The Old Ship in Maldon

Classic waterside pub, local drinkers and simple menu. However the scampi & chips is a worthy 5/5

Went here on Friday for a wake and they had closed the pub for this occasion ... The staff were just lovely and friendly and couldn't do enough for you. The food was absolutely gorgeous and well presented. The occasion was a sad affair as we had lost someone who meant the world to us but honestly I couldn't think of a nicer place and setting to end the day. Truly amazing!!

Good old style pub nothing fancy what you see is what you get in a good location by the lock. Today we just called in for coffee.

Nice pub... staff really friendly typical pub..

The old ship was at the end of a walk and went in for some food and a drink, sat outside next to the lock and the food was quick and very very nice.

Lovely setting great food and drink

We recently ate in the pub, and wow!! I’ve eaten here before but had the fish and chips this time. The fish is the best battered fish I’ve eaten anywhere. The batter wasn’t greasy at all and the fish was beautifully thick and cooked perfection. Honestly, I’ve told everyone about it!

Very average food which is overpriced Very grubby and sticky, makes you wonder about kitchen hygiene. Avoid unless it's just a drink outside as the view is nice.

Took a drive to the Old ship as we love Haybridge but totally disappointed to be told at 4.30pm the kitchen is closed and only taking Cash which is not a problem. Ordered some drinks to sit I the sun but feel annoyed at pubs moaning they have no trade but when the sun shines surley they should make Hay. It's 25c what a waste to loose so much custome. Off to a pub that can.

Popped in for some lunch today, thoroughly enjoyed our ham, egg and chips! Would recommend and would come back again!

Nice view out over the Basin. Decent pint of ale. Seats out the side overlooking the sea lock and river. Pleasant place to stop off.

I've been coming to the old ship on and off for over 25 years, I am pleased to say nothing ever changes, the location is excellent, staff are always friendly, and the food is always good. Heres hoping I get to keep coming back for another 25yrs 😃

Fantastic setting for the pub. Had lunch yesterday outside. Was spoilt by very mediocre burger and the chips were so dry as to be unedible. Great shame.

A relaxing pint after a rewarding walk around the lake and back down the canal.

Long time since we had been there but great food, good beer and a perfect view over the harbour

Traditional pub grub, decor I'd a bit tired, but views are lovely

Nice little pub, good food, great staff all very friendly. We all had a lovely time and we will definitely be coming back 😁

Good food, would have better on a bigger plate (no more food, just less crowded). Friendly staff, quite a buzzy place for a weekday lunchtime.

We had walked past the pub many times and today decided to go in for lunch. So disappointed! Hubby had whitebait which you can really go wrong on, but I went for the mussels. Big mistake! Not sure if they had been heated up but they were very dry and the greasy cream and white wine sauce was overpowered by dried parsley that had been thrown over it. No one acknowledged us as we were leaving and it was hubby's birthday so I didn't want to make a fuss. But £15 for mussels I didn't eat was just such a shame. Lesson learnt!

Beautiful surroundings dog friendly perfect for a drink after a long walk or even half way 😀

Didn't have food, but it did smell good. Cosey place. Full of locals. Nice to see that.👍

Lovely spot, reasonable prices. Fresh food.

Lovely pub so friendly and welcoming 100% dog friendly reasonably priced good selection of drinks great staff even Shaun! 😉 lol

Had a really nice meal, great staff, good view whilst eating. Will remember this pub when visiting the area again.

Went in there with my partner for lunch time on the 3rd of February 2023, we ordered two chips, a Guinness and I Brought my own Pepsi max no caffeine with me as I can't have caffeine at the moment, bar staff rudely told me I couldnt have it what was I meant to do? Made me feel uncomfortable so we quickly left also a dog on premises unhygienic, there was another customer with two large dogs who wasn't asked to take the dogs out but I was told off for having a can of Pepsi max no caffeine, bar maid said I should have ordered another soft drink but point is I didn't want that I'd have ordered a diet coke But I can only have no caffine. Sort it out please also pub isn't properly cleaned tables and chairs are horrible

Popped in for a drink after a walk, lovely views, pub has a good feel about it and comfortable.

Great food have to wait a while but deffo worth the wait

Love this place after a nice walk. We didn't have any food.

You get a great view whilst eating. The food choice was good, and I enjoyed the smoked mackerel. My companion had a vegan dish and enjoyed it. Staff are friendly and helpful. The pub was busy. I would recommend visiting the area.

Beautiful setting, good food, nice beer

On several occasions I have met colleagues here, and the service has been fantastic. Good beer and atmosphere. Dog friendly. Awesome views of the basin.

Passed through Maldon around late lunch o'clock and felt like food with a view, was in order... This is the perfect spot and the pub has a small car park out front. I was well looked after, young lady made my food crisp and fresh just as the pub was closing down the kitchen for the day, was most grateful and enjoyed all looking out over the lovely view, whilst enjoying a nice glass of wine..

