The Jolly Sailor in Maldon - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Tried to book over-the-phone, put phone down on my call twice then didn't pick up. Visited to book in person, told 'No' in a very abrupt manner. Clearly not bothered about returning custom. Staff seemed slightly embarrassed by the manager/owner's style of customer relations. Shame I won't be returning as the food is reasonable and the bar staff are lovely.

Came last week and enjoyed the Moules Marinere so much we came back again! Great food, service and cosy atmosphere! We’ll be back👍

We had a lovely meal with fantastic service from amazing staff. Grant and Sam looked after us so well. Fantastic choice of drinks and super atmosphere

Once again faultless service and an excellent seasonal choice. We ate from the main menu, specials and little sailor children’s menu. All served swiftly and freshly cooked. To entertain the children a bag of tic tac toe was produced which amused the 3 and 6 year olds. The local selection of beers was an added bonus and clean plates said it all…. We will return

Beer excellent. Food excellent. Staff excellent. And not pricey. Recommend.

The jolly Sailor is now our new local as we recently moved into the village.Viki and Samantha have made us feel so welcome. We are gradually working our way through the menu trying different dishes the food is always excellent. Lovely and very reasonably priced food, fantastic atmosphere,all staff are friendly, professional and the pub is always finding ways of hosting different events.Anyone that visits Heybridge Basin should make sure that they pop into the Jolly.

We called in as we were in the area and having had a very good meal there before, we felt confident we would have a similar experience. In fact this time the food was even better. Prawn cocktail starters were lovely, The cod and chips was a very decent size and cooked perfectly, the ham egg and chips was also a very adequate portion. The deserts were very moreish with enough variety to choose from without being over whelmed. Staff were polite, efficient and friendly and not in the slightest bit pushy despite the potential busy dinner service time. Very fairly priced and clean and tidy throughout the building. We would not hesitate in returning and hope to do so again soon. Thank you Victoria for our experience at the jolly sailor. And say hello to Eddie the dog for us.

Terrible food, all frozen and even worse service, miserable. Would not go back there again!

Considering the high price of the food at this restaurant I expected far better service. The staff all seemed miserable despite us arriving early in the day and we overheard several staff members gossiping about customers who were still in the restaurant at the time. The food was nice but did not seem to the quality of which we were paying, and one of our party ordered a vegetarian option which, when it arrived, clearly had bacon mixed in. When asked about it we were told it was vegetarian before later being told that we were right and it was bacon. When it came time to pay there was a very grumpy looking lady at the bar adding tip onto the final bill without even asking us first. Honestly disgraceful and I would recommend anybody looking to eat here look elsewhere. Maldon and Heybridge have so many amazing places to dine out, but this is not one of them.

Despite being told good reviews from others, this in fact was not true for my experience. When booking the table with the pub, the staff who answered the phone were rude and very rushed. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt knowing it was a busy place. Sadly my experience on the day was similar, was greeted by staff who didn’t seem to care and was just pointed to where we were supposed to be seated. Despite portions and food being generally nice, my vegetarian family member was given bacon in her order that was clearly not supposed to have bacon, as advertised on menu as a vegetarian option. Staff then told her she was wrong and was given the right order. We resorted to showing another staff member that the order clearly had bacon in. No formal apology given. The food is quite highly priced so rounding to a total of significance anyway but to then be without consent a 10% charge was added to each bill. As we left my family member sadly had to be witness to the staff gossiping about us within the restaurant and other customers. Absolutely disgusting! There are many lovely restaurants in maldon and Heybridge I would much rather have chosen and regret not doing so.

Excellent food, I gave it 4 stars because the swede was cut like carrots and not mashed. Fantastic staff, lovely atmosphere 😀

Our first time visiting this lovely old pub. Staff were really friendly and welcoming. Food was served promptly and was really good.

Friendly service and nice atmosphere.

I stopped by with my folks for a sunny Sunday lunch on one of the tables out front, and while still perfectly polite, the staff seemed a bit stressed. My nut roast was decent enough, but it leaned heavily on a generous dousing of gravy for moisture and taste. I really enjoyed the roast potatoes and Yorkshire, but the overall dish just lacked the flavour to rate it any higher.

