty

We visited Caesar’s for the first time this week but most definitely won’t be the last! The food was amazing, so tasty and beautifully presented, the staff were welcoming and attentive and all in such a lovely setting. Thank you Caesar’s at Dolphin.

Excellent meal out with the family. Venue is really nice and bright, excellent service and the food was amazing too. A real gem, will definitely be returning and will even use them for takeaway pizza.

First meal out since lockdown with hubby. Best choice we made as we had a fabulous meal. Staff service very good. Very COVID conscious 👏👏👏. Now we’re going back into lockdown but we will definitely be getting takeout pizza. Thank you for a lovely evening

Went to the Dolphin for a business lunch with a colleague (which is still allowed under rules). Got a really warm welcome which was nice. Because it was fairly quiet we had plenty of space and time to chat and then a great lunch afterwards. Had pizza this time which wasn’t available last time. The pizza was fantastic and I really recommend this. Fabulous. Keep up the great work.

Hi, I will like to say a big thank you for everyone who works on this time. Really enjoyed the food, was absolutely amazing, i don't know if i can fine the same quality any where on Braintree at this time." This is my second visit at Dolphin and for sure i will be back soon. Thank you again and keep going

Great food, nice atmosphere, the service was perfect! Well done Caesar keep up the good work. The wild seabass was cooked to perfection

Had a visit during lunch time, and I can only say that I was surprised with the quality of the food and friendly service. Had a pizza and it was delicious!!! I will visit this restaurant again, for sure!

Chicken had been frozen, pasta used was dried packet, not fresh.Portion size smallIn bold letters at the bottom of the bill it says service charge not included but it definitely was!We were really looking forward to trying this new place but will not be returning.

We have just consumed an amazing meal with 4 of us selecting different dishes on all 3 courses. My favourite was the smoked duck risotto which was cooked to perfection. The service that we experienced was outstanding. Well done Ceasars

We visited for lunch on a Saturday. We hadn’t realised that this had become an Italian restaurant or we’d of visited sooner. We did pre book, although with it being a lunchtime visit we probably didn’t need to, it was extremely quiet which is how I like it at the moment! COVID guidelines were clearly being followed. My husband had meat balls for starters and I had goats cheese. Both were wonderful and just the right portion size. Main courses were haddock risotto and confit duck pizza. Again both were delicious but the pizza beat me . I did have my eye on the profiterole for dessert but there was no way I could of eaten it, maybe next time!We weren’t rushed in any way, the service was perfect. Extremely friendly and felt like our visit was valued. We will definitely be returning but maybe next time we’ll get a lift so we can sample the wine menu

What a lovely authentic Italian restaurant! I have driven past so many times and didn’t realise this had changed from a pub to a restaurant. Fresh, delicious food with great service and excellent Covid processes in place. We were asked to sign in using the NHS App and staff were all very Covid aware. A lovely find - looking forward to going back soon! My friend and I both had 3 courses and thoroughly enjoyed them all!

This was our first time since it's opened. Staff was friendly and food was ok. Was disappointed to see that the staff was not wearing any masks or visors etc. Was not happy that they were not able to distance from us when serving.

Visited today during lunch time, was ver impressed, the food was very very tasty and the staff very attentive! will be definitely be back!

Very impressed with the food tonight - the pizzas were amazing and the fish and risotto were excellent too. Service was outstanding and food was delivered promptly- will definitely go back to eat and will also use for pizza takeaway too

Had a lovely lunch with my husband today , food was freshly made , tasted amazing, cheerful, helpful staff, couldn’t fault it definitely be returning. Highly recommended!

Went to the dolphin today with my bf, we both had the pizza and a mixed salad to share. I had the vegetarian pizza and he had the Diavola pizza. My was amazing as was his both cooked in front of us as we watched. The service was very good, and we felt appreciated, nothing was too much trouble, the atmosphere was great, a few people in and although everyone was spaced out the restaurant felt alive. The price was reasonable for a lunch time meal and we have already decided to take my parents back on an evening, it’s a place that they would love to spend the evening at. What a gem of find driving back from Freeport.

Went to Caesars at The Dolphin for lunch with my father. Super friendly service, although the full pizza menu is not available for a week or so there was a pizza option on the fixed price lunch menu (which I had and it was fabulous). Calamari was freshly made and desserts were also very good, in fact we ate more than we planned to! All the staff were lovely, well spaced table outside, would definitely visit again.

I visited here today with some friends for lunch after hearing lots of good things and I was not disappointed. We were the only ones in there when we arrived so felt it lacked atmosphere but the lady serving made us feel very welcome and made up for that. The food was delicious and was even given a little complimentary dessert each with our coffees which was a lovely touch. I will definitely be back for dinner very soon. Thank you.

