The Mighty Oak Tap Room in Maldon

We stopped here for a Sunday roast after a walk and enjoyed an excellent meal in a cosy, friendly old village pub. I'm already planning another walk in the area so we can return.

Had a lovely meal a table of 10 for my birthday food service 10 out of 10

Discovered this pub by chance a week ago when walking a local circular hike in the area. We called to see if they had a table and unfortunately they were fully booked. At the end of the hike we popped in for a drink. The pub is geared up for food mostly on Sundays, but the team were so accommodating and welcomed us to sit at the bar. The atmosphere was lovely - very traditional country pub vibes - with the staff knowing most customers by name. The team were so kind and accomodating, they even managed to squeeze us in for a Sunday Roast which we were so grateful for after our hike. Food was delicious, service was great and everyone was so friendly! We will be back!

Very nice hotel, furnished beautifully. Lovely well equipped room. Lots of nice touches. Great breakfast and friendly staff. Bar offers interesting cocktails. Restaurant was closed as it was a Monday. But there's a good I dian right next door.

I've debated whether to write this review or not over the last few weeks. Clearly, this is a small family business that is struggling and I don't want to negatively affect this business. I've never had to do this for any restaurant, but I feel it's necessary so that no one in the future is treated how I was. I walked into this cafe with two of my friends, we had come a long way to visit the area. The cafe has pleasant decor, and felt welcoming. We were given tables, and my friend had asked me to charge his phone for him. On the walls, there's multiple plug sockets but only one wasn't covered - therefore, one would assume that was the only one available. I plugged in his phone for him, not thinking I've done anything wrong. The waiter, who I assume is the owner too, came up to take our orders. He takes a look at me and asks, "Are you charging a phone?", to which I replied honestly and said "Yes". What happened next, shocked all of us really. He suddenly got furious, and spoke to me in a way which I've never been spoken to. He aggressively said "You ASK before you take OUR electricity", before adding comments about my manners etc. I was in a state of shock really, as he kept shouting at me condescendingly. Being told that I'm going there to take their electricity, felt highly derogatory. Politely, I agreed with him, hoping to defuse whatever he was doing. He hadnt finished however, and came back and told me off again. Despite this, I completely understand why he might be upset. Electricity is costly, and small businesses need to save whatever they can. This is why I've been hesitant to write this. However, I don't think there's ever a reason you speak to people that way. I had his spit flying all over our table and my face, as he told me off like he was a head teacher, making me feel extremely low and disrespected. In 90% of cafes, people go there to eat/drink/work, and charging outlets are there to keep people there working. I understand this cafe was different, but a simple explanation, instead of an aggressive attack would of sufficed. I've never had a experience quite like that, and I hope no one does too. I hope the owner of this restaurant can look at this and realize he didn't need to talk to me in that way. And in turn, thinks twice before he speaks to anyone else like that. It's not kind, and it doesn't reflect well on him or the business. Though the food was pleasant, this encounter destroyed the experience for us.