Long wait for food and hardly edible once it did arrive . Fish was swimming in water under the batter that was very brown outside and undercooked inside . Spoke to staff who declared fish was fresh ! Quite clearly was frozen and did not offer any reduction in price of meal although we clearly stated it was not acceptable . Would not recommend this place to eat

Very nice, good food, service very friendly will certainly go back. Well done.

Parked in pub car park went in to buy a drink signed car in on screen brought a drink bar person offered me my drink in bottle or glass I chose bottle took it outside and sat on bench as I was waiting for my husband to join me lady came walking round past me with her dog spoke to someone who answered she said no that lady to my back didn’t even have the politeness to approach me to my face told me I couldn’t park in the carpark I said do you have to eat here then of which we probably would have when my husband arrived told her I have purchased a drink of which she replied I’m sorry took my money quick enough I left but certainly did not feel welcome bar lady was nice though chose this pub because my sister worked there years ago for a long time and have used it before, now i’ll choose somewhere else 🫤

The owner is very rude gave my child a weird Death Stare just for picking up a bag of crisps.the food was undercooked and they have the worst service possible traveled 10 hours for a terrible experience. Wouldn’t recommend

Hadn't booked on a Satursay and it was fully booked so the sun was out so had our scrumptious fish and chops outside... very good.

I really enjoyed my moules mariniere, would thoroughly recommend this restaurant.

I used it for the first time with my Cycling group and we are happy to return with more members in tow.

Great place good food friendly service clean 👌 as a whistle, yes definitely got my vote 🗳 👍

Received a warm welcome as we entered. The food was fantastic and the service was spot on. Thank.you. Tim.

Great location we has a lovely Sunday roast here good value lovely pub and it has a carpark

Lovely place, great food, friendly staff. Dog-friendly. Def recommend this place 😍

Really well looked after by staff in a lovely clean pub. Ignore the pub nearby with river views and come to this one!

Delicious food,they were busy but managed to squeeze us in for a quick meal. Would definitely visit again

Have visited the jolly sailor on several occasions and have to say I’m surprised they have any locals due to the landlady’s attitude!! She just sits there with a miserable face on and doesn’t make you feel welcome at all. The lady on the bar was lovely not sure of her name Also food wasn’t great

Came here for a family pre Christmas lunch. Lovely pub in a great location. Enjoyed my lunch of moules mariniere followed cherry pie. Worth a visit!

I have been craving having muscles again for some time, and this place hit the nail on the head. The only reason for taking a star off, was the quarter lemon left at the bottom in the sauce. I would of preffered the lemon on the side, so I could add as much or as little as I wanted to my liking. Now! I was pretty hungry so I ate my food quite rapidly and probably not in the most lady like way. So I managed to uncover the lemon quite quickly, so it didn't completely take over the sauces flavour although it still made it more sour than I would of liked. Had I been a slower eater I think it may have ruined the sauce completely. I also came over the pips that had come out of the lemon so that wasn't nice either, no one enjoys eating lemon pips. Would I go and have it again? Yes I would and I would just ask for the lemon to be on the side. As for my main I had sausages and mash which I've also been having a hankering for too. It was delicious and filling and safe to say by end I was officially in a food comma. I went with a friend on a Friday evening after a sunset stroll my dogs. One of my dogs is reactive and nervous of dogs. So we were placed around a corner and managed to get in and out without any issues. For whatever reason the staff chose to put is in the corner, I appreciate being set out of sight, as it kept mine calm and enabled me to reinforce this whilst not irritating other people. It's a snug little pub, the staff are nice and the locals that go in were more than happy to give my dogs some attention. It's always a fear of mine, although they are well behaved, the reactivity of one of them may cause eateries to turn me away. My dogs were settled and went to sleep, my friend and I enjoyed our meal. The pub has such a snug and warmth to it, I don't find you get in all places. It's placed in fantastic location, easy to find and get to and reasonably priced for a nice meal.

had better food for much less 5 pound for a pint of shandy is too dear i think food was ok but would not go again

Lovely family lunch for 10 of us on a Sunday. Very accommodating for the kids and everyone really enjoyed their Sunday roast. Service from Angelina and Sam was 10/10 and we will definitely be back⭐️