My friend and I do not live locally. We pulled up to look around and decide where to have lunch. Was shouted at by man in door telling us not to park there. We pointed out we were looking round as we did not know the area, We were thinking of going into the Old ship. However his rudeness and lack of customer service made the decision for us. We will never frequent the Old Ship.

Locals tend to hog the bar area, but seem a friendly enough crowd

Owner/landlord came out and told me not to use his car park (empty at 10:30am on a Sunday) even though I was parking to walk my dogs and then meet friends and family 45mins later for drinks and a large family meal. Rude beyond belief. Won’t be going back . Ever. Sad to see this pub so badly run. I understand there must be a problem with people taking parking liberties; but there are ways to incentivise genuine customers; rather than turning them Away rudely. Stay away.

Maybe good for drinking. Went to get some lunch, food was awful for the price of it. Cheeseburger plain bread with burger and slice of cheese, no salad, no sauce or bacon. Fish and chips tasteless. No salad also. Definitely can’t recommend to anyone wishing to eat delicious food. Maybe this is standard for English village cuisine I don’t know??? For same 50£ spent there in London Turkish restaurant you can get full set menu for 3 people and roll out from there with full stomach and very happy.

Live local to the canal, but not directly in the basin. Have walked my dog along the river to the pub for a drink. Arrived at 6pm and as I opened the door was told they were closed. (Google says 11pm) this is the 3rd time I have attempted to drink at this pub mid walk, and been turned away, only to see other people head in after me and not be given the same information. There have never been signs saying private function. I get the feeling if you are a basin resident you are welcome after 6pm but anyone else is turned away. Hard to support local businesses when they are so unwelcoming

They should rename it to "the old dog." I'm sure the regulars don't mind, but if you're new to the area and if you don't enjoy eating your food with other people's smelly dogs right next to you, don't go there. Otherwise, good food and great staff.

Nice little pub by the waterside, friendly staff, pub grub !!

lovely place staff were really help ful tried to put in Place a ramp so my sister could have access to the Inside.1food is very good Valve and large portions. Lovely setting.

Lovely little pub to end a nice walk

Great place and location. Highly recommended. Thanks

Nice pub didnt wait long for food even though they were busy nice polite waitress (payrise needed) will visit again

Terrible food and staff were useless locals served frist

food was below average, although waiting to be served at bar the regulars got served first, very clicky, no atmosphere, certainally won't be going back.

Great food, friendly staff, been several times by myself and enjoyed it . My wife didn't like it, and wanted to leave said it smelt funny 🤔 could be why we aren't together anymore as her taste clearly is bad 😂

Had the fish and chips and I can honestly say that it was up there amongst the worst meals I’ve ever eaten. The alarm bells were ringing as soon as I saw fries instead of chips, they were really bland and obviously frozen. The same with the fish, which was old and dry. The peas were dried out like plastic. If I wasn’t so hungry I wouldn’t have eaten it. It was probably a reheated cheap and nasty ready meal. Not something you’d expect in a pub next to a body of water. Even IKEA fish and chips are better, and that’s saying something. People are being forced to tighten their belts and eating out is becoming more of a luxury and if places like this expect to thrive, I would recommend they up their game. The bar staff were okay though.

A nice place to stop midway through a great walk. They always have Maldon Gold on tap here.

Great location nice looking pub I had a pint of Maldon Gold very nice . I also had some food it was rough at best I had bacon and brie baguette not very nice . So I would go back but wouldn't eat the food needs work or someone that knows what they are doing.

Stopped by for lunch while on a long walk from Maldon. Had the fish and chips which was ok, The fish was good but chips and peas not great. The beer selection was fairly standard.

Great scenery and a good place to relax x

Good pub with nice selection of food. Can get busy though. Lovely outside space at the front to enjoy the views.

Great coffee ☕.. nice to sit down relax and watch the work with the locks.. plenty of tables out side too..

Lovely, welcoming and family friendly old pub. Friendly staff and really nice simple pub grub style food which is very reasonably priced. Definitely will be back

Good experience. Welcoming staff, ok food, and a nice atmosphere

Excellent Maldon gold beer. Nice bacon bap very good service

Went there for the first time today. had fish and chips. I wouldn't say it was brilliant. and thought it was rather pricy for what it was,

Great atmosphere with plenty of regulars playing pool. Good service with attention to customers.

Was lovely food great staff very friendly just needed the sun

The tables were so sticky even after they had been wiped down, I had chill concarn and it was vary watery with no flavour I won't at there again in a hurry.

Came here after a long walk, fancied something to eat with a friend, we had Tuna mayo baguette and cheesy chips, I hadn't read it already came with chips 🤦‍♀️ but it tasted so good, we scoffed the lot!! We both had gin & Lemonade which had to be in pint glasses as the gin glasses keep going 'missing' leave them there people!! Great service and the weather was surprisingly warm so got to eat outside which is always lovely 😍 didn't take photos of food which was presentable, but look at the views from their tables

Great staff and the food was great too. Had steak and ale pie for lunch with sticky toffee pudding. Great location with nice views. Definitely go back

Lovely homemade food, great views, very welcoming staff. Will definitely be back

Nice pub, fabulous location on a nice summer day. Even better when the tide is in. Have taken several people from outside the area to The Old Ship and they have all loved it.