When The Dolphin closed we were devastated as we loved that restaurant/pub. We were so pleased to see that it was about to re-open as Caesars@TheDolphin. A bonus being that it was Italian. We looked forward to a visit as the recent reviews were skywards.Arriving we were greeted and shown to a table. Friendly young lady who explained that, unfortunately, no pizzas. We knew this as we had seen adverts for a pizza chef. Décor was minimalistic but pleasant and extremely clean. Tables well apart so we felt comfortable in this anti-covid19 bubble. Ordering drinks while we looked through the menu and they arrived reasonably promptly. We were in no rush anyway. I hate being pushed into ordering as soon as I arrive. I like to peruse as I sip. The girls here, I think, understand that and there was never any rush.There is a limited menu as is usual in this pandemic crisis and, in this case, a chef missing. But, more than adequate.When we did order we decided on Gamberoni Piccanti and then Seafood spaghetti for my partner and Herb Crusted Cod for me. With a bottle of Montepulciano. (I will say they have a nice choice of wines at reasonable prices for a restaurant). We sat back and waited. Remember, everything is cooked to order. Unlike many group type restaurants.Our prawns arrived. Quantity more than adequate for a starter and good value at the price. However, still waiting for the piccanti to kick in. Very little chilli flavour and needed a boost. My partners spaghetti, she says, was delicious and full of various seafoods. As for my cod it was cooked perfectly and, again, moist and delicious. As for the Dauphinoise potatoes, exquisite.Ice cream, shared to follow, to cleanse the palate. Unassumingly, three scoops in a bowl. I bit of artistry needed by the chef on his dishes. Maybe that will change when a second chef arrives.Ordering a coffee and an Irish coffee (I love Irish coffees) we were told that that couldn’t do an Irish as they had no cream. There’s a 24/7 Tesco around the corner and isn’t there any cream in the kitchen? So, I opted for a black coffee with a brandy. The brandy arrived in a SHOT glass. A restaurant that could be, in my view, four star (5 stars to me has to be exceptional) but it needs work on various things. Presentation of food. A better choice of glassware. I noticed that all soft drinks etc came on the usual Schweppes tall glass. For example my vodka on ice could have been in a highball type of glass and my brandy in, at least, a large wine type glass. Not a SHOT glass.Service was brilliant by the two girls and speed from the kitchen more than reasonable for a guy working on his own.Would we return. Probably yes but we will wait for things to settle, coronavirus wise. Then we will give it another try. However, I wish everyone good luck in this venture and remember #staysafe.

Sunday lunch Took my wife to the new Italian Restaurant Con Sunday, we didn’t book we just drove past and decided to give it a try. I am really glad we did, the place is gorgeous old wooden beams mixed with a new bar area, fresh and clean. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. Food was amazing, can not recommend this place enough, definitely a hidden gem and totally unexpected.

The service was polite and friendly. We were only in the area for a week and visited twice during that time. Each time we had a different meal each and they were all delicious. At the moment we were unable to sample the pizza, but were told that they would be available later in September - it's a shame we won't be able to travel 200+ miles to taste them. Our waitress, Summer, was very attentive and friendly and the atmosphere generally was warm. Happy to recommend this restaurant.

The food was amazing and the service was great. I will definitely be coming again and quite often I reckon 👍

Absolutely brilliant had a steak cooked to perfection, would recommend and will be back again very soon

Weekend treat First time we have eaten at the dolphin and we were so pleased to come across it. Got a really nice warm welcome on arrival.,The ambience inside is lovely, and we felt safe with how the tables had been placed out. I had the steak which was great and it was nice to see a chef that cooks the food how you have been asked for it to be cooked, and my partner had Spaghetti Carbonara which looked amazing and was Delicious. Overall a real pleasing experience and some were we will come back to.

The service was punctual and polite, the food was amazing, I will be coming back to this restaurant and I highly reccomend to anyone who hasn't visited yet.

Very friendly staff, great service, definitely worth a visit. Was down for business but needed space to eat alone.

Went here for our wedding anniversary, after looking at the reviews. We used to use the dolphin as a pub for years and years, always good atmosphere with good food. Well don’t know where the atmosphere has gone but there certainly wasn’t any, waitress was very nice, just felt a little rushed, no music, felt rather flat. Food what we had was just about ok certainly not the best Italian we have had, not even close. Wine expensive and it certainly wasn’t good value for the money we paid. Not even sure that the pasta was homemade, just a little tasteless. It’s a shame but we won’t be going back.