The staff said they was full when nobody was in the restaurant then she sat us in the corner on a tiny table when there was a full restaurant of tables to sit on what was empty but she insisted they was booked, we asked to move and it seemed to be a big problem we eat the dinner and one group of 6 showed up we was really disatisfied

Had been for a walk along the Navigation and called in for a late Sunday lunch. Able to accommodate a table for 4. Drinks arrived quickly and food order taken. Food took quite a while to arrive. Fish and chips was huge but my 13 yo managed to finish it. Chicken burger and chips enjoyed by my 16yo. 2 of us had beef roast. Good selection of veg but most if it was only luke warm. Beef was a little chewy and didn't have much flavour. Roast potatoes were great though. Paid extra for cauliflower cheese which was enough to share between 2 and was really tasty. Apple crumble and custard was OK. Custard only luke warm and apple was a tad watery. Steam pudding was good according to my 16 yo. 13 yo had chocolate cheesecake and struggled to finish it.

I love The Jolly Sailor, especially their delicious crab sandwiches. However, my enjoyment of my sandwich was spoilt today. Halfway through eating it the owner shouted over to us "just to let you know crab sandwiches weren't on the menu that crab was for my lunch". No she wasn't joking, she was deadly serious. I cannot believe the proprietor would speak to her customers like that.

Nice location,food was great and well priced

We arrived here as a result of a postcode error, aiming for the Jolly Sailor on the Hythe, Maldon, but we were glad to visit. The food was delicious and the staff friendly and helpful. One of the best crab sandwiches I have ever had! Afterwards we had a lovely walk across the attractive lock to the stunning estuary beyond and along the banks.

Lovely friendly local pub superb location Delicious and tasty food and reasonably priced will visit again

Very friendly staff, efficient service. Really nice food at good prices. Nice area for a walk and to stop off for a drink and some food. Will definitely return!

Very good , always is , great service 👍

Lovely place. Friendly staff. Great choice of beer. Brilliant views.

Great for a pint (if you can get served) but don't bother eating there. Very average for dishes that are pricey.

Myself and my husband visited The Jolly Sailor as we had never visited Heybridge Basin which is where this place is situated. We are so glad that we chose here to eat ! We were shown to our table which i would imagine at certain times would need booking as it gets very busy. Its such a nice plate to eat, big scrubbed wooden tables, tartan seats, a lovely fireplace with lanterns and local artwork on the walls which can be purchased. The lady serving us was lovely and welcoming. I chose cod, chips and mushy peas and husband chose Aberdeen Angus burger with chips. Well my portion was huge ! The cod was one of the best i have ever tasted and not one bone. It was perfect. And the chips were delicious too as was the mushy peas. I tried some of my husbands burger and it was delicious ! Think i will have it next time we are down that way. We left feeling full up to the brim and very pleased at finding this little gem of a pub that serves top class food.

Great pit stop on the way walking around the sea wall

Food was excellent as usual. We have visited in the past and been struck by the friendly waitress service in the back courtyard. On our last visit we had to order at the bar with our table number and pay upfront, which is no big deal. Apparently all garden orders are not a full waitress service now. There was a massive bottle neck at the entrance to the pub because of this. Saturday night and only one person taking orders for drinks and food? No one checked to see if we were happy with our food. Only to take our plates away. No attempt at asking if we wanted any further food or drinks, having said that it was obviously up to us to return to the bar area to obtain menus and purchase further drinks. Can’t help feeling that they are missing a trick in sales terms. Although the seafood platter and mussels very excellent we left disappointed, compared with previous visits.

Fantastic, food was fine and the service is good

Had lunch here recently and wasn't disappointed. Very friendly staff. Good menu to choose from. Food freshly cooked and well presented. Good portion size and value. Another place to return to. September 2023 stopped here just for drinks having previously visited for a meal.. Was shocked when charged £19 for 2 large glasses of white wine. I know pubs need to make a profit but that to me seems a bit extreme. For an extra £1.88p I could have had 2 full bottles of wine at Wetherspoons. Little wonder pubs are closing when prices like this are being charged.

Only thing going for this place is location. Better off popping into the Lock or the Queens

Great for chilling outside with ice 🧊 cool 😎 cider on a hot day. Didn't try the food.