Enjoyed a late lunch at The Old Ship. The home made Steak & Ale pie was delicious.

Decor a bit 'brown' but food very good, nice staff as well.

Nice pub with some great views at the end of the canal

A great little pub on the front right next to the sea and canal. Nice locals and popular with the walkers and cycling crowd

We had a lovely lunch here with a great view. The staff were friendly and my vegan tart was delicious.

Lovely pub and area to stop for a drink or something to eat and view of boats and sea

Great service and food. Nice table overlooking the estuary.

Very enjoyable afternoon yesterday with friends we'll be back 👍

love the place great pub good food and very friendly

Lovely pub! Beautiful setting! Friendly staff, great food, great place to visit!

The Old Ship welcomes us with free parking, nice view of the busy port with plenty of passing white boats. We enjoyed the view with perfectly chilled Peroni beer in that hit day. After emptying the glass we get hungry so decided to order some freshly made food. My son order freshly made home lasagna, my wife choose the Whitebait which was very tasty and made from fresh fish, I ended with classic Fish and chips which was delicious. The atmosphere in The Old Ship was calm and relaxed. I recommend this pub to everyone who seeks nice views and chilled drinks.

A great waterside pub. Lovely setting for watching boats drift by and a lovely walk from town.

Friendly staff food is nice would go again

Fish & chips were amazing - the cod was bigger than the width of our plates.!! Lovely food - lovely staff - plus nice views of the locks and boats too. I would certainly recommend The Old Ship Heybridge Basin Essex

Good for summer drinks but that's about it, food leaves alot to be desired and inside really feeling the years. Friendly staff and service

We were going to go to the Jolly Sailor but it was super busy and looked to have a function on, so we parked and went up to the Old Ship. This was a mistake. Pleasant enough setting but inside resembles a characterless pub / cafe vibe. We needed to eat so took a table inside and grabbed menus. The tables were sticky. Like, the menu stuck to them sticky. The drinks stuck to them sticky. They didn't look dirty at all, but the tables were the sticky feel from pubs 30 years ago. The menu is fine - and we ordered a couple of burgers, some chicken etc. Food took a fair while to come - but it was pretty busy as it was a nice day, so no big surprise on the timing. When it arrived it was pretty disappointing. The burgers were very basic bog standard burgers you would get in a village fete food stand. Not pub standard and certainly not value for money. The chips were ok, but nothing to write home about. The chicken wasn't terrible, but there wasn't much of it. The beans on the kids meal had formed a skin by the time it got to us and tasted like cheap beans you get when at a school field trip. It was all edible, but pretty "meh" aws the teenager of the group would say. If it was a few quid cheaper per meal you would have written it off, but considering some of the pubs in the area are about the same price - the quality just wasn't there. Won't go back to this one.

Great view of the harbour and lock

Nice place had not been there since b4 covid has been tidied up pleasant atmosphere

Brilliant I had Gammon steak with chips and peas...Perfect and my wife had chilli con carne absolutely wonderful great value...that was a few years ago. On 1st July 2021 we had Haddock and chips and Cod and chips which were excellent and great value .the service was brilliant.We went on 1st July today and I had haddock and chips very good value and B had bacon and Brea excellent service too

We stopped at The Old Ship for lunch when walking around Heybridge Basin. It was excellent although portion sizes were very large but were excellent in flavour. Staff were friendly and efficient and the pub had a good atmosphere. Recommended.

Lovely outside space friendly staff limited oarking

Great place to get a drink or something to eat, especially in a nice day overlooking the lock gates.

Nice place to sit outside on a sunny day overlooking the lock.

A really nice pub, good food, helpful staff, dog friendly and wonderful Essex views. Recommend and look forward to returning.

Food was great but all the tables were sticky 😟

Great food, great location, friendly staff

Lovely pub in a picturesque setting… we only popped in for a pint after a long walk, sat outside with the dog, staff seemed friendly and polite, can’t complain 👍👌

The ambiance was lovely overlooking the water and lock. The food was good too, my husband had a cod and chips, l had a brie and bacon baguette which came with chips. . Both were very filling.

Sticky tables, sullen staff, poor atmosphere.

Nice pub with nice views of the heighbridge basin

Always good and polite but ran out of crisps.

Cracking food, quite busy so staff running around and a little bit of a wait...but didn't take anything away from the quality of the service...steak and ale pie was truly delicious!

Pint sun and boats + Dog friendly and good food what more do you need

Nice pub. Great place to sit out in the sun

A super discovery at Heybridge Basin. Welcoming and friendly staff and great F&B including real ales. Hope to be back soon.

We had a lunch in the Old Ship. I enjoyed my fish and chips; service was good. Hope to be back there soon.