Very helpful staff. Went with my mum who has to use a walker, they couldn't have been more accommodating.

Great pub in great location. We will be back :)

We came along to an amazing Event this Sunday with The Soul brothers and was absolutely fantastic! Great music ! Great Food and amazing Service ! We love coming to The jolly sailor

Very nice food, great service, happy staff, location could not have been better will go again.

Great friendly pub by the water. Food was lovely, nice selection of beers. Pudding was my favourite part of the meal. Staff are amazing, even gave me advice on where to walk to take photos as they saw I had a camera. Will be returning soon.

Aussie cow with the big belly and face like it’s been hit by a train was barking orders at the staff in a way that no employee should ever have to put up with then she was rude to me and my girlfriend and even gave us orders so we left. Fully ruined my Sunday afternoon.

The place was lovely and picturesque and the food was fantastic!Only downside was the amount of wasps need more wasp traps around,but our visit was lovely and the staff were so accommodating when we needed to move to a different table.Will definitely visit again.

Nice meal Nice place to eat will come again

I'm a reasonably regular customer and I enjoy going here with my family. The food is good and the service is also very good. On my last visit, I was most upset that upon advising the bar staff that my Lager was not good that one of the young ladies advised me that the Lager was meant to be cloudy and was fine. She is a kid, I'm a regular lager drinker!! She declined to taste the drink. This left a sour taste in my mouth! I was not requesting a refund simply giving advice. I ordered an alternative lager which was fine.

Great location, lovely outdoor area great food

Charming place, very calming atmosphere. Right next to the sea wall. Perfect place for a meal, then, afterwards, a stroll along the sea wall, watching the boats.

Great little pub with good pub grub. Probably worth booking as it was fairly busy.

We turned up with out a booking and made the effort to find us a table . The service was excellent and my beer battered fish and chips was lush. Thanks for a lovely meal.

Really good atmosphere , the food was excellent and the service was too. Keep it up.

First time there very impressed with everything and it is pet friendly which was a bonus

Food wasn't up to much had to send the dessert back very bland and just came out of the microwave and cold inside the cherry pie food is too expensive for what your dished up very disappointed

I've visited twice on my own recently as I was working in the area. On both occasions I was greeted in a very friendly and welcoming manner. The lunch was very tasty and the service very good. Will definitely return to this lovely pub in a gorgeous setting

What a difference to go somewhere where the customers service and experience is clearly at the heart of this restaurant. We loved it here. Thank you to all the FoH staff and the kitchen too! Wake up everyone else 🙏👍

Lovely freshly cooked food. Had a really nice afternoon here with friends. I'd advise booking as its popular and dog friendly too.

Fantastic food. Very busy so recommend booking.

Had a lively lunch today. The best mussels I have had for a long time . The staff were friendly and I was pleased that they could provide gluten free chips and a lovely roll. Despite it being very busy and there being 6 if us, the food arrived very quickly . I am planning a return visit very soon.

Ate at the Jolly Sailor the other evening, ordered the scampi and chips and it was dreadful. The chips were hard and dry, the scampi undercooked and watery. The waitress didn't even ask when collecting our plates whether everything was OK, I assume she realised it wasn't as all our plates were returned mostly uneaten. Very disappointing experience, so won't be returning.

We had a lovely lunch here today. Good service, food plentiful. Only improvement id say is play music as everyones conversations can be heard. Will be back

Fish and chips are very good, friendly welcoming staff, very nice lunch we had.

Very good pub service and food great

We visit often. Enjoy the food, especially Sunday roasto. Staff are friendly and best of all they welcome dogs!

Great pub, great food & drink and great staff, what else do you need? Would thoroughly recommend.

Seafood platter and service very good. Dog friendly too.

The jolly sailor is imacultely kept. The staff go far beyond the normal level of service and with a very friendly attitude. There are several covered outside tables which are sort after in good weather. A very pleasant place to go to for quality food, drink & service.

Very jolly and friendly pub with well kept beers. Also did friendly. We did not eat here but the food looked good

Great place for a food and drink in Heybridge. Recommended.

Lovely fish and chips always gary,tracey,mabel and flo

The food is pretty average, reminds me of the 70’s. Such a lovely pub in such a beautiful location, it’s a shame the chef isn’t a little more adventurous and modern with the meal selection. Wished I took a picture for reference because it would speak a thousand words.

Very friendly, helpful staff. We had a small child in tow that humoured them as well as us. All food excellent. Mussels mariniere, scampi and Aberdeen Angus beefburger. All commented upon very favourably. Range of beers and wines also satisfied. A lovely start to a relaxing w/e. Thank you

Really enjoyed a quick roast chicken dinner today, ample serving including 4 well cooked vegetables, Yorkshire pud, stuffing balls, delicious chicken and gravy, opted for the cauliflower cheese extra side to compliment the rest of the dish. Was absolutely delicious and good value. X nice atmosphere too, lovely staff.

Excellent evening. Seafood was really fresh and delicious. Friendly helpful staff and fairly priced Will be back.

Proper English old school local feel pub, great food and location

What a gorgeous pub! We had 4 adults and 1 toddler. The meal came to a reasonable £160 considering where it's located, the fresh and locally sourced produce. Thank you so much for having us and helping us entertain our daughter with the pubs very...

Lovely pub that welcomes dogs. We had a lovely beer with a prawn baguette and cheddar chips. Service was very fast and staff were friendly and helpful.

A little nervous having read some negative reviews, but all the staff were lovely and the food was absolutely amazing, and reasonably priced. Would definitely visit again. The only negative being there were four adults and the table was very small (really only suitable for...

The food really isn’t great for the price it is. Sadly kids meal and a burger cost me £20 and felt that money was wasted on this meal. Burger had no flavour or even a homemade sauce just a slice of tomato. This is the...

£26 for 4 small bottles of coke and 4 of the smallest trays of chips I have ever seen. I’m not joking on one of the treys had 10 chips on it . I took the chips back it and said this is disgusting value...

We visited this lovely pub last week on a Groupon deal. We were totally amazed at the quality and amount of seafood. The platter was huge and so fresh. The hot platter was delicious and the mussels were also fabulous. The pub had a great...

What a lovely little pub to eat in ! Thank you so much for the lovely roast dinner yesterday. We was a family of 3 that booked and come in last minute and so pleased we did. First time eating with you and it was beautiful! Couldn’t finish it but wish I could ! The portion size for children was really good but not great for a toddler. You dont have baby sizes and we was asked if we wanted a size plate to share but was hungry ourselves so just ordered her one anyway. But I’d definitely recommend adding a baby plate to the menu. Was a lovely day and the toilets were very nice and clean to 🙏.

Friendly staff. Bloody lovely food

Really nice and cosy here, food and staff lovely, free parking for 3hours if you're a customer leaving time for a walk along the canal, which is what was needed after the Bailey's cheese cake 😊

Wew visited with a Groupon Voucher for a seafod meal. We were greeted by an a absolutely lovely waitress, who looked after us all evening, remaining bright and cheerful. We also had contact with two other members of staff, who were equally delightful. Everyone we...

We visited Maldon and picked a close by pub based on average review scores.. The food was not good at all.. Starters burnt or underwhelming. But the mains were grim.. We had two Sunday roasts, burnt Yorkshire puds, veg boiled so much it was like 1970 school diner's. My beef was definitely from a wholesaler pre prepared pre sliced.. Wife nutroast could have been used as a shell to bomb Russian positions in Ukraine My pint even tasted funny maybe lines were not cleaned properly. Youngest had ham egg chips that looked fine although expect frozen chips. My oldest had a hallumi burger but its wasn't great either. Staff were nice polite and attentive . I only write reviews for great experiences or disappointing ones the mediocre get ignored.. Hopefully reviews will encourage improvements.

Popped in for lunch after a walk round Heybridge Basin. Great food and lovely staff. Would recommend.

My wife and I have been several times before, as have our daughter and partner, and we have always thoroughly enjoyed our visits, made very special by the way we are made to feel welcome by all the staff, the excellent high quality (large portion)...

Amazing lunch. We bought a Groupon voucher for the Seafood Sharer for two and oh my goodness it was lovely…..and huge. We eventually waddled out after finishing most of it. Warmly welcomed by the staff, who were all very friendly and efficient, delightful surroundings, delicious...